to the best of our power and who can do too much for him who is all and will be all for ever He gives us all we have and though we can give nothing to him yet he accepts of what we give to any so it be for his Honour and the highest Honour on Earth is to be good and extensively doing good like the Air. 'T is but a little while at best that we can work and it may be you and the great good Ladies of that Family will never have such an opportunity to help erect a thing that may last perhaps to the last period of time and be so long for the Honour of your Noble Sex and Family also and therefore pray despise not the day of small things nor this good design Most Great and Right Honourable Countess AS your Noble Name and Title is beloved by all some for worth in that brave Warrier who yet lost his head in the daies of Queen Elizabeth and others for that brave Knight your Father who lost his in the late times for Loyalty to his Prince both which will hardly be forgotten and especially whilst your Lord continues as he does to do all good and good Offices for his King and Country may such Peers flourish and be as they are indeed Pillars of our Nation which do bear up Prince and Peoples Happiness and Honour And for this may Children love you yea Children yet unborn will when they come to know the worth of our Religion which if lost our Bodies would be all slaves and our Souls in danger to be damned for ever by Antichristian Errours O Madam who can love enough whilst he loves his Country so exceeding well and the Protestant Interest also May you yours and himself all long live live for us for our Prince and Nation once a Terrour unto others but especially for himself and true Happiness for to live to God is best of all We may live to our selves and Fortunes our King and Country forget Heaven and so be lost and miserable to Eternity which will be Heaven when all is done and no home is like that and he that made it for his favour is better than life it self and may that favour which he bears to his Chosen ones be to you and yours also yea may you all see the good of his Inheritage and be blessed in Soul and Body with all your Right Noble Issue here and hereafter pray every one of us Most Great and Right Noble Countess SAies the Lord I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem that shall never hold their peace day nor night Your brave Lord most Noble Madam may be said to be the same if ever faithful warning was given to a Prince and Nation of dangers near and Counsels to prevent even at the brink your Lord hath certainly done it with strength of Wisdom Zeal and Boldness that never man spake better And now what shall we say of this our great Nations Seer that loves Scotland England Ireland and the Protestant Interest all the world over it being extensive like the Truth it self and the holy Gospel who can love more than every place where it is professed or preserve Liberty and Interest our only Jewels better than strongly to oppose all enemies for which may his Noble Name and Memory live and his Lordship sit as long as ever States-man served a Prince and for his Zeal to Prince and People let both love him and the Love of God dwell in him the blood of Christ be his Laver and when ever his great Soul shall leave this little lower sinful World let the holy Angels guard him and our Lord Jesus Christ personally present him to the Father to sing the high praises of God and the Lamb to all Eternity And when any of his near and Noble Family and Race have served their Generations and fallen asleep may they do the same and so successively to the World's end pray we Poor Hospital Boys Right Honourable and Noble Countess SOlomon tells us Wisdom is the principal thing and if it be as it is most deservedly accounted an excellent piece of Wisdom to know all the Laws and Statutes of a Nation What is it then to know the Laws and Statutes of Heaven the Will and Pleasure of the great and mighty Monarch Lord God of Heaven and Earth which your Lord yet doth Surely this must needs make him to be a great Figure and a great Statesman in this our Kingdom And may many many such States-men be to Rule and Govern the Great People of this Nation under our most excellent and good natur'd Prince And may their Wisdom be ever hearkened to and their hearts be zealous for his Greatness and all the Peoples Interest for he that serveth both shall never miscarry to his Honour and the wisest Ones Applause May your Lord steer in this Chanel miss all Rocks especially what may hurt his Soul live to his God and himself as well as his Prince and Country for Eternity is a long thing and may he you and all your Noble Issue be ever happy in it Pray one and all we Hospital-Boys Right Honourable Madam MAny and great have the Changes been which your Ladiship have known