Divine consolations for mourners in Sion being an extract of certain choyce epistles of dying martyrs to each other and to their fellow prisioners for the cause of Christ, in the times of cruell and fiery persecution, wherein is much variety of suitable matter of meditation for all such who are burthened under the pressure of their sins and sorrows in these evil times.

To my most dear and f••ithful Brethren in Newgate, Condemned to dye for the Testimony of Gods everlasting Truth.

THe everlasting p••ace of G d in Jesus Christ, the continual joy, strength and comfort of his most p••re, holy, and mighty Spirit, with the encrease of Faith, and l••vely feeling of his Eternal Mercy be with you, my most dear and faithful lov ng B other Tyms, and with all the rest of my dear hearts in the Lord, your faithful Fellow-souldiers, and most constant Companions in Bonds, yea, of men condemned most cruelly for the sincere Testimony of Gods everlasting Truth, to the full finishing of that good work, which he hath so graciously begun in you all, that the same may be to his glory, the commodity of his poor afflicted Church, and to your everlasting comfort in him. Amen.

Ah my most sweet and loving B••ethren, and dearest hearts in the Lord, what shall I say, or how shall I write unto you in the least point or part, to utter the great joy that my poor heart hath recei∣ved in God, through the most godly example of your Christ••an Constancy, and sincere Confession of Christs Verity? truely my tongue cannot declare, nor my pen express the abundance of spiri∣tual mirth and gladness, that my minde and inward man hath felt, ever since I heard of your hearty boldness, and modest behaviour before that bloody Butcher, in the time of all your crafty Examina∣tions, especially at your cruel Condemnation in their cursed Con∣sistory place. Bl••ssed be God the Father of all mercy, and praised be his Name, for that he hath so graciously performed upon you his dear darlings, his most sweet and comfortable promises, in not only giving you the continual ayd, strength and comfort of his holy and mighty Spirit, to the faithful confession of his Christ, for whose cause (O most happy men) ye are condemned to dye: but also in giving you such a mouth and wisdome, as all your wicked

Enemies were not able to resist, but were fain to cry, Peace, peace, and not suffer you to speak. As truly as God liveth (my dear Bre∣thren) this is not only unto you a most evident probation that God is on our side, and a sure certainty of your everlasting Salvation in him; but also to your cruel Adversaries (or rather Gods cursed Enemies) a plain demonstration of their just eternal woe and damnation, which they shall be full sure shortly to feel, when ye shall full sweetly possess the place of felicity and pleasure prepared for you from the beginning.

Therefore (my dearly beloved) cease not so long as ye be in this life, to praise the Lord with a lusty courage, for that of his great mercy and infinite goodness, he hath vouched you worthy this great dignity, to suffer for his sake, not onely the loss of goods, Wife and Children, long imprisonment, and cruel oppression, &c. but also the very deprivation of this mortal life, with the dissolu∣tion of your bodies in the fire. The which in the greatest promo∣tion that God can bring you or any other unto in this vale of misery; yea, so great an honour, as the highest Angel in Heaven is not permitted to have: and yet hath the Lord (for his dear Son Christs sake) reputed you worthy of the same, yea and that before me and many other which have both long looked and longed for the same.

Ah my most dear Brother Tyms, whose time resteth altogether in the hands of the Lord, in a full happy time camest thou into this troublesome world, but in a much more blessed hou•• shalt thou de∣part forth of the same: so that the sweet saying of Solomon, or rather of the Holy-ghost, shall be full well verified upon thee, yea and all thy faithful fellows; Better is the day of death (saith he) then the day of birth. This saying cannot be verified upon every man, but upon thee my dear Brother, and such as thou art, whose death is most precious before God, and full dear shall your blood be in his sight. Blessed be God for thee, my dear Brother Tyms, and blessed be God again that ever I knew thee, for in a most happy time I came first into thy company. Pray for me, dear Brother, pray for me, that God will once vouch me worthy of that great dignity whereunto he hath now brought you.

Ah my loving Brother Drake, whose Soul draweth now nigh un∣to God, of whom you have received the same,, full glad may you be that ever God gave you a life to leave for his sake: full well will he restore it to you again in a thousand fold more glorious wise. Praise God, good Brother, as you have great cause, and pray for me, I beseech you, which am so much unworthy (so great are my sins) of that great dignity whereunto the Lord hath cal∣led you, and the rest of your godly Brethren; whom I beseech you to comfort in the Lord, as you can full well: praised be God for his gifts, which you have heartily applied to the setting forth of his glory, and the commodity of his poor afflicted Church. Which thing shall surely redound to your everlasting joy and comfort, as you shall most effectually feel or ever it be long, though the wicked of the World judge far otherwise.

