to be carried in Christ's arms out of this borrowed prison Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the â—aird of CARLETOUN 207 Worthy Six GRace mercy and peace be to you I received your letter am heartily glad that our Lord hath begun to work for the apparent delivery of this poor oppressed Kirk O that salvation would come for Zion I am for the present hanging by hope waiting what my Lord will doe with me if it will please my sweet Master to send me amongst you again keep out a hireling from my poor people flock It were my heaven till I come home even to spend this liâ—e in gathering in some to Christ. I have still great heaviness for my silence my forced standing idle in the market when this land hath such a plentifull thick harvest but I know his judgements who hath done it pass fiâ—…ding out I have no nowledge to take up the Lord in all his strange wayes 〈◊〉 pâ—ssages of deep unsearchable providences for the Lord is bâ—fore me I am so be-misted that I cannot follow him He is behinde me and following at the heels and I am not aware of him he is above me but his glory so 〈◊〉 my twilight of short knowledge that I cannot look up to him He is upon my right hand and I see him no He is upon my left hand and within me and goeth and comâ—th his going coming are a drâ—aâ—… to me He is round about me compâ—…th â—l my goingâ— aâ—d still I have him to eek He is every way higher dâ—eper broadâ—r then the shallow ebbe hand-breadth of my shoâ—t dâ—… light can take up therefore I would my heart could be silent sit down in the learnedly-ignorant wondering at that Lord whom m n Angâ—ls caâ—not comprehend I know the noon-day-light of the highest Angels who see him face to face seeth not the borders of his infiniteness They apprehend God near hand but they cannot comprehend him And therefore it is my happiness to look afar off and to come near to the Lord's back parts to light my dark candle at his brightness to have leave to sit content my self with a traveller's light without the clear vision of an enjoyer I would seek no more till I were in my countrey but a little watering sprinkling of a withered soul with some half out breakin gs half-outlookings of the beam and small raviâ—hing smiles of the fairest face of a revealed beleeved on Godhead A little of God would make my soul bank-full O that I had but Christ's odde off fallings that he would let but the meanest of his love-rayes love-beams fall from him so as I might gather carry them with me I would not be ill to please with Christ and vailed visions of Christ neither would I be dainty in seeing and enjoying of him A kiss of Christ blowen over his shoulder the parings and crumbs of glory that fall under his table in heaven a shower like a thin May-mist of his love would make me green and sappy joyfull till the summer-sun of an eternall glory break up O that I had any thing of Christ O that I had a sip or half a drop out of the hollow of Christ's hand of the sweetness excellency of that lovely One O that my Lord Jesus would â—ue upon me give me but the meanest almes of felt beleeved salvation O how little were it for that infinite sea that infinite fountain of love joy to fill as many thousand thousand little vessels the like of me as there are minutes of hours since the creation of God! I finde it true that a poor soul finding half a smell of the Godhead of Christ hath desires paining wounding the poor heart so with longings to be up at him that make it sometimes think were it not better never to have felt any thing of Christ then thus to lie dying twenty deaths under these felt wounds for the want of him O where is he O fairest Where dwellest thou O never enough admired Godhead how can clay win up to thee How can creatures of yesterday be able to enjoy thee O what pain is it that time sin should be as so many thousand miles betwixt a loved longed-for Lord a dwining love-sick soul who would rather then all the world have lodging with Christ O let this bit love of ours this inch half span-length of heavenly longging meet with thy infinite love O if the little I have were swallowed up with the infiniteness of that excellency which is in Christ O that we little ones were in at the greatest Lord Jesus our wants should soon be swallowed up with his fulness Grace grace be with you Aberd. May. 1. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To ROBERT GORDON Of Knockbrex 208 Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you I received your letter from Edinburgh I would not wish to see another heaven whâ—â—e I get mine own heaven but a new moon like the light of the sun a new sun like the light of seven days shining upon my poor self the Church of Iews Gentiles upon my withered sun-burnt mother the Church of Scotland upon her sister Churches England Ireland to have this done to to the setting on high our great King it maketh not howbeit I were separate from Christ had a sense of ten thousand years pain in hell if this were O blessed Nobility O glorious renouned Gentry O blessed were the tribes in this land to wipe my Lord Jesus's weeping face to take the sackcloth off Christ's loins to put his kingly robes upon him O if the Almighty would take no less wager of me then my heaven to have it done But my fears are still for wrath once upon Scotland But I know her day shall clear up glory shall be upon the top of the mountains and joy at the noise of the married wife once again O that our Lord would make us to contend plead wrestle by prayers tears for our husband's restoring of his forfeited heritage in Scotland Dear Brother I am for the present in no small battel betwixt felt guiltiness and pining longings high fevers for my welbeloved's love Alas I think Christ's love playeth the niggard to me I know it is not for scarcity of love there is enough in him but my hunger prophesieth of in-holding and sparingness in Christ for I have but little of him and little of his sweetness It is a dear summer with me yet there is such joy in the eagerness working of hunger for Christ that I am often at this that if I had no other heaven but a continuall hunger for Christ such a heaven of ever-working hunger were still a heaven to me I am sure Christ's love cannot be cruel
to follow cannot be blowen away with winds either from hell or the evil smelled air of this polluted world Sir for aback from the walls of this pest-house even the pollutions of this defiling world Keep your taste your love and hope in heaven it 's not good your love your Lord should be in two sundry countreys Up up after your lover that ye he may be together A King from heaven hath sent for you by faith he sheweth you the new Jerusalem taketh you alongst in the Spirit thorow all the ease-rooms dwelling-houses in heaven saith All these are thine this palace is for thee Christ if ye onely had been the chosen of God Christ would have built that one house for you and himself Now it is for you many also take with you in your journey what ye may carry with you your conscience faith hope patience meekness goodness brotherly kindness for such wares as these are of great price in the high new countrey whether ye goe As for other things that are but the world's vanity trash since they are but the house-sweepings ye shall doe best not to carry them with you ye found them here leave them here and let them keep the house Your Sun is well turned low be nigh your lodging against night We goe one one out of this great market till the town be empty the two lodgings Heaven Hell be filled At length there will be nothing in the earth but room walls burnt ashes therefore it is best to make away Antichrist his Master are busie to plenish Hell to seduce many Stars great church-lights are falling from heaven many are missed seduced make up with their faith sell their birth-right by their hungry hunting for I know not what Fasten your grips fast upon Christ I verily esteem him the best aught that I have He is my second in prison having him though my cross were as heavie as ten mountains of iron when he putteth his sweet shoulder under me it my cross is but a feather I please my self in the choice of Christ he is my waile in heaven earth I rejoyce that he is in heaven before me God send a joyfull meeting in the mean time the traveller's charges for the way I mean a burden of Christ's love to sweeten the journey to encourage a breathless runner for when I lose breath climbing up the mountain he maketh new breath Now the very God of peace establish you to the day of his appearance Aberd. Sept. 9 1637. Yourâ— in his onely Lord Iesus S. R. To MARGARET REID 49 My very Dear worthy Siâ—â—er GRace mercy peace be to you Ye are truly blessed of the Lord however a lowre world gloom upon you if ye continue in the faith grounded settled be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel it is good there is a heaven it is not a night dream or a fancy It is a wonder that men deny not that there is a heaven as they deny there is a way to it but of mens making You have learned of Christ that there is a heaven contend for it contend for Christ bear well submissivily the hard cross of this step-mother world that God will not have to be yours I confess it is hard I would I were able to ease you of your burthen But beleeve me this world which the Lord will not have to be yours is but the dross the refuse scum of God's creation the portion of the Lord 's poor hired servants the moveables not the heritage a hard bone casten to the dogs holden out of the new Jerusalem whereupon they rather break their teeth then satisfie their appetite It is your father's blessing Christ's birth-right that our Lord is keeping for you I perswade you your seed also shall inherit the earth if that be good for them for that iâ— promised to them God's bond is as good and better then if men would give every one of them a bond for thousand thousands Ere ye was born crossâ—s in number measure weight were written for you your Lord will lead you thorow them make Christ sure the blessings of the earth shall be at Christ's back I see many professors for the fashion follow on but they are professors of glass I would cause a little knock of persecution ding them in twenty pieces so the world should laugh at the sheards Therefore make fast work see that Christ lay the ground-stone of your profession for wind rain speats will not wash away his building his works have no shorter date then to stand for evermore I should tweâ—ty times have perished in my affliction if I had not leaned my weak back laid my pressing burthen both upon the stone the foundation-stone the corner-stone laid in Zion I desire never to rise off this stone Now the very God of peace confirm establish you unto the day of the blessed appearance of Christ Jesus God be with you Aberd. Yours in his dearest Lord Iesus S. R. To JAMES BAUTIE 50 Loving Brother GRace mercy peace be unto you I received your letter renders you thanks for the same but I have not time to answer all the heads of it as the bearer can inform you 1. Ye doe well to take your self at the right stot when ye wrong Christ by doubting misbeleef for this is to nick-name Christ terme him a liar which being spoken to our Prince would be hanging or heading but Christ hangeth not alwayes for treason It is good that he may registrat a beleevers bond a hundred times more then seventy times a day have law against us yet he spareth us as a man doeth his son that serveth him No tender hearted mother who may have law to kill her sucking childe would put in execution that law 2. For your failings even ye have a set tryst with Christ when ye have a fair seen advantage by keeping your appointment with him Salvation cometh to the very passing of the seals I would say two things 1. Concluded sealed Salvation may goe through be ended suppose ye write your name to the tail of the Covenant with ink that can hardly be read Neither think I ever any man's Salvation passed the seals but there was an odde trick or slip in less or more upon the fools part who is infested in heaven In the most grave serions work of our Salvation I think Christ had ever good cause to laugh at our filliness to put on us his merits that we might bear weight 2. It is a sweet law of the new Covenant a priviledge of the new burgh that the citizens pay according to their means for the new covenant saith not so much obedience by ounce weights no less under the pain of damnation Christ taketh as
