Love My heavenly Dear I Call thee so because God hath put heaven in thee before he hath taken thee to heaven Thou now beholdest God Christ and Glory as in a glass but to morrow heaven gates will be opened and thou shalt be in the full enjoyment of all those glories which eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither can the heart of man understand God hath now swallowed up thy heart in the thoughts of heaven but ere long thou shalt be swallowed up in the enjoyment of heaven And no marvel there should be such quietness and calmness in thy spirit whilest thou art sailing in this tempestuous Sea because thou perceivest by the eye of saith a haven of rest where thou shalt be richly laden with all the glories of heaven O lift up thy heart with joy when thou layest thy dear head on the block in the thought of this that thou art laying thy head to rest in thy fathers bosome which when thou dost awake shall be crowned not with an earthly fading crown but with an heavenly eternal crown of glory And be not discouraged when thou shalt see a guard of souldiers triumphing with their trumpets about thee but lift up thy head and thou shalt behold God with a guard of his holy Angels triumphing to receive thee to glory Be not dismayed at the scofs and reproaches that thou maist meet with in thy short way to heaven for be assured God will not only glorifie thy body and soul in heaven but he will also make the memory of thee to be glorious on the earth O let not one troubled thought for thy wife and babes arise within thee thy God will be our God and our portion he will be a husband to thy widdow and a father to thy children the grace of thy God will be so sufficient for us Now my Dear I desire willingly and chearfully to resign my right in thee to thy Father and my Father who hath the greatest interest in thee And confident I am though men have separated us for a time yet our God will ere long bring us together again where we shall eternally enjoy one another never to part more O let me hear how God bears up thy heart and let me taste of those comforts that support thee that they may be as pillars of marble to bear up my sinking spirit I can write no more Farewel farewel my Dear till we meet there where we shall never bid farewell more till which time I leave thee in the bosome of a loving tender hearted Father and so I rest Till I shall for ever rest in Heaven MARY LOVE August 21. 1651. Master Love to his Wife when he should have first suffered My dearest Beloved I Am now going to my long home yet I must write thee a word before I go hence and shall be seen no more It is to beg thee to be comforted in my gain and not to be troubled in thy loss Labour to suppress thy inward fears now thou art under outward sorrows as thy outward sufferingâ— abound let thy consolations in Christ abound also I know thou art a woman of a sorrowfull spirit My time is short I have but a few words of counsel to give thee and then I shall leave thee to God who careth for thee and thine 1. Whilâ—s thou art under desertions labour rather to strengthen and clear up thy evidences for heaven than question them 2. Remember a faith of adherence or reliance on the Lord Jesus bring thee to heaven though thou want the faith of Evidence or Assurance 3. Labour to find that and more also in God which thou hast lost in the creature 4. Spend not thy days in heaviness for my death if there were knowledg of things below or sorrow in heaven I should grieve to think my beloved should mourn on earth 5. Lye under a soul-searching Ministry I know thou art not a spungy hearer to suck in foul water as well as fair God hath given thee a good understanding to be able to discern things that differ as the mouth tasts meat thy ear tryeth words 6. Be conversant in Christian meetings and much in the exercises of the duties of mortification in fasting and prayers yet have respect to the weakness of thy body and thy present condition 7. Have a care of thy self and babes God will take care for thee and them I can write no more farewell my Dear farewel farewel These are the last words written by Thy dying yet comforted Husband CHRISTOPHER LOVE From the Tower July 15. 1651. MY Dear I beg thee to be satisfied my heart is greatly comforted in God I can quietly submit to the good pleasure of his will and I hope thou dost so also I am delivered by the determinate counsel of God the will of the Lord be done Read for thy comfort when I am dead and gone Jer. 49.11 and the beginning of the 12. Isa 54. vers 5 6 7 8. Psalm 146. ver 9.2 Cor. 4. ver 17 18. Heb. 12. ver 6 7. Another of Master Loves to his Wife More dear to me than ever IT adds to my rejoycing that I have so good and gracious a wife to part with for the Lord Jesus In thy grief I have been grieved but in thy joy I have been comforted Surely nature could never help thee to bear so heavy a stroke with so much silence and submission to the hand of God! O dearest every line thou writest gladdeth my heart I