Ah mine own Hearts, and most dearly beloved Brethren, Cavell, Ambrose, and both the Spurges, Blessed be the Lord on your be∣half, and praised be his Name, which hath given you such a glo∣rious victory. Full valiant have you shewed your selves in the Lords fight, and full faithfully in your painful service. Faint not, but go on forward as you have most godly begun, for great shall your reward be at the end of this your travel. Ah my good faithful Brethren all, what shall I say, or what shall I write unto you, but even the same that good Elizabeth did say to her godly kinswoman Mary, the blessed Mother of Christ, Happy art thou (quoth that good woman) which hast believed; for all things which the Lord hath spoken to thee shall be fulfilled. So I say to you (my dear hearts in the Lord) happy are ye all, yea thrice happy shall ye be for evermore, because ye have stedfastly believed the most sweet Promises which God the Father hath made unto you with his own mouth, in that he hath promised you (which are the faithful seed of the believing Abraham) that ye shall be blessed ever world without end. The Pro∣mises of God your sweet Father, as ye do believe, so do ye bear record that God is true. The testimony whereof ye have wor∣thily born to the world, and shortly will full surely Seal the same with your Blood, yea even to morrow, I do understand. Oh con∣stant Christians! Oh valiant Souldiers of the high Captain Jesus

Christ, who for your sake hath conquered the Devil, Death, Sin and Hell, and hath given you full victory over them for evermore! Oh worthy Witnesses, and most glorious Martyrs, whose invincible Faith hath overcome that proud, sturdy, bragging Prince of the World, and all his wicked Army: over whom ye shall shortly tri∣umph for evermore. Ah my sweet hearts, the everlasting treasures are full surely laid up for you in Heaven. The immercessible and most glorious Crown of Victory is already made and prepared for you, to be shortly clapt upon all your happy heads. The holy Angels of your heavenly Father are already appointed to conduct your sweet Souls into Abrahams bosome: All the heavenly Host rejoyceth already, for that they shall shortly receive you with joy and felicity into their blessed Fellowship. Selah.

Rejoyce with double joy, and be glad my dear Brethren, for doubtless ye have more cause then can be expressed. But (alas) I that for my sins am left behinde, may lye and lament with the holy Prophet, saying, Woe is me, that the dayes of my joyfull rest are pro∣longed. Ah cursed Satan, which hath caused me so sore to offend my most dear loving Father, whereby my exile and banishment is so much prolonged! Oh Christ my Advocate, pacifie thy Fathers wrath, which I have justly deserved, that he may take me home to him in his sweet mercy! Oh that I might now come home unto thee with my blessed Brethren! Well, thy will (O Lord) be effe∣ctually fulfilled, for it is onely good, and turneth all things to the best, for such as thou in thy mercies hast chosen.

And now farewell my dear Hearts, most happy in the Lord: I trust in my good God yet shortly to see you in the Celestial City, whereof undoubtedly the Lord hath already made you free Citizens. Though ye be yet with us for a little time, your very home is in Heaven, where your treasure doth remain with your sweet Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, whose calling you have heard with the ears of your hearts, and therefore you shall never come into judgement, but pass from death to life. Your sins shall never be remembred, be they never so many, so grievous or so great; for your Saviour hath cast them all into the bottom of the Sea: he hath removed them from you as far as the East is from the West; and his mercy hath

much more prevailed over you, then is distance between Heaven and Earth: and hath given you for an everlasting possession of the same, all his Holyness, Righteousness, and Justification, yea and the Holy Ghost into your hearts, wherewith ye are surely sealed unto the day of Redemption, to certifie you of your eternal Election, and that ye are his true Adopted Sons, whereby ye may boldly cry unto God, Abba, dear Father, for evermore: so that now no creature in Heaven, Earth nor Hell shall be able to accuse you before the throne of the Heavenly King. Satan is now cast out from you: he himself is judged, and hath no part in you; he will once more bite you by the heel, and then he hath done, for at that time you shall squeeze his head through your own good Christ: and so have you final victory for evermore. In joyful triumph whereof ye shall sweetly ascend into the place of eternal rest, whe∣ther your eldest Brother Christ is gone before you, to take poss••ssion for you, and to prepare your place under the holy Altar, with Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, Rogers, Hooper, Saunders, Farrar, Taylor, Bradford, Philpot, with many other, who will be full glad of your coming, to see six more of their appointed number, that their blood may so much the sooner be revenged on them that dwell on the Earth.

Thus I make an end, committing you all to Gods most merciful defence, whose quarrel ye have defended, whose cause ye have pro∣moted, whose glory ye have set forth, and whose name ye have constantly confessed. Farewel for a while, my dear hearts in the Lord, I will make as much hast after you as I may. All our dear Brethren salute you. They Pray for you, and praise God for you continually. Blessed be the dead that dye in the Lord, for they rest from their Labours, saith the Holy Ghost, and their works follow them.

Your own John Careles, a most unprofitable Servant of the Lord. Pray, pray, pray.

Notes

• Example of true love and charity among the Mar∣tyrs.
• The Enemies not able to withstand the w sedome of God in his Saints but compelled to bid them hold their peace.
• John Careles longeth to dye a Martyr in the Gospels cause.
• Eccles. 7.
• Luke 1.
• He encourageth Gods Martyrs unto their death
• Psal. 119.
• Psal. 103.
• Triumph of Martyrs.
• Gen. 3.
• Apoc. 11.