Sir, your Sermon which I copied partlyfrom your mouth, and partly from yournotes, I have adventured into the light;encouraged by the approbation, and earnestentreaty of such, whose judgements youreverence, and whose love you embrace:who also have made bolde heere and thereto varie some things, not of any great consequence,if I can judge. I was loth tosmoother such fire in my brest; but to ventit, to enflame others. If you shall blame me,I know others will thanke mee. What Ihave done, is out of Zeale to God and hisChurch.
Your affectionate friend,
Ambrose Wood.
This watch-word of Christ,if it be not now a word inseason, I know not whenever it was, or will bee:Would he now vouchsafeto bestow a letter upon his Churchheere on earth; should hee need to alterthe tenour of this? which being the last,to the last of the seaven Churches, whymay it not (saith an Ancient, upon thistext) typifie the estate of the last Ageof his Churches? the coldnesse whereofhimselfe hath expressely foretolde.And if God should now send throughhe earth such surveying Angels as Zachariementions, chapter 1. Could theyreturne any other observation of theirtravailes then theirs; The whole worldlies in lukewarmnesse? which makes meeoften in my thoughts proportion theseends of time, to the like period of Davidsage, when no cloathes were enoughto keepe heare in him. Faith I grantis a more radicall, vitall, and necessarygrace; but yet not so wholly out ofgrace with the times, as poore Zeale;which yet if by any meanes it mightonce againe be reduced into favour andpractice, before Time sets, and bee nomore; I doubt not but Christ wouldalso yet once againe in this evening ofthe world, come and Sup with us; Afavour including all other in it.
My desire especially is, that this ourIland might take it to it selfe, as well asif it had by name beene directed to it;what would it hurt us to make an especiallbenefit and use of it? Some ofour owne, have so applyed it; (whetherout of their judgements, or affections,I say not.) Learned Fulk marvels ifit were not by a Propheticall spirit pennedfor us: others more resolutely havemade it a singular type of purpose forus. Their warrant I know not; especiallyif it bee true which all travellers tellyou, That they finde more zeale at homethen abroad. We are I grant in sundry respectsequall to Laodicea: Even the verynames thereof, as well the first and oldestin regard of the blessings of God,Διος πολιςGods Darling, as the later inregard of good Lawes and Civility, Laodicea,How well doe they become us?As rich as they, and that in the very samecommodity of woolls; Abounding asthey with many learn