DIVINE CONSOLATIONS FOR MOURNERS in SION Being an EXTRACT of certain Choyce EPISTLES OF DYING MARTYRS To each other and to their Fellow Prisoners for the CAUSE OF CHRIST In the Times of Cruell and Fiery Persecution Wherein is much Variety of suitable matter of Meditation for all such who are burthened under the Pressure of their Sins and Sorrows in these EVIL TIMES Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Psal 126.5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Ver. 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him Printed in the Year 1664. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Good Reader AMong all the sweet and precious fruits and graces of the Spirit of God held forth unto us in the Holy Scriptures how much are those of Faith and Love commended unto us as the principal and leading Graces unto all other the sweet fruits of the Spirit wrought in the hearts of the Elect of God To instance two or three places speaking to this purpose The Author to the Hebrews in his Catalogue of Saints Hebr. 11. how highly doth he advance the actings of Faith in their hearts and lives beginning with Abel that blessed Servant of the Lord and Proto-Martyr of the World whom our blessed Lord and Saviour honoureth with the same honour placing his Name in the Front of that blessed Company by the Name of Righteous Abel who had laid down their lives in the Cause Matth. 23.35 and for the Truths of God And for the grace of Love in that of 1 Cor. 8. the beginning whatever Instructions the Apostle had given them before he doth as it were recall himself and let them understand that all would prove as nothing unless it proceed from Love or Charity And further we are taught that although the grace of Faith be first in laying hold of the blessed object even our Lord Jesus who came into the World to save sinners yet this also of Love is by the gracious working of the same good Spirit of God begotten in the Soul even at the same instant of time with that of Faith and from their first appearing come forth as blessed Twins never to part again the same blessed Spirit carrying on the work of Grace in the Soul untill perfected in Glory To this purpose Gal. 5.6 it 's said to be Faith which worketh by Love Also to mention no more 1 Tim. 1.14 The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus A Reverend Messenger of Christ lately compared them to the two Arms that clasped Christ about according to that of the Spouse Cant. 3.5 It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my Soul loveth I held him and would not let him go Never do these precious gifts of the Holy Ghost so affect the hearts of the people of God as when the Saints are drawn forth to cause this Light to shine forth in their lives and actings which usually appears in them most clearly in times of greatest Sufferings How much are we of these times bound unto our gracious God for the innumerable helps the Lord hath this way granted us especially from the unwearied Labours of that man of God of blessed memory Mr. Iohn Fox out of whose rich Volumes this little Treatise following is taken being a particular brief story of him whose Soul as much longed for the Crown of Martyrdome although he passed through the Fire to it as any we reade of from the time of the Primitive Martyrs And notwithstanding the Lord of his Infinite wisedome denyed him that which he so much thirsted for reserving him although in Prison yet to be an Instrument who from his great experiences might Administer sweet Consolations unto others the sweet Saints and Martyrs of Jesus as indeed he did to the refreshing of many a good Soul as by the several excellently Spiritual Epistles of his doth manifestly appear and by which it may undoubtedly be gathered that himself was to be accounted among the blessed number of those that in his Generation loved the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity To those who have tasted how good the Lord is these following Epistles may through mercy prove unto them as that speaking of David did to Ionathan 1 Sam. 18.1 who no sooner heard him but his Soul was knit with the Soul of David and he loved him as his own Soul To this very end is this smal thing drawn out of the aforesaid Volume that the sorrowful Souls of such as are affected with Gods threatnings in this hour of darkness and temptation may finde some refreshing and support to which very end also they were first written by the Auâ—hor God is greatly threatning on every side even us who have sate in peace whilest our Brethâ—en lay bleeding yea were filled with plen y wâ—â—lest they were stripped of their comforts and even brought near to desolation surely we havâ— n t improved our precious opportunities but with Iesurun being waxed fat have lifted up the heel and now may justly fear that our day of visitation is hastening wherein we are like to drink of the Cup of Gods displeasure of which the Nations have begun before us Is not the Lâ—rd now crying aloud as sometimes to Jerusalem Oh New-England Oh Boston When will thou be made clean when will it once be when shall thy Pride and Prophaness Licentiousness Vncleanness and Vnrighteousness with so much cleaving to Self-interest cease to lodge within thee Blessed be the Lord who hath affected the hearts of thy Rulers so as to call for seeking God by Fasting and Prayer being the way and meanes of Gods appointment for the obtaining mercy in