I Am ſorry to underſtand by Mr. Janeways Letter to my Son, that your Diſtemper grows upon you, and that you ſeem to decline ſo faſt. I am very ſenſible how much eaiſer it is to give Advice againſt trouble in the caſe of another, then to take it in our own. It hath pleaſed God to Exerciſe me of late with a very ſore Tryal in the loſs of my Dear and Only Child, in which I do perfectly ſubmit to his good Pleaſure, firmly believing that he does always what is beſt; and yet tho' Reaſon be ſatisfied, our Paſſion is not ſo ſoon Appeaſed; and when Nature hath received a Wound, time muſt be allowed for the Healing of it. Since that God hath thought fit to give me a nearer Summons and a cloſer of my Mortality in the danger of an Apoplexy, which yet I thank God hath occaſioned no very Melancholy Reflections, but this perhaps is more owing to natural Temper than to Philoſophy and wiſe Conſiderations; Your Caſe I know is very different, who are of a Temper naturally Melancholy, and under a Diſtemper apt to increaſe it; for both which, great Allowances are to be made. And yet methinks both Reaſon and Religion do offer to us Conſiderations of that Solidity and Strength, as may very well ſupport our Spirits under all the Infirmities and Frailties of the Fleſh, ſuch as theſe; that God is perfect Love and Goodneſs, that we are not only his Creatures, but his Children, and as dear to him, as to our ſelves, that he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the Children of Men; and that all Evils and Afflictions which ſhall befall us, are intended for the Cure and Preventions of greater Evils, of Sin and Puniſhment: And therefore we ought not only to ſubmit to them with Patience, as being deſerved by us, but to receive them with thankfulneſs, as being deſigned by him, to do us that good, and to bring us to that ſence of him, and our ſelves, which perhaps nothing elſe would have done; that the Sufferings of this preſent time are but ſhort and ſlight, with that extream and endleſs Miſery which we have deſerved; and with that exceeding and eternal weight of Glory which we hope for in the other World: That if we be careful to make the beſt Preparation we can for Death and Eternity, whatever brings us nearer to our End, brings us nearer to Happineſs; and how rugged ſoever the Way be, the Comfort is that it leads to our Fathers Houſe, where we ſhall want nothing that we can wiſh. When we labour under a Diſtemper, that threatens our Life, what would we not be content to bear in order to a perfect Recovery? could we but be aſſured of it: And ſhou'd we not be willing to endure much more, in order to Happineſs, and that Eternal Life which God that cannot Lye hath promiſed. Nature I know is fond of Life, and apt to be ſtill Lingering after a longer Continuance here; and yet a long Life with the uſual Burdens and Infirmities of it, is ſeldom deſirable; it is but the ſame thing over again or worſe. So many more Days and Nights, Summers and Winters, a repetition of the ſame Pleaſure, but with leſs Pleaſure and Reliſh, every day a return of the ſame, or greater Painsor Trouble, but with leſs Patience and Strength to bear them.

Theſe and the like Conſiderations I uſe to Entertain my ſelf withall, not only with Contentment, but with Comfort, though with great inequality of Temper at ſeveral times, and with much mixture of Humane Frailty, which will always ſtick to us while we are in this World. However by theſe kind of Thoughts, Death becomes more familiar with us, and we ſhall be able by Degrees to bring our minds cloſe up to it, without ſtarting at it. The greateſt tenderneſs I find with my ſelf, is with regard to ſome near Relations, eſpecially the dear and conſtant Companions of my Life, which I muſt confeſs doth very ſenſibly touch me, but then I conſider, and ſo I hope will they alſo, that this Seperation will be but for a little while, and that though I leave them in a bad World, yet under the care of a good God. who can be more and better to them then all other Relations, and will certainly be ſo to thoſe that Love him, and Hope in his Mercy. I ſhall not need to adviſe you what to do, and what uſe to make of this time of your Viſitation, I have reaſon to beleive that you have been careful in the time of your Health to prepare for this Evil Day, and have been converſant in thoſe Books, which give the beſt Directions to this purpoſe, and have not, as too many do, put of the great Work of your Life to the End of it: And then you have nothing now to do, but as well as you can under your preſent Weakneſs and Pains, to renew your Repentance for all the Errors and Miſcarriages of your Life, and • ſes of God, and the Hope of tha • Happineſs which you are ready to enter into, and in the mean time to Exerciſe Faith and Patience for a little while, be of good Courage ſince you ſee Land the Storm you are in will quickly be over, and then it will be as if it had never been, or rather the Remembrance of it will be a Pleaſure. I do not uſe to write ſuch long Letters, but I do heartily Compaſſionate your Caſe, and ſhould be glad if I could ſuggeſt any thing that might help to mitigate your Troubles, and make that ſharp and rough Way, through which you are to paſs into a better World, more ſmooth and eaſie. I Pray God, fit us both for that great Change which we muſt once undergoe, and if we be but in any good Meaſure fit for it, ſooner or later makes no great difference. I commend you to the Father of Mercies, and the God of all Conſolation, beſeeching him to increaſe your Faith and Patience, and to ſtand by you in the laſt and great Conflict, that when you walk through the Valley of the Shaddow of Death, you may fear no Evil, and when your Heart fails, and Strength fails, you may find him the Strength of your Heart and your Portion for ever. Farwel my good Friend, and while we are here let us Pray for one another, that We may have a Joyful meeting in another World. I reſt