but this is certain there is a great and unchangeable good God who lives for ever and because he is so therefore the Sons of Jacob are not consumed Madam 't is this God and his Love we must stick to for nothing else will do us long good all things fail and fade set that aside the fairest Beauty and the sweetest Rose the richest Garment with the greatest Wealth and Honour will be left on Earth to die like other things but the Living God and the Living Word Jesus Christ who lives with and by the Father shall abide for ever Joh. 6. v. 57. And whosoever believes in him shall never dye c. 11. v. 26. Oh Madam may you so live live for ever with the Son and his Saints in the Kingdom of the Father to drink of the new Wine namely his Love which he speaks of Oh! 't is that that must be our portion if we have any thing worth the speaking of What 's the fluttering up and down the world or the Enjoyment of the world with all Accommodations in and Applauses of it if we lose our Souls as Christ speaks what shall it profit us That 's a Jem or inestimable Jewel never to be Rated but in Eternity it comes next of all to God and Christ it 's immortal ever living and shall never die if sin does not hurt it nothing can God Almighty make Christ to be our Righteousness both in Life Death and Eternity and that we may know this his Righteousness which is nigh and this Salvation which he so often and affectionately calls upon us for to mind saying Hearken hearken unto me my People Give ear unto me oh my Nation This my is a sweet word Scripture myes and Scripture ours are all so Oh!
for all which we heartily and most humbly beg as on our Knee that we may have your Noble step in this Good Work as a Leading Card to other Pious Ladies and a little small Acknowledgment which you cannot better make to the Great and Good God of the deep sense you have of all his many mercies To whom be Glory Honour and Dominion world without End Pray all we Poor Boys May it please you most Great and Noble Countess AS your Title bears the greatest sound so your Name and Memory will be more beloved than all that shall succeed the Protestants loved and they all bewailed it in the Nation when it fell but while Sion-House shall last Old Northumberland's Name will live and may you live also for ever Live when Sun Moon and Stars shall be no more Live in the heavenly Jerusalem when earthly Sion and earthly things shall be no more And that you may so do let the Love of God now dwell in you the Blood of Christ and his Spirit wash and sanctifie you Soul and Body to make both blameless at his coming and to wait for his Son from Heaven which though it may not be in your daies yet will it be a pleasure all your life long to think indeed upon it and that when he comes the second time it will be without sin unto salvation without sin that is a good word indeed At his first coming he was loaded with sins for us Isa 53. O read often this Chapter but he is now without and shall appear without sin for us Christ is got rid of our sins by his sufferings he gave satisfaction for us to the Father no Pens nor Tongues can sufficiently set out this Madam feed your thoughts upon it frequently the worlds all vanity from top to bottom and must pass away 1 Joh. 2. 17. But the Love of God and Blood of Christ abides for ever O happy man that maketh that his portion All things fail but my God and my Duty said a great one Oh! keep close to Christ then that he may clasp you when you and this world must part Trust not in worldly Princes saith the Psalms Their breath is in their nostrils and will soon fall to earth Happy is the man who hath the God of Jacob for his portion which made Heaven and Earth and that Heaven and Earth may both be yours One you have already and the other may you ever have also That shall be the prayers of us poor School-Boys yea we shall all pray that you may for ever sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob Luke 13. v. 28. be in the Kingdom of God to sing the everlasting praises of the Lamb and his Joys to Eternity Revel 7. 16. May it please your most Great and Noble Ladiship WE the Ladies Hospital-Boys of Highgate have humbly presumed to pray and dedicate one of these little Charity School house-Sticks to your Right Honourable Family which is Illustrious as a Star of great Magnitude and has shin'd if not out-shin'd most in this our Horison for great Wisdom in the Laws and Statutes of the Kingdom which made the Nation so happy in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth when your Lord 's Noble Ancestor governed all as only Minister of State and may your present Lord be as great and as good a Patriot to his Country the Laws and Priviledges of it yea and Patron to the best of Preaching-Ministers as his Noble Family or Grandfather has been heretofore and