The comfort of the Holy Spirit for salutation.

Jesus from returning to us through the presence of His Word, and since the tyranny of these bloodthirsty wolves cannot devour Christ's small flock to the extent that a great number will be preserved to praise God's glory, and since these most cruel tyrants cannot escape

God's vengeance for long, let us take comfort, lift up our heads, and steadfastly await the Lord's deliverance with heart and voice. Let us say to our God: "O Lord, though other lords may have power over our bodies, we will remember only You and Your holy name, to whom be praise forever and ever. Amen." May God the Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ, through His omnipotent Spirit, guide and rule your hearts in His true fear to the end. Amen.

Written at Deepe, on the last day of May, 1554.

The comfort of the Holy Spirit for salutation.

Not so much to instruct you as to leave with you, dearly beloved brethren, some testimony of my love, I have thought it good to communicate with you in these few lines my weak counsel on how you should behave yourselves in the midst of this wicked generation concerning the exercise of God's most sacred and holy word. Without it, neither will knowledge increase, godliness appear, nor fervency continue among you. For as the word of God is the beginning of spiritual life, without which all flesh is dead in God's presence, and the lantern to our feet, without the brightness of which all the posterity of Adam walks in darkness, and as it is the foundation of faith, without which no one understands the good will of God, so it is

also the only means and instrument that God uses to strengthen the weak, to comfort the afflicted, to bring back those who have gone astray by repentance, and, finally, to preserve and keep the very life of the soul in all assaults and temptations.

Therefore, if you desire your knowledge to be increased, your faith to be confirmed, your conscience to be comforted, or, ultimately, your soul to be preserved in life, let your exercise be frequent in the law of the Lord God. Do not despise the precepts that Moses, who, through his own experience, had learned what comfort lies hidden within the word of God, gave to the Israelites in these words: "These words which I command you this day, sow in your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your children. You shall talk of them when you sit at home in your house, and as you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." In another place, Moses commands them to remember the law of the Lord God to do it so that it may go well with them and with their children in the land that the Lord their God would give them. This means that just as frequent memory and repetition of God's precepts are the means by which the fear of God, which is the beginning of all wisdom and felicity, is kept fresh in mind, negligence and forgetfulness of God's received benefits is the first step toward turning away from God.

Now, if the law, which due to our weakness can work nothing but wrath and anger, was so effective that, when remembered and purposefully observed, it brought a physical blessing to the people, what shall we say the glorious Gospel of Christ Jesus accomplishes when treated with reverence? Saint Paul calls it the sweet odor of life to those who will receive life, borrowing his analogy from fragrant

herbs or precious ointments, which, by nature, emit a more pleasant and delightful scent when touched or moved. Even so, dear brethren, is the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus. For the more it is engaged with, the more comforting and powerful it is to those who hear, read, or exercise it. I am not ignorant that, just as the Israelites loathed the manna because they saw and ate the same thing every day, there are some nowadays (who consider themselves to be of a higher class) that, after reading certain portions of the scriptures once, commit themselves entirely to profane authors and secular lectures because the variety of subjects therein brings them daily pleasure. In contrast, within the simple scriptures of God, the constant repetition of the same thing is seen as monotonous and wearisome.

I confess that this temptation may enter into the hearts of God's elect for a time, but it is impossible that they continue in it indefinitely.

For God's chosen ones, besides other obvious signs, have this characteristic: they are called from ignorance (I speak of those who have reached the age of understanding) to some taste and experience of God's mercy. This satisfaction is never so complete in this life that they no longer hunger and thirst to eat the bread that descended from heaven and drink the water that springs to eternal life. This can only be accomplished through faith, and faith always looks to the will of God revealed through the word. Therefore, I say it is impossible for God's chosen children to despise or reject the word of their salvation for an extended period or to loathe it completely.

Sometimes, God's elect are held in such bondage and restraint that they cannot access the bread of life or the freedom to exercise themselves in God's holy word. Yet, they do not despise it; rather, they eagerly desire the sustenance of their souls. They recognize their past negligence, lament their brethren's miserable affliction, and cry out for the free spread of the Gospel in their hearts and openly where

they dare. This hunger and thirst demonstrate the vitality of their souls.

As for those individuals who have the liberty to read and engage with God's holy scriptures but begin to grow weary because they read the same material repeatedly, I ask them why they do not grow tired of eating bread every day, drinking wine, basking in the sunlight, and utilizing other creatures of God, all of which maintain their substance, course, and nature day after day? They shall answer (I trust), "Because these creatures have the strength to preserve physical life." Oh, wretched creatures, who dare to attribute more power and strength to perishable creatures in nourishing and preserving the mortal body than to the eternal word of God in nourishing the immortal soul! My purpose is not to reason with their damnable ingratitude at this time. Instead, I write to you, my dear brethren, to share my knowledge and express my conscience. Just as the use of food and drink is necessary for the preservation of physical life, and just as the heat and brightness of the sun are essential for the growth of plants and dispelling darkness, so is the continual meditation, exercise, and use of God's holy word equally necessary for eternal life and the enlightenment and illumination of the soul.

