Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 18 · Letter 11
To his friend and faithfull brother in the Lord Maister Robert Harrington.
GEntle M. Harrington, I can not tell what condigne thanks I may geue vntounto God for you,An other letter of Iohn Philpot to M. Harrington his friend. in respecte of ye great gentlenesse and paine which you hauehave taken for the reliefe of me and of other our afflicted brethren in Christe. God be praised for his mercy, whose louing prouidēce we hauehave seene towardes vsus by such faithful stewardes as you ben towards a great many. Blessed be you of God for the louing care whiche you hauehave taken for his poore flocke. God hath reserued your reward of thanks in heauen, and therfore I goe not about to render you any, least I might seeme to iudge, yt you looked for that heere, which is reserued to a better place. I thanke God for that I hauehave found by your faithfull and diligent industry, & God forgeue me my vnworthinesse for so great benefites. God geue mee grace to serue him faithfully, & to runne out my race with ioy. Glorious is the course of the martyrs of Christ at this day. Neuer had the electes of God a better time for theyr glory then this is. Nowe may they be assured vnderunder the crosse, that they are Christes disciples for euer.
Mee thinke I see you desiring to be vnderunder the same. The flesh draweth backe, but the spirite sayeth,Iohn. 21. it muste be brought whether it would not. Here is the victorie of the world: here is true faith and euerlasting glory. Who is he which desireth not to be foūd faithfull to his maister? And now is the time that eueryevery faithfull seruant of Christ hath iust oportunitie to shew himselfe a glorious soldior in the Lordes sight. Nowe doe the Amalechites inuade the true Israelites, that the Israelites might with spede be glorified. I neede not, for want of vnderstanding, to admonish you hereof, but as a willing souldiour in Christ, to exhort you so to runne as you may get the victory, and that speedely with vsus. A man yt is bid to a glorious feast, wisheth his frend to go wt him & to be partaker thereof. God doth cal me most vnworthy, amōg other, to drink of the bridecup of his sonne, wherby we shalbe made worthy (as many of our brethrē hauehave ben before vsus) to sit at ye right hād & at the left hand of Christ. O what vnspeakable cōdition is that? May any worldly thing stay vsus from the desire therof? Since we seeke the kingdome of God, why do we not apprehend it, being so neare offered vntounto vsus?
Let vsus approch neare vntounto God, and God will draw neare vntounto vsus. God drawe vsus after him, that we may all runne after the sauour of his sweete oyntmentes. Christe annoynt vsus, that we may be suppled in these euil daies to run lightly vntounto the glory of the Lord. Shame, imprisonment, losse of goods, and shedding of our bloud, be the iust price which we must willingly bestow for the same. Wherfore (dearly beloued in the Lord) let not the great charges keepe you backe frō bying this glory:Reward greater then the price. for the reward is x. thousand fold greater then the price.
That you hauehave married a wife, whome God blesse, I can not excuse you from this Marte, but you must bryng your wife for a vsurie to the Lorde, whose pleasure is in godly yokefelows.Godly Matrimony how to be vsed. I wish you to be as I am, except these horrible bandes, but yet most comfortable to the spirit, assuring you that we are made woorthy thorough Christ, of the kingdome for the which we suffer. Praised be ye Lorde for the affliction which we suffer, and he geue vsus strength to continue to the ende.
Commend me to M. Heath, & tel him that I woulde wish him wt me, to prooue howe apt he is to cary the crosse of Christ. I praye for his continuāce in Christ, as for mine owne. Commend me to his wife and to mistres Hal, certifying them that I am brought to the gates of hel, that I might neuer enter into the same, but be raised vp from hel to heauen, through ye word that sanctifieth vsus. Commend me to M. Elsing & his wife, and thank them that they remēbred to prouide me some ease in prison, & tell them that though my Lordes Colehouse be but very blacke, yet it is more to be desired of ye faithfull, then the Queenes palace. God make her a ioyful mother, & preserue them both to ye comfort of gods people. Thus for this time, farewel dear brother. Written in posthast because of strait keeping.
This daye I looke to be called before the Commissioners againe. Pray (deare brother) for the spirite of wisedome to remaine with me. Commēd me to your wife, and I thanke you both for your tokens. Your token I hauehave sent to your wife, and my token vntounto you, is my faithfull hart wt this letter. Commend me to all my frends, and tell them, I thanke God, I am chereful in Christ, wishing thē to feare God more then man, and to learne to despise earnestly the vanities of this worlde: desiring you all to pray for me, that I may end my iourney with fidelitie. Amen.
Iohn Philpot.