proceeded I am going to my great God to my dear Father to my best Friend to him in whom I have believed His face I hope to see in his bosom I hope to lye down this day Oh! what unspeakable glory is it to see the glory of mine everlasting God O my Friends I must tell you the truth though sometimes there have been upon my phantasie strange black clouds which made me to speak somewhat inconsistent and were suddenly blown off again yet little doth any one know the reviving in-comes I had then even then from my God And the last Lords day at night the Lord gave me sweet turns with himself Oh! it was a pleasant night with me I was up with God and God was down with me Oh! it was to me as the going up to Paradice Oh! how sweet was it to me And now my friends I must tell you that through many tribulations you must enter into the Kingdom of God Some of you have told me your thoughts concerning me that I have walked in all good Conscience towards God and Mâ—â— Oh friends whatsoever things ye have seen in me that were honest whatsoever things were just whatsoever things were pure whatsoever things were lovely whatsoever things were of good report pursue those things Rely not upon the world for the world will leave you could and helpless And now friends I must go to see the Lord and this Body of mine must be laid in the dust and never arise more till the Resurrection-day And must many of you go from this place and come naked before the face of God though I hope better of some of you Oh friends if there be any hope if there be any love if there be any consolation in you think on these things You know I have When I came to this town some may think my design in coming was to fill an empty bagg and to get a livelihood amongst this people but God is my witness I had not this in my eye I sought not yours but you And now friends flesh and bloud will say It is hard to part with dear friends to part with a dear Wife to part with dear Children But as the Lord hath given them to me so I now leave them with the Lord. And I call you to witness that I leave this dear Wife of mine with the Lord and my dear Children with the Lord to be protected by him to be maintained by him to be kept blameless to the day of his appearance Though Men may prove unkind to them as I suppose they will yet I know the Lord will not I must into Eternity the Prophets cannot live for ever neither can they Prophesie for ever I have been but a young branch and you see the Lord is cutting me down this morning O blessed Lord God shall there not be a meeting in Paradice shall not thy servant see thee and love thee ond be embraced by thee O Lord give a good evidence to thy servant that he may know that he belongeth to thee Lord thou hast given him the working of an holy faith and of an heart-purifying spirit And are not these tokens of thy free grace and of thine eternal love in Christ Jesâ—s And now Lord God thy servant must away and be about other work thy servant must away to holy Angels and to the spirits of just men made perfect He must away to serve his Lord in the upper Chambers He must away Lord and never look on these earthy things more And now O friends one thing I tell you I shall come again with my Lord in most excellent Glory and you then must come before him But I fear I fear that some of you will be found then to be in a very low and poor and miserable condition Well I commend you to the love and grace of God the Eternal Father in Jesus Christ And I pray you to get your hearts full of love to God and of the grace of God and full of the holy Ghost And now think on these things that I have delivered to you in the name of the Lord. I must go and deliver up my accounts to God And on that I might deliver them up freely that I may be able to say I have run my race I have finished my course I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith and what remains but that I receive the Crown that the Lord Jesus the righteous Judge hath prepared for me And now I commit my self to the Lord and my Wife and Children to the Lord I commit my spirit to thee O Father of spirits I commit my soul to thee O dearest Lord Keep these that do believe on thee These words he spake with a more audible and plain voice than he was wont to do in his ordinary Preaching And about an hour and half after he had ended his speech he departed this life Jan. 18. An. 1670. SECT V. Mr. Tregosse's Character HAving given some story of Mr. Tregosse's Life and Death it may be not a little Useful to give some Character of his Person Spirit and Conversation Mr. Tregosse was of a middle stature his Hair black his Face palish not perfectly round His Natural capacity nor long His Spirit was Masculine Generous and Great agreeable to the condition of his Ancestors There was a sparkling Vivacity apparent in most of his intense Actions His natural humour was not moross but affable yet was he not without a tincture of darke melancholy which yet his grace improved to a great measure of seriousness He had also some sparks of choller which being spirited by warm affections for God brake forth into a pure flame of Divine zeal His natural Judgment seemed deep and solid his will firm and fixed his memory tenacious and faithful his Affections tender and active And the whole capacity of his soul fit for great exploits But the most Illustrious and bright part of his Character regardeth his gracious capacity and dispositions His universal Holiness His personal holiness was remarkable even unto great visibility And I