dare not think that there is such a creature as Mary Love in the world for Kit and Mall I can think of them without trouble leaving them to so good a God and so good a Mother Be comforted concerning thy Husband who may more honour God in his death than in his life the will of the Lord be done he is fully satisfied with the hand of God Though there be but little between him and death he knows there is but little between him and heaven and that ravisheth his heart The Lord bless and requite thee for thy wise and good counsel thou hast prevented me the very things I thought to have written to thee thou hast written to me I have had more comfort from thy gracious letter than from all the counsel I have had from any else in the world well be assured we shall meet in heaven I rest till I rest in heaven Thy dying but comforted Friend CHRISTOPHER LOVE From the Tower the Lords Day Another of Master Loves to his Wife My dearest delight on Earth I Was fast asleep when thy Note came I bless God I break not an hours sleep for all my sufferings I know they work for me a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory I slept this night from ten at night till seven in the morning and never waked My Dear I am so comforted in the gracious supports God gives thee that my burdens are the lighter on my shoulders because they are not so heavy on thine or if they
before his Father 6. That we shall be pillars in his house having his new name graven upon us 7. That we shall sit in his throne c. and all this made over not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that it overcoming A Christian is sure to conquer if he dare but fight and no souldier but he can glory when he puts on his harness The Lord arm you with such courage and wisdom that you may avoid the snares and be above the fury of your Adversaries God Angels and Men look upon you and while you are a fighting Christ is weaving your Crown He by your example so hearten his people and damp the adversary as they may rejoyce and bless God who favour your righteous dealing and all iniquity may stop her mouth So prays Your unworthy Brother and Companion in Tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Jesus Christ I prae sequar June 1. 51. I beg your prayers and present my best affections to your self and Mistris L. I 'd rather dye with grace than live with blame Far better dye with Love than live with shame For my most honoured friend Mr. L. Another of Dr. Drakes to Mr. Love June 17. 1651. Dear Friend I Cannot be unmindfull of your person and condition as being not only in the body but also in an especiall manner bound with you Heb. 13.3 And certainly if habituall and active grace be such motives of Christian love is not passive grace much more To suffer for Christ is a grace as well as to believe in him Phil. 1.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Christ and his people are never more lovely than upon the Cross May we not under God thank our prison that we are so gracious this day in the eyes of Gods people yea and I am perswaded in the eyes of some enemies Must not we by suffering enter into glory as our blessed Saviour Luk. 24.26 Doth not Christ by this means set a higher rate upon reformation the Ministry and the Government How do the Northern people prize the Sun who see it but once in three or six moneths and do not our dunghill-hearts ordinarily value blessings more by their want than injoyment In particular Sir how are you indeared to God and man in this call to be the Proto-Confessour or Proto-Martyr the Lord inable you by grace to bear the honour as well as the burthen I bless God for your chearfullness and constancy whose slame contributes much to the keeping of my poor spark alive But my errand is if it may be to prevent the latter and may it stand with Gods will I would not have you yet to be a Martyr Haply you will say I wish you worse than your Adversaries do if so yet I am sure it is with an honester heart c. Sir I have only one thing to adde which I apprehend as a providence not to be slighted namely that your day of tryall is your day of Jubilee and your day of Pentecost it being precisely the fiftieth day from your apprehension ordered so I am confident by especiall providence not by the intention of the Adversary The Lord make it a Jubilee to you for liberty of spirit and a day of Pentecost for effusion of the Spirit of grace wisdom and utterance I shall say Amen to the Omen and follow it with what poor interest I have in heaven still choosing rather to dye with Love than to rule with Lust which is the Magna charta of these apostatizing times My best affections to your self and dearest consort I beg your prayers and rest Yours c. Another of Dr. Drakes to Mr. Love MY most dear and precious friend in the Lord in whom I observed great reason both of love and honour from the first day that God blessed me with the knowledg of you but never more than at this time when you are ascending your triumphant chariot