And yet it will then bee too late , for when that is once lost , man can not recouer it againe , therefore being yet time enough , and that God almightie doth shew his great mercy vpon you , to giue you time to thinke on that which you ought to doe , I meane your soules saluation , and that hee will not see you perish headlong , but rather hath stirred me vp , and prouoked mee at this time to write vnto you this letter , for your great good , or for your condemnation , for if this admonition and warning will not profit and take effect , insomuch that it doth not goe to the very bottome of your hart , surely that will turne to your condemnation , and will crie vengeance against you , at the day of Iudgement , when there can be no excuse heard whatsoeuer .

Now then my deere brother , will you be so foolish to leaue and loose a kingdome , which is not for twentie , thirtie or a hundred yeares , but a kingdome euerlasting and without end ? and more ouer the ioy contained within the circute of that heauenly region , which no man can expresse , for that it is incomprehensible ; Note further yet , hee that shall not enioy and be partaker of this great pleasure and loy , yet the want thereof shall not bee sufficient punishment and reward , but he shall endure intollerable fearefull and terrible torments and paines , that in regard that the joy is great , euen so the torment is greater , and that which is more terrible , without end . Wher then shall they looke for fathers , mothers , brothers , sisters , kinsmen and friends , the rents and heritages , and all the goods of the world , that before time were so deere vnto them , where then I say shall they looke for them ? alas , nothing in the world can then help them , but all their worldlie comfort will then crie vengeance against themselues , because they haue more loued and obeyed their goods , then the almightie .

Oh what horrour , what discomfort will it bee , that you must loose the euerlasting life without end , because you haue loued more the goods of this world which vanish and passe away like cloudes , then the joyes of heauen , which are of as long continuance as heauen it selfe . Commit these words to memorie , and giue thy meditation charge of them my brother , shew that you will not be one of those , but learne and listen to the word of the sonne of God , which hee himselfe with his mouth hath spoken , doe not hold him for a liar , and his word as a fable , for it will cost you deere ; consider the threatnings which hee made against them that loued more the goods of the world , then their sauiour , that would rather please and obey their fathers , mothers , & their possessions , then him , I meane their redeemer : and mark againe the promises which hee made to those that doe follow him , and that would rather please and obey him then their flesh and goods . O my brother encourage your selfe , doe not sleepe and roote your selfe in these worldlie goods , leaue them as soone as you can , for feare the Lord doe not giue you leasure to repent , doe not you appoint him the day , for hee will not giue it you , cut cut this knot , for you will not bee able at your pleasure to vntie the same : you haue made so many promises to God and vs , and yet alwaies still you fall a sleepe againe , and slacke in your promises .

Take heede , take heede , that the Lord doth not at this time anger himselfe bitterly against you : Therfore my deerely beloued brother , encourage your selfe , awake and pray vnto the Lord without ceasing to assist you and to giue you strength and meanes to obey his will , for you shall haue manie temprations , but doe you resist them with praiers , and the Lord will deliuer you from them , for hee hath promised it , and hee is the truth himselfe , seeing you aske of him things streaching to his glorie , and in respect that this is to his glorie , which I intreat you to performe , he will reioyce at your reformation . Combute Combute then and God will assist you , and when you shall haue gotten the viorbrie you shall feele daielie that the graces of God doe multiplie in you , and you would not for all the goods of the world after , but that you had fought & gotten the victorie , resist then against all with praiers , and the Lord will deliuer you from all , for surelie brother you doe not liue there where you are , but you die euerie daie , and if the Lord should call you one of the world in such estate , I should bee exceeding sorie for it , and it should much greeue mee ;

You may perhaps here vpon thus argue , my father and mother are they then lost , I will not indge it for God is the iudge thereof , but it is an other ma●ter with you , for you cannot excuse your selfe if you doe hide in the ground , the talent which the Lord hath giuen you , through his mercie : but God forbids that you should doe so but rather let your talent doe profit , that the Lord may say vnto you , good seruant , thou hast beene faithfull in a small thing , I will set you about a greater thing , come enter thou into the joy of my kingdome .

