Careles through Christ the Beloved Say therefore with David Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name for he hath forgiven thee all thy sins as truely he hath And hereof I desire to be a Witness God make me worthy to hear from you the like true Message for my self Mine own dearly Beloved you have great cause to thank God most heartily that hath given you such Repentance and Faith The Lord increase the same in you and me a most miserable wretch whose heart is harder then the Adamant stone or else I could not thus long have stayed from writing unto you If I live and may I purpose and promise you to make amends Pray for me my most dear Brother I heartily beseech you and forgive me my long silence God our Father be with us for ever Amen Yours in the Lord John Bradford John Careles his Letter to Mr. Bradford THe Peace of God in Jesus Christ A sweet Letter of John Careles to Mr. Bradford a little before his Martyrdome the Eternal Comfort of his sweet Spirit which hath surely sealed you unto Eternal Salvation be with you and strengthen you in your joyful journey towards the Celestial Jerusalem my dear Friend and most faithful Brother Mr. Bradford to the setting forth of Gods glory and to your eternal joy in Christ Amen Ever since that good Mr. Philpot shewed me your last Letter my dear heart in the Lord I have continued in great heaviness and perplexity He mourneth for the loss and lâ—ck of Mr. Bradforâ— in the Church not for any hurt or discommodity that I can perceive coming towards you unto whom doubtless Death is made life and great felicity but for the great loss that Gods Church here in England shall sustain by the taking away of so godly worthy and necessary an instrument as the Lord hath made you to be Oh that my life and a thousand such wretched lives moe might go for yours Oh why doth God suffer me and such other Catterpillers to live that can do nothing but consume the Alms of the Church and take away you so worthy a Workman and Labourer in the Lords Vineyard But woe be to our sins and great unthanfulness which is the greatest cause of the taking away of such worthy instruments of God as should set forth his Glory and instruct his People If we had been thankful unto God for the good Ministers of his Word we had not been so soon deprived both of it and them The Lord forgive our great ingratitude and sins and give us true Repentance and Faith and hold his hand of Mercy over us for his dear Son Christs sake Take not away all thy tâ—ue Preachers forth of this Realm O Lord but leave us a Seed lest Englâ—nd be made like unto Sodom and Gomorrah when thy true Loâ—â— be gone But what go I about to mingle your mirth with my mourning and your just joy with my deserved sorrow If I loved you indeed as I have pretended I should surely rejoyce with you most heartily and praise God on your bâ—half from the very bottom of my heart He rejoyceth for the honour of Mr. Bradfords Martyrdome I should praise God day and night for your excellent Election in and through his great Mercy and should give him most humble thanks for your Vocation by his Gospel and your true Knowledge in the same I should earnestly praise him for your sweet justification whereof you are most certain by Gods Gâ—ace and Spirit and should instantly pray unto him for your Glorification which shall shortly ensue I should rejoyce and be glad to see you dignified by the Crown of Martyrdome and to be appointed to that honour to testifie his Truth and to Seal it with your Blood I should highly extoll the Lord who hath given you a glorious vâ—ctory over all your enemies visible and inv si le and hath given you Grace and Strength to finish the Tower that you have begun to build Finally if I loved you I should most heartily rejoice and be glad to see you delivered from this body of sin and vile person of the Flesh and brought into that heavenly Tabernacle where you shall be safely kept and never offend him more This and much more should I do if I had a good heart towards God or you his dear childe But alas I am an hypocrite and do seek nothing but mine own commodity I would have Gods everlasting Providence give place to my peevish will and purpose although it were to the hindrance of his glory and your sweet commodity God forgive me my horrible ingratitude sins and offences against him and good Brother do you forgive me my great negligence and unthankfulness towards you and henceforth I promise you I will put my will to Gods will and pray that the same may be fulfilled in you so long as you be on this earth and when you are taken hence I will most heartily praise the Lord for you so long as I have my being in this world Ah my dear heart now I must take my leave of you and as I think John Careles taketh his leave of M. Bradford my Vltimum Vale in this life but in the life to come I am right well assured we shall merrily meet together and that shortly I trust And in taking of my leave of you my dear heart in the Lord I shall desire you faithfully to remember all the sweet messages that the Lord our good God and most dear loving Father hath sent you by me his most unworthy Servant which as they are most true so shall they be most truly accomplished upon you eternally and for the more assurance and certificate thereof to your godly Conscience he hath commanded me to repeat the same unto you again in his own Name and Word Therefore now give ear and faithful credence Hearken Testimony of Gods Spirit O ye Heavens and thou earth give ear and bear me witness at the great Day that I do here faithfully and truely the Lords mâ—ssâ—ge unto his dear Servant