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LETTER XXIII. [Right Reasons in Suffering.]
To my dearly Beloved, the Flock of Christ in Taun∣ton, Grace and Peace:
Most loving and dearly Beloved,
I Know not what thanks to render to you, nor to God for You, for all the unexpressable love which I have found in you toward me; and not terminatively to me, but to Christ in me; for I believe it is for his sake, as I am a Mes∣senger and Embassador of his to You, that you have loved me and done so much every way for me; and I think I may say of Taunton as the Psalmist of Jerusalem, If I forget thee, let my right hand forget her cunning, if I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. I would not, my dear Brethren, that You should be dejected or discouraged at the Late disappointments: For through the goodness of God I am not, but rather more satisfied than before: and this I can truly say, nothing doth sadden me more than to see so much sadness in your faces. As on the contrary nothing doth comfort me so much, as to see your Chear and Cou∣rage. Therefore I beseech you, Brethren, faint not be∣cause of my Tribulation, nor of Gods delays, but streng∣then the hands, and the feeble knees. And the Lord bolster up your hands, as they did the hands of Moses, that they may not fall down till Israel do prevail. Let us fear lest there be some evil among us, that God being angry with us, doth send this farther tryal upon us. Pray earnestly for me lest the eye of the most jealous God should discern that in me which should render me unfit for the mercy You desire. And let every one of you search his heart, and search his house to