and mounting into the cloud of witnesses Heb. 12.1 to guide and encourage us who are left yet behind to run with readiness the race that is set before us Sweet Sir I wonder not you are so chearfull being so near your journeys end steered by our great Pilot out of a dangerous and troublesome Sea and entring into the harbour putting off your pilgrims weeds that you may be cloathed with the white robes as a free deâ—ison of the heavenly Jerusalem I mistook in dreaming of an earthly Pentecost and Jubilee that 50th day I now perceive was an hint and summons to call you to the everlasting Jubilee above Heb. 12. v. 22 24 a Parasceve to the eternal Sabbath Heb. 4. v. 9 10. How much are we beholding to our very enemies rather to God for them who never do us more good than when they think to do us the shrewdest turn I wonder not now at that Epinicium of the Apostles Rom. 8. ver 28 33. to the end 1 Cor. 3. v. 21 22 23. Death is so far from separating that it brings us immediately to Christ Phil. 1.23 and that by a stroke so honourable so easie so comfortable so speedy that you need but wink and go to Heaven The Lord is pleased to give you a writ of ease and to pay you your penny at the sixth hour Blessed be God we serve a good Master who puts us only upon honest and honourable imployments makes our task easie and short doth all our works for us and in us and after all rewards us freely and richly as if we had earned our wages Better be Gods hireling than the worlds darling Luk. 15. v. 17 19. Dear Sir I bless God for your faithfullness patience courage wisdom whereby you have both tryed and discovered the policy and strength of your Antagonists and shewed to your poor unworthy fellow-sufferers that by grace they are conquerable The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour go in this thy might and smite the host of Midian as one man Judg. 6. v. 12 14 16. The Lord make you a true Samson that you may do the Devils kingdom more mischief at your death than ever you did in all your life God is now but in his old method to make the blood of the Martyrs the seed of his Church Col. 1.24 Hiel deserved a curse for building Jerico Josh 6.26 but God deserves blessing for building the new Jerusalem though he lay the foundation thereof in Abiram his first-born so is Christ our high Father compare Gen. 17.5 with Isa 9.6 and set up the gates thereof in his younger Son Segub 1 King 16 last such are we poor contemptible creatures exalted and strengthned by God not only to do but also to suffer for his Name Act. 5.41 Phil. 1.29 Cause Church and Covenant The Lord is making you such a blessed Segub making that to be your honour strength and safety which many judged to be your shame weakness and danger Dear Sir God honours you to
Christ hath spoiled principalities and powers disarmed disrobed them His death is the death of Death all its stings are left in his side Say not therefore Dear heart who shall role away the stone from the mouth of the sepulchre when thou comest thither thou shalt find it rol'd away to thy hand Its difficulties and distresses are taken away in Christ To this dear Lord Jesus I commit thee who in his due time will wipe away all tears from the eyes and sin from the souls of his poor servants and out of all our storms bring us to that haven where we would be I know not where to break off and yet not where to leave thee so well as there Thine in the bowels of this Saviour Master Case to Master Love Heavenly Saint THou art now awaked out of thy last natural rest to go to thy eternall rest the night is past thou shalt never know night any more but God shall give thee light and thou shalt reign for ever and ever Rev. 22.3 4 5. Thou art now going where thou shalt be in a true sense above ordinances and above Scripture 1 Cor. 13.12 13 where God in Christ shall be thy all in all Thy prison shall be turned into a Palace and thy filthy garments shall be taken away and thou shalt be cloathed with long white Robes and in the moment when thy body and head shall be severed thou shalt be united to Christ thy Head in him thou shalt be crowned and with him thou shalt reign to eternity It is finished Joh. 17.1 4 5 6 11 13 24. Let me see that face once more which I shall see no more till the last day Send up one sigh before thee for thy following Brother and Companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ Another of Master Case's to Master Love Dear soul THou art now going to heaven to quicken thy desires put it into these notions that are most sutable to thy condition To the weary it is rest Isa 57.2 Rev. 14.13 To the banished home 2 Cor. 5.6 To the reproached glory Rom 5.2 To the molested and captived with corruption it is the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God Rom. 8.21 To the resister to bloud it is conquest Rom. 8.37 To the vexed with sin and sorrow it is the exstinction of both To the hungry soul it is the hidden Manna Rev. 22.17 To the thirsty rivers of pleasure water