Christ breaketh all my idols in pieces it hath put a new edge upon my blunted love to Christ I see he is Jealouse of my love will have all to himself In a word these six things are my burden 1. I am not in the vineyard as others are it may be because Christ thinketh me a withered tree not worthy it's room but God forbid 2. Woe woe woe is coming upon my harlot-mother this Apostat-kirk the time is coming when we shall wish for doves wings to flee and hide us Oh for the desolation of this land 3. I see my dear master Christ going his alone as it were mourning in sackeloth his fainting friends fear that King Jesus shall lose the field but he must carry the day 4. My guiltiness and the sins of my youth are come up against me and they would come in the plea in my sufferings as deserving causes in God's justice but I pray God for Christ's sake he never give them that room woe 's me that I cannot get my Royall dreadfull mighty glorious Prince of the Kings of the earth set on high Sir ye may help me pity me in this and bow your knee blesse his name desire others to doe it that he hath been pleased in my sufferings to make Atheists Papists enemies about me say It is like God is with this prisoner Let hell the powers of hell I care not be let loose against me to doe their worst so being Christ my Father his Father be magnified in my sufferings 6. Christ's love hath pained me for howbeit his presence hath shamed me and drowned me in debt yet he often goeth away when my love to him is burning he seemeth to look like a proud wooer who will not look upon a poor match who is dying of love I will not say he is lordly but I know he is wise in hiding himself from a childe a fool who maketh an idol a God of one of Christ's kisses which is Idolatry I fear I adore his comforts more then himself and that I love the apples of life better then the tree of life Sir write to me Commend me to your wife mercy be her portion Grace be with you Aberd. 1637 Yours in his dearest Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN STUART Provest of Ayr. 53 Worthy and dearly beloved in our Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you I was refreshed comforted with your letter what I wrote to you for your comfort I doe not remember but I beleeve love will prophesie home-ward as it would have it I wish I could help you to praise his great and holy name who keepeth the feet of his saints hath numbred all your goings I know our dearest Lord will pardon passe by our honest errours mistakes when we minde his honour yet I know none of you have seen the other half the hidden side of your wonderfull return home to us again I am confident ye shall yet say that God's mercy blew your sailes back to Ireland again Worthy dear Sir I cannot but give you an account of my present state that ye may goe an errand for me to my high royall master of whom I boast all the day I am as proud of his love nay I blesse my self boast more of my present lot as any poor man can be of an earthly Kings court or of a Kingdom First I am very often turning both the sides of my cross especially my dumb silent Sabbaths not because I desire to finde a crook or defect in my Lord's love but because love is sick with phansies fears whether or not the Lord hath a processe leading against my guiltiness that I have not yet well seen I know not my desire is to ride fair not to spark dirt if with reverence of him I may be permitted to make use of such a word in the face of my onely onely welbeloved but fear of guiltness iâ— a tale-bearer betwixt me Christ is still whispering ill tales of my Lord to weaken my faith I had rather a cloud went over my comforts by these messages then that my faith should be hurt for if my Lord get no wrong by me verily I desire grace not to care what become of me I desire to give no faith nor credit to my sorrow that can make a lye of my best friend Christ. Woe woe be to them all who speak ill of Christ. Hence these thoughts awake with me in the morning goe to bed with me Oh what service can a dumb body doe in Christ's house Oh I think the word of God is imprisoned also Oh I am a dry tree Alas I can neither plant nor water Oh if my Lord would make but dung of me to fatten and make fertile his own corn-ridges in mount Sion Oh if I might but speak to three or four herd-boyes of my worthy master I would be satisfied to be the meanest and most obscure of all the Pastors in this land to live in any place in any of Christ's basest out-housâ—s but he saith Sirra I â—ill not send you I have no errands for you there away My desire to serve him is sick of jealousie lest he be unwilling to employ me Secondly this is seconded with another Oh all that I have done in Anwoth the fair work that my Master began there is like a bird dying in the shell what will I then have to show of all my labour in the day of my compearance before him when the Master of the vineyard calleth the labourers giveth them their hire Thirdly but truly when Christ's sweet wind is in the right airth I repent I pray Christ to take law-borrows of my quarrelous unbeleeving sadness sorrow Lord rebuke them that put ill betwixt a poor servant like me his good master then I say whether the black cross will or not I must climb hands feet up to my Lord. I am now ruing from my heart that I pleasure the law my old dead husband so far as to apprehend wrath in my sweet Lord Jesus I had far rather take an hire to plead for the grace of God for I think my self Christ's sworn debter the truth is to speak of my Lord what I cannot deny I am over head ears drowned in many obligations to his love mercy he handleth me sometimes so that I am ashamed almost to seek more for a four-hours but to live content till the marriage-marriage-supper of the Lamb with that which he giveth but I know not how greedy how ill to please love is for either my Lord Jesus hath taught me ill manners not to be content of a seat except my head lie in his bosom except I be fed with the fattest of his house or else I am grown impatiently dainty ill to please as if Christ were obliged under this cross to doe no other thing but bear me in his armes
glory ye shall see him to be all things and that incomparable jewel of gold that ye should seek howbeit ye should sell wod-set forfeit your few years portion of this life's joyes O happy soul for evermore who can rightly compare this life with that long-lasting life to come can ballance the weighty glory of the one with the light golden vanity of the other The day of the Lord is now near hand all meÌ„ shall come out in their black 's white 's as they are There shall be no borrowed lying colours in that day when Christ shall be called Christ no longer nicknamed now men borrow Christ his white colour the lustre fairding of Christianity but how many counterfeit masks will be burnt in the day of God in the fire that shall burn the earth the works that are in it And howbeit Christ have the hardest part of it now yet in the presence of my Lord whom I serve in the spirit I would not niffer or exchange Christ's prison bands chains with the gold chains Lordly rents smiling happy-like heavens of the men of this world I am far from thoughts of repenting because of my losses bonds for Christ I wish all my adversaries were as I am except my bonds Worthy worthy worthy for evermore is Christ for whom we should suffer pains like hell's pains far more the short hell that the saints of God have in this life Sir I wish your soul may be more acquainted with the sweetness of Christ. Grace grace be with you Abord 1637. Yours in his onely Lord Master S. R. To his Parishoners at Anwoth 149 Dearly beloved in our Lord. GRace mercy peace from God our father from our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied upon you I long exceedingly to hear of your on-going advancement in your journey to the Kingdom of God My onely joy out of heaven is to hear that the seed of God sowen among you is growing coming to an harvest for I ceased not while I was among you in season out of season according to the measure of grace given unto me to warn stir up your mindes I am free from the blood of all men for I have communicated to you the whole counsel of God And I now again charge warn you in the great dreadfull name and in the soveraign authority of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and I beseech you also by the mercies of God and by the bowels of Christ by your appearance before Christ Jesus our Lord by all the plagues that are written in God's book by your part of the holy city the new Jerusalem that ye keep the truth of God as I delivered it to you before many witnesses in the sight of God and his holy Angels for now the last dayes are come coming when many forsake Christ Jesus he saith to you will ye also leave me Remember that I forewarned you to forbear the dishor ouring of the Lord's blessed name in swearing bâ—â—spheming cursing And the prefaning of the Lord's sabbath willing you to give that day from morning to night to praying praising hearing of the word conferring and speaking not your own words but God's word thinking and meditating on God's nature word and works And that every day at morning and at right at least ye should sanctifie the Lord by praying in your houses publickly in the hearing of all that ye should in any sort forbear the receiving of the Lord's supper but after the form that I delivered it to you according to the example of Christ our Lord that is that ye should sit as banquetters at one table with our King eat drink divide the elements one to another The timber stones of the church walls shall bear witness that my soul was refreshed with the comforts of God in that supper and that crossing in baptisme was unlawfull and against Christ's ordinances And that no day besides the sabbath which is of his own appointment should be kept holy and sanctified with preaching the publick worship of God for the memory of Christ's birth death resurrection ascension seeing such dayes so observed are unlawfull wil-worship and not warranted in Christ's word And that every thing in God's worship not warranted by Christ's Testament word was unlawfull And also that Idolatry worshipping of God before hallowed creatures adoring of Christ by kneeling before bread wine was unlawfull And that ye should be humble sober modest forbearing pride envy malice wrath hatred contentim debate lying slandering stealing defrauding your neighbours in grass corn or cattell in buying or selling borrowing or lending taking or giving in bargains or covenants And that ye should work with your own hands be content with that which God hath given you That ye should studie to know God his will and keep in minde the doctrine of the Catechisme which I taught you carefully and speak of it in your houses and in the fields when ye lie down at night and when ye rise in the morning That ye should beleeve in the Son of God and obey his commandments and learn to make your accounts in time with your judge because death judgement are before you And if ye have now penury and want of that word which I delivered to you in abundance yea to God's honour I speak it without arrogating any thing to my self who am but a poor empty man ye had as much of the word in nine years while I was among you as some others have had in many Mourn for your loss of time repent My soul pitieth you that ye should suck dry breasts be put to draw at dry wells O that ye would esteem highly of the lamb of God your welbeloved Christ Jesus whose vertues and praises I preached unto you with joy which he did countenance accompany with some power and that ye would call to minde the many fair dayes and glorious feasts in our Lord's house of wine that ye and I have have had with Christ Jesus But if there be any among you that take liberty to sin because I am removed from amongst you and forget that word of truth which ye heard and turn the grace of God into wantoness I here under my hand in the name of Christ my Lord write to such persons all the plagues of God the curses that ever I preached in the pulpit of Anwoth against the childrens of disobedience And as the Lord liveth the Lord Jesus shall make good what I write unto you Therefore Dearly beloved fulfill my joy Fear the great and dreadfull name of the Lord seek God with me Scotland's judgement sleepeth not awake repent the sword of the Lord shall goe from the North to the South from the East to the West and through all the corners of the land and that sword shall be drunk with your blood amongst
