34 LETTERS OF THE [1638-9. And my dearest, beleeue this frommee, that theare is no sweetnes in any thinge in this life to be compared to the sweetnes in the saruis of our God, and this I thanke God, I cane say, not only to agree with thos that say so, but experimentally ; I haue had health and frinds and company in variety, and theare was a time, that what could I have saide I wanted; yet in all that theare was a trubell, and that which gaue me peace, was sarueing of my God, and not the saruis of the world. And I haue had a time of siknes, and weakenes, and the loose of frinds, and as I may say, the glideing away of all thos things I tooke most comfort in, in this life. If I should now say (which I may booldly) that, in this condistion, O howe sweet did I finde the loue of my God, and the endeuor, to walke in his ways ; it may be, some may say, then it must needs be so, becaus all other comforts failed me; but my deare Ned I must lay both my condistions togeather; my time of freedome from afflictions, and my time of afflictions; and in the one, I found a sweetnes in the saruis of God, aboue the sweetnes of the things in this life, and in trubele a sweetnes in the saruis of God, which tooke away the bitternes of the affliction; and this I tell you, that you may beleeue howe good the Lord is, and beleeue it, as a tryed truth, the saruis of the Lord, is more sweet, more peaceabell, more delight- ful, then the enioyeing of all the vadeing pleashurs of the world. My deare Ned, I thanke you for your letter by the carrier this wake. Howe soeuer trubells may befall me, yet if it be well with you, I reioyce. I thanke God, that you injoy your health. The Lord in mercy continue it to you. My deare Ned, I longe to see you ; but I feare it will not be a great whille. I know not well when the Acte is, and I thinke I must not looke to see you tell the Act be past. Whensoeuer it is, I beceach the Lord, giue vs a happy seeing on of another. I am sorry my lady Corbet takes no more care of her chilederen. Sr Andwe Corbet left two thousand pounds a year. Shee has a way that I should not take, by my good will with my chillderen, without it weare to correct some great fallt in them; but my deare Ned, as longe as it pleases God, I haue it, I
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