# William Spurstowe



## VirginiaHuguenot (Mar 11, 2007)

William Spurstowe, English Puritan (c. 1605 - 1666) was known as a "grand Presbyterian." He was a member of the Westminster Assembly and the Provincial Assembly of London, and was one of the five authors of _Smectymnuus_. He later served as a chaplain to King Charles II. He is the author of _The Wiles of Satan_, among other works. He was buried on February 8, 1666.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jun 22, 2007)

_The Wells of Salvation Opened_


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jul 17, 2007)

Excerpts from William Spurstowe, _The spiritual chymist, or, Six decades of divine meditations on several subjects_:

A Meditation Upon a Picture and a Statue:



> In what a differing manner is the image and representation of the same person brought into these two pieces of art? In the one it is effected by the soft and silent touches of the pencil, which happily convey likeness and beauty together. In the other it is formed by the rough and loud strokes of the hammer and by the deep cuttings and sculptures of instruments of steel.
> 
> In as strange and far differing way is the heavenly image of God formed in the souls of new converts when first made partakers of the divine nature. In some, God paints (as I may so speak) his own likeness by a still and calm delineation of it upon the table of their hearts. In others he carves it by afflicting them with a great measure of terrors, and wounding their souls with a thorough sense both of the guilt and defilement of sin.
> 
> ...



A Meditation Upon a Piece of Battered Plate:



> A Battered Plate is methinks an emblem of a suffering Saint, who by afflicting strokes may lose somewhat of his accidental beauty; but nothing of his real worth.
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> In the plate the fashion is only marred; but the substance is neither diminished or embased. If you bring it to the scale, it weighs as much as it did; if you try by the touchstone, it is as good silver as it was.
> 
> ...



A Meditation Upon a Lamp and a Star:



> Such is the disparity between a Lamp and a Star, as that happily it may not a little be wondered at, as to why I should make a joint meditation of them which are so greatly distant in respect of place, and far more in respect of quality, the one being an earthly, and the other a heavenly body.
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> What is a Lamp to a Star in regard of influence, duration, or beauty? Hath it any quickening rays flowing from it? Or is its light im-mortal, so as not to become despised by expiring? Can it dazzle the be-holder with its serene luster, and leave such impressions of itself upon theeye, as may render it for a time blind to any other objects?
> 
> ...


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