True love will fasten upon a small occasion and the least opportunitie to have such fruition of the partie loved as our distance will affoord; so that I doe and may well want a head and time sutable to the affections and heatrie desire I have to powre out my selfe unto you. Though wee yet cannot in possibilitie heare of your comfortable arrival, yet I waite upon the god of all mercie and comfort, and kisse and embrace the comfort thereof afar of. The mercie I know will bee so apprehended by you, yours and all of us that must challenge a share and interest in you, that (I hope) it will engage us and manie more in improving such means further to improve ourselves times and talents to his glorie who strengtheneth us (by so greatly desired favours) in our reioycings to his service, and the sincere obedience of his will in all thinges. Sir, I presume I neede not so much excite you to a zealous contending to improve your pace and reachings out to perfection, by 52the mercies you have receaved, as I neede (by soaking a little upon the mercies in and to you and by you to others) to raise up some affections and expressions answerable to my true desires. And great neede I find hereof, having so much experience of my flashie hart, that sometimes I am enforcd directly, sometimes by way of reflection to trie whether I can helpe my spirit in this duty, as now. It is a well knowne truth (oh that I could know it effective in meliorem partem) that those mercies to ourselves or ours which leave us not better, they certainely doe much worse, for as a Christian cannot stand at a stay (for non progredi est regredi) so there is besides other sinnes, the capital guilt læsæ maiestatis in not walking answerable to favours receaved. The smart of this, Hezekiah David and manie others of gods dearest servaunts have found with the sad experience of. And indeede what follie is it for a man to bee so iniurious to himselfe, that when hee knowes thankefulnes and fruitefulnes under mercies receaved as they open gods hand more largely toward him, so they qualifie him more to a disposednes to receave and still to get more sweete in receaving (for there is an influence and sap in everie mercie which if the lord withhold, it is but the huske or as the sedement of the mercie wee enioy) the spirit and the quintessence thereof, being of infinitely greater vertue and vigour. And againe in deliverances what is it to scape the beare and to fall into the paw of the lion, what to avoide the snare and to sinke into the pit, what is it to enioy the utmost that created nature can affoord in this world, and to loose (by resting herein) the creator of nature and of all comforts. (For saith hee I the lord create the fruite of the lips etc. thence flowes peace to him that is far of and to him that is neare.) Hee can reach us at what distance soever yea and will in riches of mercie to accept our least (if sincere) services, and to fetch us in, if belonging to his election of grace how far remote soever, and on the other side his hand can easilie find out his enimies where ever they thinke vainely to shrowde themselves under anie false refuges. But oh the depthes of his wisedome and goodnes unto us whome by faith hee hath made heires of the promises, what hath hee seene in us that hee should deigne an eye to behold us; but that hee who hath the treasures of all happines in himselfe should account us his peculiar treasure, tender us as the apple of his eye, should make us his owne, and provide for us all good thinges (grace and glorie) and as an overplus those inferiour comforts of this life, what hart can conceave or tounge of men or angels expresse the vastnes of this unlimited depth of love and goodnes which is without bottome or bancke. So that wee may well sit downe in a holie amasement, and wonder, and then out of the impressions of his goodnes cast about and thinke what shall wee render to the lord for all his goodnes unto us. Trulie these thoughts had neede to take up 53our best intention, not onely as they are the best and cheefest fruite of saving grace in us, but as they are (as I said before) the shortest and most expedite way and meanes of elevating us into a higher degree of grace glorie and all manner of happines here and hereafter. Wee mani times groape after hap-pines in manie yea anie other wayes which is to seeke the living among the dead, these fresh springing waters (which onely flow from under the sanctu-arie) in dead and standing puddles. Wee exceedingly abuse ourselves, yea and abase our noble condition to stoope in a beggerly manner to borrow or seeke anie comfort in these sublunarie vanities, with the neglect of that fountaine which puts what ever fulnes there is in these cisterne or broaken pit comforts; god is our roote our foundation, our father our fountaine rocke and magazine of all precious thinges, and how much to blame are wee when wee seeke to build upon a weaker foundation, that have one so firme, to draw sap from brambles that may from him; to come with cap and knee to the servant whereas his master is our father, to drinke of corrupted streames that may have immediate accesse to the well head, and to patch up a few comforts which yet (though wee prostrate ourselves to manie) will not make a garment large enough to cover the nakednes of the least part of our manie defects and our large-spreading indigencie When as in him alone wee may have infinitely more then all that is contained within the circumference of the creature can affoord. Let us then resolutely conclude with the Prophet it is good to drawe neare to god, yea so to draw neare as by our communion with him to draw all from him, to bee wholie unto him, to acknowledge him in all our wayes as the great reward to good and rewarder of evill that so according to his never failing promise he may establish all.

But it is time to recall my selfe least these meditations carrie mee beyond my time, and make mee and themselves burthensome unto you. I desired a little bout with you and I conceave I could not have it more proffitablie then by helping my selfe up the Mount with you. Now the good lord reveale himselfe everie way unto you, shine upon you with a loving countenance breath a blessing upon all your holy endeavours, sanctifie you throughout in your whole soule bodie and spirit, continue you a blessing with your familie to this worke of god, and at the end crowne all your holie and faithfull labours with him selfe who is the fulnes of glorie To his grace I commend you and all yours, wife, mother, sisters all, to whome I desire in particular to be remembred in the bowels of the tenderest affection in Christ Jesus in whome I am Your most assured and trulie dtorn

Memorandum by Winthrop on the superscription leaf: Mr. Vassall, Cozen Forth, Mr. Humphry, Mr. Kerby, my vncle Downing, Aunt Downing, Cozen Clarke, Mr. Howes, Vncle Gostlin, Sir Archisden, Mr. Gurdon, Mr. Jacye, Mr. Robt. Gurdon, Mr. Richard Saltenstall, Father Painter, Mr. Chambers, Sir Hen: Mildmay, Dr. Wright, Robt. Gelston, Cozen Mary Downing.