I dare not say that I am a dry tree or that I have no room at all in the vineyard but yet I often think that the sparrows are blessed who may resort to the house of God in Anwoth from which I am banished Temptations that I supposed to be striken dead and laid upon their back rise again and revive upon me yea I see that while I live temptations will not die The devil seemeth to brag boast as much as if he had more court with Christ then I have as if he had charmed blasted my ministery that I shall doe no more good in publike but his wind shaketh no corn I will not beleeve Christ would have made such a mint to have me to himself and have taken so much pains upon me as he hath done and then slip so easily from possession and lose the glory of what he had done Nay since I came to Aberden I have been taken up to see the new land the fair palace of the Lamb And will Christ let me see heaven to break my heart never give it to me I shall not think my Lord Jesus giveth a dumb earnest or putteth his sealâ— to blank paper or intendeth to put me off with fair and false promises I see that now which I never saw well before 1. I see faith's necessity in a fair day is never known aright but now I miss nothing somuch as faith Hunger in me runneth to fair and sweet promises but when I come I am like a hungry man that wanteth teeth or a weak stomack having a sharp appetite that is filled with the very sight of meat or lik one stupified with cold under the water that would fain come to land but cannot grip any thing casten to him I can let Christ grip me but I cannot grip him I love to be kissed and to sit on Christ's knee but I cannot set my feet to the ground for afflictions bring the cramp upon my faith All I dow doe is to hold out a lame faith to Christ like a begger holding out a stump in stead of an arm or leg and cry Lord Iesus work a miracle O what would I give to have hands arms to grip strongly fold heart somly about Christ's neck to have my claim made good with reall possession I think my love to Christ hath feet abundance ruinneth swiftly to be at him but it wanteth hands and fingers to apprehend him I think I would give Christ every morning my blessing to have as much faith as I have love hunger at least I miss faith more then love hunger 2. I see mortification to be crucified to the world is not so highly accounted of by us as it should be O how heavenly a thing is it to be dead dumb deaf to this world 's sweet musick I confess it hath pleased his Majesty to make me laugh at children who are wooing this world for their match I see men lying about the world as Nobles about a King's court I wonder what they are a doing there As I am at this present I would scorn to court such a feckless petty Princesse or buy this world's kindness with a bow of my knee I scarce now either hear or see what it is that this world offereth me I know it 's little it can take from me as little it can give me I recommend Mortification to you above any thing For alas we but chase feathers flying in the air tire our own spirits for the froth overguilded clay of a dying life One sight of what my Lord hath let me see within this short time is worth a world of worlds 3. I thought courage in the time of trouble for Christ's sake a tâ—ing that I might take up at my foot I thought the very remembrance of the honesty of the cause would be enough but I was a fool in so thinking I have much adoe now to win to one smile but I see joy groweth up in heaven it is above our short arm Christ will be steward dispenser himself nonâ— else but He Therefore now I count much of one dram weight of spirituall joy one smile of Christ's face is now to me as a Kingdom yet he is no niggard to me of comforts Truly I have no cause to say that I am pinched with penury or that the consolations of Christ are dried up for he hath poured down rivers upon a dry wilderness the like of me to my admiration in my very swoonings he holdeth up my head stayeth me with flagons of wine comforteth me with apples My house bed is strowed with kisses of love Praise praise with me O if ye I betwixt us could lift up Christ upon his throne howbeit all Scotland should cast him down to the ground My Brother's case toucheth me neer I hope ye will be kinde to him give him your best counsel Remember my love to your Brother to your wife G. M. desire him to be faithfull repent of his hypocrisie and say that I wrote it to you I wish him salvation Write to me your minde anent C. E. And C. Y. And their wives I. G. Or any others in my parish I fear I am forgotten amongst them but I cannot forget them The prisoner's prayers and blessing come upon you Grace grace be with you Aberd. Feb 9. 1637. Your Brother in the Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lord. BALMERINOCH 109 My very Noble truly honourable Lord. I Make bold to write newes to your Lo from my prison though your Lo have experience more then I can have At my first entry here I was not a little casten down with challenges for old unrepented of sins Satan my own apprehensions made a lye of Christ that he had casten a dry withered tree over the dike of the vineyard but it was my folly blessed be his great name the fire cannot burn the dry tree He is pleased noâ— to feast the exiled prisoner with his lovely presence for it suiteth Christ well to be kinde he dineth suppeth with such a sinner as I am I am in Christ's tutouring here He hath made me content with a borrowed fire-side it casteth as much heat as mine own I want nothing at all but reall possession of Christ And he hath given me a pawne of that also which I hope to keep till he come himself to loose the pawne I cannot get help to praise his high name He hath made me a King over my losses imprisonment banishment onely my dumb sabbaths stick in my throat But I forgive Christ's wisdom in that I dare not say one word He hath done it I will lay my hand upon my mouth If any other had done it to me I could not have born it Now My Lord I must tell your Lo That I would not give a drink of cold water for this clay idol this plaistered
father's house is good enough to die in It may be the living childe I speak not of Mr. Hugh is more grief to you then the dead Ye are to wait on if at any time God shall give him repentance Christ waited as long possibly on you me certainly longer on me if he should deny repentance to him I could say some thing to that but I hope better things of him It seemeth that Christ will have this world your step-dame I love not your condition the woâ—se it may be a proof that ye are not a childe of this lower house but a stranger Christ seeth it not good onely but your onely good to be lead thus to heaven think this a favour that he hath bestowed upon you Free free grace that is mercy without hire ye paid nothing for it And who can put a price upon any thing of Royal and Princely Jesus Christ And that God hath given to you to suffer for him the spoiling of your goods esteem it as an act of free grace also Ye are no loser having himself And I perswade my self if ye could prize Christ nothing could be bitter to you Grace grace be with you London 1645. Your Brother Well-wisher S. R. To BARBARA HAMILTON 42 Worthy Friend GRace be to you I doe unwillingly write unto you of that which God hath done concerning your son in law onely I beleeve ye look not below Christ and the higest and most supream act of providence which moveth all wheels And certainly what came down enacted concluded in the great book before the throne signed subscribed with the hand which never did wrong should be kissed adored by us we see God's decrees when they bring forth their fruits all actions good ill sweet sowre in their time But we see not presently the after-birth of God's decree to wit his blessed end the good that he bringeth out of the womb of his holy spotless counsel we see his working we sorrow The end of his counsel working lieth hidden underneath the ground therefore we cannot beleeve Even amongst men we see hewen stones timber an hundred scattered parcels pieces of an house all under-tools hammers axes saws yet the house the beauty ease of so many lodgings ease-rooms we neither see nor understand for the present these are but in the minde head of the builder as yet wee see red earth unbroken clods furrows stones but we see not summer-lilies roses the beauty of a garden If ye give the Lord time to work as often he that beleeveth not maketh haste but not speed his end is under the ground ye shall see it was your good that your Son hath changed dwelling-places but not his Master Christ thought good to have no more of his service here yet Rev. 22 3. His servants shall serve him He needeth not us or our service either in earth or in heaven But ye are to look to him who giveth the hireling both his leave his wages for his naked aim purpose to serve Christ as well as for his labours It is put up in Christ's account such a labourer did sweat fourty years in Christ's vineyard howbeit he got not leave to labour so long because he who accepteth of the will for the deed counteth so None can teach the Lord to lay an account He numbereth the drop of rain knoweth the stars by their names It would take us much studying to give a name to every star in the firmament great or small See Lev. 13 13. And Aaron held his peace Ye know his two Sons were â—â—ain whilst they offered strange fire to the Lord Command your thoughts to be silent If the souldiers of Newcasile had done this ye might have stomacked but the weapon wa in another hand Hear the rod what it preacheth see the name of God Mâ—… 6. 9. And know that there is somewhat of God Heaven in the â—od The Majesty of the unsearchable bottomless wayes judgements of God is not seen in the rod the seeing of them râ—quireth the eyes of the man of wisdom If the sufferings of some other with you in that loss could ease you ye want them not But He can doe no wrong he cannot halt his goings are equal who hath done it I know our Lord aimeth at more mortification let him not come in vain to your house lose the pâ—ins of a mercifull visite God the founder never melteth in vain howbeit to us he seemeth often to lose both fire mettall But I know yeare more in this work then I can be There is no cause to faint or weary Grace be with you the rich consolations of Jesus Christ sweeten your cross support you under it I rest London Octob. 15. 1645. Yours in his Lord Master S. R. To Misâ—ress HUME 43. Loving Sister GRace mercy peace be to you If ye have any thing better then the husband of your youth ye are Jesus Christ's deâ—ter for it Pay not then your debts with grudging Sorrow may diminish from the sweet fruit of righteousness but quietness silence submission faith put a crown upon your sad losses ye know whose voice the voice of a crying rod is Micah 6. 9. The name majesty of the Lord is written on the rod read be instructed Let Christ have the room of the husband he hath now no need of you or of your love for he enjoyeth asmuch of the love of Christ as his heart can be capable of I confess it is a dear-bought experience to teach you to undervalue the creature yet it is not too dear if Christ think it so I know that the disputing of your thoughts against his going thither the way manner of his death the instruments the place the time will not ease your spirit except ye rise higher then second causes be silent because the Lord hath done it If we measure the goings of the Almighty his wayes the bottom whereof we see not we quite mistake God O how little a portion of God see we He is far above our ebbe narrow thoughts He ruled the world in wisdom ere we creatures of yesterday were born shall rule it when we shall be lodging beside the worms corruption Onely learn heavenly wisdom self-deniall mortification by this sad loss I know that it is not for nothing except ye deny God to be wise in all he doeth that ye have loâ— one in earth There hath been too little of your love heart in heaven therefore the jealousie of Christ hath done this It is a mercy that he contendeth with you all your lovers I should dâ—sire no greater savour for my self then that Christ laid a necessity took on such bonds upon himself Such an one I must have such a soul I cannot live in heaven without Ioh. 10. 16. And beleeve it it
the grave in the faith of the justnesse of our cause I speak nothing of the mantaining the greatnesse of men not subordinate to the Prince of the Kings of the earth I Judge that the blood of the witnesses of Jesus is found upon the skirts of this society asweel as in Babylons skirts I beleeve the way of the Lord is Col Gilbert Ker's strength glory should be countent to want my part of him which is I confesse precious dear in Christ so he be spent in the service of him who will anone make inquisition for the blood of the truely godly which these men have shedafter fair warning that they were the godly of Scotland Worthy Sir beleeve faint not set your shoulder under the glory of Jesus that is misprised in Scotland give a testimony for him he hath many names in Scotland who shall walk with him in white This despised Covenant shall ruine Malignants Sectaries Atheisâ—s Yet a little while behold he cometh walketh in the greatnesse of his strength his garments dyed with blood Oh for the sad terrible day of the Lord upon England their ships of Tarshish their fenced Cities c. because of a broken Covenant A conference with the enemy not to hinder Acting O that the Lord would thereby or some other way remove the cloud that is over you if authority would concurre were to be desired but it can hardly be exspected however in the way of duty in the silence of faith goe on if ye perish ye are the first of the creation with whom the Lord hath taken that dispensation I should humbly advise you Sir to look to that Dying behold we live killed all the day long yet more then conquerours There shall be the heat warmenesse of life in your graves buried bones But look not for the Lord 's coming the higher way onely for he may come the lower way O how little of God doe we see how mysterious is he Christ known is amongst the greatest secrets of God Keep your self in the love of God in order to that as far in obedience subjection to the King whose salvation true happinesse my soul desireth to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake to the foundamentall lawes of this kingdom as your Lord requireth Sir ye are in the hearts prayers of the Lord's people in this kingdom in the other two The Lord hath said There is a blessing in the cluster of graps destroy it not Grace grace be upon the head of him that is separated from his brethren the goodwill of him that dwelt in the bush be with you Perth 23. Nov. 1650. Your servant in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the worthy much honoured Collonel G. KER 60. Much honoured worthy Sir I know not why the people of God should not take notice of the bonds of any who have blood in readinesse to be let out for his cause And I judge it was not of you that ye died not in the undecided controversie which the Lord of the whole earth hath with the men whom he hath sent against us Dear much honoured in the Lord Let me intreat you to be far from the thoughts of leaving this Land I see it finde it that the Lord hath covered the whole land with a cloud in his anger but though I have been tempted to the like I had rather be in Scotland beside angry Jesus Christ knowing he mindeth no evil to us then in any Eden or garden in the earth If we can remain united with the Lord's remant in the land he layeth up wrath for all sort of Adversaries in Britain Though I never see the glory of his glistering sword shining in Britain I would be solaced in the innocent thoughts far from revenge that the saints shall dip their feet in the blood of the sâ—ain of the Lord truely Sir I suppose ye cannot but come to these thoughts weak desires before the hearer of prayers for as little as ye think of value your self for me if I could minde you in your bonds I purpose not to stand to the account ye give or thoughts ye have of your self though I know ye are not in a whit more or lesse before him who weigheth his own according to the weight of imputed righteousnesse for my apprehensions Christ cannot mistake you men may the calculation esteem of free grace maketh you to be what ye are I hope to see you an everlastingly obliged debter to him whom ye shall praise but never pay And truely ye have no riches but that debt and I know ye Love to be ingaged to Jesus Christ the most excellent of creditors much joy sweetnesse may ye have in standing written in his book I desire to doe it my self I would have you also highly to esteem the designe of Christ who hath raised the riches of the glory of so much grace above the Circle of the heaven of heavens out of very nothings contrived his thoughts of love so that ' lumps of glorified clay should stand before him for all ages the burdenes loaden debters of free eternally free grace Sir ye cannot cast the count of the rents of your so great inheritance of glory Grace be with you Edinb May. 18. 1651. Your servant in his own Lord Iesus S. R. To the much honoured truely worthy Collonel G. KER Habakuk 2 3 4. 61. Much honoured worthy Sir YOur chains now shine as much for Christ the cause being his as your sword was made famous in acting for that cause And blessed are such as can willingly tender to Christ both action blood doing suffering Resisting unto blood is little for that precious never-enough exalted Redeemer who when ye were a buying gave blood somewhat dearer then ye gave for him even the blood of God Act. 20 28. I know a man who upon the receit of a letter that ye were killed the people of God destroyed wished that he might be quickly under the wall of the higher palace from under the dint of the storm who longed to have the weather-beaten crazie bark safely landed in that harbour of eternall quietnesse What further service Christ hath for you I know not it is enough in that your captivity ye offer your service to Christ but if I see any thing it looks like a mercifull defeat I see the Nobles the State falling off from Christ the night coming upon the Prophets which we would pray to prevent because it is a rare thing to see a fallen star win ever up again to the firmament to shine And what if this be the thick darkness going before the break of day Sure Sir the Sun shall rise upon Scotland but if I shall see it or how near it is to day I leave that to him even unto Iehovah who creats upon every dwelling in
you I instructed you of the superstition Idolatry of kneeling in the instant of receiving the Lords supper crosseing in baptisme and the observing of mens dayes vvithout any vvarrant of Christ our perfect lawgiver Countenance not the Surplice the attire of the Massâ— preist the garment of Baals preists the abominable bovving to altars of tree is comeing upon you hate keep your selves from idols forbear in any case to hear the reading of the new fatherlesse service-book full of grosse heresees popish and superstitious errors vvithout any vvarrant of Christ tending to the overthrovv of preaching you ovv no obedience to the bastard Canons they are unlavvfull blasphemous and superstitious all the ceremonies that lie in the Antichrists foul vvomb the vvares of that great mother of fornications the kirk of Rome are to be refused ye see vvhither they lead you Continue still in the Doctrine vvhich ye have recieved ye heard of me the vvhole counsell of God so we no clâ—â—ts upon Christs robe take Christ in his ragges losses as persecuted by men be content to sigh and pant up the mountain vvith Christs crosse on your back let me be repute a false prophet your conscience once said the contrair if your Lord Jesus shall not stand by you and mantaine you and mantaine your cause aganst your enemies I have heard and my soul is greived for it that since my departure from you many among you are turned back from the good old way to the dogs vomite again let me speak to these men it vvas not vvithout Gods speciall direction that the first sentence that ever my mouth uttered to you vvas that of John Chap. 9 39. And Iesus said for judgment came I into the world that they which see not might see they which see might be made blind It is possible my first meeting yours be when vve shall both stand before the dreadfull judge of the World in the name authoritie of the Son of God my great King Master I write by these presents summonds to these men I arrest their souls bodies to the day of our compearance their eternall damnation stands subscribed and sealed in heaven by the hand-write of the great Judge of quick dead and I am ready to stand up as a preaching witnesse against such to their face that day to say Amen to their condemnation except they repent The vengeance of the Gospel is heavier nor the vengeance of the law the Mediators malediction and vengeance is tvvice vengance that vengeance is the due portion of such men there I leave them as bound men ay while they repent amend You vvere vvitnesses hovv the Lords day vvas spent vvhile I vvas among you O sacrilegious robber of Gods day vvhat vvill thou ansvver the Almightie vvhen he seeketh so many Sabbaths back again from thee What vvill the Curser Svvearer Blasphemer doe vvhen his tongue shall be rosted in that broad and burning lake of fire brimstone And what will the drunkard doe when tongue lights liver bones all shall boile frye in a torturing fire for he shall be far from his barrels of strong drinke then there is not a cold well of vvater for him in hell What shall be the case of the wretch the covetous man the opperssor the deceaver the earth worme who can never get his vvombfull of clay when in the day of Christ Gold and Silver must lie burnt in ashes and he must compear and answer his judge and quite his clayie and naughtie heaven woe woe for ever more be to the time-turning Atheist that hath one God and one religion for summer and another God and another religion for winter and the day offanning when Christ fanneth all that is in his barn floor who hath a conscience for every faire and mercat and the soul of him runneth upon these oiled wheels Time Custome the world and Command of men O if the carelesse Atheist and sleeping man who edgeth by all with God forgive our Pastors if they lead us wrong we must doe as they command and layes down his head upon times bosome and giveth his conscience to a deputy and sleepeth so while the smoak of hell fire flie up in his throat and cause him start out of his dooleful bed O if such a man would awake many woes are for the over-guilded and gold-plastered Hypocrite a heavie doom is for the liar and white tongued flatterer and the fleing book of Gods irefull vengeance twentie cubits long and twentie cubits broad that goeth out from the face of God shall enter into the house and in upon the soul of him that stealeth and sweareth falsely by Gods name Zechar. 5 ver 23. I denounce eternall burning hotter then Sodoms flames upon the men that boile in their filthie lusts of fornication adultery incest and the like wickednesse no Room no not a foot-broad for such viledogs within the clean Jerusalem Many of you put off all with this God forgive us we know no better I renew my old answer 2 Thess. 1. the judge is coming in flaming fire with all his mighty Angels to render vengeance to all these that know not God and beleeve Not. I have often told you security shall slay you all men say they have faith as many men and women now as many saints in heaven and all beleeve say ye every foul dog is clean enough good enough for the clean new Jerusalem above Every man hath conversion the new birth but it is not â—â—el come they had never a sick night for sin conversion came to them in a night dream in a word hell will be empty at the day of judgement and heaven panged full Alace it is neither easie nor ordinarie to beleeve to be saved many must stand in the end at heavens gates when they goe to take out their faith they take out a fair nothing or as ye use to speak a blâ—â—â—ume O lamentable Disappointment I pray you I charge you in the name of Christ make fast work of Christ and salvation I know there are some beleevers among you and I write to you O poor broken hearted beleevers all the comforts of Christ in the New and Old Testament are yours O what a father husband you have O if I had pen and ink and ingine to write of him Let heaven and earth be consolidat in massie and pure gold it will not weigh the thousand part of Christs love to a soul even to me a poor prisoner O that is a massie and marvellous love Men and Angels unit your force and strength in one ye shall not heave nor poise it off the ground Ten thousand thousand worlds as many worlds as Angels can number and then as a new world of Angels can multiply would not all be the balk of a ballance to weigh Christs excellencie sweetnesse and love Put ten earth's in one and let a rose grow
