body sometimes out of distemper and weaknesse of minde which they labour against and chide themselves for as did David Psal. 42. 43. why art thou disquieted O my Soul and why art thou so heavy within me still trust in GOD for I will praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Eighthly It argues strength of Grace when we use this world and all the comforts of it with a weaned eye and mind as if we used it not as English Travellers that lodge in an Indian house use all the wild Indians comforts with a strange affection willing and ready to be gone or as Passengers in a Ship willing and ready when God will to land and goe ashoar in our own countrey to our owne House and comforts in the Heavens Thus Gideons Souldiers in a figure of such as are fit for Christs Battels are not onely couragious and depart not with the cowards but also lap at the comforts of this life with a speedy necessity but lye not downe to them in excesse of affection and delight Object May not Hypocrites use this world with a strange affection weaned from the vanities of it c. I answer Doubtlesse not onely a false Christian or Hypocrite but other naturall men out of the sence and experience of the vanitie and uncertainly of this life and the comforts of it may attaine to a great seeming dispising of these earthly things though never without sorrow that they are not more full and certain as being their portion Onely Gods children who have made the Lord himselfe their portion and his word and Ordinances their inhâ—…ritance they only I say use them as from God tokens of his Loveâ—…nd goodnesse and as golden chaines to draw them unto him and humbly submit to Gods holy pleasure in his gracious bestowing or withdrawing of them Ninthly It is an argument of a strong fear of and affection to God when in all our earthly businesses wee see God and mindâ—… his name and praise Hence saith James Yee ought in all Journeys and purposes to say If God will Hence Boaz that holy man when he comes into his Field hath God in his mouth The Lord blesse you sayd he to his Reapers Hence the poorest Christian able to contribute 1 Cor. 16. observes weekly and therefore daily the dispensations of God towards him He observes the givings and takings of Gods hand and walks with him though in the poorest and meanest calling and condition Object But may not Hypocrites observe Gods blessing in worldly things in faire winds good voyages in the encrease of children corne wine cattel c I answer Naturall conviction enforceth even Pagans to confesse a Manittoo an Invisible Deity and God-head in these visible things But to make it a worke and Businesse in all these earthly things to see and glorifie God to walke with him and to be full of his praise all the day-long this is onely the Character of Gods children who only truly see his hand and love his name and glory Tenthly It is an Argument of strength and vigour of grace to keep a constant watch and bridle on our lips and tongue that no words passe but such as are seasoned with Salt to the glorifying of our Maker with our glory and the edifying or benefitting of others This Tongue of ours the Lord compares to the bridle of a Horse to the Helm of a Ship which if well managed rules the horse and ship with safety and comfort and the Spirit of God concludes that he is a perfect and strong man in Christ that is thus able to command his Speech and Tongue in this world Hence Christ Jesus preacheth Judgement to the world for the abuse of the Tongue and the idle words of it when our words are not working words and tend not to heavenly profiting of others Hence the Spirit by Paul commands Ephes. 5. that neither uncleannesse nor covetousnesse nor foolish talking nor jeasting be once heard from the mouths of the Saints but rather giving of thanks and praising of God Object But may not worldly persons set a watch before the door of their lips I answer Morall wisedome may teach persons the vanity and grosse wickednesse of the Tongue but onely Gods spirit and strength of it doth teach Gods children in true feare and love of God not onely to restraine from vaine and foolish but also to attaine to a spirituall and heavenly Language Lastly It argues strength and life and Grace in Christ when our hearts by Gods spirit are wrought to such a degree of hatred of sin that we not onely abhor the acts thereof but also fly and shun the looks and appearance of it so that we not only fly pride and passion and covetousnesse and uncleannesse but also the appearance of them Hence Boaz when Ruth lay downe at his feet in the night as claiming marriage by right he not only refrained from uncleannesse or uncIeane touches but also he gravely advised her to be gone so early in the morning that no man should say there came a woman into the floar Object But may not worldly persons not only avoid sin but also the appearance of it I answer No worldly or unregenerate person can truly hate sin or the appearance of it for it is his nature and Element they can onely hate the dammages and disgrace and discredit of it and so a Whore may hate whoredome 'T is only the property of Gods children and the new-borne to hate sin as sin with the sinfull appearances of it as opposite to their new and heavenly nature in Jesus Christ I Now come to the third head of the tryals of spirituall health and strength and that respects our conversation with men in which First I argue that it is a strong argument of a strong constitution and spirituall health when we can make it our worke and trade to aime at glorifying our Maker in doing good to men Thus our great example Christ Jesus made it his worke and trade to goe about to doe good which he did abundantly and constantly to the souls and bodies of men Obj. Christ Jesus and his Apostles and messengers were endâ—…ed with power from on high not only to preach the Word for conversion but also with power of casting out Devils and healing bodily diseases I answer as an holy witnesse of Christ Jesus a Woman once answered a Bishop I am a member of Christ Jesus as wel as Peter himselfe The least Believer and Follower of Jesus pertakes of the nature and spirit of him their holy head and husband as well as the strongest and holiest that ever did or suffered for his holy name Therefore it is that we read not only of the service of those great master-builders and work-men of Christ Jesus the Apostles but also the service and helpe of Christian women for instance Rom. 16. Phebe Priscilla Mary Persis were eminently noted for helping forward the work