so whilst he really loves both his Prince and Kingdom with the Preaching-Ministers also he must needs be a good and great friend to both and our Protestant Religion so much struck at at this time which is far beyond all the earthly things in the world for true value and esteem may your Ladiship and Lord therefore both long live together and may your mutual Love be blessed by the Great God with many Children as it is and may they all live and stand round your great Table as Olive-branches flourish in the Courts of God's own House be good and pious here holy and happy to all Eternity for that is a long thing and must be and our Immortal Souls too when the Sun the Sea and World shall be no more Most Honourable Madam WE are come again though the Year be hardly out since our setting up But for the future we will never trouble your Right Noble Ladiship more than once if so often but now necessity puts us upon it for getting something out of Great Families to carry on this next Years Charge And we remember how your Honour gave a Caution when you sent your Guineys not to be too troublesom for that you had very many objects in the Country which did need my Lord's help and the truth is the whole World is full of wants so that Good and Great Persons can never lack Objects but this is a thing not common that bears your Noble Name and is Dedicated to the Honour of your Sex and in feeding it two or three Years you will make it live it self and stand upon its own Legs and would your Honour but be pleased to send to see how well it stands in the mean time we well know you to be a good and prudent Lady and therefore will not believe in the least you will yet stick out to help us till the thing be a little stronger and have taken better Root which it will soon and certainly do and then you nor no other Noble Ladies will ever repent in the least of what has been done for us who will ever pray for you my Lord his Sons and all your Noble Family that your Souls may be truly happy when the World shall fly away like a mighty Eagle and be seen no more for ever the Sun Moon or Stars be darkened the Silver Cord loosed or the Golden Bowl broken and the Spirit return to God that gave it Eccles 12. v. 2 6. Right Honourable Madam THough all Good Works may be said to speak for themselves yet a powerful Intercessor does do well and for your house or most Noble Family a greater than your self cannot be for as our Lord Jesus Christ his greatness with the Father makes every thing to be easie and readily granted that he moves the Father for so your Power and Influences must needs be very successful because you move the nearest of Relations and them too that are all eminently Religious and such as have been so for many years the Grandmother being yet living in the Children Grandchildrens graces Madam assure your self 't is for a Good Work we are now a begging and it must be none but good and great Families and a few Citizens that are very eminent indeed that we intend thus to go unto and in so doing how can we miss especially when it is fully resolved by God's grace that the Discipline of this little Charity-School shall be as near as may be for the Honour of God and Religion
Madam THis is certain That the Sun Moon and Stars in some sense do not more adorn the Heavens than good Lives good Doctrine and good Works do Religion and if any Religion in the world be more inward spiritual and heavenly than others surely it is the Doctrine of our true reformed Protestant Religion which lies not in Shews and Ceremonies but in Love to God and all that bears his Image which we Poor Children cannot yet be said to do whilst Poor and altogether ignorant of our selves and Maker and such are We And all We which do humbly present our selves as Objects to your Honour's Charity And yet if We or some of Us by God's Blessing good Discipline Catechizing and Preaching shall be brought to know our selves and the Lord Jesus Christ as well as to get our Bread and be put forth into a hard World to live another day then our Advantage will be great and your Satisfaction also because your Bounty has contributed to this good Work and because 't is a good Work 't was very unfit your Honour should be left out in the least For your Good and Noble Lord has ever still been in as we hope he will when Religion Liberty or the Civil Interest of the Nation has been at stake in the least as a bold and brave Champion for his King and Country yea the three Kingdoms for which God Almighty bless all and every Branch of Ye And may your Names be in the Memory of our Nation your own Country as it is Yea the Lamb's Book of Life especially for all out of that will be everlastingly cast into the Lake that burns for ever Rev. 20. 