acquaintance and forget not Scotland London Jan. 30. 1646. Your Brother in Iesus Christ S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 51 MADAM IT is too like the Lord's controversie with these two Nations is but yet beginning that we are ripened white for the Lord's sickle For the particular condition your La is in another might speak if they would say all of more sad things If there were not a fountain of free Grace to water the dry ground an uncreated wind to breath on withered dry bones we were gone The wheels of Christ's Chariot to pluck us out of the womb of many deaths are winged like Eagles All I have is to desire to beleeve that Christ will show all good-will to save as for your La I know that the Lord Jesus carrieth on no design against you but seeketh you to save redeem you He lieth not in wait for your fall's except it be to take you up His way of redeeming is ravishing taking There are moe miracles of glorified sinners in heaven then can be on the earth Nothing of you Madam nay not your leaf can wither Verily it is a King's life to follow the Lamb But when ye see him in his own countrey at home ye will think ye never saw him before He shall be admired of all them that beleeve 2 Thess 1 10. Ye may judge how far all your now sad dayes tossings changes losses wants conflicts shall then be below you Ye look to the Cross now it 's above your head seems to threaten Death as having a Dominion but it shall then be â—o far below your thoughts or your thoughts so far above it that ye shall have no leisure to lend one thought to old-dated crosses in youth in age in this countrey or in that from this instrumet or from another except it be to the heightning of your consolation being now got above beyond all these Old age waxing old as a garment is written on the fairest face of the Creation Psal. 102 26 27. Death from Adam to the second Adam's appearance playeth the King reigneth over all the prime heir died his children which the Lord hath given follow him we may speak freely of the life which is here were it heaven there were not much gain in godliness but there a is a rest for the people of God Christ-man possesseth it now 1600. years before many of his members but it weareth not out Grace be with you London Febr. 16. 1646. Your La in his sweet Lord S. R. To the Lady ARDROSS 52 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to you It hath seemed good as I hear to him who hath appointed a bounds for the number of our moneths to gather-in a sheaf of ripe corn in the death of your Christian Mother into his garner It 's the more evident that winter is near when apples without violence of wind doe of their own accord fall off the tree She is now above the winter with a little change of place not of a Saviour onely she enjoyeth him now without messages in his own immediat presence from whom she heard by letters messengers before I grant Death is to her a very new thing but Heaven was prepared of old Christ as enjoyed in his highest throne as loadeÌ„ with glory incomparably exalted above men Angels having such a heavenly Circle of glorified harpers Musicians above compassing the throne with a song is to her a new thing but so new as the first summer-rose or the first fruits of that heavenly field or as a new Paradise to a traveller broken worn out of breath with the sad occurrences of a long dirty way Ye may easily judge Madam what a large recompence is made to all her service her walking with God her sorrows with the first cast of the soul's eye upon the shining admirably beautifull face of the Lamb that is in the midst of that fair white Army that is there with the first draught taste of the fountain of life fresh new at the well-head To say nothing of the enjoying of that face without a date for more then this terme of life which we now enjoy And it cost her no more to goe thither but to suffer Death to doe her this piece of service For by him who was dead is alive she was delivered from the second death What then is the first death to the second Not a scratch of the hide of a singer to the endless second death And now she â—itteth for eternity meal-free in a very considerable Land which hath more then four summers in the year O what Spring-time is there Even the smelling of the odours of that great eternally blooming Rose of Sharon for ever ever What a singing life is there There is not a dumb bird in all that large field but all sing breath out heaven joy glory dominion to the high Prince of that new found Land And verily the Land is the sweeter that Jesus Christ payed so dear a rent for it he is the glory of the Land All which I hope doeth not so much mitigate alley your grief for her part truely this should seem sufficient as the unerring exprctation of the dawning of that day upon your self and the hope ye have the the fruition of that same King and Kingdom to your own soul Certainly the hope of it when things look so dark-like on both Kingdoms must be an exceeding great quickning to languishing spirits who are far from home while we are here What misery to have both a bad way all the day no hope of lodging at night But He hath taken up your lodging for you I can say no more now but I pray that the very God of peace may establish your heart to the end I rest London Febr. 24. 