8 - 15 Nov. To Sir John Scudamore

Summary

Sir:

Your last letters I received on Satterday, but too late to send any answeare by that dayes Carrier. Mr Wellington which brought them fell ill by the waye, which stayd them the longer; other delay there was none: for hee came to mee with them before hee went to his Chamber.

When I redd your letters I was very hartely sorry and soe am, to thinke of the heaviness which this late sadd accident hath brought both upon your selfe and your Ladye. For your selfe yett you doe well to remember, and shall doe better to practize, that which your selfe express in your letters. And for my parte as I must ever wish and praye for my Frends, that in cases of like nature their sorrowe may bee moderate, soe did I never thinke that Christianity did teach any Man to bee senseless of such punishments when they came, or alltogeather feareless of their stroake, or in any degree careless of their prevention while it is possible. This I knowe that the waye to find out Gods blessinge in these punishments is patience: but yett these greater and lowder callings of God upon us doe not putt of the nature of punishment, because they may conteyne some degrees of mercy. I hope as you have beene a remembrancer to your selfe of Davids case, so you wilbee myndfull of his temper and of his prudence, and leave God to his mercy and his providence in that which is behind.

For your Lady it doth very much trouble mee, to reed the passion shee hath bene in; and the best comfort that cann bee given her under God must come from your selfe, and that as it need not, soe it cannot be prescribed unto you: but must bee taken hould of as occasions present and offer themselves. Twoo things only I could wishe were fittly represented to your Ladye. The one is, that God did not take a Sonne from her, till he had given her another. And the other, That if shee give waye to her sorrowe, to have a fewe more such fitts as you describe caused by it, shee may eyther make her end suddaine, or her life miserable.