JOSEPH ALLEINE was a man of quick natural parts and great acquirements, of a composed, grave, and serious temper and behaviour, not at all morose, but full of candour, free, affable, cheerful, and courteous.

As a christian he was, for exemplary holiness, and heavenliness of mind and life, much elevated above the ordinary rank. He lived much in delightful communion with God; his soul was greatly exercised in divine contemplation; and he would sometimes speak of the ineffable pleasure, sweetness, and satisfaction his soul had found in his stated meditations on the Divine attributes, distinctly, one by one. In his discourses he would speak much and fervently; commending and exalting the diving goodness, and the inexpressible dearness and tenderness of the divine love. In prayer he was not ordinarily so much in confession or complaining of corruption and infirmities, though he expressed a due sense of these, as in admiring and praising God in his infinite glorious perfections, and in the mention of his wonderful works, particularly of those wonders of his love revealed in Jesus Christ. In some of his letters to me, when he had been speaking of the grace and goodness of God to him, (of the sense whereof he would seem to be even quite swallowed up,) he would break off with some such expression as these, "I am full of the mercies of the Lord; O love the Lord for me; O praise the Lord for my sake; O help me, help me to praise the Lord!"

His whole life was adorned and beautified with the admirable lustre of his particular personal graces.

He was a man of love. His sweet, amiable, and courteous converse was such as made him the delight of his acquaintances, and made way for the entertainment both of his serious counsels and severer reproofs. He grew dear unto the saints that knew him. His compassion to those in distress - his bounty to those in want (wherein he abounded beyond his ability) - his forbearance in cases of offence-his affectionate language and deportment, his readiness to all obliging offices of love to his relations - to his friends - to strangers - to enemies; did evidently declare how he loved them. But the people of his care, were the people of his delight. His ardent longing for their souls - his rejoicing in their soul’s prosperity - his bleedings and breakings of soul under any of their falls or infirmities - his incessant labours amoung them, both publicly and from house to house - his frequent and affectionate letters to them when he was absent - his earnest desire to live, and die, and be buried amongst them - these all declare how greatly they were in his heart.

He was a man of courage. He feared no dangers in the way of his duty, knowing that "He that walks uprightly, walks surely." In cases less clear, he was very inquisitive to understand his way, and then he fixed without fear. He feared not the faces of men; but where occasion required, he was bold in admonishing, and faithful in reproving; which unpleasant duty he yet managed with such prudence and such expressions of love and compassion to souls, as made his way into hearts more easy, and his work more successful.

He was a son of peace; both a zealous peace-maker among differing brethren, in case of personal quarrels and contentions; and he was also of sober and peaceful principles, and a healing spirit, as to parties or factions on account of religion. He had a reverend regard to magistrates, abhorring all provoking and insolent expressions, or mutinous actions against them.

He was a man of truth and righteousness; both as to his own personal practice; and also was zealous in pressing it upon others, especially professors of religion, to be exemplarily just in their dealings, and true in their words, to be wary in promising, and punctual in performing. O how often and passionately have I heard him bewailing the sins of promise-breaking and deceitful dealing; whereof such as he hath known to be guilty have understood, both by word and writing, how much his soul was grieved at them, for the wrong they hereby did to their own souls especially, and the reproach they brought upon the gospel of our Lord.

He was of great patience. To say nothing of his behaviour under sufferings of other kinds, his great weakness, and long languishing for years together, and his constant serenity, calmness and quietness of spirit in all that time - so far from the least tough of murmuring, that he was still blessing the Lord for his tender dealings with him - have given the world a full proof that he was of a patient spirit.

He was eminent in liberality. He not only did, but devised liberal things, and by liberal things did he stand; he studied and considered how he might both give himself, and procure from others, relief for those in want. He gave alms daily, both in the place where he lived, and wherever he came. When there were collections at any time for pious and charitable uses, he stirred up others to bountiful giving, both by word, and also by his example. In the collection for the fire in London, he gave publicly such a liberal proportion as he thought meet to be an example to others; and (as I came occasionally to understand) lest it should be misjudged if he had been known to give more, he gave more than as much again secretly. He distributed much amongst his relations. His aged father, and some of his brethren, with their large families, being fallen into decay, he took great care for them all, and gave education to some, pensions to others, portions to others of them; and notwithstanding all this, he had but a very small stock to begin upon, and never above eighty pounds^* per annum, that I know of; and near the one-half of his time, not over half this sum; only by the industry of his wife, who for many years kept a boarding-school, his income was at that time considerably enlarged. He took great pains in visits to many gentlemen abroad, and other rich men in the country, to procure a standing supply for such non-conforming ministers as were in want.

He was an active spirit. He went about doing good. As he was abundant and incessant in his labours in the congregation where he lived, so wherever he came, he was scattering some good seed, not only among the aged, but dealing much with the children in those families into which he came, asking them questions, giving them counsel, and sometimes leaving them his counsel in writing. In his own family (which was large while his wife kept boarders) he was exceedingly industrious; the gravity of his carriage, tempered with much sweetness and affability towards these young persons, begat in many of them the awe and love as of children to their father, and made way for the success of his endeavours with them, which was considerable upon some of them. At Bath, while he lay sick there, he sent for many of the poor, both old and children, and gave them catechisms, engaging them to learn them, and give him an account; who came cheerfully and frequently to him, being encouraged thereto by his familiar and winning carriage - his giving them money - his feeding and feasting them. He would sometimes say, "It is a pity that counsel of our Lord (Luke iv. 13.) of feasting the poor, was not more practised among Christians."

He was of an humble spirit. Though God had so exceedingly lifted him up in the hearts of others, yet he was not puffed up in his own. He was low in his own eyes, and despised the praise of men. His whole behaviour was without the least ostentation, and he was of great condescension to the weakest or meanest. Once or twice he was complaining to me of the pride of his heart; I, judging it to proceed rather from a holy jealousy of himself, and a tenderness of the least spark of that evil, than from any power it had upon him, replied to him, as I remember to this purpose; "If he had a proud heart, he had it to himself, for none else could perceive it." But he answered, "some men that are proud enough, have more wit than to let every one know it." Another time making the same complaint in a letter to me, he added thus: "But my naughty heart, whilst I am writing this, is in hope you will not believe me." So watchful was he to espy and check the least motions of that evil which he so much abhorred.

He was settled in Taunton Magdalen, as an assistant to the reverend pastor there; with whom, as a son with the father, he served in the Gospel. But besides his labours in that great congregation in which alone he was fixed, the care for many other congregations was daily upon him. He went forth frequently into several places about the country, amongst the poor ignorant people that lived in dark corners, and had none to take care of them, and both preached to them himself, and stirred up many of his brethren; whose forward minds readily joined with him, to set up standing lectures amongst them. He had an eye to Wales, and had an influence in sending over some ministers there. He resolved also to have gone and spent some time amongst them himself; and by all the dissuasions of his friends, from his great weakness and unfitness for travel, he was hardly withheld from his purpose.