Grace, mercy & peace be to you: I long to hear how your soul Prospereth & how the Kingdom of Christ thriveth in ⟨p. 331⟩you. I exhort you & beseech you in the bowels of Christ faint not, weary not: There is a great necessity of heaven, ye must needs have it: All other things, as houses, lands, children, husband, friends, country, credit, health, wealth, honour, may be wanted; but Heaven is your one thing necessary, the good part that shall not be taken from you: See that ye buy the field where the pearl is, sell all & make a purchase of salvation: think it not easy, for it is a steep ascent to eternal glory: Many are lying dead by the way that are slain with security. I have now been led by my Lord Jesus to such a nick in Christianity as I think little of former things. Oh what I want! I want so many things, that I am almost asking if I had any thing at all: Every man thinketh he is rich enough in grace, till he take out his purse & tell his money, & then he findeth his pack but poor & light in the day of a heavy trial. I found I had not to bear my expenses, and should have fainted if want & penury had not chased me to the store-house of all. I beseech you, make conscience of your ways, deal kindly & with conscience with your Tenants: to fill a breach or a hole make not a greater breach in the conscience: I wish plenty of love to your soul: let the world be the portion of bastards, make it not yours: after the last trumpet is blown, the world & all its glory will be like an old house that is burnt to ashes, & like an old fallen castle without a roof. Fie, fie upon us fools who think our selves debtors to the world. My Lord hath brought me to this, that I would not give a drink of cold water for this world's kindness: I wonder that men long after, love, or care for these feathers: it is almost an uncouth world to me to think, that men are so mad as to block with dead earth: to give cut conscience & to get in clay again, is a strange bargain. I have written my mind at length to your husband, write to me again his case, I cannot forget him in my prayers, I am looking Christ hath some claim to him: My counsel is, that ye bear with him when passion overtaketh him, A soft answer putteth away wrath, answer him in what he speaketh & apply your self in the fear of God to him, & then ye will remove a pound weight of your heavy cross that way, & ⟨p. 332⟩so it shall become light.
GRace, mercy & peace be to you: I long to hear how your soul Prospereth & how the Kingdom of Christ thriveth in ⟨p. 331⟩you. I exhort you & beseech you in the bowels of Christ faint not, weary not: There is a great necessity of heaven, ye must needs have it: All other things, as houses, lands, children, husband, friends, countrey, credit, health, wealth, honour, may be wanted; but Heaven is your one thing necessary, the good part that shall not be taken from you: See that ye buy the field where the pearl is, sell all & make a purchase of salvation: think it not easie, for it is a steep ascent to eternal glory: Many are lying dead by the way that are slain with security. I have now been led by my Lord Jesus to such a nick in Christianity as I think little of former things. Oh what I want! I want so many things, that I am almost asking if I had any thing at all: Every man thinketh he is rich enough in grace, till he take out his purse & tell his money, & then he findeth his pack but poor & light in the day of a heavy trial. I found I had not to bear my expences, and should have fainted if want & penury had not chased me to the store-house of all. I beseech you, make couscience of your wayes, deal kindly & with conscience with your Tenants: to fill a breach or a hole make not a greater breach in the conscience: I wish plenty of love to your soul: let the world be the portion of bastards, make it not yours: after the last trumpet is blowen, the world & all its glory will be like an old house that is burnt to ashes, & like an old fallen castle without a roof. Fy, fy upon us fools who think our selves debters to the world. My Lord hath brought me to this, that I would not give a drink of cold water for this world's kindness: I wonder that men long after, love, or care for these feathers: it is almost an uncouth world to me to think, that men are so mad as to block with dead earth: to give cut conscience & to get in clay again, is a strange bargain. I have written my minde at length to your husband, write to me again his case, I cannot forget him in my prayers, I am looking Christ hath some claim to him: My counsel is, that ye bear with him when passion overtaketh him, A soft answer putteth away wrath, answer him in what he speaketh & apply your self in the fear of God to him, & then ye will remove a pound weight of your heavy cross that way, & ⟨p. 332⟩so it shall become light.