you I instructed you of the superstition Idolatry of kneeling in the instant of receiving the Lords supper crosseing in baptisme and the observing of mens dayes vvithout any vvarrant of Christ our perfect lawgiver Countenance not the Surplice the attire of the Massâ— preist the garment of Baals preists the abominable bovving to altars of tree is comeing upon you hate keep your selves from idols forbear in any case to hear the reading of the new fatherlesse service-book full of grosse heresees popish and superstitious errors vvithout any vvarrant of Christ tending to the overthrovv of preaching you ovv no obedience to the bastard Canons they are unlavvfull blasphemous and superstitious all the ceremonies that lie in the Antichrists foul vvomb the vvares of that great mother of fornications the kirk of Rome are to be refused ye see vvhither they lead you Continue still in the Doctrine vvhich ye have recieved ye heard of me the vvhole counsell of God so we no clâ—â—ts upon Christs robe take Christ in his ragges losses as persecuted by men be content to sigh and pant up the mountain vvith Christs crosse on your back let me be repute a false prophet your conscience once said the contrair if your Lord Jesus shall not stand by you and mantaine you and mantaine your cause aganst your enemies I have heard and my soul is greived for it that since my departure from you many among you are turned back from the good old way to the dogs vomite again let me speak to these men it vvas not vvithout Gods speciall direction that the first sentence that ever my mouth uttered to you vvas that of John Chap. 9 39. And Iesus said for judgment came I into the world that they which see not might see they which see might be made blind It is possible my first meeting yours be when vve shall both stand before the dreadfull judge of the World in the name authoritie of the Son of God my great King Master I write by these presents summonds to these men I arrest their souls bodies to the day of our compearance their eternall damnation stands subscribed and sealed in heaven by the hand-write of the great Judge of quick dead and I am ready to stand up as a preaching witnesse against such to their face that day to say Amen to their condemnation except they repent The vengeance of the Gospel is heavier nor the vengeance of the law the Mediators malediction and vengeance is tvvice vengance that vengeance is the due portion of such men there I leave them as bound men ay while they repent amend You vvere vvitnesses hovv the Lords day vvas spent vvhile I vvas among you O sacrilegious robber of Gods day vvhat vvill thou ansvver the Almightie vvhen he seeketh so many Sabbaths back again from thee What vvill the Curser Svvearer Blasphemer doe vvhen his tongue shall be rosted in that broad and burning lake of fire brimstone And what will the drunkard doe when tongue lights liver bones all shall boile frye in a torturing fire for he shall be far from his barrels of strong drinke then there is not a cold well of vvater for him in hell What shall be the case of the wretch the covetous man the opperssor the deceaver the earth worme who can never get his vvombfull of clay when in the day of Christ Gold and Silver must lie burnt in ashes and he must compear and answer his judge and quite his clayie and naughtie heaven woe woe for ever more be to the time-turning Atheist that hath one God and one religion for summer and another God and another religion for winter and the day offanning when Christ fanneth all that is in his barn floor who hath a conscience for every faire and mercat and the soul of him runneth upon these oiled wheels Time Custome the world and Command of men O if the carelesse Atheist and sleeping man who edgeth by all with God forgive our Pastors if they lead us wrong we must doe as they command and layes down his head upon times bosome and giveth his conscience to a deputy and sleepeth so while the smoak of hell fire flie up in his throat and cause him start out of his dooleful bed O if such a man would awake many woes are for the over-guilded and gold-plastered Hypocrite a heavie doom is for the liar and white tongued flatterer and the fleing book of Gods irefull vengeance twentie cubits long and twentie cubits broad that goeth out from the face of God shall enter into the house and in upon the soul of him that stealeth and sweareth falsely by Gods name Zechar. 5 ver 23. I denounce eternall burning hotter then Sodoms flames upon the men that boile in their filthie lusts of fornication adultery incest and the like wickednesse no Room no not a foot-broad for such viledogs within the clean Jerusalem Many of you put off all with this God forgive us we know no better I renew my old answer 2 Thess. 1. the judge is coming in flaming fire with all his mighty Angels to render vengeance to all these that know not God and beleeve Not. I have often told you security shall slay you all men say they have faith as many men and women now as many saints in heaven and all beleeve say ye every foul dog is clean enough good enough for the clean new Jerusalem above Every man hath conversion the new birth but it is not â—â—el come they had never a sick night for sin conversion came to them in a night dream in a word hell will be empty at the day of judgement and heaven panged full Alace it is neither easie nor ordinarie to beleeve to be saved many must stand in the end at heavens gates when they goe to take out their faith they take out a fair nothing or as ye use to speak a blâ—â—â—ume O lamentable Disappointment I pray you I charge you in the name of Christ make fast work of Christ and salvation I know there are some beleevers among you and I write to you O poor broken hearted beleevers all the comforts of Christ in the New and Old Testament are yours O what a father husband you have O if I had pen and ink and ingine to write of him Let heaven and earth be consolidat in massie and pure gold it will not weigh the thousand part of Christs love to a soul even to me a poor prisoner O that is a massie and marvellous love Men and Angels unit your force and strength in one ye shall not heave nor poise it off the ground Ten thousand thousand worlds as many worlds as Angels can number and then as a new world of Angels can multiply would not all be the balk of a ballance to weigh Christs excellencie sweetnesse and love Put ten earth's in one and let a rose grow
one poor joy that was on this side of heaven even my liberty to preach Christ to his people yet I am dead to that now so being he would hew and carve glory glory for evermore to my royall King out of my silence sufferings Oh that I had my fill of his love but I know ill manners make an uncouth strange bridegroom I intreat you earnestly for the aide of your prayers for I forget not you I salute with my soul in Christ the faithfull Pastors and honourable worthy Professors in that Land Now the God of peace that brought again our Lord Jesus from the dead the great shephered of the sheep by the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight Grace Grace be with you Aberden Feb. 4. 1638. Yours in his sweeetest Lord Iesus S. R. To the truly noble elect lady my lady VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE 4 Noble elect Lady THat honour that I have prayed for these sixteen yeers with submission to my Lords will my kind Lord hath now bestowed upon me even to suffer for my royall princely King Jesus for his Kingly crown the freedom of his Kingdom that his father hath given him The forbidden Lords have sentenced me with deprivation confinement within the town of Aberden I am charged in the Kings name to enter against the twentie day of August next there to remain during the Kings pleasure as they have given it out howbeit Christs green crosse newly laid upon me be somewhat heavie while I call to minde the many fair dayes sweet comfortable to my soul to the souls of many others how young ones in Christ are plucked from the breast and the inheritance of God laid waste yet that sweet smelled perfumed crosse of Christ is accompanied with sweet refreshments with the kisses of a King with the joy of the holy Ghost with faith that the Lord hears the sighing of a prisoner with undoubted hope as sure as my Lord liveth after this night to see day light Christs skie to clear up again upon me his poor Kirk that in a strange Land amongst strange faces he will give favour in the eyes of men to his poor oppressed servant who dow not but love that lovely one that princely one Jesus the comforter of his soul. All would be well if I were free of old challanges for guiltiness for neglect in my calling and for speaking too little for my welbeloveds crown honour Kingdom Oh for a day in the assembly of the saints to advocate for King Jesus If my Lord goe on now to quarrels also I die I cannot endure it but I look for peace from him because he knoweth I dow bear mens feud but I dow not bear his feud this is my onely exercise that I fear I have done little good in my ministry but I dare not but say I loved the baiâ—â—s of the wedding chamber and prayed for desired the thriving of the marriage coming of his Kingdom I apprehend no lesse then a judgement upon Galloway that the Lord shall visit this whole nation for the quarrell of the covenant But what can be laid upon me or any the like of me is too light for Christ Christ dow â—ear more would bear death burning quick in his weâ—k servants even for this honourable cause that I now suffer for Yet for all my complaints he knoweth that I dare not now dissemble he was never sweeter Kinder then he is now one kisse now is sweeter then ten long since sweet sweet is his crosse light light easie is his yoke O what a sweet step were it up to my fathers house thorow ten deaths for the truth and cause of that unknown and so not-halfe-wel-loved plant of renown the man called the Branch the chief among ten thousands the fairest among the sons of men O what unseen joyes how many hidden heart-burnings of love are in the remnants of the sufferings of Christ my dear worthy Lady I give it to your La under my own hand my heart-writing as well as my hand welcome welcome sweet sweet glorious crosse of Christ welcome sweet Jesus with thy light crosse thou hast now gained gotten all my love from me â—eep what thou hast gotten Onely woe woe is me for my bereft-flock for the Lambs of Jesus that I fear shall be fed with dry breasts but I sparenow Madam I dare not promise to see your La because of the little time I have alloted me I purpose to obey the King who hath power of my body rebellion to Kings is unbeseeming Christs Ministers Be pleased to acquiant my Lady Marre with my case I will look your La that good Lady will be mindfull to God of the Lords prisoner not for my cause but for the Gospels sake Madam bind me more if more can be to your La and write thanks to your brother my Lord of Lorne for what he hath done for me a poor unknown stranger to his Lo I shall pray for him his house while I live It is his honour to open his mouth in the streets for his wronged and oppressed master Christ Jesus Now Madam commending your La and the sweet childe to â—he tender mercies of mine own Lord Jesus and his good will who dwelt in the bush I Rest. Edinb July 28. 1636. Yours in his own sweetest Lord Iesus S. R. To the Noble Christian Lady the VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE 5 My very Honourable dear Lady GRace mercy peace be to you I cannot forget your La that sweet childe I desire to hear what the Lord is doing to you him to write to me were charity I cannot but write to my friends that Christ hath tryâ—ted me in Aberden my adversaries have sent me here to be feasted with love-banquets with my royall high high princely King Jesus Madam why should I smother Christs honesty I dare not conceal his goodness to my soul he looked fram'd and uncouth-like upon me when I came first here but I beleeve himself better then his looks I shall not again quarrell Christ for a gloome now he hath taken the mask off his face saith kisse thy fill what can I have more while I get great heaven in my little armes O how sweet are the sufferings of Christ for Christ God forgive them that raise an ill report upon the sweet crosse of Christ it is but our weak dim eyes that look but to the black side that makes us mistake these who can take that crabbed-tree hand-somely upon their back fasten it on cannily shall finde it such a burden as wings unto a bird or sailes to ship Madam rue not of your having chosen the better part upon my salvation this is Christs truth I now suffer for if I found
