Letter 51. To Mistress J. Warrington, a faithful woman, and fearing God, whom he exhorts to be patient under the cross, and not to fear death
My dearly beloved, I beseech our merciful Father to comfort your heavy and pensive heart, with his own consolations in Christ; as I am assured, good sister, he will in his good time, which look for with patience, after the example of Job, Elias, Abraham, and all the dear saints of God, which are set forth unto us for patterns of patience. God grant that we may well cut our cloth after them; for God is the same God now, and the end will show that he is a merciful Lord and full of compassion. My dear sister, you shall unfeignedly feel it at the length, though at present it seems otherwise unto your sense; you shall, after you are a little exercised herein, find a quiet fruit of righteousness, (Heb. xii.,) the God of grace, which has called you unto his eternal glory, confirming and strengthening you, who are somewhat afflicted, with your brethren and sisters that are in the world; for you suffer not alone, as I trust you know. It comforts me to read in your letters, that no displeasure of father, mother, husband, children, &c. moves you to be ruled after the counsel of the world; and therefore you desire me not to be afraid for you. Oh! my beloved, what thanks should I give to our God and dear Father, for this his exceeding kindness towards you! His name be magnified for you for ever, his mercy be more and more multiplied unto you, in you, and upon you, for ever and ever. Amen. God make me thankful here for; but you add, that the fear of death now and then moves you a little. Howbeit, you say, that as I have counselled you, you will strive there against. My good Joyce, I take you at your word; keep promise, I pray you, that is, strive against it; and I promise you, in the name of the Lord, that you shall have the victory, which I would wish you to set before your eyes also, and so shall the terror of death trouble you the less. Soldiers going to war set not before their eyes simply the stripe (danger, editor), but rather the victory; and, my good sister, will not you herein follow them? In your travail with child, does not the hope of the babe to be delivered mitigate the malady? Does not the sick, when taking bitter and loathsome physic, set before him the advantage which will ensue? And, my dear sister, will not you learn somewhat by these? Consider what this life is, consider what death is, consider what is prepared for you after death. Concerning this life, you know that it is full of misery, vanity, and woe. It is an exile, and has nothing n it permanent. It is therefore compared to a vapour, to a smoke, to a shadow, yea, to a warfare, a wilderness, a vale of wretchedness, wherein we are compassed on every side with most fierce and fearful enemies; and should we desire to dwell here? Should we desire to live in this loathsome and laborious life? Should we wish to tarry in this wretchedness? Should we take pleasure to remain in this perilous state? Daniel's den is not so dreadful as is this dungeon we dwell in.
Concerning death, to them that are God's dear children, as I know you are one, my tenderly beloved sister, what other thing is it, than the despatcher of all displeasure, the end of all travail, the door of desires, the gate of gladness, the port of paradise, the haven of heaven, the rail of rest and quietness, the entrance to felicity, the beginning of all blissfulness? It is the very bed of down, for the doleful bodies of God's people to rest in, and therefore well compared to a sleep, out of which they shall rise and awake most fresh and lusty to life everlasting. It is a passage to the Father, a chariot to heaven, the Lords messenger, a leader unto Christ, a going to our home, a deliverance from bondage and prison, a dismission from war, a security from all sorrows. and a manumissions from misery. So that the very heathen in some places caused the day of their death to be celebrated with mirth, melody, and minstrels; and should we be dismayed at it? Should we be afraid of it? Should we tremble to hear of it? Should such a friend as it is be unwelcome? Should the foulness of his face frighten us from his good conditions? Should the hardness of his husk hinder us from his sweet kernel? Should the roughness of the tide tie us to them bank and shore, there to be drowned, rather than the desire of our home drive us to go aboard? Should the hardness of the saddle set us to walk, and so to perish by the way, rather than to leap up and endure the same a little, and so to be where we would be?