hath my heart for evermore but alas it is over little for him O if it were better more worthy for his sake O if I might meet with him face to face in this side of eternity might have leave to plead with him that I am so hungred famished here with the niggardly portion of his love that he giveth me O that I might be carver steward my selâ— at mine own will of Christ's love if I may lawfully wish this then would I enlarge my vessel alas a narrow ebbe soul take in a sea of i love My hunger for it is hungry lean in beleeving that ever I shall be satisfied with that love so fain would I have what I know I cannot hold O Lord Jesus delightest thou delightest thou to pine torment poor souls with the want of thy incomparable loved O if I durst call thy dispensation cruell I know thou thy self aâ—t mercy without either brim or bottom I know thoâ— art a God bankfull of mercy love but Oh alas little of it cometh my way I die to look a far off to that love because I can get but little of it But hope saith this providence shall ere long look more favourably upon poor bodies me also Grace be with your La Spirit Aberd. Sept. 10. 1637. Yours La in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr JAMES HAMILTON 71 Reverend dear Brother PEace be to you from God our father and from our Lord Jesus I am laid low when I remember what I am and that my out-side casteth such a lustre when I finde so little within It is a wonder that Christ's glory is not defiled in running through such an unclean impure channel But I see Christ will be Christ in the dreg and refuse of men his art his shining wisdom his beauty speaketh loudest in blackness weakness deadness yea in nothing I see nothing no money no worth no good no life no deserving is the ground that omnipotency delighteth to draw glory out of O how sweet is the inner side of the walls of Christ's house and a room beside himself my distance from him maketh me sad O that we were in others arms O that the middle things betwixt us were removed I finde it a difficult matter to keep all stots with Christ when he laugheth I scarce beleeve it I would so fain have it true But I am like a low man looking up to a high mountain whom weariness and fainting overcometh I would climb up but I finde that I doe not advance in my journey as I would wish Yet I trust he shall take me home against night I marvel not that Antichrist in his slaves is so busie but our crowned King seeth and beholdeth and will arise for Zion's safety I am exceedingly distracted with letters and company that vilite me what I can doe or time will permit I shall not omit Excuse my brevity for I am straitned Remember the Lord's prisoner I desire to be mindfull of you Grace grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr GEORGE DUMBAR 72 Reverend Dearly beloved in the Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you Because your words have strengthened many I was silent expecting some lines from you in my bonds this is the cause why I wrote not to you but now I am forced to break off and speak I never beleeved till now that there was so much to be found in Christ in this side of death and of heaven O the ravishments of heavenly joy that may be had here in the small gleanings of comforts that fall from Christ what fools are we who know not and consider not the weight and the telling that is in the very earnest-penny the first fruits of our hoped for harvest How sweet how sweet is our infeftment O what then must personal possession be I finde that my Lord Jesus hath not miscooked or spilt this sweet cross he hath an eye on the fire and the melting gold to separate the mettall and the dross O how much time would it take me to read my obligations to Jesus my Lord who will neither have the faith of his own to be burnt to ashes nor yet will have a poor beleever in the fire to be half raw like Ephraim's unturned cakeâ— this is the wisdom of him who hath his fiâ—elâ— Zion and his furâ—ace in Jerusaâ—em I need not either bud or flatter temptations crâ—sses nor strive to buy the Devil or this malicious world by or râ—deem their kindness with half a han-breadth of truth He who is surâ—ty for his servant for good doeth power fully over-rule all that I sâ—e my prison hath neither lock nor door I am free in my bonds and my chains are made of rotten straw they shall not bide one pull of faith I am sure they are in hell who would exchange their torments with our crosses suppose they should nevâ—r be delivered give twenty thousand years torment to boot to be in our bonds for ever therefore we wrong Christ who siâ—…h fear doubt despond in them Our suffâ—â—ings are washen in Christ's blood as well as our souls for Christ's merits bought a blessing to the crosses of the sons of God and Jesus hath a back-bond of all our temptations that the free warders shall come out by law and justice in respect of the infinite and great summe that the Redeemer paid Our troubles ow us a free passage through them devils and men and crosses are our debters and death and all storms are our debters to blow our poor tossed bark over the water fraught-frâ—e to set the travellers in their own known ground Therefore we shall die yet live we are over the water some way already we are married our tocher-good is payed we are already more then conquerours If the devil and the world knew how the court with our Lord shall goe I am sure they would hire death to take us off their hand our sufferings are the onely wâ—ack ruine of the black Kingdom and yet a little the Antichrist must play himself with the bones slain bodies of the Lamb's followers but withall we stand with the hundred fourty four thousand who are with the Lamb upon the top of â—ount Sion Antichrist his followers are down in the valley ground we have the advantage of the hill our temptation are alwayes beneath our waters are beneath our breath as dying and behold we live I never heard before of a living death or a quick death but ours our death iâ— not like the common death Christ's skill his handy work a new cast of Christ's admirable art may be seen in our quick death I bless the Lord that all our troubles come through Christ's singers that he casteth sugar among them and casteth in some ounce weights of heaven and of the spirit of glory that resteth on suffering beleevers in
see Christ can borrow a cross for some hours set his servants beside it rather then under it win the plea too yea make glory to himself shame to his enemies comfort to his children out of it But whether Christ buy or borrow crosses he is King of crosses King of Devils King over hell King over malice When he was in the grave he came out brought the keys with him he is Lord-Jaylor nay what say I he is Captain of the castle he hath the keys of deaths hell what are our troubles but little deaths he who commandeth the great castle commandeth the little also 2. I see a hardned face two skins upon our browes against the winter hail stormy wind is meetest for a poor traveller in a winter journey to heaven O what art is it to learn to endure hardness to learn to goe bare footed either through the devil's fiery coals or his frozen waters 3. I am perswaded a sea-venture with Christ maketh great riches Is not our King Jesus his ship coming home shall not we get part of the gold Alas we fools miscount our gain when we seem losers Beleeve me I have no challenges against this well-born cross for it is come of Christ's house is honourable his propine To you it is given to suffer O what fools are we to undervalue his gifts to lightlie that which is true honour For if we could be faithfull our tackling shall not loose nor our mast break nor our sails blow into the sea The bastard crosses the kinless base-born crosses of worldlings for evil doing must be heavie grievous but our afflictions are light momentany 4. I think my self happy that I have lost credit with Christ that in this bargain I am Christ's sworn dyvour to whom he will lippen nothing no not one pin in the work of my salvation Let me stand in black and white in the Dyvourbook be ore Christ I am happy that my salvation is concredited to Christ's mediation Christ oweth no faith to me to lippen any thing to me but O what faith credit I ow to him Let my name fall let Christ's name stand in honour with man angel Alas I have no room to spread out my affection before God's people I see not how I can shout out cry out the loveliness the high honour the glory of my fairest Lord Jesus Oh that he would let me have a bed to lie in to be delivered of my birth that I might paint him out in his beauty to men as I dow 5. I wondered once at providence called white providence black unjust that I should be smothered in a town where no soul will take Christ off my hand But providence hath another lustre with God then with my bliered eyes I proclaim my self a blinde body who know not black white in the uncouth course of God's providence Suppose Christ would set hell where heaven is devils up in glory beside the elect Angels which yet cannot be I would I had a heart to acquiesce in his way without further dispute I see infinite wisdom is the mother of his judgements his wayes pass finding out 6. I cannot learn but I desire to learn to bring my thoughts will lusts in under Christ's feet that he may trample upon them But alas I am still upon Christ's wrong side Grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 12. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To ROBERT LENNOX Of Disdove 83 Worthy dear Brother I Forget you not in my bonds I know ye are looking to Christ I beseech you follow your look I can say more of Christ now by experience though he be infinitly above beyond all that can be said of him then when I saw you I am drowned over head ears in his love Sell sell sell all things for Christ. If this whole world were the balk of a ballance it should not be able to bear the weight of Christ's love man angels have short arms to fathom it Set your feet upon this piece blew base clay of an over-guilded fair plaistered world an hours kissing of Christ is worth a world of worlds Sir make sure work or your salvation build not upon sand lay the foundation upon the rock in Zion strive to be dead to this world to your will lusts Let Christ have a commanding power a King throne in you Walk with Christ howbeit the wind should take the hide off your face I promise you Christ will win the field Your pastors cause you to erre except you see Christ's word goe not one foot with them Countenance not the reading of that Romish Service-book Keep your garments clean as ye would walk with the Lamb clothed in white The wrongs I suffer are upon record in heaven our great Master Judge will be upon us all bring us before the sun in our black 's white 's Blessed are they who watch keep themselves in God's love Learn to discern the Bridegroom's tongue to give your self to prayer reading Ye was often a hearer of me I would put my heart blood upon the doctrine I taught as the onely way to salvation goe not from it my dear Brother What I write to your self I write to your wife also Minde heaven Christ keep the spunk of the love of Christ you have gotten Christ shall blow on it if ye entertain it your end shall be peace There is a fire in our Zion but our Lord is but seeking a new Bride refined purified out of the furnace I assure you howbeit we be nick-named Puritans all the powers of the world shall not prevail against us Remember though a sinfull man write it to you these people shall yet be in Scotland as a green olive-tree a field blessed of the Lord it shall be proclaimed up up with Christ down down with all contrary powers Sir pray for me I name you to the Lord for further evil is determined against me Remember my love to Christian Murray her daughter I desire her in the edge of her evening to wait a little the King is coming he hath something that she never saw with him heaven is no dream Come see will teach her best Grace grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To MARION McKNAUGHT 84 Dearest in our Lord Iesus COunt it your honour that Christ hath begun at you to fine you first Fear not saith the Amen the true faithfull witness I write to you as my Master liveth upon the word of my royal King continue in prayer in watching your glorious deliverance is coming Christ is not far off a fig a straw for all the bits of clay that are risen against us Ye shall thresh the mountains fan then like