15. God Almighty bless us all with the Power of Religion that we may yet have an abundant Entrance into his everlasting Kingdom To whom be Power Glory and Dominion world without end Amen Amen Right Honourable and Good Madam THE Great God and his Goodness having made you and your Lord not only Noble and Great in Quality but Good and Gracious in Disposition loving Humility and Religion which teaches the right way to Life and Happiness as it is most full and plainly revealed in the holy blessed Writ and Word of God the which may ever dwell in your hearts to shine in your Lives as it does Oh! when Lords and Ladies fear the Lord God Almighty that made Heaven Earth Sun and Seas they do abundantly add to their own Honour and praise their Creator too May you both so do love him and live to him who is all and will be all for ever And may he dwell in your hearts by faith establish root and fix you both in himself Giving you to know taste and comprehend with all Saints what is the heighth breadth length and depth of his grace and to know the Love which is unsearchable and passeth knowledge and be filled with all the fulness of God Ephes 3. 17 18 19. Yea may the young Lord your Son grow as a Lilly be as a Vine that runs over the wall and in time root as a Cedar to be tall in the Nation and may many Branches be his Portion yea all the Blessings of Joseph or everlasting Hills come upon his head to be as a fruitful Bough and Blessing to your Family Gen 49. 25 26 27. Yea may you both live to see all this and our poor divided Nation flourish yea our little School live and thrive which is a thing near where your Honours have been sometime past taking a little Air and will be for God's Honour if it flourish and be well disciplined which is sweet and good and Charity wholsom also and therefore pray Madam let us tast a little of your Bounteous Goodness for we have nothing else to live upon nor no such Noble Good Protestant person as your self to help us that is near and therefore pray good Madam do something for us and our School which stands so full or near in your Eye And we will never cease to beg the best of blessings in Heaven or Earth to be on you and yours Most Noble WE the great English Ladies Charity School-house of High-gate which are yet but in our Infancy as it were do with all humility adore you the virtuous Maiden-Ladies of that high or mighty State or Common-wealths Embassador being desirous that your and only your most Noble Names and Charity be Rolled and Registred with the Ladies of our Nation For as Queen Elizabeth of happy memory did love you more than any so We and the People of this Nation in general do wish to You above all the Common-wealths in the world great Prosperity and Peace and may never more unhappy breach be or drop of blood spilt by any enemy whatever but may your Ships and ours be as the mighty Ships of Tarshish to carry in and out the Treasures of the world to the Church of God or the people of the world which do favour them and all your Guns and ours be as Brazen walls to defend both and Truth from Falshood or at least our Habitations and Enjoyments and from this Union may the Children of men and the Christian world suck the Consolation of Peace and Quiet if they will be quiet and then we Poor Hospital-Boys will never bow nor beg of any Foreign Prince or States Embassador in the world set your most Honourable Ladiship 's Father aside but yours we naturally love and your great Figures and Names we would all fain beg to be visible in our Charity School for all Ages to come May it please your Honour most Good and Great Lady AS we have presumed to petition the She Princess of this world or the great Ladies of this Nation to be charitable unto us so we most humbly do your Honour also presuming a Figure of your making in the Ladies Roll must needs be like your self Great and therefore the good God and his Son from Heaven bless you and your Sir Henry make you still to love your King and Country as you really do and live for the Kingdom of Heaven To love your King is to love him in his Person Power and Just Prerogative to love him in all the good he doth his People your Country yea the whole Nation Prince and People's Happiness is much bound up in God both in living unto him and therefore Heaven must still be at the end of our living and the end of our dying for then Eternity comes to be a serious thing Sharp quick and great Wits have ever sooner or later found the Power of Religion Everlastingness makes time and action short here and in that we shall have time enough to look back read over past things Great Actions will be there greatly influenced by it and for little ones of this nature they cannot trouble either mind or thoughts in another world being so warrantable as they are and commendable too Lord what am I whence came I whither go I so fast away and yet the Nation lies at stake