Anne Dutton, "Thoughts on Pens" (1762)
I. Men that write, need Pens to write with; because as Creatures, they are dependent: But God, the great Creator, being absolutely independent, needs no Instruments, to perform any of his Works: And yet, in his condescending Grace, He is pleas’d to use, Angels, and Men in his Service; and among the latter, some of the weakest and vilest!
II. Pens, are Quils, chosen from among others, and made fit, by Art, for the Hand to write with: So, Those Instruments, which the Lord makes Use of, to speak, or write his Mind unto Men, his Gospel Mind, I mean, are chosen, redeem’d and call’d by Him, from among the Rest of the human Race; and made fit, by the Art of God, to be us’d by Him in his Work.
III. Pens, tho’ ever so well made, can make no Letters, or Words; without the Hand, that is pleas’d to use them: So, The Servants of Christ, his chosen, and well-fitted Instruments, can form no Letters, or Words, can express no Part of his Mind to others; unless the Lord is pleas’d to take the into his own all-wise, all-gracious, and Almighty Hand, and by them to perform his designed Work.
IV. Pens, tho’ ever so well prepar’d to write, can make Nothing legible, without Ink: So, Nor can any of the Lord’s Servants, make any Part of his Mind legible to others; without a continual Supply, of the spirit of Jesus.
V. Pens, while they have Hairs in them; mar the Strokes, spoil the Letters, and make foul Blots, in a desir’d fair Copy: So, While Sin abides in the Lord’s Servants; it mars all their Services, and makes foul Blots, in their wish’d-for fair Performances.
VI. Pens, with Hairs in them, are at Times, so fill’d up; that they stop the Flow of Ink: So, The Servants of Christ, at Times, may have their Minds, so fill’d with Sin; that grieving the Holy Spirit, they provoke him to suspend his Influence. [135]
VII. Pens, with Hairs, are troublesome to Writers; as the clearer they are, they give the more Pleasure: So, The Servants of Christ, the more Sin interrupts them in their Services, for want of Watchfulnes and Resistance; the more offensive are their Performances, to the Eyes of his perfect Holiness; as the freer they are from Sin, the more Pleasure, in his infinite Grace, He takes in their Works.
VIII. Pens, tho’ well made at first, from their native Weakness, often want mending, and sharpning; or they can well perform Nothing: So, The Servants of Christ, tho’ well-fitted for his Service at first; from their great Weakness, often want renewing Grace, to be mended for the Lord’s Work, and sharpned afresh for his Service.
IX. Pens, when well mended, often write better than at first: So, The Servants of Christ, under renewing Grace, being mended by the Lord’s Hand for his Work, and sharpned afresh for his Service; do often perform better than before: “Their last Works, are better than their first.”
X. Pens, when they perform but poorly; may yet be of Use, to make Letters and Words, that may be legible: So, The Servants of Christ, when they perform Duties but poorly, may yet be us’d by Him, even the weakest of them, to express his Mind to others, and the Strokes which they cast in his Service, made legible and intelligible, clearly, to a spiritual Eye.
XI. Pens, tho’ poor ones, in a good Hand, will make better Writ; than the best Pen, in a bad Hand: So, The Servants of Christ, tho’ the poorest of them, in his skilful Hand, shall make better Work, under Divineinfluence; than the best, when guided in some Strokes of Divine Service, chiefly, if not only, by human Dictates, or a Conceit of Self-Wisdom and Strength. – And tho’,
XII. Pens, when they have been us’d so long, that they are worne to the Bottom; as fit for no further Use, are utterly cast away: The Lord, our Master, will never cast away his chosen Servants; but when they are become quite unfit, for any further Service on Earth: He’ll make them perfectly fit, and eternally sharp, for a more Noble Employment in Heaven. [136]
USE.