my ashes could proclaim the worth excellency love of my Lord Jesus There is much telling in Christ I give over the weighing of him Heaven would not be the beam of a ballance to weigh him in What eyes be on me or what wind of tongues be on me I care not Let me stand in this stage in the fools coat act a fools part to the rest of this nation If I can set my welbeloved on high witness fair for him a fig for their Hosanna If I can roll my self in a lap of Christ's garment I will â—e there laugh at the thoughts of dying bits of clay Brother we have cause to weep for our harlot-mother her husband is sending her to Rome's brothell-house which is the gate she liketh well Yet I perswade you there shall be a fair after-growth for Christ in Scotland this Church shall sing the Bridegroom's welcome-home again to his own house The worms shall eat them first ere they cause Christ take good-night at Scotland I am here assaulted with the Doctors gun but I bless the father of lights they draw not blood of truth I finde no lodging in the heart of natural men who are cold friends to my Master I pray you Remember my love to that Gentleman A. C. My heart is knit to him because he I have one Master Remember my bands present my service to my Lord my Lady I wish Christ may be dearer to them then to many of their place Grace be with you Aberd. July 5. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady BOYD. 202. GRace mercy peace be to you Few I beleeve knâ—w the pain torment of Christ's fristed love fristing of Christ's presence is a matter of torment I know a poor soul that would lay all oars in the water for a banquet or feast oâ—â— Christ's love I cannot think but it must be uptaking sweet to see the white red of Christ's fair face for he is white ruddy the chiefest among ten thousands Cant 5 10. I am sure that must be a well made face of his heaven must be in his visage glory glory for evermore must â—it on his countenance I dare not curse the mask covering that is on his face but O if there were a hole in it O if God would tear the mask Fy fy upon us we were never shamed till nowâ— that we doe not proclaim our pining languishing for him I am sure nevâ—r tongue spake of Christ as he is I am still of that minde and still will be that we wrong undervalue that holy holy One in having such short and shallow thoughts of his weight worth O if I could have but leave to stand beside see the Father weigh Christ the Son if it were possible But how every one of them comprehendeth another we who have eyes of clay cannot comprehend But it is pity for evermore more then shame that such an one as Christ should sit in heaven his alone for us To goe up thither one's errand and on purpose to see were no small glory O that he would strike out windows fair and great lights in this old house this fallen down soul and then set the soul near hand Christ that the rays beams of light th soul-delighting glances of the fair fair God-head might shine in at the windows fill the house A fairer more near direct sight of Christ would make room for his love for we are but pinched straitned in his love Alas it were easy to measure weigh all the love that we have for Christ by inches and ounces Alas that we should love by measure weight and not rather have floods feasts of Christ's love Oh that Christ would break down the old narrow vessels of these narrow ebbe souls make fair deep wide broad souls to hold a sea a full tide flowing over all it's banks of Christ's love Oh that the Almighty would give me my request That I might see Christ come to his temple again as he is minting it's like minding to doe if the land were humbled the judgements threatned are with this reservation I know if we shall turn and repent O what heaven should we want on earâ—h to see Scotland's moon like the light of the Sun Scotland's sun-light seven fold like the light of seven days in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people healeth the stroke of their wounds Isa. 30 26. Alas that we will not pull draw Christ to his old tents again to come feed among the lilies till the day break shadows flee away O that the Noblâ—s would goe on in the strength courage of the Lord to bring our lawfull King Jesus home again I am perswaded he shall return again in glory to this land but happy â—ere they who could help to convoy him to his sanctuary set him again up upon the mercy-seat betwixt the Cherâ—bâ—ms O Sun return to darkned Britain O fairest among all the sons of men O most excellent One come home again come home win the praises blessings of the mourners in Zion the prisoners of hope that wait for thee I know he can also triumph in suffering weep reign die triumph remain in prison yet subdue his enemies But how happy were I to sâ—e the coronation day of Christ to see his mother who bare him put the crown upon his head again cry with shouting till the earth should ring Let Iesus our King live reign for evermore Grace grace be with your La. Aberd. 1637. Your La at all obedience in Christ S. R. To Mr ALEXANDER COLVILL Of Blair 203. Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I would desire to know how my Lord took my letter I sent him how he is I desire nothing but that he be fast and honest to my royal Master King I am well every way all praise to him in whose books I must stand for ever as his debter Onely my silence paineth me I had one joy out of heaven next to Christ my Lord that was to preach him to this faithless generation they have taken that from me It was to me as the poor man's one eye they have put out that eye I know the violence done to me his poor be-rest Bride is come up before the Lord suppose I see not the other side of my cross or what my Lord will bring out of it yet I beleeve the vision shall not tarry that Christ is on his journey for my deliverance he goeth not slowly but passeth over ten mountains at one stride In the mean time I am pained with his love because I want reall possession when Christ cometh he stayeth not long but certainly the blowing of his breath upon a poor soul is heaven upon earth
of many noble many holy many learned worthy ones in our neighbour Churches about are upon you This poor Church your mother Christ's spouse is holding up her hands heart to God for you and doeth beseech you with tears to plead for her husband his Kingly Scepter for the liberties that her Lord King hath given to her as to a free Kingdom that oweth spiritual tribute to none on earth as being the free-born Princess daughter to the King of Kings This is a Cause that before God his Angels the World before Sun Moon needeth not to blush O what glory true honour is it to lend Christ your hand service to be amongst the repairers of the breaches of Sion's walls to help to â—uild the old waste places and stretch forth the curtains strengthen the stakes of Christ's tent in this land O blessed are they who when Christ is driven away will bring him back again lend him lodging And blessed are ye of the Lord your name honour shall never rot or wither in heaven at least if ye deliver the Lord's sheep that have been scattered in the dark cloudy day out of the hands of strange Lords hirelings who with rigour cruelty have caused them to eat the pastures troden upon with their foul feet to drink muddy water who have spun out such a world of yards of â—ndifferencies in God's Worship to make weave a web for the Antichrist that shall not keep any from the cold as they minde nothing else but that by the bringing in of the Pope's foul tail first upon us their wretched and beggerly Ceremonies they may thrust in after them the Antichrist's legs thighs his belly head shoulders then cry down Christ the Gospel up the merchandise wares of the great whore Fear not my worthy Lord to give your self all ye have out for Christ his Gospel No man dare say who ever did thus hazard for Christ that Christ payed him not his hundred fold in this life duely in the life to come life everlasting This is his own truth ye now plead for for God and man cannot but commend you to beg justice from a just Prince for oppressed Christ to plead that Christ who is the King's Lord may be heard in a free court to speak for himself when the standing established laws of our nation can strongly plead for Christ's crown in the pulpits his chair as Law-giver in the free Government of his own house But Christ shall never be content pleased with this land neither shall his hot fiery indignation be turned away so long as the Prelate the man that lâ—y in Antichrist's foul womb the Antichrist's Lord Bailiffe shall sit Lord-carver in the Lord Jesus his courts The Prelate is both the egge the nest to cleck bring forth Popery Plead therefore in Christ's behalf for the plucking down of the nest crushing of the egge let Christ's Kingly Office suffer no more unworthy indignities Be valiant for your royal King Jesus contend for him your adversaries shall be moth-eaten worms and shall die as men Christ and his honour now lieth upon your shoulders let him not fall to the ground Cast your eye upon him who is quickly coming to decide all the controversies in Zion remember the sand in your night-glass will run out Time with wings will flye away Eternity is hard upon you what will Christ's love-smiles the light of his lovely soul delighting countenance be to you in that day when God shall take up in his right hand this little lodge of heaven like as a shepherd lifteth up his little tent sold together the two leaves of his tent put the earth all the plenishing of it into a fire turn this clay-Idol the god of Adam's sons in to smoke white ashes O what hire how many worlds would many then give to have a favourable decreet of the Judge Or what moneyes would they not give to buy a mountain to be a grave above both soul body to hide them from the awsom looks of an angry Lord Judge I hope your Lo thinketh upon this that ye minde loyalty to Christ to the King both Now the very God of peace the onely wise God establish strengthen you upon the rock laid in Zion Aberd. Jan. 4. 1638. Your Lo at all obedience in Christ S. R. To a Christian Gentlewoman 2â—5 MISTRESS GRace mercy peace be to you Though not acquainted yet at the desire of a Christian brother I thought good to write a line unto you intreating you in the Lord Jesus under your trials to keep an ear open to Christ who can speak for himself howbeit your visitations and your own sense should dream hard things of his love and favour Our Lord never getteth so kinde a look of us nor our love in such a degree nor our faith in such a measure of stedfastness as he getteth out of the furnace of our tempting fears sharp trials I verily beleeve too sad proofs in me say no less that if our Lord would grind our whorish lust in powder the very old ashes of our corruption should take life again and live and hold us under so much bondage that may humble us make us sad till we be in that countrey where we shall need no Physick at all O what violent means doth our Lord use to gain us to him as if indeed we were a prize worthy his fighting for And be sure if leading would doe the turn he would not use pulling of hair and drawing But the best of us will bide a strong pull of our Lord 's right arm ere we follow him Yet I say not this as if our Lord alwayes measured afflictions by so many ounce weights answerable to the grain weights of our guiltiness I know he doeth in many and possibly in you seek nothing so much as faith that can endure summer and winter in their extremity O how precious to the Lord is faith and love that when threshed beaten and chased away and boasted as it were by God himself doeth yet look warm-like love-like kindlike and life-like home-over to Christ would be in at him ill well as it may be Think not much that your husband or the dearest to you in the world proveth to have the bowels mercy of the Ostrich hard rigourous cruel For Psal. 27. 10. The Lord taketh up such fallen ones as these I could not wish a more sweet life nor more satisfying expressions of kindness till I be up at that Prince of kindness then the Lord's saints finde when the Lord taketh up mens refuse lodgeth this world's out-lawes whom no man seeketh after His breath is never so hot his love casteth never such a flame as when this world and these who should be the helpers of our