John Careles doth Gods message to M. Bradford his singularly beloved and elâ—ct Childe â—â—â—n Bradford John Bradford thou man so specially beloved of God I pronounce and testifie unto thee in the Word and Name of the Lord Jehovah that all thy sins whatsoever they be be they never so many so grievous or so great be fully and freely pâ—â—doned released and forgiven thee by the mercy of God in Jesus Christ thine onely Lord and sweet Saviour in whom thou dost undoubtedly believe Power and practise of the keyes of the Gospel Christ hath cleansed thee with his Blood and clothed thee with his Righteousness and hath made â—hee in the sight of God his Father without spot or wrinckle so that when the fiâ—e doth his appointed office thou shalt be received as a sweet burnt Sacrifice into Heaven where thou shalt joyfully remain in Gods presence for
Blood-thirsty Bite-sheeps Bishops I should say that you have begun For though in conclusion they will surely have your blood yet shall they come by it with shame enough and to their perpetual infamy whiles the world doth endure They would indeed condemn you in hugger-mugger to darken Gods glory if it might be but Satans thoughts are not unknown to you and the depth of his subtilty is by you well foreseen Therefore let them do whatsoever God shall suffer them to do for I know all things shall tuâ—n to your best Though you lie in the dark slurried with the Bishops black Cole-dust yet shall you be shortly restored unto the heavenly Light and made as white as snow in Salmon and as the wings of a Dove Psal 68. thaâ— is covered with silver wings and her feathers like gold You know the Vessel before it be made bright is soiled with Oyle and other things that it may scoure the better Oh happy be you that you be now in the Scouring-house for shortly you shall be set upâ—n the Celâ—stâ—al shelf as bright as Angels Therefore my dear hearâ— I will now according to your loving request cast away all care and rejoyce with you and praise God for you and pray for you day and night yea I will now with Gods grace siâ—g Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving with you for now my Soul is turned to her old rest again and hath taken a sweet nap in Christs lap I have cast my care upon the Lord which careth for me and will be careles according to my Name in that respect which you would have me I will leave out my unseemly addition as long as I live for it can take no place where true faith and hope is resident Gods gracious work through M Philpots Letter So soon as I had read your most godly and comfortable Letter my sorrows vanished away as smoke in the wind my Spirit revived and comfort came again whereby I am sure the Spirit of God was Author of it Oh good Mr. Philpot which art a principal Pot indeed filled with most precious Liquor as it appeareth by the plenteous pouring forth of the same Oh Pot most happy of the high Potter ordained to honour which dost contain such heavenly treasure in the Earthen vessel Oh Pot thrice happy in whom Christ hath wrought a great Miracle altering thy nature and turning water into wine and that of the best whereout the Master of the Feast hath filled my cup so full John Careles drunken with joy of the spirit that I am become drunken in the joy of the Spirit thorow the same When Martyrdome shall break thee O vessel of honour I know the fragrant savour of thy precious Nard will much rejoyce the heavy hearts of Christs true Members although the Judasses will grudge and murmure at the same yea and burst out into words of slander saying It is but lost and waste Be not offended dear heart at my Metaphorical speech for I am disposed to be merry 2 Kin. 6. and with David to dance before the Ark of the Lord and though you play upon a pair of Organs not very comely or easie to the flesh yet the sweet sound that came from the same causeth me thus to do O that I were with you in body as presently as I am in spirit that I might sing all care away in Christ for now the time of comfort is come I hope to be with you shortly if all things happen aright Careles accused to the Council by certain backe friends in Coventry for my old friends of Coventry have put the Council in remembrance of me not six dayes ago saying That I am more worthy to be burned then any that was burned yet Gods blessing on their hearts for their good report God make me worthy of that dignity and hasten the time that I may set forth his Glory Pray for me dear heart I beseech you and will all your company to do the same and I will pray God for you all so long as I live And now farewell in Christ thou bl ssed of Gods own mouth Note how comfortable the Lord worketh in his prisoned Saints I will for a time take my leave but not my last farewel Blessed be the time that ever I came into the Kings Bench to be joyned in love and fellowship with such dear Châ—ldren of the Lord. My good Brother Bradford shall not be dead whiles you be alive for verily the spirit of him doth rest on you in most ample wise Your Letters of comfort unto me in each point do agree as though the one were a copy of the other He hath planted in me and you do water the Lord give good increase My dear Brethren and fellow-prisoners here have them humbly and heartily commended unto you and your company mourning for your misery but yet rejoycing for your plenteous Consolation and comfort in Christ We are all chearful and merry under our Cross and do lack no necessaries Praised be God for his Providence and great mercy towards us for evermore Amen Mr. Bradfords Letter to Careles ALmighty God our dear Father through and for the Merits