but cold comfort in my sufferings I would not beguile others I would have told you plainly but the truth is Christs crown his scepter and the freedom of his Kingdom is that which is now called in question because we will not allow that Christ pay tribute and be a vassall to the shields of the earth therefore the sons of our mother are angry at us but it becometh not Christ to hold any mans stirâ—up It were a sweet and honourable death to die for the honour of that royall princely King Jesus his love is a mystery to the world I would not have beleeved that there was so much in Christ as there is Come see maketh Christ to be known in his excellency glory I wish all this Nation knew how sweet his breath is it is little to see Christ in a book as men doe the world in a card they talke of Christ by the book the tongue no more but to come nigh Christ and hausse him embrace him is another thing Madam I write to your Honour for your encouragement in that honourable profession Christ hath honoured you with Ye have gotten the Sunny side of the brae the best of Christs good things he hath not given you the bastard's portion howbeit ye get strokes sowre looks from your Lord yet beleeve his love more then your own feeling for this world can take nothing from you that is truly yours death can doe you no wrong your rock doeth not ebbe flow but your sea that which Christ hath said he will bide by it he will be your tutour you shall not get your charters of heaven to play you with It is good that ye have lost your credit with Christ that Lord frâ—ewill shall not be your tutour Christ will lippen the taking of you to heaven neither to your self nor any deputy but onely to him self blessed be your tutour When your head shall appear your bridegroom Lord your day shall then dawn it shall never have an afternoon nor an evening shadow Let your childe be Christs let him stay beside you as the lords pledge that you shall willingly render again if God will Madam I finde folks here kind to me but in the night under their breath my masters cause may not come to the crown of the causey others are kind according to their fashion many think me a strange man my cause not good but I care not much for mans thoughts or approbation I think no shame of the crosse The preachers of this town pretend great love but the Prelats have added to the rest this gentle cruelty for so they think of it to discharge me of the pulpits of this town the people murmur cry out against it and to speak truly howbeit Christ is most indulgeat to me otherwise yet my silence on the Lords day keeps me from being exalted above measure froÌ„â—â—artling in the heat of my Lords love Some people affect me for the which cause I hear the preachers here purpose to have my confinement changed to another place so cold is northern love but Christ and I will bear it I have vvrestled long with this sad silence I said what aileth Christ at my service and my soul hath been at a pleading with Christ at yea nay but I will yeeld to him providing my suffering may preach more then my tongue did for I gave not Christ an inch but for twice as good again in a word I am a fool he is God I will hold my peace hereafter Let me hear from your La your Dear Childe pray for a prisoner of Christ who is mindfull of your La Remember my obliged obedience to my good Lady Marre Grace Grace be with you I write pray blessings to your sweet childe Aberd. Nov. 22. 1636. Yours in all Dutiefull obedience in his onely Lord Iesus S. R. To the right honourable Christian Lady my Lady VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE 6 MADAM GRace Mercy peace be to you I received your La letter it refreshed me in my heavinesse the blessing prayers of a prisoner of Christs come upon you Since my coming hither Galloway sent me not a line except what my Brother Earlstoun his son did write I cannot get my papers transported but Madam I want not kindnesse of one who hath the gate of it Christ if he had never done more for me since I was borne hath ingaged my heart gained my blessing in this house of my pilgrimage It pleaseth my welbeloved to dine with a poor prisoner and the Kings spiknard casteth a fragrant smell nothing grieveth me but that I eat my feasts my alone and that I cannot edifie his saints O that this Nation knew what is betwixt him and me none would skar at the crosse of Christ my silence eates me up but he hath told me he thanketh me no lesse then if I were preaching daily he sees how gladly I would be at it therefore my wages are going to the fore up in heaven as if I were still preaching Christ. Captains pay duely bedfast souldiers howbeit they dow not march nor carry armour Though â—srael be not gathered yet shall 〈◊〉 be glorious in the eyes of my Lord my lord shall be my strength Ifâ—â— 49 5. my garland The Banished Minister the teâ—ne of Aberden ashameth me not I have seen the white side of Christs crosse lovely hath he been to his oppressed servant Psal. 146 7. The Lord executeth judgement for the oppressed he giveth food to the hungry the Lord looseth the prisoner the Lord raisetâ— them that are bowed down the Lord preserveth the stranger If it were come to exchanging of crosses I would not exchange my crosse with any I am wel-pleased with Christ he with me I hope none shall hear us It 's true for all this I get my meat with many stroks and am seven times a day up down am often anxious cast down for the case of my oppressed brother yet I hope the Lord will be surty for his servant But now upon some weak very weak experience I am come to love a rumbling and raging devil beit seeing we must have a devil to hold the saints waking I wish a cumbersome devil rather then a secure sleeping one At my first coming hither I took the dorts at Christ and took up a stomaâ—k against him I said he had cast me over the dike of the vineyard like a drie tree but it was his mercy I see that the fire did not burn the drie tree now as if my Lord Jesus had done the fault not I who belied my Lord he hath made the first mends he spake not one word against me but hath come again quickned my soul with his presence nay now I think the very aâ—â—uety and casualities of the crosse of Christ Jesus my Lord these comforts that accompany it better then the worlds
set rent O how many rich off-fallings are in my Kings house I am perswaded dare pawnd my salvation on it that it is Christs truth I now suffet for I know his comforts are no dreams he would not put his seal on blank paper nor deceive his afflicted ones that trust in him Your La wrote to me that ye are yet an ill scholler Madam ye must goe in at heavens gates and your book in your hand still learning you have had your own large share of troubls a double portion but iâ— saith your Father counteth you not a baâ—tard fuâ—-begotten bairns are nurtured Heb. 12. 8. I long to hear of the childe I write the blessings of Christs prisoner the mercies of God to him let him be Christs yours betwixt you but let Christ â—e whole play-maker let him be the lender ye the borrower not an owner Madam it is not long since I did write to your La that Christ is keeping mercy for you I bide by it still now I write it under my hand love him dearly win in to see him there is in him that which you never saw he is aâ—â—igh he is a tree of life green blossoming both summer and winter there is a nick in Christianity to the which whosoever cometh they see and feel more then others can doe I invite you of new to come to him Come See will speak better things of him then I can doe come neerer come neerer wil say much God thought never this world a portion worthy of you he would not even you to a gift of dirt clay nay he will not give you Esaâ—'s portion but reserves the inheritance of Jacob for you are ye not well married now have you not a good husband now my heart cannot expresse what sad nights I have for the virgin daughter of my people woe is me for our time is coming Ezek. 7 10. behold the day behold it is come the morning hath gone forth the rod hath blossomed pride hath buâ—ded violence is risen up in a rod of wickedness the sun is gone down upon our prophets A drie wind upon Scotland but neither to fan nor to cleanse but out of all question when the Lord hath cut down his forrest the after-growth of Lebanon shall flourish they shall plant vines in our mountains and a cloud shall yet fill the Temple Now the blessing of our dearest Lord Jesus the blessing of him that is seperat from his brethren come upon you Yours at Aberden the prisoner of Christ S. R. To the honourable truly noble lady the VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE 7 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to your La I long to hear from you I am here waiting if a good wind long-looked for shaâ—â— at length blow in Christs sailes in this land But I wonder if Jesus be not content to suffer more yet in his members cause beauty of his house rather then he should not be avenged upon this land I hear many worthy men who see more in the Lords dealing then I can take up with my dim sight are of a contrait minde doe beleeve the Lord is coming home again to his house in Scotland I hope he is on his journey that way yet I look not but that he shall feed this land with their own blood before he establish his throne amongst us I know your Honour is not looking after things here-away ye have no great cause to think that your stock principall is under the roof of these visible heavens I hope ye would think your self a beguiled and coâ—sened Soul if it were so I would be sorry to counsell your La to make a covenant with time this life but rather desire you to hold in fair generals far off from this ill founded heaven that is on this side of the water It speaketh some what when our Lord bloweth the bloome off our daft hopes in this life loppeth the branches of our worldly joyes well nigh the root on purpose that they should not thrive Lord spill my fools heaven in this life that I may be saved for ever A forfeiture of the saints part of the yolke and marrow of short-laughing happinesse worldly is not such a real evil as our blinded eyes doe conceive I am thinking long now for some deliverance more then before but I know I am in an errour It is possible I am not come to that measure of triall that the Lord is seeking in his work If my friends in Galloway would effectualy doe for my deliverance I would exceedingly rejoyce but I know not but the Lord hath a way whereof he will be the only reaper of praises Let me know with the bearer how the childe is the Lord be his Father Tutour your onely comforter There is nothing here where I am but profanitie atheisme Grace grace be with your La. Aberd. Feb. 13. 1637. Your La at all oblidged obedience in Christ S. R. To the noble Christian lady the VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE 8 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to you I would not omit the occasion to write to your La with the bearer I am glad the childe is well Gods favour even in the eyes of men be seen upon him I hope your La is thinking upon these sad woefull dayes wherein we now live when our Lord in his righteous judgment is sending the kirk the gate she is going to Romes brothell house to seek a lover of her own seeing she hath given up with Christ her husband O what sweet comfort what rich salvation is laid up for these who had rather wash and roll their garments in their own blood then break out from Christ by Apostasie keep your self in the love of Christ stand far aback from the pollutions of the vvorld side not with these times and hold off from coming nigh the signs of a conspiracie with these that are now come out against Christ that ye may be One keept for Christ onely I know your La thinketh upon this and how ye may be humbled for your self this backsliding land for Iavouch that wrath from the Lord is gone out against Scotland I think ay the longer the better of my Royall and worthy master he is become a new welbeloved to me now in renewed consolations by the presence of the spirit of grace and glory Christs garments smell of the powder of the marchant when he cometh out of his Ivory chambers O his perfumed face his fair face his lovely kindly kisses have made me a poor prisoner see there iâ— more to be had of Christ in this life then I beleeved we think all is but a little earnest a four hours a small tasting we have or is to be had in this life which is true compared with the inheritance but yet I know it is more It is the Kingdom of God within us Woe woe is me that I have not ten loves for that one
the whole ordering and disposing of my sufferings Let him tutour me tutour my crosses as he thinketh good there is no danger nor hazard in following such a guide howbeit he should lead me through hell if I could put faith foremost fill the fieldwith a quiet on-waiting beleeving to see the salvation of God I know Christ is not obliged to let me see both the sides of my cross turn it over over that I may see all My faith is richer to live upon credit Christ's borrowed money then to have much in my hand Alas I have forgotten that faith in times past hath stopped a lek in my crazed barke hath filled my sailes with a fair wind I see it a work of God that experiences are all lost when summonds of improbation to prove our Charters of Christ to be counterfit are raised against poor souls in their heavie trials but let me be a sinner worse then the chief of sinners yea a guilty devil I am sure my welbeloved is God when I say Christ is God my Christ is God I have said all things I can say no more I would I could build as much on this my Christ is God as it would bear I might lay all the world upon it I am sure Christ untried and untaken up in the power of his love Kindness mercies goodness wisdom long-suffering greatness is the rock that dim-sighted travellers dash their foot against so stumble fearfully But my wounds are sorest pain me most to sin against his love his mercy if he would set me my conscience by the ears together resolve not to rid the plea but let us deal it betwixt us my spitting upon the fair face of Christ's love mercies by my Jealousies unbelief and doubting would be enough to sink me Oh oh I am convinced O Lord I stand dumb before thee for this Let me be mine own Judge in this and I take a dreadfull doom upon me for it for I still misbeleeve though I have seen that my Lord hath made my cross as if it were all Crystal so as I can see thorow it Christs fair face and heaven and that God hath honoured a lump of sinfull flesh and blood the like of me 〈◊〉 to be Christ's honourable Lord-prisoner I ought to esteem the walls of the theeves-hole if I were shut up in it or any stinking dungeon all hung with tapestrie most beautifull for my Lord Jesus yet I am not so shut up but that the sun shineth upon my prison the fair wide heaven is the covering of it But my Lord in his sweet visits hath done more for he make me finde that he will be a confined prisoner with me he lieth down riseth up with me when I sigh he sigheth When I weep he suffereth with me I confesse here is the blessed issue of my sufferings already begun that my heart is filled with hunger desire to have him glorified in my sufferings Blessed ye of the Lord Madam if ye would help a poor Dyvour cause others of your acquaintance in Christ help me to pay my debt of love even reall praises to Christ my Lord. Madam let me charge you in the Lord as ye will answer to him help me in this duty which he hath tyed about my neck with a chain of such singular expressions of his loving kindness to set on high Christ to hold in my honesty at his hands for I have nothing to give him O that he would arrest comprise my love my heart for all I am a Dyvour who have no more free goods in the world for Christ save that it is both the whole heritage I have all my movables besides Lord give the thirsty man a drink Oh to be over the ears in the well Oh to be swattering swimming over head ears in Christ's love I would not have Christ's love entering in me but I would enter into it be swallowed up of that love But I see not my self here for I fear I make more of his love then of himself whereas himself is far beyond much better then his love Oh if I had my sinfull armes filled with that lovely one Christ Blessed be my rich Lord Jesus who sendeth not away beggers from his house with a toom dish He filleth the vessels of such as will come seek We might beg our selves rich if we were wise if we could but hold out our withered hands to Christ learn to suit seek aske knock I ow my salvation for Christ's glory low it to Christ desire that my hell yea a new hell seven times hotter then the old hell might buy praises before men and Angels to my Lord Jesus providing alwayes I were free of Christ's hatred displeasure What am I to be forfeited sold in soul body to have my great royall King set on high and extolled above all O if I knew how high to have him set all the world far far beneath the soles of his feet Nay I deserve not to be the matter of his praises far less to be an agent in praising of him But he can win his own glory out of me out of one worse then I if any such be if it please his holy Majesty so to doe he knoweth that I am not now flattering him Madam let me have your prayers as ye have the prayers blessing of him that is separated from his Brethren Grace Grace be with you Aberd. June 15. 1637. Your own in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Earle of Cassills 42 My very Noble honourable Lord. I make bold out of the honourable Christian report I hear of your Lo having no other thing to say but that which concerneth the honourable cause which the Lord hath enabled your Lo to professe to write this that it is your Lo crown your glory your honour to set your shoulder under the Lords glory now falling to the ground to back Christ now when so many think it wisdom to let him send for himself the shields of the earth ever did doe still beleeve that Christ is a cumbersom neighbour that it is a pain to hold up his yea's nay's They fear he take their chariots their crownes their honour from them but my Lord standeth in need of none of them all But it is your glory to own Christ his buried truth for let men say what they please the plea with Sion's enemies in this day of Jacob's trouble is If Christ should be King no mouth steak lawes but his It concerneth the apple of Christ's eye his royall priviledges what now is debated Christ's Kingly honour is come to yea nay But let me be pardoned my my dear Noble Lord to beseech you by the mercies of God by the comforts of the Spirit by the wounds of your dear
Grace be with you Aberd. March 13. 1637. Your Brother in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady ROBERTLAND 105. MISTRESS GRace mercy peace be to you I shall be glad to hear that your soul prospereth that fruit groweth upon you after the Lord's husbandry pains in his rod that hath not been a stranger to you from your youth It is the Lord's kindness that he will take the scum off us in the fire Who knoweth how needfull winnowing is to us what dross we must want ere we enter into the Kingdom of God So narrow is the entry to heaven that our knots our bunches lumps of pride and self-love idol-love world-love must be hammered off us that we may throng in stooping low creeping thorow that narrow thorny entry And now for my self I finde it the most sweet heavenly life to take up house dwelling at Christ's fire-side set down my tent upon Christ that foundation-stone who is sure faithfull ground hard under foot Oh if I could win to it proclaim my self not the world's debter nor a lover obliged to it that I minde not to hire or bud this world's love any longer but defie the kindness feud of God's whole creation whatsomever especially the lower vault clay part of God's creatures this vain earth For what hold I of his world A borrowed lodging some years house-room bread water fire bed candle c. are all a part of the pension of my King Lord to whom I ow thanks not to a creature I thank God that God is God Christ is Christ the earth the earth the Devil the devil and the world the world that sin is sin and that every thing is what it is Because he hath taught me in my wilderness not to shuffle my Lord Jesus nor to intermix him with creature-vanities nor to spin or twine Christ or his sweet love in one web or in one threed with the world and the things thereof Oh if I could hold and keep Christ all alone and mix him with nothing O if I could cry down the price and weight of my cursed self and cry up the price of Christ and double triple and augment and heighten to millions the price worth of Christ I am if I durst speak so might lawfully complain so hungredly tutoured by Christ Jesus my liberall Lord that his nice love which my soul would be in hands with flyeth me yet I am trained on to love him lust long die for his love whom I cannot see it is a wonder to pine away with love for a covered hid lover to be hungred with his love so as a poor soul cannot get his fill of hunger for Christ It is hard to be hungered of hunger whereof such abundance for other things is in the world But sure if we were tutours and stewards and Masters and Lordcarvers of Christ's love we should be more lean worse fed then we are Our meat doeth us the more good that Christ keepeth the keys that the wind the air of Christ's sweet breathing of the influence of his spirit is locked up in the hands of the good pleasure of him who bloweth where he listeth I see there is a sort of impatient patience required in the want of Christ as to his manifestations waiting on They thrive who wait on his love the blowing of it the turning of his gracious wind they thrive who in that on-waiting make haste and din and much adoe for their lost and hidden Lord Jesus However it be God feed me with him any way If he would come in I shall not dispute the matter where he got a hole or how he opened the lock I should be content that Christ and I met suppose he should stand on the other side of hell's lake and cry to me Either put in your foot come through else ye shall not have me at all But what fools are we in the taking up of him and of his dealing He hath a gate of his own beyond the thoughts of men that no foot hath skill to follow him But we are still ill Scholars and will goe in at heavens gates wanting the half of our lesson and shall still be bairns so long as we are under time's hands and till eternity cause a sun to arise in our souls that shall give us wit We may see how we spill and maâ— our own fair heaven and our salvation and how Christ is every day putting in one bone or other in these fallen souls of ours in the right place again and that in this side of the new Ierusalem we shall still have need of forgiving and healing grace I finde crosses Christ's carved work that he marketh out for us and that with crosses he figureth pourtraieth us to his own image cutting away pieces of our ill corruption Lord cut Lord carve Lord wound Lord doe any thing that may perfect thy Father's image in us make us meet for glory Pray for me I forget not you that our Lord would be pleased to lend me house-room to preach his righteousness tell what I have heard seen of him Forget not Zion that is now in Christ's calmes in his forge God bring her out new work Grace grace be with you Aberd. Jan. 4. 1638. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Earle of Cassills 106 Right honourable my very good Lord. GRace mercy peace be to your Lo I hope your Lo Will be pleased to pardon my boldness if upon report of your zealous forward minde that I hear our Lord hath given you in this his honourable cause when Christ his Gospel are so foully wronged I speak to your Lo in paper entreating your Lo to goe on in the strength of the Lord toward and against a storm of Antichristian wind that bloweth upon the face of this your poor mother-Church Christ's lilie amongst the thorns It is your Lo Glory happiness when ye see such a blow coming upon Christ to cast up your arm to prevent it Neither is it a cause that needeth to blush before the sun or to flee the sentence or censure of impartial beholders seeing the Question indeed if it were rightly stated is about the Prerogative royal of our princely royal law-giver our Lord Jesus whose ancient march-stones land-bounds our bastard Lord's the earthly generation of tyrannizing Prelats have boldly shamefully removed they who have but-half an eye may see that it is the greedy desires of Demas's and the itching scab of ambitous and climbing Diotrephes's who love the goat's life to climb till they cannot finde a way to set their soles on ground again that hath made such a wide breach in our Zion's beautifull walls and these are the men who seek no hire for the crucifying of