your hands His love to you will not grow sowre nor wear out of date as the love of men which groweth old gray haired often before themselves Ye have so much the more reason to love a better life then this because this world hath been to you a cold fire with little heat to the body as little light much smoke to hurt the eyes But Madam your Lord would have you thinking it but day breasts full of wind empty of food In this late visitation that hath befallen your Laâ—e â—e have seen God's love care in such a measure that I thought our Lord brake the sharp point off the cross made us and your La see Christ take possession and infestment upon earth of him who is now reigning triumphing with the hundred forty four thousand who stand with the Lamb on mount Zion I know the sweetest of it is bitter to you but your Lord will not give you painted crosses He paireth not all the bitterness from the cross neither taketh he the sharp â—dge quite from it then it should be of your wailing not of his which should have as little reason in it as it should have profit for us Onely Madam God commandeth you now to beleeve cast anchor in the dark night climb up the mountain He who hath called you establish you confirm you to the end I had a purpose to have visited your La but when I thought better upon it the truth is I cannot see what my company could profit you this hath broken off my purpose no other thing yknow many honourable friends worthy professours will see I our La that the Son of God is with you to whose love mercy from my soul I recommend your La remain Anwoth Nov. 29. 1634. Your La at all dutifull obedience in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 22 MADAM MY humble obedience in the Lord remembered Know it hath pleased the Lord to let me see by all appearance my labours in God's house here are at an end I 〈◊〉 now learn to suffer in the which I am a dull Scholar By a strange Providence some of my papers anent the corruptions of this time are come to our King's hand I know by the wise well affected I shall be censured as not wise nor circumspect enough but it is ordinary that that should be a part of the cross of these who suffer for him Yet I love pardon the instrument I would commit my life to him howbeit by him this hath befallen me but I look higher then to him I make no question of your La love car to doe what ye can for my help am perswaded that in my adversities our La will with me well I seek no other thing but that my Lord may be honoured by me in giving a â—…ony I was wiâ—ling to doe him more service but seeing he will have no more of my labours this land will thrust me out I pray for grace to learn to be acquaint with misery iâ—â— may give so rough a name to such a mark of these who shall be crowned with Christ And howbeit I will possibly prove a faint-hearted unwise man in that yet I dare say I intend otherwise And I desire not to goe on the lee-side or sunny-side of Religion to put Truth betwixt me a storm my Saviour did not so for me who in his suffering took the windy side of the hill No further but the Son of God be with you Anwoth Dec. 5. 1634. Your La in the Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 23. MADAM I Received your La letter from I. G. I thank our Lord ye are as well at least as one may be who is not come home it is a mercy in this stormy sea to get a second wind for none of the saints get a first but they must take the winds as the Lord of the seas causeth them to blow the Inne as the Lord Master of the Innes hath ordered it if contentment were here heaven were not heaven Who ever seek the world to be their bed shall at best finde it short ill made a stone under their side to hold them waking rather then a soft pillow to sleep upon Ye ought to bless your Lord that it is not worse we live in a sea where many have suffered ship wrack and have need that Christ sit at the helm of the ship it is a mercy to win to heaven though with much hard toil heavy labour to take it by violence ill well as it may be better goe swimming wet through our waters then drown by the way especially now when Truth suffereth great men bid Christ sit lower contract himself in less bounds as if he took too much room I expect our new Prelate shall try my sitting I hang by a threed but it is if I may speak so of Christ's spinning there is no quarrel more honest or honourable then to suffer for truth but the worst is that this Kirk is like to sink all her lovers friends stand afar off none mourn with her none mourn for her But the Lord Jesus will not be put out of his conquest so soon in Scotland it will be seen the Kirk Truth will rise again within three dayes Christ again shall ride upon his white horse howbeit his horse seem now to stumble yet he cannot fall the fulness of Christ's harvest in the end of the earth is not yet come in I speak not this because I would have it so but upon better grounds then my naked liking but enough of this sad subject I long to be fully assured of your La welfare that your soul prospereth especially now in your solitary life when your comforts outward are few when Christ hath you for the very uptaking I know his love to you is still running over his love hath not so bad a memory as to forget you your dear childe who hath two fathers in heaven the one the Ancient of dayes I trust in his mercy he hath something laid up for him above however it may goe with him here I know it is long since your La saw this world turned your step-mother did forsake you Madam ye have reason to take in good part a lean dinner spare diet in this life seeing your large supper of the Lamb 's preparing will recompense all let it goe which was never yours but onely in sight not in property the time of your loan will wear shorter shorter time is measured to you by ounce-weights then I know your hope shall be a full ear of corn not blasted with wind it may be your joy that your anchor is up within the vail that the ground it is cast upon is not false but firm God hath done his part I hope ye will not deny to fish
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
in the loof of their hand Cur Lord maketh delicates and dainties of his sweet presence and love-visits to his own but Christs love under a vaile is love if ye get Christ howbeit not the sweet and pleasant way you would have him it is enough for the wel-beloved cometh not our way he must waile his own gate himself For worldly things seeing they are medows and fair flowers in your way to heaven a smell in the by-going is sufficient he that would reckon and tell all the stones in his way in a journey of three or four hundred miles and write up in his count book all the herbs and flowers growing in his way might come short of his journey you cannot stay in your inch of time to lose your day seeing you are in haste and the night and your after-noon will not bide you in setting your heart on this vain world it were your wisdom to read your count book to have in readinâ—sâ— your bussinesse against the time you come to deaths water-side I know your lodging is taken your forerunner Christ hath not forgotten that therefore you must set your self to your one thing which ye cannot well want In that our Lord took your husband to himself I know it was that he might make room for himself he cuteth off your love to the creature that ye might learn that God onely is the right owner of your love sorrow losse sadnesse death or the worst things that are except sin but Christ knoweth well what to make of them can put his own in the crosses common that we shall be obliged to affliction thank God who learned us to make our acquaintance with such a rough companion who can hale us to Christ you must learn to make evils your great good and to spin out comforts peace joy communion with Christ out of your troubls that are Christs wooers sent to speak for you to himself It is easie to get good words and a comfortable message from our Lord even from such rough serjeants as diverse temptations Thanks to God for crosses when we count and reckon our losses in seeking God we finde godliness is great gain Great partners of a shipfull of gold are glad to see the ship come to the harbour surely we and our Lord Jesus together have a shipfull of gold coming home and our gold is in that ship Some are so in love or rather in lust with this life that they sell their part of the ship for a little thing I would counsel you to buy hope but sell it not and give not away your crosses for nothing the inside of Christs crosse is white and joyfull and the far end of the black crosse is a fair and glorious heaven of ease and seeing Christ hath fastned heaven to the far end of the crosse he will not loose the knot him self none else can for when Christ casteth a knot all the world cannot loose it let us then count it exceeding joy when we fall into diverse temptations Thus recommending you to the tender mercy grace of our Lord I rest Aberd. Your Loving Brother S. R. To JOHN GORDON Of Card nes Younger 25 Honoured Dear Brother I Wrote of late to you multitudes of letters burden me now I am refreshed with your letter I exhort you in the bowels of Christ set to work for your soul let these bear weight with you and ponder them seriously 1. Weeping gnasâ—ing of teeth in utter-darkness or heaven's joy 2. Think what ye would give for an hour when ye shall lie like dead cold blackned clay 3. there is sand in your glass yet your sun is not gone down 4. Consider what joy peace is in Christs service 5. Think what advantage it will be to have Angels the world life death crosses yea and devils all for you as the Kings serjeants and servants to doe your bussinesse 6. To have mercy on your seed a blessing on your house 7. To have true honour a name on earth that casts a sweet smell 8. How ye will rejoyce when Christ layeth down your head under his chinne betwixt his brests dryeth your face welcometh you to glory happyness 9. Imagine what pain torture is a guilty conscience What slavery to carry the Devils unhonest loads 10. Sins joyes are but night-dreames thoughts vapours imaginations and shadowes 11. What dignity it is to be a son of God 12. Dominion and mastery over tentations over the world and sin 13. That your enemies should be the taile and you the head For your bairns now at their rest I speak to you and your wife and cause her read this 1. I am a witness of Barbara's glory in heaven 2. For the rest I write it under my hand there are dayes coming on Scotland when barren wombs dry breasts and childless parents shall be pronounced blessed they are then in the lee of the harbour ere the storm come on 3. They are not lost to you that are laid up in Christs treasury in heaven 4. At the Resurrection ye shall meet with them there they are sent beâ—ore but not sent away 5. Your Lord loveth you who is homely to take and give borrow and lend 6. Let not bairns be your Idols for God will be jealouse and take away the Idol because he is greedy of your love wholly I bless you your wife and children Grace for evermore be with you Aberd. Your Loving Pastor S. R. To JOHN GORDON Of Cardoness elder 26 HOnourable dearest in the Lord. Your Letter hath refreshed my soul. My joy is fulfilled if Christ and ye be fast together ye are my joy my crown ye know I have recommended his love to you I defie the world Satan sin His love hath neither brim nor bottome in it My dearest in Christ I write my souls desire to you heaven is not at the next door I finde Christianity an hard task set to it in your evening we would all keep both Christ our right eye our right hand foot but it will not be with us I beseech you by the mercies of God and your compearance before Christ look Christs count book and your own together and collation them give the remnant of your time to your soul this great Idol-god the world will be lying in white ashes in the day of your compearance why should night-dreames and day-shaddowes water-froth May-flowers run away with your heart when we win to the water-side and black deaths river brinke and put our foot in the boat we shall laugh at our folly Sir I recommend you unto the thoughts of death and how ye would wish your soul to be when ye shall lie cold blew ill-smelling clay For any hireling to be intruded I being the Kings prisoner can not say much but as Gods minister I desire you to read Act. 2 15 16. to the end Act. 6. 2 3 4 5.
