All your former Letters were most acceptable and full of refreshment unto us, being taken as the earnest of a more full and constant fellowship longed after and hoped for. And this your last, although full of sadnesse and sorrow, yet accompted of us all most wor • hy of our tenderest affection and best respects, both for your cause who sent it, and for these worthy witnesses who did attest it: wherin as you have given unto us no small evidence▪ not onely of your love, but also of trust and friendly respect, by choosing to poure out your grieved soules in our bosome; so wee shall wish and GOD willing endeavour, that you may really find some measure of brotherly compassion in our receiving thereof: For these your sad expressions of deepe sorrow, being (as you give us to conceive) but a part of your complaint, and a lamentation lesse then the cause doth require, cannot but melt every heart, wherein there is any the least warmenesse of the love of Christ and his Saints. And what Child of the Bridegroom-Chamber can heare the voice of so many Friends of the Bridegroom, lamenting for the evills which have befalne Christs Bride in England, in the very night before the expected espousals, and not sit downe and mourne with them; except his heart be falne a sleepe and frozen within him. The pitifull condition of your Church in England, is matter enough wee confesse to move, yea to rend our bowels.

If wee should weigh this your heavie griefe in the scales of common reason, wee behoved either to stand aloft from your plangue, as men astonished, or sinke downe in heavinesse, and bee swallowed up of Sorrow: But when wee ponder your sad condition in the ballance of the sanctuary, wee find that nothing hath as yet befalne unto you, save that which hath beene the exercise of the Saints in formertimes, who have beene made to sit downe for a while in the shadow of death before the day of their deliverance; Wee find nothing but that which may bee a fit preparation for a comfortable out gate from all your troubles. What if it was necessary in the wise dispensation of the Almighty GOD, that a People in great estimation for wisedome and power, such as the English, should bee thus farre humbled as you declare, to the end that your deliverance may bee seene hereafter to bee of the Lord, and not of your selves? What if the Lord would not draw back his hand from the wine-presse wherein you now doe lye, untill hee should draw forth from you these pitifull expressions of your low Estate, and so provide for himselfe Witnesses against the day to come, that hee may have the greater and purer glory in your salvations, and your gloriation may bee in the Lord alone?

Deare Brethren, comfort your selves in the Lord, this sowing in teares doth promise a reaping in joy, and (who knowes how soone) hee will give to you who are mourners in Sion, beauty for ashes, the oyle of gladnesse for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse, that you may bee called trees of righteousnesse, the planting of the Lord, that hee may be glorified.

Though weep • ng be in the evening of this begun Reform • tion and purgeing of the Lords House amongst you, yet in the morning, when the discovered filthines and sweepings of the Temple shall bee orderly cast out, joy shall come with thanksgiving and praise: Though a fire be kindled in the Land, yet it is not to consume any of the Mettall for the Lord is sitting down as a refiner amongst you, and especially to purifie the Sons of Levy, that he may have a more pure oblation of spirituall worship and service in all his holy Ordinances throughout all the Land: which is no token of wrath, but of loving kindnes towards you.

No wonder that Sathan doth thus rage as you relate forseeing his casting out: No wonder he stir up all the Children of disobedience, and kindle their naturall malice against the Children of God with the inspiration of hellish furie: No wonder the spirit of Antichrist be mad, when the morsell, halfe swallowed downe, is like to be pulled out of his throat; The fat morsell of the rich Revenues of England: No wonder he be cruel against you the servants of Christ, who are consuming him by the breath of the Lords mouth. You doe well to expect no mercie if Papists and Prelates prevaile over you: Neither desire wee to deceive our selves, in hopes to be free from what their power and malice can doe against us: For they will not doe to us, if they get the upper hand, as we have done, and must doe, if God bring them low aagaine under us, as they were before: For wee and they are led by the contrarie Spirits of Christ and Anti-Christ.

We have laboueed and must labour for their conversion, but they except in so farre as God shall bridle them, will not rest without our destruction. For their furie against our persons is much more fiery then our zeale is fervent against their abominations: Let them follow the Spirit of lying and murthering wee must take us to our refuge, and joine our selves with all that are sensible of the danger of the reformed Religion, in prayer and supplication, The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Iacob is our refuge.

Now for advice, what can wee say to you, who are upon your watch Tower? where is the spirit of wisedome and counsell? who lye as humble Disciples under the Lords feet, that did never forsake them that sought him. Goe on in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, against all opposition without, feare of whatsoever dangers, to purge the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches thereof, to set up all his Ordinances in their full beauty and perfection, to the uttermost of your power, according to the patterne of the Word of God, and zeale of the best reformed Kirks, and let these two Kingdomes be knit together as one man in maintaining and promoving the truth of the Gospell: Let us even enter in a perpetuall Covenant for our selves and posterity, to endeavour that all things may be done in the house of the Lord according to his owne will, and let the Lord doe with us, what seemeth good in his eyes; Onely waite upon the Lord, bee of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart. Let your hands be ever at your Masters worke, and hold your faces resolutely to his Cause. Watch yee, stand fast in the faith, quit your selves like men, be strong, for you shall see the Salvation of the Lord, and your labour shall not bee in vaine.