Shepherdy Spiritualized, Title page – Testimonial
Shepherdy Spiritualiz'd OR The Improvement of a SHEPHERD'S Life TO SOUL-Advantage. By James Woode, an unworthy Follower of the Great Shepherd of Souls.
Virgil lib. 3. Georg.
—Superat pars altera curae
Lanigeros agitare greges—
Hic labor, hinc laudem fortes ſperate coloni.
Nec ſum animi dubius, verbis ea vincere, magnum
Quam ſit, et angu…is hinc addere robus honorem.
LONDON, Printed by J. R. for Thomas Parkhurſt, and are to be Sold by Joſeph How Bookſeller in Caſtle-ſtreet in Dublin, 1680.
To his Honoured and Beloved Friends, the Sheep-Maſters, and Shepherds in the County of Typerary in Ireland.
Honoured and Beloved,
FOr you were theſe diſcourſes firſt deſigned, and into your hands are they now put, with an hearty looking up to Heaven for a Bleſſing upon them; that neither I may write, nor ye read in vain. My circumſtances are known to many of you; and ſeeing I cannot be as Generally and Publickly uſeful to you as I would, I was willing to be as ſerviceable to you as I can. 'Tis now ſome years ſince in diſcourſe with a Friend of mine, who hath often been Sub-S…riff of your County, I was told how many Thouſand Sheep were found by computation in your County: So that the Inhabitants of other Counties in this Kingdom did not ſtick to ſay, that your Sheep did eat up, not only your Graſs only, but your People too: It is ſo thinly planted, in compariſon of ſome other Parts of the Kingdom. This put me upon thoughts how I might direct you to the Improvement of your Flocks to higher advantage than ſome others. Eſpecially the Providence of God caſting my lot to ſpeak in a Countrey Auditory, to moſt who are ſome way or other concern'd with that ſort of Cattle: And not having found among the many Booke made publick, any thing of this Theme; I hoped it might be ſome way uſeful to ſtir you up in your management of your ſtock, to raiſe your hearts higher than their Wool, Fleſh, &c.
I have been but a little while acquainted with this courſe of life, and therefore if thoſe of you, that are better skill'd herein, find any miſtakes or defects in what is offered, beſides the common Apology of Humane Error, I have to plead a failure of judgement in the matter, not of Affection to you: Tho I have been wanting neither in an endeavour inform my judgement the beſt way I could.
One thing I foreſee the Obſervant Reader will find deficient, viz. That no place is here allotted to the Followers, or Under-Shepherds to Chriſt: Such both Magiſtrates and Miniſters hear in Sacred Writ. But I have this to anſwer to it; None ſuch heard me when I diſcours'd theſe things, nor do I know whether any ſuch will deign the reading them: And to others it would be vain to blot Paper to no purpoſe. We have but too many who carp at Magiſtrates and Miniſters for the neglect of their Duties, who would better place their time in amending their own.
I have purpoſely waved matters controverſial, wherein I find the Genius of this Age to over-bound. 'Tis practical Holineſs will be the beſt Evidence to our ſelves and others, that we are indeed the Sheep of the Holy Jeſus. And what ever apprehenſions ſome, that are ſtrangers to me, may have imbib'd, I can in the words of Truth and Soberneſs ſay, I had much rather be uſeful to bring one poor Lamb into the Fold of the Bleſſed Jeſus, than Proſelyte ten to any opinion wherein I differ from others.
God hath bleſt ſome of you, My Friends, with large Flocks: I beg they may all bear Golden Fleeces to you, when you ſhall be much enriched by them Godward. That we may ſay concerning you in our requeſts for you, what the Beloved Diſciple prayed for his welbeloved Gaius, 3 John 2. ver. That ye may proſper and be in health, even as your Souls proſper. If this Eſſay (mean as it is, for ſuch it was deſign'd for the general uſe) by the Bleſſing of Heaven may in any meaſure promote this your Proſperity, it will abundantly compenſate this Labour of
Mooretown, 26th. Decemb. 1679. Your Hearty-Soul-Servant, James Woode.
TO THE AUTHOR.
Reverend and dear Brother,
I Should over value my judgement (if indeed I have any at all) ſhould I look upon my ſelf as a competent Cenſor of any thing that is the iſſue of your Serious Thoughts. All that I can ſay of your Shepherdy Spiritualliz'd is, That I have read it with much Pleaſure and Profit to my ſelf, and do hope (through the bleſsing of God) that it may be of great uſe to the Edification of others if it were made Publick. There is in it Ingenuity, temper'd with Solidity; Critical Learning with an foreign, A pleaſing Acumen, with Nerves of Scripture Reaſon. I may ſay of you as the Kingly Preacher doth of himſelf, Eccleſ. 12. 10. The Preacher ſought to find out acceptable Words, and that which was written was upright, even words of Truth. Even ſo here are pretious Truths delivered in acceptable words. Your lips fed many in the Preaching of them, but your Pen will feed many more in the publiſhing of them. The Lord in mercy bleſs your Labours with the plentiful Harveſt of many Souls brought home to God, that ye may ſhine as the Stars for ever: My hearty Service to your ſelf is all at preſent from
Your Brother and Fellow-Labourer in the Goſpel T. T. Dublin, Novemb, 17th. 1679.