1. If the great Creator, the independent God, needs no Instruments for his Service: Let us adore and praise, the Freeness and Sovereignty, of his condescending, his infinite Grace! In that He is pleas’d to make Nothings, of any Use: And especially, let us do this, who see ourselves to be, the weakest, the vilest!
2. If those Instruments the Lord makes Use of, to speak, or write his Mind unto Men, are chosen, redeem’d and call’d by Him, from among the rest of [the] human Race; and made fit, by the Art of God, to be us’d by Himin his Work: Let those who are so highly favour’d, admire Distinguishing Grace, that between them, and others, puts such a vast Difference! Let all Creature-Boasting, be excluded, and the Lord alone exalted: As it is by the Grace of God, that we are, what we are, and do, what we perform!
3. If the Servants of Christ, his chosen, and well-fitted Instruments, can form no Letters, or Words, can express no Part of his Mind to others; unless the Lord is pleas’d to take them into his own all wise, all-gracious, and Almighty Hand, and by them to perform his designed Work: Let this teach the happy Servants of Christ, That they are All Dependance; that they are so, by Self-Inability; and to be so, by Faith on Christ’s Fulness, continually. And let others learn, To see, and praise, God in them.
4. If the Lord’s Servants, his well-prepar’d Instruments, can make no Part of his Mind, legible to others, without a continual Supply, of the Spirit of Jesus: Let this excite the Servants of Christ, To be earnest in Supplication, for his Spirit to be poured down upon them.
5. If while Sin abides in the Lord’s Servants, it mars all their Services, and makes foul Blots, in their wish’d-for fair Performances: This may serve, To humble us in the Dust; to excite us to wash in the Blood of Jesus: and to prize Him highly, who is, Holiness to Jehovah, for us, to bear away the Iniquity, of our holy Things, for the Acceptance of our Persons and Services, before the Lord continually! [137]
6. If the Servants of Christ may have their Minds, at Times, so fill’d with Sin; that grieving the Holy Spirit they provoke him to suspend his Influence: This should excite them, To great Watchfulness, against the Motions of Sin, that they indulge them not in their Hearts, nor suffer their Minds to be fill’d with Carnality; lest they shou’d smart for it, under the suspended Influence, of the Holy Spirit; and render themselves unfit, for Divine Service, and for, and in it, lose their Spirituality and Activity; and also, in the Strength of Christ, to attempt Duty, and pluck out the Hairs of Sin, upon their first Appearance, instantly.
7. If the Servants of Christ, the more Sin interrupts them in their Services, for want of Watchfulness and Resistance, the more offensive are their Performances, in the Eyes of his perfect Holiness; and the freer they are from Sin, and the sharper in his Service; in his infinite Grace, He takes the more Pleasure in their Works: How shou’d this, Edge our Spirits, to make the greatest Opposition against Sin, when the Lord calls us to Duty; and raise our admiration at his matchless Grace, in making Use, of such offensive Creatures in his Service; in forgiving our Sins, and accepting our imperfect Performances; at his infinite Patience, likewise in using us, notwithstanding our many Offences, and in bearing with us, in our poorest Services; and in striving against Sin, put us upon doing it, supremely, that we mayn’t offend him, and for Holiness in his Service, that we may please him!
8. If the Servants of Christ, tho’ at first well-fitted for his Service; from their great Weakness, often want renewing Grace, to be mended for his Work, and sharpned afresh for his Service: Learn we hence, That without God’s continual Art, in shaping, and framing our Hearts, Tho’ts, and Words; we can do Nothing well in his Work.
9. If the Servants of Christ, under renewing Grace, being mended by the Lord’s Hand, for his Work, and sharpned afresh for his Service; do often perform better than before; and their last Works, are better than their first: This may Encourage their Hearts, when they find themselves awfully unfit for the Lord’s Service: For another Touch, of his artful Hand, will restore their Fitness, with Advantage; and [138] as manag’d by Him, they shall better perform at last, than at first.
