Yours I received, but whether I dare to thank you for it, I know not, for truly I cannot express the trouble that hath since seized upon my spirit; Oh poor soul, what shall I say unto thee? Oh my bowels, my bowels, they yearn towards thee, I am pained, yea I am pained while I think upon thy condition, what shall I do for thee, what shall I say unto thee; I could be contented that these lines were writ with my very heart blood, so that they might affect thee; O I had rather dye than receive another such letter from you, I could not relish it, it was bitter, I could not see the name of dear Jesus in it, — how can I think of your blind superstition, and not mourn and lament over a dead soul! you say you are sorry, and you are troubled. What is the matter, are you sorry that I should concern my self about my soul, ⟨p. 76⟩and about yours; you would not trouble your self about these things now, if not now, I pray when will you, at the hour of death, at the day o• Judgement, O then it will be too late, O now o• never, delays are dangerous. O Eternity, Eternity, O where shall yours and my soul dwell t• all Eternity. Oh either in heaven, or in hell, either with Christ or devils, the soul that si• shall dye; your debt is great, the justice of God must be satisfied, and nothing can do it but th• blood of Jesus, O for this precious Jesus, make not light of Christ, he is precious, he is altogether lovely; I would not for ten thousand world quit my share in him, and in that which is the matter of your fear, you complain that I have le•• the ways of our fore-fathers — I se•• you take the shadow for the substance; what […] the Cross in Baptism, without the Baptism […] the spirit; what good will the bowing at th• name of Jesus do them, which persecute him i• his members, and have him not formed in their hearts — O that God would cut asunder your false hopes, if Christ were in you, yo• would rejoice to think that he hath been a• work in my soul, was I born with these principles which you read in my last Letters, I am sur• I was once of an other mind than now I am▪ but blessed, yea admired be free grace, which hath made me to differ from my self and others.
Yours I received, but whether I dare to thank you for it, I know not, for truly I cannot express the trouble that hath since seised upon my spirit; Oh poor soul, what shall I say unto thee? Oh my bowels, my bowels, they yern towards thee, I am pained, yea I am pained while I think upon thy condition, what shall I do for thee, what shall I say unto thee; I could be contented that these lines were writ with my very heart blood, so that they might affect thee; O I had rather dye than receive another such letter from you, I could not relish it, it was bitter, I could not see the name of dear Jesus in it, — how can I think of your blind superstition, and not mourn and lament over a dead soul! you say you are sorry, and you are troubled. What is the matter, are you sorry that I should concern my self about my soul, ⟨p. 76⟩and about yours; you would not trouble your self about these things now, if not now, I pray when will you, at the hour of death, at the day o• Judgement, O then it will be too late, O now o• never, delayes are dangerous. O Eternity, Eternity, O where shall yours and my soul dwell t• all Eternity. Oh either in heaven, or in hell, either with Christ or devils, the soul that si• shall dye; your debt is great, the justice of God must be satisfied, and nothing can do it but th• blood of Jesus, O for this precious Jesus, make not light of Christ, he is precious, he is altogether lovely; I would not for ten thousand world quit my share in him, and in that which is the matter of your fear, you complain that I have le•• the wayes of our fore-fathers — I se•• you take the shadow for the substance; what 〈…〉 the Cross in Baptism, without the Baptisme 〈…〉 the spirit; what good will the bowing at th• name of Jesus do them, which persecute him i• his members, and have him not formed in their hearts — O that God would cut asunder your false hopes, if Christ were in you, yo• would rejoyce to think that he hath been a• work in my soul, was I born with these principles which you read in my last Letters, I am sur• I was once of an other mind than now I am▪ but blessed, yea admired be free grace, which hath made me to differ from my self and others.