of his dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ be mercifull unto us pardon us our offences and under the wâ—ngs of his Mercy protect us from all evil from henceforth and for ever Amen Dear Brother Careles I heartily pray you to pray to God for me for the pardon of my manifold sins and most grievous offences which need none other demonstration unto you then this namely That I have behaved my self so negligently in answering your godly triple Letters which are three Witnesses against me God lay not them nor none other thing to my charge to Condemnation though to Correction Not my will Practice of the Keyes of the Gospel but his will be done Concerning your request of Absolution my dearest Brother what shall I say but even as truth is That the Lord of all Mercy and Father of all Comfort through the Merits and Mediation of his dear Son thy onely Lord and Saviour hath clearly remitted and pardoned all thy offences whatsoever they be that ever hitherto thou hast committed against his Majesty and therefore he hath given to thee as to his Childe dear Brother John Careles in token that thy sins are pardoned He I say hath given unto thee a penitent and believing heart that is a heart which desireth to repent and believe For such an one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deed for a penitent and believing heart indeed Wherefore my good Brother be merry glad and of good chear for the Lord hath taken away thy sins thou shalt not dye Go thy wayes the Lord hath put away thy sins The East is not so farre from the West as the Lord now hath put thy sins from thee Look how the Heavens be in comparison of â—he Earth so farre hath his Mercy prevailed toward thee his dear Childe John
sight is the Sin of Ingratitude The sin of ingratitude But to such as be thankful for his benefits he doth not onely to the old ever adde new but also maketh the commodity of his former gifts ever more and more to increase untill by them they are fully perswaded and throughly certified of his everlasting love in Christ Jesus which is eternal life it self so much doth he of his great mercy delight in a thankful heart Therefore I do yet once again earnestly require you that above all things you be thankful to God for his benefits God loveth a thankful hoart not onely for your Election Creation Redemption and Preservation but also for his other temporal gifts wherewith he hath endued you amongst the which the chief and most excellent is as testifieth the holy Ghost your good godly and faithful loving Husband For as the Wiseman saith Goods and possessions may come to a man by the death of his friends but a good Wife is the gift of God A good wiâ—â—tâ—e gift of Goâ— which the Lord will give for a good portion to such as fear him And the like is of a good Husband as the Lord hath now given you praised be his Name therefore He hath not given you an ignorant froward churlish brawling wastful rioting drunken Husband wherewith he hath plagued many other as he might also have done you but he hath given you a most godly leaâ—ned gentle loving quiet patient thrifty diligent and sober Husband by whom he will nourish cherish keep and defend you instruct and teach you yea care and provide for you and your Children the which he will also by him give you such things as be necessary for you He hath not dealt so with every body and yet he hath done this and much more for you my dear Sister and will thereto increase joy and love between you God delighteth in the agreement between Man Wife for as he delighteth in the love godly agreement of man wife together so is it he only that maketh them and all the whole houshold to be of one mind Unto the which his gracious work he requireth your diligence and will use you as his instrument and mean the more effectuously to accomplâ—sh the same And therefore I now require you to observe this my simple counsel the which I have here written as a testimonial of my good will towards you because I think in this life I shall never more see you Now as I have shewed you how you should be thankful unto God for his good gifts so I exhort you and as much as in me lieth charge you to be evermore thankful unto your dear loving husband who hath given himself unto you which is a more precious jewel in the Church of God then perchance you are yet aware of The duty of Wives toward their Husbands Think your self unworthy to be matched with such an Instrument of God and also reverence evermore the gifts of God in him and seek with true obedience and love to serve him in recompence of his true and painful heart towards you Be loth in any wise to offend him yea rather be careful and diligent to please him that his Soul may bless you If at any time you shall chance to anger him or to do or speak any thing that shall grieve him see that you never rest until you have pacified him and made him merry again If at any time he shall chance to blame you without a cause or for that you cannnot do therewith which thing happeneth sometimes of the best men living see that you bear it patiently and give him no uncomely or unkinde word for it but ever more look upon him with a loving and chearful countenance and rather take the fault upon you then seem to be displeased A chearful countenance Be alwayes merry and chearful in his company but not with too much lightness Beware in any wise of swelling powting or lowring for that is a token of a cruel and unloving heart except it be in respect of sin or in the time of sickness Be not sorrowful for any adversity that God sendeth but beware that nothing be spilt or go to waste through