from her head and her gold waxed dim our white Nazarites are become black as the coal Blessed are they who will come out and help Christ against the mighty The shields of the earth the Nobles are debters to Christ for their honour should bring their glory and honour to the new Ierusalem Rev. 21 24. Alas that great men should be so far from subjecting themselves to the sweet yoke of Christ that they burst his bonds asunder and think they dow not goe on foot when Christ is on horseback and that every nod of Christ commanding as a King is a load like a mountain of iron and therefore they say This man shall not reign over us we must have another King then Christ in his own house Therefore kneel to Christ and kiss the Son and let him have your Lo vote as your alone Law-giver I am sure when you leave this old waste Jâ—nes of this perishing life and shall reckon with your hoste depart hence and take shipping make over for eternity which is the yonder side oâ— time a sand-glass of threescore short yeers is running out To look over your shoulder then to that which ye have done spoken suffered for Christ his dear bride that he ransomed with that blood which is more precious then gold for truth the freedom of Christ's Kingdom your accounts shall more sweetly smile laugh upon you then if you had two world's of gold to leave to your posterity O my dear Lord consider that our Master eternity judgement the last reckoning will be upon us in the twinckling of an eye The blast of the last trumpet now hard at hand will cry down all Acts of Parliaments all the determinations of pretended Assemblies against Christ our Law-giver There will be shortly a proclamation by one standing in the clouds that time shall be no more and that court with Kings of clay shall be no more prisons confinements forfeiturs of Nobles wrath of Kings hazard of lands houses name for Christ shall be no more This world's span-length of time is drawn now to less then half an inch and to the point of the evening of the day of this old and gray-haired world And therefore be fixed fast for Christ his truth for a time fear not him whose life goeth out at his nostrils who shall die as a man I am perswaded Christ is responsall and law-biding to make recompence for any thing that is hazardeâ— or given out for him losses for Christ are but our goods given out in bank in Christs hand Kings earthly are well-favoured little clay gods and tim's-idol but a sight of our invisible King shall decry and darken all the glory of this world At the day of Christ truth shall be truth and not treason Alas it is pitiful that silence when the thatch of our Lord's house hath taken fire is now the flower and the bloom of court and state-wisdom And to cast a covering over a good profession as if it blushed at light is thought a canny and sure way through this life But the safest way I am perswaded is to tine win with Christ to hazard fairly for him for heaven is but a company of Noble venturers for Christ. I dare hazard my soul Christ shall grow green and blossom as the rose of Sharon yet in Scotland howbeit now his leaf seemeth to wither and his root to dry up Your noble Ancestors have been inrolled amongst the worthies of this nation as the sure friends of the bridegroom and valiant for Christ I hope ye will follow on to come to the streets for the same Lord the world is still at yea nay with Christ it shall be your glory the sure foundation of your house now when houses are tumbling down birds building their nests thorns briers are growing up where Nobles did spread a table if you engage your estate nobility for this noble King Jesus with whom the created Powers of the world are still in tops all the world shall fall before him as God liveth every arm lifted up to take the crown off his royal head or that refuseth to hold it upon his head shall be broken from the shoulder-blad the eyes that behold Christ weep in sackcloth wallow in his blood will not help even these eyes shall rot away in their eye-holes O if ye the Nobles of this land saw the beauty of that worlds wonder Jesus our King the glory of him who is Angels wonder heavens wonder for excellency Oh what would men count of clay-estates of time-eaten life of worm-eaten moth-eaten worldly glory in comparison of that fairest fairest of Gods creation the son of the father's delights I have but small experience of suffering for him but let my Judge witness in heaven lay my soul in the ballance of justice if I finde not a young heaven a little Paradise of glorious comforts soul-delighting love-kisses of Christ here beneath the moon in suffering for him his truth that glory joy peace fire of love I thought had been kept while supper time when we shall get leisure to feast our fill upon Christ I have felt it in glorious beginnings in my bonds for this princely Lord Jesus Oh it is my sorrow my daily pain that men will not come see I would now be ashamed to beleeve that it should be possible for any soul to think that he could be a loser for Christ suppose he should lend Christ the Lordship of Lindsay or some such great worldly estate Therefore my worthy Dear Lord set your face against the opposits of Jesus let your soul take courage to come under his banner to appeare as his souldier for him the blessings of a falling Kirk the prayers of the prisoners of hope who wait for Sions joy the good will of him that dwelt in the bush it burned not shall be with you To his saving Grace I recommend your Lo your House am still Christs prisoner Aberd. Sept. 7. 1637. Your Lo obliged servant in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lord Boyd 39 My very honourable good Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you I am glad to hear that ye in the morning of your short day minde Christ that ye love the honour of his crown Kingdom I beseech your Lo begin now to frame your love to cast it in no mould but one that it may be for Christ onely For when your love is now in the framing making it will take best with Christ if any other then Jesus get a grip of it when it is green young Christ will be an uncouth strange world to you Promise the lodging of your soul first away to Christ stand by your first covenant keep to Jesus that he may finde you honest It is easie to master an arrow
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
sick night through the terrors of the Almighty would make men whose conscience hath such a wide throat as an image like a Chathedral Church would goe down it have other thoughts of Christ and his worship then now they please themselves with The scarcity of faith in the earth saith We are hard upon the last nick of time Blessed are these who keep their garments clean against the bridegroom's coming There shall be spotted clothes many defiled garments at his last coming therefore few found worthy to walk with him in white I am perswaded my Lord this poor travelling woman our pained Church is with childe of victory shall bring forth a man-childe that shall be caught up to God his throne howbeit the Dragon in his followers be attending the childe-birth-pain as an Egyptian midwife to receive the birth strangle it Isa. 29 8. But they shall be disappointed who thirst for the destruction of Zion they shall be as when a hungry man dreameth that he eateth but behold he awaketh his soul is empty or when a thirsty man dreameth that he drinketh but behold he awaketh is faint his soul is not satisfied so shall it be I say with the multitude of all the nations that fight against mount Zion Therefore the weak feeble these that are as signes wonders in Israel have chosen the best side even the side that victory is upon I think this is no evil policy Verily for my self I am so well pleased with Christ his noble honest-born cross this cross that is come of Christ's house is of kin to himself that I should weep if it should come to niffering barâ—â—ring of lots condition with these that are at ease in Zion I hold still my choice blesse my self in it I see I beleeve there is salvation in this way that is every where spoken against I hope to goe to eternity to venture upon the last evil to the saints even upon death fully perswaded that this onely even this is the saving way for rackel consciences for weary laden sinners to finde ease peace for evermore into indeed it is not for any worldly respect that I speak so of it the weather is not so hot that I have great cause to startle in my prison or to boast of that â—ntertainment that my good friends the Prelats intend for me which is banishment if they shall obtain their desire effectu at what they design but let it come I rue not that I made Christ my waile my choice I think him ay the longer the better My Lord It shall be good service to God to hold your noble friend Chief upon a good course for the truth of Christ. Now the very God of peace establish your Lo in Christ Jesuâ— unto the end Aberd. Sept 10. 1637. Your Lo in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Laird of GAITGIRTH 76 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I can doe no more but thank you in paper remember you to him whom I serve for your kindness care of a prisoner I bleâ—s the Lord the cause I suffer for needeth not to bluâ—h before Kings Christs white honest fair truth needeth neither wax pale for fear nor blush for shame I bless the Lord who hath graced you to own Christ now when so many are affraid to profess him hide him for fear they suffer loss by avouching him Alas that so many in these dayes are carried with the times As if their conscience rolled upon oyled wheels so doe they goe any way the wind bloweth them because Christ is not market-sweet men put him away from them Worthy much honoured Sir goe on to own Christ his oppressed truth The end of sufferings for the Gospel is rest and gladness light joy is sown for the mourners in Zion and the harvest which is of God's making for time manner is neer Crosses have right claim to Christ in hs members till legs arms whole mystical-Christ be in heaven There will be rain hail stormâ—â—n the saints clouds ever till God cleanse with fire the works of creation till he burn the botch-house of heaven earth that mens sin hath subjected unto vanity They are blessed who suffer sin not for suffering is the badge that Christ hath put upon his followers Take what way we can to heaven the way is hedged up with crosses there is no way but to break through them wit wiles shifts laws will not finde out a way about the cross of Christ but we must through one thing by experience my Lord hath taught me that the waters betwixt this heaven may all be ridden if â—e be well hors'd I mean if we be in Christ not one shall drown by the way but such as love their own destruction Oh if we could wait on for a time beleeve in the dark the salvation of God! At least we are to beleeve good of Christ till he give us the slip which is impossible to take his word for caution that he shall fill up all the blanks in his promises give us what we want but to the unbeleever Christ's Testament is white blank unwritten paper worthy and dear Sir set your face to heaven make you to stoop at all the low entries in the way that ye may receive the Kingdom as a childe without this he that knew the way said there is no entry in O but Christ be willing to lead a poor sinner O what love my poor soul hath found in him in the house of my pilgrimage Suppose love in heaven and earth were lost I dare swear it may be found in Christ. Now the very God of peace establish you till the day of the glorious appearance of Christ. Aberd. Sept. 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady GAITGIRTH 77 Much honoured Christian Lady GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear how it goeth with you your children I exhort you not to lose breath nor to faint in your journey The way is not so long to your home as it was it will wear to one step or an inch at length ye shall come ere long to be within your arm-length of the glorious crown Your Lord Jesus did sweat pant ere he got up that mount he was at father save me with it it was he who Psal. 22 14. said I am poured out like water all my bones are out of joynt Christ waâ— as if they had broken him upon the wheel my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels v. 15. My strength is dried up like a poâ—sheard I am sure ye love the way the better that his holy feet trod it before you Crosses have a smell of crossed pained Christ. I beleeve your Lord will not leave you to
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
