ever as the true inheriter of his everlasting Kingdome unto the which thou wast undoubtedly predestinate and ordained by the Lords infallible purpose and decree before the foundation of the World was laid And that is most true that I have said I call the whole Trinity the Almighty and Eternal Majesty of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to my Record at this present whom I humbly beseech to confirm and stablish in thee the true and lively feeling of the same Amen Selah Now with a merry heart and a joyfull spirit something mixed with lawful tears I take my farewel of you mine own dear Brother in the Lord who send us shortly a merry meeting in his Kingdome that we may both sing praises together unto him with his holy Angels and blessed Spirits for ever and ever Farewel thou blessed of the Lord farewel in Christ depart unto thy rest in the Lord and pray for me for Gods sake As I had made an end of this simple Letter I heard some comfort both of good Mr. Philpots Servant and yours but alas I do scarcely believe them Well I will hope in God and pray all night that God would send me some comfort to morrow and if the Lord give you sparing to morrow let me hear four words of comfort from you for Gods sake The Blessing of God be with you now and for ever Amen Yours for ever in the Lord Jesus John Careles living in Hope against Hope John Careles his Letter to his Wife AS by the great mercy of God at the time of his good will and providence appointed my dearly beloved Wife you and I were joyned together in the holy and Christian state of godly Matrimony as well to our great joy and comfort in Christ as also to the increase of his blessed Church and faithfull Congregation by having lawfull Children in and by the same with the which God of his mercy hath blessed us praised be his Name therefore Even so now by his mercifull will and Divine Ordinance the time is come so farre as I can perceive wherein he will for his glory and our eternall comfort dissolve the same and separate us asunder again for a time Wherefore I thought it good yea and my bounden duty by this simple Letter to provoke stir and admonish you to behave your self in all your doings sayings and thoughts most thankefully unto our good God for the same And therefore my dear Wife as you have heartily rejoyced in the Lord and oftentimes given God thanks for his goodness in bringing us together in his holy Ordinance Even so now I desire you when this time of our separation shall come to rejoyce with me in the Lord and to give him most hearty thanks that he hath to his glory and our endless commodity separated us again for a little time and hath mercifully taken me unto himself forth of this miserable world into his Celestiall Kingdome Here is a true mark of a faithful Christian forsaking wife children for Christs sake believing and hoping also assuredly that God of his goodness for his Son Christs sake will shortly bring you and your dear children thither to me that we may most joyfully together sing Praises unto his glorious Name for ever And yet once again I desire you for the love of God and as ever you loved me to rejoyce with me and to give God continuall thanks for doing his most mercifull will upon me I hear say that you do oftentimes use to repeat this godly saying The Lords will be fulfilled True obedience of a faithful woman Doubtless it rejoyceth my poor heart to hear that report of you and for the Lords sake use that godly prayer continually and teach your Children and Family to say the same day and night and not onely say it with your tongues but also with your heart and minde and joyfully to submit your will to Gods will in very deed knowing and believing assuredly that nothing shall come to you or any of yours otherwise then it shall be his Almighty and Fatherly good will and pleasure and for your eternall comfort and commodity Which thing to be most true and certain Christ testifieth in his holy Gospel saying Are not two little Sparrows sold for a farthing Matth. 10. and yet not one of them shall perish without the will of your heavenly Father And he concludeth saying Fear not ye therefore for ye are better then many Sparrows As though he should have said If God have such a respect and care for a poor Sparrow which is not worth one farthing that it shall not be taken in the Lime-twig Net or Pit-fall unsill it be his good will and pleasure you may be well assured that not one of you whom he so dearly loveth that he hath given his onely dear Son for yâ—u shall perish or depart forth of this miserable life without his Almighty good will and pleasure Therefore dear Wife put your trust and confidence wholly and onely in him and ever pray that his will be fulfilled and not yours except it be agreeing to his will the which I pray God it may ever be Amen And as for worldly things take you no care Good counsel given to his wife but be you well assured the Lord your dear God and Father will not see you nor yours lack if you continue in his love and childly fear and keep a clear Conscience from all kind of Idolatry â—uperstition and Wickedness as my trust is that you will do although it be with the loss and danger of this temporal life And good Margaret Fear not them that can but kill the body and yet can they not do that untill God give them leave but fear to dâ—splease him that can kill both body and Soul and cast them into hell fire Let not the remembrance of your Children keep you from God The Lord himself will be a Father and a Mother Care of children to be cast upon Lord. better then ever you or I could have been unto them He himself will do all things necessary for them yea as much as rock the Cradle if need be He hath given his holy Angels charge over them therefore commit them unto him But if you may live with a clear Conscience for else I would not have you to live and see the bringing up of your Children your self look that you nurture them in the fear of God and keep them farre from Idolatry Superstition The mothers duty in bringing up her children and all other kinde of Wickedness and for Gods sake help them to some Learning if it be possible that they may increase in virtue and godâ—y knowledge which shall be a better Dowry to marry them withall then any worldly substance and when they be come to age provide them such Husbands as fear God and love his holy Word I charge you take heed that you match them with no Papists and if you live and marry again