your negligence In any wise see rhat you be quick and cleanly about his meat and drink and prepare him the same according to his diet in due season Temperance in apparrel Go cleanly and well favouredly in your Apparel but beware of of Pride in any wise Finally in word and deed shew your self wise humble merry and loving towards him and also towards such as he doth love and then shall you lead a blessed life I could speak of many other things the which I have learned and proved true by experience but I know that you will do in all things much better then I can teach you because you have that anointing that teacheth you all things who hath also given you an heart to obey and serve him Yet I trust you will not be offended for this which I have written but rather accept my good will towards you whom I love in the Lord as well as I do my daughter Judith Thus as mine own Soul I commend you both to God desiring him to bless you with all manner of Spiritual blessings in heavenly things and also with the dew of Heaven and fatness of the Earth that in all things you may be made rich in Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour The Lord increase and bless the fruit of your bodyes that your Children may stand round about your Table thick fresh and lusty like the Olive branches God give you both a long life that you may see and bless your Childrens Children unto the third and fourth Generation and teach them the true fear and love of God and that Faith for the which they shall be accepted in his sight God let you see the prosperity of Sion for whose lying in the dust let your hearts mourn The Lord make perfect your love together in him and alwayes increase the same Note that both these departed in quiet peace the one 1565. the other 1568. and bring you both in peace to your graves at a good age And now I bid you both most heartily farewel and I think I shall now take my leave of you for ever in this life I beseech you both to aid me with your continual Prayers as I will not forget you in mine that I may have a joyful victory through Jesus Christ To whose most mercifull defence I do most heartily for ever commend you to be kept unblameable untill his coming The which I beseech him to hasten for his Mercies sake Your own unfeignedly John Careles Prisoner of the Lord. Here endeth the Letters of John Careles A Letter of Mr. John Bradfords which he wrote to a faithfull Woman in her heaviness and trouble most comfortable for all those to reade that are afflicted and broken-hearted for their sins GOd
fulfilled So I say to you my dear hearts in the Lord happy are ye all yea thrice happy shall ye be for evermore because ye have stedfastly believed the most sweet Promises which God the Father hath made unto you with his own mouth in that he hath promised you which are the faithful seed of the believing Abraham that ye shall be blessed ever world without end The Promises of God your sweet Father as ye do believe so do ye bear record that God is true The testimony whereof ye have worthily born to the world and shortly will full surely Seal the same with your Blood yea even to morrow I do understand He encourageth Gods Martyrs unto their death Oh constant Christians Oh valiant Souldiers of the high Captain Jesus Christ who for your sake hath conquered the Devil Death Sin and Hell and hath given you full victory over them for evermore Oh worthy Witnesses and most glorious Martyrs whose invincible Faith hath overcome that proud sturdy bragging Prince of the World and all his wicked Army over whom ye shall shortly triumph for evermore Ah my sweet hearts the everlasting treasures are full surely laid up for you in Heaven The immercessible and most glorious Crown of Victory is already made and prepared for you to be shortly clapt upon all your happy heads The holy Angels of your heavenly Father are already appointed to conduct your sweet Souls into Abrahams bosome All the heavenly Host rejoyceth already for that they shall shortly receive you with joy and felicity into their blessed Fellowship Selah Rejoyce with double joy and be glad my dear Brethren for doubtless ye have more cause then can be expressed But alas I that for my sins am left behinde may lye and lament with the holy Prophet Psal 119. saying Woe is me that the dayes of my joyfull rest are prolonged Ah cursed Satan which hath caused me so sore to offend my most dear loving Father whereby my exile and banishment is so much prolonged Oh Christ my Advocate pacifie thy Fathers wrath which I have justly deserved that he may take me home to him in his sweet mercy Oh that I might now come home unto thee with my blessed Brethren Well thy will O Lord be effectually fulfilled for it is onely good and turneth all things to the best for such as thou in thy mercies hast chosen And now farewell my dear Hearts most happy in the Lord I trust in my good God yet shortly to see you in the Celestial City whereof undoubtedly the Lord hath already made you free Citizens Though ye be yet with us for a little time your very home is in Heaven where your treasure doth remain with your sweet Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ whose calling you have heard with the ears of your hearts and therefore you shall never come into judgement but pass from death to life Your sins shall never be remembred be they never so many so grievous or so great for your Saviour hath cast them all into the bottom of the Sea he hath removed them from you as far as the East is from the West Psal 103. and his mercy hath much more prevailed over you then is distance between Heaven and Earth and