But he that shall hide his talent in the ground , he shall bee cast into extreame darkenesse , where there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth . Therefore my brother doe not couer your talent in the ground , but turne it to profit , & halt no more on both sides , serue no longer god and the world , for you cannot please them both , nor ferue two masters ; mark that which is written in Apocalipsi , That God will cast out of his mouth him that shal be luke warme , neither cold nor hot . Feare feare then to be cast out of the mouth of God , for perdition followes . O my deere brother , encourage your selfe , and pray without ceasing , bee not the stones , but the good ground , let not the seed fall vpon the stones , or in the way , as it hath done at other tymes ; you haue receaued the word , you haue bene resolued to make an ende , but that same hath not taken roote , for incontinently the Sunne , that is to say , temptation came , or the diuell came , who toke this seede , and you went alwaies backwards , & was very vntoward , when God did so sweetly inuite you , and reach his hand so louingly vnto you .

What brother ? will you refuse him , will you be so foolish to forsake the hand of God ? O no , no , but be more vertuous , and shew the true marks that you are one of the chosen and elected of your maker , the liuing God , and that your name is written in the booke of life , shew that you are one of them that shal be a King triumphing with the Sonne of the Father for euer . And now my deare brother I will make an end for this time , praying you in the name of God , to take this admonition and warning in good part , of the hand of God , for doubtlesse God himselfe hath stirred mee vp and moued mee therevnto , for the great desire and loue I beare for your saluation , and great feare which I haue of your condemnation .

Therefore I pray you doe not thinke that it is I which send it , but the Lord your Father , who gladlie would not loose a soule , but worke him vnto repentance , and true knowledge of his saluation : for surelie it is much to say , that you haue true knowledge of your saluation , I meane such as you ought to haue ; I know it by my selfe , therefore the Lord hath shewed great mercie vnto me , that hee hath brought mee to them whom hee hath ordained to instruct mee therein , the Lord bee praysed and thanked therefore .

And it will bee also a great signe of Gods grace toward you , if hee shall vouchsafe to withdraw you from thence , to the end that you may be one of his faithfull seruants , the Lord send you grace therevnto through his great mercie , and that hee will giue mee grace to pray hartelie for you , euen as I doe dailie without ceasing , but take heede that our prayers bee not in vaine , and vnfruitfull , for if you doe not put the hand to worke , all our hartie praying will proue vnprofitable and nothing auaileable .

you must consider also , that I am not fallen into the hands of myne enemies ; by casualtie or chance , but by the diuine prouidence of God , which ruleth and gouerneth all things , aswell the lesse , as greater ; as it appeareth by the words of our Sauiour , Your haires are numbred , feare not , are not two Sparrowes sold for a halfepeny , and none of them shall fall on the earth without the prouidence of God , feare not then , you are more excelent than any Sparowes . Which of vs is estemed lesser than an haire , and yet peruse the diuine writ of the wise , and you shall reade , that GOD hath enregistred the number of mans haires ; how can then any aduersitie happen vnto mee without the will and prouidence of God : sure I perswade my selfe that cannot bee , except one would saye , that God were not God .

And therefore the Prophet saith , There is no aduersitie in the citie which the Lord hath not sent , and we see that in this doctrine all the holy men that haue bene before vs , haue comforted themselues in their afflictions and tribulations . Ioseph beeing sold into Egipt by his brethren sayd , you haue done ill , but God will turne it to your good , God hath sent me before you into Egipt for your good .

As much did Dauid with Semey who cursed him ; the lyke dyd Iob , and also consequently all other , and this is the cause that the Euangelistes ( treating so faithfully of the suffering and death of the Lord Tesus Christ ) doe say that this is done because that might be fulfilled which is written of him , and might also be truely sayd of all the members of him .