can be known yet all this time I am teÌ„pting him to see if there be both love anger in him against me I am plucked from his flock dear to me from feeding his lambs I goe therefore in sackcloth as one who hath lost the wife of his youth Grief sorrow are suspicious spue out against him the smoke of jealousies I say often Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Tell me Lord read the process against me but I know I cannot answer his alleagance I will lose the cause when it cometh to open pleading Oh if I could force my heart to beleeve dreams to be dreams Yet when Christ giveth my fears the lye saith to me thou art a lyar then I am glad I resolve to hope to be quiet to lie on the brink upon my side till the water fall the foord be ridable howbeit there be pain upon me in longing for deliverance that I may speak of him in the great congregation yet I think there is joy in that pain on waiting I even rejoyce that he putteth me off for a time shifteth me Oh if I could waite on for all eternity howbeit I should never get my soul's desire sobeing he were glorified I would wish my pain my ministery could live long to serve him for I know I am a clay vessel made for his use O if my very broken sheards could serve to glorifie him I desire Christ's grace to be willingly content that my hell excepting his hatred displeasure which I put out of all play for submission to this is not called for were a preaching of his glory to men and Angels for ever ever When all is done what can I adde to him or what can such a clay-shadow as I doe I know he needeth not me I have cause to be grieved and to melt away in tears if I had grace to doe it Lord grant it to me to see my welbeloved's fair face spitted upon by dogs to see lowns pulling the crown off my royall King's head to see my harlot-mother my sweet father agree so ill that they are going to skail and give up house My Lord's palace is now a nest of unclean birds Oh if harlot harlot Scotland would rue upon her provoked Lord pity her good husband who is broken with her whorish heart But these things are hid from her eyes I have heard of late of your new trial by the Bishop of Galloway Fear not clay worm's meat Let Truth Christ get no wrong in your hand it is your gain if Christ be glorified your glory to be Christ's witness I perswade you your sufferings are Christ's advantage victory for he is pleased to reckon them so Let me hear from you Christ is but winning a clean Kirk out of the fire He will win this play He will not be in your common for any charges ye are at in his service He is not poor to sit in your debt He will repay an hundred fold more it may be even in this life The prayers blessing of Christ's prisoner be with you Aberd. 1637. Your Brother in his sweet Lord. Iesus S. R. To his Reverend loving Brother Mr JOHN NEVAY 123 Reverend Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be unto you I received yours oâ—â— Aprile 11. As I did another of March 25. and a letter for Mr Andrew Cant. I am not a little grieved that our mother-church is running so quickly to the brothel-house that we are hiring lovers giving gift to the great mother of fornications Alas that our husband is like to quite us so shortly It were my part if I were able when our husband is departing to stir up myself to take hold of him keep him in this land for I know him to be a sweet second a lovely companion to a poor prisoner I finde my extremity hath sharpned the edge of his love Kindness so as he seemeth to devise new wayes of expressing the sweetness of his love to my soul Suffering for Christ is the very element wherein Christ's love liveth exerciseth it self in casting out flames of fire sparks of heat to warm such a frozen heart as I have And if Christ weeping in sackeloth be so sweet I cannot finde any imaginable thoughts to think what he will be when we clay-bodies having put off mortality shall come up to the marriage-hall great Palace behold the King clothed in his robes royall sitting on his throne I would desire no more for my heaven beneath the moon while I am sighing in this house of clay but daily renewed feasts of love with Christ liberty now then to feed my hunger with a kiss of that fairest face that is like the sun in his strength at noon-day I would willingly subscribe an ample resignation to Christ of the fourteen Prelacies of this land of all the most delightfull pleasures on earth forfeit my part of this clay-God this earth which Adam's foolish children worship to have no other exercise but to lie in a love-bed with Christ fill this hungred famished soul with kissing embracing reall enjoying of the Son of God And I think then I might write to my friends That I had found the golden world look out laugh at the poor bodies who are slaying one another for feathers For verily Brother since I came to his prison I have conceived a new extraordinary opinion of Christ which I had not before for I perceive we frist all our joyes to Christ till he we be in our own house above as married parties thinking that there is nothing of it here to be sought or found but onely hope fair promises that Christ will give us nothing here but tears sadness crosses that we shall never feel the smell of the flowers of that high garden of Paradise above till we come there Nay but I finde it is possible to finde young glory a young green Paradise of joy even here I know Christ's kisses will cast a more strong refreshfull smell of incomparable glory joy in heaven then they doe here Because a drink of the well of life up at the welâ—'s head is more sweet fresh by far then that which we get in our borrowed old running-out vessels our wooden dishes here yet I am now perswaded it is our folly to fâ—â—st all till the term day seeing abundance of earnest will not diminish any thing of our principal summe We dream of hunger in Christ's house while we are here although he alloweth feasts upon all the bairns within God's houshold It were good then to store our selves with moe borrowed kisses of Christ with moe borrowed visites till we enter Heirs to our new inheritance our Tutour put us in possession of our own when we are past minority Oh that all the young heirs would seek more a greater
is not with you to hold up your chin I trust in God he shall bring your ship safe to land I counsel you to study sanctification to be dead to this world urge kindness on Knockbrex labour to benefite by his company the man is acquaint with Christ. I beg the help of your prayers for I forget not you counsel your husband to fulfill my joy to seek the Lord's face shew him from me that my joy desire is to hear he is in the Lord God casteth him often in my minde I cannot forget him I hope Christ he have something to doe together Bless Iohn from me I write blessings to him to your husband the rest of your children Let it not be said I am not in your house through neglect of the Sabbath-exercise Aberd. Febr. 20. 1637. Your lawfull loving Pasior in his onely onely Lord S. R. To JONET McCULLOCH 170 Dear Sister GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear how your soul prospereth I am as well as a prisoner of Christ can be feasted made fat with the comforts of God Christ's kisses are made sweeter to my soul then ever they were I would not change my Master with all the Kings of clay upon the earth O my welbeloved is altogether lovely loving I care not what flesh can doe I perswade my soul I delivered the truth of Christ to you slip not from it for no boasts or fear of men If ye goe against the truth of Christ that I now suffer for I shall bear witness against you in the day of Christ. Sister fasten your grips fast on Christ follow not the guises of this sinfull world Let not this clay-portion of earth take up your soul it is the portion of bastards ye are a childe of God therefore seek your father's heritage send up your heart to see the dwelling house fair rooms in the new City Fy sy upon these who cry up with the World down with Conscience Heaven We have bairns wits therefore we cannot prize Christ aright Counsel your husband mother to make them for eternity that day is drawing nigh Pray for me the prisoner of Christ I cannot forget you Aberd. Febr. 20. 1637. Your lawfull Pasior Brother S. R. To my Lord CRAIGHALL 171 My Lord. I Received Mr Ls letter with your Lo his learned thoughts in the matter of Ceremonies I ow respect to the man's learning for that I hear him opposite to Arminian Heresies but with reverence of that worthy man I wonder to hear such popish-like expression as he hath in his letter as Your Lo may spare doubtings when the King Church have agreed in the settling of such orders the Church's direction in things indifferent circumstantial as if Indifferent Circumstantial were all one should be the rule of every private Christian. I onely viewed the papers in two hour space the bearer hasting me to write I finde the worthy man not so seen in this controversie as some turbulent men of our countrey as he calleth refusers of conformity And let me say it I am more confirmed in non-conformity when I see such a great 〈◊〉 it play the agēt so slenderly but I will lay the blame on the weakness of the cause not on the meanness of Mr Ls. learning I have ever been stil I am confident that Britain cannot answer one argument a scandalo I longed much to hear Mr L. speak to the cause I would say if some ordinary Divine had answered as Mr L. doeth that he understood not the nature of a Scandal but I dare not vilifie that worthyman so I am now upon the heat of some other employment I shall but God willing answer this to the satisfying of any not prejudged I will not say that every one is acquaint with the reason in my letter from God's presence bright shining face in suffering for this cause Aristotle never knew the medium of the clusion Christ saith few know it See Rev. 2. 17. I am sure a conscience standinginaw of the Almighty fearing to make a little hole in the bottom for fear of under-water is a strong medium to hold off an erroneous conclusion in the least wing or lith of sweet sweet Truth that concerneth the royal Prerogative of our Kingly highest Lord Jesus And my witness is in heaven I saw neither pleasure nor profit nor honour to hook me or catch me in entring in prison for Christ but the wind on my face for the present if I had loved to sleep in a whole skin with the ease present delight that I saw on this side of sun moon I should have lived at ease in good hopes to fare as well as others The Lord knoweth I preferred preaching of Christ still doe to any thing next to Christ himself their new Canons took my one my one joy from me which was to me as the poor man's one eye that had no moe alas there is little lodging in their heart for pity or mercy to pluck out a poor man's one eye for a thing indifferent id est for knots of straws things as they mean off the way to heaven I desire not that my name take journey goe a pilgrim to Cambridge for fear I come in the ears of Authority I am sufficiently burnt already In the mean time be pleased to try if the Bishop of St Andrewes Glasgow Galloway's Ordinary will be pleased to abate from the heat of their wrath and let me goe to my charge Few know the heart of a prisoner yet I hope the Lord shall hew his own glory out of as knotty timber as I am Keep Christ my dear worthy Lord pretended paper-arguments from angering the mother-Church that can reel nod stagger are not of such weight as peace with the father husband let the wife gloom I care not if the husband laugh Remember my service to my Lord your father Mother your Lady Grace be with you Aberd. Jan. 24. 1637. Yours at all obodience in Christ S R. To his Reverend dear Brother Mr ROBERT BLAIR 172 Reverend dear Brother THe reason ye gave for your not writing to me affecteth me much giveth me a dash when such an one as ye conceive an opinion of me or any thing in me The truth is when I come home to my self O what penury doe I finde and how feckless is my supposed stock how little have I He to whom I am as crystal who seeth through me perceiveth the least mote that is in me knoweth that I speak what I think am convinced of But men cast me through a gross wide sieve my very dear Brother the room of the least of all saints is too great for the like of me But lest this should seem art to fetch home reputation I speak no more of it It is my worth
but too lazie and careless in seeking of it It is all our riches we have here glory in the bud I wish I could set out â—ree Grace I was the Law 's man under the Law under a curse but Grace brought me from under that hard Lord I rejoyce that I am Grace's Free-holder I pay tribute to none for heaven seeing my land heritage holdeth of Christ my new King Infinite wisdom hath devised this excellent way of Free-holding for sinners It is a better way to heaven then the old way that was in Adam's dayes It hath this fair advantage that no man's emptiness want layeth an inhibition upon Christ or hindereth his salvation that is far best for me but our new Land-Lord putteth the names of Dyvours Adam's forlorn Heirs beggers crooked blinde in the free charters Heaven Angels may wonder that we have gotten such a gate of sin hell Such a back-entry out of hell as Christ made brought out the captives by is more then my poor shallow thoughts can comprehend I would think sufferings glory I am sometimes not far from it if my Lord would give me a new almes of free grace I hear that the Prelats are intending banishment for me but for more grace no other hire I would make it welcome The bits of this clay-house the earth the other side of the sea are my father's If my sweet Lord Jesus would bud my sufferings with a new measure of grace I were a rich man But I have not now of a long time found such high spring-tides as formerly The sea is out the wind of his Spirit calm I cannot buy a wind or by requesting the sea cause it to flow again onely I wait on upon the banks shore-side till the Lord send a full sea that with up-sailes I may lift up Christ Yet sorrow for his absence is sweet sighes with Saw ye him whom my soul loveth have their own delights Oh that I might gather hunger against his long-looked for return Well were my soul if Christ were the element mine own element that I loved breathed in him if I could not live without him I allow not laughter upon my self when He is away yet He never leaveth the house but the leaveth drink-money behinde him a pawne that he will return Woe woe to me if he should goe away take all his flitting with him Even to dream of him is sweet To build a house of pining wishes for his return to spin out a web of sorrow care languishing sighes either dry or wet as they may be because he hath no leisure if I may spâ—aâ— so to make a visite or to see a poor friend sweetneth refreâ—heth the thoughts of the heart A mistie dew will stand for rain doe some good keep some greenness in the herbs till our Lord's clouds â—ue upon the earth send down a watering of rain Truly I think Christ's mistie dew a welcome message from heaven till my Lorâ—'s rain fall Woe woe is me for the Lord's vineyard in Scotland Howbeit the Father of the house embrace a childe feed him kiss him yet it is sorrow and sadness to the children that our poor mother hath gotten her leave that our Father hath given up house It is an unheartsom thing to see our Father mother agree so ill yet the Bastards if they be fed care not O Lord cait not water on Scotland's smoking coal It is a strange gate the saints goe to heaven our enemies often eat drink us we goe to heaven through their bellies stomacks they vomit the church of God undigested among their hands even while we are shut up in prisons by them we advance in our jâ—urney Remember my service to my Lord your kinde Son who was kinde to me in my bonds was not ashamed to own me I would be glad that Christ got the morning-service of his life now in his young years It would sute him well to give Christ his young green love Christ's stamp and seal would goe far down in a young soul If he would receive the thrust of Christ's stamp I would desire him to make search for Christ for Nobles now are but dry friends to Christ. The Grace of God our Father the goodwill of him who dwelt in the bush be with your La. Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady CARDONNESS ELDER 180. Worthy welbeloved in the Lord GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear from you in paper that I may know how your soul prospereth My desire longing in to hear that ye walk in the truth that ye are content to follow the despised but most lovely Son of God I cannot but recommend him unto you as your husband your welbeloved your portion your comfort your joy I speak this of that lovely one because I praise commend the foord as we use to speak as I finde it He hath watered with his sweet comforts an oppressed prisoner He was alwayes kinde to my soul but never so kinde as now in my greatest extremittes I dine sup with Christ He visiteth my soul with the visitations of love in the night-watches I perswade my soul that this is the way to heaven his own Truth I now suffer for I exhort you in the name of Christ to continue in the truth which I delivered to you Make Christ sure to your soul for your day draweth nigh to an end Many slide back now who seemed to be Christ's friends prove dishonest to him But be ye faithfull to the death ye shall have the crown of life This span-length of your dayes whereof the Spirit of God speaketh Psal. 39. will within a short time come to a finger-breadth at length to nothing O how sweet comfortable shall the feast of a good conscience be to you when your eye-strings shall break your face wax pale the breath turn cold your poor soul come sighing to the windows of the house of clay of your dying body shall long to be out to have the jaylor to open the door that the prisoner may be set at liberty Ye draw nigh the water-side look your accounts Ask for your guide to take you to the other side Let not the world be your portion What have ye to doe with dead clay Ye are not a bastard but a lawfull begotten childe therefore set your heart on the inheritance Goe up before hand and see your lodging Look through all your father's rooms in heaven in your father's house are many dwelling-places Men take a sight of lands ere they buy them I know Christ hath made the bargain already But be kinde to the house ye are going to see it often Set your heart on things that are above where Christ is at the right
live being removed far from my acquaintance my lovers my friends I see God hath the world on his wheels casteth it as a potter doeth a vessel on the wheel I dare not say that there is any inordinat or irregular motion in Providence The Lord hath done it I will not goe to law with Christ for I would again nothing of that 3. I have learned some greater mortification not to mourn after or seek to suck the world's dry breasts Nay my Lord hath filled me with such dainties that I am like to a full banquettor who is not for common chear What have I to doe to fall down upon my knees worship mankind's great idol The World I have a better God then any clay-God Nay at present as I am now disposed I care not much to give this world a discharge of my life-rent of it for bread water I know it is not my home nor my father's house it is but his footstool the outer cloâ—ster of his house his out-field moor-ground Let bastards take it I hope never to think my self in it's common for honour or riches nay now I say to laughter Thou art madness 4. I finde it most true that the greatest tempâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to live without temptations if my waters should stand they would rot Faith is the better of the free air of the sharp winter-storm in it's face Grace withereth without adversity The Devil is but God's Master-fencer to teach us to handle our weapons 5. I never knew how weak I was till now when he hideth himself when I have him to seek seven times a day I am a dry withered branch a piece of a dead carcase dry bones not able to step over a straw The thoughts of my old sins are as the summonds of death to me And of late my Brother's case hath striken me to the heart when my wounds are closing a little rifle causeth them to bleed afresh So thin-skin'd is my soul that I think it is like a tender man's skin that may touch nothing ye see how short I would shoot of the prize if his grace were not sufficient for me Woe 's me for the day of Scotland Woe woe is me for my harlot-mother for the decree is gone forth women of this land shall call the childless miscarrying wombs blessed The anger of the Lord is gone forth shall not return till he perform the purpose of his heart against Scotland Yet he shall make Scotland a new sharp instrument having teeth to thresh the mountains fan the hills as chaff The prisoners blessing be upon you Aberd. March 14. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady BUSBIE 194 MTSTRESS I Know ye are thinking sometimes what Christ is doing in Zion that the haters of Zion may get the bottom of our cup the burning coals of our furnace that we have been tryed in these many yeers by gone O that this Nation would be awakened to cry mightily unto God for the setting up of a new â—abernacle to Christ in Scotland O if this Kiâ—gdom kneâ— how worthy Christ were of his room His worth waâ— eveâ— above man's â—stimation of him And for my self I aâ— pained at the heart that I cannot finde my self disposed to leavâ— myself goe wholly in to Christ Alas that there should bâ— oâ—e bit oâ— me out of him and that we leave too much liberty and latitude for our selves and our own ease and credit pleasures so little room for All-love-worthy Christ O what pains charges it costeth Christ ere he get us when all is done we are not worth the having It is a â—ondâ—r that he should seek the like of us but love overlooketh blacknes and â—ecklesness for if it had not been so Christ would never have made so fair blessed a bargain with us as the covenant of Grace is I finde that in all our sufferings Christ is but â—iddiâ—g marches that every one of us may say Mine Tâ—ine and that men may know by their crosses how weak a bottom nature is to stand under a trial that then which our Lord intendeth in all our sufferings is to bring Graâ—e in â—â—uit aâ—d râ—quâ—st amongst us I would succumb and â—â—me shoâ—t of hea en if I had no more but my own strength to sâ—pport me and if Christ should say to me Eitâ—â—r doe or die it were easie to determine what should become of me the châ—ice were easie for I bâ—hooved to die if Christ should passe by witâ— straiâ—ned bowel and who then would take us up in our strâ—its I know we may say that Christ is kindest in his love when we are at our weakest and that if Christ had not been to the fore in our sad dayes the waters had gone over our soul His mercy haâ—h a â—et period and appointed place how far no further the sâ—a of affliction shall flow and where the waves thereof shall be stâ—yed he prescribeth how much pain and sorrow both for weight and measure we must have Ye have then good cause to râ—call your love from all lovers and give it to Christ He who is afflicted in all your afflictions looketh not oâ— you iâ— your sad hours with an insensible heart or dry eyes All the Lords saints may see that it is lost love whâ—ch is bestowed upon this perishing world death judgement will make men lament that ever their miscarrying heart â—arryed them to lay lavish out their love upon false appearances right-dreams Alas that Christ should fare the worse because o◠〈◊〉 own goodness in making peace the gospel to ride together that wâ— have never yet weighed the worth of Christ in his ordinances that now we are like to be deprived of the well ere we have tasted the sweetness of the water it may be with waterâ— eyes 〈◊〉 a wâ—t face and weaâ—iâ—d feet we seek Christ shall not findâ— him â—h that this land were humbled in time and by prayers â—â—ye humiliation would bring Christ in at the churchdoor again now when his back is turned toward us and he is gone to the threshold his one foot as it werâ— is out of the â—oor I am sure his departure is our deserving we have bought it with our iniquities for even the Lord 's own children are fallen asleep And alas professours are made all of shews fashions and are not at pains to recover themselves again Every one hath his set measure of faith holiness and coâ—teâ—teth himself with a stinted measure of godliness as if that were â—â—ough to bring them to heaven We forget that as our gifts and light grow so God's gain and the interest of his talents should grow also and that we cannot pay God with the old use and wont as we use to speak which we gave him seven yeers agoe for this were to mock the Lord and to make price with him as