1646. MADAM Your La at all respective obedience in the Lord. S. R. To M. O. 53 Sir I can write nothing for the present concerning these times what ever others may think but that which speaketh wrath judgement to these Kingdoms If ever ye or any of that Land received the Gospel in truth as I am confident ye and they did there is here a great departure from that faith and our sufferings are not yet at an end However I dare testifie and die for it that once Christ was revealed in the power of his excelency and glory to the saints there and in Scotland of which 〈◊〉 was a witness I pray God none dceeive you or take the crown from you Hell or the gates of Hell cannot ravel mar or undoe what Christ hath once done amongst you It may be that I am uncapable of new light cannot receive that Spirit whereof some vainly boast but that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon our hands have handled even the word of
border of time shall put your foot within the march of eternity all your good things of this short night-dream shall seem to you like the ashes of a bleaze of thorns or straw your poor soul shall be crying Lodging lodging for God's sake Then shall your soul be more glad at one of your Lord 's lovely homely smiles then if ye had the charters of three worlds for all eternity Let pleasures gain will desires of this world be put over in God's hands as arrested and fenced goods that ye cannot intromet with Now when ye are drinking the ground of your cup ye are upon the utmost ends of the last link of time old age like death's long shadow is casting a covering upon your days it is no time to court this vain life to set love heart upon it It is near after supper seek rest ease for your soul in God through Christ Beleeve me I finde it hard wrestling to play fair with Christ to keep good quarters with him keep love to him in integrity life to keep a constant course of sound solid daily communion with Christ temptatations are daily breaking the threed of that course it is not easie to cast a knot again many knots make evil work O how fair have many ships been plying before the wind that in an hour's space have been lying in the sea bottom How many professours cast a golden lustre as if they were pure gold yet are under that skin cover but base reprobate mettall And how many keep breath in their race many miles yet come short of the prize the garland Dear Sir my soul would mourn in secret for you if I knew your case with God to be but false work Love to have you anchored upon Christ maketh me fear your tottering slips False under-water not seen in the ground of an enlightned conscience is dangerous so is often failing sinning against light Know this that these who never had sick nights nor days in conscience for sin cannot have but such a peace with God as will undercot break the flesh again and end in a sad war at death O how fearfully are thousands beguiled with false hide growen over old sins as if the soul were cured and healed Dear Sir I saw ever nature mighty lofty heady strong in you it was more for you to be mortified dead to the world then another common man Ye will take a low ebbe a deep cut a long lancâ— to goe to the bottom of your wounds in saving humiliation to make you a won prey for Christ Be humbled walk softly down down for God's sake my dear worthy Brother with your topsail Stoop Stoop it is a low entry to goe in at heaven's gates There is infinite Justice in the party ye have to doe with it is his nature not to acquit the guilty the sinner The Law of God will not want one farthing of the sinner God forgetteth not both the Cautioner the sinner every man must pay either in his own person O Lord save you from that payment or in his cautioner Christ. It is violence to corrupt nature for a man to be holy to lie down under Christ's feet to quite will pleasure wordly love earthly hope an itching of heart after this fairded overguilded world to be content that Christ trample upon all Come in come in to Christ and see what ye want finde it in him He is the short cut as we use to say and the nearest way to an outgate of all your burdens I dare avouch ye shall be dearly welcome to him my soul would be glad to take part of the joy ye should have in him I daresay Angels pens Angels tongues nay as many worlds of Angels as there are drops of water in all the seas fountains and rivers of the earth cannot paint him out to you I think his sweetness since I was a prisoner hath swelled upon me to the greatness of two heavens O for a soul as wide as the outmost circle of the highest heaven that containeth all to contain his love And yet I could hold little of it O world's wonder O if my soul might but lie within the smell of his love suppose I could get no more but the smell of it O but it is long to that day when I shall have a free world of Christ's love O what a sight to be up in heaven in that fair orchard of the new Paradise to see and smell and touch and kiss that fair field-flower that ever green tree of life His bare shadow were enough for me a sight of him would be the earnest of heaven to me Fy sy