three, as all your five could have been. However, if all the cisterns were drawn dry while you have your fountain to go to, you are well; you may also by faith look forward, and say, it was a covenant child, and through mercy, we shall see it again in a better world."

Upon the sickness of a dear child, he thus writes to the parent: "You and we are taught to say, It is the Lord: upon his will must we wait, and to it must we submit in every thing; not upon constraint, but of choice: not only because he is the potter and we the clay, and therefore in a way of sovereignty he may do what he pleases with us and ours; but because he is our Father, and will do nothing but what shall be for good to us. The more you can be satisfied in this, and the more willing to resign, the more likely to have. Be strong therefore in the grace which is in Christ Jesus; it is given for such a time of need as this. I hope your fears and ours will be prevented, and pray they may; but thanks be to God, we know the worst of it, and that worst has no harm in it, while the better part is ours, which cannot be taken away from us."

To one of his children in affliction he writes thus: "It is a time of trial with you,

He

according to the will of your and our heavenly Father. Though you see 'not yet what he means by it, you shall see. means you good, and not hurt; he is showing you the vanity of all things under the sun, that your happiness lies not in them, but in himself only; that they and we are passing away, withering flowers; that therefore we may learn to die to them, and live above them, placing our hope and happiness in better things, trusting in him alone who is the rock of ages, who fails not, neither can fail, nor will fail those that fly to Him. I pray you, think not a hard thought of him, no not one hard thought, for he is good, and doth good in all he doth, and therefore all shall work for good: but then, as you are called according to his purpose (blessed be his name for it) so you must love him, and love (you know) thinks no evil, but puts the best construction upon all that the person loved says or does, and so must you, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness."

At another time: "Your times, and the

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times of yours, are in the Lord's good hand, whose will is his wisdom. It is one thing (as we read and observed this morning, out of Ezek. xxii.) to be put into a furnace and left there as dross to be consumed; and another thing to be put in as gold or silver to be melted for use, and to have the refiner set by. "You know whom you have believed, keep your hold of the everlasting covenant: he is faithful that hath promised. We pray for you, and we give thanks for you daily, for the cup is mixed, therefore trust in the Lord for ever, and rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice."

To one of his sons-in-law that was a little engaged in building, he thus writes: "Be sure to take God along with you in this, as in all your other affairs; for except he build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Count upon troublesome occurrences in it, and keep the spirit quiet within: and let not God's time nor dues be entrenched upon, and then all will be well."

It was but a little before he died that he wrote thus to one of his children: "We rejoice in God's goodness to you, that your distemper has been a rod shaken only, and

not laid on. He is good, and doth good; and should we not love him, and rest in our love to him? He saith, he doth in his to us, and rejoiceth over us with singing, Zeph. iii. 17. And have we not much more cause? What loveliness in us? What not in him? I pray let me recommend him to your love: love him, love him with all the powers of your soul, and out of love to him please him. He is pleased with honest endeavours to please him; though, after all, in many things we come short, for we are not under the law, but under grace."

To one of his children recovered from sickness he gives this hint: "Remember that a new life must be a new life indeed: reprieves extraordinary call for returns extraordinary."

The last journey he made to London was in August 1690; before he went, he sent his farewell letter to his son at Chester: "I am going forth this morning towards the great city not knowing but it may be Mount Nebo to me: therefore I send you this as full of blessings as it can hold, to yourself, my daughter your wife, all the rest of my daughters, their husbands, and all the little ones,

258 LIFE OF THE REV. PHILIP HENRY.

together and severally. If I could command the blessings, I would; but I pray to Him that hath and doth, and I trust will. The Lord bless you, and keep you, and lift up the light of his countenance upon you. As you have received, and you for your part preached Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him: keeping conscience always void of offence, both towards God, and towards all men. Love your mother, and be dutiful to her, and live in love and peace among yourselves, and the God of love and peace that hath been, will be with you. Amen."

FINIS.