You are the Chief of Two Families; I had by your Mother Three Sons and Three Daughters, and I had with her a Large Portion of outward Estate. These now are all gone; Mother gone; Brethren and Sisters gone; you only are left to see the Vanity of these Temporal things, and learn Wisdom thereby, which may be of more use to you, through the Lord's Blessing, than all that Inheritance which might have befallen you: And for which this may stay and quiet your Heart, That God is able to give you more than this; and that it being spent in the furtherance of his Work, which hath here prospered so well, through his Power hitherto, you and yours may certainly expect a liberal Portion in the Prosperity and Blessing thereof hereafter; and the rather, because it was not forced from you by a Father's Power, but freely resigned by your self, out of a Living and Filial Respect unto me, and your own readiness unto the Work it self. From whence as I do often take Occasion to Bless the Lord for you, so do I also Commend you and yours to his Fatherly Blessing, for a plentiful Reward to be rendred unto you. And doubt not, my Dear Son, but let your Faith be built upon his Promise and Faithfulness, that as he hath carried you hitherto through many Perils, and provided liberally for you, so he will do for the time to come, and will never fail you, nor forsake you.

My Son, the Lord knows how Dear thou art to me, and that my Care has been more for thee than for my self. But I know thy Prosperity depends not on my Care, nor on thine own, but upon the Blessing of our Heavenly Father; neither doth it on the things of this World, but on the Light of God's Countenance, through the Merit and Mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is that only which can give us Peace of Conscience with Contentation; which can as well make our Lives Happy and Comfortable in a mean Estate, as in a great Abundance. But if you weigh things aright, and sum up all the Turnings of Divine Providence together, you shall find great Advantage.

The Lord hath brought us to a Good Land; a Land, where we enjoy outward Peace and Liberty, and above all, the Blessings of the Gospel, without the Burden of Impositions in Matters of Religion. Many Thousands there are who would give Great Estates to enjoy our Condition. Labour therefore, my good Son, to increase our Thankfulness to God for all his Mercies to thee, especially for that he hath revealed his Everlasting Good-will to thee in Jesus Christ, and joined thee to the visible Body of his Church, in the Fellow­367ship of his People, and hath saved thee in all thy Travails abroad, from being Infected with the Vices of these Countries where thou hast been, (a Mercy vouchsafed but unto few Young Gentlemen Travellers.) Let him have the Honour of it who kept thee. He it was who gave thee Favour in the Eyes of all with whom thou hadst to do, both by Sea and Land; He it was who saved thee in all Perils; and He it is who hath given thee a Gift in Understanding and Art; and he it is who hath provided thee a Blessing in Marriage, a Comfortable Help, and many Sweet Children; and hath hitherto provided liberally for you all: And therefore I would have you to Love him again, and Serve him, and Trust him for the time to come. Love and Prize that Word of Truth, which only makes known to you the Precious and Eternal Thoughts and Councils of the Light Inaccessible. Deny your own Wisdom, that you may find his; and esteem it the greatest Honour to lye under the Simplicity of the Gospel of Christ Crucified, without which you can never enter into the Secrets of his Tabernacle, nor enjoy those sweet things which Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, nor can the Heart of Man conceive; but God hath granted unto some few to know them even in this Life. Study well, my Son, the saying of the Apostle, Knowledge puffeth up. It is a good Gift of God, but when it lifts up the Mind above the Cross of Christ, it is the Pride of Life, and the High-way to Apostacy, wherein many Men of great Learning and Hopes have perished.

In all the Exercise of your Gifts, and Improvement of your Talents, have an Eye to your Master's End, more than your own; and to the Day of your Account, that you may then have your Quietus est, even, Well done, Good and Faithful Servant! But my last and chief Request to you, is, that you be careful to have your Children brought up in the Knowledge and Fear of God, and in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. This will give you the best Comfort of them, and keep them sure from any Want or Miscarriage: And when you part from them, it will be no small joy to your Soul, that you shall meet them again in Heaven!