none of it When I am near the apple he draweth back his hand goeth away to cause me follow And again when I am within an arm-length to the apple he maketh a now break to the gate I have him to seek of new He seemeth not to pity my dwining my swooning for his love I dare sometimes put my hunger over to him to be judged if I would not buy him with a thousand years in the hottest furnace in hell sobeing I might enjoy him But my hunger is fed with want absence I hunger I have not but my comfort is to lie wait on to put my poor soul my sufferings in Christ's hand Let him make any thing out of me sobeing he be glorified in my salvation for I know I am made for him O that my Lord may win his own gracious end in me I will not be at ease while I but stand so far aback O if I were near him with him that this poor soul might be satisfied with himself Your son in law W. G. is now truly honoured for his Lord and Master's cause when the Lord is fanning Zion it is a good token that he is a true branch of the vine that the Lord beginneth first to dress him He is strong in his â—â—râ— as he hath written to me and his wife is his encourager which should make you rejoyce For your son who is your grief your Lord waited on you and me till we were â—ipe and brought us in It is your part to pray wait upon him When he iâ— ripe he will bâ— spoken for who can command our Lord's wind to blow I know it shall be your good in the latter end That is one of your waters to heaven ye could not goe about it there are the fewer behinde I remember you him yours as I am able But alas I am beleeved to be something I am nothing but an emptie reed Wants are my best riches because I have these suppâ—…ed by Christ Remember my dearest love to your brother I know he pleadeth with his harlot-mother for her Apostasie I know also ye are kinde to my worthy Lady Kenmure a woman beloved of the Lord who hath been very mindfull of my bonds The Lord give her to finde mercy her childe in the day of Christ. Great men are dry and cold in doing for me the tinckling of chains for Christ affrighteth them but let my Lord break all my idols I will yet bless him I am obliged to my Lord Lorâ— I wish him mercy Remember my bonds with praises and pray for me that my Lord my leaven the North by my bands sufferings Grace be with you Aberd. July 9. 1637 Yours â—his s swe Lord Iesus S. R. To ALEXANDER GORDON Of Knockgray 206. Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you There is no question but our mother-church hath a father that she shall not die withont an heir that her enemies hall not make mount Zion theâ— heritage We see whethersoever Zion's enemies goe suppose they dig many miles under the ground yet our Lord findeth them out and he hath vengeances laid up in â—orâ— for them the poor needy shall not alwayes be forgotten Our hope was drouping withering man was saying what can God make out of the old dry bones of this buried Kirk The Prelats their followers were a grave above us it is like our Lord is to open our graves purposeth to cause his two slain witnesses rise the third day O how long wait I to hear our weeping Lord Jesus sing again triumph rejoyce divide the spoil I finde it hard work to beleeve when the course of providence goeth cross-wayes to our faith when misted souls in a dark night cannot know East by West our sea Compass seemeth to fail us Every man is a beleever in day-light A fair day seemeth to be made all of faith hope What a trial of gold is it to smoke it a little above the fire But to keep gold perfect â—ellow-coloured amidst the flames to be turned from vessel to vessels yet to cause out furnace sound speak cry the praises of the Lord is another matter I know my Lord made me not for fire howbâ—it he hath fitted me in some measure for the fire I bless his high name that I wax not pale neither have I lost the colour of gold and that his fire hath made me somewhat thin that my Lord may pour me in any vessel he pleaseth For a small wager I may justly quite my part of this world's laughter give up with time cast out with the pleasures of this world I know a man who wondered to see any in this life laugh sport surely our Lord seeketh this of us as to any rejoycing in present perishing things I see above all things that we may sit down fold legs arms stretch our selves upon Christ laugh at the feathers that children are chasing here For I think the men of this world like children in a dangerous storm in the sea that play make sport with the white foam of the waves thereof coming in to sink drown them so are men making fool's sports with the white pleasures of a stormy world that will sink â—em But alas what have we to doe with their sports that they make If Solomon said of Laughter that it was madness what may we say of this world 's laughing sporting themselves with gold silver honours court broad large conquests but that they are poor souls in the height and rage of a fever gone mad Then a straw a fig for all created sports and rejoycing out of Christ Nay I think that this world at it's prime perfection when it is is come to the top of it's excellency and to the bloom might be bought with an half penny that it would scarce weigh the worth of a drink of water There is nothing better then to esteem it our crucified idol that is dead slain as Paul did â—al 6 14. Then let pleasures be crucified riches be crucified court honour be crucified since the Apostle faith the world is crucified to him we may put this world to the hanged man's doom and to the gallowes who will give much for a hanged man as little should we give for a hanged crucified world Yet what a sweet smell hath this dead carrion to many fools in the world and how many wooers and suiters findeth this hanged carrion Fools are pulling it off the gallowes and contending for it O when shall we learn to be mortified men to have our fill of these things that have but their short summer-quarter of this life If we saw our father's house and that great and fair citie the new Ierusalem which is up above sun moon we would cry to be over the water
Commissions your souls your love to Christ your faith cannot be summoned not sentenced nor accused nor condemned by Pope Deputy Prelat Ruler or Tyrant your faith is a free Lord cannot be a captive all the malice of hell earth can but hurt the scabbard of a beleever death at the worst can get but a clay-pawne in keeping till your Lord make the King's keys open your graves Therefore upon luck's head as we use to say take your sill of his love and let a post way or a causey be laid betwixt your prison and heaven and goe up visit your treasure Enjoy your Beloved dwell upon his love till Eternity come in Time's room possess you of your eternal happiness Keep your love to Christ lay up your faith in heaven's keeping follow the chief of the house of the Martyrs that witnessed a fair confession before Pontius Pilate your cause and his is all one The opposers of his cause are like drunken Judges transported who in their cups would make Acts Lawes in their drunken courts that the Sun should not rise and shine on the earth and send their Officers Pursevants to charge the Sun and Moon to give no more light to the world would enact in their Court-bookes that the Sea after once ebbing should never flow again But would not the Sun Moon Sea break these Acts keeep their Creator's directions The Devil the great fool father of these under-fools is older more malicious then wise that sets the spirits in earth on work to contend clash with heaven's wisdom and to give mandats and law summonds to our Sun to our great Star of heaven Iesus not to shine in the beauty of his Gospel to the chosen and bought ones O thou fair and fairest Sun of righteousness arise and shine in thy strength whether earth and hell will or not O Victorious O Royal O stout Princely soul-conqueror ride prosperously upon truth stretch out thy Scepter as far as the Sun shines the Moon waxeth â—…aineth Put on thy glistering crown O thou maker of Kings make but one stride or one step of the whole earth travell in the greatness of thy strength Isa. 63 1 2. let thy apparel be red all dyed with the blood of thy enemies Thou art fallen righteous heir by line to the Kingdoms of the world Laugh ye at the giddy-headed clay pots stout brain-sick worms that dare say in good earnest this man shall not reign over us as though they were casting the dice for Christ's crown who of them shall have it I know ye beleeve the coming of Christ's Kingdom and that their is a hole out of your prison through which ye see day-light let not faith be dazled with the temptation from a dying Deputy from a sick Prelat beleeve under a cloud wait for him when there is no moon-light nor star-light Let faith live breath and lay hold on the sure salvation of God when clouds and darkness are about you and appearance of rotting in the prison before you take heed of unbeleeving hearts which can father lies upon Christ beware of Doeth his promise fail for evermore Psal. 77. 8. For is was a man and not God that said it who dreamed that a promise of God could fail fall a-swoon or die we can make God sick or his promises weak when we are pleased to seek a plea with Christ. O sweet O stout word of faith Iob. 13. v. 15. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him O sweet Epitaph written on the grave-stone of a dying beleever To wit I died hoping my dust ashes beleevelife Faith's eyes that can see thorow a mill-stone can see thorow a gloom of God and under it read God's thoughts of love and peace Hold fast Christ in the dark surely ye shall see the savation of God Your adversaries are ripe and dry for the fire yet a little while and they shall goe up in a flame the breath of the Lord like a river of brimstone shall kindle about them Isa. 30 33. What I write to one I write to you all that are sound hearted in that Kingdom whom in the bowels of Christ I would exhort not to touch that Oath albeit the adversaries put a fair meaning on it yet the swearer must swear according to the professed intent godless practise of the oath-breakers which is known to the world otherwise I might swear that the Creed is false according to yet this private meaning sense put upon it Oh let them not be beguiled to wash petjury and the denial of Christ and the Gospel with ink-water some foul and rotten distinctions Wash and wash again and again the devil the lye it shall be long ere their skin be white I profess it should beseem men of great parts rather then me to write to you but I love your Câ—use desires to be excused and must intreat for the help of your prayers in this my weighty charge here for the University and Pulpit that ye would intreat your acquaintance also to help me Grace be with you all Amen St. Andrewes 1640. Your brother companion in the patience Kingdom of Iesus Christ S. R. For Mistress PONT prisoner at Dublin 30 Worthy dear Mistress GRace mercy peace be to you The cause ye suffer for 〈◊〉 your willingness to suffer is ground enough of acquaintance for me to write to you although I doe confess my self unable to speak for a prisoner of Christ's encouragement I know ye have advantage beyond us who are not under suffering for your sighing Psal. 102. 20. is a witten bill for the ears of your Head the Lord Jesus your breathing Lam. 3. 51. and your looking up Psal. 5. 3. 69. 3. And therefore your meaning half spoken half unspoken will seek no jaylor's leave but will goe to heaven without leave of Prelat or Deputy be heartily welcome so that ye may sigh and groâ—n out your mind to him who hath all the keyes of the King 's three Kingdoms and dominions I dare beleeve your hope shall not die your trouble is a part of Zion's burning and ye know who guides Zion's furnance and who loves the ashes of his burnt Bride because his servants love them Psal. 102. 14. I beleeve your ashes if ye were burnt for this cause shall praise him For the wrath of men their malice shall make a psalm to praise the Lord Psal. 76 10. therefore stand still behold see what the Lord is to doe for this Island his work is perfect Deut. 32 4. the nations have not seen the last end of his work his end is more fair more glorious then the beginning Ye have more honour then ye can be able to guide well in that your bonds are made heavy for such an honourable cause The seals of a controlled Gospel the seals by
mercy cannot dry it up your troubles are many great yet not an ounce-weight beyond the measure of infinite wisdom I hope not beyond the measure of grace that he is to bestow for our Lord never yet brake the back of his childe nor spilt his own work nature's plastering counterfit work he doeth often break in sheards putteth out a candle not lighted at the Sun of righteousness but he must cherish his own reeds handle them softly never a reed getteth a thrust with the Mediator's hand to lay together the two ends of the reed O what bonds ligaments hath our Chirurgion of broken spirits to binde up all his lame bruised ones with cast your disjoynted spirit in his lap lay your burden upon one who is so willing to take your cares your fears off you to exchange niffer your crosses to give you new for old gold for iron even to give you garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness It 's true in a great part what ye write of this Kirk that the letter of Religion onely is reformed scarce that I doe not beleeve out Lord will build his Zion in this land upon this skin of Reformation so long as our scum remaineth our heart-idols are keeped this work must be at a stand and therefore our Lord must yet sift this land and search us with candles and I know he shall give and not sell us his Kingdom his Grace and our remaining guiltiness must be compared the one must be seen in the glory of it and the other in the sinfulness of it But I desire to beleeve and would gladly hope to see that the glancing and shining luster of glory coming from the diamonds and stones set in the crown of our Lord Jesus shall cast rayes and beams many thousand miles about I hope Christ is upon a great Marriage and that his wooing and suting of his excellent Bride doeth take it's beginning from us the ends of the earth O what joy and what glory would I judge it if my heaven should be suspended till I might have leave to run on foot to be a witness of that Marriage-glory see Christ put on the glory of his last married Bride and his last Marriage-love on earth when he shall enlarge his love-bed and set it upon the top of the mountains and take in the elder Sister the Iewes and the fulness of the Gentiles It were heaven's honour glory upon earth to be his lackey to run at his horse-foot and hold up the train of his Marriage-roberoyal in the day of our high aâ—d royal Solomon's espousals But O what glory to have a seat or â—eâ— in King Iesus his chariot that is bottomed with gold paved and lined over and floored within with Love fâ— the daughters of Ierusalem Cant. 3. 10. To lie upon such a King's love were a bed next to the flower of heaven's glory I am sorry to hear you speak in your Letter of a God anâ—ry at you and of the sense of his indignation which onely ariseth from suffering for Jesus all that is now come upon you Indeed apprehended wrath flameth out of such ashes as apprehended sin but not from suffering for Christ But suppose ye were in hell for by-gones and for old debt I hope ye ow Christ a great summe of charity to beleeve the sweetness of his love I know what it is to sin in that kinde it is to sin our if it were possible the unchangeableness of a Godhead out of Christ to sin away a lovely unchangeable God Put more honest apprehensions upon Christ put on his own mask upon his face and not your vail made of unbelief which speaketh as if he borrowed love to you from you and your demerits sinfull deservings Oh no! Christ is man but he is not like man he hath man's love in heaven but it is lustered with God's love it is very God's love ye have to doe with When your wheels goe about he standeth still Let God be God and be ye a man and have ye the deserving of man the sin of one who hath suffered your Welbeloved to slip away nay hath refused him entrance when he was knocking till his head and locks were frozen Yet what is that to him his book keepeth your name and is not printed and reprinted and changed and corrected And why but he should goe to his place hide himself Howbeit his Departure be his own good work yet the belief of it in that manner is your sin But wait on till he return with Salvation and cause you rejoyce in the latter end It is not much to complain but rather beleeve then complain and sit in the dust and close your mouth till he make your sown light grow again for your afflictions are not eternal Time will end them so shall ye at length see the Lord's salvation his love sleepeth not but is still in working for you his Salvation will not tarry nor linger Suffering for him is the noblest cross that is out of heaven Your Lord had the waile choice of ten thousand other crosses beside this to exercise you withall but his wisdom his love wailed and choosed out this for you beside them all take it as a choice one make use of it so as ye look to this world as your step-mother in your borrowed prison For it is a love-look to heaven and the other side of the water that God seeketh this is the fruit the flower bloom growing out of your cross that ye be a dead man to time to clay to gold to countrey to friends wife children all pieces of created nothings for in them there is not a seat nor bottom for your soul's love O what room is for your Love if it were as broad as the sea up in heaven and in God! and what would not Christ give for your love God gave so much for your soul blessed are ye if ye have a love for him can call in your soul's love from all idols and can make a God of God a God of Christ draw a line betwixt your heart and him If your deliverance come not Christ's presence and his beleeved love must stand as caution and surety for your deliverance till your Lord send it in his blessed time for Christ hath many Salvations if we could see them and I would think it better born comfort and joy that cometh from the faith of deliverance and the faith of his love then that which cometh from deliverance it self It is not much matter if ye finde ease to your afflicted soul what be the means either of your own wishing or of God's choosing the latter I am sure is best and the comfort strongest and sweetest let the Lord absolutely have the ordering of your evils troubles and put them off you by recommending your cross and your furnace to him
prophet speaketh for the Lord his truth To his rich grace sweet presence the everlasting consolation of the promised comforter I recomend your Lo am Aberd. Sept. 7. 1637. Your Lo in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady Boyd 40. My Very Honourable Christian Lady GRace mercy peace be to you I received your letter am well pleased that your thoughts of Christ stay with you that your purpose still is by all means to take the Kingdom of heaven by Violence which is no small conquest and it is a degree of watchfulness thankfulness also to observe sleepiness unthankfulness we have all good cause to complain of false light that playeth the thief stealeth away the lantern when it cometh to the practice of constant walking with God our journey is ten times a day broken in ten pieces Christ getteth but onely broken halfed and tired work of us alas too often against the hair I have been some what neerer the bridegroom but when I draw nigh see my vileness for shame I would be out of his presence again but yet desire of his soul-refreshing love puteth blushing-me under an arrest O what am I so loathsom a burden of sin to stand beside such a beautifull holy Lord such an high lofty one who inhabiteth eternity but since it pleaseth Christ to condescend to such an one as me let shamefaâ—â—eness be laid aside lose it self in his condescending love I would heartily be content to keep a corner of the Kings hall Oh if I were at the yonder end of my weak desires then should I be where Christ my Lord lover lives reigns there I should be overlastingly solaced with the sight of his face satisfied with the surpassing sweetness of his matchless love But truly now I stand in the nether side of my desires with a drowping head panting heart I look up to fair Jesus standing a far off from us while corruption death shall scour refine the body of clay rot out the bones of the old man of sin In the mean time we are blessed in sending word to the beloved that we love to love him and till then there is joy in wooing suiting lying about his house looking in at the windows sending a poor souls groans wishes thorow a hole of the door to Jesus till God send a glad meeting And blessed be God that after a low-ebbe so sad a word Lord Iesus it is long since I saw thee That even then our wings are growing the absence of sweet Jesus breedeth a new fleece of desires longings for him I know no man hath a velvet cross but the cross is made of that which God will have it But verily howbeit it be no warrantable market to buy a cross yet I dare not say O that I had liberty to sell Christs cross lest therewith also I should sell joy comfort sense of love patience the kind visits of a bridegroom And therefore blessed be God we get crosses unbought good cheap Sâ—â—â— I am it were better to buy crosses for Christ then to sell them howbeit neither be allowed to us And for Christ's joyfull coming going which your La speaketh of I bear with it as love can permit it should be enough to me if I were wise that Christ will have joy sorrow halfers of the life of the saints and that each of them should have a share of our dayes as the night and the day are kindly partners and halfers of Time and take it up betwixt them But if sorrow be the greediest halfer of our dayes here I know joy's day shall dawn doe more then recompense all our sad hours Let my Lord Jesus since he will doe so weave my bit and span-length of time with white black well and woe with the bridgroom's coming and his sad departure as warp woof in one web let the rose be neighboured with the thorn yet hope that maketh not ashamed hath written a letter and lines of hope to the mourners in Zion that it shall not be long so when we are over the water Christ shall cry down crosses and up heaven for evermore down hell down death down sin down sorrow up glory up life up joy for evermore In this hope I sleep quietly in Christ's bosome while he come who is not slack would sleep so were it not that the noise of the devil Sin 's feet the cryes of an unbeleeving heart awaken me but for the present I have nothing whereof I can accuse Christ's cross Oh if I could please my self in Christ onely I hope Madam your Sons will improve their power for Jesus for there is no danger neither is there any question or justling betwixt Christ Authority though our enemies falsly state the question as if Christ and Authority could not abide under one roof the question onely is betwixt Christ and men in Authority Authority is for from Christ sib to him how then can he make a plea with it Nay the truth is wormes Gods of clay are risen up against Christ. If the fruit of your La Womb be helpers of Christ ye have good ground to rejoyce in God All your La can expect for your goodwill to me my Brother a wronged stranger for Christ is the prayers of a prisoner of Iesus to whom I recommend your La house children in whom I am Aberd. Sept. 8. 1637. MADAM Your 〈◊〉 in Christ. S. R. To the Lady Culross 41 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to you I dare not say I wonder that ye have never written to me in my bonds because I am not ignorant of the cause yet I could not but write to you I know not whether joy or heaviness in my soul carrieth it away sorrow without any mixture of sweetness hath not often love-thoughts of Christ but I see the devil can insinuat himself ride his errands upon the thoughts of a poor oppressed prisoner I am woe that I am making Christ my unfriend by seeking pleas against him because I am the first in the Kingdom put to utter silence because I cannot preach my Lord's righteousness in the great congregation I am notwithstanding the less solicitous how it goe if there be not wrath in my cup. But I know I but claw my wounds when my physician hath forbidden me I would beleeve in the dark upon luck's head take my hazard of Christ's goodwill rest on this that in my fever my Physician is at my bed-side that he sympathizeth with me when I sigh My borrowed house another man's bed fire-side other losses have to room in my sorrow a greater heat to eat out a less fire is a good remedie for some burning I beleeve when Christ draweth blood he hath skill to cut the right veine that he hath taken
