MarginaliaAn. 1555. December.is that? may any worldly thing stay vs from the desire therof? Since we seeke the kyngdome of God, why do we not apprehend it beyng so neare offered vnto vs?

Let vs approch neare vnto God, and God will drawe neare vnto vs. GOD draw vs after him, that we may all runne after the sauour of his sweete oyntmentes. Christ annoynt vs, that we may be suppled in these euill dayes to runne lightly vnto the glory of the Lord. Shame, imprisonment, losse of goodes, and sheddyng of our bloud, be the iust price which we must willyngly bestow for the same. Wherfore (dearely beloued in the Lord) let not the great charges keepe you backe from bying this glory: MarginaliaReward greater then the price.for the reward is x. thousand fold greater then the price.

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That you haue maryed a wife, whom God blesse, I can not excuse you from this Marte, MarginaliaGodly matrimony how to be vsed.but you must bryng your wife for a vsury  

to the Lord, whose pleasure is in godly yokefelowes. I wish you to be as I am, except these horrible bandes, but yet most comfortable to the spirite, assuryng vs that we are made woorthy thorough Christ, of the kyngdome for the whiche we suffer. Praysed bee the Lord for the affliction whiche we suffer, and he geue vs strength to continue to the end.

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Commend me to M. Heath,  

and tell him that I would wishe him with me, to proue how apt he is to cary the crosse of Christ. I pray for his continuaūce in Christ, as for myne owne. Commend me to his wife and to Mistres Hall, certifying them that I am brought to the gates of hell, that I might neuer enter into the same, but be raysed vp from hel to heauen, through the word that sanctifieth vs. Commēd me to M. Elsing and his wife, and thanke them that they remēbred to prouide me some ease in prison, and tell them that though my Lordes Colehouse be but very blacke, yet it is more to be desired of the faythfull, then the Queenes palace. God make her a ioyfull mother, & preserue them both to the comfort of Gods people. Thus for this tyme, farewel deare brother. Written in post hast because of straite   keepyng.

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This day I looke to bee called before the Commissioners agayne. Pray (deare brother) for the spirite of wisedome to remaine with me. Commend me to your wife,  

and I thanke you both for your tokens. Your token I haue sent to your wife, and my token vnto you, is my faythfull hart with this Letter. Commend me to all my frendes, and tell them, I thanke God, I am cherefull in Christ, wishyng thē to feare God more then mā, and to learne to despise earnestly the vanities of this world: desiryng you all to pray for me, that I may end my iourney with fidelitie, Amen.

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Iohn Philpot.

THe principall spirite of GOD the father, geuen vnto vs by Christ Iesus our mercyfull Sauiour, confirme, strengthen, and stablishe you in the true knowledge of the Gospell, that your faythfull hart (worshipfull and deare sister in the Lord) may attaine and tast with all the Saintes, what is the height, the depth, the length, and the breadth of the sweete crosse of Christ, Amen. &c.

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O, happy are you amongest all other women, that haue founde this precious stone which is hydden in the Gospell: for the whiche we ought to sell all other thynges, and to purchase the same. O happy woman, whose hart GOD hath moued and enlarged to be in the profession therof. Other seeke worldly goodes, honours, and delightes: but you seeke with a good vnderstādyng, to serue God in spirite and veritie. This is the gate that leadeth to heauen: this is your portion for euer. By this shall you see GOD face to face (whiche sight is vnspeakeable ioye) and by this shall ye see whatsoeuer your hart can desire. By this shall you haue a full sight of all the beutiful heauenly powers, and of all the celestiall Paradise. By this shall ye know them that you neuer knewe, and be ioyous and glad with those whiche you haue knowen here in God, world without end. &c.

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Ah, I lament the infidelitie of Englād,MarginaliaHe bewayleth the state of England. that after so great light, is stept into so huge darknes agayne. The seruaūt that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. MarginaliaPlagues prophesied to England though the Gospell be restored agayne.Ah, great be the plagues that hang ouer England, yea though the Gospell should be restored agayn. Happy shall that person be, whom the Lord shall take out of this world, not to see them. Ah the great periury whiche men haue runne into so wilfully agaynst God by receiuyng Antichrist agayne and his wicked lawes: which do threaten a great ruine vnto England. O that the Lord would turne his iust iudgemēts vpō the authors of the trucebreakyng betwene God and vs, that they might be brought low (as Nabuchodonosor was) that his people might be deliuered, and his glory exalted. GOD graunt that that good lucke

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MarginaliaGood lucke forshewed in restoring agayne the Gospell.which you hope shortely to come vppon the house of God, be a true prophecy, and not a well wishing onely. Ah Lord, take away thy heauy hand from vs, and stretch it out vppon thyne enemies these hypocrites, as thou hast begō, that they may be confounded. O let not the weake perish for want of knowledge thorough our sinnes. Although thou kill vs, yet will we put our trust in thee.