130. But alas who hath a heart that will give Christ the last word in flyting will hear not speak again Oh contestations quarrelous replies as a soon sadled spirit I doe well to be angry even to the death Ion. 4 9. Smell of the stink of strong corruption O blessed soul that could sacrifice his will goe to heaven having lost his will made resignation of it to Christ I would seek no more but that Christ were absolute King over my will that my will were a sufferer in all crosses without meeting Christ with such a word why is it thus I wish still that my love had but leave to stand beside beautifull Jesus to get the mercy of looking to him burning for him suppose possession of him were suspended fristed till my Lord fold together the leaves two sides of the little shepherds tents of clay Oh what pain is in longing for Christ under an over-clouded and eclipsed assurance What is harder then to burn and dwine with longings and deaths of love then to have blanks uninked paper for assurance of Christ in real fruition or possession O how sweet were one line or half a letter of a written assurance under Christ's own hand But this is our exercise daily that guiltiness shall overmist and darken assurance It is a miracle to beleeve but for a sinner to beleeve is two miracles But O what obligations of love are we under to Christ who beareth with our wilde apprehensions in suffering them to nick-name sweet Jesus to put a lye upon his good name If he had not been God and if long-suffering in Christ were not like Christ himself we should long agoe have broken Christ's mercies in two pieces put an iron bar upon our own salvation that mercy should not have been able to break or overleap but long-suffering in God is God himself that is ouâ— salvation the stability of our heaven is in God He knew who said Christ in you the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. For our hope the bottom pillars of it is Christ-God sinners are anchor-fast made stable in God So that if God doe not change which is impossible then my hope shall not fluctuat O sweet stability of suâ—e-bottomed salvation Who could win heaven if this were not who could be saved if God were not God if he were not such a God as he is O God be thanked that our Salvation is coasted landed shored upon Christ who is master of winds storms what sea-winds can blow the coast or the land out of it's place Bulwarks are often casten down but coasts are not removed but suppose that were or might be yet God cannot reel nor remove Oh that we goe from this strong unmoveable Lord that we loose our selves if it were in our power from him Alas our green young love hath not taken with Christ as being unacquainted with him He is such a wide broad deep high surpassing sweetness that our love is too little for him But O if our love little as it is could take baâ—d with his great huge sweetness and transcendent excellency O thrice blessed eternally blessed are they who are out of themselves above themselves that they may be in love united to him I am often rolling up down the thoughts of my faint sick desires of expressing Christ's glory before his people but I see not through the throng of impediments cannot finde eyes to look higher and so I put many things in Christ's way to hinder him that I know he would but laugh at with one stride set his foot over them all I know not if my Lord will bring me to his sanctuary or not but I know he hath the placing of me either within or without the house that nothing will be done without him But I am often thinking saying within my self that my dayes flee away and I see no good neither yet Christ's work thriving and it is like the grave shall prevent the answer of my desires of saving souls as I would But alas I cannot make right work of his wayes I neither spell nor read my Lord's providence aright My thoughts goe a way that I fear they meet not God for it is like God will not come the way of my thoughts I cannot be taught to crucifie to him my wisdom desires to make him King over my thoughts for I would have a Princedom over my thoughts would boldly blindly prescribe to God guide my self in a way of my own making But I hold my peace here let him doe his will Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweetest Lord and Master S. R. To CARSLUTH 147 Much honoured Sir I Long to hear how your soul prospereth I earnestly desire you to try how matters stand between your soul the Lord think it no easy matter to take heaven by violence Salvation cometh now to the most part of men in a night dream there is no scarcity of faith now such as it is for ye shall not now light upon the man who will not say he hath faith in Christ But alas dreams make no man's rights Worthy Sir I beseech you in the Lord give your soul no rest till ye have reall assurance Christ's rights confirmed sealed to your soul The common faith countrey-holiness week-day's zeal that is among people will never bring men to heaven Take pains for your salvation for in that day when ye shall see many mens labours conquests idol-riches lying in ashes when the earth all the works thereof shall be burnt with fire O how dear a price would your soul give for God's favour in Christ It is a blessed thing to seek Christ with up-sun to read over your papers soul-accounts with fair day-light It will not be time to cry for a lamp when the Bridegroom is entred into his chamber the door shut Fy fy upon blinded base souls who are committing whoredom with this idol-clay hunting a poor wretched hungry heaven a hungry break-fast a day's meat from this hungry world with the forfeiting of God's favour the drinking over their heaven over the board as men use to speak for the laughter sports of this short forenoon All that is under this vault of heaven betwixt us death in this side of sun moon are but toyes night-visions head-fancies poor shadows watery froth godless vanities at their best black hearts salt sowre miseries sugared over confected with an hour's laughter or two the conceit of riches honour vain vain Court lawless pleasures Sir if ye look both to the laughing side the weeping side of this world if ye look not onely upon the skin and colour of things but in to their inwards the heart of their
excellency ye shall see that one look of Christ's sweet lovely eye one kiss of his fairest face is worth ten thousand worlds of such rotten stuff as the foolish sons of men set their heart upon Oh Sir turn turn your heart to the other side of things get it once free of these entanglements to consider Eternity Death the clay-bed the Grave awsom Judgement everlasting burning quick in Hell where Death would give as great a price if there were a Market where Death might be bought sold as all the world Consider heaven glory But alas why speak I of considering these things which have not entered into the heart of man to consider Look into these depths without a bottom of loveliness sweetness beauty excellency glory goodness grace mercy that are in Christ ye shall then cry down the whole world all the glory of it even when it is come to the summer-bloom ye shall cry up with Christ up with Christ's father up with eternity of glory Sir there is a great deal of less sand in your glasâ— then when I saw you your afternoon is nearer even-tide now then it was As a flood carried back to the sea so doth the Lord's swiâ—t post Time carry you your life with wings to the grave Ye eat drink but Time standeth not still ye laugh but your day fleeth away yâ— sleep but your hours are reckoned put by hand O how soon will Time shut you out of the poor cold hungry Innes of this life then what will yesterday's short-born pleasures doe to you but be as a snow-ball melted away many years since or worse for the memorie of these pleasures useth to fill the soul witâ— bitternesse Time experience will prove thiâ— to be true dying men if they could speak would make this good Lay no more on the creatures then they are able to carry Lay your soul and your weights upon God Make him your onely onely best beloved Your errand to this life is to make sure an eternity of glory to your soul to match your soul with Christ your love if it were more then all the love of Angels in one is Christ's due Other things worthy in themselves in respect of Christ are not worth a windlestraw or a drink of cold water I doubt not but in death ye will see all things more distinctly and that then the world shall bear no more bulke then it is worth that then it shall couche be contracted into nothing ye shall see Christ longer higher broader deeper then ever he was O blessed conquest to lose all things to gain Christ I know not what ye have if ye want Christ Alas how poor is your gain if the earth were all yours in fâ—ee heritage holding it of no man of clay if Christ be not yours O seek all midses lay all oars in the water put forth all your power bend all your endeavours to put away part with all things that ye may gain enjoy Christ try search his word striâ—e to goe a step above beyond ordinary professours resolve to sweat more run faster then they doe for Salvation mens mid-way cold and wise courses in godliness and their neighbour-liâ—e cold wise pace to heaven will cause many a man want his lodging at night liâ— in the fields I recommend Christ his love to your seeking yourself to the tender mercy rich grace of our Lord. Remember my love in Christ to your wife I desire her to learn to make her soul's anchor fast upon Christ himself Few are saved Let hâ—r consider what joâ— the smiles of God in Christ will be what the love-kisses of sweet sweet Jesus a welcome home to the new Ierusalem from Christ's own mouth will be to her soul when Christ shall fold together the clay tent of her body and lay it by his hand for a time till the fair morning of the generall resurrection I avouch before God man and Angel that I have not seen nor can imagine a lover to be comparable to lovely Jesus I would not exchange or niffer him with ten heavens If heaven could be without him what could we doe there Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Your soul 's eternal well-wisher S. R. To CASSINCARRIE 148. Much honoured Sir GRace mercy and peace be to you I have been too long in writing to you I am confident ye have learned to prize Christ his love favour more then ordinary professours who scarce see Christ with half an eye because their sight is taken up with eying liking the beauty of this over-guileded world that promiseth fair to all it's lovers but in the push of a trial when need is can give nothing but a fair beguile I know ye are not ignorant that men come not to this world as some doe to a market to see and be seen or as some come to behold a May-game and onely to behold and to goe home again Ye came hither to treat with God to tryst with him in his Christ for salvation to your soul to seek reconcilation with an angry and wrathful God in a covenant of peace made to you in Christ this is more then an ordinary sport or the play that the greatest part of the world give their heart unto And therefore Worthy Sir I pray you by the salvation of your soul and by the mercy of God your compearence before Christ doe this in sad earnest let not salvation be your by-work or your holy-day's task onely or a work by the way For men think that this may be done in three dayes space on a feather-bed when death they are fallen in hands together and that with a word or two they shall make their soul-matters right Alas this is to â—it loose and unsure in the matters of our salvation Nay the seeking of this world the glory of it is but an odde by-errand that we may slip sobeing we make salvation sure Oh when will men learn to be that heavenly wise as to divorce from free their soul of all Idol-lovers and make Christ the onely onely One and trim make ready their lamps while they have time and day How soon will this house skail and the Innes where the poor soul lodgeth fall to the earth How soon will some few years pass away then when the day is ended this life's lease expired what have men of world's glory but dreams thoughts O how blessed a thing is it to labour for Christ to make him sure Know and try in time your holding of him and the rights and charters of heaven and upon what terms ye have Christ and the Gospel and what Christ is worth in your estimation and how lightly ye esteem of other things and how dearly of Christ I am sure if ye see him in his beauty and
the first I shall stand up as witness against you if ye doe not amend your wayes and your doings and turn to the Lord with all your heart I beseech you also my beloved in the Lord my joy my Crown offend not at the sufferings of me the prisoner of Jesus Christ I am filled with joy and with the comforts of God Upon my salvation I know am perswaded it is for God's Truth and the Honour of my King Royall Prince Jesus I now suffer and howbeit this town be my prison yet Christ hath made it my palace a garden of pleasures a field orchard of delights I know likewise albeit I be in bonds that yet the word of God is not in bonds my spirit also is in free ward Sweet svveet have his comforts been to my soul my pen tongue and heart have not vvords to express the kindness love mercy of my vvelbeloved to me in this house of my pilgrimage I charge you to fear love Christ to seek a house not made vvith hands but your father's house above This laughing and white skinned world beguileth you if ye seek it more then God it shall play you a slip to the endless sorrow of your heart Alas I could not make many of you fall in love with Christ howbeit I endeavoured to speak much good of him to commend him to you which as it was your sin so it is my sorrow yet once again suffer me to exhort beseech obtest you in the Lord to think of his love to be delighted with him who is altogether lovely I give you the word of a King ye shall not repent it ye are in my prayers night day I cannot forget you I doe not eat I doe not drink but I pray for you all I entreat you all every one of you to pray for me Grace grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 23. 