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MY Christiā friend if I had sooner knowne of your heaui∣nes, I would before this haue written vnto you. For the more argu∣ments we haue of loue borne vs by Gods chil∣dren, the more testimo∣nies we haue of his fa∣uour towards vs. It pleased God in Decem∣ber last, to change his hand toward you, and to touch you in your wife, whom now hee hath againe visited, & I hope all with both your
cōforts. Truly our God (through Christ Iesus is so mercifull, yt all things are sanctified by him vnto our good, all affli∣ctions though for the present not ioyous, yet they bring vs afterward the quiet fruit of righ∣teousnesse. These euils which here euer and a∣non are present with vs they are fitly cōpared to wayward & touchie guests, which while they stay, watch euery officer, but when they depart, they pay freely. So it is with these, they oftentimes disquiet the frame of the whole
soule, but when they go away they leaue en∣crease of grace, of faith, of patience, of ex∣perience, that the soule saith well, it is good I knew these things. But the present working of sorrowes seemeth often farre otherwise: for in stead of encreasing in faith, our faith seemeth to bee shaken and wea∣kened, rather then o∣therwise; and in stead of breeding patience and holines, our soules doe discouer more im∣patiencie, rebellion, more vnholinesse eue∣ry way. Now the soule
thinketh when thus it is shaken in beleefe, how doe these crosses confirme faith? and when such euill dwel∣ling in vs doth breake out, how (saith the soule to it selfe) doe afflicti∣ons beget the quiet fruit of righteousnesse? I wil answere you these questions familiarly: when faith is shaken by euils befalling vs, you aske how it is confir∣med? I answere you by a double comparison: When a linke burneth dimme, to helpe the light, we knocke it, be∣ing beaten to any thing
it seemeth almost to go forth; yet this beating it, doth cause it cast light farre more cleere∣ly. Againe, how doth the shaking of a tree by stormy blasts settle the root and the tree more firmely, though for a while it threaten the downefall? Conceiue of these, and you may vnderstand, how faith though it seeme to bee cast downe, yet tried by tentations it com∣meth to bee streng∣thened. Now then if you aske, how they bring forth encrease of righteousnesse, seeing
you see more vnrighte∣ousnesse breake from you by occasion of thē, then you haue obser∣ued in your selfe here∣tofore. When a vessell of any liquor, hath mud and dregs setled in the bottome, it must bee stirred, that which seemed pure must bee made muddie before it can bee cleansed: euen so his troubling of vs, vessels full of vnclean∣nesse, is the way where∣by God doth cleanse vs. Now if God bee so tenderly present by vs, as it pleaseth him ere-while to be, it falleth so
out that much gold, many precious graces are discerned, which wee before could not discouer: and these are such sweete sowers, so pleasantly tempered, that the griefe is not so bitter, as the working of grace in vs is de∣lightfull. But what way soeuer, calamities doe not so hurt vs, as scarre vs; vs who are lo∣ued of God, and called home according to his purpose. Thus wishing your peace, and hoping yt all shall turn to good, the good of you both, I cease to trouble you.