before as the day in the declining of the sun toward 's the evening is often most desired And as for Christ's cross I never received evil of it but what was of mine own making when I miscooked Christ's physick no marvel that it hurt me For since it was on Christ's back it hath alwayes a sweet smell these 1600 Years it keepeth the smell of Christ nay it is elder then that too for it is a long time since Abel first hansel'd the cross had it laid upon his shoulders down from him all alongst to this very day all the saints have known what it is I am glad that Christ hath such a relation to this cross that it is called the cross of our Lord Iesus Gal. 6 v. 14. His reproaches Heb. 13 13. As if Christ would claim it as his proper goods so it cometh in the reckoning among Christ's own property If it were simple evil as sin is Christ who is not the author nor owner of sin would not own it I wonder at the enemies of Christ in whom malice hath run away with wit will is up wit down that they would essay to lift up the stone laid in Zion surely it is not laid in such sinking ground as that they can raise it or remove it for when we are in their belly they have swallowed us down they will be sick spue us out again I know Zion her Husband cannot both sleep at once I beleeve our Lord once again shall water with his dew the withered hill of mount Zion in Scotland come down make a new marriage again as he did long since Remember our Covenant Your excuse for your advice to me is needless Alas many sit beside light as sick folks beside meat cannot make use of it Grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 7. 1637. Your brother in Christ S. R. To Mr JOHN MEINE 80 Dear Brother I Received your letter I cannot but testifie under mine own hand that Christ is still the longer the better that this time is the time of loves When I have said all I can others may begin say I have said nothing of him I never knew Christ to ebbe or flow wax or wane his winds turn not when he seemeth to change it is but we who turn our wrong side to him I never had a plea with him in my hardest conflicts but of mine own making Oh that I could live in peace good neighbourhood with such a second let him alone My unbelief made many black lies but my recantation to Christ is not worth the hearing Surely he hath born with strange gâdes in me He knoweth my heart hath not naturall wit to keep quarters with such a Saviour Ye doe well to fear your own backsliding I had stood sure if I had in my youth borrowed Christ to be my bottom But he that beareth his own weight to heaven shall not fail to slip sink Ye had no need to be bare-footed among the thorns of this apostat generation lest a stob strike up in your foot cause you to halt all your dayes And think not Christ will doe with you in the matter of suffering as the Pope doeth in the matter of sin Ye shall not finde that Christ will sell a Dispensation or give a Dyvour's Protection against crosses Crosses are proclaimed as common Accidents to all the saints in them standeth a part of our communion with Christ But there lieth a sweet casuality to the cross even Christ's presence his comforts when they are sanctified Remember my love to your father mother Grace be with you Aberd. 7. Sept. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN FLEEMING Bailiffe of Leith 81 Much honoured in the Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you I am still in good termes with Christ however my Lord's wind blow I have the advantage of the calm sunny side of Christ. Devils hell Devil's servants are all blowen blinde in pursuing the Lord 's little Bride They shall be as a night-dream who fight against mount Zion Worthy Sir I hope ye take to heart the worth of your calling This great fair meeting of people will skaile the port is open for us As fast as time weareth out we flee away Eternity is at our elbow O how blessed are they who in time make Christ sure for themselves Salvation is a great errand I finde it hard to fetch heaven Oh that we could take pains on our lamps for the Bridegroom 's coming the other side of this world will be turned up incontinent up shall down these that are weeping in sack-cloth shall triumph on white horses with him whose name is The word of God These dying idols the fair creatures that we whorishly love better then our Creator will pass away like snow water The Godhead the Godhead a communion with God in Christ to be halvers with Christ of the purchased house inheritance in heaven should be your scope aime For my self when I lay my counts O what telling O what weighing is in Christ O how soft are his kisses O love love surpassing in Jesus I have no fault to that love but that it seemeth to deal niggardly with me I have little of it O that I had Christ's seen read band subscribed by himself for my fill of it What garland have I or what crown if I looked right on things but Jesus Oh there is no room in us on this side of the water for that love This narrow bit earth these ebbe narrow souls can hold little of it because we are full of rifts I would glory glory would enlarge us as it will make us tight close up our seams rifts that we might be able to comprehend it which yet is incomprehensible Remember my love to your wife Grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To ALEXANDER GORDON Of Earlestoun 82. Much honoured Sir HOwbeit I would have been glad to have seen you yet seeing our Lord hath been pleased to break the snare of your adversaries I heartily bless our Lord on your behalf Our crosses for Christ are not made of iron they are softer and of more gentle mettall It is easy for God to make a fool of the Devil the father of all fools As for me I but breath out what my Lord breatheth in The scum froth of my letters I father upon my own unbeleeving heart I know your Lord hath something to doe with you because Satan malice have shot sore at you but your bowe abideth in it's strength Ye shall not by my advice be a halver with Christ to divide the glory of your deliverance betwixt your self him or any other second mean whatsoever Let Christ as it setteth him well have all the glory triumph his alone The Lord set himself on high in you I
pull up the four stakes of this clay tent of the earth the last pickle of sand shall be at the nick of falling down in your watch-glass the master shall call the servants of the vincyard to give them their hire ye will esteem the bloom of this world's glory like the colours of the rain-bow that no man can put in his purse treasure Your labours pains shall then smile upon you My Lord now hath given me experience howbeit weak small that our best fare here is hunger we are but at God's by-board in this lower house we have cause to long for supper-time the high table up in the high palace This world deserveth nothing but the utter court of our soul. Lord hasten the marriage-marriage-supper of the Lamb. I finde it still peace to give up with this present world as with an old decourted cast-off lover My bread drink in it is not so much worth that I should not loath the Innes pack up my desires for Christ that I have sent out to the feckless creatures in it Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Your affectionat Brother Crhist's prisoner S. R. To the Laird of CALLY 132 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear how your soul prospereth I have that confidence that your soul mindeth Christ salvation I beseech you in the Lord give more pains diligence to fetch heaven then the countrey-sort of lazie professors who think their own faith their own godliness because it is their own best content themselves with a coldrife custom course with a resolution to summer winter in that sort of profession that the multitude and the times favour most and are still shaping and clipping and carving their faith according as it may best stand with their summer-sun and a whole skin and so breath out both hot and cold in God's matters according to the course of the times This is their compass they sail toward heaven by in stead of a better Worthy dear Sir separate your self from such and bend your self to the utmost of your strength breath in running fast for salvation and in taking Christ's Kingdom use violence It cost Christ and all his followers sharp showers and hot sweats ere they won to the top of the mountain But still our soft nature would have heaven coming to our bed-side when we are sleeping lving down with us that we might goe to heaven in warm clothes but all that came there â—ound wet feet by the way sharp storms that did take the hide off their face â—ound to 's fro's up's down's many enemies by the way It is impossible a man can take his lusts to heaven with him such wares as these will not be welcome there O how loath are we to forgoe our packalds burdens that hinder us to run our race with patience It is no small work to displease anger nature that we may please God O if it be hard to win one foot or half an inch out of our own will out of our own wit out of our own ease worldly lusts so to deny our self to say It is not I but Christ not I but grace not I but God's glory not I but God's love constraining me not I but the Lord's word not I but Christ's commanding power as King in me O what pains what a death is it to nature to turn me my self my lust my ease my credit over in my Lord my Saviour my King my God my Lord's will my Lord's grace But alas that idol that whorish creature my self is the master-idol we all bow to What made Evah miscarry what hurried her headlong upon the forbidden fruit but that wretched thing her self What drew that brother-murtherer to kill Abel That wilde himself What drove the old world on to corrupt their wayes Who but themselves their own pleasure What was the cause of Solomon's falling into idolatry multiplying of strange wives What but himself whom he would rather pleasure then God What was the hook that took David snared him first in adultery but his self-lust then in murther but his self-credit self-honour What led Peter on to deny his Lord Was it not a piece of himself self-love to a whole skin What made Iudas sell his Matter for 30 pieces of money but a piece of self-love idolizing of avaritions self