Therefore, dear brethren, if you seek a life in the hereafter, it is imperative that you engage with the book of the Lord your God. Do not let a day pass without receiving some comfort from the mouth of God. Open your ears, and He will speak pleasant things to your heart. Do not close your eyes, but diligently let them behold the wealth of substance left to you within your Father's will. Let your tongues learn to praise the gracious goodness of Him whose pure mercy has called you from darkness to light and from death to life.

Moreover, do not keep this to yourselves so quietly that you admit no witnesses. No, brethren, you are ordained by God to rule your own

households according to His true teaching and His word. Within your homes, I say, in certain cases, you are bishops and rulers; your wife, children, servants, and household constitute your diocese and charge. It shall be required of you how carefully and diligently you have always instructed them in the knowledge of God, how you have labored to instill virtue and suppress vice in them. Therefore, I say, make them participants in reading, exhortation, and communal prayer, which I wish were practiced at least once a day in every household. Above all, dear brethren, strive to put into practice in your lives the commandments found in the word of God. Then be assured that you will never hear or read the word without producing fruit.

And that's enough about the exercises within your homes.

Considering that Saint Paul calls the congregation the body of Christ, of which each one of us is a member, teaching us that no member is self-sufficient and can sustain and nourish itself without the help and support of another, I believe it's necessary for the gathering of brethren for the study of scriptures. The order to be observed in these gatherings is expressed by Saint Paul, so there's no need for me to use many words on that matter. I only wish to emphasize that when the assembly comes together, which I recommend should be once a week, you should begin with confessing your sins and invoking the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ to assist you in all your godly endeavors. Afterward, a portion of scripture should be read plainly and distinctly, as much as is deemed sufficient for one day or time. Once the reading is completed, if any brother has exhortation, questions, or doubts, they should not hesitate to speak or raise their points, provided it is done with moderation and for the purpose of edification, either to edify or be edified.

I have no doubt that great profit shall shortly ensue from this practice. First, by hearing, reading, and discussing the scriptures in the assembly, the entire body of God's scriptures shall become familiar. The judgments and spirits of men shall be tested, their patience and modesty shall be known, and ultimately, their gifts and eloquence shall be revealed. Multiplication of words, lengthy interpretations, and stubborn arguments are to be avoided at all times and in all places, but especially in the congregation. In the congregation, nothing should be pursued except the glory of God and the comfort or edification of brethren. If any matter within the text or arising from discussion cannot be resolved by your judgments or comprehended by your understanding, then it should be noted and put in writing before the assembly is dismissed. This way, when God provides an interpreter, your questions and doubts, having been noted and known, can be resolved more expediently. Alternatively, when you need to write to those with whom you wish to share your judgments, your letters can express your unceasing desire for God and His true religion. I, for one, will gladly spend ten hours communicating my judgment with you, explaining, as God pleases to reveal to me, any passage of scripture, rather than half an hour on any other matter.

Furthermore, I suggest that in reading the scriptures, you combine some books from the Old Testament with some from the New

Testament, such as Genesis with one of the Gospels, Exodus with another, and so forth. Always finish the books you begin, as time allows. For it shall greatly comfort you to hear the harmonious and well-tuned song of the Holy Spirit speaking through our fathers from the beginning. It shall strengthen you in these dangerous and perilous days to behold the face of Christ Jesus' beloved spouse and Church, from Abel to Himself, and from Himself to this day, as one continuous entity through all ages. Be frequent in reading the

Prophets and the Epistles of Saint Paul, for the multitude of comforting matters contained therein requires practice and a good memory.

Just as your assemblies should commence with confession and invocation of God's Holy Spirit, I also recommend that they conclude with thanksgiving and communal prayers. Pray for princes, rulers, and magistrates, for the liberty and free spread of Christ's Gospel, for the comfort and deliverance of our afflicted brethren, who are persecuted, most cruelly in the realms of France and England, and for any other matters that the Spirit of the Lord Jesus may instruct you to pray for, whether for yourselves or your brethren, wherever they may be. If you exercise yourselves in this manner, dear brethren, as I trust you will, then I will praise God for your great obedience. You are not only those who have received the word of grace with gladness, but also those who carefully and diligently treasure it as a most precious treasure and jewel.

Because I cannot suspect that you will do otherwise at this time, I will refrain from issuing threats. My hope is that you will walk as the sons of light amidst this wicked generation. May you shine as stars in the nighttime sky, untarnished by any change in your nature. May you be wheat among the tares, without altering the nature you have received through God's grace, which comes through our fellowship and participation with the Lord Jesus in His body and blood. Finally, may you be counted among the prudent virgins, continually replenishing your lamps with oil as those who patiently await the glorious appearance and coming of the Lord Jesus. May His omnipotent Spirit guide and instruct, illuminate and comfort your hearts and minds in all trials, now and forever. Amen.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus rest with you.

J.K.

Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson, dwelling at the Three Cranes in the Vintry. 1580.

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Table of Contents To the Religious Reader To his beloved Mother The Sixth Psalm.

Ezekiel 9. Pass through the city, and put a sign on the foreheads of those who mourn for the abominations that are committed.

The comfort of the Holy Spirit for salutation.

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