Saviour by your compearance before the Judge of quick dead to stand for Christ and to back him Oh if the Nobles had done their part been zealous for the Lord it had not been as it is now but men think it wisdom to stand beside Christ till his head be broken sing dumb there is a time coming when Christ will have a thick court he will be the glory of Scotland he shall make a diadem a garland a seal upon his heart a ring on his finger of these who have avouched him before this faithlesse generation Howbeit ere that come wrath from the Lord is ordained for this land My Lord I have cause to write this to your Lo for I dare not conceal his kindness to the soul of an afflicted exiled prisoner Who hath more cause to boast in the Lord then such a sinner as I Who am feasted with the consolations of Christ have no pain in my sufferings but the pain of soul-sickness of love for Christ sorrow that I cannot get help to sound aloud the high praises of him who hath heard the fighing of the prisoner is content to lay the head of his oppressed servant in his bosome under his chinne let him feel the smell of his garments This I behooved to write that your Lo might know Christ is as good as he is called to testifie to your Lo the cause your Lo now professeth before this faithless world is Christ's your Lo shall have no shame of it Grace be with you Aberd. March 13. 1637. Your Lo obliged Servant S. R. To the much honoured JOHN OSBURN Provest of Ayr. 43 Much honoured Sir GRrace mercy peace be to you Upon our small acquaintance the good report I hear of you I could not but write to you I have nothing to say but Christ in that honourable place lie hath put you in hath intrusted you with a dear pledge which is his own glory hath armed you with his sword to keep the pledge make a good account of it to God Be not affraid of me Your master can mowe down his enemies make with red hay of fair flowers your time will not be long after your after 〈…〉 will come your evening after evening night serve Christ back him lethis cause be your cause give not an hair breadth of 〈◊〉 away for it is not yours but God's then since ye are going take Christ's tâ—â—tiâ—cat with you out of this life Well done good faithfull servant His well done is worth a shipfull of Good-dayes earthly honours I have cause to say this because I finde him truth it self In my sad dayes Christ laugheth cheerfully saith All will be well Would to God all this Kingdom ye all that know God knew what is betwixt me Christ in this prison what kisses embracements love-communings I take his cross in my armes with joy I blesse it I rejoyce in it suffering for Christ is my garland I would not exchange Christ for ten thousand worlds nay if the comparison could stand I would not exchange Christ with heaven Sir pray for me the prayers blessing of a prisoner of Christ meet you in all your straits Grace be with you Aberd. March 14. 1637. Yours in Christ Iesus his Lord. S. R. To ROBERT GORDON Bailiffe of Ayr. 44 Worthy Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear from you in paper Remember your Chief's speeches on his death-bed I pray your Sir sell all buy the pearle time will cut you from this world's glory Look what will doe you good when your glasse shall be run out let Christ's love bear most court in your soul that court will bear down the love of other things Christ seeketh your help in your place give him your hand Who hath more cause to encourage others to own Christ then I have for he hath made me sick of love leâ—t me in pain to wrestle with his love love is like to fall a swoon through his absence I mean not that he deserteth me or that I am ebbe of comforts but this is an uncouth pain Oh that I had a heart a love to render to him back again O if principalities powers thrones dominions all the world would help me to praise Praise him in my behalf Remember my love to your wife I thank you most kindly for your love to my brother Grace be with you Aberd. March 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN KENNEDY Bailiffe of Ayr. 45 GRace mercy and peace be unto you Your nor writing to me cannot binde me up from remembring you now then that at least ye may be a witness a third man to behold in paper what is betwixt Christ me I was in his eyes like a young Orphan wanting known parents casten out in the open fields either Christ behooved to take me up to bring me home to his house and fire-side else I had dyed in the fields now I am homly with Christ's love so that I think the house mine own the master of the house mine also Christ enquired not when he began to love me whether I was fair or black sun-burnt love taketh what it may have He loved me before this time I know but now I have the flower of his love his love is come to a fair bloom like a young rose opened up out of the green leaves it casteth a strong fragrant smell I want nothing but wayes of expressing Christ's love A full vessel would have a vent O if I could smoke out cast out coales to make a fire in many brests of this land Oh it is a pity that there were not many imprisoned for Christ for no other purpose but to write books love-songs of the love of Christ. This love would keep all created tongues of men Angels in exercise busie night day to speak of it Alas I can speak nothing of it but wonder at three things in his love First Freedome O that lumps of sin should get such love for nothing Secondly The Sweetness of his love I give over either to speak or write of it but these that feel it may better bear witness What it is but it is so sweet that next to Christ himself nothing can match it nay I think a soul could live eternally blessed onely on Christ's love feed upon no other thing yea when Christ in love giveth a blow it doeth a soul good it is a kinde of comfort joy to it to get a cuff with the lovely sweet soft hand of Jesus And Thirdly what power strength is in his love I am perswaded it can climb aâ—stâ—ep hill hell upon it's back swim through the water not droâ—n sing in the fire finde no pain triumph in losles prisons sorrows exile disgrace laugh
the truth is now he hath childed himself friends with me hath taken away the mask hath renewed his wounted favour in such a manner that he hath paid me my hundred-fold in this life one to the hundred This prison is my banqueting house I am handled as softly delicatly as a dâted childe I am nothing behinde I see with Christ he can in a moneth make up a yeers losses I write this to you that I may entreat nay adjure charge you by the love of our welbeloved to help me to praise to tell all your Christian acquaintance to help me for I am as deeply drowned in his debt as any Dyvour can be yet in this fair sun-blenke I have something to keep me from startling or being exalted above measure His word is a fire shut up in my bowels I am weary with forbearing the ministers in this town are saying they shall have my prison changed into less bounds because they see God with me my mother hath born me a man of contention one that striveth with the whole earth The late wrongs oppressions done to my brother keep my sails low yet I defie crosses to embarke me in such a plea against Christ as I was troubled with of late I hope to overhope overbeleeve my troubles I have cause now to trust Christ's promise more then his gloom Remember my hearty affection to your wife My soul is grieved for the success of our brethrens journey to New-England but God hath somewhat to reveal that we see not Grace be with you Pray for the prisoner Aberd. Jan. 1. 1637. Yours in his onely L. Iesus S. R. To MARGARET BALANTINE 47 MISTRESS GRace mercy peace be unto you It is more then time that I should have written to you but it is yet good time if I could help your soul to mend your pace to goe more swiftly to your heavenly countrey for truly ye have need to make all haste because the inch of your day that remaineth will quickly slip away for whether we sleep or wake our glass runneth the tide bideth no man Beware of a beguile in the matter of your salvation woe woe for evermore to them that lose that prize for what is behinde when the soul is once lost but that sinners warme their bits of clay-houses at a fire of their own kindling for a day or two which doeth rather suffocat with it's smoke then warme them at length they lie down in sorrow are clothed with everlasting shame I would seek no further measure of faith to begin withall then to beleeve really stedfastly the doctrine of God's Justice his all-devouring wrath everlasting burning where sinners are burnt soul body in a river great lake of fire brimstone Then they would wish no more goods but the thousand part of a cold fountain well to coole their tongue they would then buy death with enduring of pain torment for as many yeers as God hath created drops of rain since the creation but there is no market in buying or selling life or death there Oh alas the greatest part of this world run to the place of that torment rejoycing dancing eating drinking sleeping my counsel to you is that ye start in time to be after Christ for if ye goe quickly Christ is not far before you Ye shall overtake him O Lord God what is so needfull as this salvation salvation Fie upon this condemned foolish world that will give so little for salvation Oh if there were a free market of salvation proclaimed in that day when the trumpet of God shall awake the dead how many buyers would be then God send me no more happiness but that salvation which the blinde world to their eternall woe letteth slip through their fingers Therefore look if ye can give out your money as Isa speaketh 55 2. for bread lay Christ his blood in wodset for heaven It is a dry hungry bairn's-part of goods that Esau's are hunting for here I see thousands following the chase and in the pursuit of such things while in the mean time they lose the blessing when all is done they have caught nothing to rost for supper but lie down hungry besides they goe to their bed when they die without a candle for God saith to them Isa 50 21. This shall ye have at my haâ—d ye shall lie down in sorrow And truly this is as ill made a bed to lie upon as one could wish for he cannot sleep soundly nor rest sweetly who hath sorrow for his pillow Rouze rouze up therefore your soul spier how Christ and your soul met together I am sure they never got Christ who were not once sick at the yolk of the heart for him too too many whole souls think they have met with Christ who had never a wearied night for the want of him But alas what richer are men that they dreamed the last night they had much gold when they awoke in the morning they found it was but a dream what are all the sinners in the world in that day when heaven earth shall goe up in a flame of fire but a number of beguiled dreamers every one shall say of his hunting his conquest Behold it was a dream every man in that day will tell his dream I beseeeh you in the Lord Jesus beware beware of unsound work in the matter of your salvation ye may not ye cannot ye dow not want Christ then after this day conveen all your lovers before your soul give them their leave strike hands with Christ that there after there may be no happiness to you but Christ no hunting for any thing but Christ no bed at night when death cometh but Christ Christ Christ who but Christ. I know this much of Christ. He is not ill to befound not Lordly of his love woe had been my part of it for evermore if Christ had made a dainty of himself to me but God be thanked I gave nothing for Christ now I protest before men Angels Christ cannot be exchanged Christ cannot be sold Christ cannot be weighed Where would Angels or all the world finde a ballance to weigh him in All lovers blush when ye stand beside Christ woe upon all love but the love of Christ. Hunger hunger for evermore be upon all heavens but Christ. Shame shame for evermore be upon all glory but Christ's glory I cry death death upon all life 's but the life of Christ. O what is it that holdeth us asunder O that once we could have a fair meeting Thus recommending Christ to you and you to him for evermore I rest Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JONET KENNEDY 48 Loving Dear Sister GRace mercy and peace be unto you I received your letter I know the savour of Christ in you that the virgins love
RIGGE of Atherny 68 Worthy much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you How sad a prisoner would I be if I knew not that my Lord Jesus had the keys of the prison himself that his death blood hath bought a blessing to our crosses aswell as to our selves I am sure troubles have no prevailing right over us if they be but our Lord's Serjeants to keep us in ward while we are in this side of heaven I am perswaded also that they shall not goe over the bound-road nor enter in to heaven with us for they finde no welcome there where there is no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither any more pain therefore we shall leave them behinde us Oh if I could get as good a gate of sin even this wofull wretched body of sin as I get of Christ's cross Nay indeed I think the cross beared bâ—th me it self rather then I it in comparison of the tyranny of the lawless flesh wicked nighbour that dwelleth beside Christ's new creature But Oh this is that which presseth me down paiâ—eth me Jesus Christ in his saints sitteth neighbour with an ill second corruption deadness coldness pride lust worldliness self-love security falshood a world of â—oâ— the like which I finde in me that are daily doing violence to the new man O but we have cause to carry low sails to cleave fast to free grace free free grace Blessed be our Lord that ever that way was found out If my one foot were in heaven my soul half in if free-will corruption were absolute Lords of me I should never win wholly in O but the sweet new living way that Christ hath stroke up to our home be a safe way I finde now presence accâ—ss a greater dainty then bâ—fore but yet the bridegroom looketh through the lattes thorow the hole of the door O if he I were in fair dry land together in the other side of the water Grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 30. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S R. To the Lady KILCONQUHAIR 69 MISTRESS GRace mercy peace be to you I received your letter I am heartily content ye love own this oppâ—essed and wronged cause of Christ that now whâ—n so many are miscarried ye are in any measure taken with the love of Jesuâ— weary not but come in see if there be not more in Christ then the tongue of men Angels can express If ye seek a gate to heaven the way is in him or he is it What ye want is treasured up in Jesus he saith all his are yours even his Kingdom he is content to divide it betwixt him you yea his throne his glory Luk. 21. 29. Ioh. 17. 24. Rov 3. 21. Therefore take pains to climb up to that besâ—eged house to Christ for devils men armies of temptations are lying about the house to hold out all that are out it is taken with violence It is not a smooth easie way neitâ—er will your weather be fair pleasant but whosoever saw the invisible God the fair city make no reckoning of lossâ—s or crosses in ye must be cost you what it will stand not for a price for all that ye have to win the castle the rights to it are won to you it is disponed to you in your Lord Jesus's testament see what a fair legacy your dying friend Christ hath left you And there wanteth nothing but possession Then get up in the strength of the Lord get over the water to possâ—ss that good land It is better then a land of olives wine-trees for the tree of life that beareth twelve manner of fruits every moneth is there before you a pure river of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb is there Your time is short therefore lose no time Gracious faithfull is he who hath called you to his Kingdom glory The city is yours by free conquest by promise therefore let no uncouth Lord-idol put you from your own The devil hath cheated the simple heir of his Paradise by enticing us to taste of the forbidden fruit hath as it were bought us out of our kindly heritage But our Lord Christ Jesus hath done more then bought the devil by for he hath redeemed the wodset made the poor heir free to the inheritaÌ„ce If we knew the glory of our elder brother in heaven we would long to be there to see him to get our fill of heaven We children think the earth a fair garden but it is but God's out-field wilde cold barren ground All things are fading that are here It is our happiness to make sure Christ to our selves Thus remembring my love to your husband wiâ—king to him what I write to you I commit you to God's tender mercy Aberd. Sepr 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady CRAIGHALL 70 Honourable and Christian Lady GRace mercy peace be to you I cannot but write to your La of the sweet glorious termes I am in with the most joyful King that ever was under this well thrifing prosperous cross it is my Lord's salvation wrought by his own right hand that the water doeth not suffocat the breath of â—â—pe joyfull courage in the Loâ—d Jesus For his own person is still in the camp with his poor souldier I see the cross is tied with Christ's hand to the end of an honest profession We are but fools to endeavour to loose Christ's knot When I consider the comforts of God I durst not consent to sell or wod-set my short life-rent of the cross of the Lord Jesus I know that Christ bought with his own blood a right to sanctified blessed crosses in as far as they blow me over the water to my long desired home it were not good that Christ should be the buyer I the seller I know time death shall take sufferings fairly off my hand I hope we shall have an honest parting at night when this piece cold frosty afternoon-tide of my evil rough day shall be over Well is my soul of either sweet or sowre that Christ hath any part or portion in if he be at the one end of it it hall be well with me I shall die ere I libell faults against Christ's cross it hall have my testimonial under my hand as an honest saving mean of Christ for mortification faith's growth I have a stronger assurance since I came over Forth of the excellency of Jesus then I had before I am rather about him then in him while I am absent from him in this house of clay But I would be in heaven for no other cause but to essay try what boundies joy it must be to be over head ears in my welbeloved Christ's love O that fair one
the vineyard but held the sun off the good plants with my idle shadow therefore my Master had given the evil servant â—he fields to fend him Old guiltiness said as witness all is true My apprehensions were with childe of faithless fears unbelief put a seal Amen to all I thought my self in a hard case Some said I had cause to rejoyce that Christ had honoured me to be a witness for him I said in my heart these are words of men who see but mine outside cannot tell if I be a false witness or not If Christ had in this matter been as wilfull short as I was my faith had gone over the brae broken it's neck But we were well met a hastie fool a wise patient meek Saviour he took no law-advantage of my folly but waited on till my ill blood was fallen my drumbled troubled well began to clear He was never a whit angry at the feverravings of a poor tempted sinner but he mercifully forgave came as it well becometh him with grace new comfort to a a sinner who deserved the contrary And now he is content to kiss my black mouth to put his hand in mine to feed me with as many consolations as would feed ten hungry souls Yet I dare not say he is a waster of comforts for no less would have born me up one grain weight less would have casten the ballance Now who is like to that royall king crowned in Zion where will I get a seat for royall Majesty to set him on If I could set him as far above the heavens as thousand thousands of heights devised by men Angels I would think him but too low I pray you for God's sake my dear Sister help me to praise His love hath neither brim nor bottom His love is like himself it passâ—th all naturall understanding I goe to fathom it with my arms but it is as if a childe would take the globe of sea land in his two short arms Blessed holy is his name This must be his truth I now suffer for for he would not laugh upon a lye nor be witness with his comforts to a night-dream I entreat for your prayers the prayers blessing of a prisoner of Christ be upon you Grace be with you Aberd. March 14. 1637. Yours in his sâ—eet Lord Iesus S. R. To ALEXANDER GORDON Of Knockgray 119 Dear Brother I Have not leisure to write to you Christ's wayes were known to you long before I who am but a childe knew any thing of him What wrong violence the Prelats may by God's permission doe unto you for your trial I know not but this I know that your ten dayes tribulation will end Contend to the last breath for Christ. Banishment out of these Kingdomes is determined against me as I hear this land dow not bear me I pray you recommend my case bonds to my brethren sisters with you I intrust more of my spirituall comfort to you them that way my dear Brother then to many in this Kingdom besides I hope ye will not be wanting to Christ's prisoner Fear nothing for I assure you Alexander Gordon of Knockgray shall win away get his soul for a prey And what can he then want that 's worth the having Your friends are cold as ye write so are these in whom I trusted much Our husband doeth well in breaking our idols in pieces dry wells send us to the fountain My life is not dear to me sobeing I may fulfil my course with joy I fear you must remove if your new hireling will not bear your discountenancing of him for the Prelat is affraid Christ get you that he hath no will of Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Master S. R. To JOHN FLEMING Bailisse of Leith 120 Worthy dearly beloved in the Lord. GRace mercy peace be unto you I received your letter I wish I could satisfie your desire in drawing up and framing for you a Christian directory But the learned have done it before me more judiciously then I can especially Mr Rodgers Greenhame Perkins not withstanding I shall shew you what I would have been at my self howbeit I I came alwayes short of my purpose 1. That hours of the day less or more time for the word prayer be given to God not sparing the twelfth hour or midday howbeit it should then be the shorter time 2. In the midst of wordly employments there would be some thoughts of sin judgement death eternity with a word or two of ejaculatory prayer at least to God 3. To beware of wandering of heart in privat prayers 4. Not to grudge howbeit ye come from prayer without sense or joy Down-casting sense of guiltiness hunger is often best for us 5. That the Lord's day from morning to night be spent alwayes either in private or publike worship 6. That words be observed wandering and idle thoughts be avoided sudden anger desire of revenge even of such as persecute the truth be guarded against for we often mix our zeal with our own wilde fire 7. That known discovered revealed sins that are against the conscience be eshewed as most dangerous preparative to hardness of heart 8. That in dealing with men faith truth in covenants traffiquing be regarded that we deal with all men in sincerity that conscience be made of idle lying words that our carriage be such as that they who see it may speak honourably of our sweet Master and profession 9. I have been much challenged 1. For not referring all to God as the last end That I doe not eat drink sleep journey speak and think for God 2. That I have not benefited by good company that I left not some word of conviction even upon naturall and wicked men as by reproving swearing in them or because of being a silent witness to their loose carriage because I intended not in all companies to doe good 3. That the woes calamities of the Kirk particular professors have not moved me 4. That the reading of the life of David Paul the like when it humbled me I coming so far short of their holiness laboured not to imitate them afar off at least according to the measure of God's grace 5. That unrepented sins of youth were not looked to lamented for 6. That sudden stirrings of pride lust revenge love of honours were not resisted mourned for 7. That my charity was cold 8. That the experiences I had of God's hearing me in this the other Particular being gathered yet in a new trouble I had alwayes once at least my faith to seek as if I were to begin at A. B. C. Again 9. That I have not more boldly contradicted the enemies speaking against the truth either in publike church-meetings or at tables or ordinary conference 10. That in great