Concerning that which is prepared for you after death, if I should go about to express it, the more I should so do, the further I should be from it. For the eye has not seen, neither has the ear heard, nor the heart of man is able to conceive in any point the joy, mirth, melody, pleasure, power, wealth, riches, honour, beauty, fellowship, dainties, odours, glory, wisdom, knowledge, treasures security, peace, quietness, and eternal felicity, which you shall have and enjoy, world without end, with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, with the angels and archangels, with the patriarchs and prophets, with the apostles and evangelists, with the martyrs and confessors, and with all the saints of God, in the palace of the Lord in heaven, the kingdom of God, the glory of the Father. Oh! woe to the blindness of our eyes that see not this! Woe to the hardness of our hearts that feel not this! Woe to the deafness of our ears that hear not this as we should do, whereby we might be so far from fearing death, that rather we should wish for it, crying with Simeon, "Now let thine servant depart in peace;" with Paul, "I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ;" with David, "When shall I come and appear before thee!" and again, "Oh! woe is me that my habitation is thus prolonged," &c. (Ps. cxx.) But, alas! dear sister, great is our unbelief; faint indeed is our faith, or else night and day tears should be our bread and drink, while it is said unto us, Where is your God? It is a token of little love to God if we are loath to go unto him when he calls. If my dearest friend of a special favour and tender good will, should send a horse for me to come unto him, should I be displeased thereat? Yea, should I not be willing and glad to come unto him? And, alas! yet if death, the Lord's palfrey, the Lords messenger, should come, I think I should not be so ready, but be fearful as you foresee yourself to be; whereby I doubt not you take occasion to lament the weakness of your faith, and, seeing your need, to prepare for remedy against the time of need, and to beg of God his aid, strength, and comfort against that pinch; which undoubtedly you shall have, and find his promise true, that in an acceptable time he has heard your prayer. Such as I, have no such foresight of death, and therefore are at present less dismayed, which will turn to our greater grief in the plunge, save that for my part, I hope he will never tempt me further than he will make me able to bear. Into his hands I offer myself, beseeching him, for his Christ's sake, to keep me, soul and body, to his kingdom and glory; and to lead me, order me, and dispose me as he will, in all things, in all places, and for ever, that at the length I may come whither I desire, that is, into his own blessed presence and the enjoyment of immortality, with you and his saints. Amen. Thus much I thought good to write unto you at present, to occasion you the less to fear death, which either needs not or boots not (matters not, editor); and therefore even reasonable men, much more spiritual men, labour to strive against the fear of that which they can by no means avoid. But of this hereafter I trust to speak with you mouth to mouth. Now as to my soul, I pray and wish unto you, my most dear sister in the Lord, whose grace guide you, and his mercy embrace you on every side for ever. Amen.
Yours,
John Bradford.
Letter 52. To my good friend in God, Master Humphrey Hales
As to my dear friend, I wish unto you, gentle Master Hales, health of soul and body, to God's glory and your everlasting comfort. Amen.
