The Life and Death of Joseph Alleine, Biography · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. An Account of his Godly Life and Practice, and of the Course of his Ministry in Taunton, given by Mr. George Newton, the Reverend Pastor there, whose Assistant he was.
MR. Joseph Allein came to my Assistance, in the Year 1655. being then in the One and Twentieth year of his Age; and we continued together with much mutual Satisfaction.
I soon observed him to be a young Man of Singular Accomplishments, Natural and Acquired. His Intellectuals solid, his Memory strong, his Affections lively, his Learning much beyond the ordinary Size: And above all, his Holiness eminent, his Conversation exemplary; In brief, he had a good Head, and a better Heart.
He spent a considerable part of his time in private converses with God, and his own Soul; he delighted very much to perform his secret Devotions in the view of Heaven, and the open Air, when he could find advantages fit for his purpose. He used to keep many dayes alone, and then a private Room would not content him, but (if he could) he would withdraw himself to a solitary House, that had no inhabitant in it: And herein he was gratified often by some private Friends of his, to whom he did not impart his design: Perhaps it was, that he might freely use his Voice as his Affections led him, without such prudential considerations and restraints as would have been necessary in another place; and that he might converse with God without any avocation or distraction.
His conversation with others, was alwayes mingled with Heavenly and Holy Discourses; he was ready to Instruct, and to Exhort, and to Reprove, which he never failed to do (when he thought it necessary) what-ever the event might be: But he performed it usually with such respect, humility, tenderness, self-condemnation, and compassion, that a reproof from him did seldom, if at all, miscarry.
In the Houses where he Sojourned, their Hands fed one, but his Lips fed many; God freely poured Grace into his Lips, and he freely poured it out. None could live quietly in any visible and open sin, under his inspection: When he came to any House to take up his abode there, he brought Salvation with him; when he departed, he left Salvation behind him. His manner was, when he was ready to depart, and to transplant himself into some other Family, (as that the exigence of his condition and the time, did more than once constrain him to) to call the People one by one into his Chamber; from whence it was observed, that scarce any one returned with dry eyes.
In matters of Religion, and the first Table, his strictness was so exemplary, (which was near to rigour) that I have scarce known any of his years keep pace with him. Surely he did more than others; His Righteousness exceeded not the Publican only, but the Pharisees too. He was much taken with Monsieur de Reuty, (whose Life he read often) and imitated some of his Severities upon better grounds: How often have I heard him to admire (among many other things) especially his self-annihilation, striving continually to be Nothing, that, God might be all.
But here he stayeth not, he was a second-Table-man, a man of Morals; I never knew him spotted in the least degree with any unjust or uncharitable Act. And I am sure, the many failings of Professors in this kind, touched him to the very quick, and brought him low; drew Prayers, Tears, Complaints, and Lamentations, both by Word and Letter from him, though yet the Lord would not permit him to behold and reap the Fruit before he died.
He had an eminently, free, and bountiful heart to his power; and I may truly say, beyond his power; yea, much beyond it, he was willing of himself. It is but seldom that the best do need restraint in these Matters; and yet we read of some who brought more than enough, yea, much more than enough, Exod. 36. 5. So that there was a Proclamation issued out, to put a stop upon their Bounty, and it is added presently, so the People were restrained. Men universally almost do need a Spur, but he did rather need a Bridle. When other men gave little out of much, he gave much out of little; and while they heapt and gathered up, he dispersed and scattered abroad. He did not hide himself from his own flesh, but was helpful to Relations, as some of them have great reason to acknowledge. His charity began at home, but it did not end there; for he did good to all, (according to his opportunities) though especially to the Houshold of Faith. He considered the Poor, he studied their condition; he devised liberal things; he was full of holy Projects, for the advancement of the good of others, both Spiritual and Temporal; which he pursued with such irresistable vigor, and zeal, and activity, that they seldom proved abortive.
He was a man of extraordinary condescention to the infirmities of weaker Brethren, as they that are most holy, and best acquainted with themselves, are wont to be: Instructing those that were contrary minded in meekness; If God peradventure would give them repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth: Restoring those who were overtaken with a fault, with the Spirit of Meekness. So dealing with them in such a loving, sweet, and humble way, as considering himself, lest he also might be tempted. In their confessed failings, he was no way supercilious, captious, and censorious; he would maintain a good opinion of another, upon a narrower footing than many others, who (to say no more) were nothing stricter, holier, humbler, than himself would be. His Charity, Believed all things that were to be believed, and Hoped all things that were to be hoped. And when he deeply condemned the Action, he would not judge of the Estate: Indeed he had more charity for others than himself; and though he were sufficiently mild in his judgment of others, he was severe enough in his judgment of himself.
