I wrote to thee this weeke by Roger Mather, but shall expect no other lettre from thee, because of thy iournye to Maplested, from whence, I hope thou art safely returned, blessed be the Lord our good God, who watcheth ouer vs in all our wayes, to doe vs good, and to comfort vs with his manyfould blessinges, not takinge occation by our sinnes to punishe vs as we deserue: through his mercye it is, that I continue in health, and that to my great ioye I heare well of thee and our famylye; the Lord teach vs the right vse of all his blessinges, and so temper our Affections towardes the good thinges of this life, as our greatest ioye may be, that our names are in the booke of life, that we haue the goodwill of our heauenly father, that Christ Jesus is ours, and that by him we haue right to all thinges: then, come what will, we may haue ioye and confidence.

My sweet wife, I am sorye that I cannot now appoint the tyme that I hope to returne, which cannot be the next weeke though it is like, my sister Fones or some of her company will come downe then, but you shall heare more the beginninge of next weeke.

For newes, I haue but one to write of, but that wilbe more wellcome to thee, then a great deale of other, my Office is gone, and my chamber,2 and 100I shalbe a sauer in them both: so as I hope, we shall now enioye each other againe as we desire, the Lorde teach vs to improue our tyme and society to more vse for our mutuall comfort and the good of our familye etc. then before. It is now bedd tyme but I must lye alone, therefore I make lesse haste, yet I must kisse my sweet wife, and so with my blessing to our children, and salutation to all our frendes, I comende thee to the grace and blessinge of the Lord and rest Thy faithfull husband

Blessed be the Lord our God for his great mercye still continued to vs and ours O that we could consider aright of his kindnesse that we might knowe our happinesse in beinge the children of such a father, and so tenderly beloued of the Allsufncient but we must needs complaine, oh this flesh, this fraile sinfull flesh, that obscures the beauty and brightnesse of so great glorye and goodnesse! I thanke thee for thy most kinde and sweet Lettre, the stampe of that amiable affection of a most louinge wife: I assure thee, thy Labour of loue (tho, it be very great) shall not be lost, so far as the prayers and endeauours of a faithfull husbande can tende to requitall. but I must limitt the length of my desires to the shortnesse of my leysure, otherwise I should not knowe when to ende. I trust, in the Lorde, the tyme of our wished meetinge wilbe shortly, but my occasions are such as thou must haue pacience till the ende of next weeke, thoughe I shall striue to shorten it, if possibly I maye: and after that, I hope, we shall neuer parte so longe againe, till we parte for a better meetinge in heauen. but where we shall spende the rest of our short tyme I knowe not, the Lorde, I trust, will direct vs in mercye: my comfort is that thou art willinge to be my companion in what place or condition soeuere in weale or in woe, be it what it 101may, if God be with vs, we need not feare, his favour, and the kingdom of heauen wilbe alike and happinesse enough to vs and ours in all places. Henry is in London, but I haue seen him but twice, I knowe not what he doth nor what he intendeth, I mourne for his sinnes and the miserye that he will soone bringe vpon himselfe and his wife.

Our freindes heere are all in health (God be praysed) and desire to be commended to thee, so with my loue and blessinge to our children, salutations to all our freindes my brother and sister Gostlin etc: I commende thee to the good Lorde and kisse my sweet wife and rest thy faithfull husband