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No. 30.*

TO SIR JAMES HALES, KNIGHT,
Then prisoner in the Compter, in Bread-street.

The God of mercy, and father of all comfort, plentifully pour out upon you, and in you, his mercy; and with his consolations comfort and strengthen you to the end, for his and our Christ's sake. Amen.

Although, right worshipful Sir, many causes might move me to be content, with crying for you to your God and my God, that he would give you grace to persevere well, as he hath right notably begun to the great glory of his name, and comfort of all such as fear him; as lack of learning, of familiarity, yea, acquaintance, for I think I am unknown to you both by face and name, and other such like things; yet I cannot content myself, but presume something to scribble unto you, not that I think my scribbling can do you good, but that I might hereby declare my sympathy and compassion, love, and affection I bear towards your mastership; which is contented, yea desirous with us poor misers, to confess Christ's gospel in these perilous times and days of trial. Oh, Lord God, how good art thou, which doeth thus glean out grapes, I mean children for thyself, and brethren for Christ.

Look, good M. Hales, on your vocation; not many judges, not many knights, not many landed men, not many rich men and wealthy to live, as you are, hath God chosen to suffer for his sake, as he hath now done you. Certainly I dare say, you think not so of yourself, as though God were bound to prefer you, or had need of you; but rather attribute this, as all good things, unto his free mercy in Christ. Again, I dare say that, you being a wise man, judge of things

• Fox iii. 324. Cov. 286.

wisely, that is, concerning this your cross, you judge of it not after the world and people, which is magnus erroris magister, not after the judgment of reason and worldly wisdom, which is foolishness to faith, nor after the present sense, to the which non videtur gaudii, sed molestie, as Paul writeth: but after the word of God, which teacheth your cross to be, in respect of yourself between God and you, God's chastising and your father's correction, nurture, school, trial, pathway to heaven, glory, and felicity, and the furnace to consume the dross, and mortify the relics of old Adam which yet remain; yea, even the frame house to fashion you like to the dearest Saints of God here, yea to Christ the Son of God, that elsewhere you might be like unto him.

Now concerning your cross in respect of the world between the world and you, God's word teacheth it to be a testimonial of God's truth, of his providence, of his power, of his justice, of his wisdom, of his anger against sin, of his goodness, of his judgment, of your faith and religion: so that by it you are to the world a witness of God, one of his testes, that he is true, he ruleth all things, he is just, wise, and at the length will judge the world, and cast the wicked into perdition, but the godly he will take and receive into his eternal habitation.

I know you judge of things after faith's fetch, and the effects or ends of things, and so you see æternum pondus gloriæ, which this cross shall bring unto you, dum non spectas ea quæ videntur, sed ea quæ non videntur. Let the worldlings weigh things, and look upon the affairs of men with their worldly and corporal eyes, as did many in subscription of the King's last will, and therefore they did that for the which they beshrewed themselves: but let us look on things with other manner of eyes, as God be praised you did, in not doing that which you were desired, and driven at to have done.* You then beheld things not as a man, but as a man of God, and so you do now in religion, at the least hitherto you have done, and that you might do so still, I humbly beseech and pray you, say with David; Defecerunt oculi mei in eloquium tuum, quando consolaberis me? Though

See Appendix, Note (0).

you be as uter in fumo, for I hear you want health, yet ne obliviscaris justificationes Dei: but cry out, quot sunt dies servi tui? quando juries de persequentibus me judicium? And be certain, quod Dominus veniens veniet, et non tardabit. Si moram fecerit, expecta illum: for he is but ad momentum in ira sua, et vita in voluntate ejus. Ad Vesperam demorabitur fletus, et ad matutinum Letitia. Follow therefore Isaiah's counsel; abscondere ad modicum, ad momentum, donec pertranseat indignatio ejus, which is not indignatio indeed, but to our sense, and therefore in the twenty-seventh chapter of that prophet, God saith of his Church and People, that as he keepeth night and day, so non est indignatio mihi, saith he.

The mother sometime beateth the child, but yet her heart melteth upon it even in the very beating, and therefore she casteth the rod into the fire, and calleth the child, giveth it an apple, and dandleth it most motherly. And to say the truth, the love of mothers to their children, is but a trace to train us to behold the love of God towards us, and therefore saith he; can a mother forget the child of her womb? As who should say, no: but if she should do so, yet will not I forget thee, saith the Lord of Hosts. Ah, comfortable saying; I will not forget thee saith the Lord.