upon us that we have love lying rusting beside us or which is worse wasted away upon loathsom objects Christ should lie his alone Woe woe is me that Sin hath made so many mad men seeking the fool's Paradise fire under ice some good and desireable thing without and apart from Christ Christ Christ nothing but Christ can cool our love's burning languor O thirsty love wilt thou set Christ the well of life to thy head drink thy fill drink and spare not drink love be drunken with Christ Nay alas the distance betwixt us and Christ is a death O if we were clasped in other's arms We should never twin again except heaven twinned and sundered us that cannot be I desire your children to seek this Lord Desire them from me to be requested for Christ's sake to be blessed happy and come take Christ all things with him Let them beware of glassy slippery youth of foolish young motions of worldly lusts of deceivable gain of wicked company of cursing lying blaspheming and foolish talking Let them be filled with the Spirit acquaint themselves with daily praying with the store-house of wisdom and comfort the good word of God Help the souls of the poor people O that my Lord would bring me again among them that I might tell uncouth great tales of Christ to them Receive not a stranger to preach any other doctrine to them Pray for me his prisoner of hope I pray for you without ceasing I write my blessing earnest prayers the love of God the sweet presence of Christ to you and yours and them Grace grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Your lawful and loving Pastor S. R. To the Earle of LOTHIAN 141 Right honourable my very worthy and Noble Lord. OUt of the honourable good report that I hear of your Lo goodwill kindness in taking to heart the honourable cause of Christ his afflicted Church wronged truth in this land I make bold to speak a word in paper to your Lo at this distance which I trust your Lo will take in good part It is your Lo honour credit to put to
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
Lord. Is not Christ now crying Who will help me Who will come out with me to take part with me share in the honour of my victory over these mine enemies who have said Wee â—ill not have this man to rule over us My very honourable and dear Lord joyn joyn aâ— ye doâ— with Christ he is more worth to you your posterity then this world's May flowers withering Riches Honour that shall goe away as smoke evanish in a night-vision shall in one half hour after the blast of the Archangel's trumpet lie in white ashes Let me beseech your Lo to draw by the lap of Time's curtain look in through that window to great endless Eternity consider if a worldly price suppose this little round clay globe of this ashie dirty earth the dying idol of the fools of this world were all your own can be given for one smile of Christ's God-like soul ravishing countenance in that day when so many joints and knees of thousand thousands wailing shall stand before Christ trembling shouting making their prayers to hills mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the face of the Lamb. O how many would sell Lordships Kingdoms that day buy Christ But Oh the market shall be closed ended ere then Your Lo hath now a blessed venture of winning court with the Prince of the Kings of the earth He himself weeping truth born down fallen in the streets an oppressed Gospel Christ's bride with watery eyes spoiled of her vail her hair hanging about her eyes forced to goe in ragged apparel the banished silenced imprisoned prophets of God who have not the favour of liberty to prophesie in sackcloth all these I say call for your help Fear not worms of clay the moth shall eat them as a garment let the Lord be your fear he is with you shall fight for you thus shall ye cause the blessing of these who are ready to perish come upon you ye shall make the heart of this your mother-Church to sing for joy The Lamb his armies are with you the Kingdoms of the earth are the Lord 's I am perswaded there is not another Gospel nor another saving truth then that which ye now contend for I dare hazard my heaven salvation upon it that this is the onely saving way to glory Grace grace be with your Lo Aberd. 1637. Your Lo at all respective obedience in Christ. S. R. To ROBERT GORDON Bailiffe of Ayr. 135 Worthy Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear from you Our Lord is with his afflicted Kirk so that this burning bush is not consumed to ashes I know submissive on-waiting for the Lord shall at length ripen the joy deliverance of his own who are truly blessed on-waiters What is the dry miscarrying hope of all them who are not in Christ but confusion wind O how pitifully and miserably are the children of this world beguiled whose wine cometh home to them water their gold brass tin And what wonder that hopes builded upon sand should fall sink It were good for us all to abandon the forlorn blasted withered hope we have had in the creature let us henceforth come drink water out of our own well even the fountain of living waters build our selves our hope upon Christ our rock But alas that naturall love that we have to this borrowed home that we were born in