While young he devoted himself to the ministry of the Gospel. During the season of previous preparation, he studied hard, and acquired a considerable portion of learning.

In 1655 being twenty-one years of age, Mr. Alleine became assistant to an aged minister at Taunton. In this work he laboured with no small portion of assiduity and success. Besides his public services he was indefatigable in private exertions, to promote the benefit of the congregation. He taught from house to house. His practice was to spend five afternoons in the week, from about two o'clock till seven, in visiting the different families of his flock.

At length the day arrived, which spread a black and dismal cloud over the interests of religion in England; a cloud that still darkens many parts of that favoured island. Laud's faction, that, in the reign of Charles the first, had striven to banish true piety from the land, and to introduce in its stead popish mummeries and irreligion, triumphed in the reign of Charles the second. In August, 1662, upwards of two thousand conscientious ministers of the Gospel were expelled from their pulpits, by the act of uniformity.

When one of them, to whom the king had a peculiar antipathy, was in danger of death, in Newgate, through close imprisonment, a petition was presented to Charles for his release. The answer was, "Jenkyn shall be a prisoner as long as he lives." He died soon after. A nobleman having heard of his death, said to the king: May it please your majesty, Jenkyn has got his liberty." "Aye," said the king; "who gave it him?"

"A greater than your majesty, the King of kings." Charles appeared much struck, and remained silent. Joseph Alleine was one of the many sufferers at this time. When banished from the pulpit he had occupied, he still resolved to pursue his beloved work of preaching,

and visiting from house to house, till imprisonment or exile should stop his labours; and he sold his goods to be the better prepared for either event.

He was apprehended on a Saturday evening, and taken before three justices, who charged him with holding a riotous assembly, at a meeting where the only employment had been prayer and preaching. Innocence being no protection where piety was the crime, after he had received some insulting treatment a mittimus was made out to send him to Ilchester gaol. He passed the Lord's day in Taunton, in custody of an officer, who had orders to prevent his preaching. Many of his friends visited him, with whom he conversed and prayed, and whom he exhorted to perseverance, assuring them that he was going to prison full of joy, being confident that the glory of God would be promoted by his trials.

On Monday morning, accompanied by two or three friends, he set out for Ilchester, and himself carried the warrant for his commitment to prison. The streets of Taunton were lined with people, many of whom, with bitter lamentations, followed him for several miles. The scene on this occasion was so affecting that it seemed more than he could bear. When himself and his friends arrived at Ilchester, the gaoler was not at home. He therefore embraced this opportunity, and preached again before he entered the prison. He was then committed to a chamber, in which were six other ministers, and fifty Quakers. His fellow-sufferers in the ministry, and himself, preached once or twice a day, and many resorted to them, even from places eight or ten miles distant. In July he was indicted at the sessions. The grand jury threw out the bill; yet he was kept in prison. In August he was again indicted on the same evidence as before. The grand jury now found a bill against him, and he was brought to trial. The indictment was, that on May 17, 1663, "He, together with twenty others, to

the jurors unknown, did riotously and seditiously assemble themselves together, contrary to the peace of our sovereign lord the king, and to the great terror of his subjects, and to the evil example of others," &c. He replied that he was guilty of praying and preaching, and owned them for his duty; but that he abhorred riotous and seditious assemblies; and pleaded that he was not guilty of the charge of attending one. The jury however convicted him, and he was sentenced to pay a fine of one hundred marks, (£66 13s. 4d.,) and to be imprisoned till this fine was paid. To this he replied, that he was glad he had appeared before his country; that whatever he was charged with, he was guilty of nothing but doing his duty; that all which appeared from the evidence, was only that he had sung a psalm, and instructed his family in his own house, while some other persons were present; and that he should cheerfully receive whatever sentence might be pronounced upon him, in so good a cause. He was remanded to prison. In the following winter, his fellow-sufferers and himself were favoured with a more convenient room, and hundreds flocked to them to hear the word of God. The justices raged, and threatened him with exile, but their threats were not put into execution. At length he was liberated, but sickness soon overtook him. When his health was in some measure restored, he again laboured to promote the sacred cause of religion. A second imprisonment speedily interrupted his labours, and contributed to the ruin of his constitution. When liberated a second time, it was not for much active exertion. His strength was weakened, his health was ruined, and his constitution broken by labours and imprisonment.

He had now, by his example, to teach others how to bear sickness, and encounter death. After his release, he lingered on upwards of a year; his health, like an expiring taper, sometimes brightening, then declining.

During this season of trial he enjoyed inward peace, and said, that God had not tried him in anything, but in laying him aside from his work, and in keeping him out of heaven. He had not those rapturous joys of which some partake; but had a sweet serenity of heart and conscience, a confidence in God, grounded on the promises of the Gospel, and a belief that it would be well with him to all eternity.

In his illness he had so entirely lost the use of his limbs that he could not move a finger; when asked how he could be so well contented to lie so long as he had lain in great weakness, he replied: "What! is God my Father, Jesus Christ my Saviour, the Spirit my friend, and comforter, and sanctifier, and heaven my inheritance, and shall I not be content without limbs and health? Through grace I am fully satisfied with my Father's good pleasure."

The hour of his departure now drew on apace. He was seized with strong and terrible convulsions, which continued with little intermission for two days and nights. Prayers were offered that his sufferings might be mitigated; and prayer prevailed. He again became able to converse with his sorrowing friends. O," said he, "how sweet will heaven be!" Looking upon his hands, he said, "These shall be changed. This vile body shall be made like unto Christ's glorious body. O what a glorious day will the day of resurrection be! Methinks I see it by faith. How will the saints lift up their heads and rejoice!"

At length his work was finished. His Master called, and he entered into rest. He is gone to that country where his sun will never set, and God shall be his everlasting light.

32. JAMES HERVEY.

"Since the dear hour that brought me to thy foot,
And cut up all my follies by the root,

I never trusted in an arm but thine;
Nor hoped but in thy righteousness Divine,
My prayers and alms, imperfect and defiled,
Were but the feeble efforts of a child;
Howe'er perform'd, this was their brightest part,
That they were offerings of a thankful heart;
I cast them at thy feet, my only plea

Is, what it was,-dependence upon thee;

While struggling in the vale of griefs below,

This never failed, nor shall it fail me now."-COWPER.

THIS eminent Christian and zealous minister was born February 26, 1713, at Hardingstone, near Northampton. In early life, he was impressed with the importance of religion, but unacquainted with its nature. The state of his mind at this time is illustrated by the following anecdote.

In the parish where he preached, there resided a ploughman, who attended Doddridge's ministry, and who was well acquainted with the doctrines of grace. Mr. Hervey sometimes accompanied this ploughman, and one morning said to him: "What do you think is the hardest thing in religion?" To which he replied, "I am a poor illiterate man, and you, sir, are a minister; I beg leave to return the question." Then said Mr. Hervey, "I think the hardest thing is to deny sinful self," and applauded, at some length, this kind of selfdenial. The ploughman replied: "Mr. Hervey, you have forgotten the greatest act of the grace of self-denial, which is to deny ourselves of a proud confidence in our own obedience for justification."

In repeating this story to a friend, Mr. Hervey observed: "I then hated the righteousness of Christ; 1