Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 39 · Letter 9
*To my deare brother. T. V.
THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ, the continuall comfortes of his most pure and holy spirite,An other letter of Iohn Careles wherein he comforteth the afflicted minde of a certayne good brother mourning for lacke of Gods feeling. be wt you my most deare frend and faythfull brother U. to the increase of your fayth, and comfort of your sorrowful spirite, which is to the father a sweete sacrifice, through chryst for whose sake he will neuer despise your humble and contrite hart, but doth fauourably accept the same, and wil in most ample wise performe the desire thereof, to his glorye your eternall comfort in him.
In the mids of my manifold crosses & troubles, wherin I am constrayned to flee vntounto God for refuge & succour by earnest & faithful prayer, I cannot forget you my deare hart in ye Lord) but esteeming your state for mine owne, I do poure forth my complaynt for you, as I do for my selfe & rather more, as I thinke present neede doth require, desiring most hartily to heare the good successe of the same in you. The lord God for his great mercies sake, accomplish my desire, as I doubt not but he wil, when he seeth it good and most to his glory, and to your comforte and commoditie. Oh that I might once see you so merry in Christ, as you hauehave iust cause to be, that you might say with Dauid: Awake my glory, awake Lute and Harpe, Psalm. 57.bring forth the Psalter with the merry song, that I might sing a newe song of prayse and thankesgeuing vntounto the Lord, Psalm. 45.for the light of his fauourable coū tenaunce his helpe, and deliueraunce. Oh, that would refresh me as a most precious oyle, and gladden my poore heart, whiche is assaulted with sorrow, moe wayes then one.Comfort for a sicke conscience. I doubt not but the same shal by your meanes receiue much comfort, though for a time it doth mourne with you, that we may be made both glad together,Math. 9. yea & that with such gladnes as shal continue for euer. But in the meane space (I saye) most happy are you, that so hartily mourne ye absence of the bridegrome. If you were not a wedding child, you could neuer doe it. OnelyOnly Christes true Disciples doe mourne for his absence: therefore shall they doubtles reioyce at his presence, which will be so muche more ioyfull, by how much the absence is more sorrowfull.
Therfore, my good brother, take a good hart vntounto you, & be of good cheare. Say with the Prophet Dauid: O my soule why art thou so heauy, Psalm. 42.and why art thou so disquieted with in me? O put thy trust in God, for I will yet geue him thankes for the helpe of his louing countenance, and because he is my God. Read the Psal, the xli. and the xlij. for your comfort, & consider that the holy kng and Prophet, at the making & first saying of them, was euē in the same case that you are now in: but he still comforted himselfe with the sweet promises of God: and so do you my deare hart, for to you they do as well pertayne, as they did to him, and as surely shall they be performed vponupon you, as they were vponupon him: for he is one God and deare father vntounto you both, & for his mercy, truth, and promise sake, he must needes make good vntounto you all that he hath sayd.
If his louelove towardes you, stoode in the respect of your own merite or worthines,Gods louelove goeth not by our deseruinges, but by fayth in Iesus. you might well mourne, lamēt and complayne: yea, you had good cause to doubt, feare, & mistrust. But seeing he loueth you onelyonly for and in Iesus christ, who is your whole holines, righteousnesse, and redemption: lay away all mourning, lamenting, and complayning: banish from you all feare, mistrust and infidelitie, and know that as long as Christ doth continue Gods sonne, so lōg must the louelove of the father continue towards you immutable, and his good will vnchangeable, and can not be altered through any of your infirmities. For this is most true,Christ onelyonly is the cause why his father loueth vsus. that as long as the cause of any thinge doth last, so long must the effect remayne: but Christ is ye whole cause, why the father loueth you, and hee also continueth for euer: then must I needes conclude, that the louelove of the father continueth towardes you for euer, and (as ye Psalmist most ioyfully so often singeth) His mercye endureth for euer and euer.
This is most true, mine owne deare hart, although ye Lorde for a time hide it from your senses, that you might be the more earneste in prayer to him for the feeling of it, & also the more thankefull for it when he doth geue ye liuely tast of it,Why God somtyme hydeth himselfe from vsus. as doubtles he will do ere euer it be long: and then shall you be well able to comforte other in the same state that you are now in, with the same comforte wherewith you are and further shalbe comforted of God.
Therefore lifte vp youre handes that are now a little fallen downe, and stretche forth the weake knees of youre troubled minde,Heb. 12. whiche now mourneth wt a godly mourning, and therefore shal it be full well comforted with that sweete peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding: and you are sure already to enioy the blessing that Christ gaue vntounto the Godly mourners of Sion vppon the Mount, at the first sermon yt he made.Eccle. 7. Measure ought to be in mourning. Oh happy U. in whose mourning company I had rather be, then in the house of mirth and banqueting of such as see not what cause they hauehave to mourne and be sory. But yet my good brother, vse a measure in this your godly mourning, & make not your faithfull frendes too much sory for you. Let the perswasions of such godly louers as you do dayly company withal, or rather the perswasions of the holy Ghoste by them, moue you to some godly mirth and reioising. Consider that you are commaunded of God by the mouth of Sainct Paule, thereto: Reioyce in the Lord (sayth he) and I say again reioyce. Marke how he doubleth the sentence,Phil. 4. that wee may perceaue it is a most earnest and necessary thing he requireth. Obey the commaundement of God in this behalfe: wherin as you cannot but highly please him, so I assure you, you shall very much reioyce my poore hart, and the harts of other whiche pray for you with mourning teares,Example of Christian charit…e and compas…on toward … afflicted brother. and make that cruell enemy Sathan and all your aduersaryes sory, which will reioyce and laugh to see you mourne. Oh my good brother, let it manifestly appeare, that the Lorde of his great mercy hath heard our faythfull and harty requestes for you, Oh how would that reioyce me in ye midst of my troubles?
Therfore now to conclude, because the darkenes constrayneth me to make an end for this time, I say, my deare & faithful brother U. in respect of the great cause you hauehave of your own part through Christ, & for the glory and honor of almighty God: the comfort, ioy, and reioysing of your deare brethren and sisters in Christ: also your owne duetie by the commaundement of God: and last of all to vexe, molest, and greeue Satan withall, reioyce in the lord and be most hartily glad in him, who is wholy yours, and you are his and shalbe for euermore. Selah.
Farewel mine own bowels in the Lord, & praise God with ioyfull lips & a mery hart, & pray for me his most vnprofitable seruant, which hauehave more cause concerning my selfe, to lament, then any one man liuing: but my good bridegrome is present, & biddeth me cast away my mourning garmentes, and therfore I must needes be merry wt him: and so he biddeth you to be, by my mouth, for hee is present wt you, although for sorow you cannot know him, as Magdalen could not in the garden, vntill he spake vntounto her. The Lorde God speake these wordes of comforte in your hart, & open ye eyes of your minde, that you may perfectly perceiue and feele his blessed presence, & so reioyce in the same for euermore. Amen. Comfort your hart in christ, and cast your care vponupon him, for he careth for you.
Your brother in the Lord, abiding his good pleasure, Iohn. Careles.