Verbatim copy of two Original Letters—Poem to his Memory.
_Littleton Wilts Feb_ 26
Dear Daughter
I Recd your kind and Welcom Letter Dated 23 and wase glad to hear of your
Welfare I wase sorrey to hear of your loss of your master but are in
hopes that your Loss will be his gain I Recd a Letter from Limehouse in
ye forepart of last Summer, which Letter I Ansrd Immediately:—I Recd a
Letter from your Brother Jn° from spit-head a board ye Sibbley Transport
Sepr ye 11:—which gave me a sorrey full account of his then present state
that he was in ye 59 Ridgmt of Foot Sergant in captain poke Companey and
wase then waiting with 16000 men for ordors which they did Expect it
would be for ye west Indies but they could not tell and did Expect when
they set sail never to see ye Land no more—he wase verey sorrowfull for
his Dear Wife & 3 Children which he parted from 3 days before one of them
was a Boy Born in ye Isle of Iersey they wase set off for What-ley near
Froom in Somersetshire—it pierceth my Heart with sorrow to think what
they will do Amongst those strangers not having a Dish nor spoon or Bed
to ley on I saw one of ye Farmers of What-ley at ye Devizes and he
acquainted me they had a been thare a bout 1 weeck but he had not a seen
them—They are a boute 20 miles from me I should have a gone to seen them
my self but I wase not able being now under ye Doctrs hands in Cure for
Sore leggs I has nothing to give them for Assistanc your Brother
Benjamins Familie Incresseth a pace 2 days a go he had a 2nd daughter
born which is 4 in [_a small piece of the letter is torn away_] and his
Wife verey Heavely afflicted all ye last Summer so he hath nothing but
his own labour to main-tain himself Wife & 4 children so he cannot
assist—I recd a Letter from your Sister Jean about 3 months a go from
Ebley a near — Glouster and she acquainted me was Coock whare thare wase
master & mrs & 4 servts 2 men & 2 maids but she was not weel settled in
her place because there was no Religion practized in ye Familie—I saw
your Brother Iames & Joseph & Timothy Novr ye 3 which ware West Lavintons
Feast Day I was Glad to see them look so well Timothy is grown an
Exceeding proper young youth and I hope he will he will be to my
satisfaction viz to Fear ye Lord and serve him in his youth—I has none
but marey & David at home with me Sarah is married to Jonathan Chapn & is
near child bearing may she have a good hower Maray cannot get aney thing
towards her maintainance because trading is so bad no spinning the poor
with us is almost perishing for want marey is willing to come to London
if she could get able and you could hire of a place of service you
acquainted me you thought you should not continue much Longer in your
present situation. But I would have you Enquire by Fervant Prayer of ye
Lord in what state you may be most profitable to promote his Glory for
now is ye Acceped time now is the Day of Salvation. Beware you do not
let ye Flatterer deceive you to seek for Happiness oute of Christ, For I
have a been in ye World near 68 years and I find nothing but but ye love
of Christ with ye Pardon of Sin will make me Happy here in this World I
would not have you put yourself to Expence of Comming Down at ye spring I
should be glad to see you but I Expect shortly to be called of ye Stage
of this Life & to follow my Forefathers, let us pray for Each other that
we may meet in ye Upper and better World to Sing our Lord’s Praises for
Ever & Ever So prays your affectionate Father. If you let me know whare
you are I will write to you so long as I shall be able.
DAVED SAUNDERS.
* * * * *
_Littleton Wells_
Oct 12 1791
Dear Son and Daughters
This is to a Quaint you of ower Wellfare having this Oppertunity Ones
more to take pen in hand and to Wright a few Lines unto you hoping thay
find you all well and Striving Earnestly to Eanter in at the Straite Gate
that Leadeth unto Everlasting Life I Bare you much on my Mind be fore the
throne of the Lord’s Grace Praying Earnestly that the Lord Would
accomplish the Whole work of your Salvation in your Inmost Souls Enabling
you to persevere in the way of Holiness and bring you at the last to his
Heavenly Kingdom
I hope that you are all Well at Bedford and my Earnest praier for you is
that you might be Saved from sin Hear by Belaving in the Lord Jesus
Christ and Walking in Sincere Obedeament Love in his Truth and
Commandments here so that in our Lord’s Due and appointed time we may
sing ower Lord’s praises The Father and the mother and Childern in ower
Blessed Saver’s Kingdom whare parting shall be no more for Ever and Ever
O my Dear Childern how do I long for your Salvation I know not what is
the Thoughts of your Harts pray make Sure work by Examining of your
Selves for De Lays are Dangerous Perhaps this may be the Last time of
your Dear and Indulgent Fathers Counsels I Expects shortly I shall be
Called home from Stage of this World Tharefore I Humbly Bagg of you as my
Last Request Be ye Reconciled to God Let fervent praier be your only
motive to Induce you to Love the Lord your God for what is all the World
with out Gods Love for ower Blessed Lord and Saver saith What shall it
profet a man if he gaine The whole World and Loose his own Soul or what
shall he Give in Exchange of his sould Let me freely ask you what would