think few in this age have for so short standing made a larger proficience in the School and service of Christ After Jan. 1664. from whence he dated his conversion he banisht from his heart and life many vanities he had been formerly adicted unto Neither did he gain his godliness at so cheap a rate as most professors do No his heart was first deeply wounded for sin and thence delivered from it He was for some while under many extremities from a Spirit of Bondage and these made way for a Spirit of Adoption He was soundly convinced of his spiritual death by sin and that opened to him a door of life by Christ And the entire change of his heart much appeared in the change of his life and last end Neither had some particular graces only a place in him but a combination and complexion of many amiable graces seemingly opposite seemed visible in him
and night to the utmost allowing his body no more then extreme necessity required that so he might follow all advantages for the advance of his Masters service The Bill preferred against him at Exeter necessitated him to attend the two following Assizes where he was at last freed by Proclamation but mean while his return into those parts was of no small advantage for the propagation of the Gospel Some of those persons who discovered their malice against Mr. Tregosse for preaching at Torrington were shortly taken away by unnatural deaths not without signal marks of Gods displeasure against them as it appears by his following Letter Sept. 16. 1670. Not long before his death he was strangely he knew not how taken up in conversing with the state of departed Saints martyred for the Testimony of Jesus as he himself acquaints you in his following Letter to his friend Octob. 7th 1670. Which indeed was a prophetick intimation of the nearness of his Dissolution and entrance on that life which he was immediately more fully to partake of Which brings to my remembrance an old observation which I had from a great * Padre Paul Histor Trent Master of Wisdom That it is natural for men near their grave from some intrinsick cause unknown to themselves to be distasted with humane affairs c. What this wise man observed of men in general I think is most true of many holy Christians who a little before their dissolution are frequently called off and seperated from humane affairs to a fiducial converse with coming Glories and the Life of just men made perfect which was the frame of Mr. Tregosse's Spirit not long before his death though he himself was not apprehensive that his change was so near SECT IV. Mr Tregosse's last Tryals and dying Speech to his Friends AFter Mr. Tregoss came to reside at Penryn he hired a House for a Meeting on the Lords day in the Parish of Mabe where he exercised without interruption from Midsomer 1669 to the 10th of May 1670. After which day there were two debauch'd persons turned Informers hoping thereby to get fuel for their lusts who having obtained a Warrant required the Officers to attend them every Lords-day and made oath against Mr. Tregosse and others for a breach of the Statute then in force against Conventicles This sacred away most of his Hearers especially those who had any considerable Estates Though there were divers Fines laid on him which amounted to 220 l. yet the Lord so ordered things as nothing he had was seized upon This Meeting being thus broken he resolved to drive the nail that would go and to preach the oftner unto a Statute number herein his labours were so many and great as if his body were of Steel he could not hold out long He preached five times every Lords-day and in the evening made repetition of some part He also continued the Tuesday and Thursday duties besides other Exercises He was often advised by his friends to favour himself and moderate his pains but the great zeal he had for the keeping on and advancing the work of God did stop his ears against all dissusives of this kind Having at last worn out himself and exhausted his Spirits he fell into a griping of the Bowels occasioned by a Flatus hypochondriacus as his Physician affirmed which brought him so weak as his friends suspected him to be past recovery and he himself expressed a longing desire to be dissolved But the Lord was pleased to reprieve him a little longer and put him once more upon his feet though he took not the air As soon as he perceived a small recruit of strength he began to fall upon his work again this continued but a very short time till a Fever seized on him and in a few days did set and end to all his Labours and troubles His his deportment during both his sicknesses was like his life very sweet and heavenly Upon the 18th of January observing the hour of his dissolution at hand he took his farewell of his friends in a long speech whereof you have a part as followeth I though I should have had some more turns with my Lord in his Gallery but he hoth turned his back and is gone and calls me to come after him Indeed though I had some distemper of Body yet I did not think death was so nigh till putting my hand on my brow I felt the tokens thereof Think think not therefore 't is a foolish phantasie that moves me to speak for I know it to be right reason And seeing the Lord hath left with me a few mouthfuls of breath Let me who am your faithful Pastor at the taking my farewell of you drop a few words among you before he calls away this breath of mine and say breath no more through that body but lay it in the dust O my friends my friends you know that I have often warned