Indeed the children of God think oftentimes, that God hath forgotten them, and therefore they cry; ne abscondas faciem tuam a me &c. Ne derelinquas me Domine, &c, whereas in very truth it is not so, but to their present sense, and therefore David said; Ego dixi in excessu meo projectus sum a facie tua. But was it so? Nay, verily, Read his psalms and you shall see. So writeth he also in other places very often, especially in the person of Christ; as when he saith, Deus meus, Deus meus ut quid dereliquisti me? he saith not ut quid derelinquis, or derelinques me, but ut quid dereliquisti me? Where indeed God had not left him, but that it was so to his sense, and that this psalm telleth full well; which psalm I pray you now and then read, it is the 22d, and thereto join the 30th, and 116th, with divers others.

The same we read in the prophet Isaiah, in his 40th chapter, where he reproveth Israel for saying God had forgotten them. Nunquid nescis, saith he? An non audivisti? &c. Qui sperant in Domino mutabunt fortitudinem. And in his 54th chapter: Noli timere, &c.

Ad punctum enim in modico dereliqui te, at in miserationibus magnis congregabo te. In momento indignationis abscondi faciem meam parumper a te, et in misericordia sempiterna misertus sum tui, dixit Redemptor tuus Dominus. Nam istud erit mihi sicut aquæ Noe. Ut enim juravi ne porro aquæ Noe pertransirent terram, sic juravi ut non irascar tibi et non increpem te. Montes enim commovebuntur et colles contremiscent, misericordia autem mea non recedet a te, et fœdus pacis meæ non movebitur, dicit miserator tuus Dominus.

But the scriptures are full of such sweet places, to them that will portare iram Domini et expectare salutem et auxilium ejus. As of all temptations this is the greatest; that God hath forgotten or will not help us through the pykes, as they say: so of all services of God, this liketh him the best, to hope assuredly on him, and for his help always, who is adjutor in tribulationibus, and doth more gloriously shew his power by such as be weak, and feel themselves so. For, quo infirmiores sumus, eo sumus in illo robustiores. Sic oculi Domini be on them that tremble and fear. Voluntatem eorum faciet: he is with them in their trouble, he will deliver them: antequam clamaverint exaudit eos, as all the scriptures teach us: to the reading whereof and hearty prayer, I heartily commend you, beseeching Almighty God, that of his eternal mercies he would make perfect the good he hath begun in you, and strengthen you to the end, that you might have no less hope, but much more of his help to your comfort now against your enemies, than already he hath given you against N.* for not subscribing to the king's will.

Be certain, be certain, good Master Hales, that all the hairs of your head, your dear father hath numbered, so that one of them shall not perish; your name is written in the book of life. Therefore upon God cast all your care, who will comfort you with his eternal consolation, and make you able to go through the fire, if need be, which is nothing to be compared to the fire, wherein our enemies shall fall and lie for ever. From the which the Lord deliver us, though it be through temporal fire, which must be construed according to the end and profit that cometh after it; so shall it then, not much

* John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland.

fear us to suffer it, for our Master Christ's cause, the which the Lord grant for his mercy's sake.-Amen. From the King's Bench.*

Your humble,

JOHN BRADFORD.

No. 31.t

TO MY GOOD FRIEND IN GOD, MASTER HUMPHREY HALES.

As to my dear friend, I wish unto you, gentle Master Hales, health of soul and body to God's glory, and your everlasting comfort. Amen.

Although it be commonly spoken, and as commonly verified, that seldom seen is soon forgotten; yet it is not so commonly seen or experienced amongst them, whose friendship is in God the Father through Christ, as ours is, but in those whose friendship is begun in respect of some earthly commodity; and therefore, lest I should incur this suspicion at your hands, who have so many ways deserved the contrary, I thought it my duty to refresh, if it need refreshing, the amity in God begun betwixt us, which I doubt not shall continue so long as we live, or else I would be sorry.

In consideration whereof, both mindful of my promise made unto you, and careful for your safety, I have caused a place to be provided for your wife's deliverance; where she may so quietly and safely remain, that for the avoiding of the perils and dangers of these days, I see none more convenient; I mean it in Hadley, at Dr. Taylor's house, where I trust there is no peril to youward, nor to any that feareth or regardeth any peril that thereby may happen. And herein of very love and good will, I am the more familiar and bold to admonish you, not as distrusting you, God forbid, for I

*See Appendix Note (P.)
+ Cov. 310.

He was the son of the preceding Sir Jas. Hales, as this and the following Letter

show.

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