once cometh nigh hand taketh a hearty look of Christ's inner side shall never wring nor wrestle themselves out of his love-grips again I would rest contented in my prison yea in a prison without light of sun or candle providing Christ I had a love-bed not of mine but of Christ his own making that we might lie together among the lilies till the day break the shadows flee away Who knoweth how sweet a drink of Christ's love is O but to live on Christ's love is a King's life The worst things of Christ even that which seemeth to be the refuse of Christ his hard cross his black cross is white fair the cross receiveth a beautifull lustre a perfumed smell from Jesus Mydear Brother scar not at it While ye have time to stand upon the watch tower to speak contend with this land plead with your harlot-mother who hath been a treacherous half-marrow to her husband Iesus For I would think liberty to preach one day the root top of my desires would seek no more of the blessings that are to be had on this side of time till I be over the water but to spend this my crazed clay-house in his service saving of souls But I hold my peace because he hath done it my shallow ebbe thoughts are not the compass Christ saileth by I leave his wayes to himself for they are far far above me Onely I would contend with Christ for his love and be bold to make a plea with Jesus my Lord for a heart-fill of his love for there is no more left to me What standeth beyond the far end of my sufferings and what shall be the event he knoweth and I hope to my joy shall make me know when God shall unfold his decrees concerning me for there are windings and too 's and fro's in his wayes which blinde bodies like us cannot see This much for further acquaintance So recommending you what is before you to the grace of God I rest Aberd. June 16. 1637. Your very loving Brother in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr WILLIAM DALGLEISH 125 Reverend welbeloved Brother GRace mercy peace be unto you I have heard somewhat of your trials in Galloway I bless the Lord who hath begun first in that corner to make you a new Kirk to himself Christ hath the less adoe behinde when he hath refined you Let me entreat you my dearly beloved to be fast to Christ My witness is above My dearest Brother that ye have added much joy to me in my bonds when I hear that ye grow in the grace and zeal of God for your Master Our ministery whether by preaching or suffering will cast a smell through the world both of heaven hell 2 Cor. 2 15 16. I perswade you my dear Brother there is nothing out of heaven next to Christ dearer to me then my ministery the worth of it in my estimation is swelled paineth me exceedingly yet I am content for the honour of my Lord to surrender it back again to the Lord of the vineyard let him doe with me it both what he thinketh good I think my self too little for him let me speak to you how kinde a fellow prisoner is Christ to me Beleeve me this kinde of cross that would not goe by my door but would needs visite me is still the longer the more welcome to me It 's true my silent sabbaths have been are still as glassy yee whereon my faith can scarce hold it's feet I am often blowen on my back and off my feet with a storm of doubting yet truly my bonds all this time cast a mighty and ranck smell of high and deep love in Christ I cannot indeed see through my cross to the far end Yet I beleeve I am in Christ's books in his decree not yet unfolded to me a man triumphing dancing singing over on the other side of the red sea laughing praising the lamb over beyond time sorrow deprivation prelat's indignation losses want of friends death Heaven is not a foul flying in the air as men use to speak of things that are uncertain nay it is well paid for Christ's comprizement lieth on Glory for all the mourners in Zion shall never be loosed Let us be glad rejoyce that we have blood losses wounds to show our Master Captain at his appearance and what we suffered for his cause Woe is me my dear Brother that I say often I am but dry bones which my Lord will not bring out of the grave again that my faithless fears say Oh I am a dry tree that can bear no fruit I am an useless body who â—an beget no children to the Lord in his house Hopes of deliverance look cold uncertain afar off as if I had done with it it is much for Christ if I may say so to get Lawborrows of my sorrow of my quarrelous heart Christ's love playeth me fair play I am not wronged at all but there is a tricking and false heart within me that still playeth Christ foul play I am a cumbersom neighbour to Christ It is a wonder that he dwelleth beside the like of me yet I often get the advantage of the hill above my temptations then I despise the temptation even hell it self the stink of it the instruments of it and am proud of my honourable Master And I resolve whether contrary winds will or not to fetch Christ's harbour I think a willfull stiff contention with my Lord Jesus for his love very lawfull it 's sometimes hard to me to win my meat upon Christ's love because my faith is sick my hope withereth my eyes wax dim unkinde comfort-eclipsing clouds goe over the fair bright light Sâ—n-Jesus And then when I my temptation tryste the matter together we spill all through unbelief Sweet sweet for evermore would my life be if I could keep faith in exercise But I see my fire cannot alwayes cast light I have even a poor man's hard world when he goeth away But surely since my entry hither many a time hath my fair sun shined without a cloud Hot burning hath Christ's love been to me I have no vent to the expression of it I must be content with stoln smothered desires of Christ's glory O how far is his love behinde the hand with me I am just like a man who hath nothing to pay his thousands of debt All that can be gotten of him is to seâ—â—e upon his person Except Christ would seâ—â—e upon my self make the readiest payment that can be of my heart love to himself I have no other thing to give him If my sufferings could doe beholders good edifie his Kirk proclaim the incomparable worth of Christ's love to the world O then how would my soul be overjoyed my sad heart cheered and calmed Dear
am but withered dry bones But since ye desire me to write to you either help me to set Christ on high for his running-over love in that the heat of his sweet breath hath melted a frozen heart else I think ye doe nothing for a prisoner I am fully confirmed that it is the honour of our Law-giver I suffer for now I am not ashamed to give out letters of recommendation of Christ's love to as many as will extoll the Lord Jesus his cross If I had not sailed this sea-way to heaven but had taken the land-way as many doe I should not have known Christ's sweetness in such a measure But the truth is let no man thank me for I caused not Christ's wind to blow upon me His love came upon a withered creature whether I would or not yet by coming it procured from me a welcome A heart of iron iron doors will not hold Christ out I give him leave to break iron locks come in that is al now I know not whether pain of love for want of possâ—ssion or sorrow that I dow not thank him paineth me most but both work upon me For the First O that he would come satisfie the longing soul fill the hungry soul with these good things I know indeed my guiltiness may be a bar in his way but he is God ready to forgive And for the other woe woe is me that I cannot finde a heart to give back again my unworthy little love for his great sea-full of love to me O that he would learn me this piece of gratitude O that I could have leave to look in thorow the hole of the door to see his face sing his praises or could break up one of his chamber windows to look in upon his delighting beauty till my Lord send more any little communion with him one of his love-looks should be my begun heaven I know he is not Lordly neither is the bridegroom's love proud though I be black unlovely unworthy of him I would seek but leave withall grace to spend my love upon him I counsel you to think highly of Christ of free free grace more then ye did before for I know that Christ is not known amongst us I think I see more of Christ then ever I saw yet I see but little of what may be seen O that he would draw by the curtains that the King would come out of his gallerie his palace that I might see him Christ's love is young glory young heaven It would soften hell's pains to be filled with it What would I refuse to suffer if I could but get a draught of love at my hearts desire O what price can be given for him Angels cannot weigh him O his weight his worth his sweetness his overpassing beauty If men Angels would come look to that great Princely one their ebbeness would never take up his depth their narrowness would never comprehend his breadth height length If ten thousand thousand worlds of Angels were created they might all tire themselves in wondering at his beauty begin again to wonder of new O that I could win nigh him to kiss his feet to hear his voice to finde the smell of his ointments But Oh alas I have little little of him yet I long for more Remember my bonds help me with your prayers for I would not niffer or exchange my sad hours with the joy of my velvet-adversaries Grace be with you Aberd. June 10. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr JAMES FLEMING 138 Reverend welbeloved in our Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you I received your letter which hath refreshed me in my bonds I cannot but testifie unto you my dear Brother what sweetness I finde in our Master's cross but alas what can I either doe or suffer for him If I my alone had as many lives as there have been drops of rain since the creation I would think them too little for that lovely one our welbeloved but my pain and my sorrow is above my sufferings that I finde not wayes how to set out the praises of his love to others I am not able by tongue pen or sufferings to provoke many to fall in love with him but he knoweth whom I love to serve in the spirit what I would doe suffer by his own strength sobeing I might make my Lord Jesus lovely sweet to many thousands in this land I think it amongst God's wonders that he will take any praise or glory or any testimony to his honourable cause from such a forlorn sinner as I am But when Christ worketh he needeth not ask the question by whom he will be glorious I know seeing his glory at the beginning did shine out of poor nothing to set up such a fair house for man Angels so many glorious creatures to proclaim his goodness power wisdom if I were burnt to ashes out of the smoke and powder of my dissolved body he could raise glory to himself His glory is his end Oh that I could joyn with him to make it my end I would think that fellowship with him sweet glorious But alas few know the guiltiness that is on my part it is a wonder that this good cause hath not been marred and spilt in my foul hands But I rejoyce in this that my sweet Lord Jesus hath found something adoe even a ready market for his free grace and incomparable and matchless mercy in my wants Onely my loathsom wretchedness and my wants have qualified me for Christ and the riches of his glorious grace he behooved to take me for nothing or else to want me Few know the unseen private reckonings betwixt Christ and me yet his love his boundless love would not bide away nor stay at home with himself yet I dow not make it welcome as I ought when it 's come unsent for and without hire How joyfull is my heart that ye write ye are desirous to joyn with me in praising for it is charity to help a Dyvour to pay his debts but when all have helped me my name shall stand in his count-book under ten thousand thousands of summes unpayed But it easeth my heart that â—is dear servants will but speak of my debts to such a sweet creditour I desire he may lay me in his own ballance weigh me if I would not fain have a feast of his boundless love made to my own soul and to many others One thing I know we shall not all be able to come neer his excellency with eye heart or tongue for he is above all created thoughts All nations before him are as nothing as less then nothing he â—itteth in the circuit of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth are as grashoppers before him O that men would praise him Ye complain of your private case Alas I am not the
Lord Jesus market-sweet lovely desireable fair to all the world both to Jew and Gentil O let my part of heaven goe for it sobeing he would take my tongue to be his instrument to set out Christ in his whole braveries of love vertue grace sweetness matchless glory to the eyes hearts of Jews Gentiles But who is sufficient for these things O for the help of Angels tongues to make Christ eye-sweet and amiable to many thousands O how little doeth this world see of him how far are they from the love of him seeing there is so much loveliness beauty and sweetness in Christ that no created eye did ever yet see I would that all men knew his glory and that I could put many in at the bridegroom's chamber door to see his beauty to be partakers of his high and deep and broad and boundless love O let all the world come nigh and see Christ and they shall then see more then I can say of him O if I had had a pledge or pawne to lay down for a sea-full of his love that I could come by somuch of Christ as would satisfie griening and longing for him or rather increase it till I were in full possession I know we shall meet therein I rejoyce Sir stand fast in the truth of Christ that ye have received Yeeld not to winds but ride out let Christ be your anchor the onely He whom ye shall look to see in peace Pray for me his prisoner that the Lord would send me among you to feed his people Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN FLEMING Bailiffe of Leith 157 Worthy Sir GRace mercy and peace be to you The Lord hath brought me safe to this strange town Blessed be his holy name I finde his cross easie and light and I hope he shall be with his poor sold Joseph who is separated from his brethren His comforts have abounded towards me as if Christ thought shame if I may speak so to be in the common of such a poor man as I am and would not have me lose any thing in his errands My enemies have beside their intention made me more blessed and have put me in a sweeter possession of Christ then ever I had before Onely the memory of the fair dayes I had with my welbeloved amongst the flock intrusted to me keepeth me low and sowreth my unseen joy But it must be so and he is wise who tutoureth me this way For that which my brethren have and I want and others of this world have I am content my faith will frist God my happiness No Son offendeth that his father giveth him not hire twice a year for he is to abide in the house when the inheritance is to be divided It is better God's children live upon hope then upon hire Thus remembring my love to your worthy and kinde wife I bless you and her and all yours in the Lord's name Aberd. Sept 20. 1637. Yours in his onâ—ly onely Lord Iesus S. R. To WILLIAM GLENDINING Bailiffe of Kirkcudbright 158 Worthy Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I am well honour be to God aswell as a râ—joycing prisoner of Christ can be hoping that one day He for whom I now suffer shall enlarge me put me above the threatnings of men I am sometimes sad heavy casten down at the memory of the fair dayes I had with Christ in Anwoth Kirk cudbright cet The remembrance of a feast encreaseth hunger in a hungry man but who knoweth but our Lord will yet cover a table in the wilderness to his hungry bairns build the old waste places in Scotland bring home Zion's captives I desire to see no more glorious sight till I see the Lamb on his throne then to see Mount Zion all green with grass the dew lying upon the tops of the grass the crown put upon Christ's head in Scotland again And I beleeve it shall be so that Christ shall mowe down his enemies fill the pits with their dead bodies I finde people here dry uncouth A man pointed at for suffering dare not be countenanced so that I am like to sit mine alone upon the ground But my Lord payeth me well home again for I have neither tongue nor pen nor heart to express the sweetness excellency of the love of Christ Christ's honey-combs drop hony sloods of consolation upon my soul My chains are gold Christ's cross iâ— all overguilded and perfumed His prison is the garden and orchard of my delights I would goe through burning quick to my lovely Christ I sleep in his arms all the night my head betwixt his breasts My welbeloved is altogether lovely This is all nothing to that which my soul hath felt Let no man for my cause scar at Christ's cross If my stipend place countrey credit had been an Earledom a Kingdom ten Kingdoms and a whole earth all were too little for the crown and scepter of my royall King Mine enemies mine enemies have made me blessed They ave sent me to the bridegroom's chamber Love is his banner over me I live a Kings life I want nothing but heaven and the possession of the crown my earnest is great Christ is no niggard to me Dear Brother be for the Lord Jesus and his heart-broken bride I need not I hope remember my distressed brother to your care Remember my love to your wife Let Christ want nothing of us His garments shall be rolled in the blood of the slain of Scotland Grace grace be with you pray for Christ's prisoner Aberd. Sept. 21. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To ROBERT GORDON Of Knockbrex 159 Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you I am by God's mercy come now to Aberden the place of my confinement setled in an honest man's house I finde the town's-men cold generall dry in their kindness yet I finde a lodging in the heart of many strangers My challenges are revived again I finde old sores bleeding of new so dangerous painfull is an undercotted conscience yet I have an eye to the blood that is physick for such sores But verily I see Christianity is conceived to be more easie lighter then it is so that I sometimes think I never knew any thing but the letters of that name for our nature contenteth it self with little in godliness Our Lord Lord seemeth to us ten Lord Lords little holiness in our ballance is much because it is our own holâ—ness we love to lay small burdens upon our soft natures to make a fair courtway to heaven And I know it were necessary to take more pains then we doe not to make heaven a city more easily taken then God hath made it I perswade my self many runners shall come short get a disappointment Oh how easie is it to deceive our selves
to be Christ's ransomed sinner sick one His relation to me is that I am sick He is the physician of whom I stand in need Alas how often play I fast loose with Christ He bindeth I loose he buildeth I cast down he tâ—immeth up a salvation for me I mar it I cast out with Christ he agreeth with me again twenty times a day I forfeit my Kingdom heritage I lose what I had but Christ is at my back and following on to stoop take up that falleth from me Were I in heaven had the crown on my head if Freewill were my tutour I should lose heaven seeing I lose my self what wonder I should let goe lose Jesus my Lord O well to me for evermore that I have cracked my credit with Christ cannot by law at all borrow from him upon my feckless worthless bond faith for my faith reputation with Christ is that I am a creature that God will not put any trust into I was am bewildered with temptations wanted a guide to heaven O what have I to say of that excellent surpassing supereminent thing they call The Grace of God the way of free redemption in Christ And when poor poor I dead in law was sold fettered imprisoned in Justice's closest ward which is hell damnation when I a wretched one lighted upon noble Iesus eternally kinde Iesus tender hearted Iesus nay when he lighted upon me first knew me I found that he scorned to take a price or any thing like hire of Angels or Seraphims or any of his creatures and therefore I would praise him for this that the whole armie of the redeemed ones sit rent-free in heaven Our holding is better then Blench We are all Free-holders seeing our eternall feuduty is but thanks Oh woefull me that I have but spilt thanks broken lame miscarried praises to give him so my silver is not good current with Christ were it not that free merites have stamped it washen it me both And for my silence I see somewhat better through it now If my high lofty one my princely Royall Master say Hold hold thy peace I lay bonds on thee thou speak none I would fain be content let my fire be smothered under ashes without light or flame I cannot help it I take laws from my Lord but I give none As for your journey to F. ye doe well to follow it The camp in Christ's ordinary bed A carried bed is kindly to the Beloved down in this lower house It may be who knoweth but our Lord hath some Centurions ye are sent to Seeing your angry mother denieth you lodging house-room with her Christ's call to unknown faces must be your second wind seeing ye cannot have a first O that our Lord would water again with a new visite this piece withered dry hill of our widow-mount Zion my Dear Brother I will think it comfort if ye speak my name to our welbeloved wherever ye are I am mindefull of you O that the Lord would yet make the light of the moon in Scotland like the light of the sun and the light of the sun seven fold brighter For my self as yet I have received no answer whither to goe I wait on O that Jesus had my love Let matters frame as they list I have some more to doe with Christ yet I would fain we were nearer Now the great shepherd of the sheep the very God of peace establish confirm you till the day of his coming Aberd. Sept. 9 1637. Yours in his lovely sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady CARLETON 173 MISTRESS GRace mercy and peace be to you My soul longeth once again to be amongst you to behold that beauty of the Lord that I would see in his house But I know not if he in whose hands are all our waves seeth it expedient for his glory I ow my Lord I know submission of spirit suppose he should turn me into a stone or pillar oâ— salt Oh that I were He in whom my Lord could be glorified suppose my little heaven were forfeited to buy glory to him before men and Angels suppose my want of his presence and separation from Christ were a pillar as high as ten heavens for Christ's glory to stand upon above all the world What am I to him How little am I though my feathers stood out as broad as the morning lighâ— to such a high to such a lofty to such a never-enough admired glorious Lord My trials are heavy bâ—cause of my sad sabbaths but I know they are less then my high provocations I seek no more but that Christ may be the gainer and I the loser that he may be raised and hightned and I cryed down and my worth made dust before his glory Oh that Scotland all with one shout would cry up Christ and that his name were high in this land I finde the very utmost borders of Christ's high excellency and deep sweâ—tness heaven and earth's wonder O what is he if I could win in to see his inner side Oh I am run dâ—y of loving and wondering and adoring of that greatest most admirable one Woe woe is me I have not half-love for him Alas what can my drop doe to his great sea What gain is it to Christ that I have casten my little sparkle in his great fire What can I give to him Oh that I had love to fill a thousand worlds that I might emptie my soul of it all upon Christ I think I have now just reason to quite my part of any hope or love that I have to this scum and the refuse of the dross of God's work-manâ—hip this vain earth I ow to this stormy world whose kindness 〈◊〉 heart to me hath been made of iron or of a piece of a wilde sea-Island that never a creature of God yet lodged in not a look I ow it no love no hope therefore Oh if my love were dead to it my soul dead to it What am I obliged to this house of my pilgrimage A straw for all that God hath made to my soul's liking except God that lovely one Iesus Christ Seeing I am not this world's debter I desire I may be striped of all confidence in any thing but my Lord that he may be for me I for my onely onely onely Lord that he may be the morning evening-tide the top the root of my joyes the heart flower yolk of all my soul's delights O let me never lodge any creature in my heart confidence Let the house be for him I rejoyce that sad dayes cut off a piece of the lease of my short life that my shadow even while I suffer weareth long my evening hasteneth on I have cause to love home with all my heart to take the opportunity of the day to hasten to the
