Atrength, feek his face evermore. Be not weary of well-doing, and waiting upon God. Remember what you hear, what you read, what you pray for; and live accordingly. The God of peace be with you. My wife and I fend our hearty love to you, and your brothers, and my cousin Betty. We are in good health at present, blessed be the name of the Lord. I hope your brothers profit in learning. The Lord give every one of them a portion of grace. Commending you to the protection, direction, and comforts of the bleffed God, I reít Your truly loving Friend, JOHN MASON. Water-Stratford, Feb. 23, 1676. LETTER XX. My dear Chriftian Friend, and heartily beloved in our Lord Jefus Chrift. O what WHAT HAT a good God have we! that remembers us in our low eftate, thinks upon us when we are poor and needy, and is neareft to us when we need him moft! He is a fun to comfort us, a fhield to protect us; he gives us grace, he gives us glory, he gives us himself. a good God have we! Why hath he chofen us! We did not choose him, but he hath chofen us. He hath loved us firft, and hath loved us freely. Behold what manner of love the father hath beftowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God! Is not his love fweeter than wine? Is it not better than life? Does it not fweeten a fick-bed? Does it not fweeten the thoughts of death? When the love of God is fhed abroad in the heart, then the bleffed foul cries, Welcome death, welcome judgment, welcome eternity: Come fweet Lord Jefus, come quickly. I rejoice to hear of your recovery. And I rejoice in the thoughts of that comfortable entertainment your Saviour gave you in the time of your fickness. When the apoftle Peter was upon the water, he faid, Lord, bid me come to thee. And fo many of Chrift's friends have defired him to call them. And did you run to embrace Chrift? Did you rejoice in the thoughts of his coming? And long to depart, that you might be with him, which is beft of all? O! Bleffed be God for the favour of his fweet ointments, which drew out your foul after him. Bleffed be God for his almighty fpirit, which made you fo eagerly and joyfully defirous of the coming of Jelus Chrift. But now you must wait for Chrill, as the people by the fea-fide, Luke viii. 40. will certainly come. He faith, Behold, I come quickly. It is but yet a little while, and he that Jhall come, will come, and will not tarry. You muft wait for him, and watch for him. Trim your lamp, that when you hear the joyful found, Behold your bridegroom cometh, you may be ready; and the bride-chamber door may fland open for you. A good Martyr in Scotland going to fuffer for Chrift, faid to his wife, I will not bid you good night, for we fhall meet at fupper. It is not long ere all God's people shall be gather. ed together to him, and fhall be for ever with him. He Remember my kind love to all my dear friends with you, and near you, as duly as if I named them one by one. Mine and my wife's love to you. Let us continue to pray for one another. The Lord be with your fpirit. I remain Your affured Friend in the Lord, JOHN MASON. Water-Stratford, March 8, 1676. LETTER XXI. Honeft and dear Friend, and keep you, and G on you, and give Ꮐ make his face to fhine upon you peace. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upou you, and encourage you beyond all difcouragements. I rejoice to hear of your care to keep fabbaths; and your willingness rather to fuffer for keeping them, than to fin in breaking them.— Undoubtedly it is better to fuffer the greatest fuffering, than to fin the leaft fin. If we keep fabbaths holy, fabbaths will keep us holy. Be much in prayer. Be always watching against fin, over your heart, unto duty, and for the coming of the Lord. Be always in your earthly calling, or in your heavenly calling, or in fome way that may fit you for these callings. Be heartily content with that condition that divine providence, or your good parents, fhall call you to. Adorn every flate by religion, and adorn religion in every State. Labor in all things to please God, that through you God's name may be honored, and his ways the better thought of. I am glad to hear of your willingness to depart out of this world. The rule is, vitam in patientia, mortem in defiderio habendum eft. We must be content to live, willing to die. I pray God to ufe you whilft you live, and not to refuse you when you come to die. come to die. I hope you will live to glorify him on earth. I befeech God to preferve your body and spirit. It is Saturday, and my work is upon me, which makes me take my leave of you fooner than elfe I fhould do. Ifhould be glad to hear from you. God be with God be with your spirit. I reft Yours in Chriftian Affection, JOHN MASON. Water-Stratford, March 17, 1676. are. LETTER XXII. Dear Friend, RECEIVED yours, and should be glad to hear where, and in what condition you now Want of jealoufy and zeal for the great name of God, deferves to be complained of. I am glad it is your burden; nevertheless I would not have you to be difcouraged. It is a found conclufion of divines, That a chriftian may be more fenfibly affected with outward things, which touch the fenfes, than with fpiritual things; and yet have a more inward, deep and hearty concern for fpirituals. He may have a more radicated love to God, than to any earthly things; he may have a more judicious hatred of fin than of any plague; he may have a more folid, profound grief for the dilhonor of God, than for an injury done to his earthly relations; albeit he may be under more vehement paffions, and may shed more tears for wrongs done to his friends, or for plagues inflicted upon his body, than he doth for fpiritual evils. Befides, I am glad almighty God hath fo far enlightened your mind, to fee fo much of the evil of fin as to be displeased with yourfelf, for being no more difpleafed at it. It is fome argument of foftnefs, when the ftone grates upon the fleth, and makes it bleed. To be fenfible of hardness argues that hardness doth not prevail.--God go on with his work in your heart, and make all graces abound in you.Wait continually upon your God. Seek the Lord, feek his ftrength, feek his face evermore.Above all gettings get wifdom; get understanding; forget it not. Let me know how it is with you; and whether you have lighted into good company. With our loves, I reft Your loving Friend, JOHN MASON. Water-Stratford, April 26, 1677. LETTER XXIII. My dear Friend, THE HE Lord love you, and blefs you, and keep you, and make his face to fhine upon you. I befeech him to ftablifh your heart with grace, and preferve you harmless and blameless unto the coming of Christ. Cleave unto God with full purpose of heart. Be affured that the world is vanity, fin is folly, Chrift is all in all. Live upon God by faith, live unto him by obedience. Watch and pray, that you enter not into templation. Cherifh good motions, quench bad. Honor God by a faithful difcharge of duties, perfonal and relative. Be affured your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Caft not away your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. I was laft week at Murfley to fee your mother, who was ill; but removing to Great-Brickhill |