be most desirable to you in Heaven my soul is Ready to anser and say to
See the Face of my God whome my soul Loveth For it is Gods Presents makes
Heaven and Jesus Christ who is the mediator and Interceader betwix my
soul and my God O how do I Long to Walk in the Streets of the New
Jeruslem but am detained by the Clogg of this Flish But I can truly say
Blessed be the Name of the Lord With David whome Lord have I in Heven But
thee and whome have I in Earth I do desier in Compaction of thee—Earths
but a Sorrey Tent Pitched for a few friel Days A short Seased Tenament
Heavens my song my Praise Oh happy Place when shall it be That I shall
Reign with Christ in thee methinks my soul is now filled with
transporting joy For the Apostle Saith to Romans Belivers that Eye has
not seen nor Ear heard neither has it entered in to the Hart of man to
Conserve what the Lord hath Laid up for those that Love him—Now my Dear
Childern and you my son in pertickler make trile Let Jacobs God and your
aged fathers God be your God Your father that are according to the Flish
has made trile and can Withess for more than forty years he hath a bean a
never failing God and he is the yesterdy to Day and for Ever I E centur
all upon hem are you sick he is a kiend Phisician always redy to viset
you are you Hungary he will feed you For Jesus Christ saith Blessed are
those that Hunger and tirst after Righteousness for they shall be
filled—are you werey and heave laden Jesus Christ saith Come unto me all
ye that are werey and heavey laden with the Burthen of your Sins and I
will give you Rest So we fiend he is Aurse and Good Phisician files not
in time nor Eternity Tharefore I Leave you un to his Blessed Care to wash
us all in that fountans of hiss most Prectous Blood that wase opened on
Moant Calvarey for sin and for uncleanness To wash us both you and me
that soon we may from our sinns be free wich is the sinceare Prayer of
your Aged father
DAVID SAUNDERS
TO THE MEMORY
OF
DAVID SAUNDERS.
THY name be honoured, though the
Historic bard no mention make of thee
For deeds of prowess on the battle field;
Nor science nor philosophy a garland drop
Upon thy brow for vast discoveries in the fields of art;
Nor record hand thee down to latest age,
A politician, cunning, crafty, deeply skill’d
In schools of wily usage, who by tricks
And fraud, his own or country’s weal extends;
Or by a lineal descent of princely worthiness
Didst occupy a throne, or place upon thy head
A jewell’d coronet. Thy ignoble birth, thy mean
Estate, thy humble occupation, thy poverty,
May perchance excite a laugh, a sneer,
A scorn; but thou shalt honoured be.
E’en now the young, the aged shall pronounce
Thee blest; and when the high and potent
Things of earth shall sink to dust,—thou!
Thou shalt shine bright like a star in the
Cerulean vault! and in the heavenly sphere
Shalt form a centre of intelligence; while
Around thee gather thousands yet unborn
To own thee parent and the consecrated
Means of all they hope or do enjoy.
Yes, honoured thou shalt be, for thou
Didst fear thy God and serve thy generation;
Thou hast done good service in the noblest
Cause,—hast fought the direst foe in thine
Own person; and in the hearts of others didst
Incite to deadliest hate, not against human
Kind, but against sin,—the fruitful source
Of mortal ills, of deep dishonour to the
God of heaven, the poignancy of sorrow’s tear,
And the perpetual wailings of the lost.
The science, the philosophy acquired and
Taught by thee, was love to God, goodwill to
Man; while the great mystery brought forth to light
Was love incarnate, and the grace, the bliss
That follows from the Cross. The Cross received
By faith, a purifying principle within
The heart,—its light—its life. This was the policy
Much prized by thee; how to obtain eternal bliss:
That bliss thou’st gained, and though to frail
Morality, allied by common lot, its various
Ills (perverse inheritance) didst feel; yet
By the power of sov’reign grace, in thee so strongly
Shewn, to heaven’s high only Lord thou art affianced;
And to thee a throne, a crown, a sceptre, and a robe
Belong,—nay, already are possessed, and ever will
Be thine; thou shalt still enjoy them when
Monarchs, kings, and lords, with all their
Royal pomp shall shrink to nothingness,
And envy those who poor were rich in faith
And heirs of God. Thus may e’en a shepherd
Gain a lasting true distinction.
We, the ingatherers of the precious seed
So long ago cast forth in faith, now honour thee
As God’s own instrument, by which the awful
Gloom—spawn of satanic power that here fell
Thickly—was dispersed. The eyeball of the
Blind bid upward look on heaven’s own orbs—
The Sun of Righteousness, whose heavenly light
Diffuses through the heart—the vital principle
Of life. The deaf to hear the music of the
Spheres,—nay, His voice that wakes the dead.
The stammering tongue, the tongue of blasphemy
And foul deceit, accustom’d to an oath,—to bless
His name, to speak His praise, or mercy seek
For sins brought forth to light; or blessings needed
To continue in the strait and narrow path.
The troubled heart to find the peace, the joy,
The hope, the balmy influence springing
From the life, the death, and exaltation
Of Him, the sinner’s friend; and here
Each commence that song sung by
The ransomed choir of heaven.