must be taken with violence Your afternoon's sun is wearing low Time will eat up your frail life like a worm gnawing at the root of a May-flower Lend Christ your heart Set him as a seal there Take him in within let the world and children stand at the door they are not yours make you and them for your proper owner Christ It is good He is your husband and their father What missing can there be of a dying man when God filleth his chair Give hours of the day to prayer Fash Christ If I may speak so and importune him be often at his gate give his door no rest I can tell you he will be found O what sweet fellowship is betwixt him and me I am imprisoned but he is not imprisoned He hath shamed me with his kindness He hath come to my pâ—ison run away with my heart all my love Well may he brooke it I wish my love get never an owner but Christ Fy fy upon old lovers that held us so long asunder We shall not parr now He I shall be heard before he win out of my grips I resolve to wrestle with Christ ere I quite him But my love to him hath casten my soul in a fever there is no cooling of my fever till I get râ—all possession of Christ O strong strong love of Jesus thou hast wounded my heart with thine arrows O pain O pain of love ioâ— Christ Who will help me to praise Let me have your prayers Grace be with you Aberd. March 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To GRISSAL FULLERTON 176 Dear Sister I Exhorr you in the Lord to seek your one thing Marie's good part that shall not be taken from you Set your heart soul on the Childrens inheritance This clay-idol the world is but for Bastards ye are his lawfull begotten childe Learn the way as your dear mother hath hath gone before you to knock at Christ's door Many an almes of mercy hath Christ given to Her hath abundance behinde to give to you Ye are the seed of the faithfull born within the Covenant claim your right I would not exchange Christ Jesus for ten worlds of glory I know now blessed be my teacher how to shut the lock unbolt my welbeloved's door he maketh a poor stanger welcome when he cometh to his house I am swelled up satisfied with the love of Christ that is better then wine It is a fire in my soul let hell the world cast water on it they will not mend themselves I have now gotten the right gate of Christ I recommend him to you above all things Come finde the smell of his breath See if his kisses be not sweet He desireth no better then to be much made of Be homely with him ye shall be the more welcome Ye know not how fain Christ would have all your love Think not this is imaginations bairns-play we make din for I would not suffer for it if it were so I dare pawnd my heaven for it that it is the way to glory Think much of truth abhorre these wayes devised by men in God's worship The Grace of Christ be with you Aberd. March 14. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To PATRICK CARSEN 177 Dear loving friend I Cannot but upon the opportunity of a bearer exhort you to reâ—gnâ— the love of your youth to Christ in this day while your sun is high and your youth serveth you to seek the Lord and his face for there is nothing out of heaven so necessary for you as Christ And ye cannot be ignorant but your day will end the night of death will call you from the pleasures of this life a doom given out in death standeth for ever as long as God liveth Youth ordinarily is a Post ready servant for Satan to run errands for it is a nest for lust cursing drunkenness blaspheming of God lying pride vanitie O that there were such an heart in you as to fear the Lord to dedicate your soul body to his service When the time cometh that your eye-strings shall break your face wax pale and legs arms tremâ—le your breath grow cold your poor soul look out at youâ— prison-housâ— of clay to be set at liberty then a good conscience your Lord's favour shall be worth all the world's glory Seek it as your garland crown Grace be with you Aberd. March 14. 1636. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN CARSEN 178 My welbeloved dear friend EVery one â—eeketh not God far fewer finde him because they seek amiss He is to be sought for above all things if men would finde what they seek Let feathers shadows alone to children goe seek your welbeloved Your onely errand to the world is to wooe Christ therefore put other lovers from about his house let Christ have all your love without miniching or dividing it It is little enough if there were more of it The serving of the world sin hath but a base reward smoke in stead of pleatures but a night-dream for true case to the soul Goe where ye will your soul shall not sleep sound but in Christ's bosom Come in to him lie down rest you on the slain Son of God enquire for him I sought him now a fig for all the worm-eaten pleasures moth-eaten glory out of heaven since I have found him in him all I can want or â—ish He hath made me a King over the world Princes cannot overcome me Christ hath given me the marriage-kiss he hath my maâ—â—ing love We have made up a full bargain that shall not goe back on either side O if ye and all in that countrey knew what sweet terms of mercy are betwixt him me Grace be with you Aberd. March 11. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady BOYD. 179 MADAM I Would have written to your La ere now but peoples beleeving there is in me that which I know there is not hath put me out of love with writing to any for it is easie to put religion to a market publick fair but alas it is not so soon made eye-sweet for Christ My Lord seeth me a tired man far behinde I have gotten much love from Christ but I give him little or none again My whiteside cometh out in paper to men but at home within I finde much black work great cause of a low sail of little boasting yet Howbeit I see challenges to be true the manner of the Tempter's pressing of them is unhonest in my own thoughts knavish-like My peace is that Christ may finde sale â—uting of his wares in the like of me I mean for saving grace I wish all professors to fall in love with Grace All ouâ— songs should be of his free-Grace We are
countenance or fashion of this world passeth away In which place our Lord compareth it to an Image in a looking-glass for it is the looking-glass of Adam's sons Some come to the glass see in it the picture of Honour and but a picture indeed for true Honour is to be great in the sight of God others see in it the shadow of Riches but a shadow indeed for durable Riches stand as one of the maids of Wisdom upon her left hand Prov. 3. 16. a third sort see in it the face of painted Pleasures the beholders will not beleeve but the Image they see in this glass is a living man till the Lord come break the glass in pieces remove the face then like Pharaoh awakened they say And behold it was a dream I know your La thinketh your self little in the common of this world for the favourable aspect of any of these three painted faces blessed be our Lord that it is so the better for you Madam they are not worthy to be wooers to sute in marriage your soul that looks to an higher match then to be married upon painted clay know therefore Madam the place whither our Lord Jesus cometh to wooe a Bride it is even in the furnace for if ye be one of Zion's daughters which I ever put beyond all question since I first had occasion to see in your La such pregnant evidences of the grace of God the Lord who hath his fire in Zion his furnace in Ierusalem Isa. 31 9. is purifying you in the furnace And therefore be content to live in it and every day to be adding sowing-to a pasment to your wedding garment that ye may be at last decored trimmed as a Bride for Christ a Bride of his own busking beautified in the hidden man of the heart forgetting your Father's house so shall the King greatly desire your beauty Psal. 45 11. If your La be not changed as I hope ye are not I beleeve ye esteem your self to be of these whom God hath tried these many years refined as silver But Madam I will shew your La a priviledge that others want ye have in this case Such as are in prosperity are fatted with earthly joyes encreased with children friends though the Word of God is indeed written to such for their instruction yet to you who are in trouble spare me Madam to say this from whom the Lord hath taken many children whom he hath exercised otherwise there are some chapters some particular promises in the Word of God made in a most special manner which should never have been yours so as they now are if ye had your portion in this life as others therefore all the comforts promises mercies God offereth to the afflicted they are as many love-letters written to you take them to you Madam claim your right be not robbed It is no small comfort that God hath written some Scriptures to you which he hath not written to others ye seem rather in this to be envied then pitied ye are indeed in this like people of another world these that are above the ordinary rank of mankinde whom our King Lord our Bridegroom Iesus in his love-letter to his welbeloved Spouse hath named beside all the rest hath written comforts and his hearry commendations in the 56 of I saiah vers 4 5. Bsal. 147 2 3 to you Read these the like think your God is like a friend that sendeth a letter to a whole house family but speaketh in his letter to some by name that are dearest to him in the house Ye are then Madam of the dearest friends of the Bridegroom If it were lawfull I would envie you that God honoured you so above many of his dear children Therefore Madam your partis in this case seeing God taketh nothing from you but that which he is to supply with his own presence to desire your Lord to know his own room take it even upon him to come in in the room of dead children Iehovah know thy own place take it to thee is all ye have to say Madam I perswade my self that this world is to you an uncouth Innes that ye are like a traveller who hath his bundel upon his back his staff in his hand his feet upon the door-threshold Goe forward honourable elect Lady in the strength of your Lord let the world bide at home keep the house with your face toward him who longeth more for a sight of you then ye can doe for him ere it be long he will see us I hope to see you laugh as cheerfully after-noon as ye have mourned before-noon The hand of the Lord the hand of the Lord be with you in your journey What have ye to doe here This is not your mountain of rest arise then and set your foot up the mountain goe up out of the wilderness leaning upon the shoulder of your Beloved Caent 8 v. 5 If ye knew the welcome that abideth you when ye come home ye would hasten your pace for ye shall see your Lord put up his own holy hand to your face wipe all tears from your eyes I trow then ye shall have some joy of heart Madam paper willeth me to end before affection Remember the estate of Zaon pray that Ierusalem may be as Zechariah prophesied Ch. 12 3. A burdensom stone for all that whosoever boweth down to roll the stone out of the way may hurt break the joynts of their back strain their arms disjoynt their shoulder-blades pray Iehovah that the stone may lie still in it's own place keep bond with the corner-stone I hope it shall be so he is a skilled Master-builder who laid it I would Madam under great heaviness be refreshed with two lines from your La pen which I refer to your own wisdom Madam I would seen undutifull not to shew you that great solistation is made by the town of Kircudbright for to have the use of my poor labours amongst them If the Lord shall call his people cry who am I to resist but without his seen calling till the flock whom I now oversee be planted with one to whom I dare intrust Christ's Spouse gold nor silver nor favour of men I hope shall not loose me I leave your La praying more earnestly for grace mercy to be with you multiplied upon you here hereafter then my pen can express The Lord Jesus be with your spirit Kirkcudbright Your La at all obedience in the Lord S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 15. MADAM HAving saluted you with grace mercy from God our father from our Lord Jesus Christ I long both to see your La to hear how it goeth with you I doe remember you present you your necessities to him who is able to keep you present you blameless before
his face with joy my prayer to our Lord is that ye may be sick of love for him who died of love for you I mean your Saviour Jesus And O sweet were that sickness to be soul-sick for him And a living death it were to die in the fire of the love of that soul-lover Iesus And Madam if ye love him ye will keep his commandements this is not one of the least to lay your neck cheerfully willingly under the yoke of Jesus Christ For I trust your La did first contract and bargain with the Son of God to follow him upon these terms that by his grace ye should endure hardship suffer affliction as the souldier of Christ They are not worthy of Jesus who will not take a blow for their Master's sake For our glorious peace-maker when he came to make up the friendship betwixt God us God bruised him strooke him the sinfull world also did beat him and crucifie him yet he took buffets of both the parties and honour to our Lord Jesus he would not leave the field for all that till he had made peace betwixt the parties I perswade â—y self your sufferings are but like your Saviour's yea incomparably less lighter which are called but a bruising of his â—eel Gen. 3. 15 a wound far from the heart Your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. And therefore ye cannot be robbed of it Our Lord handleth us as fathers doe their young children they lay up jewels in a place above the reach of the short arm of bairns else â—aiâ—ns would put up their hands take them down lose them soon So hath our Lord done with our spiritual life Jesus Christ is the high coffer in the which our Lord hath hid our life we children are not able to reach up our arm so high as to take down that life lose it it is in our Christ's hand O long long may Jesus be Lord-keeper of our life happy are they that can with the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. lay their soul in pawne in the hand of Jesus for he is able to keep that which is committed in pawne to him against that day Then Madam so long as this life is not hurt all ether troubles are but touches in the heel I trust ye will soon be cured Ye know Madam Kings have some servants in their court that receive not present wages in their hand but live upon their hopes The King of Kings also hath servants in his court that for the present get little or nothing but the heavie cross of Christ troubles without terrours within but they live upon hope when it cometh to the parting of the inheritance they remain in the house as heirs It is better to be so then to get present payment a portion in this life an inheritance in this world God forgive me that I should honour it with the name of an inheritance it is rather a farme-room then in the end to be casten out of God's house with this word Ye have received your consolation ye will get no more Alas What get they The rich glutton's heaven Oh but our Lord Luk. 16. maketh it a sillie heaven He fared well saith our Lord delicately every day Oh no more A sillie heaven Truly no more except that he was clothed in purple that is all I perswade my self Madam ye have joy when ye think that your Lord hath dealt more graciously with your soul. Ye have gotten little in this life It is true indeed Ye have then the more to crave yea ye have all to crave For except some tastings of the first fruits some kisses of his mouth whom your soul loveth ye get no more But I cannot tell you what is to come yet I may speak as our Lord doeth of it The foundation of the city is pure gold clear as crystall the twelve ports are set with precious stones If orchards rivers commend a soil upon earth there is a Paradise there wherein groweth the tree of life that beareth twelve manner of fruits every moneth which is seven score four harvests in the year there is there a pure river of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God of the Lamb the city hath no need of the light of the sun or moon or of a candle for the Lord God Almighty the Lamb is the light thereof Madam beleeve and hope for this till ye see enjoy Jesus is saying in the Gospel Come see he is come down in the chariot of Truth wherein he rideth through the world to conquer mens souls Psal. 45. 4. is now in the word saying Who will goe with me will ye goe my Father will make you welcome give you house-room for in my Father's house are many dwelling places Madam consent to goe with him Thus I rest commending you to God's dearest mercy Anwoth Yours in the Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 16. MADAM I Am afraid now as many others are that at the sitting down of our Parliament our Lord Jesus his Spouse shall be roughly handled And it must be so since false deelining Scotland whom our Lord took off the dunghill out of hell made a fair Bride to himself hath broken her faith to her sweet husband hath put on the forehead of a whore therefore he saith he will remove would God we could stir up our selves to lay hold upon him who being highly provoked with the handling he hath met with is ready to depart Alas we doe not importune him by prayer supplication to abide amongst usâ— If we could but weâ—p upon â—â—m in the holy pertinacy of faith wrestle witâ—… say We will not let thee goe it may be that then he who is easy to be intreated would yet notwithstanding of our high provocations condescend to stay feed among the lilies till that fair desirable day break and the shadows flâ—e away Ah! What cause of mourning is there When our gold is become dim the visage of our Nazarites sometimes whiter then snow is now become blacker then a coal Levi's house once comparable to fine gold is now changed become like vessels in whom he hath no pleasure Madam think upon this that when our Lord who hath his handkerchief to wipe the face of the mourners in Zion shall come to wipe away all tears froÌ„ their eyes he may wipe yours also in the passing amongst others I am confident Madam that our Lord will yet build a new house to himself of our rejected and scattered stones for our bridegroom cannot want a wife Can he live a widow Nay he will embrace both Us the little young sister the elder sister The church of the Iews there will yet be a day of it therefore we have cause to rejoyce yea to sing shout for joy The Church hath been â—nce
to restore you again safe to your brethren sisters in Christ take heaven and Christ's back-bond for a fair back-door out of your suffering The Saviour is on his journey with salvation and deliverance for mount Zion the sword of the Lord is drunk with blood and made fat with fatness his sword is bathed in heaven against Babylon for it is the day of the Lord's vengeance and the year of recompences for the comtroversie of Zion And perswade your selves the streams of the rivers of Babylon shall be pitch and the dust of the land brimstone and burning pitch Isa. 34 8. And if your deliverance be conjoyned with the deliverance of Zion it shall be two salvations to you It were good to be armed before hand for death or bodily tortures for Christ and to think what a crown of honour it is that God hath given you pieces of living clay to be tortured witnesses for saving truth and that ye are so happy as to have some pints of blood to give out for the crown of that royal Lord who hath caused you to avouch himself before men If ye can lend fines of three thousand pound sterling for Christ let heaven's register and Christ's count-book keep in reckoning your depursments for him It shall be engraven printed in great letters upon heaven's throne what you are willing to give for him Christ's papers of that kinde cannot be lost or fall by Doe not wonder to see clay boast the great potter to see blinced men to threaten the Gospel with death burial to raze out Truth 's name but where will they make a grace for the Gospel the Lord's bride Earth hell shall be but little bounds for their burial lay all the clay rubbish of this inch of the whole earth above our Lord's spouse yet it will not cover her nor hold her down she shall live not die she shall behold the salvation of God Let your faith frist God a little be not afraid for a smoking fire-brand there is more smoke in Babylon's furnace then there is fire till dooms-day shall come they shall never see the Kirk of Scotland our Covenant burnt to ashes or if it should be thrown in tho fire yet it cannot be so burnt or buried as not to have a resurrection angry clay 's wind shall shake none of Christ's corn he will gather in all his wheat into his barn onely let your fellowship with Christ be renewed ye are sibber to Christ now when you are imprisoned for him then before for now the stroakes laid on you doe come in remembrance before our Lord he can owne his own wounds a drink of Christ's love which is better then wine is the drink-silver which Suffering for his majesty leaves behinde it it is not your sins which they persecute in you but God's grace loyalty to King Jesus they see no treason in you to your Prince the King of Britain albeit they say so but it is heaven in your that earth is fighting against Christ is owning his own cause grace is a party that fire will not burn not water drown when they have eaten drunken you their stomack shall be sick they shall spue you out alive O what glory is it to be suffering abjects for the Lord's glory royalty Nay though his servants had a body to burn for ever for this Gospel so being that triumphing exalted Jesus his high glory did rise out of these flames out of that burning body Oh what a sweet fire O what soul-refreshing torment should that be What if the pickles of dust ashes of the burnt dissolved body were musicians to sing his praises the highness of that never-enough-exalted Prince of ages O what love is it in him that he will have such musicians as we are to tune that Psalm of his everlasting praises in heaven Oh what shining burning flames of love are these that Christ will divide his share of life of heaven glory with you Luk. 22. 29. Ioh. 17 24. Rev. 3 21. A part of his throne one draught of his wine his wine of glory life that comes from under the throne of God of the Lamb one apple of the tree of life will doe more then make up all the expences charges of clay lent out for heaven Oh! Oh but we have short narrow creeping thoughts of Jesus doe but shape Christ in our conceptions according to some created portraiture O Angels lend in your help to make love-books songs of our fair white ruddy standard-bearer amongst ten thousand O heavens O heaven of heavens O glorified tennants triumphing house-holders with the Lamb put in new Psalms love-sonnets of the excellency of our bridegroom help us to set him on high O indwellers of earth heaven sea air O all ye created beings within the bosom of the outmost circle of this great world O come help to set on high the praises of our Lord O fairness of creatures blush before his uncreated beauty O created strength be amazed to stand before your strong Lord of hosts O created love think shame of thy self before this unparalleled love of heaven O angel-wisdom hide thy self before our Lord whose understanding passeth finding out O sun in thy shining beauty for shame put on a web of darkness cover thy self before thy brightest master maker O who can adde glory by doing or suffering to this never-enough-admired and praised lover Oh we can but bring our drop to this sea and our candle dim and dark as it is to this clear and lightsom sun of heaven and earth Oh but we have cause to drink ten deaths in one cup dry to swim through ten seas to be at that land of praises where we shall see that wonder of wonders enjoy this jewel of heavens jewels O death doe thy outmost against us O torments O malice of men devils waste thy-strength on the witnesses of our Lord's testament O devils bring hell to help you in tormenting the followers of the Lamb we will defie you to make us too soon happy to waft us too soon over the water to the land where the noble plant the plant of venown groweth O cruel Time that torments us suspends our dearest enjoyments that we wait for when we shall be bathed steeped soul body down in the depths of this love of loves O Time I say run fast O motions mend your pace O Welbeloved be like a young Roe upon the mountains of Separations Post post hasten our desired hungered-for meeting love is sick to hear tell of to morrow And what then can come wrong to you O honourable witnesses of his Kingly truth Men have no more of you to work upon but some few inches and span-lengths of fick coughing and flegmatick clay your spirits are above their benches courts or High