the day of thy distress The Lord hear thee in the day of thy seeking Joel 2.13 14. and teach thee to Rent thy heart and not thy garments and turn unto the Lord who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him Oh that God would give his People an heart to hearken to his voice and to turn unto him by unfeigned Repentance for surely they that yet see it not are like shortly to see Amos 5.13.14 15. that this time is a time for the Prudent to keep silence for it is an evil time as the Prophet saith therefore let us seek good and not evil and so the Lord God of Hosts shall be with us Let us hate evil and love good and establish Judgement in the Gate it may be that the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph A Table of the several Epistles and Letters contained in this Book THe effect of John Careles his Examination before Dr. Martin Folio 1 A Letter of Mr. Philpot to John Careles profitable â—o be read of all them which mourn in Repentance for their sins 6 A Letter of John Careles Answering to the loving Epistle or Letter sent to
your good heart my most faithful and dear Brother Tyms to the full quieting of your Conscience and beating back of all the fiery darts of the wicked that you may shortly receive the glorious Crown of Victory and in the same triumph over all your Enemies for evermore Amen I cannot express the exceeding great joy and consolation of my poor heart considering the marvellous works of God most graciously wrought upon you not onely in proving you and trying your Faith by his great and huge Crosses both inwardly and outwardly but also in giving you so great Consolation and Constancy in the midst of the same Faithful is God and true of his Promises Gods Children never tempted above their strength who hath said That he will never suffer his chosen children to be tempted above their strength but in the midst of their temptation will make an out-scape for them by such means as may make to his glory and their everlasting consolation My dear heart great cause have you to be of good comfort for I see in you as lively a token of Gods everlasting love and favour in Jesus Christ as ever I perceived in any man in respect whereof I do even with my heart love honour and reverence you beseeching God for his glorious Name sake in the Bowels and Blood of our Lord and onely Saviour Jesus Christ He confirmeth W. Tims being condemned to the day of his Martyrdome to finish his good work in you as I doubt not but he will do according to his infallible Promises yea I am well assured thereof forasmuâ—h as you have so effectually received his holy Spirit into your heart as a pledg and sure Seal of your eternal Redemption and a Testimony of your Adoption in Christ Jesus For which cause Satan so sore envieth you that he hath now bent all his fierce Ordnance against you thinking thereby utterly to destroy the invincible Fort of your Faith founded most firmly upon the unmoveable Rock CHRIST against the which the Devil Sin nor yet Hell gates shall never prevail Selah Therefore mine own Bowels in the Lord be not discomforted for this your Conflict which doubtless shall greatly increase your Crown of Glory Triumph and Victory but take a good heart unto you and buckle boldly with Satan both in himself and in his subtile Members It is the nature of Gods Children to be tempted It is the very divine Ordinance of God that all his regenerate Children shall be tempted proved and tryed as we see by the Example of our Saviour Christ who as soon as he was Baptized was straightwayes led of the Holy Ghost into the Wilderness there to be tempted of the Devil But there got he such a glorious victory over Satan that he could never since finally prevail against any of his poor Members but in every assault that he maketh either inwardly or outwardly he getteth a foyle and taketh shame so that now he rageth with all the spight possible specially because he knoweth his time is but short James 4. St. James testifieth that he is but a very Coward that will soon flie if he be faithfully resisted And as for his tempting Tools the Lord hath made them manifest unto us so that he cannot deceive us though he assault us Satans tempting tools 2 Cor. 2. for as St. Paul saith his very thoughts are not unknown unto us as it doth in you largely appear praised be the Lords Name therefore You see dear Brother that now to molest you and such as you are that be even passing from this Vale of Misery he hath but two wayes or two pieces of Ordnance to shoot at you Two principal pellets of Satan whereby he assâ—ulteth Gods Servants 1. Fear of sin and death and Infidelity of Gods promises Remedy against Fear and Infidelity with the which he cannot hurt you because you have two bulwarks to defend you The first of these terrible Guns that Satan hath shot at you is the very same that he continually shooteth at me that is to say Fear and Infidelity for the uglysomness of death and horrour of my sins which be so many grievous and great but this Pellet is easily put away with the surer shield of Faith in the most precious death and bloodshedding of our dear Lord and onely Saviour Jesus Christ whom the Father hath given unto us wholy to be ours for evermore and with him hath given us all things as Paul saith So that though we be never so great sinners yet Christ is made unto us Holyness Righteousness and justification He hath clothed us with all his Merits Mercies