What made Demas to goe off the way of the Gospel to embrace this present world even self love love of gain for himself Every man blameth the devil for his sins but the great devil the house-devil of every man the house-devil that eateth lieth in every man's bosom is that idol that killeth all himself O blessed are they who can deny themselves put Christ in the room of themselves O would to the Lord I had not a my self but Christ nor a my lust but Christ noâ— a my ease but Christ nor a my honour but Christ O sweet word Gal. 2 20. I live no more but Christ liveth in me O if every one would put away himself his own self his own ease his own pleasure his own credit his own twenty things his own hundred things that he setteth up as idols above Christ Dear Sir I know ye will be looking back to your old self to your self-lust self-idol that ye set up in the lusts of youth above Christ. Worthy Sir pardon this my freedom of love God is my witness that it is out of an earnest desire after your soul 's eternal welfare that I use this freedom of speech Your sun I know is lower your evening skie and sun-setting nearer then when I saw you last Strive to end your task before night and to make Christ your-self and to acquaint your love and your heart with the Lord Stand now by Christ and his truth when so many fail foully and are false to him I hope ye love him and his truth let me have power with you to confirm you in him I think more of my Lord 's sweet cross then of a crown of gold and a free Kingdom lying to it Sir I remember you in my prayers to the Lord â—…ding to my promise Help me with your prayers that our Lord would be pleased to bring me amongst you again with the Gospel of Christ Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweetest Lord and Master S. R. To JOHN GORDON Of Cardoness younger 133 Dearly beloved in our Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you I long exceedingly to hear of the case of your soul which hath a large share both of â—y prayers carefull thoughts Sir remember that a precious treasure prize is upon this short play that ye are now upon even the eternity of well or woe to your soul standeth upon the little point of your ill or well employed short swift
live being removed far from my acquaintance my lovers my friends I see God hath the world on his wheels casteth it as a potter doeth a vessel on the wheel I dare not say that there is any inordinat or irregular motion in Providence The Lord hath done it I will not goe to law with Christ for I would again nothing of that 3. I have learned some greater mortification not to mourn after or seek to suck the world's dry breasts Nay my Lord hath filled me with such dainties that I am like to a full banquettor who is not for common chear What have I to doe to fall down upon my knees worship mankind's great idol The World I have a better God then any clay-God Nay at present as I am now disposed I care not much to give this world a discharge of my life-rent of it for bread water I know it is not my home nor my father's house it is but his footstool the outer cloâ—ster of his house his out-field moor-ground Let bastards take it I hope never to think my self in it's common for honour or riches nay now I say to laughter Thou art madness 4. I finde it most true that the greatest tempâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to live without temptations if my waters should stand they would rot Faith is the better of the free air of the sharp winter-storm in it's face Grace withereth without adversity The Devil is but God's Master-fencer to teach us to handle our weapons 5. I never knew how weak I was till now when he hideth himself when I have him to seek seven times a day I am a dry withered branch a piece of a dead carcase dry bones not able to step over a straw The thoughts of my old sins are as the summonds of death to me And of late my Brother's case hath striken me to the heart when my wounds are closing a little rifle causeth them to bleed afresh So thin-skin'd is my soul that I think it is like a tender man's skin that may touch nothing ye see how short I would shoot of the prize if his grace were not sufficient for me Woe 's me for the day of Scotland Woe woe is me for my harlot-mother for the decree is gone forth women of this land shall call the childless miscarrying wombs blessed The anger of the Lord is gone forth shall not return till he perform the purpose of his heart against Scotland Yet he shall make Scotland a new sharp instrument having teeth to thresh the mountains fan the hills as chaff The prisoners blessing be upon you Aberd. March 14. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady BUSBIE 194 MTSTRESS I Know ye are thinking sometimes what Christ is doing in Zion that the haters of Zion may get the bottom of our cup the burning coals of our furnace that we have been tryed in these many yeers by gone O that this Nation would be awakened to cry mightily unto God for the setting up of a new â—abernacle to Christ in Scotland O if this Kiâ—gdom kneâ— how worthy Christ were of his room His worth waâ— eveâ— above man's â—stimation of him And for my self I aâ— pained at the heart that I cannot finde my self disposed to leavâ— myself goe wholly in to Christ Alas that there should bâ— oâ—e bit oâ— me out of him and that we leave too much liberty and latitude for our selves and our own ease and credit pleasures so little room for All-love-worthy Christ O what pains charges it costeth Christ ere he get us when all is done we are not worth the having It is a â—ondâ—r that he should seek the like of us but love overlooketh blacknes and â—ecklesness for if it had not been so Christ would never have made so fair blessed a bargain with us as the covenant of Grace is I finde that in all our sufferings Christ is but â—iddiâ—g marches that every one of us may say Mine Tâ—ine and that men may know by their crosses how weak a bottom nature is to stand under a trial that then which our Lord intendeth in all our sufferings is to bring Graâ—e in â—â—uit aâ—d râ—quâ—st amongst us I would succumb and â—â—me shoâ—t of hea en if I had no more but my own strength to sâ—pport me and if Christ should say to me Eitâ—â—r doe or die it were easie to determine what should become of me the châ—ice were easie for I bâ—hooved to die if Christ should passe by witâ— straiâ—ned bowel and who then would take us up in our strâ—its I know we may say that Christ is kindest in his love when we are at our weakest and that if Christ had not been to the fore in our sad dayes the waters had gone over our soul His mercy haâ—h a â—et period and appointed place how far no further the sâ—a of affliction shall flow and where the waves thereof shall be stâ—yed he prescribeth how much pain and sorrow both for weight and measure we must have Ye have then good cause to râ—call your love from all lovers and give it to Christ He who is afflicted in all your afflictions looketh not oâ— you iâ— your sad hours with an insensible heart or dry eyes All the Lords saints may see that it is lost love whâ—ch is bestowed upon this perishing world death judgement will make men lament that ever their miscarrying heart â—arryed them to lay lavish out their love upon false appearances right-dreams Alas that Christ should fare the worse because o◠〈◊〉 own goodness in making peace the gospel to ride together that wâ— have never yet weighed the worth of Christ in his ordinances that now we are like to be deprived of the well ere we have tasted the sweetness of the water it may be with waterâ— eyes 〈◊〉 a wâ—t face and weaâ—iâ—d feet we seek Christ shall not findâ— him â—h that this land were humbled in time and by prayers â—â—ye humiliation would bring Christ in at the churchdoor again now when his back is turned toward us and he is gone to the threshold his one foot as it werâ— is out of the â—oor I am sure his departure is our deserving we have bought it with our iniquities for even the Lord 's own children are fallen asleep And alas professours are made all of shews fashions and are not at pains to recover themselves again Every one hath his set measure of faith holiness and coâ—teâ—teth himself with a stinted measure of godliness as if that were â—â—ough to bring them to heaven We forget that as our gifts and light grow so God's gain and the interest of his talents should grow also and that we cannot pay God with the old use and wont as we use to speak which we gave him seven yeers agoe for this were to mock the Lord and to make price with him as
friend although ye should never see her again your care for her would be but small Oh now is she not with a dear friend gone higher upon a certain hope that ye shall in the Resurrection see her again when be ye sure she shall neither be hectick nor consumed in body Ye would be sorry either to be or to be esteeemed an Atheist yet not I but the Apostle 1 Thess. 4â— 13. thinketh these to be hopeless Atheists who mourn excessively for the dead but this is not a challenge on my part I doe speak this onely fearing your weakness for your daughter was a part of yourself therefore nature in you being as it were cut halved will indeed be grieved but ye have to rejoyce that when a part of you is on earth a great part of you is glorified in heaven Follow her but envy her not for indeed it is self-love in us that maketh us mourn for them that die in the Lord Why because for them we cannot mourn since they are never happy till they be dead therefore we mourn for our own private respect take heed then that in shewing your affection in mourning for your daughter ye be not out of self-affection mourning for your self Consider what the Lord is doing in it your daughter is plucked out of the fire she resteth from her labours your Lord in that is trying you casting you in the fire Goe through all fires to your rest now remember that the eye of God is upon you beholding your patience faith he delighteth to see you in the burning bush not consumed he is gladly content that such a weak woman as ye should send Satan away frustrate of his design Now honour God shame the strong roaring lion when ye seem weakest Should such a one as ye faint in the day of adversity Call to minde the dayes of old the Lord yet liveth trust in him although he should stay you faith iâ— exceeding charitable beleeveth no evil of God Now is the Lord laying in the one scale of the ballance your making conscience of submission to his gracious will in the other your affection love to your daughter which of the two will ye then chuse to satisfie Be wise then as I trust ye love Christ better then a sinfull woman pass by your daughter kiss the Lord's rod. Men doe lop the branches off their trees round about to the end they may grow up high tall The Lord hath this way lopped your branch in taking from you many children to the end ye should grow upward like one of the Lord's cedars setting your heart above where Christ is at the right hand of the father what is next but that your Lord cut down the stock after he hath cutted the branches Prepare your self ye are nearer your daughter this day then ye were yesterday while ye prodigally spend time in mourning for her ye are speedily posting after her Run your race with patieÌ„ce let God have his own ask of him in stead of your daughter which he hath taken from you the daughter of faith which is Patience in patience possess your soul. Lift up your head ye doe not know how near your redemption doeth draw Thus recommending you to the Lord who is able to establish you â—â—â—st Anwoth April 23. 