10. If the Servants of Christ, when they can perform Duties but poorly; may yet be us’d by Him, to express his Mind unto others; and the Strokes which they cast in his Service, may be legible and intelligible, clearly, to a spiritual Eye: This, may Comfort those, who labour under a depressing Sense, of their poor Performances: As “The Righteous, and their Works, are in the Hand of God.” To make them of Use, just as He pleases.
11. If the Servants of Christ, tho’ the poorest of them, in his skilful Hand, shall make better Work, under Divineinfluence; than the best, when guided in some Strokes of Divine Service, chiefly, if not only, by human Dictates, or a Conceit, of Self-Wisdom and Strength: This, may excite the Servants of Christ, in their poorest Circumstances for his Service; to remember, who is their Master, and ought to be their Conductor, in every Work of his; and also, in Self-Diffidence, and Faith’s Confidence, to cast themselves entirely, into his Hands, to be manag’d by Him continually, for his Glory, and their own Joy. – And
12. If the Lord, our Master, will never cast away his chosen Servants; but when they are become quite unfit, for any further Service on Earth; He will make them perfectly fit, and eternally sharp, for a more NobleEmployment in Heaven: This, shou’d Raise the Hearts of the Lord’s Servants, to praise Him, who herein acts, like his glorious Self, as the great, and gracious God! And not as doth little, weak and peevish Man. This, may Comfort us, when our Strength is spent, and we can do no more in his Work on Earth; in that then, He’ll make us perfectly fit, and eternally sharp, for Heaven’s most Noble Employment! Here, we aim, at what we cannotperform: But there, we shall perform perfectly; to God’s Glory, to the Saints, and Angels Felicity, and to our own everlasting Joy! There, we shall be fill’d perfectly, be fill’d eternally, with the Spirit of Jesus! Brave Pens, and well fill’d! For Strength, we shall be like Pens of Iron; in the Hand of Him, whose Name is “I AM!” No more Sin in us then, to mar our Strokes, to blot the fair Copies, of our perfect, ceaseless, endless [139] Praises! But perfect in Holiness, we shall express the Praises of Him, who is exalted, above all Blessing and Praise: Unto Endless Ages!
Unto Him, therefore, that sitteth upon the Throne, and to the Worthy Lamb: Who hath loved us, and washed us from our Sins, in his own Blood: And hath made us Kings and Priests, unto God, and his Father: To Him be Glory and Dominion, for Ever, and Ever! Amen.
God’s Saints, on Earth, in’s loved Work, still grone:
In Heaven, their Works to sing around his Throne!
Time, for God’s Service, here, flees fast away:
His Servants, there, have Everlasting Day!
Of joyful Work, they ne’er shall know the Want:
Of Space, for Service, they can ne’er be scant.
They have no Time, to measure Motion by:
Past Time is chang’d, for blest Eternity!
Praise to the Lord! Who hath made me a Pen:
To write his Mind, to some of’s chosen Men!
Oh, use me, in thy Hand; thy Spirit give:
To write to thine, in Death, that they may live!
Pluck out the Hairs of Sin, and set me free;
To write for Thee, with glorious Liberty!
Lord, mend me still, and shape me by thine Art:
And for thy Service, ever keep me sharp!
And when on Earth, to write, I’m quite unfit:
Then fit me, Lord, for Heaven’s Nobler Writ!
Make me, an iron Pen, to write thy Praise;
In highest Strains, unto Eternal Days!
FINIS.
Text: [Dutton, Anne]. Letters on Spiritual Subjects, and Divers Occasions; sent to Relations and Friends. By one who has tasted that the Lord is gracious. Vol. X. To which is added Thoughts on Pens. London: Printed by J. Hart, in Popping’s-Court, Fleet-Street; And sold by G. Keith, at the Bible and Crown, in Grace-church-street; and J. Fuller, in Blow-bladder-street, near Cheapside. M.DCC.LXII [1762], pp. 134-39.