and most sweet sufferings and hath taken unto him all our misery wretchedness sin and infirmity So that if any should now be condemned for the same it must needs be Iesus Christ which hath taken them upon him But indeed he hath made satisfaction for them to the uttermost jot so that for his sake they shall never be imputed to us if they were a Thousand times so many moe as they be This do you most effectually feel and know dear Brother a great deal better then I can tell you blessed be God therefore And now Satan seeing he cannot prevail with his boisterous Battery against this Bulwark of Faith which doth so quench all his fiery darts that they can do you no harm but rather do you good service to cast you down under the mighty hand of God The second pellet of Satan is confidence and trust in our own good works that he may take you up by his onely grace and power and so you may render him all the glory by Iesus Christ which thing the Enemy cannot abide in no wise therefore he shooteth off his other Piece most pestilent to provoke you to put some part of your trust and confidence in your self and in your own holiness and righteousness that you might that way rob God of his glory Christ of his honour and dignity of his death Remedy against the second Pellet But blessed be the Lord God you have also a full strong Bulwark to beat back this pestiferous Pellet also even the pure Law of God which proveth the best of us all damnable sinners in the sight of God if he would enter into judgement with us according to the severity of the same and that even our best works are polluted and defiled in such sort Isay 64. as the Prophet describeth them With which manner of speaking our free-will Pharisees are much offended for it felleth all mans Righteousness to the ground I had like to have said to the bottom of Hell and extolleth onely the Righteousness of Jesus Christ which is allowed before God and is freely given to all those that firmly believe as blessed be God you do Ah my good brother Tyms Satan hath put his hand in a wrong box when he beginneth to tempt you either to Vain-glory or mistrust for you are an old beaten souldier and have had
presence which will be so much more joyful by how much the absence is more sorrowful Therefore my good Brother take a good heart unto you and be of good chear Say with the Prophet David O my Soul Psal 42. why art thou so heavy and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in God for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his loving countenance and because he is my God Read the 41 42 Psalm for your comfort and consider that the holy King and Prophet at the making and first saying of them was even in the same case that you are now in but he still comforted himself with the sweet promises of God and so do you my dear heart for to you they do as well pertain as they did to him and as surely shall they be performed upon you as they were upon him for he is one God and dear Father unto you both and for his Mercy Truth and Promise sake Gods love goeth not by our deservings but by Faith in Jesus he must needs make good unto you all that he hath said If his love toward you stood in respect of your own merit and worthiness you might well mourn lament and complain yea you had good cause to doubt fear and mistrust but seeing he loveth you onely for and in Jesus Christ who is your whole Holiness Righteousness and Redemption lay away all mourning lamenting and complaining banish from you all fear mistrust and infidelity and know that as long as Christ doth continue Gods Son so long must the love of the Father continue towards you immutable and his good will unchangeable and cannot be altered through any of your infirmities For this is most true that as long as the Cause of any thing doth last so long must the Effect remain but Christâ—s the whole Cause why the Father loveth you and he also continueth for ever Christ onely is the cause why his Father loveth us Then must I needs conclude that the love of the Father continueth towards you for ever and as the Psalmist most joyfully so often singeth His mercy endureth for ever and ever This is most true mine own dear heart although the Lord for a time hide it from your senses that you might be the more earnest in Prayer to him for the feeling of it and also the more thankfull for it when he doth give the lively taste of it Why God sometime hideth himself from us as doubtless he will do ere ever it be long and then shall you be well able to comfort other in the same state that you are now in with the same comfort wherewith you are and further shall be comforted of God Therefore lift up your hands that are now a little fallen down and stretch forth the weak knees of your troubled minde Heb. 12. which now mourneth with a godly mourning and therefore shall it be full well comforted with that sweet peace of God which passeth all understanding and you are sure already to enjoy the blessing that Christ gave unto the godly mourners of Sion upon the mount Eccles 7. at the first Sermon that he made O happy V. in whose mourning company I had rather be then in the house of mirth and banquetting of such as see not what cause they have to mourn and be sorry Measure ought to be in mourning But yet my good Brother use a measure in this your godly mourning and make not your faithful Friends too much sorry for you Let the perswasions of such godly lovers as