Although it is commonly spoken, and as commonly verified, that seldom seen is soon forgotten, yet it is not so commonly seen or experienced amongst those, whose friendship is in God the Father through Christ, as ours is, but in those whose friendship is begun in respect of some earthly advantage. And therefore, lest I should incur this suspicion at your hands, who have so many ways deserved the contrary, I thought it my duty to refresh, if it need refreshing the amity in God, begun betwixt us, which I doubt not shall continue so long as we live, or else I should be sorry. In consideration whereof, being both mindful of my promise made unto you, and careful for your safety, I have caused a place to be provided for your wife's deliverance, where she may so quietly and safely remain, that for the avoiding of the perils and dangers of these days, I see none more convenient. I mean it in Hadley, at Dr. Taylor's house, where I trust there is no peril to you-ward, nor to any that fears or regards any peril that thereby may happen. And herein out of love and good will I am the more familiar and bold to admonish you, not as distrusting you, God forbid, for I think of you as of a very child of God, but as one careful for you; lest you should at length, through the common infirmity of our frail flesh, and the manifold offences given by the world, do exteriorly as the world does; to save your sleeve and maim your arm for ever, as those do, which for the saving of their goods, jeopard goods of body and soul, in the peril of eternal damnation. If I suspected any such thing in you, gentle Master Hales, I then would go about to tell you what this life is, a smoke, a shadow, a vapour, &c.; what the glory of this life is, grass, hay; yea, how full of misery it is, and has more aloes than honey. (Job, ix.) If I suspected your conscience, I would then set before you, on the one part, the judgment of Christ, which shall be most assuredly the terrible sentence to them which are ashamed to confess his gospel, and the eternal woe and misery which they shall be cast into, that will not obey his gospel here; also, on the other part, the most pleasant shout of the angel to summon all men to come before our Captain and Brother, Christ; the collection and catching of us up in the clouds to meet our Master; the eternal joy and felicity which we shall receive that here confess him, here suffer with him, here lose any thing for his sake. If I did in any respect so much as think that you would defile your body in the antichristian service now used, then I would go about to set forth these things more at large. But, as I said before, I say again, because I am as well persuaded of you, my dearly beloved brother, as of any in your profession and state, I cannot but pray God to make perfect the good which he has begun in you, and desire you, as you have begun in God, so to go forward. As your example has done good to many, so cast not all down by a tip. Terrible is that woe which Christ threatens to them by whom offences do come. You know the way to salvation is straiter than men make it; you know the soul is to be considered above all things. Happy is the loss of that bodily life, liberty, and goods, by which spiritual life, freedom, and felicity are purchased. What should it profit a man to win the whole world, and lose his own soul? Who would desire a two years' merry life for an eternal sorrow? as these mass-gospellers do, which after all are uncertain of two years' life, and God knows what wounds their consciences have. Hard is it to recover health to the conscience; and because I am careful for it to you-wards, as to my own brother and dear friend, therefore I write thus. We are in God's power, and not in the power of our enemies; he it is that has all our hairs numbered; before he say Amen (so be it, editor), no man shall once touch you. Into his hands commit yourself, cast your care upon him, have a care to please him, and then he will care to keep you. You know the oath the Athenians made, "I will fight for the defence of religion, both alone and with others;" which saying of the heathen will be to our condemnation, if for his holy word and gospel's sake we dare not adventure the loss of that he has lent us, keeps for us, and can, when he will, take away from us, or us from it. If worldly men dare jeopard a joint (to oppose, editor) with God, rather than they would lose worldly things, as experience teaches, certainly it should be much our shame, who in baptism have vowed and solemnly sworn to forsake the world; if we dare not jeopard a joint with man, rather than lose a good conscience and spiritual treasures. He that will not have God's blessing, it shall be taken from him, says David.
Therefore, my dearly beloved, beware; you are now the temple of the Holy Ghost, defile it not for the Lord's sake, but keep it pure, not only from all uncleanness of the spirit, but also of the flesh, (2 Col vii.) as I trust you will; and cry upon your Father for his strength and aid which I beseech him of his mercy always to give unto you my own good friend, even as I desire for myself. If I could help you in anything, you may be as assured thereof as of your brother. My prayer to God night and day you shall have, that for his holy name's sake he would bless you in all things, and keep you, with my good sister your wife, unto the very end, as his dear elect children. Amen, amen. From my lodging, you know where, this 5th of August, 1554.
By your own to use in the Lord for ever,
John Bradford.