and that this clay-city the vain earth should have the largest share of of our heart Our poor lean and empty dreams of confidence in some-thing beside God are no further travelled then up down the naughty feckless creatures God may say of us as he said Amos 6 13. Ye rejoyce in a thing of nougâ—t Surely we spin our spider's web with pain and build our rotten and tottering house upon a lye and falshood and vanity O when will we learn to have thoughts higher then the sun and moon and learn our joy hope confidence and our soul's desires to look up to our best countrey and to look down to clay tents set up for a night's lodging or two in this unknown land laugh at our childish conceptions imaginations that suck our joy out of creatures woe sorrow losses grief O sweetest Lord Jesus O fairest Godhead O flower of man angels why are we such strangers to far-off beholders of thy glory O it were our happiness for evermore that God would cast a pest a botch a leprosie upon our part of this great whore a fair and well busked World that clay might no longer deceive us but O that God may burn and blast our Hope hereaway rather then our Hope should live to burn us Alas the wrong side of Christ to speak so his blackside his suffering side his wounds his bare coat his wants his wrongs the oppressions of men done to him are turned towards mens eyes they see not the best fairest side of Christ nor see they his amiable face and his beauty that man and angels wonder at Sir lend your thoughts to thâ—se things learn to contemn this world to turn your eyes and heart away from beholding the masked beauty of all things under Time's law and doom See him who is invisible and his invisible things draw by the curtain and look in with liking and longing to a Kingdom undefiled that fadeth not away reserved for you in the heaven This is worthy of your pains and worthy of your soul 's sweating and labouring seeking after night and day Fire will flee over the earth and all that is in it even destruction from the Almighty Fy fy upon that hope that shall be dryed up by the root Fy upon the drunken night-bargains And the drunken and mad covenant that sinners make with death and hell after cups and when mens souls are mad and drunken with the love of this lawless life They think to make a nest for their hopes and take quarters and conditions of hell and death that they shall have ease long life peace in the morning when the last trumpet shall awake them then they rue the block It is time high time for you to think upon death and your accounts and to remember what ye are where ye will be before the year of our Lord 1700. I hope ye are thinking upon this pull upon your soul and draw it aside from the company that it is with and round whisper in to it newes of eternity death judgement heaven and hell Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To ALEXANDER GORDON Of Earlestown 136 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you It is like if ye the Gentry Nobility of this nation be men in the streets as the word speaketh for the Lord that he will now deliver his flock
that death to drown in such a well Your grief taketh liberty to work upon your minde when ye are not busied in the meditation of the eveedelighting all-blessed Godhead If ye would lay the price ye give out which is but some few years pain trouble beside the commodities ye are to receive ye would see they are not worthy to be laid in the ballance together but it is Nature that maketh you look what ye give out weakness of Faith that hindereth you to see what ye shall take in Amend your hope frist your faithfull Lord a while he maketh himself your debter in the new Covenant he is honest take his word Naâ—um 1. 9. Affliction â—hail not sprâ—…g up the second time Rev. 21. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things Of all thing then which ye want in this life Madam I am able to say nothing if that be not beleeved which ye have Rev. 2 7. Rev. 3. 5. the overcomer shall be clothed in white raiment c. ver 8. 〈…〉 the overcomer I will give to sit â—ite me 〈◊〉 my throne 〈◊〉 I overcame am set down with my father in his throne Consider Madam if ye are not high up now far ben in the palace of our Lord when ye are upon a throne in white raiment at lovely Christ's elbow O th ice fools are we who like new born Princes weeping in the cradle know not that there is a Kingdom before them Then let our Lord 's sweet hand square us and hammer us strike off the knots of pride self-love world-worship infidelity that he may make us stones and pillars in his father's house Rev. 3 12. Madam what think ye to take binding with the fair corner-stone Iesus The Lord give you wisdom to beleeve hope your day is coming I hope to be a witness of your joy as I have been a hearer beholder of your grief Think ye much to follow the heir of the crown who had experience of sorrows was acquainted with grief Isa 53. It were pride to aime to be above the King's son It is more then we deserve that we are equals in glory in a manner Now commending you to the dearest grace mercy of God I rest Anwoth Jan. 4. 