you of an evil day and now I must once more tell you that there is a dead day a dark day coming O! what will this poor people do O my Friends did we think that after so many Fasting and Humiliation days after so many Thanksgiving days after so many Sacrament days we should see such a day as this O but it may be you will ask me this question Do you really believe that you shall dye Indeed friends there is nothing but Omnipotence can bear me up And if you ask me what I think of my self Truly friends I can say that I have walked among you by the pure copy of the Holy Scriptures and Life of Christ and through the Grace of God in Christ Jesus I shall be presented spotless to the Father Indeed when I was young I had my youthful vanities but in the year 1664 upon a New-years day the Lord was pleased to meet with me and then even then did he set all my sins in order before me And theose very sins which were small to me before were by the Spirit of the Lord in that Rod made as bitter as death it self My sleight childhood-sins my slender youthful sins were to me very hainous and abominable Wherefore my friends I charge you to make a conscience of those sins yea of the least of them which I have warned you of Some may think me passionate and some may think me severe and uncharitable but now I repent that I had not dealt more plainly with you However in the truth of the Lord according to mine ability I have walked among you and I hope you will not think it tedious if I drop a few words upon my grave before I dy Then the Physician steeping to him with an intent to desire him to leave off speaking lest he should spend his spirits too much M. Tregosse said Give me leave to speak for I am upon the borders of eternity and I think you all look upon me as a dying man therefore may suffer me to speak as much as I can Then he
this nothing to what must ensue I have been long waiting for this and do considently believe this not the dearest testimony that must be given to Gospel-truths and Duties A national overwhelming cluster of severe judgments I am sore afraid is at the door sharper then what formerly for some scores of years we have felt though I hope there will be a larger measure of God to sanctifie them for the reforming of his own and converting the Rebels then ever we yet experienced This I confess is some stay to me under what I am enforced to believe I have often begged if the Lord sees I am like to prove a dishonour to his Interest he would first shut me up in the dust Dear Brother Pray for me that I may do my work according to my convictions humbly and with success and that after my teachings of others and small sufferings I may not be a stranger to the Light Love and Life by which the Saints are quickned and so at last a Castaway The Lord make you useful and keep up your courage and grant you a deliverance from rude and unreasonable men which with desires of the like cequests from you on my behalf will be now all From your most affectionate and engaged Brother in the Faith T. T. Penryn September 16. 1670. My Dear Brother AT this Assize at Exon I was called to my Trial but no persecutor appearing to give evidence against me my jury acquitted me and a Verdict of not guilty was returned George Smith the Deputy major of Torrington when the Conventicle was surprized and the grand Enemy in this affair was at Lent Assize attending but the Trial being put off by this Assize God disabled him for such a journey he having received in a drunken voyage a fall from his Horse by which his shoulder-bone is dislocated and he rendred unable to dress or undress himself and so like to abide to the day of his death His Wife also that violent Woman died of a Timpany a fearful spectacle to all beholders she departed hence the night of that Lords day in which I exercised at Torrington in my journeying now to my home I suppose you heard of the bad end of another Persecutor there one Denys Smith Brother in Law who so much rejoyced when our meeting was broken up affirming the surprizal of the Conventicle did him more good and more rejoyced him then all his losses did sadden him his Wife also bitterly belch'd forth these words concerning me hang the Rogue hang him at the Sign-post or next Tree and never send him to Exon This poor wretch did hang himself in his own Study and thereby his Estate is forfeited to the Town Many much take notice how signally Gods hand hath been against them since that Meeting There are a very precious handful at Chinely Southmoulton and adjacent parts who gladly receive the word their ready submission to the truth in my former journey engaged my heart to visit them again and hope our seeing each other hath not been in vain Your memory is dear to sundry of them and your scatterings there I wish they might again see you A fruitful heavenly lip to improve truths imparted by corresponding pressing conferences is much wanting among us I pray beg it for me and your other Brethren now labouring My complaint will not Crucifie my unbelief pride and deadness pray labour for me with God with whom I leave you and am Your much obliged Brother in the Lord. T. T. Penryn October 7. 