Letter 53. Another letter to Master Humphrey Hales and his wife
The ever living and merciful God, our dear Father through Christ, be with you both, my most dearly and entirely beloved in the Lord, now and for ever. I cannot forbear, but signify unto you both, that my heart is careful and heavy for the cross which is come upon you by the heavy and fearful judgment of God, fallen upon your father justly, for his denying of God for fear of man, and love of those things, which he has left behind him unto you and others. God grant his fate may be so imprinted in the hearts of all men, especially of you both, that his fall may be unto you, I will not say rising, for I trust ye are not fallen, but an establishing in the verity of God whereof whoso is ashamed shall at length feel such shame, as I beseech God keep us all from. Happy are they that mark the judgments of God upon others, and come and increase in repentance (Luke, xiii.,) and fear God's wrath and judgments, which are always like himself, if we follow the steps of them whom he punishes. I need not to tell you the cause of this that has happened unto your father, if it is as I with sorrow have heard. For you know well enough that till he forsook God, gave ear to the serpent's counsel, began to mamber (hesitate about, editor) of the truth, and to frame himself outwardly to do that which his conscience reproved inwardly, for that which he mingled with the love of God, I mean, the love of the world, cannot be in any man without the expulsion of God's loveotill then, I say, God did not depart and leave him to himself, for the example of you, and me, and all others, that we should fear even ourselves and our own hands, more than man and all the powers of the world, if we therefore should do anything which should wound our conscience; the conscience, I tell you, is soon wounded, yea, sooner than we are aware of. The devil uses all kinds of deceit to blind us from seeing that which might wound it; but when the stripe is given, then either he still shuts up our eyes with contempt, for our hardenings, or else opens them to bring us to utter despairing. In your father, as you may see the latter, so in many worldly gospellers you may, if you will, see the other. God might deal with all such, as he has now done with your father; but because the time of his judgment is not yet come, his wisdom has thought good to set your father forth as an example to all men; as he did in the first world Cain; in the second world Ham; in the third age Korah, &c.; in Christ's time Judas; in the apostles' time, Ananias, &c.; although none will heartily consider it, but such as are God's children indeed.
But here in comparing your father thus, my dearly and unfeignedly beloved in the Lord, I must pray you not to be offended, or think that I do determinately judge, (to God I leave all judgment,) but because the fruit to us declares no less, to the admonishing of us all, I trust you will accordingly consider my collation (comparison, editor). For your parts, as I think godly of you both, that indeed you are both the children of God, so I pray you comfort yourselves, as David did, though his son Absalom perished so desperately, and though his father-in-law, Ahithophel, father to Bathsheba, as the Hebrews write, perished so miserably. You know Jonathan was not the worse because his father slew himself, nor Bathsheba because of her father Ahithophel; they were both the children of God, and so I am assured, as man can be, that ye are. As they used God's judgments upon their parents, so do you fear God, and love God the more, and fly from those things which in your father you saw displeased God. Oh! that I were with you but one half hour, not only with you to lament, but also, as God should lend me his grace, to comfort you, who by this judgment tries your patience and faith to the comfort of you both, as you shall find I am assured. My dear hearts in the Lord, if I could by any means comfort you, certainly, if my life lay on it I think you should forthwith perceive it; but because I can do no more than I can, therefore as I can I do; that is, to write and to send this messenger, my good friend and brother, with the same, to learn certainly the truth herein, and the condition of your estate. My other letter was made before I knew of this matter. I pray God this, which I understand by report, may be otherwise, but God's good will be done, who gives us patience and comfort in him. To whom I commend you both, even as heartily as any friends I have, in this life of your estate. From my lodgings, you know where, this 8th of August, 1554.
By your own to use in the Lord for ever,
John Bradford.
Letter 54. To Master Shalcrosse and his wife, dwelling in Lancashire
The peace of conscience in Christ, and through faith, in his blood, which surpasses, and is far better than any worldly riches or joy, and is to be redeemed with the loss of the dearest treasures we have, rather than we should lose it; this peace I wish unto you, good Master Shalcrosse, and unto your yoke-fellow, my good sister in the Lord, now and for ever. Amen.