1636. Your lawfull loving Pastor S. R. To the Lady CARDONNESS 150 MISTRESS I Beseech you in the Lord Jesus make every day more more of Christ try your growth in the grace of God what new ground ye win daily on corruption for travellers are day by day either advancing further on nearer home or else they goe not right about to compass their journey I think still the better better of Christ Alas I know not where to set him I would so fain have him high I cannot set heavens above heavens till I were tired with numbering set him upon the highest step story of the highest of them all But I wish I could make him great through the world suppose my loss pain shame were set under the soles of his feet that he might stand upon me I request you faint not because this world ye are at yea nay because this is not a home that laugheth upon you The wise Lord who knoweth you will have it so because he casteth a net for your love to catch it gather it in to himself therefore bear patiently the loss of children and burdens and other discontentments either within or without the house Your Lord in them is seeking you and seek ye him Let none be your love choice the flower of your delights but your Lord Jesus Set not your heart upon the world since God hath not made it your portion for it will not fall you to get two portions and to laugh twice and to be happy twice and to have an upper-heaven and an under-heaven too Christ our Lord his saints were not so therefore let goe your grip of this life of the good things of it I hope your heaven groweth not hereaway Learn daily both to possess miss Christ in his secret bridegroom-smiles He must goe come because his infinite wisdom thinketh it best for you we will be together one day We shall not need to borrow light from sun moon or candle There shall be no complaints on eiher side in heaven There shall be none there but He we the bridegroom the bride Devils temptations trials desertions losses sad hearts pain death shall all be put out of play the Devil must give up his office of Tempting O blessed is the soul whose hope hath a face looking straight out to that day It is not our part to make a treasure here Any thing under the covering of heaven we can build upon is but ill ground a sandy foundation Every good thing except God wanteth a bottom cannot stand it's alone how then can it bear the weight of us Let us not lay a load upon a windlestraw there shall nothing finde my weight or found my happiness but God I know all created power should sink under me if I should lean down upon it therfore it is better to rest on God then sink or fall we weak souls must have a bottom being-place for we cannot stand our alone let us then be wise in our choice chuse waile our own blessedness which is to trust in the Lord Each one of us hath a whore idol besides our husbend Christ But it is our folly to divide our narrow little love It will not serve two best then hold it whole together give it to Christ for then we get double interest for our love when we lend it to lay it out upon Christ we are sure besides that the stock cannot perish Now I can say no more remember me I have God's right to that people howbeit by the violence of men stronger then I I am banished from you chased away The Lord give you mercy in the day of Christ It may be God clear my sky again howbeit there is small appearance of my deliverance But let him doe with me what seemeth good in his own eyes I am his clay let my porter frame fashion me as he pleaseth Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Your lawfull loving Pastor S. R. To SIBILLA Mc ADAM 151 MISTRESS GRace mercy peace be to you I can bear witness in my bonds that Christ is still the longer the better no worse yea inconceivably better then he is or can be called I think it half an heaven to have my fill of the smâ—ll of his sweet breath to sleep in the arms of Christ my Lord with his left hand under my head his right hand embracing me There is no great reckoning to be made of the withering of my flower in comparison of the foul manifest wrongs done to Christ Nay let never the dew of God lie upon my branches again let the bloom fall from my joy and let it wither let the Almighty blow out my candle sobeing the Lord might be great among Jews Gentiles and his oppressed church delivered Let Christ fare well suppose I should eat ashes I know he must be sweet himself when his cross is so sweet And it is
the part of us all if we marrie Himself to marrie the crosses losses reproaches also that follow him for mercy followeth Christ's cross His prison for beauty is made of marble ivory his chains that are laid on his prisoners are golden chains the fighes of the prisoners of hope are perfumes with comforts the like whereof cannot be bred of found in this side of sun moon Follow on after his love â—ire not of Christ but come in and see his beauty excellency feed your soul upon Christ's sweetness This world is not yours neither would I have your heaven made of such mettall as mire clay Ye have the choice waile of all lovers in heaven or out of heaven when ye have Christ the onely delight of God his father Climb up the mountain with joy faint not for time will cut off the men who pursue Christ's followers Our best things here have a worm in them Our joyes besides God in the inner half are but woes sorrowes Christ Christ is that which our love and desires can sleep sweetly rest safely upon Now the very God of peace establish you in Christ Help a prisoner with your prayers and entreat that our Lord would be pleased to visite me with a fight of his beauty in his house as he hath sometimes done Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Laird of CALLY 152 Worthy Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I have been too long I confess in writing to you My sute now to you in paper since I have no access to speak to you as formerly is that ye would lay the foundation sure in your youth When ye begin to seek Christ try I pray you upon what terms ye covenant to follow him and lay your accounts what it may cost you that summer nor winter nor well nor woe may not cause you change your master Christ Keep fair to him be honest and faithfull that he finde not a crack in you Surely ye are now in the throng of temptations When youth is come to it's fairest bloom then the Devil the lusts of a deceiving world sin are upon horse-back and follow with up sails If this were not Paul needed not to have written to a sanctified holy youth Timothy a faithfull preacher of the Gospel flee the lusts of youth Give Christ your virgin-love ye cannot put your love heart in a better hand O if ye knew him saw his beauty Your love your liking your heart your desires would close with him cleave to him Love by nature when it seeth cannot but cast out it 's spirit and strength upon amiable objects good things things love-worthy and what fairer thing then Christ O fair sun and fair moon and fair stars and fair flowers and fair roses and fair lilies and fair creatures but O ten thousand thousand times fairer Lord Jesus Alas I wronged him in making the comparison this way O black sun moon but O fair Lord Jesus O black flowers black lilies roses but O fair fair ever fair Lord Jesus O all fair things black deformed without beauty when ye are beside that fairest Lord Jesus O black heaven but O fair Christ O black Angels but O surpassingly fair Lord Jesus I would seek no more to make me happy for evermore but a through clear sight of the beauty of Jesus my Lord Let my eyes enjoy his fairness store him for ever in the face I have all that can be wished Get Christ rather then gold or silver seek Christ howbeit ye should lose all things for him They take their marks by the moon look asquint in looking to fair Christ who resolve for the world their ease for their honour court credit or for fear of losses a sore skin that they will turn their back upon Christ his truth Alas how many blinde eyes squint-lookers look this day in Scotland upon Christ's beauty they see a spot in Christ's fair face Alas they are not worthy of Christ who look this way upon him see no beauty in him why they should desire him God send me my fill of his beauty if it be possible that my soul can be full of his beauty here But much of Christ's beauty needeth not abate the eager appetite of a soul sick of love for himself to see him in the other world where he is seen as he is I am glad with all my heart that ye have given your greenest morning age to this Lord Jesus Hold on weary not faint not resolve upon suffering for Christ but fear not ten dayes tribulation for Christ's sowre cross is sugared with comforts hath a taste of Christ himself I esteem it my glory my joy my crown I bless him for this honour to be yoked with Christ married with him in suffering who therefore was born therefore came into the world that he might bear witness to the truth Take pains above all things for salvation for without running fighting sweating wrestling heaven is not taken O happy soul that crosseth nature's stomack delighteth to gain that fair garland crown of glory What a feckless loss is it for you to goe through this wilderness never taste of sin's sugared pleasures What poorer is a soul to want pride lust love of the world the vanities of this vain worthless world Nature hath no cause to weep at the want of such toyes as these Esteem it your gain to be an heir of glory O but that is an eye-look to a fair rent The very hope of heaven under troubles is like wind sails to the soul like wings when the feet come out of the share O for what stay we here Up up after our Lord Jesus this is not our rest nor our dwelling What have we to doe in this prison except onely to take meat house-room in it for a time Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Your soul's welwisher Christ prisoner S. R. To WILLIAM GORDON At Kenmure 153 Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you I have been long in answering your letter which came in good time to me It is my aim hearty desire that my furnace which is of the Lord 's kindling may sparkle fire upon standers by to the warming of their hearts with God's love The very dust that falleth from Christ's feet his old ragged clothes his knotty black cross is sweeter to me then Kings golden crowns their time-eaten pleasures I should be a liar false witness if I should not give my Lord Jesus a fair testimonial with my whole soul my word I know will not heighten him he needeth not such props under his feet to raise his glory high But Oh that I could raise him the height of heaven the breadth length often heavens in 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
me leave to wish to love thee O flower and bloom of heaven earth's love O Angels wonder O thou the Father 's eternally sealed love O thou God's old delight give me leave to stand beside thy love look in wonder give me leave to wish to love thee if I can doe no more 2. We being born in atheism bairns of the house that we are come off it is no new thing my dear Brother for us to be under jealousies mistakes about the love of God what think ye of this that the man Christ was tempted to beleeve there were but two Persons in the blessed Godhead that the Son of God the substantial coerernal Son was not the lawfull Son of God Did not Satan say If thou be the Son of God 3. Ye say that ye know not what to doe Your Head said once that same word or not far from it Ioh. 12. 27. Now is my soul troubled what shall I say faith answered Christ's What shall I say with these words O tempted Saviour askest thou What shall I say say pray Father save me from this hour What course can ye take but pray first Christ his own comforts He is no dyvour take his word Oh say ye I cannot pray Ans. Honest sighing is faith breathing whispering him in the ear the life is not out of faith where there is sighing looking up with the eyes breathing towards God Eam 3 36. Hide not thine ear at my breathing But what shall I doe in spiritual exercises say ye Ans. 1. If ye knew particularly what to doe it were not a spiritual exercise 2. In my weak judgement ye would first say I will lorifie God in beleeving David's Salvation the Bride's Marriage with the Lamb love the Church's stain husband although I cannot for the present beleeve mine own Salvation 3. Say I will not pass from my claim suppose Christ would pass from his claim to me it shall not goe back upon my side howbeit my love to him be not worth a drink of water yet Christ shall have it such as it is 4. Say I shall rather spill twenty prayers then not pray at all let my broken words goe up to heaven when they come up into the great Angel's golden censer that compassianat Advocate will put together my broken prayers perfume them Words are but Accidents of Prayer Oh say y I am slain with hardness of heart troubled with confused and melancholious thoughts Ans. My dear Brother What would ye conclude thence that ye know not well who ought you I grant Oh my heart is hard Oh my thoughts of faithless sorrow Ergo I know not who ought me were good Logick in heaven amongst Angels the glorified but down in Christ's Hospital where sick and distempered souls are under cure it is not worth a straw Give Christ time to end his work in your heart hold on in feeling bewailing your hardness for that is softness to feel hardness 2. I charge you to make Psalms of Christ's praises for his begun work of Grace make Christ your Musick your song for Complaining feeling of want doeth often swallow up your Praises What think ye of these who goe to hell never troubled with such thoughts If your exercise be the way to hell God help me I have a cold coal to blow at and a blank paper for heaven I give you Christ caution my heaven surety for your Salvation Lend Christ your Melancholy for Satan hath no right to make a chamber in your Melancholy borrow joy comfort from the Comforter bid the Spirit doe his office in you remember that faith is one thing and the feeling notice of faith another God forbid that feeling were Proprium quarto modo to all the Saints that this were good reasoning No feeling no grace I am sure ye were not alwayes these twenty years by-past actually knowing that ye live yet all this time ye are living so is it with the life of faith But Alas Dear Brother it is easie for me to speak words syllables of peace but Isa. 57. 19. telleth you I create peace there is but one Creator ye know O that ye may get a Letter of peace sent you from heaven Pray for me for grace to be faithfull gifts to be able with tongue pen to glorifie God I forget you not St. Andrewes Jan 8. 1640. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady BOYD. 32 MADAM I Received your La letter but because I was still going through the countrey for the affairs of the Church I have had no time to answer it I had never more cause to fear then I have now when my Lord hath restored me to my second created heaven on earth hath turned my apprehended fears into joyes and great deliverance to his Church whereof I have my share and part Alas that weeping prayers answered and sent back from heaven with joy should not have laughing praises O that this land would repent and lay burthens of praises upon the top of fair mount Zion Madam except this land be humbled a Reformation is rather my wonder then belief at this time but surely it must be a wonder and what is done already is a wonder our Lord must restore beauty to his Churches without hire for we were sold without money and now our buyers repent them of the bargain and would gladly give again better cheap then they bought us they devoured Iacob and eat up his people as bread now Iacob is grown a living childe in their womb and they would fain be delivered of the childe and render the birth Our Lord shall be midwife O that this land be not like Ephraim an unwise son that stayeth too long in the place of breaking forth of children Your La is blessed with children who are honoured to build up Christ's waste places again I beleeve your La will think them well bestowed on that work and that Zion's beauty is your joy this is a mark and evidence for heaven which helpeth weak ones to hold their grip when other marks fail them I hope your La is at a good understanding with Christ and that as becometh a Christian ye take him up aright for many mistake and misshape Christ in his comings and goings Your wants and falls proclaim ye have nothing of your own but what ye borrow nay your self is not your own but Christ hath given himself to you Put Christ to the bank and heaven shall be your interest and income Love him for ye cannot over-love him Take up your house in Christ let him dwell in you and abide ye in him then ye may look out of Christ and laugh at the clay-heavens that the sons of men are seeking after in this side of the water Christ mindeth to make your losses grace's great advantage Christ will lose nothing of you nay not your sins for he