moon are black and think shame to shine before his fairness Isa. 24 23. Base heavens excellent Jesus weak Angels strong mighty Jesus foolish angel-wisdom onely wise Jesus short-living creature long living everliving Ancient of dayes miserable sickly wretched are these things that are within times circle onely onely blessed Jesus If ye can wynd-in in his love and he giveth you leave â—o love him allurements also what a second heaven's paradise a young heaven's glory is it to be hot burned with fevers of love-sickness for him the more your La drink of this love there is the more room the greater delight desire for this love be homely hunger for a feast fill of his love for that 's the borders march of heaven nothing hath a nearer resemblance to the colour hew lustre of heaven then Christ loved to breath out love-word love-sighs for him Remember what he is when twenty thousand millions of heavens lovers have worn their hearts threed-bare of love all is nothing yea less then nothing to his matchless worth excellency O so broad so deep as the sea of his desireable loveliness is Glorified spirits triumphing Angels the crowned exalted lovers of heaven stand without his loveliness cannot put a cricle on it O if sin time were from betwixt us that royall King's love That high Majesty eternitie's bloom flower of high-lustred beauty might shine upon pieces of created spirits might bedew and overflow us who are portions of endless misery lumps of redeemed sin Alas what doe I I but spill lose words in speaking highly of him who will bide be above the musick songs of heaven never be enough praised by us all to whose boundless bottomless love I recommed your La am St Andrews March 27. 1640. Your La in Christ Iesus S. R. To his reverend dear Brother Mr DAVID DICKSON 36 Reverend dear Brother YE look like the house whereof ye are a branch the Cross is a part of the life rent that lieth to all the sons of the house I desire to suffer with you if I take a lift of your housetrial off you but ye have preached it ere I knew any thing of God your Lord may gather his roses shake his apples at what season of the year he pleaseth each husbandman cannot make harvest when he pleaseth as He can doe ye are taught to know adore his soveraignity which he exerciseth over you which yet is lustered with mercy the childe hath but changed a bed in the garden is planted up higher nearer the sun where he shall thiiveÌ„ better then in this out-held moor-ground Ye must think your bold would not want him one hour longer since the 〈◊〉 of your loan of him was expired as it is if ye read the â—easâ— let him have his own with gain as good reason were I read on it an exaltation a richer measure of grace as the sâ—…t fruit of your cross and I am bold to say that that College where your Master hath set you now shall finde it I am content that Chirst is so homely with my dear Brother David Dickson as to borrow lend take give with him ye know what are called the visitations of such a friend it ' s to come to the house be homely with what is yours I perswade my selâ— upon his credit he hath left drink-money and that he hath made the house the better of him I envie not his waking love who saw that this water was to be past through that now the number of crosses lying in your way to glory are fewer by one then when I saw you they must decrease it is better then any ancient or modern commentary on your Text that ye preach upon in Glasgow read and spell right for he knoweth what he doeth he is onely lopping snedding a fruitfull tree that it may be more fruitfull I congratulate heartily with you his new welcome to your new charge Dearest Brother goe on faint not something of yours is in heaven beside the flesh of your exalted Saviour ye goe on after your own time 's threed is shorter by one inch then it was an oath is sworn past the seals whether afflictions will or not ye must grow swell out of your shell live triumph reign be more then conquerour for your captain who leadeth you on iâ— more then conquerour and he makes you a partaker of his conquest and Victory Did not love to you compell me I would not fetch water to the well speak to one who knoweth bâ—…ter then I can doe what God is doing with him Remember my love to your wife to Mr Iohn all friends there Let us be helped by your prayers for I cease not to make mention of you to the Lord as I dow Grace be with you St Andrews May. 28. 16â—0 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady BOYD. 37 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to you Impute it not to a disrespective forgetfulness of your La who ministred to me in my bonds that I write not to you I wish I could speak or write what might doe good to your La especially now when I think ye cannot but have deep thoughts of the deep bottomless wayes of our Lord in taking away with a sudden wonderfull stroke your brethren friends Ye may know all that die for sin die not in sin that none can teach the Almighty knowledge he answereth none of our Courts no man can say What doest thou It 's true your brethren saw not many summers but adore fear the soveraignty of the great Potter who maketh marreth his clay-vessels when how it pleaseth him This under-garden is absolutely his own all that groweth in it his absolute liberty is law-biding the flowers are his own if some be but summer-apples he may pluck them down before others O what wisdom is it to beleeve not to dispute to subject the thoughts to his Court not to repine at any act of his justice He hath done it all flesh be silent it is impossible to be submissive religiously patient if ye stay your thoughts down among the confused rollings wheels of second causes as Oh the place Oh the time Oh if this had been this had not followed Oh the linking of this accident with this time place Look up to the Master-motion the first wheel see read the decree of heaven the Creator of men who breweth death to his children the manner of it they see far in a mill-stone have eyes that make a hole to see through the one side of a mountain to the other who can take up his wayes How unsearchable are his judgements his wayes past finding out His Providence halteth
end of my journey before the night come on wherein a man cannot see to walk or work that once after my falls I may at night fall in weary and tired as I am in Christ's bosom betwixt his breasts Our prison cannot be our best countrey This world looketh not like heaven the happiness that our tired souls woul be at therefore it were good to seek about for the wind hoise up our sailes towards our new Jerusalem for that is our best Remember a prisoner to Christ. Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his onely Lord Master S. R. To my Lord CRAIGHALL 174 My Lord. I Received one letter of your Lo from C another of late from A. B. wherein I finde your Lo in perplexity what to doe But let me entreat your Lo not to cause your self mistake Truth Christ because they seem to encounter with your peace ease My Lord remember that a prisoner â—ath written it to you As the Lord liveth if ye put to your hand with other Apostates in this land to pull down the sometime beautifull tabâ—rnacle of Christ in this land joyn hands with thâ—m in one hair-breadth to welcome Antichrist to Scotland there is wratâ— gone out from the Lord against you your house If the terror of a King hath overtaken you your Lo looketh to sleep in your nest in peace to take the nearest shore there are many wayes too too many wayes how to shift Christ with some ill-washen and foul distinctions but assure your self suppose a King should assure you he would be your God as he shall never be for that piece of service your clay-god shall die and your carnall counsellers when your conscience shall storm against you ye complain to them they will say What is that to us Beleeve not that Christ is weak or that he is not able to save Of two fires that ye cannot pass take the least Some few years will bring us all out in our black 's and white 's before our Judge Eternity is nearer to you then ye are aware of To goe on in a course of defection when an enlightned conscience is stirring looking you in the face crying within you That ye are going in an evil way is a step to the sin against the holy Ghost Either many of this land are near that sin or else I know not what it is And if this for which I now suffer be not the way of peace the King's high-way to salvation I beleeve there is not a way at all There is not such breadth and elbow-room in the way to heaven as men beleeve Howbeit this day be not Christ's the morrow shall be his I beleeve assuredly our Lord shall repair the old â—aâ—e places and his ruined house in Scotland this wilderness shall yet blossom as the rose My very worthy dear Lord Wait upon him who hideth his face from the house of Jacob look for him wait patiently a little upon the bridegroom's return again that your soul may live and ye may rejoyce with the Lord's inheritance I dare pawnd my life and soul for it if ye take this storm with borâ—-down Christ your skie shall quickly clear youâ— fair morning dawn Think as the truth is that Christ is just now saying And will ye also leave me Ye have a fair occasion to gratifie Christ now if ye will stay with him want the night's sleep with your suffering Saviour one hour now when Scotland hath fallen asleep and leaveth Christ to fend for himself I profess my self but a weak feeble man when I came first to Christ's camp I had nothing to maintain this war or to bear me out in this encounter and I am little better yet but since I finde furniture armour and strength from the consecrated Captain the Prince of our salvation who was perfected though suffering I esteem suffering for Christ a King's life I finde that our wants qualifie us for Christ howbeit your Lo write ye despair to attain to such a communion fellowship which I would not have you to think yet would ye nobly and courageously venture to make over to Christ for his honour now lying at the stake your estate place and honour He would lovingly and largely requite you and give you a King's word for a recompense Venture upon Christ's come and I dare swear ye shall say as it is Psal 16 7. I bless the Lord who gave me counsel My very worthy Lord many eyes in both the kingdoms are upon you now and the eye of our Lord is upon you acquite your self manfully for Christ Spill not this good play Subscribe a blank submission and put it in Christ's hands Win win the blessings and prayers of your sighing and sorrowfull mother-church seeking your help Win Christ's bond who is a King of his word for a hundred fold more even in this life If a weak man hath past a promise to a King to make a slip to Christ if we look to flesh blood I wonder not of it possibly I might have done worse my self but adde not further guiltiness to goe on in such a scandalous and foul way Remember that there is a wee â—oe to him by whom offences come This woe came out of Christ's mâ—utâ— and it is heavier then the woe of the Law It is the Mediatoâ—'s vengeance that is two vengeances to these who are enlightned Free your self from unlawfull anguish about advising and resolving When the truth is come to your hand hold it fast goe not again to make a new search and enquiry for truth It is easie to cause conscience beleeve as ye will not as ye know It is easie for you to cast your light into prison and detain God's truth in unrighteousnâ—ss But that prisoner will break ward to your incomparable torture Fear your light and stand in aw of it for it is from God Think what honour it is in this life also to â—e â—nrolled to the succeeding ages amongst Christ's witnesses standing against the re-entry of Antichrist I know certainly your light looking to two wayes and to the two sides cryeth shame upon the course that they would counsel you to follow The way that is halfer and compartner with the smoke of this fat world with ease smelleth strong of a foul false way The Prince of peace he who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of his sheep by the blood of the eternall covenant establish you and give you sound light counsel you to follow Christ. Remember my obliged service to my Lord your Father Mother your Lady Grace be with you Aberd. Agust 10. 1637 Your Lo at all obliged obedience in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JEAN GORDON 175 My very dear loving Sister GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear from you I exhort you to set up the brac to the King's city that
take from you against your will It is good to play the â—surer with him take in in stead of ten of the hundred an hundred often an hundred of one Madam fearing to be tedious to you I break off here commending you as I trust to doe while I live your person wayes burdens all that concerneth you to that Almighty who is able to bear you your burdens I still remember you to him who will cause you one day to laugh I expect that what ever ye can doe by word or deed for the Lord 's friendless Zion ye will doe it She is your mother forget her not for the Lord intendeth to melt try this land it is high time we were all upon our feet falling about to try what claim we have to Christ It is like the the Bridegroom will be taken from us then we shall mourn Dear Iesus remove not else take us with thee Grace grace be with you for ever Anwoth 14. Jan. 1632. Your La at all dutifull obedience S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 12 MADAM YOur La will not I know weary nor offend though I trouble you with many letters the memory of what obligations I am under to your La is the cause of it I am possibly impertinent in what I write because of my ignorance of your present estate But for all that is said I have learned of M W. D. that ye have not changed upon nor wearied of your sweet Master Christ his service neither were it your part to change upon him who resteth in his love Ye are among honourable company such as affect grandour court But Madam thinking upon your estate I think I see an improvident wooer coming too late to seek a Bride because she is contracted already promised away to another so the wooer's busking bravery who cometh to you as who but he is in vain the outward pomp of this busie wooer a beguiling world is now coming in to sute your soul too late when ye have promised away your soul to Christ many years agoe And I know Madam what answer ye may now justly make to the late suter even this Ye are to long of coming my soul the Bride is away already the contract with Christ subscribed I cannot cause but I must be honest faithfull to him Honourable-Lady keep your first love hold the first match with that soul-delighting lovely Bridegroom our sweet sweet Jesus fairer then all the children of men the Rose of Sharon the fairest sweetest smelled Rose in all his father's garden there is none like him I would not exchange one smile of his lovely face with Kingdoms Madam let others take their silly feckless heaven in this life envy them not but let your soul like a tarrowing misiearned childe take the dorts as we use to speak or cast at all things disdain them except one onely either Christ or nothing your welbeloved Jesus will be content that ye be here devotely proud ill to please as one that contemneth all husbands but himself Either the King's son or no husband at all this is humble worthy ambition What have ye to doe to dally with a whorish foolish world Your jealous husband will not be content that ye look by him to another he will be jealous indeed offend if ye kiss another but himself What weights doe burden you Madam I know not but think it great mercy that your Lord from your youth hath been hedging in your out-straying affections that they may not goe a whoring from himself If ye were his bastard he would not nurture you so If ye were for the slaughter ye would be fatned But be content ye are his wheat growing in our Lord's field Matth. 13 v. 25 38. And if wheat ye must goe under our Lord's threshing instrument in his barn-â—oor through his sieve Amos 9 v. 9. And through his mill to be bruised as the Prince of your salvation Iesus was Isa. 53 9. that ye may be found good bread in your Lord's house Lord Jesus bless the spiritual husbandry separate you from the chaff that dow not bide the wind I am perswaded your glass is spending it self by little little if ye knew who is before you ye would rejoyce in your tribulations Think ye it a small honour to stand before the throne of God and the Lamb to be clothed in white to be called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb to be led to the fountain of living waters to come to the well-head even God himself get your fill of the clear cold sweet refreshing water of life the King 's own well to put up your now sinfull hand to the tree of life take down eat the sweetest apple in all God's heavenly Paradise Jesus Christ your life your Lord Up your heart shout for joy your King is coming to fetch you to his father's house Madam I am in exceeding great heaviness God thinking it best for my own soul thus to exercise me thereby it may be to fit me to be his mouth to others I see hear at home abroad nothing but matter of grief discouragement which indeed maketh my life bitter And I hope in God never to get my will in this world I expect ere long a fiery trial upon the Church for as many men almost in England Scotland as many false friends to Christ as many pulling and drawing to pull the crown off his holy head for fear that our Beloved stay amongst us as if his room were more desirable then himself men are bidding him goe seek his lodging Madam if ye have a part in silly friendless Zion as I know ye have speak a word on her behalf to God man If ye can doe nothing else speak for Jesus ye shall thereby be a witness against this declining age Now from my very soul laying leaving you on the Lord desiring a part in your prayers as my Lord knoweth I remember you I deliver over your body spirit all your necessities to the hands of our Lord remains for ever Answeth Febr. 13. 1632. Your La. in your sweet Lord Iesus mine S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 14 MADAM THe cause of my not writing to your La is not my forgetfulness of you but the want of the opportunity of a convenient bearer for I am under more then a simple obligation to be kinde in paper at least to your La I bless our Lord through Christ who hath brought you home again to your countrey from that place where ye have seen with your eyes that which our Lord's truth taught you before to wit that worldly glory is nothing but a vapour a shadow the foam of the water or something less lighter even nothing that our Lord hath not without cause said in his word 1 Cor. 7. 31. The
glory far above the air breathings of mouths the thin short poor applauses of men before you in God All the creatures all the swords all the hosts in Britain and in this poor glob of the habitable world are but under him single ciphers making no number the product being nothing but painted men painted swords in a brod without influence from him And O what of God is in Gideon's sword when it is the sword of the Lord I wish a sword from heaven to you orders from heaven to you to goe out as much peremptorinesse of a heavenly will as to say abide by it I will not I shall not goe out except thou goe with me I desire not to be rash in judging but I am a stranger to the minde of Christ If our Adversaries who have unjustly invaded us be not now in the camp of these that make war with the Lamb but the lamb shall overcome them at length for he is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings they who are with him are called chosen faithfull though ye I see but the dark side of God's dispensations this day towards Britain yet the fair beautifull desireable close of it must be the confederacie of the nations of the world with Britain's Lord of Armies let me die in the coÌ„forts of the faith of â—â—i that a throne shall be set up for Christ in this Island of great Britain which is shall be a garden more fruitfull of trees of righteousness payeth shall pay moe thousands to the Lord of the vineyard then is paid in thrice the bounds of great Britain upon the earth And then there can be neither Papist Prelate Cavalâ—er Malignant nor Sectarie who dare draw a sword against him that sitteth upon the throne Sir I shall wish a clean Army so far as may be that the shout of a King who hath many crowns may be among you that ye may fight in faith and prevail with God first Think it your glory to have a sword to act suffer and die if it please him so being ye may adde any thing to the declarative glory of Christ the plant of renown Immanuel God with us Happy thrice blessed are they by whose actings or blood or pain or loss the diadems rubies of his highest glorious crown whose ye are shall gliâ—ter and shine in this quarter of the habitable world Though he need not Gilbert Ker nor his sword yet this honour have ye with his redeemed souldiers to call Christ High Lord General of whom ye hope for pay and all areers well told Goe on worthy Sir in the courage of faith following the Lamb make not haste unbeleevingly but in hope silence keep the watch tower look out he will come in his own time his salvation shall not tarry he shall place salvation in Britain's Zion for Israel his glory His good will who dwelt in the bush it burnt not be yours with you I am St Andrews August 10. 1650. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S R. To the worthy much honoured Collonel G. KER 58 Much honoured worthy Sir WHat I wrote to you before I spake not upon any private warrant I am where I was Cromwell and his I shall not say but there may be are severall sober godly amongst them who have either joyned through misinformation or have gone alongst with the rest in the simplicitie of their hearts not knowing any thing fight in an unjust cause against the Lord's secret ones now to the trampling of the worship of God persecuting the people of God in England Ireland he hath brought upon his score the blood of the people of God in Scotland I intreat you Dear Sir as ye desire to be serviceable to Jesus Christ whose free grace prevented you when ye were his enemy goe on without fainting equally eschewing all mixture with Sectaries Malignants neither of the two shall ever be instrumentall to save the Lords people or build his house And without prophesying or speaking further then he whose I am whom I desire to serve in the Gospel of his son shall warrant I desire to hope doe beleeve there is a glory a majesty of the Prince of the Kings of the earth that shall shine appear in great Britain which shall Darken all the glory of men confound Sectaries Malignants rejoyce the spirits of the followers of the Lamb dazle the eyes of beholders Sir I suppose that God is to gather Malignants Sectaries ere all be done as sheaves in a barn-floor to bid the Daughter of Zion arise thresh I hope ye will mix with none of them I am aboundantly satisfied that our Armie through the sinfull miscarriage of men hath fallen dare say it is a better a more comfortable dispensation then if the Lord had given us the victory and the necks of the reproachers of the way of God because he hath done it For. 1. More blood blasphemies cruelty treachery must be upon the accounts of the men whose land the Lord forbade us to invade 2. Victory is such a burdening weighty mercy that we have not strength to bear it as yet 3. That was not the Army nor Gideon's three hinderth by whom he is to save us We must have one of the Lord's carving 4. Our enimies on both sides are not enough hardned nor we enough mortified to multitude valour Creatures Grace grace be with you St Andrews Sept. 5. 1650. Your friend servant in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the worthy much honoured Collonel G. KER 59 Much honoured worthy Sir IT is considerable that the Lord may often doeth call to a work yet hide himself try the faith of his own If I conceive aright the Lord hath called you to act against that enemy the withdrawers of their sword in my weak apprehension adde their seale unto take upon them the guilt of that unjust invasion of this Land made by Cromwel's Army of the blood of the Lord's people in this Kingdom since the sword put into the hand of his Children is to execute wrath vengeance upon evil doers the Lord's time of appearing for his broken Land is reserved to the breathings of the Spirit of the Lord such as came upon Gideon Sampson that is an Act of princely royal soveraignity in God Ye are Sir to lay hold on opportunities of providence to wait for him As for your parcular treating by your selves with the invaders of our land I have no minde to it doe look upon their way as a carriyng on of the mystery of iniquity for Babylon is a seat of many names Sir let this controversie stand undecided till the second appearance of Jesus Christ our Appeal lye before the throne undiscussed till that day I hope to lie down in