THE Earl of ESSEX HJS LETTER to the Earl of Southampton in the time of his Troubles.  
Containing many Pious Expressions, and very comfortable for such as are in any Troubles:  
Septemb. 29. 1642.  
LONDON, Printed by Luke NORTON, for T. T.   

The Earl of ESSEX his Letter to the Earl of Southampton, in the time of his Troubles.  
My Lord:  
AS neither Nature nor custom never made me a man of compliments. So now I shall have less will, than heretofore, to use such ceremonies; When I have left with Martha to be, Solicitus circa multa, and believe with Mary, unum sufficit, but it is no compliment or ceremony, but a real and necessary duty, that one friend oweth to another in absence, and especially at their leave taking, when in man's reason many accidents may either keep them long divided, or perhaps bar their meeting till they meet in another world▪ For then shall I think that my friend, whose honour, whose person, and whose fortune, is dear unto me shall prosper and be happy where ever he go, and what ever he takes in hand, when he is in the favour of that God, under whose protection there is only safety, and in whose service there is only true happiness to be found. What I think of your natural gifts, or of your abilities in this age, and in this state to give glory to God, and to win honour to yourself, if you employ the talents you have received, to their best use; I will not now tell you, it sufficeth that when I was furthest of all times from dissembling, I spoke truly, and have witness enough. But those things I will only put your Lordship in mind of. First, that you have nothing that you have not received. Secondly, That you possess them not as a Lord over them, but as an accountant for them. Thirdly, If you employ them to serve this world, or your own wotldly delights, which the Prince of this world will seek to entertain you with; it is ingratitude, it is injustice, yea, it is perfidious treachery. For what would you think that such a servant of yours, that shall convert your goods, committed to his charge, to the advantage or service of your greatest enemy: And what do you less than thus with God, since you have all from him, and know that the world and the Prince thereof are at continual enmity with him. If ever therefore the admonition of your truest friend be heard by you, or your Country (which you may serve in so great and many respects) be dear unto you: If your God (whom you must, if you deal truly with yourself, acknowledge to be powerful over all, and just in all) be feared by you; yea, if you be dear unto yourself, and prefer an everlasting happiness before a pleasant dream, which you must shortly awake out of, and then repent in the bitterness of your soul, any of these things be regarded by you; then, I say, call yourself to an account for what is past, cancel all the leagues which you made without the warrant of a religious conscience, make a resolute Covenant with your God to serve him with all your natural and spiritual inward and outward gifts and abilities, and then he that is faithful and cannot lie, hath promised to honour them that honour him, he will give you that inward peace of soul, and true joy of heart; which till you have you shall never rest, which when you have you shall never be shaken, and which you can never attain to by any other way then this that I have showed you; I know your Lordship that when you read this, you may say to yourself, and object to me, this is but a vapour of melancholy, and a stile of a prisoner; and that I was far enough from it when I lived in the world (as you do now; and may do so again when my fetters are taken from me. I answer, Though your Lordship should think so, yet cannot I distrust the goodness of my God, that his mercy will fail me, or his grace forsake me, I have so deeply engaged myself that I should be one of the most miserable Apostates that ever was: I have so avowed my profession, and called so many from time to time to witness it, and to be watchmen over me, that I should be the hollowest Hypocrite that ever lived, and the most detestable Atheist that ever was borne. But though I should perish in my own sin, and draw upon myself my own condemnation; should not you take hold of the Grace and Mercy of God which is offered and make your profit of my fearful, wretched and miserable example. I was longer a slave and servant to the world, and the corruption of it, than you have been, and therefore could hardly be drawn from it, I had many callings, and answered some of them: thinking a soft pace fast enough to come to Christ: and myself forward enough, when I saw the end of my journey, though I arrived not at it. Therefore I have been by God's providence violently pulled, halled, and dragged to the Marriage feast, as all the world hath seen. It was just with God to afflict me in this world, that he might give me joy in another: I had too much knowledge, while I performed too little obedience, and was therefore to be beaten with double stripes; God grant your Lordship may quietly feel the comforts I now enjoy in my unfeigned conversion, but that you never feel the torments I have suffered for the too long delaying it; I had none but Divines to call upon me: To whom I said, If my ambition could have entered into their narrow hearts, they would not have been so humble; or if my delights had been once tasted by them, they would not have been so precise; But your Lordship hath one to call upon you that knows what it is you now enjoy, and what the greatest fruit and end is of all contentments that this world can afford; think therefore (Dear Earl) that I have staked and bounded all the ways of pleasure to you, and left them as sea-marks for you to keep the channel of religious ventures; for shut your eyes never so long, they must be opened at last, and then you must say with me, There is no peace to the wicked and ungodly, I will make a covenant with my soul: not suffer mine eyes to sleep in the night, nor my thoughts to attend the first business of the day, till I have prayed to my God that your Lordship may believe, and may profit by this plain, but faithful admonition. And then I know your Country and friend shall be happy in you, and you successful in all you take in hand: which shall be an unspeakable comfort to your lordship's  
Cousin and true Friend, which no worldly cause can divide from you, ESSEX.  
FINIS.