Love's letters, his and hers, to each other,: a little before his death.

M^rs Love's Letter to her Husband.

Sweet heart,

BEfore I write further, I beseech you think not that it is your wife but a friend that now writeth to thee: I hope thou hast freely given up thy Wife and Children to that God that said Ier. 49.11. Leave thy Children, I will preserve them, and let thy widows trust in me: thy Maker shall be thy Hus∣band: On that the Lord would keep thee from having one troub∣led thought about thy relations; I desire to give thee freely up into thy Fathers hands, and not only look upon it as a Crown of Glory for thee to die for Christ, but as an honour for me that I should have a Husband to leave for Christ: I dare not speak to thee, nor have a thought within my self of my unspeakable losse, but wholly keep my eye fixed upon the unspeakable and unconceiva∣ble gain. Thou leavest but a sinfull mortall Wife, to be everlastingly married to the Lord of Glory, thou leavest but Children, and Bre∣thren, and Sisters, to go to the Lord Jesus thy elder brother; thou leavest friends to go to the enjoyment of holy Angels, and of the spirits of Just men made perfect; thou dost but leave Earth for Heaven; and if naturall affections begin to rise, I hope that spirit of grace that is within thee will quell them: And knowing that all things here below are but dung and drosse in comparison of those things above; I know thou keepest thy eye fixed upon the hope of Glory which maketh thee so trample upon the losse of Earth. My Dear, I know God hath not only prepared Glory for thee, and thee for it, but I am perswaded he will sweeten the way for thee to come to the enjoyment of it; and when thou art put∣ting on thy clothes that morning, think, I am putting on my wed∣ding clothes to go to be married to my Redeemer; when the mes∣senger of Death cometh to thee, let him not be dreadfull, but look upon him as a messenger that bringeth thee tidings of eternal life; when thou goest up the Scaffold, think what thou toldest me, that it was but thy Chariot to draw thee to thy Fathers house. And when thou layest down thy dear Head to receive thy Fathers

stroak, Remember what thou saidst to me, that though thy Head were severed from thy Body, yet thy Soul should soon be united to Jesus Christ thy Head in Heaven. And though it may seem bitter that by the hands of men we are parted a little soon∣er then otherwise we should have been, yet let us consider it is the decree and will of the Father, and besides, we could not have lived much longer together, and it will not be long ere we shall enjoy one another again in Heaven. Oh let us comfort one another with these sayings: Oh be comforted, it is but a little stroak ere thou shalt be where the weary are at rest, and where the wicked shall cease from troubling thee; Oh remember though thou eat thy dinner with bitter herbs, yet thou shalt have a joy full supper with Jesus Christ that night: And my Dear, by what I write to thee, I do not under take to be a Teacher of thee, for this comfort I have received from the Lord by thee. I hear a Warrant is come to the Lieutenant, I am ready to think it may be concerning thee to send thee to thy journeys end to morrow, and that because they may possibly be hindred if they stay till the day appointed, but I am perswaded that thou art so far from being afraid of it, that thou dost long for the day, which (next under God) to hear of thy willingnes to die, will be the greatest comfort to me in the world. I can write no more, but commit thee to the hands of that God, with whom thou and I ere long shall be:

Farewell, Farewell, M. Love.

One Comfort I would have thee to carry to thy grave, If ever God did good to my Soul, thou wast the chief Instrument of it, for I never looked after God till I saw thy face. July 11.