hath given you for an everlasting possession of the same all his Holyness Righteousness and Justification Triumph of Martyrs yea and the Holy Ghost into your hearts wherewith ye are surely sealed unto the day of Redemption to certifie you of your eternal Election and that ye are his true Adopted Sons whereby ye may boldly cry unto God Abba dear Father for evermore so that now no creature in Heaven Earth nor Hell shall be able to accuse you before the throne of the Heavenly King Satan is now cast out from you he himself is judged and hath no part in you he will once more bite you by the heel and then he hath done Gen. 3. for at that time you shall squeeze his head through your own good Christ and so have you final victory for evermore In joyful triumph whereof ye shall sweetly ascend into the place of eternal rest whether your eldest Brother Christ is gone before you to take possâ—ssion for you and to prepare your place under the holy Altar with Cranmer Latimer Ridley Rogers Hooper Saunders Farrar Taylor Bradford Philpot with many other who will be full glad of your coming to see six more of their appointed number that their blood may so much the sooner be revenged on them that dwell on the Earth Thus I make an end committing you all to Gods most merciful defence whose quarrel ye have defended whose cause ye have promoted whose glory ye have set forth and whose name ye have constantly confessed Farewel for a while my dear hearts in the Lord I will make as much hast after you as I may All our dear Brethren salute you They Pray for you and praise God for you continually Blessed be the dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their Labours saith the Holy Ghost Apoc. 11. and their works follow them Your own John Careles a most unprofitable Servant of the Lord. Pray pray pray To Mr. Green Mr. Whittel and certain other Prisoners in Newgate Condemned and ready to be burnt for the Testimony of the Lord Jesus Another Letter of John Careles wherein he doth animate Green Whittel and the rest of that company unto their Martyrdome THe everlasting peace in Jesus Christ the continual comfort of his most pure and holy Spirit be with you my most dear and faithful Brethren and Sisters of Newgate the Lords appointed Sheep unto the slaughter to the good performance of the great and notable work of the Lord which he hath so graciously begun in you all that the same may redound to the setting forth of his Glory and to the commodity of his Church and to your own everlasting comfort in him So be it Ah my dear hearts and most faithful Brethren and sisters in the Lord what high lauds and praise yea what humble and continual thanks am I bound to give to God our Father for you and on your most happy behalf who so mightily hath magnified himself in you thus far forth in giving you his holy and mighty Spirit to the constant confessing of Christs verity even to the cruel Condemnation and I doubt not but he will do the same to the death Oh happy and blessed are you that ever you were born that the Lord will vouch you worthy of this great dignity to dye for his sake Doubtless it is the greatest honour that God can give you in this life Yea Apoc. 11. if they be so blessed of God that dye in the Lord as the Holy Ghost saith they be To dye in the Lord and for the Lord. how much more blessed and happy then are you that dye not onely in the Lord but also for the Lord Oh that it were the good will of
with all earnest and faithfull remembrance of you in my daily Prayers thanking God right heartily that you do likewise remember me in yours assuring you that my poor heart doth daily feel great Consolation thereby God onely have the praise for the same and all other his Benefits Ah my dear heart in the Lord well is me that ever I was born that God of his great mercy and infinite goodness hath used me most miserable wretch at any time as his instrument to minister any thing unto you either by word or writing that might be an occasion of your joy and comfort in the Lord and a provoking of you to praise and thanksgiv ng unto God for the same as your most loving and godly Letter seemeth to import Oh happy am I that the Lord hath appointed me unto so good a ground to sow his seed upon but much more happy are you whose heart the Lord hath prepared and made so meet to receive the same so effectuously gâ—ving thereto the sweet showers and heavenly dews of his grace and holy Spirit that it may bring forth fruit in due season accordingly the increase whereof we shall shortly reap together with perfect joy and gladness and that continually Therefore my dear Brother I say unto you as good Elizabeth did to her Cousin Mary Happy are you Luke 1. and happy shall you be for evermore because you have believed The most sweet and faithful Promises of your Redeemer Jesus Christ you have surely laid up in the treasury of your heart his comfortable Callings you have faithfully heard his loving Admonitions you have humbly obeyed and therefore you shall never come into judgement Remission of sins your sins shâ—ll never be remembred for your Saviour hath cast them all into he bottom of the Sea Micah 7. he hath removed them from you as far as the East is from the West Psal 103. and hath given you for an everlasting possâ—ssion his Justification and Holiness So that now no Creature neither in heaven nor in earth shall be able to accuse you before the Throne of the heavenly King Satan is now judged he is now cast out from you he hath no part in you you are wholly given unto Christ which will not lose you your stedfast Faith in him hath overcome that sturdy and