a dying man, who had for years been on the edge of the grave, and who was then ahout to step into another world. But similar evidence is afforded by other contemporaries who knew and admired the saintly Alleine.

"His fancy," says another, was as Aaron's rodbudding, ever producing fresh blossoms of refined, divine wit. His affections were strong and fervent, never enkindled but with a coal from the altar. He had a great acquaintance with the chief sects of the philosophers, especially of the Academics and Stoics, of his insight into whom he made singular use, by gathering their choicest flowers to adorn Christianity withal; and scarcely did he preach a sermon wherein he did not select some excellent passage or other out of them whereby to illustrate and fortify his discourse. His prolation or manner of speech was free, sublime, and weighty. It will be hard to tell what man ever spoke with more holy eloquence, gravity, authority, meekness, compassion, and efficacy to souls."

Mr. Alleine was as devoted to his pastoral work as to his pulpit. Catechizing was specially characteristic of the puritan ministry, and the public and domestic practice of it was faithfully exercised by Mr. Alleine. Every Sabbath afternoon he catechized the youth of his congregation, when a large number of parents also assembled. Every Thursday afternoon he catechized in the church a portion of the people resident in certain districts. On other days he visited families and examined them respecting their knowledge of the Scriptures. Mrs. Alleine stated with regard to this part of his labours, that "in this work, his course was to draw a catalogue of the names of the families in each street, and so to send a day or two

Those that sent slight

before he intended to visit them. excuses, or did obstinately refuse his message, he would speak some few affectionate words to them, or, if he saw cause, denounce the threatenings of God against them that despise His ministers, and so departed; and after, he would send letters to them so full of love as did overcome their hearts, and they did many of them afterwards receive him into their houses. Herein was his compassion shown to all sorts, both poor and rich.”

His catechizing was not a mere examination of the amount of knowledge possessed by the youth. He made it a means of reaching the conscience, and of awakening Nor is there, perhaps, any means of greater efficacy. It reveals the state of each person's mind more fully than any other, and enables a faithful and skilful minister to apply the truth with some point to the heart.

concern.

Mr. Alleine urged each head of a family in his parish to establish domestic worship. This was also a prominent feature in the puritan ministry, and was of eminent service to the cause of religion. In some parishes where devoted clergymen laboured, such as Kidderminster, which enjoyed the faithful and earnest ministry of Richard Baxter, family worship became the rule, and the praises of God might be heard, as the morning opened and the evening closed, from every dwelling within the street. Taunton illustrated the same exemplary practice, and there were very many families who daily gathered around their domestic altar and worshipped God.

Mr. Alleine made excursions into neighbouring parishes, and preached as he got opportunity. He greatly promoted ministerial conference and fellowship, a means of spiritual benefit of inestimable value to clergymen. Like

Mr. M'Cheyne of modern days, men were astonished that so young a man should exercise so much influence over brethren senior to himself. But it was the power of manifest goodness. His character won respect. His presence had an indescribable charm which attracted others to him. His generosity was unbounded, and was as discriminating as it was liberal. He was ever seeking opportunities to be useful in every way. Many children owed their education to his care and expense. Poor clergymen were largely assisted by his purse or his kind offices on their behalf. The parishes in his neighbourhood that were less favoured with a gospel ministry than his own, were indebted to him for much spiritual instruction. He therefore won the esteem of all the right-minded, and exercised the highest influence which belongs to unaffected and consistent goodness. He was so powerfully persuaded of his call to be an ambassador for Christ that he always exercised his office, and people heard him with a corresponding interest, and received with confidence his words of exhortation and of warning.

Though abounding in public labour, he did not neglect his studies. He pursued with great diligence the sacred learning into which he had been initiated at Oxford, and was long busy preparing a Latin treatise entitled "Theologia Philosophica." He was very studious of the word of God, and was well acquainted with the "three languages which Christ sanctified at the cross." Other studies besides hermeneutics and systematic divinity engaged him. Science was then rising into esteem, and he was one of its earliest votaries. He did not think its discoveries antagonistic to the Scripture, but a handmaid to Revelation.

To fulfil so many engagements and have so much leisure required a careful use of time, and he was as scrupulous in its use as goldsmiths are of the very dust of their workshops. His wife tells us that "at the time of his health, he did rise constantly at or before four of the clock, and would be much troubled if he heard smiths or other craftsmen at work at their trades, before he was at communion with God, saying to me often, 'How this noise shames me Doth not my Master deserve more than theirs?' From four till eight he spent in prayer, holy contemplation, and singing of psalms, in which he much delighted, and did daily practise alone, as well as in his family." A thankful spirit was constantly with him, and praise was the greatest part of his devotions.

But "Black Bartholomew" came and cast out the Puritan preacher. Charles II. deceived the Nonconformists. After different attempts to curtail the liberty of the Puritans, the Act of Uniformity was passed, which required every minister "to declare openly and publicly his unfeigned assent and consent to everything contained in the Book of Common Prayer, to renounce the Solemn League and Covenant, to acknowledge that the oath taken to maintain it involved no moral obligations; and further, to declare that it was unlawful, under any pretence, to take up arms against the king." Refusal was to be deprivation of office. The act was to take effect on the day of St. Bartholomew, August 24, 1662. Two thousand ministers refused to subscribe! Among these noble and ever-memorable confessors were Joseph Alleine of Taunton and his venerable colleague. Like many of the others, Alleine suffered grievously at the hands of the

Government. He left his church, but not his flock. Amidst threatenings and interruptions he sought to fulfil his ministry, and preached often to little companies of his people. At length, on May 26, 1663, he was arrested and taken prisoner for preaching.

"Before the Act of Uniformity came forth," his wife wrote, "my husband was very earnest, day and night, with God, that his way might be made plain to him, and that he might not desist from such advantages of saving souls with any scruple upon his spirit. He seemed so moderate, that both myself and others thought he would have conformed, he often saying that he would not leave his work for small and dubious matters; but when he saw those clauses of assent and consent, and renouncing the covenant, he was fully satisfied. But seeing his way so plain for quitting the public station he was in, and being thoroughly persuaded of this, that the ejection of the ministers out of their places did not disoblige them from preaching the gospel, he presently took up a firm resolution to go on with his work in private, when his ministry in the church had ceased." So fully was he resolved to continue at his work, that if he could no longer exercise his ministry in England, he contemplated a mission to China, or some other distant land.

It was a trying time in the country when so many had to leave the scenes of their beloved labours. But it was a matter of conscience, and they were willing to suffer rather than sin.

Then BAXTER had to leave Kidderminster, the scene of his successful labours in winning souls. He had shortly before declined the see of Hereford, rather than leave his attached flock. But the Act of Uniformity forced him