1628. Your loving affects not fâ—… in the Lord Iesus S. R. To the elect noble Lady my Lady Kenmure 4 MADAM SAluting your La with grace mercy from God our father from om Lord Jesus Christ I was sorry at my departure leaving your La in grief would still be gâ—…d at it if I were not assured that ye have one with you in the â—urnace 〈◊〉 visage is like unto the Son of God I am glad that ye have been acquainted from your youth with the wrestlings of God that ye getscarce liberty to swallow down your spittle being casten from furnace to furnace knowing if ye were not dear to God and if your health did not require so much of him he would not spend so much Physick upon you All the brethren sisters of Christ must be conform to his image copy in suffering Rom 8 And some doe more vively resemble the copy then others Think Madam that it is a part of your glory to be enrolled among these whom one of the Elders Rev. 7 14. pointeth out to Iohn thâ—se are they which came out of great tribulation have washed their robes made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Behold your forerunner going out of the world all in a lake of blood it is not ill to die as he did Fulfill with joy the remnant of the grounds remainders of the afflictions of Christ in your body Ye have lost a childe Nay She is not lost to you who is found to Christ she is not sent away but onely sent before like unto a star which going out of our sight doeth not die evanish but shineth in another hemisphere ye see her not yet she doeth shine in another countrey If her glass was but a short hour what she wanteth of time that she hath gotten of eternity ye have to rejoyce that ye have now some plenishing up in heaven Build your nest upon no tree here for ye see God hath sold the forrest to death and every tree whereupon we would rest is ready to be cut down to the end we may flee mount up build upon the rock dwell in the holes of the rock What ye love besides Jesus your husband is an adulterous lover Now it is God's special blessing to Iudah that he will not let her finde her paths in following her strange lovers Hos. 2 6. Therefore behold I will hedge up her way with thorns make a wall that she shall not finde her paths v. 7. And she shall follow after her lovers but she shall not overtakè them O thrice happy Iudah when God buildeth a double stone-wall betwixt her the fire of hell The World the things of the World Madam is the lover ye naturally affect beside your own husband Christ The hedge of thorns the wall which God buildeth in your way to hinder you from this lover is the thorny hedge of daily grief loss of children weakness of body iniquity of the time uncertainty of estate lack of worldly comfort fear of God's anger for old unrepented of sins What lose ye if God twist â—let the hedge daily thicker God be blessed the Lord will not let you finde your paths Return to your first husband Doe not weary neither think that Death walketh towards you with a slow pace ye must be riper ere ye be shaken your daves are no longer then Iob's that were swifter then a post passed away as the ships of desire as the Eagle that hasteth for the prey Iob. 9 25 26. There is less sand in
your La to grow as a palm-tree on God's mount Zion howbeit shaken with winds yet the root is fast This is all I can doe to recommend your case to your Lord who hath you written upon the palms of his hand if I were able to doe more your La may beleeve me that gladly I would I trust shortly to see your La Now he who hath called you confirm stablish your heart in grace unto the day of the liberty of the sons of God Ardwell April 29. 1634. Your La at all submissive obedience in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 20 My very Noble worthy Lady SO oft as I call to minde the comforts that I my self a poor friendless stranger received from your La here in a strange part of the countrey when my Lord took from me the delight of mine eyes as the word speaketh Ezek. 24. 16. which wound is not yet fully healed cured I trust your Lord shall remember that give you comfort now at such a time as this wherein your dearest Lord hath made you a widow that ye may be a free Woman for Christ who is now suteing for marriage-love of you therefore since you lie alone in your bed let Christ be as a bundle of myrrhe to sleep lie all the night betwixt your breasts Cant. 1 13. then your bed is better filled then before And seeing amongst all crosses spoken of in our Lord's word this giveth you a particular right to make God your husband which was not so yours while your husband was alive read God's mercy out of this visitation And albeit I must out of some experience say the mourning for the husband of your youth be by God's own mouth the heaviest wordly sorrow Ioel 1. 8. though this be the weightiest burden that ever lay upon your back Yet ye know when the fields are eâ—ptied your husband now asleep in the Lord if ye shall wait upon him who hideth his face for a while that it lieth upon God's honour truth to ful the field to be a husband to the widow See consider then what ye have lost how little it is Therefore Madam let me intreat you in the bowels of Christ Jesus by the comforts of his Spirit your appearance before him let God men Angels now see what is in you The Lord hath pâ—irced the vessel it will be known whether there be in it wine or water let your faith patience be seen that it may be known your onely beloved first and last hath been Christ And therefore now were your whole love upon him he alone is a sutable object for your love and all the affections of your soul God hath dried up one channel of your love by the removal of your husband let now that speat run upon Christ. Your Lord lover hath graciously taken out your husband's name your name out of the summonds that are raised at the instance of the terrible sin-revenging Judge of the world against the house of the Kenmure And I dare say that God's hammering of you from your youth is onely to make you a fair carved stone in the high upper temple of the new Ierusalem Your Lord never thought this world 's vain painted glory a gift worthy of you therefore would not bestow it on you because he is to propine you with a better portion Let the moveables goe the inheritance is yours Ye are a childe of the house joy is laid up for you it is long in coming but not the worse for that I am now expecting to see that with joy comfort that which I hoped of you since I knew you fully even that ye have laid such strength upon the Holy One of Israel that yed â—sie troubles that your soul is a castle that may be beâ—â—â—ged but cannot be taken What have ye to doe here This would never looked like a friend upon you ye ow it little love it looked ever sowre-like upon you Howbeit ye should wooe it it will not match with you therefore never seek warm fire under cold ice This is not a field where your happiness groweth it is up above where Rev. 7. 9. there are a great multitude which no man can number of all nations Kindreds people tongues standing before the throne before the Lamb clothed with wâ—â—te robes palms in their hands What ye could never get here ye shall finde there And withall consider how in all these trials truly they have been many your Lord hath been loosing you at the root from perishing things hunting after you to grip your soul Madam for the Son of God's sake let him not miss his grip but stay abide in the love of God as Iude saith ver 21 Now Madam I hope your La will take these lines in good part wherein I have fallen short failed to your La in not evidencing what I was obliged to your more then undeserved love respect I request for a full pardon for it Again my dear noble Lady let me beseech you to list up your head for the day of your redemption draweth near And remember that star that shined in Galloway is now shining in another world Now I pray that God may answer his own stile to your soul that he may be to you the God of all consolations Thus I remain Anwoth Sept. 14. 1634. Your La at all dutifull obedience in the Lord S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 21 MADAM ALl dutifull obedience in our Lord remembered I know ye are now near one of these strairs in which ye have been before But because your outward comforts are fewer I pray him whose ye are to supply what ye want an other way for howbeit we cannot win to the bottom of his wise Providence who ruleth all yet it is certain this is not onely good which the Almighty hath done but it is best he hath reckoned all your steps to heaven if your La were through this water there are the fewer behinde if this were the last I hope your La hath learned by on-waiting to make your acquaintance with Death which being to the Lord the woman's seed Iesus onely a bloody heel not a broken head Gen. 3 15. cannot be ill to his friends who get fâ—r less of Death then himself Therefore Madam seeing ye know not but the journey is ended ye are come to the water-side in God's wisdom look all your papers your counts whether ye be ready to receive the Kingdom of heaven as a little childe in whom there is little haughtiness much humility I would be far from discouraging your La but there is an absolute necessity that near eternity we look ere we leap seeing no man winneth back again to mend his leap I am confident your La thinketh often upon it that your old guide shall goe before you take
glory far above the air breathings of mouths the thin short poor applauses of men before you in God All the creatures all the swords all the hosts in Britain and in this poor glob of the habitable world are but under him single ciphers making no number the product being nothing but painted men painted swords in a brod without influence from him And O what of God is in Gideon's sword when it is the sword of the Lord I wish a sword from heaven to you orders from heaven to you to goe out as much peremptorinesse of a heavenly will as to say abide by it I will not I shall not goe out except thou goe with me I desire not to be rash in judging but I am a stranger to the minde of Christ If our Adversaries who have unjustly invaded us be not now in the camp of these that make war with the Lamb but the lamb shall overcome them at length for he is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings they who are with him are called chosen faithfull though ye I see but the dark side of God's dispensations this day towards Britain yet the fair beautifull desireable close of it must be the confederacie of the nations of the world with Britain's Lord of Armies let me die in the coÌ„forts of the faith of â—â—i that a throne shall be set up for Christ in this Island of great Britain which is shall be a garden more fruitfull of trees of righteousness payeth shall pay moe thousands to the Lord of the vineyard then is paid in thrice the bounds of great Britain upon the earth And then there can be neither Papist Prelate Cavalâ—er Malignant nor Sectarie who dare draw a sword against him that sitteth upon the throne Sir I shall wish a clean Army so far as may be that the shout of a King who hath many crowns may be among you that ye may fight in faith and prevail with God first Think it your glory to have a sword to act suffer and die if it please him so being ye may adde any thing to the declarative glory of Christ the plant of renown Immanuel God with us Happy thrice blessed are they by whose actings or blood or pain or loss the diadems rubies of his highest glorious crown whose ye are shall gliâ—ter and shine in this quarter of the habitable world Though he need not Gilbert Ker nor his sword yet this honour have ye with his redeemed souldiers to call Christ High Lord General of whom ye hope for pay and all areers well told Goe on worthy Sir in the courage of faith following the Lamb make not haste unbeleevingly but in hope silence keep the watch tower look out he will come in his own time his salvation shall not tarry he shall place salvation in Britain's Zion for Israel his glory His good will who dwelt in the bush it burnt not be yours with you I am St Andrews August 10. 