EXPERIMENTS OF Spiritual Life Health And their PRESERVATIVES In which the weakest Child of God may get Assurance of his Spirituall Life and Blessednesse And the Strongest may finde proportionable Discoveries of his Christian Growth and the means of it By Roger Williams of Providence in New-England London Printed in the Second Month 1652. 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 dolesul 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 threatning 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 Ladiship I know doth humbly acknowledge them to be the fairest 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 remembred 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 â—…rowned the memory of those his 2 zealous Servants in K. Henry the 8th his days * 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 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 unfeinedly faithfull R. W. To every truly Christian Reader 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 pomise which sometimes are long before the open solemnity and the publikâ—… 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 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 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. 'T is 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 1. The earnest desire of some Godly Friends 2. Mine owne desire of sowing a little handfull of spirituall seed while the short Minute of my seed-time the opportunity of life lasteth My scope is to fill each truly Christian soule with triumphing and rejoycing I speak peace and joy to the Weakest Lamb and Child in Christianity that is so low so weake so litle so poor in its owne eyes that it sometimes saith it hath no Christ no Spirit no Faith no Love no nor true Desire in it selfe To this poore weake one I speak peace and joy and say this spirituall poverty is blessed and is the first step or round of that spirituall Ladder Mat. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Secondly I sound joyfull Alarums of Encouragement to the strong to grow as Peter exhorteth in the Grace and Knowledge of the Lord Jesus T is true the communion of Saints is sweet and joyfull strong and powerfull eternally gainfull and profitable and holy and blessed is that Spirit that makes the Saints who are the Excellent of the Earth its Delight and after that blessed hour of the Saints uniting in one Heart one Spirit one Worship let all that love Christ Jesus mourne and lament and breath and pant And yet the weakest and the faintest Lamb that comes but stealing in the Crowd to touch the hemb of the Lord Jesus his garment that is content to be esteemed a Dog and to wait for crums of mercy under the Table of the Son of God let them I say rejoyce also for he that hath begun that blessed work by his owne free and eternall Spirit will by the same his owne holy Arme gloriously finish it I end Deare Christian with the proposall of two Christian knots or Riddles not unsuitable to these present Times and Spirits First Why is the Heart of a David himself Psa. 30. more apt to decline from God upon the Mountaine of Joy Deliverance Victory Prosperity then in the dark Vale of the shadow of Death Persecution Sicknesse Adversity c. Secondly Why is it since God worketh freely in us to doe and to will of his owne good pleasure that yet he is pleased to command us to work out our owne Salvation with Feare and Trembling Let us all humbly beg the Finger the Spirit of the Lord to untie these Knots for us I. desire to be thine unseighned in Christ Jesus R. W. The Contents of this Discourse The Heads are three UNder the first are contained the Arguments of Spirituall Life wherein the Weakest and the Sickest Child of God may finde its Spirituall Life apparent though over-cast and eclipsed with spirituall Weaknesse and Distempers Under the second Head Arguments of the strength and vigour of the Spirit of Life and Holinesse In which the strongest and the eldest in Christ may find Experiments of Spirituall Health and Christian Activity and chearfullnesse These Experiments respect 1. The Souls private correspondenâ—…y with the Lord himselfe 2. Converse and correspondency with Men 3. Private Retirednesses with it selfe Under the third Head are proposed some Means wherein the Spirit of God usually breatheth for the preserving and maintaining of a truly Spirituall and Christian Health and Chearfullnesse The Letter which the Author sent with this Discourse to his Wife M. W. upon her recovery from a dangerous sicknesse My Dearest Love and Companion in this Vale of Tears THy late sudden and dangerous Sicknesse and the Lords most gracious and speedy raising thee up from the gates and jawes of Death as they were wonderfull in thine own and others eyes so I hope and earnestly desire they may be ever in our thoughts as a warning from Heaven to make ready for a sudden call to be gone from hence to live the rest of our short uncertaine span more as strangers longing and breathing after another Home and Country To cast off our great cares and fears and desires and joyes about this Candle of this vaine life that is so soon blowne out and to trust in the living God of whose wonderfull power and mercy thou hast had so much and so late experience which must make thee sing with David Psal. 103. Blesse the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Blesse the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thy sins and healeth thine infirmities who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnesse My dear Love since it pleaseth the Lord so to dispose of me and of my affairs at present that I cannot often see thee I desire often to send to thee I now send thee that which I know will be sweeter to thee then the Honey and the Honey-combe and stronger refreshment then the strongest wines or waters and of more value then if every line and letter wâ—…e thousands of gold and silver Hezekiah upon his recovery from his sicknesse made a writing Isai. 38. as an everlasting monument of his praise unto God and as a Goad or spur to himselfe and others in the wayes of godlinesse for the future Thy holy and humble desires are strong but I know thy writing is slow and that thou wilt gladly accept of this my poore helpe which with humble thankefulnesse and praise to the Lord I humbly tender to his holy service and thine in him I send thee though in Winter an handfull of flowers made up in a little Posey for thy dear selfe and our dear children to look and smell on when I as the grasse of the field shall be gone and withered Wee know how it pleaseth the spirit of God to distinguish between