1670. My Dear Brother I am a Sympathizer with you in dear Mr. R's loss of so choice a mate but suppose his so exemplary living on God will do much to quiet him in the loss of the best injoyment not everlasting and the ground of hope she is safely hous'd from the storms we feel and fear will I believe and do more sweetly reconcile him to this ungrateful and flesh-disgusting stroke As for what God speaks to you in this providence I think its plain viz. That you more effectually daily dye to what is not God and Spirit and that you enure your Soul to more deep and fixed thoughts of your own dissolution I hear many very precious ones have been lately at London through a malignant distemper in the Bowels called â—ome the Lord more fully warn them who survive and us also of those black and tempting days which probably are near us My thoughts have been much of late setled I know not how on a conversing with the state of departed Saints Martyr'd for the testimony of Jesus I have observed in special two passages in Mr. Foxes Acts c. The one of Mr. Rogers the Protomartyr in Marys Reign who in his Prison had this passage to the Printer of Mr. Foxes book then in bonds with him Thou said he shalt live to see the alteration of this Religion and the Gospel freely preached again and therefore have me commended to my Brethren as well in Exile as others and bid them be circumspect in displacing the Papists and putting good Ministers into Churches or else their end will be worse then ours The Printer accordingly lived but what remains for us who have shamefully slighted his counsel time will evidence The other is from Mr. Holland who thus bespeaks Bonner after his sentence This I dare be bold in God to speak which by his Spirit I 〈◊〉 moved to say that God will shorten our hand of cruelty that for a time you shall not molest his Church and this shall you in short time well perceive my Brethren to be most true for after this day in this place there shall not be any by him put to the tryal of Fire and Faggot After which there was not one burned in Smithfield I principally consider that expression That for a time they should not molest his Church The Lord prepare me for a suffering day and if fair weather succeeds we shall be more watchful in its improvement As for our condition 't is full of threats and trouble Warrants are granted for the levying of 220 l. on me yet God hath kept them off but I am expecting daily to be stripp'd of all Our meeting place is taken from us through their threatnings on our Landlord we now meet at my house and once each Lords-day above the number but very few are free to attend unless with four I am also threatned to be persecuted on the corporation Law so that I am constantly expecting an imprisonment but I shall endeavour to turn into the strong hold as a Prisoner of hope I should very gladly understand more particularly how it is with you in this troublesome and sickly time however the Lord clear up your interest and grant you an open door if called hence into his presence with exceeding joy I shall commit you to God beseeching him to guid and use you and to preserve you blameless to his Kingdom I am yours most unfeignedly T. T. FINIS ERRATA P. 4. l. 1. r. others p. 6. l. 27. dele of them p. 7. l. 25. r. about p. 10. l. 24. for conversion r. conversation p. 11. l. 24 for convenant r. convert p. 12. l. 25. for ond r. and. p. 26. l. 21. for hoth r. hath p. 30. l. 3. dele you know I have p. 36. l. 20. r. related p. 42. l. 15. after in add understanding p. 43. l. 6. for refuse r. refuge p. 47. l. 28. after him r. in p. 52. l. 15. for some r. same
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THOMAS TREGOSSE Late Minister of the Gospel At Milar and Mabe in Cornwal With his Character and some Letters of his not long before his Death LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXI THE LIFE and DEATH OF THOMAS TREGOS c. SECT I. Mr. Tregosse's Life unto the time of his Conversion THe Lives of Virtuous and Heroick Spirits have been in all ages esteemed of great use and efficacy for the promoting of the like dispositions in those who are of more awakened and raised Souls For Man of all Creatures being most under the power of Imitation he is usually more moved by Examples than Precepts Examples are Lessons to the Eye and Table◠wherein the Theory is demonstrated in the Practice Things Intelligible which are more obscure in the Idea and notion are rendred as it were sensible and so more familiar and practicable by examples which give a kind of Body Life and Motion to general Doctrines and Instructions As the beams of the Sun gain force by Reflection so do Doctrines and Precepts reflected from the examples of holy men Notions and Precepts give us only a general Idea of what we ought to do But the Lives of holy men tell us what by grace we may do and withal they offer unto us efficacious Motives for the provoking of us by an holy emulation to our duty Thence the poor Pagan adviseth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stob. Sec. 3. de prud To set before us the fairest Copy of Virtue and then to imitate the same These with some other private considerations have induced me to commend to the world the ensuing story of Thomas Tregosse late Minister of the Gospel who was born at St. Ives near the Lands-end in Cornwal The Family of Tregosse whereof he was a branch was not without noble blood lodged in its veins Some conceive it to be more ancient than the Norman conquest a relique of the old Britains seated in those parts though the title seem to be of French notation Our English History acquaints us that William the Conqueror created John Tregosse a Baron who though he died without issue yet Henry Tregosse sate as a Baron in the Parliament held An. 35. of Edw. the I. And Robert de Tregosse was one of those Lords that sided with Simon Monfort Earl of