1650. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S R. To the worthy much honoured Collonel G. KER 58 Much honoured worthy Sir WHat I wrote to you before I spake not upon any private warrant I am where I was Cromwell and his I shall not say but there may be are severall sober godly amongst them who have either joyned through misinformation or have gone alongst with the rest in the simplicitie of their hearts not knowing any thing fight in an unjust cause against the Lord's secret ones now to the trampling of the worship of God persecuting the people of God in England Ireland he hath brought upon his score the blood of the people of God in Scotland I intreat you Dear Sir as ye desire to be serviceable to Jesus Christ whose free grace prevented you when ye were his enemy goe on without fainting equally eschewing all mixture with Sectaries Malignants neither of the two shall ever be instrumentall to save the Lords people or build his house And without prophesying or speaking further then he whose I am whom I desire to serve in the Gospel of his son shall warrant I desire to hope doe beleeve there is a glory a majesty of the Prince of the Kings of the earth that shall shine appear in great Britain which shall Darken all the glory of men confound Sectaries Malignants rejoyce the spirits of the followers of the Lamb dazle the eyes of beholders Sir I suppose that God is to gather Malignants Sectaries ere all be done as sheaves in a barn-floor to bid the Daughter of Zion arise thresh I hope ye will mix with none of them I am aboundantly satisfied that our Armie through the sinfull miscarriage of men hath fallen dare say it is a better a more comfortable dispensation then if the Lord had given us the victory and the necks of the reproachers of the way of God because he hath done it For. 1. More blood blasphemies cruelty treachery must be upon the accounts of the men whose land the Lord forbade us to invade 2. Victory is such a burdening weighty mercy that we have not strength to bear it as yet 3. That was not the Army nor Gideon's three hinderth by whom he is to save us We must have one of the Lord's carving 4. Our enimies on both sides are not enough hardned nor we enough mortified to multitude valour Creatures Grace grace be with you St Andrews Sept. 5. 1650. Your friend servant in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the worthy much honoured Collonel G. KER 59 Much honoured worthy Sir IT is considerable that the Lord may often doeth call to a work yet hide himself try the faith of his own If I conceive aright the Lord hath called you to act against that enemy the withdrawers of their sword in my weak apprehension adde their seale unto take upon them the guilt of that unjust invasion of this Land made by Cromwel's Army of the blood of the Lord's people in this Kingdom since the sword put into the hand of his Children is to execute wrath vengeance upon evil doers the Lord's time of appearing for his broken Land is reserved to the breathings of the Spirit of the Lord such as came upon Gideon Sampson that is an Act of princely royal soveraignity in God Ye are Sir to lay hold on opportunities of providence to wait for him As for your parcular treating by your selves with the invaders of our land I have no minde to it doe look upon their way as a carriyng on of the mystery of iniquity for Babylon is a seat of many names Sir let this controversie stand undecided till the second appearance of Jesus Christ our Appeal lye before the throne undiscussed till that day I hope to lie down in
satisfie thy desire nor answer thy expectation It 's not my present work to tell thee that he was a Gentleman by extraction That he was educat at Scholes Colleges where he was admired for the Pregnancy of his parts deservedly looked upon even then as a person of whom great things might be expected Of his being pitched upon for a Profession of Philosophy by the College of Edinburgh where he was educat when he was yet very young Of his being called thence to the Ministery in Anwoth to which charge be entered by the means of that worthy Noble-man my Lord Kenmur without giving any engagment to the Bishop where he laboured night day with great success the whole countrey being to him accounting themselves as his particular flock There it was where he wrote that great Master-piece of Learning against the Arminians wich yet was but a compend of what he then intended his Exercitationes Apologeticae Of his persecution by the Prelats who were so sound in the faith as to challenge and accuse him for writting that book Being called before their high Commission court he appeared declined it as none of the Courts of Christ nor was there need of any thing else for a confirmation that it came not from on high but from below save it 's procedor for it's Acts had the very dy and visage of hell upon them If they will plead that it is from above they will be pusled to pitch upon a period or fix upon any other time when it came down except with the fallen Angels but it may be this please such Angells of the Church so they will be called for they boast much of Antiquity And truely that which gives ground â—or this conjecture that it came down from heaven in that company is that it persecuts the saints and servants of the most high if there were none such upon earth it would have no work was by this high Commission put from his ministery sent to Aberdeen where the Doctors found to their confusion that the Puritans were Clergy-men aswell as they Of his returning to his former Charge upon that happy change of affairs in the Yeer 1638 his being shorthly after sent to the profession of Theology in the Vniversity of St Andrews by the Generall Assembly where he was also called to be worthy Mr Blair's Collegue in the Ministery which being the seat of the Arch-preâ—ate was the very Nursery of all superstition in worship Errour in Doctrine the sink of all Profanity in conversation amongst the Students where God did so singularly second his servants indefatigable pains both in teaching in the Schooles preaching in the Congregation that it became forth with a Lebanon out of which were taken Cedars for building the house of the Lord through the whole land Not a few of whom are this day amongst these who have obtained mercy of the Lord to be his faithfull witnesses against Scotland's present shamfull unparaleelled defection Of his being sent with other worthy Ministers by the Generall Assembly to the famous Synod at London where during the time of his aboad he published severall pieces In a word of his unparaleelled painfullness holy Zeal in being about his Master's business so that he seemed to pray Constantly to preach constantly to catechise constantly to be still in visiting the sick in exhorting from house to house to teach as much in the schooles spend as much time with the young men as if he had been sequestrat from all the world besids withall to write as much as if he had been constantly shut up in his closet sufficient proof whereof hath been given to the world by the many pieces he hath published but the great bulk of Manuscripts which he hath left behinde him must lie buried with himself will put this further out of doubt so that one Mr Rutherfoord seemed to be many able godly men in one or one who was furnished with the grace and abilities of many It is not I say my present purpose to give any particular account to the world of these or of the many things he had to wrestle with especially towards the end of his dayes of his edifying death that may be done herafter by a more dexterous hand skillfull pen with much advantage edification to the Church of God Onely I may say that if amongst the heathens Hercules was looked upon as so far both above the applause of any who undertook to commend him beyond the reach of the obloquie reproach of any who had so fallen out with his wits as to derogat from his worth that it was a Probleme amongst them whether he who undertook to praise him or he who vented any thing to his prejudice did commit the greatest Soloecisme though it was but Belluina gloria whereof he could boast I suppose with more reasoÌ„ among them who know better to make the true paralleel betwixt things that differ are more fit to judge of that which is of true worth great price in the sight of God I should seem more ridiculous to say much to the advantage of the Author whose praise without the help of my blunt pen is in all the Churches of Christ whose manner of life in all Godliness holy conversation rendered him dear to the lovers of holmess who hath left his name for a blessing to the chosen of God he was a true Iohn the Baptist indeed totus vox a voice in habit gesture conversation in a word in his life at his death he obtained that mercy of the Lord even when he said nothing to preach to all who beheld his conversation which was observed to be in heaven while he conversed amongst men that their was nothing good but to draw near to God And now being got up above amongst these pages of honour who wait upon the King 's own person having taken up his place amongst the spirits of just men made perfect after which this saint often panted for which he prayed night day he doth by these Epistles which he hath left behinde him wherein thou wilt perceive how his soul was drawn forth in uncessant longings after that whereof he is now possessed cry aloud to you his companions the saints that are in the world to come up hither see that which cannot be seen while ye are there that which is onely worth the seeing that which if it were known would make you quarrel with death for delaying to shut your eyes upon other objects Leave the dark world doth he say come up hither to this blessed land of light where all our childish thoughts of God are gone evanished in this noon-day-vision where the understanding is fully illuminat there is no cloud to be-night or eclipse the soul in it's uptakings of God where the will hath a through compliance with a perfect complacencie in the will