1632. Your La at all obedience in Christ S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 11 MADAM UNderstanding a little after the writing of my last letter of the going of this bearer I would not omit the oppornity of remembring your La still harping upon that string which in our whole life-time is never too often touched upon nor is our lesson well enough learned that there is a necessity of advancing in the way to the Kingdom of God of the contempt of the world of denying our self bearing of our Lord's cross which is no less needfull for us then daily food among many marks that we are on this journey under sail toward heaven this is one when the love of God so filleth our hearts that we forget to love care too much for the having or wanting of other things as one extreme heat burneth out another By this Madam ye know ye have betrothed your soul in marriage to Christ when ye doe make but small reckoning of all other suiters or wooers when ye can having little in hand but much in hope live as a young heir during the time of his non-age Minority being content to be as hardly handled under as precise a reckoning as servants because his hope is upon the inheritance For this cause God's bairns take well with spoiling of their goods Heb. 10. 34. knowing in themselves that they have in heaven a better an enduring substance That day that the earth the works therein shall be burnt with fire 2 Pet. 3. 10. your hidden hope your hidden life shall appear therefore since ye have not now many years to your endless eternity know not how soon the skie above your head will rive the Son of man will be seen in the clouds of heaven what better wiser course can ye take then to think that your one foot is here your other foot in the life so come to leave off loving desiring or grieving for the wants that shall be made up when your Lord ye shall meet when ye shall give in your bill that day of all your wants here If your losses be not made up ye have place to challenge the Almighty but it shall not be so Ye shall then rejoyce with joy unspeakable full of glory your joy shall none take from you Ioh. 16 22. It is enough that the Lord hath promised you great things onely let the time of bestowing them be in his own carving It is not for us to set an houâ—-glass to the creator of time since he we differ onely in the tâ—…e of payment Since he hath promised payment we beleeve it it is no great matter we will put that in his own will as the frank buyer who cometh near to what the seller seeketh useth at last to refer the difference to his will so cutteth off the course of mutuall prigging Madam doe not prigge wish your frank-hearted gracious Lord about the time of the fulfilling of your joyes it will be God hath said it bide his harvest wait on upon his Whitsorday His day is better then your day he putteth not the hook in the corn till it be ripe full-eared The great Angel of the covenant bear you company till the trumpet shall sound the voice of the Archangel awaken the dead Ye shall finde it your onely happiness under whatever thing disturbeth â—â—â—sseth the peace of your minde in this life to love nothing for it self but onely God for himself It is the crcoked love of some harlots that they love bracelets ear-rings rings better then the lover that sendeth them God will not be so loved for that were to behave as harlots not as the chaste Spouse to abate from our love wheÌ„ these things are pulled away Cur love to him should begin on earth as it shall be in heaven for the Bride taketh not by a thousand degrees so much delight in her wedding garment as she doeth in her Bridegroom so we in the life to come howbeit clothed with glory as with a robe shall not be so much affected with the glory that goeth about us as with the Bridegroom 's joyfull face presence Madam if ye can win to the here the field is won your minde for anything ye want or for any thing your Lord can take from you shall soon be calmed quieted Get himself as a pawne keep him till your dear Lord come loose the pawne â—ue upon you give you all again that he took from you even a thousand talents for oâ—e penny It is not ill to lend God willingly who otherwise both will may
you to read study well the book of holy holy spotless soveraignity in suffering from some nigh hand some far off Whoever be the instruments the replying of â—lay to the Potter the Former of all is unbeseeming the nothing creature I hope he shall clear you but when Zion's publict evils lie not nigh some of us leave no impression upon our hearts it is no wonder that we be exercised with domestick troubles but I know ye are taught of God to prefer Jerusalem to your chiefest joy Madam there is no cause of fainting Wait upon the not-carrying vision for it will speak The onely wise God be with you God even your own God bless you St Andrews June 1657. Yours at all observance in God S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 67. MADAM I Should not forget you but my deadness under a threatning-stroke both of a failing Church a broken Covenant a despised remnant craziness of body that I cannot get a piece sickly clay carryed about from one house or town to another lies most heâ—vy on me The Lord hath removed Scotland's crown for we owned not his crown we fretted at his Catholick