of life fountain of life Rev. 22.17 Psal 36.8 9. To the grieved soul it is fulness of joy and to the sorrowfull heart pleasures for ever more Psal 16.8 In a word To them that have lien upon the dunghill here and kept their integrity it is a throne upon which they shall sit and reign with Christ for ever and ever Rev. 3.31 22.5 Dear heart chear up a sharp breakfast but a blessed supper the supper of the Lamb. The Bridegroom saith Loe I come quickly Let thy rejoyced soul eccho back again Even so come Lord Jesus There is but a little time for prayer left in that remember me and then everlasting halelujahs will be thy work and rest Live for ever with thy God Amen I shall accompany thee with my prayers though I cannot with my person Mistress Loves Letter to Master Love My dear heart BEfore I write a word further I beseech thee think not that it is thy wife but a friend now that writes to thee I hope thou hast freely given up thy wife and children to that God who hath said in the 49. of Jer. v. 11. Leave thy fatherless children I will preserve them alive and let thy widdow trust in me thy Maker will be my Husband and a father to thy children O that the Lord would keep thee from having one troubled thought for thy relations I desire freely to give thee up into thy Fathers hands and not only look upon it as a crown of glory for thee to dye for Christ but as an honour to me that I should have an husband to leave for Christ I dare not speak to thee nor have a thought within my own heart of my unspeakable loss but wholly keep my eye fixed upon thy unexpressable and unconceivable gain Thou leavest but a sinfull mortall wise to be everlastingly married to the Lord of glory Thou leavest but children brothers and sisters to go to the Lord Jesus thy eldest Brother Thou leavest friends on earth to go to the enjoyment of Saints and Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect in glory Thou dost but leave earth for heaven and changest a prison for a Palace And if naturall affections should begin to arise I hope that spirit of grace that is within thee will quell them knowing that all things here below are but dung and dross in comparison of those things that are above I know thou keepest thine eye fixed on the hope of glory which makes thy feet trample on the loss of earth My Dear I know God hath not only prepared glory for thee and thee for it but I am perswaded he will sweeten the way for thee to come to the enjoyment of it When thou art putting on thy cloaths that morning O think I am now putting on my wedding garments to go to be everlastingly married to my Redeemer And when the messenger of death comes to thee let him not seem dreadfull to thee but look on him as a messenger that brings thee tidings of eternal life When thou goest up the scaffold think as thou saidst to me it is but thy fiery chariot to carry thee up to thy Fathers house And when thou layest down thy precious head to receive thy Fathers stroke remember what thou saidst to me Though thy head was severed from thy body yet in a moment thy soul should be united to thy Head the Lord Jesus in heaven And though it may seem something bitter that by the hands of men we are parted a little sooner than otherwise we might have been yet let us consider it is the decree and will of our Father and it will not be long ere we shall enjoy one another in heaven again Let us comfort one another with these sayings Be comforted my Dear heart it is but a little stroke and thou shalt be there where the weary shall be at rest and where the wicked shall cease from troubling Remember though thou maist eat thy dinner with bitter herbs yet thou shalt have a sweet supper with Christ that night My Dear by what I write unto thee I do not hereby undertake to teach thee for these comforts I have received from the Lord by thee I will write no more nor trouble thee any further but commit thee into the arms of that God with whom ere long thee and I shall be Farewel my Dear I shall never see thy face more till we both behold the face of the Lord Jesus at the great Day MARY LOVE July 14. 1651. Another of Mistress Loves to Master
be the Elias and first to ascend the fiery chariot May I without presumption be the Elisha and make two or three bold requests unto you and first let me beg your prayers for a double portion of your Spirit Secondly let me see you if possible before you ascend though it be but through the lattess on your Nuptial morning Thirdly let fall your mantle that I may by means of it be inabled to divide Jordan yea the Red-sea if God call me through it and not sink like an Egyptian in the mighty waters Psal 32.6 Fourthly if there be any remembrance of things below in heaven Luk. 16. v. 24 25 28 will you when you are in the blessed Heaven think of your poor friend and the rest of your fellow Souldiers left behind and labouring in the storme till Christ come to them as he doth to you Surely the Church triumphant doth not forget the Church militant and