THE METHODIST MAGAZINE,

FOR JANUARY, 1812.

BIOGRAPHY.

A MEMOIR OF MR. JOHN ALLEN:

CHIEFLY COMPILED FROM HIS OWN PAPERS,

BY JAMES MACDONALD.

J

OHN ALLEN, the fubject of the following Memoir, was born at Chapel-in-firth, Derbyshire, on June 10, old style, 1737. In his infancy he was weak and fickly. His parents were, as himself obferves, honeft labouring people, who, though ftrangers, then to vital godlinefs, endeavoured, according to the best of their knowledge, to give him a religious education. Some time, before he was twelve years of age, the thoughts of death, hell, and the day of judgment, gave him much uneafinefs; especially when it thundered, or when he heard the bell toll for any of the deceased. In this he was not fingular; for moft, if not all who are able to witness a good confeffion, can remember, in their very early days, to have been fimilarly affected.

So early as between the 12th and 16th year of his age, he manifefted his native depravity, by indulging in jefting, foolish talking, and finful amusements. To his levity, carelessnefs, and indifference to divine things, the pernicious example of a domestic greatly contributed.

When about 16, he was much affected, while reading the 8th chapter of the Prophet Jeremiah. When he read, "The harvest is paft, the fummer is ended, and we are not faved," it appeared to him as if the prophet, speaking by divine authority, was addrefsing him alone. The words had fuch a powerful effect upon him, that he closed the facred volume, and by a flood of tears gave vent to his feelings. He inftantly refolved to turn to God, by forfaking all his fins, and his finful companions. This refolution was accompanied with a defire, not only to be faved himself, but to do all that lay in his power for the falvation of others. Such, even then, was his love to fouls, that he wished to be a preacher, for the purpose of being an inftrument of plucking finners as brands * A 2*

from

from the burning. But, defirable as the office of the ministry appeared to him, for that glorious purpose, he could not then fee that his ever being engaged in it was even in the round of possibility.

It is to be lamented, that at this time Mr. Allen had not the advantage of either a gofpel miniftry, or Chriftian fellowship. There was then a famine of the word of the Lord in moft parts of the land. Young, and unacquainted with the way of falvation, he by degrees finned away his convictions. Having ceafed to feek for happiness in the fountain of living waters, he hewed out to himself broken cifterns. He fought reft for his foul in company and in mufic, but fought for it in vain. In the midft of all his fprightlinefs and apparent joy, his heart was truly forrowful. He still retained a fettled conviction, however much he ftrove to ftifle it, that should he die in the ftate in which he then was, everlasting mifery must be his portion. His cafe, as well as that of numberlefs others, is a confutation of the refined neceffarian notion, that the laft refult of the judgment, invariably determines the will. The laft refult of his judgment, for five long years, was, that his grand bufinefs in time was to prepare for a happy eternity; and, yet, undetermined to good, he perfifted in the ways of fin and folly. Often, in this night of spiritual and wilful captivity, did he refolve in his own ftrength, to break off all his fins, and as often broke his refolutions. When a fuitable temptation came, they were like chaff before the whirlwind. Sometimes, finding all his efforts unavailing, he utterly defpaired of falvation; and then his language was, "I may as well give myself up to my pleasures as refrain from them, feeing I have no hope of future happiness." His anguish of mind at this period, may be better conceived than expreffed.

After fome time, his mother, whom he tenderly loved, and who had often in vain remonftrated with him on the evil of his doings, began fo to decline in her health, that little hope was entertained of her recovery. As the time of her death approached, he was, to use his own words, " vaftly alarmed, and had no peace day nor night." On the fubject of her death, and the effect produced by it, what he fays is highly expreffive. "On Sunday, March 24, 1759, my dear mother died. This was a home flroke indeed, and the laft of the means that I fhould have wifhed God to ufe, in order to my converfion. However, it proved, I trust, effectual to my falvation, as from that time I began to feek the Lord more earnestly, and to hear the Gofpel wherever I could."

At this time, he had no knowledge of the Methodists; but, having once had an opportunity of hearing Mr. John Oliver, in Manchester, he requested his father to let him come to his house,

and

and preach his mother's funeral fermon. His father confented, and the refult was, that Mr. Oliver came, and preached with good effect to a large congregation.

Mr. Allen, fome time after this, went to live with an uncle of his, at a place called Money-afh; but was foon recalled, on account of family affliction. His father, brothers, and fifters, were all ill at the fame time; and, as the disease with which they were vifited, was confidered fo infectious, as not to be approached with fafety, he was obliged to wait upon them all himself, without any affiftance. As foon as they had all recovered, he was himself feized with the diforder; but, as he gratefully expreffes himself, the Lord dealt fo favourably with him, that he was able, in about a fortnight, to go and hear preaching at a place called Chinley. It was at that time, Sept. 1759, that he joined the Methodist Society, a fteady upright member of which he continued to the end of his life. Having refolutely determined to walk with the wife, and being, through grace, enabled to put his refolution in prac tice, he found himself foon forfaken by his old wicked companions. Thefe, from being his profeffed friends and admirers, became bitter perfecutors of him and the few religious perfons with whom he affociated. But finding that they could not effect their purpose by violence, they used the gentle methods of flattery and perfuafion. They faid that he had always been religious; that there was no doubt of his getting to heaven; adding, "if there be, the Lord help us!" The fingers, with whom he had been connected, promifed, that on condition of his again affociating with them, they would never fwear in his prefence, nor be guilty of any thing capable of giving him offence. So mild and infinuating were they in their perfuafions, that he was on the point of complying, but the divine precept, "Come out from among them," Occurring to his mind, fully determined him to avoid the tents of wickedness. Nor was he, at this early period of his Chriftian courfe, free from domeftic perfecution: his father and the rest of the family ranked among his oppofers. But he gave himself to prayer; and, in addition to his regular performance of that important duty, ufed often to retire into a wood near his father's houfe, and there pour out his foul in earnest prayers and fupplications. Often, while thus engaged, he felt a measure of comfort arifing from a hope that God would fet his foul at liberty. Having fafely paffed the rocks of prefumption and despair, he was a fit fubject for deliverance. And as he was deeply meditating on divine things, the Lord fpoke in mercy to his foul, faying, "It is I, be not afraid." But ftill he did not believe with the heart unto that righteousness which implies both pardon and holiness. Not long after, however, while engaged in fecret prayer, he felt