Leicester against K. Henry the third As for the ruines of this Family the principal cause thereof deserves a particular remarque One Mr. Roscadden going in Pilgrimage his Wife had in his absence a child or more whereupon at his return John Tregosse advised him to settle his Estate on some Friend for the use of his Wife and Children lest after his death the Heir at Common Law should turn his Wife and Children out of doors Mr. Roscadden embracing his advice desired him to accept of this trust which accordingly he did but instead of a Deed in trust he made it absolute to himself and his Heirs As soon as Mr. Roscadden wad dead the said John Tregosse entred on the Lands and turned his Wife and children out of doors who for some time lay in a Hogstie and every morning went forth on the dunghil there on their knees imprecating the vengeance of God on Tregosse and his Heirs After this time the Judgements of God signally appeared against this Family Walter his Son falling from his horse in a fair way broke his neck others of his issue came to an untimely death and a curse hath remained on the estate ever since This Mr. Thomas Tregosse whose Life we now relate was so greatly sensible of as that it cost him many Prayers for the removing of this curse as he himself assured me Notwithstanding the Judgements of God on this Family yet the Parents of Mr. Thomas Tregosse were godly and reputed among the number of the old Puritans This was much seen in the pious education they gave this their Son whose tender years they took care to have seasoned with the Principles of Religion and good Literature At first his capacity seemed dull till about the age of seven years or after his diligence gave some notices of a quick apprehension and tenacious memory Indeed he had from his youth a natural inclination to the work of the Ministry and would oft when but a child mount up a stool or bench and there in his manner preach to his companions When he had attained a competent measure of Grammar Learning he was sent to Oxford and placed in Exeter Colledge under the Tuition of Mr. Francis Howel then Fellow of the said Colledge who perceived in him an awakened Spirit full of Vivacity and Intention insomuch that he made good the character which Aristotle gives of a young man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to act vigorously in what ever exercises he was engaged in He did not as too many abuse the expectations of his Friends by squandring away those precious opportunities and encouragements vouchsafed him for the elevating his natural capacity by the acquirement of Liberal Arts and Philosophick Sciences wherein he made a good progress Neither was he without a good interest in the esteem of pious persons as it appears by the admittance which Reverend Dr. Conant gave him as a Member into his Church Also whiles he continued in Oxon he began to feel some wounds of Conscience One day hearing Dr. Conant on Hos 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do to thee c. Some passages of that Sermon made so deep impression on him as that his conscience was filled with no small terrour when he went to his bed he was not without fears he should never see day when in his study that he should never come out alive So long as these awakening terrours of Conscience and sick nights for sin continued he could not endure to hear a vain word or to behold what had but the appearance of sin But these lights and heats of Conscience did by degrees die away Neither did they at that time determine in a thorow Conversion as it will hereafter appear Sect. 2. Having spent some time in the University he returned to S. Ives the place of his Nativity where having made some tryal of his Ministerial gifts the Inhabitants invited him to be their Minister This he at first modestly refus'd but being at last overcome by their importunity he agreed to spend some time among them Whereupon he was Aug. 17. 1657 in that Church set apart for the work of the Ministry He continued there two years a close Student all the week and constant Preacher twice every Lords day Before his departure from this place he took to him for Wife Margaret Sparnan who proved a gracious meek humble affectionate and meet help to him Whilst he continued in this Town there were two accidents which deserve a particular remarque The first was this The Summer after his sitting down among them much of the fishing season was expired and no Pilchards appeared the sence whereof greatly afflicted their Spirits
world O! What a blessed Omen would this be that God is on healing tearms of Grace with England I must confess in the place where I now labour God is travelling forth with a measure of the greatness of his might Some most stubborn and obstinate wretches attend the means and our meetings grow the Spirit of Jesus hath made some to fall under him and our hopes of greater things are increasing if the Lord for our unfruitful walkings blast not all My Dear Brother I need not tell you how sweet it is to be tabernacling in Mount Tabor by close believing Meditation to see your Lord and mine and on those views to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory and by the stme also to mourn over unkindness with bitterness as for an only Son Your received anointings lead me and keep you there Only I must tell you Sermons much watered in the Closet and steep'd in fervent Prayer will ordinarily prove most quickening to the dead and consolating to the Saints and a heart dropt upon by such views will lay a more then usual tincture of Heaven upon the mouth which will have a choice influence in a Teachers treating with Souls I must commit you to Israels Keeper in whom you may repute me Your unfeigned well-wishing friend and engaged Brother T. T. Jan. 28. 