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Thus (deare hart) you teach me to pray with you in writyng. God heare our prayers, and geue vs the spirite of effectuall prayer, to poure out our hartes continually together before God, that we may finde mercy both for our selues, & for our afflicted brethren & sistern. I can not but prayse God in you, for that pitifull hart that taketh other folkes calamities to hart, as your owne. Blessed be they that mourne, for such shall be comforted. GOD wipe away all teares from your pitifull eyes, & sorrow frō your mercyfull hart, that you may (as doubtlesse you shall doe shortly) reioyce with his electes for euer. You haue so armed me to the Lordes battell both inwardly and outwardly, that except I be a very coward, I can not faynt, but ouercome by death. You haue appointed me to so good and gracious a Generall of the field, to so victorious a Captaine, and to so fauourable a Marshall, that if I should not go on lustely, there were no sparcle of heauenly manhode in me. I wil present your coate armour before my Captaine, and in the same I trust by hym to ouercome. MarginaliaPhilpots Scarffe.The Scarffe  

I desire as an outward signe to shew to our enemyes, who see not our glorious end, neither what GOD worketh inwardly in vs, thorough the blindnes of their hartes, that they persecute Christes crosse in vs, whereby he hath sealed vp the truth of his Gospell by his death vnto vs, that we by our death (if neede be) might confirme the same, and neuer be ashamed, what soeuer torment we doe suffer for hys names sake: & our weake brethren seyng the same might be more encouraged to take vppe Christes crosse, and to folow him. God geue vs grace to do all things to his glory, Amen. &c.

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The world wondreth how we can be mery in such extreme miserie, but our GOD is omnipotent which turneth misery into felicitie. MarginaliaExperience of Gods comfort in the tyme of affliction.Beleue me deare Sister, there is no such ioye in the worlde as the people of Christ haue vnder the Crosse. I speake by experiēce: therfore beleue me, and feare nothyng that the worlde can doe vnto you. MarginaliaPersecutors, when they prison mens bodyes, they set their soules at libertye.For when they imprison our bodyes, they set our soules at libertie with God. When they cast vs downe, they lift vs vp: yea whē they kill vs, then do they bryng vs to euerlastyng lyfe. And what greater glory can there be, then to bee at comformitie with Christ? which afflictions do worke in vs.

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God open our eyes to see more and more the glorye of God in the Crosse of Iesus Christ, and make vs worthy partakers of the same. Let vs reioyce in nothyng, with S. Paule, but in the crosse of Iesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified vnto vs, and we to the world. The crosse of Christ be our standard to fight vnder for euer. Whiles I am thus talkyng with you of our common consolation, I forget how I trouble you with my rude and vnordinate tediousnesse: but you must impute it to loue whiche can not quickely depart from them whom he loueth, but desireth to poure himselfe into their bosomes.

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Therefore though your fleshe would be offended (as it might iustly bee) at such rudenes, yet your spirite will say nay, which taketh all thyng in good part that commeth of loue. And now I am departyng: yet will I take my leaue ere I go, and would fayne speake somewhat that might declare my sincere loue to you for euer: farewell. O electe vessell of the Lord, to the comfort of his afflicted flocke, farewell on earth, whom in heauen, I am sure, I shal not forget. Farewell vnder the crosse most ioyfully: and vntill we meete, alwayes remember what Christ sayth: Be of good chere, for I haue ouercome the world. &c.

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GOD poure his spirite aboundauntly vpon you myne owne deare bowelles in Christ, vntill you may come to see the God of all Gods with his electes in the euerlastyng Syon. I send to you the kisse of peace with the whiche I doe most entirely take my leaue of you, at this present. It is necessary we departe hence or els we could not be glorified. Your hart is heauy because I say I must depart from you. It is the callyng of our mercyfull father, wherewithall you are cōtent, & so am I. Be of good comfort: hold out your buckler of faith: for by the strēgth therof we shal shortly mete in eternall glory: to the which Christ bryng both vs. Amen. Amen. The x. of December. 1555.

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Death vvhy should I feare thee,
Since thou canst not hurt mee:
But rid me from misery,
Vnto eternall glory.

Dead to the world and liuing
to Christ, your owne brother
sealed vp in the veritie of the
Gospell for euer.
Iohn Philpot.