Although I could not hitherto write unto you, yet as I trust you pray for me, so I have not been forgetful of you in my poor prayers to Almighty God, my dear Father through Christ, to whom I give humble praises, that he has given you grace as yet (for so I hear) to keep yourself undefiled in his service, which far differs frown the Romish rags, revived of late, and justly so for our sins and unthankful use of his true religion and holy ceremonies when once again in place and use amongst us. In token whereof (I mean that I have not been forgetful of you) I thought good now, when I may write, to signify the same, as well to renew our mutual love in God, and care one for another by hearty prayer, as to excite and provoke you both to thankfulness for God's graces hitherto, especially in the point before spoken of, and to be diligent and wary that you continue in the same unto the end; for you know that perseverance in godliness and purity is required of us, and that none shall be crowned, but such as fight lawfully. 2 Tim. ii.
Go on therefore, and fight a good fight stoutly and manfully! that is, as you know God is not to be worshipped and served but according to his written word, and not after unwritten verities (traditions, editor), or the device, fantasy, and pleasure of men or women, behave yourself inwardly in God's sight, and outwardly before your brethren. Seem not to approve by your outward man, that which the inward man detests. It is not enough to believe with the heart, except the mouth and fact confess the same: nor is it enough with the mouth to acknowledge a verity, and by our fact and deed to destroy the same. Paul speaks sometimes of deniers of God, not only with their lips and tongue, but also with their deed and life. Let not the world or the greater part of men be an example to you to follow, or do as they do, in the service of God. Christ says, "Follow me," speaking of himself, who is the pattern and sampler we should set before us, and not the world or the more part, which follow the wide and broad way, whose end leads to perdition and everlasting woe; but rather let the example of such as walk in the narrow and strait way, which brings to endless life, encourage you to walk with them, although the number of them is but few, and the persons of them are utterly contemned with the world and in the world. The world cannot love, nor know the children of God, because it cannot receive the Spirit of God; and therefore as the ape thinks of her young ones, so the world thinks her own birds the fairest, contemning with deadly hate all others that will not follow her judgment. But what says Christ? "Be of good cheer; although the world will persecute you, yet I have overcome the world." O! comfortable sentence! "I have overcome the world." This undoubtedly he means for you and me and all others his childrenothat he has overcome the world for us; but by what means? Surely, by suffering, contempt, wrong, false reports, and even very shameful and most bitter death. If he went this way, and won the victory this way, as I trust we know he did, let us as his servants whose state ought not to be above our Master's, not be dismayed by contempt, or wrong, or loss of goods, or of life itself; but rather joyfully suffer the same as men, knowing we have better portions in heaven, and that this is the sure way to most victorious victory. For by many tribulations must we enter into the kingdom of heaven, if we will come thither, except for tribulation's sake we desire with ease and worldly quietness to go to hell. You know that Paul says, All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution; wherefore since you are in Christ Jesus I dare say you will continue, though persecution come to you; being assured that it cannot come except God have so decreed: and if he have so decreed, then you cannot but receive it, or else a cross which will be much worse. Therefore take willingly whatever cross the Lord shall offer, and then the Lord will make you able to bear it, and never try you further than he will make you strong enough to bear. Yea, he will number and keep all the hairs of your head, so that one of them shall not perish. But if you refuse God's cross, especially to suffer the loss of any thing for his sake, who gives you all the good that ever you have, and keeps itoif, I say, you refuse, be certain the plagues of God will be poured down, first on your soul and conscience, by hardening your heart, and blinding your mind, either by bringing you into despair, or into a contempt and carnal security; from whence will ensue loss of the dearest things you have, if God love you, or else he will preserve the same to your eternal destruction. I write not this as distrusting your constancy in God's cause, God forbid, for methinks I am assured of your godly zeal, but I do it as I said, that you may be the more heedful, wary, diligent, and earnestly given to call upon the name of God for his help and grace of perseverance, who is more ready to give than we to ask.
