June/July 1742

Anne Dutton, Great Gransden, to John Lewis, London, undated (June-July 1742).

NOTE, The following Pieces came from the same Friend in the Country as wrote the Motives offer’d to the Consideration of a Believer, &c. in last Week’s Paper.

CAUSES of sinful ANGER: to be watch’d against; by all that are Christ’s, who would Crucify the Flesh, with the Affections thereof. . . . (pp. 1-3).

An Extract of a Letter from a Friend.

         As there was royal Wine in abundance, at that stately Feast Esther 1. So it was one of the Glories of it, that the Drinking-Vessels, as they were all of Gold, were divers one from another. And I have thought with Pleasure, that when as the Nobles of the King of Heaven, we shall be exalted to a Participation of that glorious Feast, that heavenly Banquet which he’ll ere long make for his Favourites; as there will be Royal Wine in Abundance, so the Drinking-Vessels will be rich and divers. God’s Love is the Royal Wine, with which he’ll Fill us, Delight us, Feast us to the Days of Eternity! And all the Displays of his distinguishing Favour towards us, will be as so many Drinking-Vessels, to convey it to us. And as the Drinking-Vessels will be all of Gold, i.e. all the Displays of infinite Love of one pure Piece of rich, glorious Grace; so they will be divers one from another. Or, That all the various Displays of God’s distinguishing Love towards the Church in general, and towards every saved Soul in particular, wherein he has abounded towards us, accoring to the Infinity of his Wisdom; will be as so many rich, glorious, divers Vessels, by which all the Royal Courtiers around his Throne, shall eternally Drink of that Love which passeth all Knowledge! I am apt to think, That the Drinking-Vessels, will be as Numerous, as the innumerable Multitude of the saved Ones: and in some respects as Various as that manifold Wisdom and Grace which has been displayed in every of their Salvation. And so we shall all, jointly and particularly, for ever Admire, and Adore Distinguishing Love, in its general and particular Displays towards us!

An HYMN Compos’d upon copying out something for the Press.

1. I give this Service LORD, to Thee;

           Myself I dedicate:

Accept myself, my feeble Work,

           And grant thy Blessing great.

2. O Prince of Grace, Send from above,

           And take and bless this Bread:

That so thy needy Children dear,

           By thousands may be fed!

3. Oh All-sufficient God, Thou dost

           None of my Service need:

Ten Thousand Thousand, LORD, Thou canst

           Without thy Creatures Feed!

4. But such thy Condescending Grace,

           To Men and Angels is,

That thou’lt employ them in thy Work;

           Which, LORD, is perfect Bliss!  [p. 4]

5. O Thou who art of Jacob, GOD,

Thy feeblest Worm regard;

Accept the Mite I give in Love,

And grant a free Reward;

6. O LORD, I love Thee for thy SELF!

Thy Work to me is sweet:

And had I all created Strength,

I’d lay it at they Feet!

7. But LORD, thy Worm has but a Mite,

Thou know’st I’m weak and poor;

But Thou’lt accept of Turtle-Doves,

When Thine can give no more.

8. Then LORD, accept my little All,

And grant me what I crave:

That Thou Great Glory, Thine great Good

By what I’ve wrote may have.

Text: The Weekly History, Saturday, 31 July 1742, no. 69, pp. 3-4. The hymn above also appeared at the beginning of Dutton's Letters on Spiritual Subjects and Divers Occasions, [Vol. 2], (London: J. Hart, and sold by J. Lewis and E. Gardner, 1743).