acceptable to them for whom they were at first written to these for whom they are now principally intended because the life emphasis of the Phrase is often found to lie in that very word But having kept thee under too long an arrest in the entry I leave thee now to peruse these profitable Epistles which are an account of the many sweet hours comfortable soliloquies which that eminent saint sufferer had with God in the furnace of his affliction Wherein there is much to be seen beyond the ordinary attainment of a Christian even who hath made some remarkable progress is no small proficient in the wayes of God I nothing doubt but when thou perceivest while thou readest how much pure zeal to God doth burne in these lines thou wilt Lament the lose of such a blessed instrument now when the Church of God is brought so very low there are so few of all the sons whom she hath nourished brought up to take her by the hand I grant it is both a rational religious sorrow for when we remember the many eminent lights the removal of whom hath brought a sad darke night upon the Church which did laâ—ly shine amongst us most say they are gone who were our faithfull guids it would almost seem pardonable to abandon our selves to sorrow refuse to be comforted Quis â—alia fando tempereâ— a lachrimis Yet give me leave to suggest these things 1 Let not the tear so blinde thine eye as not to observe the goodness of God who gave us such It was a saying of an eminent excercised Christian worthy to be remembred in this present case to be put upon record for posterity perceiving many sorrowfull upon the removal of one of the most burning shining lights that Britain had to boast of that great Interpreter Mr Durhame I mean turne your tears sighes for this loss said that worthy person though it seem to you almost irreeparable an age hardly producing such an other into songs of praises doe not so indulge your sorrow because the Master hath called home an Ambassadour who did so faithfully successfully negotiat for him as ye forget in the mean time to praise the Lord of the harvest who thrust forth such a labourer into his vinyard Let not the greatness of your grief make you forget the riches of his goodness to the Church of Christ in Scotland in that there was a Mr Durhame to die out of it So I say when in reading of these thou remembers that the worthy Author is gone to his rest yet be not guilty of so much ingratitude through the excess of thy grief as to froget God's care of kindness to the Church of Scotland who amongst others gave her a Mr Rutherfoord one who was not onely famous at home abroad for his great Learning but such a Minister of the Gospel as I suppose there is not a godly Minister in the Nation who knew his painfulness his tenderness his zeal his shining Gospel adorning Conversation that will think he wrongs himself in giving the presence to him whose watching weeping unwearied pains to propagate the truth profite the souls of men made him without a match or equal Left deep convictions of short-coming even upon them who may with a rational confidence expect the approbation of well done good faithfull servants at the day of their appearance die in the faith of this that when the great shepherd shall appear they shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away 2 If no other consideration can dâ—y up thy tears or divert thy sorrow while thou doest remember thy own the Churches loss yet remember that this is sufficient to make the mourne in hope that the residâ—e of the spirit is with him We cannot I grant weep back again though it 's like some would be content to weep themselves blinde if that were lawfull would doe it our famous faithfull Knoxes Davidsons Welshes Bruces Hendersons Rutherfoords Gilâ—spies Guthries with a great many 〈◊〉 sids of their brethren companions who did build fight with them were the restorers of the breaches amongst us whereby they obtained a good report are at this day of blessed memory indeed but is there no hope to see them alive in other mens persons I grant their is but little appearance of that for the present For Alas may we say where is theâ—e a man of that spirit to be found Yet let us not adde this to all the rest of our provocations in this wilderness-lot to limit the holy one of Israel since these had nothing but what they did receive he can furnish the Church with men of the same parts zeal With men who will shine in light so that their enemies must lay their hand upon their mouth when they have spoken burne in love to God his interests truely it concerns all the people of God to be much in importuning him that he would again give us such standard bearers that that he would remember us now in our low estate by raising up such who may be as the Charets horsemen of Israel when the spirit of most is under such a faint the men of might doe not finde their hands If we were up doing in this which is one great part of our work in such a sad time gave him no rest who knowes but he would yet breath upon many who are now as dry bones without life or motion make them stand up for him plead his cause against them who have lifted up their head against heaven their heel against his people They who by falling asleep till their hair was cut that they were not in case to shake themselves as at other times when their enemies were upon them might yet spil their adversaries sport bring down their Babel about their ears if the spirit of the Lord came upon them as at othertimes Or if this were not to be expected he could raise up a generation who would serve him with more zeal faithfulness then we have done that in such a number as should make his Church say who hath begotten me all these And where have they been It my be that he who waits to be gracious is waiting to be enâ—…ated to doe this good thing for us Surely if we were a people of prayer particularly for this Church Nation-mercy we might be surprised now when we have scarce a tokenn for good when our lukwarme temper hath banished the faith of such a mercy almost out of the earth with such a reâ—urâ—â— aâ— that I will clothethy Priests with salvation thy saiâ—…s â—all yet shout aloud for joy I will pour down such a plentifull the â—sure of the spirit upon them that by their zeal faithfulness the years which thiâ— cankerworme caterpillar of luke warness hath eaten up
greater then ten whole earths or ten worlds O what beauty would be in it and what a smell would it cast but a blast of the breath of that fairest rose in all Gods Paradise even of Christ Jesus our Lord one look of that fairest face would be infinitly in beauty and smell above all imaginable and created glory I wonder that men dow bide off Christ I would esteem my self blessed if I could make an open proclamation and gather all the world that are living upon the earth Jew and Gentile and all that shall be borne to the blowing of the last trumpet to flock round about Christ and to stand looking wondering admiring and adoring his beauty and sweetnesse for his fire is hotter then any other fire his love sweeter then common love his beauty surpasseth all other beauty When I am heavie and sad one of his love-looks would do me meekel worlds good o if ye would fall in love with him Hovv blessed were I how glad would my soul be to help you to love him but amongst us all we could not love him enough he is the Son of the Fathers love and Gods delight the Fathers love lieth all upon him o if all mankind would fetch all their love and lay it upon him invit him and take him home to your houses in the exercise of prayer morning and evening as I often desired you especially now let him not want lodgeing in your houses nor lie in the feilds when he is shut out of pulpits and Kirks If ye will be content to take heaven by violence the wind on your face for Christ and his crosse I am here one who hath some tryall of Christs crosse I can say that Christ was ever kind to me but he overcometh himself if I may speak so in kindness vvhile I suffer for him I give you my word for it Christs crosse is not so evil as they call it it is sweet light and comfortable I would not want the visitations of love and the very breathings of Christs mouth when he kisseth and my Lords delightsome smiles and love-embracements under my sufferings for him for a mountain of fine gold nor for all the honours court and grandour of velvet-kirk-men Christ hath the yolke and heart of my love I am my beloveds and my welbeloved is mine O that ye were all handfasted to Christ o my Dearly beloved in the Lord I would I could change my voice and had a tongue tuned with the hand of my Lord and had the art of speaking of Christ that I might paint out unto you the worth and highnesse and greatnesse and excellencie of that fairest and renowned bridegroom I beseech you by the mercies of the Lord by the sighes tears heart blood of our Lord Jesus by the salvation of your poor and precious souls set up the mountain that ye and I may meet before the Lambs throne amongst the congregation of the first borne Lord grant that that may be the trysting place that ye and I may put up our hands together and pluck and eat the apples oâ— the tree of life and we may feast together and drink together of that pure river of the water of life that cometh out from under the throne of God and from the Lamb O how little is your hand-breadth and span length of dayes here your inch of time is Lesse then when ye and I parted eternitie eternitie is comeing posting on with wings then shall every mans black 's and whit's be brought to light O how low will your thoughts be of this fair-skined but heart roten apple the vain vain fecklesse world when the wormes shall make their houses in your eye holes and shall eat aâ—â— the flesh from the ball of your cheeks and shall make that body a number of drie bones think not the common gate of serving God as neighbour and others doe will bring yow to heaven few few are saved the Devils court is thick and many he haththe greatest number of mankind for his vassels I know this world is a great forrest of thornes in your way to heaven but ye most through it acquaint your selves with the Lord hold fast Christ hear his voice only blesse his name sanctifie and keep his day keep the new commandment love one another let the Holy Spirit dwell in your bodies and be clean and holy love not the worldly not love and follow truth learn to know God keep in mind what I taught you for God will seek ane account of it when I am far from you abstain from all evil and all appearance of evil follow good carefully and seek peace and follow after it honour your King and pray for him remember me to God in your prayers I dow not forget you I told you often while I was with you and now I write it again heavie sad and sore is that strok of the Lords wrath that is comeing upon Scotland woe woe woe to this Harlotland for they shall take the cup of Gods wrath from his hand and drink and spue and fall and net rise again In In In with speed to your strong hold ye prisoners of hope hide you there while the anger of the Lord passe Follow not the Pastors of this Land for the sun is gone down upon them as the Lord liveth they lead you from Christ and from the good old way yet the Lord will keep the holy Citie and make this withered Kirk to bud again like a rose and a field blessed of the Lord. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all The prayers and blessing of a prisoner of Christs in bonds for him and for you be with you all AMEN Aberden July 14. 1637. Your Lawfull and loving Pastor S. R. To the Honourable Reverend and Welbeloved Professors of Christ his Truth in sincerity in Ireland 3 DEarly beloved in our Lord partakers of the heavenly calling Grace mercy peace be to you from God our father from our Lord Jesus Christ I alwayes but most of all now in my bonds most sweet bonds for Christ my Lord rejoyce to hear of your faith and love to hear that our King our welbeloved our bridegroom without tireing stayeth still to wooe you as his wife and that persecutions mockings of sinners have not chased away the wooer from the house I perswade you in the Lord the men of God now Scattered driven from you put you upon the right sent and pursuit of Christ my salvation on it if ten heavens were mine if this way this way that I now suffer for this way that the world nicknameth and reproacheth no other way be not the Kings gate to heaven I shall never see Gods face and alace I were a beguiled wretch if it were so if this be not the only saving way to heaven Oh that you would take a prisoner of Christs word for it nay I know you have the greatest Kings word for it
