Remains, Letters
Three Letters of Mr. Tho. Wadſworth to his Siſter Elizabeth Wadſworth in Southwark, when he was a young Student in Chriſts-Colledg in Cambridge, wherein we may ſee the early breathings of his pious Soul.
Dear Siſter!
YOU may remember very well that I ſent a Letter to you all in general, to wit, my Brother and other Siſters; but it is my wonder and grief that I ſhould receive an anſwer from none of you! I thought that your loves to me were not ſo contracted, but that I might have procured ſuch a favour at your hands as three or four lines in a Letter; but however your not regarding of me, hath not begotten in my ſoul ſuch regardleſneſs towards you, and therefore from among the reſt I have choſen you out in particular to ſee whether you in particular will give me an anſwer to my other Letter. I remember that the laſt time I was with you, upon Conference that I had with you, I found a good and pliable nature in you; ſome ſoftneſs of heart appear'd by that cryſtal dew which trickled down your cheeks: I would have wiſht in ſome reſpects that it had continued until this time. For truly nothing ſpeaks fairer weather in Heaven than moiſtned cheeks below on earth; you muſt not think to come to Mount Zion, the Heavenly Jeruſalem, before you have paſt thorow a vail of tears. Heaven is not a bauble, and it can't be attain'd by mirth and jollity; you muſt not think to live merrily in Earth and in Heaven too. I know you are naturally merry and jocond, but you muſt labour to mortifie that merry nature you have; you are naturally full of talk, but if you love your ſoul you muſt labour to bridle the tongue. Perhaps you would ſay, O Brother! this I would willingly do, but I cannot tell how. I will give you this anſwer:
Firſt, Labour to live more ſeriouſly, to talk leſs; let your thoughts be on God, and think that he hears every word you ſpeak; and as our Saviour ſays, You muſt give an account for every idle word. You muſt not think you ſhall ever be ſwallowed up in love, that you ſhall ever bathe your ſelf in Divine raviſhments to all eternity with God in glory, and walk ſo lightly and vainly here on earth. O that I could but perſwade your ſoul of this! If I could, I know that you would deſire no other glory, than to ſwim all your life-time in a river of tears. I ſhall not here ſpeak of the glory which your ſoul ſhould enjoy in Heaven, leſt my ſoul in writing ſhould be ſwallow'd up with confuſion! for if I knew where to begin, yet I ſhould never know where to make an end. Angels themſelves have been wading theſe five thouſand years in this Ocean, and cannot come to the depth of it; yea, and ſhall be wading to all eternity with the glorified Saints, and yet ſhall never fathom it. And now if thou art willing that thy ſoul ſhould accompany my ſoul unto this Ocean of Love, take notice then of theſe paths which I ſhall here ſet down, which will lead thee unto this deſir'd happineſs. And truly I beg of thee, and likewiſe charge thee, in the preſence of the Almighty God, as thou ſhalt one day anſwer it at the Judgment-ſeat, when God ſhall judg the quick and the dead, that you do not, when you have read this Letter, caſt it away, and look on it no more. Therefore I beſeech of thee, as thou art dear to me as a Siſter, that thou wouldſt put into practiſe every word that I ſhall ſay.
Firſt then, Be conſtant in prayer by thy ſelf both evening and morning; and if you find any good motion in the day-time, go then again to prayer. And if you ask me, How you ſhould pray? I anſwer thee, pray againſt every ſin thou find'ſt thy heart prone to commit. Pray againſt thy carnal joy, and beg that thou maiſt be moſt ſerious in thy converſation. Doſt thou find in thy ſoul that thou canſt not mourn for ſin? Pray that God would ſoften thy hard heart, that he would make thee to mourn, to weep and lament thy ſins, becauſe they are againſt ſuch a tender and loving Father as God. Doſt thou find that thou art given to anger, pettiſhneſs and frowardneſs; pray earneſtly, beg of God on thy knees, as if thou wert pleading for thy life, that God would humble thee, and give thee more love to himſelf, and to the reſt of thy brethren; and take heed likewiſe of angering them. O that thou wouldſt but practiſe this! truly, truly, I ſhould rejoice, Angels in Heaven would rejoice; as it is written, The Angels rejoise at the converſion of a ſinner.