I know this kind of writing is madness to the world, foolishness to reason, and sour to the flesh; but to you which are a man of God, and by profession in baptism have forsaken the world, and consider things according to the reach of faith, and have tasted of the good Spirit of God, and of the life to come; by such a one, I say, as I trust you are, this kind of writing is otherwise esteemed. For here you are but a pilgrim, your home is in heaven, your treasures are hoarded where thieves cannot come to steal them; there is your heart, and therefore you can and will say as the philosopher said, when he was robbed of all he had, "I carry all with me." If he being a heathen considered his riches to be the world's, rather than his, how much more should we so do?
Therefore, my dear brother, prepare yourself accordingly, as you have done, and do, I hope. Read the second of Ecclesiastics, see how he counsels them that will serve God, to prepare themselves for temptation. Often set before your eyes the judgment of Christ, his coming in the clouds, and the resurrection, which is now our comfort, especially in afflictions. I write to you none otherwise than I am persuaded, (I thank God,) and I purpose to go before you. I know there is an eternal life; I hope to be partaker of it through Christ; I know this is the way thither, I mean by suffering. I know, if we suffer with him, we shall reign with him; I know that by the cross, he makes us like to Christ here, that we might be like to him elsewhere; therefore I write to you not words only. And hereupon I am the more earnest, to admonish and to pray you to cleave still to the Lord, and his true religion which you have received, and I for my part am sure that I have preached unto you. For the confirmation whereof, as I am in bonds, so I trust in the goodness of God and his power, to give my life in and for the same, that you and others may be certain, and follow as God shall call you and vouch you worthy. Remember, die you must; but when, you know not, and where and how, it is uncertain to you. Again, you must leave behind you all that you have, Or nothing shall go with you but a good or an evil conscience. Moreover, it is hid from you to whom you shall leave your goods; for you may purpose, but God will dispose; therefore if God will have you to die, or to lose your goods for his cause, how much are you bound to bless God? You may be sure that then you cannot perish, for of all ways to heaven, it is the most sure way. God will preserve your goods, so that your children shall find them, although the wicked spoil every piece of them; for the righteous man's seed I have not seen, says David, beg their bread, but God will bless them unto a thousand generations; which I pray God to remember towards your children for his name's sake. Amen.
Thus will I take you to God, and to his holy words which is able to teach you which way to serve God, and to save you if you believe and love it. If I thought it might do you any good, I would send you a book which James Bradshaw already has, to teach you how you should act, especially concerning the mass. I wrote it since my trouble. Commend me to T. Riddlestone, although I fear he has defiled himself in this false service. I would wish he would read that book, and as you shall advertise me, so I will do in sending to him. I shall pray God to illuminate his eyes with his grace. Commend me to sir W. Charlton, who, I trust, has kept himself pure from idolatry. God grant he may so continue. Written in haste, (as it appears,) from the Counter in the Poultry,
By yours in Christ,
John Bradford.
Letter 55. To my good friends in the Lord, Master R. and his wife
My dearly beloved, I heartily commend me unto you in our common Christ, whom I so call, not that I would make him as common things are, that is, nothing set by, but because by him we are brought into communion, and that as with him so with his Father, and as with his Father so with all God's people, if we are his people, as I trust we are. And therefore I write unto you as one careful, but not so much as I should be, for you, as for them whose well doing comforts me, and is profitable to me, and whose evil doing makes me heavy and wounds me.
