_Providence, December 1st, 1862._
[Illustration]
To the truly Honorable the Lady _Vane_, the Younger.
Madam,
_Your favourable, and_ Christian respects _to me_ (_both of former
and latter date_) _your_ Godly _and_ Christian Letters _to me, so
many thousand miles distant in_ America: _And your many gracious_
Demonstrations _of an humble and_ Christian Spirit _breathing in
you; are a three fold_ Cord _which have drawn these lines into your
presence_.
_While I have sometimes mused how to express a_ Christian gratitude,
_I am at last perswaded to crave your_ Ladyships acceptance _of these
poore_ Experiments _of each true_ Christians personall union, _and_
communion _with the_ Father _of_ Spirits.
_It is true, I have been sometimes prest to engage in_ controversies,
_but I can really and uprightly say, my_ Witnes _is on_ high, _how
harsh and doleful the_ touch _of those_ strings _are, especially,
against such_ Worthies _both in_ old _and new_-England, _in whom I
joyfully before the world acknowledge_ (_in many heavenly respects_) _a
lively character and_ Image _of the_ Son _of God. This broken_ piece,
_is a breath of a_ still _and_ gentle voice, _none but the_ God _of
this_ world, _and the_ men _of this_ world, _can I lightly_ (_at this
turne_) _expect my_ opposites.
_At other times I have been drawne to consider of the little_ flock
_of_ Jesus, _his_ Army, _his_ body, _his_ building, _that for these
many hundred years have been_ scattered, routed _and_ laid wast _and_
desolate: _At present, I onely examine who are the_ personall _and_
particular Sheep of Jesus Christ, _his_ Souldiers, _his living_
materials, _though_ scattered, divided, _and not_ compos'd _and ordred
at their souls desire_.
_I confess_ (Madam) _it was but a_ private _and_ sudden discourse,
_sent in private to my poor_ Companion _and_ Yoak-fellow, _occasioned
by a sudden_ sickness _threatening_ death, _into which, and from which
it pleased the_ Lord _most graciously to cast and raise her_.
_The_ forme _and_ stile _I know will seem to this refined_ age, _too
rude and barbarous: And the_ truth _is, the most of it was penn'd and
writ (so as seldom or never such discourses were) in the thickest of
the naked_ Indians _of_ America, _in their very wild_ houses, _and
by their barbarous_ fires; _when the Lord was pleased this last year
(more then ordinarily) to dispose of my_ abode _and_ travell _amongst
them. And yet, is the_ Language _plaine? it is the liker_ Christs:
_Is the composure rude? such was his outward_ Beauty: _Are the tryals
(seemingly) too close? such is the two edged_ Sword _of his most_ holy
Spirit, _which pierceth between the very_ Soul _and_ Spirit, _and
bringeth every_ thought _into the_ obedience _of_ Christ Jesus.
_Amongst the many_ Crowns _of_ mercy (Madam) _which it hath pleased
the_ Father _of mercies to crowne your_ soul _with, as_ David _speaks
of his_, Psal. 103. _there are two which justly challenge (and your
Ladyship I know doth humbly acknowledge them) to be the fairest_.
[Sidenote: 1 Cor. 3.]
_The first, That he himselfe most_ high, _most_ holy, (_who makes his
common_ choice, _the_ poor, _Jam. 2. and chooseth few_ Lords, _few_
Knights, _few_ Ladies, (_few_ wise, _few_ noble, _few_ mighty) _hath
freely chosen you_ Madam, _in so gracious and blessed a_ measure, _to_
desire _to_ feare _his_ Name.
_A second, That for your dearest_ Companion _and_ Guide _in this vale
of_ tears (_amongst the famous_ Worthies _of this_ age) _he hath
graciously guided you to such a blessed_ choice, _of such an_ Husband
_on_ earth, _who beares so bright an_ Image _of your_ Husband _in the_
Heavens, _and in whose most holy and gracious_ hand, _he hath been such
a_ mercifull _and_ faithfull Instrument, _for both the_ freedoms _both
of the_ outward _and_ inner _man_.
_I doe humbly acknowledge (that upon an absolute account) all is
mercy, and yet I am also humbly confident, that in a_ respect (_as
he graciously remembered his old friend_ Abraham, _and tels us of a
speciall love he yet bears the_ Jewes _for_ Abrahams _sake, even so, he
hath graciously vouchsafed at this present an_ honorable remembrance
_to the NAMES of some of his more_ eminent _former_ friends _and_
witnesses.