bragging Prince of the World Christ hath given you the final victory over him and all his Army that they shall never hurt you What would you have more Oh my dear heart how great treasures are laid up in store for you and how glorious a Crown is already made and prepared for you And albeit the holy Ghost doth bear witness of all these things in your heart Testimony of Gods Spirit and maketh you more sure and certain thereof then if you had all the outward Oracles in the world yet I being certainly perswaded and fully assured by the testimony of Gods Spirit in my Conscience of your eternal and sure Salvation in our sweet Saviour Jesus Christ have thought it good yea and my bounden duty not onely at this time to write unto you and to shew my joyful heart in that behalf but also by the Word and Commandment of Christ to pronounce and affirm in the Name and Word of the heavenly King Jehovah and in the behalf of his sweet Son Iesus Christ our Lord to whom all knees shâ—ll bow whom all creatures shall worship and also by the impulsion of the holy Ghost by whose power and strength all the faithful be regenerate I do I say p onounce to thee my dear B o her T. V. that thou art already a Cit zen of Heaven The Lord thy God in whom thou dost put all thy trust for his dear Sons sake in whom thou dost also undoubtedly believe â—a h freely forgiven thee all thy sins clearly released all thine in quâ—ties and fully pardoned all thine offences be they never so many so grievous or so great and will never remember them any more to Condemnation As truly as he liveth he will not have thee dye the death but hath verily determined purposed and eternally decreed that thou shalt live with him for ever Thy Sore shall be healed and thy Wounds bound up even of himself for his own Names sake He doth not nor will not look upon thy sins in thee but he respecteth and beholdeth thee in Christ in whom thou art lively graffed by Faith in his blood and in whom thou art most assuredly elected and chosen to be a sweet vessel of his Mercy and Salvation and wast thereto predestinate in him before the foundation of the world was laid In testimony and earnest whereof he hath given thee his good and holy Spirit which worketh in thee Faith Love and unfeigned Repentance with other godly Vertues contrary to the Corruption of thy Nature Also he hath commanded me this day although a most unworthy wretch to be a witness hereof by the Ministry of his holy Word Experience of Christ working in his Church grounded upon the truth of his most faithful Promises the which thou believing shalt live for ever Believest thou this my dear heart I know well thou dost believe The Lord increase thy Faith and give thee a lively feeling of all his mercies whereof thou art warranted and assured by the testimony of the holy Ghost who confirm in thy Conscience to the utter overthrowing of Satan and those his most hurtful dubitations whereby he is accustomed to molest and vex the true Children of God all that I have said and by Gods grace I will as a witness thereof confirm and seal the same with my blood for a most certain truth Wherefore my good Brother praise the Lord with a joyful heart and give him thanks for this his exceeding great mercy casting away all dubitation and wavering yea all sorrow of heart and pensiveness of mind for this the Lord your God and most dear and loving Father commandeth you to do by me nay rather by his own Mouth and Word pronounced by me But now my dear Brother after that I have done my message or rather the Lords message indeed I could finde in my heart to write two or three sheets of paper declaring the joy I bear in my heart for you mine own bowels in the Lord yet the time being so short as you do well know I am here constrained to make an end desiring you to pardon my slackness and to forgive my great negligence towards you promising you still that so long as my poor life doth last my prayer shall supply that my pen doth want as knoweth the Almighty God to whose most merciful defence I do heartily commit you and all other his dear children as well as though I had rehearsed them by Name desiring them most heartily to remember me in their hearty and daily Prayers as I know right well they do for I feel the daily comfort and commodity thereof and therefore I neither will nor can
our good Father for his mercies sake in Christ with his Eternal Consolation so comfort you as I desire to be comforted of him in my most need yea he will comfort you my dear Sister onely cast your care upon him and he never can nor will forsake you For his calling and gifts be such that he can never repent him of them Rom. 11. Whom he loveth he loveth to the end none of his chosen can perish Of which number I know you are my dearly beloved Sister God increase the faith thereof daily more and more in you he give unto you to hang wholly on him and on his Providence and Protection Gods Providence and Protection For who so dwelleth under that Secret thing and help of the Lord he shall be cock-sure for evermore He that dwelleth Psal 31.90 I say for if we be flitters and not dwellers as was Loâ— a flitter from Segor Gen. 19. where God promised him protection if he had dwelled there still we shall remove to our loss as he did into the Mountains Dwell therefore that is trust and that finally unto the end in the Lord my dear Sister and you shall be as Mount Sion As Mountains compass Jerusalem so doth the Lord all his people How then can he forget you which are as the apple of his eye for his dear Sons sake Ah dear heart that I were now but one half hour with you to be a Simon