you do daily company withal or rather the perswasions of the holy Ghost by them move you to some godly mirth and rejoycing Consider that you are commanded by the mouth of Saint Paul Phil. 4. thereto Rejoyce in the Lord saith he and I say again Rejoyce Mark how he doubleth the Sentence that we may perceive it is a most earnest and necessary thing he requireth Obey the Commandment of God in this behalf wherein as you cannot but highly please him so I assure you Example of Christian Charity and compassion towards his afflicted Brother you shall very much rejoyce my poor heart and the hearts of other which pray for you with mourning tears and make that cruel enemy Satan and all your adversaries sorry which will rejoyce and laugh to see you mourn Oh my good Brother let it manifestly appear that the Lord of his great mercy hath heaâ—d our faithful and hearry requests for you Oh how would that rejoyce me in the mids of my troubles Therefore now to conclude because the darkness constraineth me to make an end for this time I say my dear and faithful Brother V. in respect of the great cause you have of your own part through Christ and for the glory and honour of almighty God the comfort joy and rejoycing of your dear Brethren and Sisters in Chrâ—st also your own duety by the Commandment of God and last of all to vex molest and grieve Satan withal Rejoyce in the Lord and be most heartily glad in him who is wholly yours and you are his and shall be for evermore Selah Farewel mine own Bowels in the Lord and praise God with joyful lips and a merry heart and pray for me his most unprofitable Servant which have more cause concerning my self to lament then any one man living but my good bridegroom is present and biddeth me cast away my mourning garments and therefore I must needs be merry with him and so he biddeth you to be by my mouth for he is present with you although for sorrow you cannot know him as Magdalen could not in the garden until he spake unto her The Lord God speak these words of comfort in your heart and open the eyes of your minde that you may perfectly perceive and feel his blessed presence and so rejoyce in the same for evermore Amen Comfort your heart in Christ and cast your care upon him for he careth for you Your Brother in the Lord abiding his good pleasure John Careles To my dear and faithful Brother Augustine Bernher THe peace of God in Jesus Christ the help comfort and assistance of his eternal Spirit be with you my dear and faithful Brother Augustine and with all the rest of my good Brethren and Sisters of the houses of Bâ—xterly and Manceter which mourneth for the misery of Gods People to your everlasting Consolation in him Amen Right glad I am to hear my dear and faithful Brother Augustine that God of his great mercy and infinite goodness hath yet so graciously delivered and preserved you out of your enemies hands beseeching Almighty God also from the bottom of my heart to be your continual defence unto the end as hitherto he hath most graciously been that you may live and dye both to Gods Glory the commodity of his Church and to the increase of your own everlasting joy and comfort in him Know you dear Brother that I
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
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
forget them nor you or any such like The blessing of God be with you all Amen Yours for ever unfeignedly John Careles A Letter of Thanks to a faithfull Friend of his by whom he had received much comfort in his inward troubles BLessed be God the Father of all mercy for the great comfort and Christian consolation which he hath so mercifully ministred unto my poor afflâ—cted heart by your means my most dear and faithful Brother Truly me thinketh your words or rather Gods words by you uttered have a wonderful power and efficacy working in my heart at the hearing or reading of them Rejoyce therefore my dear Brother and be thankful unto God for verily he both is and will be mightily magnified in you and that divers and many wayes both to the strengthning of them that stand in his Truth and also to the raising up of such as are faln from the same God make me thankful for you and on your behalf for verily great is the goodness of God towards me in giving me acquaintance in faithful love and amity with you Gods Name for ever be praised therefore and he perform all his merciful Promises upon you as I doubt not but he will for his sake in whom you trust I thank my God most heartily and also you my good Brother for that you are careful for me in your faithful Prayers remembring my just deserved sorrows as though they were your own and labouring so much to solace the same Ah my gracious good God what am I for whom thou and thy dear Children should be so careful Oh sweet Lord forgive me my great ingratitude and sin and grant that I never abuse thy great benefits Oh let the love of thine Elect which love me for thy sake be a sure sign and token yea a most firm testimony and a seal to my sinful Conscience of thine everlasting love and mercy towards me in Christ as verily it would and ought to be if mine infidelity did not let it Oh circumcise therefore the fore-skin of my heart that I may with lively Faith behold thy great love towards me in all thine Elect that I may alwayes be thankful for the same and love thee and them again most heartily and unfeignedly Ah my dear heart how sweetly and how truly yea how