Ancient Writing

It gratifies the curious, to see curious things and so we for once take a moment's time to lay before our readers a specimen of ancient writing about two hundred years old. Having no arbitrary characters to correspond with the manuscript, we have to imitate with letters as near as we can. Soon after printing commenced in English y with a small t over it meant "that" w and c after it meant "which," and so of many other words. Him, with a colon after it meant "Himself" teach: teaching, &c.

There are 74 octavo pages in the manuscript finely written. It was a sermon of the Reverend Thomas Kimberly, and bears date, "March 2, 1636, at Honely in Ware," Conn.

A treatise of the teaching of the Spirit.

An Assay to remove a bar that stops zealous men from embring [embracing?] the everlasting covenant with full assurance of their interest & perseuerance [perseverance?] in grace to the possession of glory: & occasions differed am. brethren, we I conceive to be That they see not their need of God who is the fountain of life, & in whose light we see light. Psal: 36.9.

1. Some zealous ones see not the need they stand in of the freenes of the fathers loueas that wtout wc they cannot be saved. Eph: 2. 4, 7. & whereas we stand in such need of grace, that if he does not freely extend his fauour to us wont xrsp: of any worth in us either for or repent: se morall obed: we cannot be justified in his sight. Rom 3.20. Psal: 139.12.

If a man rend his heart, poure out tears, se abstinence, make neuer so many prayers, ty up hims: to hearing, redding, mediation, be at co,t for minist: & ordin: & giueth much to ye poore, if a man attaine to sorrow mouings .f desires, affect, of love & peace, courage of resolutions, plenty of gifts &c. yet all this is of no worth to make a man right: before God,

So that unless he doe reely for his owne name sake set his loue on man, he is jhil dee death & condemnation: but this they see not & go they doe justife them: in their owne right & submit not to conut all losse. & by donne as lost ones, and wait for life in god's right: freely by grace extended to them. Rom: 10. 2, 3.