to help to carry your Cross with you God send you some good Simon to be with you and help you You complain in your Letters of the blindness of your minde and the troubles you feel My dearly beloved God make you thankful for that which he hath given unto you he open your eyes to see what and how great benefits you have received that you may be less covetous or rather impatient for so I fear me it should be called and more thankful Have not you received at his hands sight to see your blindeness and thereto a desirous and seeking heart to see where he lyeth in the mid-day as his dear Spouse speaketh of her self in the Canticles Oh Joyce my good Joyce what a gift is this Many have some sight but none this sobbing and sighing none this seeking which you have I know but such as he hath married unto him in his mercies You are nor content to kiss his feet with the Magdalen but you would be kâ—ssed even with the kisses of his mouth Canâ— 1. You would see his face with Moses forgetting how he biddeth us seek his face Psal 27. yea and that for ever Psal 10â— which signifieth no such si ht as you desire to be in this present life which would see God now face to face God cannot be se n but covered under something How faith seeth God where flesh seeth Hell whereas he cannot be seen but covered under something yea sometime in that which is as you would say clean contrary to God as to see his Mercy in his Anger In bringing us to Hell Faith seeth him bring us to Heaven in darkness it beholdeth brightness in hiding his face from us it beholdeth his merry countenance How did Job see God but as you would say under Satans cloke for who cast the fire from Heaven upon his goods who overthrew his house and stirred up men to take away his Cattel but Satan And yet Job pierced through all these and saw Gods work saying The Lord hath give he Lord hath taken away c. In reading of the Psalms how often do you see that David in the shadow of death saw Gods sweet love And so my dearly beloved I see that you in your darkness and dimness by Faith to see clarity and brightness by Faith I say because Faith is of things absent of things hoped for of things which I appeal to your Conscience whether you desire not And can you desire any thing which you know not And is there of heavenly things any other true knowledge then by Faith Therefore my dear heart be thankful for before God I write it you have great cause Ah my Joyce how happy is the state wherein you are The state of Gods Children described Verily you are even in the blessed state of Gods Children for they mourn and do not you so and that not for worldly weal but for spiritual riches Faith Hope Charity c. Do you not hunger and thirst for righteousness And I pray you saith not Christ Matth. 5. who cannot lye that happy are such How should God wipe away the tears from your eyes in Heaven if now on earth you shed no tears How could Heaven be a place of rest if on Earth you did finde it How could you desire to be at home if in your journey you found no grief How could you so often call upon God and talk with him as I know you do if your enemy should sleep all day long How should you elswhere be made like unto Christ I mean in joy if in sorrow you sobbed not with him If you will have joy and felicity you must first needs feel sorrow and misery The way to heaven is to go through hell If you will go to Heaven you must sayle by Hell If you will embrace Christ in his robes you must not think scorn of him in his rags If you will sit at Christs Table in his Kingdome you must first abide with him in his Temptations If you will drink of his cup of glory forsake not his cup of Ignominy Can the head Corner-stone be rejected and the other more base stone in Gods building be in this World set by you are one of his lively stones be content therefore to be hewn and snagged at that you might be made the more meet to be joyned to your fellows which suffer with you Satans snatches the Worlds wounds contempt of Conscience Frets of the flesh and frets of the flesh where-through they are enforced to cry Oh wretches that we are who shall deliver us Rom. 6. You are of Gods Corn fear not therefore the Flayle the Fan Milstone nor Oven You are one of Christs Lambs look therefore to be fleeced hayled at and even slain If you were a Market sheep you should go in more fat and grassy Pasture Gods sheep must feed on the bare Common where the devils ctatel are st â—â—â—d If you were for the Fair you should be stalfed and want no weal but because you are for Gods own occupying therefore you must pasture on the bare Common abiding the storms and tempests that will fall Happy and twice happy are you my dear Sister that God now haileth you whither you would not John 21. that you might come whither you would Suffer a little and be still Let Satan rage against you let the World cry out let your Conscience accuse you let the Law load you and press you down yet shall they not prevail for Christ is Emanuel