godly and how comfortably have yov rehearsed the sweet saying of Solomon concerning prosperity with true and godly friends What a treasure a trusty friend is I will joyn with it the Sentence which goeth a little before for doubtless it may be well verified on you A sure friend saith the Wise-man will be unto thee even as thine own Soul and deal faithfully with thy houshold folk If thou suffer trouble and adversity he is with thee and hideth not his face from thee A faithfull friend is a strong defence whose findeth such an one findeth a treasure A faithfull friend hath no peer the weight of gold is not to be compared to the goodness of his faith A faithfull friend is a medicine of life and they that fear the Lord shall finde him c. Lo my dear heart in the Lord here is a lively image or description of you for verily such an one have I alwayes found you unto me not onely sorrowing for my great sorrow but also oftentimes making me merry and joyful with such joyes as the world cannot feel There is no true friendship but amongst the godly Now let the world brag of his feigned friendship but I will boast of this true friendship in God and esteem it a more treasure then all transitory things And as for my mourning dear Brother God hath made you to turn it unto mirth for God hath put you in the stead of them to be my Comfort whom he hath in his great mercy taken away I trust henceforth to leave the mourning for my great loss and to praise God for gaining unto himself so great glory by his chosen children God make me a true mourner of Sion both for mine own sin and wickedness and also to see his honour defaced that I may be made meet and apt to hear the joyful and comfortable message that your beautiful feet shall bring me God bless thee my dear heart and faithful loving Brother and increase his good gifts of grace in thee as he hath most happily begun that you may daily more effectually feel and lively perceive the certainty of Gods grace wherein you stand and firmly to testifie the same to the Conversion or Confounding of all gainsayers and to the comfort and confirmation of all Gods dear children Amen Farewel mine own sweet Brother farewel as mine own heart Your own in Christ John Careles Another Letter of John Careles to a certain godly faithful Sister by the Name of E. K. THe grace and free mercy of God in Jesus Christ the sweet Consolations of the holy Ghost the guide of all Gods dear Children be with you strengthen and comfort you my dearly beloved sweet Sister E. K. now and ever Amen Albeit my dearly beloved Sister in Christ that as yet we did never see one another personally to any knowledge yet by the virtuous report that I have heard of you and also by the large loving Token that I have received from you methink that I do even presently see you and behold your person faithfully walking in the fear and love of God joying and rejoycing with you in the Spirit as though we were sweetly talking together of Christs Verity The Lord God do I humbly beseech in the bowels and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that he will strengthen us both with his holy and mighty Spirit that we may constantly continue in the confession of his Truth unto the end that like as we now see one another presently in Spirit we may also see one another personally in the glorious presence of God and his holy Angels where undoubtedly we shall know one anothers personage to our great joy felicity and endless Comfort Preparation to the Cross And now therefore dear Sister K. be strong in the Lord our God for doubtless the time of triall is at hand a great persecution with cruel Murthering of Gods dear Saints is like to be very shortly in this woful wicked Realm of England Therefore dear Sister for the love of God prepare you to the Cross with all diligence and make your self ready to dye with Christ that you may also live with him for ever There is no remedy if you will be Christs disciple you must needs take up your Cross and follow him for the Disciple must not look to be above his Master nor the Servant to be better intreated then his Lord. If we were of the World good Sister no doubt the world would love us But forasmuch as Christ hath chosen us out of the world to serve God in Spirit Verity let us be well assured the World will hate us and persecute us as it hath done our
his glory the which above all other things we that are his chosen children ought for to seek yea even with the loss of our own lives being yet well assured that the same shall not be shortned one minute of an hour before the time that God hath appointed Cast therefore dear Sister all your care upon the Lord which as S. Peter saith careth for you Great is his Providence for you and mighty is his love and mercy towards you with his grace he will defend you and with his holy Spirit he will evermore guide you wherewith he hath surely sealed you unto the day of Redemption He hath also given you the same in earnest for the recovery of the purchased Possession which he hath prepared for you before the foundation of the world was laid Be strong therefore and take a good heart as I hear say you be God for ever be blessed for you which hath graft his love in your good heart that nothing is able to separate you from the same but will rather chuse to suffer adversity with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little season Oh happy woman that canst finde in thine