The days are come in which we cannot but declare what we are, if we are indeed as we should be, and as I trust we areothat is, if we are Christ's disciples. I mean, we cannot now do as the world does, or say as it says, but as God's church does and says. The world seeks itself, and speaks thereafter; the church of God seeks Christ's glory, and speaks accordingly: the worldlings follow the world, the church children follow their captain Christ; and therefore as they are not known of the world to be as they are, so they are hated, and, if God permit, they are persecuted and slain, which persecution is the true touchstone that separates the true church children from hypocrites, as the wind does the wheat from the chair. And of this, our time and age set very many forth for example, doctrine, and fear, which once were hearty and very zealous, and now are so cold, that they smell nothing of the Spirit; for they are not only afraid to seem to speak with a church child, but also are ashamed, and that not only of them, and so of that which they profess, but also they frame and fashion themselves in all outward behaviour, as in going to church, and hearing mass, so that no man can accuse them for not allowing it or not honouring it as well as the papists, whereas in their hearts they disallow it, and know he same to be nought, at the least they have known it; but halting out of the way may perchance have brought them so far, that now they cannot see the way, they are so far and so long gone astray. For the further and longer a man goes wide of the way; the harder shall it be to recover and see it; and therefore the apostle gives warning thereof, (Heb. xii.) as does Moses, (Deut. xxix.) speaking of men that bless themselves inwardly, while in truth they curse themselves. Read both the chapters, I pray you, and mark the example of Master Hales, who after he consented to seem to allow in outward fact, that which he once knew was evil, was fearfully left of God for our admonition (he refers to Judge Hales, who having been induced to profess popery, was so overcome with remorse and despair that he drowned himself, editor). For albeit, God has not done thus to all that have indeed done that which M. Hales purposed to do, yet in this example he teaches us how fearful a thing it is to wound our conscience, and do anything there against, to offend the godly, and to the comfort of the obstinate.
I write not this to accuse you, or either of you; for as I cannot lightly be persuaded of any such thing of you, so I am assured you hitherto have not done any such thing, for there is yet no great penalty to punish you for not so doing. if you should hare been accused thereof. For he that will do a thing unforced, I cannot hope anything of him, but that he will run apace when he is forced. But of this enough to you, who are to be comforted and exhorted to continue in that pureness of religion which you have, as I think, hitherto received, and by your open, conversation protested. Howbeit, considering how you have heard and read as much as in manner can be spoken herein, (for the scriptures, which of themselves are most perfect herein, you have read and read again,) I think it good to exhort you to use earnest and hearty prayer (as I trust you do,) and then doubtless God will so write what you have read in your hearts, as shall be both comfortable and profitable unto you and others. You shall rejoice in the strait way, which few find, and fewer walk in, but few indeed continue therein to the end. (Matt. vii.) You shall suffer with joy the spoiling of your goods, because the best part of your substance is in heaven. You will set before you the example of Christ, the beginner and ender of your faith, who suffered much more than we can suffer, that we should not be faint-hearted. (Heb. x. xii.) You will rejoice, and greatly, heedful great is your reward in heaven. (Matt. v.) You will be glad that God accounts you worthy to suffer anything for his sake. (Acts iv.) You will set before you the end of this your short cross, and the great glory which will follow the same. (2 Cor. iv.) You will know that it is no small benefit from God to suffer for his sake. (2 Thess. i.) You will know that your sorrow shall be turned to joy. You will know that as God makes you now like to Christ in suffering, so shall you be in reigning; and if you are partakers of affliction, you shall be also of his glory, &c. (Phil. i. John xiv. xvi. Rom. viii.) Lastly, you will know that this is the surest and safest way to heaven, which is called the kingdom of patience. (Rev. i) But because I have written a little treatise hereof, and of the harm of halting with the world in coming to mass, I send them both unto you to peruse and read, and then at your leisure to redeliver them to this bringer, or my man, when I shall send to you for them. In the mean season, I shall as heartily as I can pray to God for you both, my most dear members in the Lord. What said I, as heartily as I can? God forgive me, for I do nothing so well as I might; in that I flatter myself too much; God lay it not to my charge. Indeed I have most cause to pray night and day, and to give thanks night and day for you both. The Lord of mercy in Christ blessed you both, keep you both, and send you both to do as well as I wish for my dearest and best beloved friends and brethren in the Lord. I pray you continue to pray for me, as I doubt not you do, and so give thanks to God for me, for he is good, and his mercy endures for ever. The day will come when we shall meet together, and never part. God send it shortly. Amen.