prayer is no paradox in heaven Rev. 6. v. 9 10. till the body of Christ be perfected If justice makes them pray against enemies why should not charity draw out supplications for their friends Surely there is a communion of Saints between the Church militant and triumphant we may bless God for them and cannot they pray for us The Martyrs would not pray to dead Saints but some of them desired living Saints to pray for them both on earth and in heaven and I think therein they were not superstitious Sweet Sir I know to whom I speak and am assured that Love will not be puffed up with that which would soon burst a bladder of pride None higher in Gods eyes than those who are lowest in their own I see your time is short and therefore though my affection be like Jordan at the time of harvest I must set bounds and banks to my words lest I divert and trouble you in your passage I doubt not but you remember that you must pass through the Jordan to the fiery Chariot Jordan was not more effectual to cleanse Naaman's Leprosie than the River of repentant tears is to purge the leprosie of sin Psal 119. v. 136. next after the immense ocean of the bloud of Christ It 's not Abanah and Parphar will wash away the Leprosie but Jordan nor will every tear wash away sin but penitent tears You have but little time to mourn Christ stands by with his towel and handkerchief Psal 56.8 Rev. 7 last 21.4 Isa 25.8 Spiritual sorrow and joy are inseparable companions in this life and the Dove-like spirit of comfort loves these streams Cant. 3.12 Matth. 3.16 Every true Christian hath this Baptismus flaminis joyned with Baptism flaminis And now God honours you with Baptis Sanguinis superadded The cup of tears and cup of comfort may well go together and happy he who can mingle this drink with weeping Psal 102.9 such need not fear to pledge Christ in his cup of bloud and undoubtedly shall sit at Christs right hand in his Kingdom Matth. 20. ver 22 23. though not in the sense of the two ambitious Brethren If we could weep or repent for any thing in heaven sure it would be because we wept and repented no more nor no better on earth The Lord enable you and us all to do much work in a little time If I see you no more I must be forced here to take my long leave yet why say I so it may prove but a short leave since in likelyhood as things stand few weeks yea dayes may bring me to a sight of your blessed soul in the arms of Christ and surely the communion of Saints in heaven is cumulative to their essential happiness The Lord enable me to imitate your graces and then I shall not doubt to inherit your happiness which is only God the highest end and the chiefest good The Lord be nearer to you than your danger and support you in the most needfull hour and when men have done their worst receive your soul to his mercy Act. 7. v. 55 56 59. Luk 2.29 30. 2 Tim. v. 7 8. So prays Your poor unworthy Friend and Companion in the Kingdom and tribulation of Jesus Christ July 12. 1651. Mr. Robinson's Letter to Mr. Love Dear Friend THe loss which the Church of God will sustain by your death is a very great trouble to me and I doubt not but a far greater to others whose hearts God hath made more sensible to feel his hand This stroke I am confident will be your happiness but a great misery a sad punishment to many when God hath a purpose to punish many at once he useth to take this course The extinguishing such a star I do not flatter you God knows cannot but greatly afflict the whole world I wish heartily God would grant me the favour to see you before your wedding day for I dare not call it a dying day I hope I shall be in your thoughts when you are at the throne of Grace Good Sir heap up as many prayers as you can for the poor Church of God before you leave us it shall be the best legacy you can bequeath what you shall sow some will live to reap and you will not be unrewarded Jesus Christ had his thoughts on the Church even to his dying hour good Sir imitate your Master I need not say any thing to strengthen you against the fear of your approaching day I doubt not but you have often overcome that fear through Jesus Christ Profectio est quam putas mortem 'T is but the taking of a journey and though the way be deep yet it s but short God brings you the nearest way A shorter cut never had any to rest I know you have been often upon Mount Nebo where you have seen Canaan whither you are going The Mysticall head cannot be cut off you have finished your testimony and fear not to receive your recompence Christ hath transformed this black Messenger to you into an Angel of Light How soon others may follow you is known only to God if we stay longer 't is but to row in a stormy Sea Moses was very willing to dye God said Go up and dye and he went up and died Let not the care of your Relations afflict you The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof Leave your fatherless children God will provide for them Let your widdow trust in God Your dear yoke-fellow is a partaker of the same grace with you how rich are they that are heirs to the promises You can commend your spirit into Gods hands much more your wife and children Remember that promise I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Sir it is a richer portion than the Mines of India You were but a cistern to them the fountain lives and will live when you are dead God can provide without you you cannot without God Good Sir Chear up I hear how full of joy you are blessed be God all these are but little drops to the ocean