heart to esteem the rebukes of Christ to be greater riches then all the treasures of the world as good Moses did Doubtless great is your reward in Heaven which you shall shortly receive of his free gift and not of any deserving Thus dear Mother Glascock I have been bold to trouble you with my rude and simple Letters desiring you to take them in good worth being done in great haste as it doth appear but yet proceeding from a poor heart which floweth over in love towards you as my daily prayers for you can testifie which I trust shall supply that part of my duty towards you that my Pen now wanteth I thank you dear heart for all your loving Tokens and for the great kindness you have hitherto shewed unto my poor Brother Tyms and his Wife and Children with all other of Gods people to whom you daily do good the Lord recompence the same sevenfold into your bosome as I doubt not but he will according to his infallible Promises I pray you have my hearty commendations unto your Husband I beseech the Lord strengthen him in the Confession of his Truth as my trust is that he will that we may all joyfully rest with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of God unto the which he bring us that with his most precious blood hath bought us The Blessing of God be with you now and ever Amen Your daily Orator and unfeigned Lover John Careles Prisoner of the Lord Pray pray pray A brief Admonition written by John Careles to Mrs. Agnes Glascock in a Book of hers when she came to the Prison to visit him THere is nothing that the holy Scripture throughout doth so much commend unto us as true Faith and stedfast trust in the Promises of Gods eternal mercies towards us in Jesus Christ For from the same as forth of the chief Fountain and Well-spring of life do flow all kindes of virtues and godly fruits specially true love towards God in the which we ought purely to serve him all the dayes of our life and also Christian Charity towards our Neighbours as well to help them at all needs as also not to hurt them by any means Therefore pray earnestly for the increase of faith and lively feeling of Gods mercy for all things are possible to him that can undoubtedly believe The effects of Faith Faith is that thing which assureth us of Gods mercy and whereby we vanquish all the fiery darts of the Devil Our victory that overcometh the world The knife that killeth and mortifieth the flesh and finally that which setteth us at peace with God and quieteth our Consciences alwayes before him and maketh us merry and joyfull under the Cross with many moe things then I can now express Pray therefore for faith in faith And for the Lords sake beware of Popery and Popish Idolatry the Idol of the wicked Mass and other Idolatrous Service Make not your body which is a member of Christ a member of Antichrist Remember that we shall receive of God according to that we do in the body be it good or evil Therefore glorifie God in your body which is dearly bought Betray not the Truth lest the Lord deny you If God be God follow him You cannot serve two Masters I write not this as doubting you but by the way of Admonition God keep you from all evil My Sister dear God give you grace With stedfast Faith in Christ his Name His Gospel still for to embrace And live according to the same To dye therefore think it no shame But hope in God with faithfull trust And he will give you praise with fame When you shall rise out of the dust For which most sweet and joyfull day To God with faith your Prayer make And think on me I do you pray The which did write this for your sake And thus to God I you betake Who is your Castle and strong Rock He keep you whether you sleep or wake Farewell dear Mistris A. Glascock An other Letter of John Careles to Mrs. A. G. to comfort her in her repentance after she had been at Mass fruitful for all them to be read which have fallen and are to be raised up again THe peace of God in Jesus Christ the eternal comforts of his sweet Spirit be with you and strengthen and comfort you my dear and faitâ—ful Sister Amen Although the perillous dayes be come whereof Christ prophesied that if it were possible the very elect should be deceived yet let the true faithful Christians rejoyce and be glad knowing that the Lord himself is their keeper who will not suffer one hair of their heads to perish without his almighty good will and pleasure neither will suffer them to be further tempteâ— then he will give them strength to bear but will in the midst of their temptations make a way for them to escape out So good and gracious a God is he to all his chosen Children And though sometimes he do let his elect stumble and fall yet no doubt he will raise them up again to the further increase of their comfort and to the setting forth of his glory and praise Which thing my dear and faithful loving Sister I trust shall be well verified on you for I do hear say that by the manifold allurements inticements procurements yea and inforcements that you dear heart have had your foot hath chanced to slip forth of the way to the great discomfort of your Soul and the heaviness of your heart But my good Sister be of good chear for the Lord will not so leave you but he will raise you up again and make you stronger then ever you were so that your fall shall turn to his glory your profit For if you had not by this proved the experience of your
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