Fourth letter of Mr. Hardcastle to his church.

[Newgate, Sept. 8, 1675]

Beloved Friends, - Though I am absent from you, yet I hear of your affairs: that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. God is with us; and to them that have no might He increase strength. Can we not watch with the Lord Jesus one hour? Our evil hearts of unbelief have more struck at the honor of our Master, than ever the persecution of ungodly men struck at our good; for no good can come of an evil heart, but abundance of good may come to us by means of evil men.

Well then, my brethren, let us come to this conclusion, that we are very much wanting with God, and be glad that God will give us an opportunity of service, or bearing testimony for Him. But oh! what a bountiful Master have we, that rewards us for doing our duty. Our heavenly Father is a little angry with us: indeed, we have not carried it like obedient children. Loath He is to turn us out of doors; He seems to have a greater mind to whip the money-changers than turn us out of the temple. His house will be a house of prayer when the thieves shall retreat into their dens. Let us then fall in with [one] who is so unwilling to fall out with us; and for that purpose, let us fall out with our evil nature, corrupt affections, and beloved sins, which have been the cause of these confusions and disturbances. Let them not live one quiet quarter of an hour in our hearts, that will not let us live one quiet hour in our meeting.

But what shall we say? Our father corrects us lovingly and gently, He takes us on His knee and corrects us, He smiles while He is striking, and makes us kiss the rod, and embrace the cross, and brings us to our knees. All will be well, if we can keep in that posture; there is no flying from Him but by flying to Him. If we accept the punishment of our iniquities, our deliverance will be hastened. We yet live, and have lost no ground. Our hope, and faith, and patience, have as good ground to stand upon as ever they had. We cannot bear the smallest burden in our own strength; but our God can and will keep us to bear the greatest He shall lay upon us. Let us comfort ourselves with these words. You see as the world cannot comfort us: then the Word and promise must. As George Withers says:-

“Have we not yet a God, and is not he
A refuge, when all others failing be?
His trust was never placed on him alone,
If him he cannot trust, when all is gone.
And be ye sure, that ere from hence ye go,
He will make proof whether it be so or no.”

The presence of Jesus Christ among his disciples was more comfortable than the presence of any gospel minister to his congregation; and yet, though sorrow had filled their hearts because of His departure, He tells them plainly, that it was expedient for them that He should go away. Strange expediency! That He, whom them loved as their lives, and whose presence, and company, and preaching, they would have preserved even with the loss of their lives, and yet it should be expedient that He went away! If I go not away, says He, the Comforter will not come. Now, my beloved friends, the Comforter is with you, and the Comforter is with me; and if I had not gone away in the way I did, the Comforter might not have stayed either with you or me.

The preaching of the gospel is the ordinance of Christ, and so is the imprisonment of the preachers of the gospel: but never has forbearing to preach, for fear of a prison, ever convince or establish any one. Fears keeps company with the pit and the snare; and they are proper for none but the fearful and unbelieving, whose place is ordained where neither I nor you would willingly come. Better go to Newgate [prison] with faith, than to hell with fear. Yet I would not have you of the persuasion, that those who have not gone in the path I have are judged by me. I hope I have learned, and sometimes have taught you, that the circumstances and apprehensions of persons may differ. I know the way that I take, and another man may know the way that he takes. The devil shall cast some of you into prison [Rev. 2: 10]; not all of you.

If Satan be angry with you and me, I can be glad with it, provided God be less angry with us. It is a small matter to be persecuted by sinners, or to be judged by others; our judgment remains with the Lord. And can you think, my dear friends, that the eternal Almighty God is angry with us the more, because we have trusted his power the more, and ventured ourselves upon him? Can we think that He will leave us without a blessing, because we will not subject our public worship and ministry to the appearance of men, and power of magistrates, in the sinful execution of their office? No, no. God will never take this amiss from you, nor blame you for it. Did He ever blame any one that trusted in Him, in the way of His duties? Where are the promises? What signifies the power of God? When is it to be made use of? Blot out these texts, or else read them over, and believe them: Isaiah 43: 1-5; Isaiah 61: 12-15; Luke 12: 4-7.

God will bless these times to further good than yet we see, though already we see some fruit of it. Would you have me out of prison (where I stand in the presence and power of God, above all the powers on earth) to veil myself, and the preaching of the everlasting gospel, to the pleasing of a wretched and wicked persecutor? This would not tend to edification. God would never bless such shifting and distrusting, though I could preach like an angel. But I have done with this. I am preaching as God hath ordered me to preach, and God will bless it; and if I were preaching upon other terms, I might preach against my own self, and that I never loved in all my life. But what shall we gain by not standing true:-

1. Are we more humbled?
2. Do we prize the Word more?
3. Do we beg the Spirit more?
4. Do we mourn in secret more?
5. Do we believe more?
6. Do we repent more?
7. Do we love the world less?
8. Do we mind the duties of our families, relations, and callings more?
9. Do we long to be in heaven more, where there is rest, and peace, and joy?
10. Have we parted with any particular corruption, and saved ourselves from our own iniquity, by this action?
11. Do we pray more fervently?
12. Do we converse more watchfully?
13. Do we prepare more for our dissolution and departure out of this world?
14. Are we more thankful to God for the mercies we enjoy?
15. Are we got more above the fear of man, and into the fear of the Lord? And,
16. Lastly, are we grown more into a sense of the dishonor of God, that daily comes to His name, by these profaning wretches?

Let these things settle in your hearts. I shall add no more at present but this: - Keep your consciences, keep your confidences, keep your communions, and all is well enough. The God of peace be with you. I bless the Lord I am well and cheerful, through strength of grace, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus.

Your prayers assisting, I am ever your faithful servant in bonds.

Take this farewell: whilst we are in our enemies’ hands, God holds us in his hands.

P. S. - Sept 11th, 1675 - Since the writing of this, the Lord has appeared in giving me a few days’ liberty at my own house. Bless his name with me, and for me. I did not ask it. I did not expect it; but the Lord has the hearts of all men in his hands, and he can make enemies to show favor, contrary to their own inclinations, dispositions, resolutions, and threatenings. I made my prayer to him when I was under oppression, and made my profession to him of my dependence upon his power; and I would commit myself wholly to him, remembering that of Ezra 8: 22. And in that very hour he wrought out my liberty! How long it may continue, I know not; but if I must return to the house of Jonathan again, it is for further service, and that the Lord may get Himself more honor. And He hath made me willing to be at His disposal; in some measure I can say, from this late appearance of God for me.

The Lord also will be a refuge to His people, a refuge in times of trouble; and they that know His name will put their trust in Him: for He never forsaketh them that seek Him. [Psalm 9: 9, 10]

(Though at his own house, Mr. Hardcastle does not appear to have had the liberty of meeting with his church on their appointed day of fasting and prayer. He therefore addressed to them the following letter.)