_How hath he crowned the_ memory _of those his 2 zealous_ Servants
_in K._ Henry _the 8th. his days[B] with a most eminent and blessed_
succession _of such_ names _and_ spirits _at this day? and in a
gracious_ remembrance _of his love to that blessed_ daughter _and_
witnesse _of his the_ Lady Vane _in Q._ Maries _dayes; how hath it
pleased his_ wisedom _and_ goodnesse, _to remember and to honour that_
Name, _both in your Ladiship and so many otherways, with so many loving
kindnesses at this day_?
[B] Cromwel and Lambert.
_My humble cry_ (Madam) _to the_ Lord _shall never cease, those all
those your many_ obligations _of both_ temporall _and_ eternall
mercies, _may_ (_like chaines of_ Adamant) _draw and bind your
precious_ Soul _more and more to resolve (by his grace assisting) to
make his name_ great, _who hath made your so and so to love his_ Name,
_his_ Son, _his_ Spirit, _his_ Truth, _his_ Children, _that others at
the_ Torch _of your_ exemplary meeknesse _and_ fear _of_ God, _may
light and kindle theirs; That your_ Souls-eye _more and more brightly
may see him who is_ invisible, _and may so experimentally resent
those_ invisible _and_ internal Honors, pleasures _and_ profits _that
are in him that in comparison_ _thereof the_ visible _and_ worldly,
_may be accounted by you but_ dreams _of_ shadows, _&c. That your_
great desire _may be a_ likenesse _of so_ high _and_ holy, _and so
dear a_ Saviour, _and_ (_as in other_ excellencies _so_) _in that
especially of a desire_ of saving _others_, _your_ Children, Kindred,
Servants, Friends, _yea_, Enemies: _that neither the pleasing_ calme
_of_ prosperity, _nor the dreadfull_ storms _of_ changes, _may quench
or dampe that holy_ fire _of your souls_ love (_in_ Life _and_ Death)
_to_ Him _whom your_ Ladyship _hath so much infinite cause to love, but
never yet saw, in whom, and for ever_
_I desire to be_
Your HONOURS unfeignedly faithfull.
=R. W.=
[Illustration]
To every truly _Christian Reader_.
[Sidenote: Thy Maker is thy Husband. Isa. 52.]
As it is in the _Earthly_, so it is in the _Heavenly Marriage_ of a
poor _Sinner_ to his _Maker_. There useth first to passe a _private_
kindling of Love, and a private _consent_ and _promise_ (which
sometimes are long) before the _open solemnity_, and the _publike
profession_ of a Married Life together. This is my present _designe_,
(not to controvert the matters of publike _Order_ and _Worship_, but)
to present some poor Experiments of those Personall _excellencies_ of
each true beleeving _soule_ and _spirit_.
[Sidenote: Isa. 40.]
[Sidenote: Prov. 21.]
The Holy _Spirit_ (in _Isaiah_) tels us of _Ballances_ wherein the most
_High_ weighs the _Hills_ and _Mountains_: As also in _Solomon_, of
_Ballances_ wherein hee weighs the very _Spirits_, even of men whose
way is right in their owne eyes. And in _John_ (14.) he commands us to
try the _Spirits_, pretending to come from _Christ Jesus_, whether they
be of _God_, or no.
[Sidenote: Great pretences to the holy Spirit of God.]
There is not the grossest _Protestant_ or _Papist_, but pretends to
the _Spirit_ of _God_; yea that horrid _Monster Mahomet_, blusht not
to avouch that in the _Forme_ of a _Dove_, the holy _Spirit_ of _God_
did whisper in his _eare_ from _Heaven_. Now blessed is that _Spirit_,
_publike_ or _private_, who is truly willing and joyfull to lye downe
in the _Ballances_ of the _Lords_ weighings.
Hitherto tend these _Experiments_ of personal Communion with _God_ in
the _Spirit of Holinesse_, _Rom. 1. 3_.
[Sidenote: To counterfeit the holy Spirit dreadfull.]
'Tis true, all publike and private _Christian Spirits_, pretend the
_Spirit of Holinesse_: yea, how great a part of the _World_ pretend
to be _Christendome_, the _Christian world_, that is, anointed with
the _Spirit_ of _Christ Jesus_? But was it _Death_ in _Moses Rites_
to counterfeit that ceremoniall and figurative _Ointment_, _Exod. 30_.
what shall it be to counterfeit the _Spirit_ of _Life_ and _Holiness_
it self? What I beleeve therefore (as _David_ and _Paul_ once spake)
I freely speak: Yea, who can but speak (saith _Peter_ and _John_) the
Things they have seene and heard? I confesse I spake these first but in
a private _Letter_ in _America_, and thought not that the _light_ in
_Europe_ should have seen them: But a two-fold _desire_ hath prevailed
with me to expose these _Tryalls_ to the _Trying_ of all men.