his guilt removed, and the love of God fhed abroad in his heart; on which he begun to fing:

"For finners like me,

He bled on the tree.

Ah! who would not love such a Saviour as thee ?"

None, fave fuch as have paffed from death unto life, can form any idea of the happiness which he then experienced. No longer defpairing of falvation, or wishing himself blotted out of God's creation, he could, conscious of his title to, and increasing meetnefs for heaven, fing

"No more I curfe my natal morn,

But blefs the day that I was born."

Happy in his foul, and earnestly defirous that "all might partake the glorious blifs," of which he was in poffeffion, he felt earneft defires to publish the good tidings of falvation. But, however strong these defires were, and however much the word of the Lord burned in his heart as a fire, he was fo depreffed by a fenfe of his unworthinefs and ignorance, as ftill to think it nearly, if not altogether impoffible, that he should ever be a preacher of the Gofpel. Often, when reading the Scriptures, he was much affected with the worth of immortal fouls; and felt himfelf willing to do or fuffer any thing in order that he might be inftrumental of turning them from the error of their ways. In the course of fome time, he obtained refolution fufficient to attempt giving a few words of exhortation at prayer meetings; and whenever he did fo, his word was attended with a bleffing to himself and others. Once, when a congregation was difappointed of a Preacher, a pious woman faid very seriously to him, "If thou haft any word of exhortation, fpeak on." Powerfully affected by the manner and fpirit with which the fpoke, after finging and prayer, he ventured to speak from "Ye have fold yourfelves for nought," &c. In this attempt he fucceeded fo well as to receive fome encourage. ment. Not long after, he was invited to preach in Hayfield, to which place, when the time came, he went with reluctance. Coming near it, and feeing people in abundance coming from every quarter, his fpirits became greatly depreffed. He gave out a paffion hymn, which had been often made a bleffing to him, but which, on that occafion, failed of producing its wonted effect. After finging and prayer, he preached, as he fays himself, "with very little liberty;" but fo much to the profit of the people as to induce them to wish his return. Hitherto he had not formally taken a text, though he had frequently spoken from several paffages of Scripture to as good purpose as if he had mentioned the chapters and verses in which they are recorded.

In 1763, the Conference was held at Leeds; and Mr. Furz, without confulting Mr. Allen, having represented him as a person fit and willing to undertake the labours of an itinerant preacher, he was appointed for the York Circuit. On receiving information of this, he was greatly furprised; and, from a thorough perfuafion of his unfitnefs for the office to which the Conference had appointed him, he could not be perfuaded to take a circuit till three years afterwards. During this interval, he was active and useful as a local preacher. Preaching places were then at a great diftance from each other, and hence he often preached twice or thrice on one day, and walked nearly twenty miles or upwards. The prefent local, as well as travelling preachers, may fay, Other men laboured, and we have entered into their labours.' May they continue to imitate those men of God, in felf-denial, zeal, humility, patience, and univerfal holinefs, who by abundant labours, in the midst of various difficulties and perfecutions, carried the good tidings of falvation to the most benighted, as well as enlightened parts of Britain and Ireland.

During the time of Mr. Allen's acting as a local preacher, his preaching and holy life were rendered effectual to the converfion of feveral. But ftill, in the midst of his usefulness, he had very mean and humbling views of himself. Viewing the greatness and refponfibility of the minifterial office, the language of his heart was, "Who is fufficient for these things?" Meantime, he found that his fufficiency was of God. Several preachers who were informed of his talents and usefulness, fpoke to him repeatedly on the fubject of taking a Circuit, and endeavoured to perfuade him that he erred in confining himself to fo contracted a sphere of usefulness. At length he yielded to their perfuafions, and was accordingly, in 1766, appointed to the Manchefter Circuit, with Mefirs. Jaco, Greenwood, and Pawfon. With these good men he laboured comfortably, feeing, as himself observes, they endeavoured to affift and encourage him. What his feelings and views were during that year, the following extracts from his Diary will make apparent.

"October 24, I faw myself unworthy to be engaged in the great work to which I am called. I am lefs than the least of all God's merciés. The food that I eat, the air that I breathe, and the ground on which I tread, are mercies of which I am utterly unworthy. The Lord renew my commiffion, and fend me forth full of faith and of the Holy Ghoft."

"Jan. 9, 1767. This day I endured many temptations, and was ready to conclude that I could preach no more. Ah! Lord, what am I, that thou shouldft employ me in preaching thy word? I am a poor, weak, foolish creature, lefs than the least of all thy fervants; but thou knoweft that I defire to be led in the way in