round about us we lay it not to heart Gray hairs are upon us we know it not It were now a desireable life to send away our love to heaven well becometh it us to wait on for the appointed change yet so as we should be meditating thus Is there a new world above the Sun moon is there such a blessed company harping singing Hallelujahs to the lamb up above Why then are we taken with a vain life of sighing sinning O where is our wisdom that we sit still laughing eating sleeping prisoners doe not pack up all our best things for the journey desiring alwayes to be clothed with our house from above not made with hands Ah we savour not the things that are above nor doe we smell of glory ere we come thither but we transact agree with Time for a new lease of clay-mansions Behold he cometh we sleep turn all the work of duties into a dispute of events for deliverance but the greatest haste to be humbled for a broken a buried Covenant is first last forgotten And all our grief is the Lord lingers enemies triumph Godly ones suffer Atheists blaspheme Ah we pray not but wonder that Christ cometh not the higher way by might by power by garments rolled in blood What if he come the lower way sure we sin in putting the book in his hand as if we could teach the Almighty knowledge we make haste we beleeve not Let the onely wise God alone he stirs well he drawes straight lines though we think say they are crooked It is right that some should die their breasts full of milk yet we are angry that God dealeth so with them O if I could adore him in his hidden wayes when there is darkness under his feet darkness his pavilion clouds about his throne Madam hoping beleeving patient praying is our life he loâ—â—s no time The Lord Jesus be with your spirit St Andrews 12 Sept. 16â—5 Yours at all oblidged observance in Christ. S. 〈◊〉 To his reverend dear Brethren M R GUTHRIE M R TRAIL And the rest of their Brethren imprisoned in the Castell of Edinburgh 70. Reverend Very Dear now much honoured Prisoners for Christ. I Am as to the point of light at the out-most of perswassion in that kinde that this is the cause of Christ ye now suffer for not mens interest If it be for men let us leave it but if we plead for God our own personal saâ—… and man's deliverance will not be peace There is a sâ—lvâ—tion called the salvation of God which is cleanly pure spiritual unmixed near to the holy Word of God it is that which we would seek even the favour of God that he beares to his people not simple gladness but the gladness goodness of the Lord 's chosen And sure though I be the weakest of his witnesses unworthy to be among the meanest of them 〈◊〉 afraid the Cause be hurt but it cannot be lost by my unbeleeving faintness I should not desire a deliverance separated from the deliverance of the Lord's Cause People It is enough to me to sing when Zion sings to triumph when Christ triumpheth I should judge it an unhappy joy to rejoyce when Zion sigheth Not one hoof will be your peace If Christ doeth owne me let me be in the grave in a bloody winding-sheet goe from the scaffold in four quarters to a grave or no grave I am his debter to seal with sufferings this precious truth but Oh when it comes to the push I dare say nothing considering my weakness wickedness faintness But fear not ye ye are not ye shall not be alone the Father is with you It was not an unseasonable but a seasonable necessary duty ye were about Fear him who is Soveraign Christ is Captain of the Castle Lord of the keyes The cooling well-spring refreshment from the promises is more then the â—â—ownings of the furnace I see snares temptations in capitulating composing ceding minching with distinctions of circumstances formalities complements extenuations in the Cause of Christ A long spoon the broth is hell's hot Hold a distance from carnal compositions much nearness to the fountain to the favour refreshing light from the Father of lights speaking in his oracles this is sound health salvation Angels men Zion's Elders eye us but what of all these Christ is by us looks on us writes up all Let us pray more look less to men Remember me to Mr Scot all the rest Blessings be upon the head of such as are separated from their Brethren Ioseph is a fruitfull bough by a well Grace be with you S. Andrewes 1660. Your loving Brother companion in the Kingdom patience of Iesus Christ S. R. To Mr ROBERT CAMPBELL 71. Reverend dear Brother YE know this is a time in which all men almost seek their own things not the things of Jesus Christ yeare your alone as a beacon on the top of a mountain but saint not Christ is a numerous multitude himself yea millions though all the nations were conveened against him round about yet doubt not but he will at last arise for the cry of the poor needy For me I am now near to eternity for ten thousand worlds I dare not adventure to pass from the Protestation against the corruptions of the time nor go alongst with the shameless apostacy of the many silent dumb watchmen of Scotland but I think it my la â—â—my to enter a Protestation in heaven before the righteous Judge against the practical legal breach of Covenant and all Oaths imposed on the consciences of the Lord's people all Popish superstitious and idolattous mandats of men Know that the overthrow of the 〈◊〉 Reformation the introducing of Popery the Mystery of Iniquity is now set on foot in the three Kingdoms whosoever would keep their garments clean are under that command Touch not 〈◊〉 not handle not The Lord calls you Dear Brother to be still stedfast unmoveable aâ—d aboundant in the work of the Lord. Our royal Kingly Master is upon his journey will come will not â—â—rry blâ—ssed is the servant who shall be found watching when he cometh fear not men for the Lord is your light salvation It is true it 's somewhat sad comfortless that ye are your alone but so it was with our precious Master nor are ye your alone for the father is with you It is possible I shall not be an eye-witness to it to the flesh but I beleeve he comes quickly who will remove our darkness will shine gloriously in the Isle of Britain as a crowned King either in a formally sworn Covenant or in his own glorious way which I leave to the determination of his infinite wisdom and goodness this is the hope confidence of a dying man who is longing fainting for the salvation of God Beware of the ensuaring bonds and obligations by any hand-writ or other waves to give unlimited obedience to any authority but onely in the Lord for all innocent self-defence which is according to the Covenant the Word of God the laudable example of the Reformed Churches is now intended to be utterly subverted and condemned and what is taken from Christ as the slower of his Prerogative Royall is now put upon the head of a mortal power which must be that great idol of 〈◊〉 that provokâ—… the eyes of his glory Dear Brother let us 〈◊〉 the rich promises that are made to these that overcome knowing that these that endure to the end shall be saved Thus recommending you to the rich grace of God I remain St. Andrews 1661. Your affectionat Brother in Christ. FINIS
who hath skill to melt his own mettall and knoweth well what to doe with his surnace let your heart be willing that God's fire have your tin and brass and dross to consent to want corruption is a greater mercy then many professors doe well know and to refer the manner of God's Physick to his own wisdom whither it be by drawing blood or giving sugared drinks that cure sick folks without pain it is a great point of faith and to beleeve Christ's cross to be a friend as he himself is a friend is also a special act of faith but when ye are over the water this case shall be a yesterday past an hundred years ere ye were born the cup of glory shall wash the memory of all this away and make it as nothing Onely now take Christ in with you under your yoke and let patience have her perfect work for this haste is your infimity The Lord is rising up to doe you good in the latter end put on the faith of his salvation see him posting hasting towards you Sir my employments being so great hinder me to write at more length excuse me I hope to be mindfull of you I shall be obliged to your if ye help me with your prayers for this people this College my own poor soul. Grace be with you Remember my love to your wife St Andrews Feb. 13. 1640. Yours in Christ Iesus S. R. To the much honoured PETER STIRLING 34 Much honoured worthy Sir I Received yours cannot but be ashamed that mistaking love hath brought me in court account in the heart of God's children especially of another nation I should not make a lye of the grace of God if I should think I have little share of it my self O how much better were it for me to stand in the counting table of many for a half-penny to be estemed a liker rather than a lover of Christ If I were weighed vanity should bear down the scale as having weight in the ballance above me except my lovely Saviour should cast in beside me some of his borrowed worth Oh if I were writing now sincerely in this extenuation which may be I fear is subtile coosening pride I would I could love something of heaven's worth in you all of your mettall O how happy were I if I could regain conquer back from the creature my sold lost love that I might lay it upon heaven's jewel that ever ever blooming flower of the highest garden even my soul-redeeming never-enoughprized Lord Jesus O that he would wash my love put it on the Mediator's wheel refine it from it's dross tin that I might propine gift that Lord so love-worthy with all my love Oh if I could set a lease of thousands of years a suspension of my part of heaven's glory frist till a long day my desired salvation sobeing I could in this lower kitchin under-vault of his creation be feasted with his love that I might be a footstool for his glory before men Angels Oh if he would let out heaven's fountain upon withered me dry sapless me If I were but sick of love for his love O how would that sickness delight me How sweet would that easing refreshing pain be to my soul I shall be glad to be a witness to behold the Kingdom of the world become Christ's I could stay out of heaven many years to see that victorious triumphing Lord act that prophesied part of his soul-conquering love in taking in to his Kingdom the greater Sister that Kirk of the Iews who sometimes courted our Welbeloved for her little Sister Cant. 8 8. to behold him set up as an ensign a banner of love to the ends of the world And truly we are to beleeve that his wrath is ripe for the land of graven images for the falling of that mill-stone in the midst of the sea Grace be with you St Andrews March 6. 1640. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady FINGASK 35. MADAM GRace mercy peace be to you Though not acquainted yet at the desire of a Christian I make bold to write a line or two unto you by way of counsel howbeit I be most unfit for that I hear and I blesse the father of lights for it that ye have a spirit set to seek God and that the posture of your heart is to look heaven-ward which is a work and cast of the Mediator Christ's right hand who putteth on the heart a new frame for the which I would have your La to see a tye bond of obedience laid upon you that all may be done not so much from obligation of Law as from the tye of free love that the law of ransom-paying by Christ may be the chief ground of all your obedience seeing that ye are not under the Law but under Grace withall know that unbeleef is a spiritual sin so not seen by nature's light that all that Conscience saith is not Scripture Suppose your heart bear witness against you for sins done long agoe yet because many have pardon with God that have not peace with themselves ye are to stand fall by Christ's esteem verdict of you not by that which your heart saith Suppose it may by accident be a good signe to be jealouse of your heavenly husband's love yet it is a sinful sign as there be some happy sins If may speak so not of themselves but because they are neighboured with faith and love and so worthy Lady I would have you hold by this that the ancient love of an old husband standeth firm and sure and let faith hing by this small threed that he loved you before he laid the corner-stone of the world therefore he cannot change his minde because he is God and rests in his love neither is sin in you a good reason wherefore ye should doubt of him or think because sin hath put you in the courtesie and reverence of justice that therefore he is wroth with you Neither is it presumption in you to lay the burden of your salvation upon one mighty to save so being ye lay aside all confidence in your self-worth righteousness True faith is humble seeth no way to escape but onely in Christ And I beleeve ye have put an esteem high price upon Christ they cannot but beleeve so be saved who love Christ and to whom he is precious for the love of Christ hath chosen Christ as a lover it were not like God if ye should chuse him as your liking he not chuse you again nay he hath prevented you in that for ye have not chosen him but he hath chosen you O consider his loveliness beauty that there is nothing which can commend make fair heaven or earth or the creature that is not in him in infinite perfection for fair sun and fair