Secondly, Look that thou readeſt the Scriptures diligently every day; and let this be thy firſt work in the morning, and the laſt at night. And if thou canſt not underſtand, go to God, and beg that he would give thee more light; and if thou doſt this likewiſe, happy ſhalt thou be. And ſeeing it is late before you go to ſupper and bed, therefore thou maiſt ſet apart ſome time for this duty in the afternoon. And this you muſt do, and then wait upon God for a bleſſing. And truly do but reflect on your ſelf, and tell me what's the cauſe of all that groſs ignorance which is in you? Truly 'tis becauſe you read little in the Scripture, and other good Books. And if perhaps you read a Chapter now and then, it is either becauſe you are forc'd to it, or becauſe you would read ſome ſtory in the Old Teſtament, only to recreate your carnal mind. Let me but ask you this one queſtion, Do you, when you take the Bible in your hand, conſider it is the book of God, and if you do not practiſe what you read, it will turn to your condemnation? Do but conſider this thing ſeriouſly, and the God of Heaven bleſs it to your ſoul. Now I pray and entreat you not to ſlight this which I have ſaid, but turn it into practiſe. And it will be my deſire th…t you will write this out fair, that thou maiſt read it ſometimes, and maiſt know that thy brother loves thy ſoul as dearly as his own. What I have now writ unto thee in particular, thou wilt do well if thou communicateſt it to all thy brethren, that they may not be wanting in theſe things which I have here deſired of thee in particular; for I could deſire that thou mighteſt begin to lead the way to Heaven in that family; but eſpecially let this be known to my Siſter Anne; I pray her not to think much that I direct this to you, and not to her, for I thought you would write to me, and I queſtioned whether ſhe hath not forgot; but if ſhe doth write, I aſſure her, if my ſoul and body can do her ſervice, it ſhall. I ſhall not mention my Siſter Mary, becauſe I have hinted her caſe in my Fathers Letter. The God of Heaven be with you: So I pray, who am
Your tender and moſt affectionate Brother, Tho. Wadſworth.
Dear and Loving Siſter,
IT hath been ſuch a great interval of time ſince we laſt exchang'd Letters with one another, that I know not whether to charge you, or my ſelf with negligence; but I hope neither of us are guilty of forgetfulneſs. God is my witneſs that I daily make mention of you in my prayers; and I aſſure you it will exceedingly raiſe my heart in praiſes if God will but anſwer them upon your ſoul. And truly my expectations are very great towards you and the reſt of my friends. I know not who they ſhall be, either in that family, or ſome where elſe, but rather there; for God of late hath ſhewn me much of his goodneſs as to the anſwering of my prayers as to particular perſons. And I am aſſured that he hath ſeveral times drawn out my heart as much, if not more for that family. So that I live in continual expectations of hearing of the Sun of Righteouſneſs to riſe among you, and the day ſtar of holineſs and purity to break out of ſome of your ſouls. And to this purpoſe I have ſent you this Letter, that you among the reſt might be one that may fulfil my joy in the Lord. I am ſorry that all this while I have not heard from my Brother John; I hope that the Lord will ſtir up his heart likewiſe Heaven-ward. Tell him that I would have writ to him, but that I had ſo much to write to others, ſo that I was fain to ſteal a little time to write theſe few lines. As for your ſelf, for the preſent I ſhall only deſire you to read Scripture much, and pray conſtantly, if poſſibly you can, twice or three times a day. For directions herein I deſire you to peruſe ſeriouſly my Siſter Anne's Letter, which I have here ſent her.
Laſtly, Take a ſpecial care of my Siſter Mary, labour to get her to pray; though ſhe can but chatter, God can hear. He hears the young Ravens when they cry, and feeds them; and will he not much more hear a young child? To whom I pray you commend my love very kindly. I have no more at this preſent, but that I am,
Your ever Loving Brother, Tho. Wadſworth.
Loving Siſter,
AS the Letter was with great affection deſired, ſo was it as gratefully received by me. Neither was it ſo much becauſe that you did write, but becauſe you writ ſo well and heartily. And I ſhall here aſſure you that you cannot rejoice me more than in letting me ſee ſuch ſentences dropping from your pen, as did in the laſt Letter. And I am likewiſe as certain that your diſcovery of them proceeding from your heart, carries in it a far more exceeding weight of joy to your own ſoul. I ſhall have but one or two things to you at this time, and I ſhall conclude.
Firſt, Be conſtant in Prayer morning and evening, and labour not only to ſpeak words, but let your words expreſs your heart.
Secondly, Before and after Prayer, join reading of the Scriptures.
Thirdly, Take heed of vain and fooliſh diſcourſe; be as little in talk as may be without it is in good diſcourſe. I ſhall now only deſire you to write to me every week or fortnight, and I doubt not but you will find your parts encreaſe; and abour but to put Letters in practice, and you ſhall find likewiſe your graces encreaſe. And with this I conclude, only deſiring you to remember me to your Brother and Siſters, and I ſhall be as I ever was,
Your Loving Brother, T. W.