that is God with us Iâ— God be with us who can be against us Rom. 8. The Lord is with you your Father cannot forget you your Spouse loveth you If the waves and surges arise cry with Peter Lord I perish Matth. 8. and he will put out his hand and help you Cast out your Anchor of Hope and it will not cease for all the stormy surges till it take hold on the Rock of Gods Truth and Mercy Think not that he which hath given you so many things corporally as inductions of spiritual and heavenly Mercies Philip. 1. Desire of spiritual comfort though it be lacking is a great gift of God and that without your deserts or desire can deny you any spiritual comfort desiring it For if he give to desire he will give you to have and enjoy the thing desired To desire to have and the going about to ask ought to certifie your Conscience that they be his earnest of the thing which you asking he will give you yea before you ask and whilest you are about to ask he will grant the same as Esay saith to his glory and your eternal consolation He that spared not his own Son for you will not nor cannot think any thing too good for you my heartily beloved If he had not chosen you as most certainly he hath he would not have so called you he would never have justified you Rom. 8. he would never have so glorified you with his gracious gifts which I know praised be his Name therefore he would never have so exercised your Faith with temptations as he hath done and doth if I say he had not chosen you Exercise of tentations a great token of election I have chosen you as doubtless dear heart he hath done in Christ for in you I have seen his earnest and before me and to me you could not deny it I know both where and when if I say he hath chosen you then neither can you nor ever shall you perish For if you fall he putteth under his hand you shall not lie still so careful is Christ your keeper over you Never was Mother so mindful over her childe as he is over you And hath not he alwayes been so Speak woman when did he finally forget you And will he now trow you in your most need do otherwise you calling upon him and desiring to please him Ah my Joyce think you God to be mutable Rom. 11. Is he a changeling Doth not he love to the end them whom he loveth Are not his gifts and calling such that he cannot repent him of them for else were he no God If you should perish then wanted he power for I am certain his will towards you is not to be doubted of Hath not the Spirit which is the Spirit of truth Every lying spirit not to be hearkned unto Satan seeketh to bring tender consciences to doubting but Gods promise in Christ standeth sure for ever told you so And will you now hearken with Eve to the lying spirit which would have you not to despair no he goeth more craftily to work howbeit to that end if you should give ear unto it which God forbid but to doubt and stand in a mammering and so should you never truly love God but serve him of a servile fear lest he should cast you off for your unworthiness and unthankfulness as though your thankfulness or worthiness were any causes with God why he hath chosen you or will finally keep you Ah mine own dear heart Christ onely Christ onely and his mercy and truth All our election is in and for Christ only In him is the cause of your election This Christ this Mercy this Truth of God remaineth for ever is certain for ever and so is your Election certain for ever for ever for ever I say for ever If an Angel of heaven should tell you contrary accursed be he accursed be he Your thankfulness and worthiness are fruits and effects of your election they are no causes These fruits and effects shall be so much more fruitful and effectual by how much you waver not Therefore my dearly beloved arise and remember from whence you are fallen Psâ—l 120. You have a Shepherd which neither slumbereth nor sleepeth No man nor devil can pull you out of his hands Night and day he commandeth his Angels to keep you Have you forgotten what I read to you out of the Psalm The Lord is my Shepherd Psal 25. I can want nothing Do you not know that God sparred Noah in the Ark on the outside so that he could not get out So hath he done to you my good Sister so hath he done to you Ten thousand shall fall on your right hand Psal 90. and twenty thousand on your left hand yet no evil shall touch you Say boldly therefore Psal 125. Many a time from my youth up they have fought against me but they have not prevailed no nor never shall prevail for the Lord is round about his people And who are the people of God but such as hope in him Happy are they that hope in the Lord and you are one of those my dear heart for I am assured you have hoped in the Lord I have your words to shew most manifestly and I know they were written unfeignedly I need not to say that even before God you have simply confessed to me and that oftentimes no less And once if you had this hope Though feeling fail yet let hope hold fast as you doubtless had it though now you feel it not yet shall you feel it again for the anger of the Lord lasteth but a moment but his mercy lasteth for ever Tell me my dear heart who hath so weakned you Surely not a perswasion which came from him that called you For why should you waver Why should you waver The eye of faith must look upon nothing else but onely Christ crucified and be so heavy hearted Whom look you on On your self on your worthiness on your thankfulness on that which God requireth of you as faith hope love fear joy c. Then can you not but waver indeed for what have you as God requireth Believe you hope you love you c. as much as you should do No no nor never can in this life Ah my dearly beloved have you so soon forgotten that which ever should be had in memory namely that when you would and should be certain and quiet in Conscience then should your Faith burst throughout all things not onely that you have in you or else are in heaven earth or hell untill it come to Christ crucified and the eternal sweet mercies and goodness of God in Christ Here here is the resting place here is your Spouses bed creep into it and in your arms of Faith embrace him bewail your weakness your unworthiness your diffidence c. and you shall see he will turn to you What said I You shall