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I was in your condition; I had but two children, and both are dead since I came hither. preme and absolute Former of all things, giveth not an account of any of his matters. The good hus

bandman may pluck his roses, and gather in his lilies at mid-summer, and, for aught I dare say, in the beginning of the first summer-month; and he may transplant young trees out of the lower ground to the higher, where they have more of the sun, and a more free air, at any season of the year. What is that to you or me? the goods are his own. The Creator of time and winds did a merciful injury, if I dare borrow the word, to nature, in landing the passenger so early. They love the sea too well, who complain of a fair wind and a desirable tide, and a speedy coming ashore, especially a coming ashore in that land where all the inhabitants have everlasting joy upon their heads. He cannot be

too early in heaven; his twelve hours were not short hours. And withal, if you consider this, had you been at his bed-side, and should have seen Christ coming to him, you would not, you could not have adjourned Christ's free love, who would want him no longer. And dying in another land, where his mother could not close his eyes, is not much. The whole earth is his Father's; any corner of his Father's house is good enough to die in. It may be, the living child (I speak not of Mr. Hugh) is more grief to you than the dead. You are to wait on, if at any time God shall give him repentance: Christ waited as long possibly on you and I, certainly longer on me and if he should deny repentance to

him, I could say something to that; but I hope better things of him. It seemeth that Christ will have this world your step-dame: I love not your condition the worse; it may be a proof that you are not a child of this lower house, but a stranger. Christ seeth it not good only, but your only good, to be led thus to heaven; and think this a favour, that he hath bestowed upon you free, free grace, that is, mercy without hire; ye paid nothing for it: and who can put a price upon any thing of royal and princely Jesus Christ? And that God hath given to you to suffer for him the spoiling of your goods, esteem it as an act of free grace also: you are no loser, having himself; and I persuade myself, if you could prize Christ, nothing could be bitter to you. Grace, grace be with you.

Your brother and well-wisher,

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Worthy Friend,

GRACE be to you.

I do unwillingly write unto you of that which God hath done concerning your son-in-law; only I believe, you look not below Christ, and the highest and most supreme act of Providence, which moveth all wheels. We see God's decrees, when they bring forth their fruits, all actions, good and ill, sweet and sour, in their time; but we see not presently the after-birth of

God's decree, namely, his blessed end, and the good that he bringeth out of his holy and spotless counsel. We see sorrow: the end of his counsel and working lieth hidden and underneath the ground, and therefore we cannot believe. Even amongst men, we see hewn stones, timber, and a hundred scattered parcels and pieces of a house, all under tools, hammers, and axes, and saws; yet the house, the beauty and ease of so many lodgings and rooms, we neither see nor understand for the present, these are but in the mind and head of the builder, as yet. We see red earth, unbroken clods, furrows, and stones; but we see not summer lilies, roses, and the beauty of a garden. If ye give the Lord time to work, (as often he that believeth not maketh haste, but not speed,) his end is under the ground; and ye shall see it was your good, that your son hath changed dwelling-places, but not his Master. Christ thought good to have no more of his service here, yet, Rev. xxii. 3. "His servants shall serve him." He needeth not us nor our service, either in earth or in heaven; but ye are to look to Him who giveth the hireling both his leave and his wages; for his naked aim and purpose to serve Christ, as well as for his labours, it is put up in Christ's account. Such a labourer did sweat forty years in Christ's vineyard; howbeit he got not leave to labour so long, because he who accepteth of the will for the deed, counteth None can teach the Lord to lay an account; he numbereth the drops of rain, and knoweth the stars by their names. It would take us much studying, to give a name to every star in the firmament,

SO.

great or small. See Lev. x. 3. " And Aaron held his peace:" ye know his two sons were slain, whilst they offered strange fire to the Lord. Command your thoughts to be silent; hear the rod, what it preacheth; and see the name of God, Micah vi. 9. and know that there is somewhat of God and heaven in the rod. The majesty of the unsearchable and bottomless ways and judgments of God is not seen in the rod; and the seeing of them requireth the eyes of the man of wisdom. But he can do no wrong, he cannot halt; his goings are equal, who hath done it. I know our Lord aimeth at more mortification; let him not come in vain to your house, and lose the pains of a merciful visit. God, the Founder, never melteth in vain; howbeit, to us, he seemeth often to lose both fire and metal. know ye are more in this work than I can be. is no cause to faint or weary. Grace be with you;

But I

There

and the rich consolations of Jesus Christ sweeten your cross, and support you under it. I rest,

Yours in his Lord and Master,

London, Oct. 15, 1645.

S. R.

Loving Sister,

To MRS. HUME.

GRACE, mercy and peace be to you. If you have any thing better than the husband of your youth, you are Jesus Christ's debtor for it; pay not then your debts with grudging. Sorrow may dimi

it so.

nish from the sweet fruit of righteousness; but quietness, silence, submission, and faith, put a crown upon your sad losses. You know whose voice the voice of a crying rod is, Micah vi. 9. The name and majesty of the Lord is written on the rod; read, and be instructed. Let Christ have the room of the husband; he hath now no need of you, or of your love, for he enjoyeth as much of the love of Christ, as his heart can be capable of. I confess it is a dear-bought experience, to teach you to undervalue the creature; yet it is not too dear, if Christ think I know, that the disputing of your thoughts against his going thither, the way and manner of his death, the instruments, the place, the time, will not ease your spirits, except ye rise higher than second causes, and be silent, because the Lord hath done it. If we measure the goings of the Almighty, and his ways, the bottom whereof we see not, we quite mistake God. O how little a portion of God see we! He is far above our narrow thoughts; he ruled the world in wisdom, ere we, creatures of yesterday, were born; and shall rule it, when we shall be lodging beside the worms and corruption. Only learn heavenly wisdom, self-denial, and mortification, by this sad loss: I know, that it is not for nothing (except you deny God to be wise in all he doth,) that you have lost one in earth. There hath been too little of your love and heart in heaven, and therefore the jealousy of Christ hath done this. It is a mercy that he contendeth with you and all your lovers: I should desire no greater favour for myself, than that Christ laid a necessity, and took on such

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