be heavy yet that God helps thee to bear them The Lord keep it in the purpose of our hearts for ever to submit to the good pleasure of God I bless God I do find my heart in as quiet and composed a temper as ever I did in all my life I am till I dye Thy tender hearted Husband CHRISTOPHER LOVE From the Tower August 18. 1651. Master Loves last Letter to his Wife on the day he suffered My most gracious Beloved I Am now going from a Prison to a Palace I have finished my work I am now to receive my wages I am going to heaven where are two of my children and leaving thee on the earth where are three of my babes those two above need not my care but the three below need thine It comforts me to think two of my children are in the bosome of Abraham and three of them will be in the arms and care of so tender and godly a Mother I know thou art a woman of a sorrowfull spirit yet be comforted though thy sorrow be great for thy Husbands going out of the world yet thy pains shall be the less in bringing thy child into the world thou shalt be a joyfull Mother though thou beest a sad Widdow God hath many mercies in store for thee the prayers of a dying Husband for thee will not be lost To my shame I speak it I never pray'd so much for thee at liberty as I have done in prison I cannot write more but I have a few practical counsels to leave with thee viz. 1. Keep under a sound orthodox and soul-searching Ministry Oh there are many deceivers gone out into the world but Christs sheep know his voice and a stranger will they not follow Attend on that Ministry that teaches the way of God in truth and follow Solomons advice Prov. 19.27 Cease to hear instruction that causes to erre from the ways of knowledg 2. Bring up thy children in the knowledg and admonition of the Lord the mother ought to be a teacher in the fathers absence Prov. 19.27 The words which his mother taught him and Timothy was instructed by his Grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice 2 Tim. 1.5 3. Pray in thy family daily that thy dwelling may be in the number of the families that do call on God 4. Labour for a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3.4 5. Pore not on the comforts thou wantest but on the mercies thou hast 6. Look rather at Gods end in afflicting than at the measure and degree of thy afflictions 7. Labour to clear up thy evidences for heaven when God takes from thee the comforts of earth that as thy sufferings do abound so thy consolations in Christ may abound much more 2 Cor. 1.4 8. Though it is good to maintain a holy jealousie of the deceitfulness of thy heart yet it is evill for thee to cherish fears and doubts about the truth of thy graces If ever I had confidence touching the grace of another I have confidence of grace in thee I can say of thee as Peter did of Silvanus I am perswaded that this is the grace of God wherein thou standest 1 Pet. 5.12 Oh my dear soul wherefore dost thou doubt whose heart hath been upright whose walkings have been holy c. I could venture my soul in thy souls stead such a confidence have I of thee 9. When thou findest thy heart secure presumptuous and proud then pore upon corruption more than upon grace but when thou findest thy heart doubting and unbelieving then look on thy graces not on thy infirmities 10. Study the covenant of grace and merits of Christ and then be troubled if thou canst Thou art interested in such a covenant that accepts purposes for performances desires for deeds sincerity for perfection the righteousness of another viz. that of Jesus Christ as if it were thine own Oh my Love rest rest then in the love of God in the bosome of Christ 11. Swallow up thy will in the will of God it is a bitter cup we are to drink but it is the cup our Father hath put into our hands When Paul was to go to suffer at Jerusalem the Christians could say The will of the Lord be done Oh say thou when I go to Tower-hill The will of the Lord be done 12. Rejoyce in my joy to mourn for me inordinately argues that either thou enviest or suspectest my happiness The joy of the Lord is my strength oh let it be thine also Dear wife farewell I will call thee wise no more I shall see thy face no more yet I am not much troubled for now I am going to meet the Bridegroome the Lord Jesus Christ to whom I shall be eternally marryed Thy Dying yet most Affectionate Friend till death CHRISTOPHER LOVE From the Tower of London 22th August 1651. The day of my glorification FINIS