He was not Peremptory in matters that belong to doubtful Disputations: He laid no more weight and stress on Notions, and Opinions in Religion, that wholly depend upon Topical Arguments, than belongs to them. He was not like many who are so over-confident in their determinations, that they will hardly hold communion; Nay, scarce so much as a pleasing conversation with any man (how gracious soever) who cannot think, and say, and act in every thing as they do. He would allow his Fellow-Members the Latitude that the Apostle doth; and so would freely and familiarly converse with those who are sound in the Faith, (as to the fundamentals of Religion) and who were strict and holy in their lives, of all Perswasions.
His Ministerial Studies were more than usually easie to him, being of a quick conceit, a ready, strong, and faithful memory, a free expression (which was rather nervous and substantial, than soft and delicate) and which was best of all, a holy Heart that boyled and bubled up with good matter. This … him on all occasions, not with warm affections onelyonly, but with holy Notions too. For his Heart was an Epistle, written not with Ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God: And out of this Epistle, he drew many excellent things. In the course of his Ministry, he was a good Man, and in his Heart a good Treasure; whence he was wont continually to bring forth good things, both in publick and private.
He was apt to Preach and Pray, most ready on all occasions to lay out himself in such Work, yea, spending himself in such Work: When my suddain Distemper seised upon me, put him at any time (as many times they did) upon very short and … preparations, he never refused; no, nor so much as fluctuated in the undertaking: But being called, he confidently cast himself upon the Lord, and trusted perfectly to his Assistance, who had never failed him; and so he readily and freely went about his Work without distraction.
He began upon a very considerable stock of Learning, and Gifts Ministerial and Personal, much beyond the proportion of his Years, and grew exceedingly in his Abilities and Graces, in a little time. So that his profiting appeared to all Men; he waxed very rich in heavenly Treasure, by the blessing of God on a diligent hand, so that he was behind in no good Gift. He found that pretious promise sensibly made good, To him that hath (for use and good employment) shall be given, and he shall have abundance. He had no Talent for the Napkin, but all for Traffique, which he laid out so freely for his Masters use, that in a little time they multiplyed so fast, that the Napkin could not hold them. I heard a worthy Minister say of him once, (not withont much admiration) Whence hath this man these things? He understood whence he had them well enough, and so did I, even from Above, whence every good and perfect Gift proceedeth: God blessed him in all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Things, and he returned all to Heaven again; he served God with all his might, and all his strength; he was abundant in the Work of the Lord; he did not go, but run the wayes of his Commandments: He made haste and lingred not; He did run, and was not weary; he did walk, and was not saint. He pressed hard towards the Mark, till he attained it; his Race was short and swift, and his End glorious.
He was infinitely and insatiably greedy of the Conversion of Souls, wherein he had no small success in the time of his Ministry: And to this end, he poured out his very Heart in Prayer and in Preaching; He imparted not the Gospel only, but his own Soul. His Supplications, and his Exhortations, many times were so affectionate, so full of holy Zeal, Life, and Vigor, that they quite overcame his Hearers: He melted over them, so that he thawed and molified, and sometimes dissolved the hardest Hearts. But while he melted thus, he wasted, and at last consumed himself.
He was not satisfied to spend himself in publique, but used constantly to go from House to House, and there to deal perticularly (where he had a free reception) both with the Governours, and with the Children, and with the Servants of the Houshold, instructing them especially in the great Fundamental necessary Truths of the Law, and of the Gospel, where he observed them to be ignorant: Gently reproving them, where he found any thing amiss among them. Exhorting them to diligence, both in their general and particular Callings: Entreating them who were defective, by any means to set up the Worship of God in their Houses, and to make them little Churches, by constant reading of the Scripture, that so the Word of Christ might deeply dwell among, and in them richly, by careful Catechising of the Children, and the Servants, if the Governours were able; by frequent Meditations, Conferences, Repetitions of that which they had heard in publique, especially by daily Prayer, Morning and Evening, that so they might avoid that dreadful indignation which hangs over, and is ready to be poured out upon the Families that call not upon God. He made the best inspection that he could, into the state of every particular Person, and so accordingly applyed himself to check, to comfort, to encourage, as he found occasion. All which he did with so much tenderness, humility, & self-denyal, that they gained very much on the affections, and respects of all that received him, and wrought them at least to outward conformity; so that they who were not visited in the beginning, at length came forth and called upon him to come to their Families and help them.
Thus did he wear himself away, and gave light and heat to others: He usually allowed himself too little sleep to recruit and to repair the Spirits which he wasted with waking. His manner was to rise at four a Clock at the utmost, many times before, and that in the cold Winter Mornings, that he might be with God betime, and so get room for other studies and imployments. His extraordinary watchings, constant cares, excessive labours in the Work of his Ministry, publique and private, were generally apprehended to be the cause of those distempers and decays, and at last of that ill habit of body, whereof in the end he died.
He was the gravest, strictest, most serious, and composed young Man that I had ever yet the happiness to be acquainted with. And yet he was not rigid in his Principles, his moderation was known to all men that knew him.