good experience of these manner of Temptations both by your self and other whom you know well were the beloved of God Satan overcome in Gods Saints Be of good chear therefore dear heart be of good chear for now Satan hath wrought all his malice he hath done all that he can and hath shot off all his last Pieces wherewith he had thought to have done most mischief but now he seeth he cannot prevail the strong Tower of your Faith being so invincible he will pluck up all his Tents and get him to some other place to practise the like assaults and then will the Angels of God come and minister unto you the most sweet and heavenly Consolations of the holy Ghost To him therefore who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that ever we can desire or think I do most heartily commit you with all the rest of your Godly Prison-fellows who comfort strengthen and defend you with his grace mighty operation of his holy Spirit as he hath hitherto done that you having a most glorious Victory over the subtile Serpent and all his wicked seed may also receive the Crown of Glory and Immortality prepared for you before the foundations of the World were laid and is so surely kept for you in the hands of him who is infallible that the Devil Sin Death or Hell shall never be able to deprive you of the same The blessing of God be with you now and for evermore Amen Pray pray pray for me Your own for ever John Careles To my good Sister Mrs. Cotton THe Peace of God in Jesus Christ the eternall Comforts of his sweet Spirit be with you my dear and faithfull Sister to the full accomplishment of that good work which he hath most graciously begun in you that the same may be effectuall to the setting forth of his glory and to your everlasting Consolation in him Amen My loving and faithfull Sister in the Lord I thank you for all your loving kindness shewed unto me but especially for your godly remembrance of me in your fervent and faithfull Prayers and for your most godly and comfortable Letter whereby you do not onely much increase my joy and comfort but also put me in remembrance of my duty towards you Blessed be the Lord our God Gods great gift in women which of his great mercy hath so beautified his Church in these dayes that even unto many godly women he hath given most excellent gifts of knowledge and understanding of his Truth so that they are not onely well able to inform their own Consciences in all things necessary to Salvation but also most sweetly to comfort their sorrowfull Brethren and Sisters that sustain any trouble for the Testimony of Gods Truth yea and that which is more even in the middest of their great Conflicts of Conscience Of which most happy number of godly and virtuous women my dear heart you are one and that of the chiefest being plentifully endued with the gifts of Gods most gracious Spirit as it doth full well appear in your daily doings God onely have the praise therefore Forasmuch then as God hath given you the gift to write Note how God sometime giveth comfort by weaker vessels I shall most heartily desire you to let me hear from you sometimes be it never so little for truly I tâ—ke great Comfort and Courage thereby specially in my poor Conscience which is sore assaulted of subtile Satan and in a manner oppressed of my sin Pray dear S ster that God may give me true hearty and earnest Repentance and increase my Faith for they are both the good gifts of God onely and farre pass the reach of my power to take at my pleasure Therefore dear Sister if you w ll help me to beg the same of our dear loving Father I am sure that he both can and will gâ—ve them me in his good time And as for the fear of Death or terrour of the Fire I most heartily thank my good God I feel it not onely it is mine own sins and unthankefulness which holdeth hard battel and wageth strong warre against me which onely goeth about to separate me from my good Captain Christ that I should not enjoy his glorious victory but God being on my side as I am sure he is that cannot continually prevâ—il against me Though God for a time permit Satan to take his pleasure on me as he did upon Job yet I doubt not but in the end all shall turn to my profit through the Merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To whose most mercifull defence I commit you dear Sister with all the rest of the Lords Elect. Farewell in Christ Your unfeignedly John Careles Pray pray pray pray To my dear Brother T. V. THe everlasting peace of God in Jesus Christ the continual Comforts of his most pure and holy Spirit be with you my most dear friend and faithful Brother V. to the increase of your Faith and comfort of your sorrowful Spirit which is to the Father a sweet Sacrifice through Christ for whose sake he will never despise your humble and contrite heart but doth favourably accept the same and will in most ample wise perform the desire thereof to his Glory and your eternal Comfort in him In the mids of my manifold Crosses and Troubles wherein I am constrained to flee unto God for refuge and succour by earnest and faithful Prayer I cannot forget you my dear heart in the Lord but esteeming your state for mine own I do pour forth my complaint for yâ—u as I do for my self and rather more as I think present need doth require desiring most heartily to hear of the good success of the same in yâ—u The Lord God for his mercy sake accomplish my desi e as I doubt not but he will when he seeth it good and most to his glory and to your comfort and commodity O that I might once see you so merry in Christ Psal 57. as you have just cause to be that you might say with David Awake my glory awake lute and harp bring forth the psaltery with the merry song that I might sing a new song of praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord for the light of his favourable countenance his help and deliverance Oh! Psal 45. that would refresh me as a most precious Oyle and gladden my poor heart which is assaulted with sorrow moe wayes then one Comfort for a sick Conscience I doubt not but the same shall by your means receive much comfort though for a time it doth mourn with you that we may be made both glad together yea and that with such gladness as shall continue for ever But in the mean space I say most happy are you Mat. 9. that so heartily mourn the absence of the Bridegroom If you were not a wedding-childe you could never do it Onely Christs true Disciples do mourn for his absence therefore shall they doubtless rejoyce at his
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