An other letter of M. Philpot, to certaine godlye wo∣men, forsaking their owne countrey for the Gospell: full of frutefull precepts and lessons for all good women.
* 1.1THe spirite of truthe, reuealed vnto you my dearely beloued, by the Gospell of oure Sauiour Iesus Christe, be continually abiding with you, and augmented into a perfect building of you into the liuely temple of God, through the mighty operation of hys power. Amen.
I reade in the Euangelistes, of certaine Godly women, that ministred vnto Christ, folowing him in the daies of his Passion, and neuer forsoke him, but being dead in his graue, brought oyl to annoynt him, vntill that he had shewed himselfe vnto them af∣ter his resurrection, and bidden them shewe vnto his Disciples, which at his Passion were dispearsed, and tell them that he was ri••en, and that they shoulde see him in Galile. To whome I may iustly compare you (my louinge Sisters in Christe) who of late haue seene him suffer in his mēbers, and haue ministred to theyr necessity, annoynting them with the comfortable oyle of your charitable assistance, euen to the death: and now since yee haue seene Christ to liue in the ashes of them, whome the tyrans haue 〈◊〉〈◊〉, he willeth you to go away vpon iust occasion offred you, and to declare to our dispearsed brethren and sisters, that he is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and liueth in his electe members in Englande, and by death doth ouercome infidelitye, and that they shall see him in Galile, which is by forsaking this world, and by a faithful desire to passe out of this world by those waies which he with his holy Martyrs hath gone on before.
God therfore (entire sisters) directe your way, as he did Abra∣ham & Tobias vnto a strange land: God geue you health both of body and soule, that ye may go from vertue to vertue,* 1.2 and grow from strength to strength, vntil yee may see face to face the God of Syon in his holy hil, with the innumerable companye of hys blessed Martyrs and Saintes. Let there be continuall ascensions vnto heauen in your hearts. Let there be no decrease of any ver∣tue, which is already planted in you. Be as the light of the iuste, such as Salomon saith, increaseth to the perfect day of the Lord. Let the strength of God be commended in your weake vessels, as it is. Be examples of faith and sobrietie, to al that ye shal come in company with all. Let your godly conuersation speake where your toung may not, in the congregation. Be swift to heare, and slow to speake, after the counsell of S. Iames. Be not curious a∣bout other mens doings, but be occupied in praier, and cōtinu∣al meditation, with reuerent talking of the word of God, wyth∣out contention amongst the Saintes. Lette your faith shine in a straunge countrey, as it hath done in youre owne, that your fa∣ther which is in heauen, may be glorified by you to the ende.
This farewel I send you, not as a thing nedefull, (which know already what your duety is, & be desirous to performe the same) but as one that would haue you vnderstand that he is mindeful of your godly conuersation, wherof he hath had good experiēce and therfore wryteth this to be as a perpetual memorial betwixt you and him, vntil our meeting together before God, where we shall ioy that we haue here louingly put one an other in memory of our duetie to performe it.
Farewell againe, mine owne bowels in Christ, and take me with you where soeuer you goe, and leaue your selues wyth me, that in spirite we may be present one with an other. Commende me to the whole congregation of Christe, willing them not to leaue their countrey without witnesse of the Gospell, after that we al be slaine, which already be stalled vp and appoynted to the slaughter, and in the meane season to praye earnestly for our cō∣stancie, that Christ may be glorified in vs, and in them bothe by life and death. Farewel in the Lord.
Yours for euer, Iohn Philpot.