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HE was not a little troubled at the barren∣ness of Christians in their discourse, and their not improving their society for the quick∣ning and warming of their hearts; the ex∣pence of pretious time unaccountably, the ill
management of visits, and the impertinency of their talk, he oft reflected upon with a holy in∣dignation. It vext him to the soul, to see what prizes sometimes, were put into the hands of Christians and how little skill and will they had to improve them, for the building up one ano∣ther in the most holy faith: and that they who should be incouraging of one another in the way to Zion, communicating of experiences, and talking of their Country, and of the glory of that Kingdom which the Saints are heirs of, could satisfie themselves with empty com∣mon vain stuff; as if Christ, Heaven and Eter∣nity were not things of as great worth as any thing else, that usually sounds in the ears and comes from the lips of professors. That the folly of common discourse among Christians might appear more, and that he might discover how little such language did become those that profess themselves Israelites, and that say, they are Jews; he once sate down silent and took out his pen and ink, and wrote down in short∣hand the discourses that passed for some time to∣gether, amongst those which pretended to more than common understanding in the things of God: and after a while he took his paper and read it to them, and asked them whether such talk was such as they would be willing God should record. This he did, that he might shame them out of that usual unobserved & un∣lamented unprofitable communication and fruit∣less squandring away that inestimable Jewel,
Opportunity.
Oh, to spend an hour or two together, and to hear scarce a word for Christ or that speaks peoples hearts in love with ho∣liness; Is not this writing a brave rational di∣vine discourse? Fie fie. Where's our love to God and souls all this while, where's our sense of the pretiousness of time, of the great∣ness of our account? Should we talk thus, if we believed that we should hear of this again at the day of judgement? And do we not know that we must give an account of every idle word? Is this like those that under∣stand the language of Canaan? Did Saints in former times use their tongues to no better purpose? Would Enoch, David, or Paul, have talked thus! Is this the sweetest commu∣nion of Saints upon earth! How shall we do to spend eternity in speaking the praises of God, if we cannot find matter for an hours discourse.
Doth not this speak aloud our hearts to be very empty of grace, and that we have little sense of those spiritual and eternal concerns upon us?
As the barrenness and empty converse of Christians was a sin that he greatly bewailed, so the want of love amongst Christians, and their divisions, did cost him many tears and groans; & he did what he could to heal all the breaches that he could, by his tender prudent and Christi∣an advice and counsel; and if prayers, tears & intreaties & counsels would prevail & cement
differences, they should not long be open. Nay if his letters would signifie any thing to make an amicable and Christian correspondencie, it should not be wanting. And because, the wounds of division are yet bleeding, I shall insert two healing Letters of his, which speak what spirit he was of: Which take as follows.