Government of the world fretted that he would not be ruled led by us in breaking our adversaries he makes us suffer pine away in our in quities under the broken Government of his house It 's like it would be our snare to be tryed with the honour of a peaceable Reformation we might mar the carved work of his house worse then thâ—se against whom we cry out It 's like he hath bidden us lie on our left side three hundred ninetie dayes yet so astonishing is our stupiditie that we â—…oan not our sore side Our gold is become dim the visage of our Nazarites is become black the Sun is gone down on our Seeâ—s the crown is sallen from our head we roar like bears Lord save us from that He that hath made them will not have meâ—â— on them The heart of the Scribe meditats terror Oh Madam if the Lord would help to more self-judging and to make sure an interest in Christ Ah we forget eternity it approacheth quickly Grace be with you St Andrewes 20 Nov. 1657. Your La at all obedience in the Lord S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 68 MADAM I am ashamed of my long silence to your Lâ— Your â—ossings wanderings are known to him upon whom ye have been cast from the breasts who hath been your God of old The temporall loss of creatures dear to you there may be the more easily endured that the gain of one who onely hath immortality groweth There is an universal complaint of deadness of spirit on all that know God he that writes to you Madam is as deep in this as any is afraid of a strong hot battle before time be at a close but no matter if the Lord crown all with the victorious triumphing of faith God teacheth us by terrible things in righteousness we see many things but we observe nothing Our drink is sowre gray hairs are here there on us we change many Lords Rulers but the same bondage of soul body remains We live little by faith but much by sense according to the times by humane policy The watchmen sleep the people perish for lack of knowledge How can we be enlightened when we turn our back on the Sun And must we not be withered when we leave the fountain It should be my onely desire to be a minister gifted with the white stone the new name written on it I judge it were fit now when tall Professors when many stars fall from heaven God poureth the Isle of great Britain from vessel to vessel yet we sit are setled on our lees to consider as sometimes I doe but ah rarely how irrecoverable a â—oe it is to be under a beguile in the matter of eternity what if I who can have a subscribed testimoniall of many who shall stand at the right hand of the judge shall miss Christ's approving testimony be set upon the left hand among the goats there is such a beguile Math. 7 22. Math. 25 8 9 10 11 12. Luke 13. 25 26. And iâ— befalls many what if it befall me who have but too much art to coosen my own soul others with the flourish of ministerial or Countrey-holiness Dear Lady I am afraid of prevailing security we watch little I have mainly relation to my self we wrettle little I am like one travelling in the night who sees a Spirit sweats for fear dare not tell it to his fellow for encreasing his own fear however I am sure when the Master is nigh his coming it were safe to write over a double new copy of our accounts of the sins of nature childhood youth riper years old age What if Christ have another written representation of me then I have of my self sure his is right if it contradict my mistaking sinfully erroneous account of myself ah where am I then But Madam I discourage none I know Christ hath made a new marriage contract of love sealed it with his blood the trembling beleever shall not be confounded Grace be with you St Andrews May 26. 1659. Yours at all obedience in Christ S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 69 MADAM I should be glad that the Lord would be pleased to lengthen our more time to you that ye might yet before your eyes be shut see more of the work of the right hand of the Lord in reviving a now-swooning and crushed Land Church Though I was lately knocking at deaths gate yet could I not get in but was sent back for a time It is well if I could yet doe any service to him but ah what deadness lieth upon the spirit deadness breedeth distance from God Madam These many years the Lord hath let you see a clear difference betwixt these who serve God 〈◊〉 love his name these who serve him not I judge ye look upon the way of Christ as the onely best way that ye would not exchange Christ for the world's God or their Mammon that ye can give Christ a testimony of chief among ten thousand True it is that many of us have fallen from our first love but Christ hath renewed his first love of our â—â—pousals to himself multiplied the seekers of God all the countrey over even where Christ was scarce named East West South North above the number that our fathers ever knew But ah Madam what shall be done or said of many fallen stars and many near to God complying wofully and failing to the nearest shore Yea we are consumed in the furnace but not melted burnt but not purged our dross is not removed but our scum remains in us in the furnace we fret we faint which is more strange we slumber The fire burneth