The Comfort of the Holy Spirit

Not so much to instruct you, as for to leave with you (dearly beloved brethren) some testimony of my love: I have thought good to communicate with you in these few lines my weak counsel, how I would you should behave yourselves in the midst of this wicked generation, touching the exercise of God's most sacred and holy word, without which, neither shall knowledge increase, godliness appear, nor fervency continue among you. For as the word of God is the beginning of spiritual life, without which all flesh is dead in God's presence: and the lantern to our feet, without the brightness whereof all the posterity of Adam does walk in darkness: and as it is the foundation of faith, without which no man understands the good will of God: so it is also the only organ and instrument, which God uses to strengthen the [illegible], to comfort the afflicted, to reduce to [illegible] by repentance, such as have [illegible]: and finally, to preserve and keep the very life of the soul, in all assaults and temptations.

And thereof if that you desire your knowledge to be increased, your faith to be confirmed, your conscience to be [illegible] and comforted, or finally your soul to be preserved in life: let your exercise be frequent in the law of the Lord God. Despise not the precepts which Moses (who by his own experience had learned what comfort lies hid within the word of God) gave to the Israelites in these words: These words which I command you this day, sow in your heart, and you shall exercise your children in them. You shall talk of them when you are at home in your house, and as you walked by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up, and you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be papers of remembrance between your eyes, and you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and upon your gates. And Moses in another place commands them to remember the law of the Lord God to do it, that it may be well with them and with their children in the land which the Lord their God should give them, meaning that like as frequent memory and repetition of God's precepts, is the means whereby the fear of God which is the beginning of all wisdom and felicity, is kept recent in mind: so is negligence and oblivion of God's benefits received, the first degree of defection from God.