1669. My dear Brother I See you have taken up a more than ordinary care for me the ground of which I suppose is somewhat of God you conjecture is upon me In which I beg the Lord you may not be mistaken If I should confess the truth to my bosom Brother my Heart is such a confused disorder'd piece its Principles and ends lying so viel'd and hidden from my self that most frequently I am mine own stranger I know not who or what I am whether God or self swayes me Only this stayes me that were the eye of my heart levelled as directly and in as much singleness at the glory of God in Christ as I would have it be in my greatest strangeness to him and my self I think I should be sincere This therefore being much my state I may admire at the touch of Gods Finger on your heart to turn it to such a worm I had no sooner the Letter but I saw much of God by it and in such providences through the Redeemer I desire to hold some communion with him I shall hint at a footstep of the blessed walks of God to me so far as your Lines may require Seven or eight years since I found amongst the writings of a deceased friend two Bonds belonging to a poor Ophan on the finding of which I sent word to the Orphan of them who came to the House where I dwelt and gave order that one of her Debtors should be sued for the calling in her Money Accordingly that Bond was sent to a Lawyer and the Debtor sued But it being out of the way of my imployment to attend such a business I acquainted the Orphan I should not follow that affair but leave it to a Kinsman of hers to manage it and accordingly regarded it no further he promising to shew all fidelity for the bringing in from the Debtor the Money to the Orphan In process of time not having heard of the business either from the Orphan or her Kinsman and therefore concluding all matters were regularly managed and in equity between them As I was alone in my imprisonment I had a thought that stuck upon me I must needs enquire what issue of the Orphans affair in her Kinsmans hand had attained and on an inquiry found out that the Orphan was abused and damnified 14 l. by this Kinsman who yet had so saved himself that no Justice could be gaind against him On which I was under many disputes with my self whether I were not obliged to take care the Orphan might be satisfied I did propose the case but was informed in the Negative However because I entrusted it in his hand I could not so clearly discharge my self and therefore lately borrowed the money and paid it to the Orphan resolving notwithstanding my present condition rather to be the sufferer my self then that the fatherless Child by the others injustice should be injured and was determined to eye the Lord for a way to discharge that money so borrowed Within a very little time I had borrowed the 14. l. yours came and within a little season from another and now you write me of more which makes up the sum I have been somewhat moved under the graciousness of God the Lord make me fruitful in my seasonable improvement of this dispensation I should be very glad might I see you at Crediton in my passing up to the Assizes Many things I have to say which I must silence till God open a door for a more satisfactory converse You are minded by us here and I desire to live on your thoughts when nearest God I am yours in unfeignedness T. T. May 11. 1670. My Dear Brother YOurs of the 16th of April I received not till the 7th instant Your long silence I confess much amazed me but now in your lines and the reason by them given me of the suspence in those paper-enter courses I rejoyce Since my last lines to you according to my engagement by recognizance I had an opportunity to spend some time with your friends at Crediton Chimly and Southmoulton and am sorry where there is an appearance of so encouraging an harvest so little stomack and spirit is found in adjacent Labourers It hath been long my thought that God hath yet a great controversie with the Non-conforming though the best part of the English Ministry among whom how few are there who naturally care for the state of the poor perishing Countrey and what their hands find to do do it with their might This with that levity of Spirit unholiness of Lip Reigning Selfishness Earthly mindedness Formality Lukewarmness in Worship Security c. visible upon the professing body doth as apparently and dangerously threaten England as the more branded Dâ—baucheries I could heartily wish had the wise Lord seen it fit your station had been fixed in your native Soil that you might be to the quickning of Brethren and professing Saints and also ready at hand to succour those poor corners which seem to cry as the Macedonian in the vision Come over and help us But you know your proper gift and I presume will carefully study and answer your calls I did contract friendship in that journey with Mr. Stucley whom I find of another Spirit in whose society my Soul was refreshed And Mr. Flavel of Dartmouth I find a well tempered Man whom else I met with to rejoyce in of my Brethren I scarce know any The times are now very black and clouds are gathering in every quarter what the issue of our storms may be a little time will much indicate I wish I could say Nubecula cito transibit To give you my fears I think