Now if the law, which by reason of our weakness can work nothing but wrath and anger, was so effectual, that remembered and rehearsed of purpose to do it, it brought to the people a corporal benediction: what shall we say the glorious Gospel of Christ Jesus does work, so that with reverence it be entreated? Saint Paul calls it the sweet odor of life to those that shall receive life, borrowing his similitude of odoriferous herbs, or precious ointments, whose nature is, the more that they be touched or moved, to send forth their odor more pleasant and delectable. Even such, dear brethren, is the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus: for the more that it be entreated, the more comfortable and puissant is it to such as do hear, read, or exercise the same. I am not ignorant, that as the Israelites loathed the manna, because that every day they saw and ate but one thing, so some there be nowadays (who will not be holden of the worst sort) that after once reading some parcels of the scriptures, do commit themselves altogether to profane authors, and humane lectures, because that the variety of matters therein contained, does bring with it daily delectation: where contrariwise, within the simple scriptures of God, the perpetual repetition of one thing, is tedious and wearisome. This temptation I confess, may enter into God's very elect for a time, but impossible it is, that therein they continue to the end: for God's election besides other evident signs has this ever joined with it, that God's elect are called from ignorance (I speak of those that are come to the years of knowledge) to some taste and feeling of God's mercy, of the which they are never so satisfied in this life, but from time to time they hunger and they thirst, to eat the bread that descended from heaven, and to drink the water that springs to life everlasting: which they cannot do but by the means of faith, and faith looks ever to the will of God, revealed by the word, so that faith has both her beginning and continuance by the word of God. And so I say, that impossible it is that God's chosen children can despise or reject the word of their salvation of any long continuance, neither yet loath it to the end. Often it is, that God's elect are holden in such bondage and thraldom, that they cannot have the bread of life broken to them, neither yet free liberty to exercise themselves in God's holy word: but then do not God's children loath, but most gladly do they covet the food of their souls. Then do they accuse their former negligence, then lament they the miserable affliction of their brethren, and then cry and call they in their hearts (and openly where they dare) for free passage of the Gospel. This hunger and thirst does prove the life of their souls. But of such men, as having liberty to read, and exercise themselves in God's holy scriptures, and yet begin to be weary, because from time to time they read but one thing: I ask, why are not they weary, every day to eat bread, to drink wine, to behold the brightness of the Sun, and to use the rest of God's creatures, which every day do keep their own substance, course and nature? They shall answer (I trust) because such creatures have a strength to preserve the life. O miserable creatures, who dare attribute more power and strength to the corruptible creatures in nourishing and preserving the mortal carcass, than to the eternal word of God in the nourishment of the soul, which is immortal! To reason with their damnable unthankfulness at this present, is not my purpose: but to you, my dear brethren, I write my knowledge, and do speak my conscience, that so necessary, as the use of meat and drink is to the preservation of corporal life, and so necessary as the heat and brightness of the Sun is to the quickening of the herbs, and to expel darkness: so necessary is also to the life everlasting, and to the illumination and light of the soul, the perpetual meditation, exercise and use of God's holy word. And therefore, dear brethren, if you look for a life to come, of necessity it is, that you exercise yourselves in the book of the Lord your God. Let no day slip or want some comfort received from the mouth of God: open your ears, and he will speak even pleasant things to your heart: close not your eyes, but diligently let them behold, what portion of substance is left to you within your father's Testament. Let your tongues learn to praise the gracious goodness of him, whose mere mercy has called you from darkness to light, and from death to life. Neither yet may you do this so quietly, that you will admit no witness: no brethren, you are ordained of God to rule your own houses in his true fear, and according to his word. Within your houses, I say, in some cases you are bishops and kings: your wife, children, servants, and family, are your bishopric and charge: of you it shall be required how carefully and diligently you have always instructed them in God's knowledge, how that you have studied in them to plant virtue, and suppress vice. And therefore I say, you must make them partakers, in reading, exhorting and in making common prayers, which I would in every house were used once a day at least: but above all things, dear brethren, study to practise in life, that which the word of God commands, and then be you assured, that you shall never hear nor read the same without fruit. And thus much for the exercise within your houses. Considering that Saint Paul calls the congregation, the body of Christ, whereof every one of us is a member, teaching us thereby, that no member is of sufficiency, to sustain and feed itself, without the help and support of another: I think it necessary, for the conference of scriptures, assemblies of brethren be had. The order therein to be observed, is expressed by Saint Paul, and therefore need not I to use many words in that behalf: only willing that when the convent are come together, which I would were once a week, that your beginning should be from confession of your offences, and invocation of the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ to assist you, in all your godly enterprises. And then let some place of scripture be plainly and distinctly read, so much as shall be thought sufficient for one day or time: which ended, if any brother have exhortation, question or doubt, let him not fear to speak or move the same, so that he do it with moderation, either to edify, or to be edified. And hereof I doubt not, but great profit shall shortly ensue: for first by hearing, reading, and conferring the scriptures in the assembly, the whole body of the scriptures of God shall become familiar. The judgments and spirits of men shall be tried. Their patience and modesty shall be known, and finally their gifts and utterance shall appear. Multiplication of words, prolix interpretations, and willfulness in reasoning, is to be avoided at all times, and in all places, but chiefly in the congregation: where nothing ought to be respected, except the glory of God, and comfort or edification of brethren. If anything occur within the text, or else arise in reasoning, which your judgments can not resolve, or capacities comprehend: let the same be noted and put in writing before you dismiss the congregation, that when God shall offer to you any interpreter, your doubt being noted and known, may have the more expedite resolution, or else that when you shall have occasion to write to such, as with whom you would communicate your judgments, your letters may signify and declare the unceasing desire that you have of God, and of his true religion. And they I doubt not, according to their talents, will endeavor and bestow their faithful labors to satisfy your godly petitions. Of myself, I will speak as I think, I will more gladly spend ten hours in communicating my judgment with you in explaining, as God pleases to open to me, any place of scripture, than half an hour in any matter beside. Further, I would in reading the scriptures you should join some books of the old, and some of the new Testament together, as Genesis and one of the Evangelists, Exodus with another, and so forth, ever ending such books as you begin, as the time will suffer. For it shall greatly comfort you, to hear that harmony and well-tuned song, of the holy spirit, speaking in our fathers, from the beginning. It shall confirm you in these dangerous and perilous days, to behold the face of Christ Jesus his loving spouse and Church, from Abel to himself, and from himself to this day, in all ages to be one. Be frequent in the Prophets, and in the Epistles of Saint Paul: for the multitude of matters most comfortably therein contained, requires exercise and good memory. Like as your assemblies ought to begin with confession and invocation of God his holy spirit: so would I that they were finished with thanksgiving, and common prayers for princes, rulers and magistrates, for the liberty and free passage of Christ his Gospel, for the comfort and deliverance of our afflicted brethren, in all places now persecuted, but most cruelly within the realms of France and England: and for such other things, as the spirit of the Lord Jesus shall teach to you to be profitable, either to yourselves or to your brethren, wherever they be. If thus (or better) I shall hear that you exercise yourselves, dear brethren, then will I praise God for your great obedience, as for them, that not only have received the word of grace with gladness, but that also with care and diligence do keep the same, as a treasure and jewel most precious. And because I can not suspect that you will do the contrary at this present, I will use no threatenings: for my good hope is, that you shall walk, as the sons of light, in the midst of this wicked [illegible]. That you shall be as stars in the night season, who yet are not changed into [illegible]. That you shall be wheat among the [illegible], and yet that you shall not change your nature, which you have received by grace, through the fellowship and participation which we have with the Lord Jesus in his body and blood. And finally that you shall be of the number of the prudent virgins, daily renewing your [illegible] with oil, as you that patiently do abide the glorious apparition and coming of the Lord Jesus: whose omnipotent spirit rule and instruct, illuminate and comfort your [illegible] and minds, in all assaults, [illegible] and evermore, Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus, rest with you.