put to exercise I kept low Worthy dear Brother in our Lord Jesus I write that from my heart which ye now read 1. I avouch that Christ sweating sighing under his cross is sweeter to me by far then all the Kingdoms in the world could possibly be 2. If you my dearest acquaintance in Christ reap any fruit by my sufferring let me be weighed in God's even ballance if my joy be not fulfilled What am I to carry the marks of such a great King But howbeit I am a sink sinfull mass a wretched captive of sin my Lord Jesus can hew heaven out of worse timber then I am if worse can be 3. I now rejoyce with joy unspeakable glorious that I never purposed posed to bring Christ noâ— the least hoof or hair-breadth of truth under 〈◊〉 I desired to have keep Christ all alone that he should never rub clothes with that black-skin'd harlot of Rome I am now fully payed home so that nothing aileth me for the present but love-sickness for a â—â—all possession of my faire â—t welbeloved I would give him my bond under my faith hand to frist heaven an hundred yeers longer so being he would lay his holy face to my sometimes wet cheeks Oh who would not pity me to know how fain I would have the King shaking the tree of life upon me or letting me in to the well of life with my old dish that I might be drunken with the fountain here in the house of my pilgrimage I cannot nay I would not be quite of Christs love Hâ— hath left the marke behinde him where he gripped He goeth away leaveth me his burning love to wrestle together I can scarce win my meat of his love because of absence My Lord giveth me but hungry half-kisses which serve to feed pain increase hunger but doe not satisfie my desires His dieting of my soul for this race maketh me lean I have gotten the waile choice of Christ's crosses even the â—ithe the flower of the gold of all crosses to bear witness to the truth herein finde I liberty joy access life comfort love â—aith submission patience resolution to take delight in on-waiting with all in my race he hath come near me let me see the gold crown What then want I but fruition reall enjoyment which is reserved to my countrey Let no man think he shall lose at Christs hands in suffering for him 4. For these present trials they are most dangerous for people shall be stolen off their feet with well washen white-skin'd pretences of indifferency but it is the power of the great Antichrist working in this land Woe woe woe be to Apostat Scotland there is wrath a cup of the red wine of the wrath of God Almighty in the Lords hand that they â—hall drink and spue and fall and not rise again The star called Wormwood Gall is fallen in the fountaines and rivers hath made them bitter the sword of the Lord is â—ourbished against the Idol-shepherds of the lâ—nd women shall bless the barren womb miscarrying breasts all hearts shall be faint and all knees shall tremble an end is coming the leopard and the lion shall watch over our cities houses great fair shall be desolate without an inhabitant the Lord hath said Pray not for this people for I have taken my pâ—ace from them yet the Lord's third part shall come through the fire as refined gold for the treasure of the Lord the out-casts of Scotland shall be gathered together again the wilderness shall blossome as the flower bud grow as the rose oâ— Sharon great shall be the glory of the Lord upon Scotland 5. 〈◊〉 am here asâ—aulted with the learned pregnant wits of this Kingdom but all honour be to my Lord truth but laugheth at beâ—isted blinded Scribes disputers of this world Gods wisdom confoundeth them Christ triumpheth in his own strong truth that speaketh for it self 6. I doubt not but my Lord is preparing me for heavier trialâ— I am most ready at the good pleasure of my Lord in the strength of his grace for any thing he shall be pleased to call me to neither shall the last black-faced messenger Death be holden at the door when it shall knock If my Lord will take honour of the like of me how glad joyâ—ull shall my soul be Let Christ come out with me to an hotter battell then this I shall fear no flesh I know that my master will win the day that he hath taken the ordering of my sufferings in his own hand 7. As for my deliverance that miscarrieth I am here by my Lords grace to lay my hand on my mouth to be silent wait on my Lord Jesus is on his Journey for my deliverance I will not grudge that he runneth not so fast as I would have him On-waiting till the swelling rivers fall till my Lord arise as a mighty man after strong wine shall be my best I have not yet resisted to blood 8. O how often am I laid in the dust and urged by the tempter who can ride his own errands upon our lying apprehensions to sin against the unchangeable love of my Lord. When I think upon the sparrowes swallowes that build their nests in the Kirk of Anwoth and of my dumb sabbaths my sorrowfull blâ—ired eyes look asquint upon Christ and present him as angry But in this triall all honour to our princely and â—oyall â—ing faith â—aileth â—â—ir before the wiâ—d with top â—aile up and carrieth the poor passâ—nger through I â—ay inhibitions upon my thoughts that they receive no slanders of my onely onely Beloved let him even â—ay out of his own mouth There is no hope yet I will die in that sweet beguile 〈◊〉 is not so Iâ— all see the Salvation of God Let me be deceived really and never win to dry land it is my joy to beleeve under the water to die with faith in my hand gripping Christ let my conceptions of Christs love goe to the grave with me to hell with me I may not I dare not quite them I hope to keep Christs pawne if he never come to loose it let him see to his own promise I know Presumption howbeit it be made of stoutness will not thus be wilfull in heavie trials Now my dearest in Christ the great messenger of the Covenant the onely wise alsufficient Iehovah establish you to the end I hear the Lord hath been at your house hath called home your 〈◊〉 to her rest I know Sir ye see the Lord loosing the pâ—â—s of your tabernacle wooing your love from this plaistered over-guilded world calling upon you to be making your self ready to goe to your fathers countrey which shall be a sweet fruit of that visitation Ye know to send the Comforter was a King word when he
poor men may give where there is a mean portion he is content with the less if there be sincerity broken summes little feckless obedience will be pardoned hold the foot with him know ye not that our kindly Lord retaineth his good old heart yet He breaketh not a bruised reed nor quencheth the smoaking flax but if the wind blow he holdeth his hands about it till it rise to a flame The Law cometh on with three Oyes's with all the heart with all the soul with all the whole strength where would poor folke like you me furnish all these summes it feareth me may it is most certain that if the payment were to come out of our purse when we should put our hand in our bag we would bring out the wind or worse But the new Covenant seeketh not heap mete nor stented obedience as the condition of it because forgiveness hath alwayes place Hence I draw this conclusion To think matters betwixt Chirst us goe back for want of heaped measure is a piece of old Adam's pride who would either be at legal payment or nothing We would still have God in our common buy his kindness with our merits for beggerly pride is Devil'shonest blusheth to be in Christ's common scarce giveth God a grammercy a lifted cap except it be the Pharisee's unlucky God I 〈◊〉 thee or a bowed knee to Christ it will onely give a good-day for a good-day again if he dissemble his kindness as it were in jest seem to misken it it in earnest spurneth with the heels snuffeth in the wind careth not much for Christ's kindness If he will not be friends let him goe saith pride beware of this thief when Christ offereth himself 3. No marvell then of whisperings whether you be in the Covenant or not For Pride it maketh loose work of the Covenant of grace will not let Christ be full bargainmaker To speak to you particularly shortly 1. All the truly regenerated cannot determinatly tell you the measure of their dejections because Christ beginneth young with many stealeth into their heart ere they wit of themselves becometh homely with them with little din or noise I grant many are blinded in rejoycing in a good-cheap conversion that never cost them a sick night Christ's physick wrought in a dream upon them But for that I would say if other markes be found that Christ is indeed come in never make a plea with him because he will not answer Lord Iesus how camest thou in whether in at door or window Make him welcome since he is come The wind bloweth where it listeth all the world's wit cannot perfectly render a reason why the wind should bea moneth in the east six weeks possibly in the west the space onely of an afternoon in the south or north Ye will not finde â—â—t all the nicks steps of Christ's way with a foul doe what ye can for sometimes he will come in stepping softly like one walking beside a sleeping person slip to the door let none know he was there 2. Ye object the truly regenerat should love God for himself ye fear that ye love him more for his benefits as incitements motives to love him then for himself I Answer to love God for himself as the last end also for his benefits as incitements motives to love him may stand well together as a son loveth his mother because she is his mother howbeit she be poor he loveth her for an apple also I hope ye will not say that benefits are the onely reason bottom of your love it seemeth there is a better foundation for it Alwayes if a hole be in it sow it up shortly 3. Ye feel not such mourning in Christ's absence as ye would I Answer that the regenerat mourn at all times all in alike measure for his absence I deny There are different degrees of mourning less or more as they have less or more love to him less or more sense of his absence But 1. Some they must have 2. Sometimes they miss not the Lord then they cannot mourn howbeit it is not long so At least it is not alwayes so 3. Ye challenge your self that some truthes finde more credit whith you then others Ye doe well for God is true in the least as well as in the greatest he must be so to you Ye must not call him true in the one page of the leaf false in the other for our Lord in all his writtings never contradicted himself yet although the best of the regenerat have slipped here alwayes labour ye to hold your feet 4. Comparing the estate of one truly regenerat whose heart is a temple to the Holy Ghost yours which is full of uncleanness corruption ye stand dumb discouraged dare not sometimes call Christ heartsomely your own I Answer the best regenerat have their defilements if I may speak so their draff-poke that will â—log behinde them all their dayes was la as they will there will be filth in their bosom But let not this put you from the well 2. I Answer albeit there be some ounce weights of carnality some squint look or eye in our neck to an idol yet love in it's own measure may be sound for glory must purifie perfect our love it will never till then be absolutly pure yet if the idol reign have the yolk of the heart the keyes of the house Christ onely be made an underling to run erraâ—ds all is not right therefore examine well 3. There is a two fold discouragement one of unbeleef to conclude make doubting the conclusion for a mote in your eye a by-look to an idol this is ill There is another discouragement of sorrow for sin when ye finde a by-look to an idol this is good a matter of thanksgiving therefore examine here also 5. The assurance of Jesus's love ye say would be the most comfortable newes that ever ye heard Ans. That may stop twenty holes loose many objections That love hath tellng in it I trow Oh that ye knew felt it as I have done I wish ye a share of my feast sweet sweet hath it been to me If my Lord had not given me his love I would have fallen thorow the causey of Aberdeen ere now But for you hing on your feast is not far off ye shall be filled ere ye goe there is as much in our Lord's pantry as will satisfie all his bairns as much wine in his cellar as will quench all their thirst hunger on for there is meat in hunger for Christ Goe never from him but fash him who yet is pleased with the importunity of hungry souls with a dish-full of hungry desires till he fill it if he delay yet come not ye away albeit ye should fall a swoon at his feet 7. Ye
he will have none of their service Now he is asking if your Lo will help him against the mighty of the earth when men are setting their shoulders to Christ's fair beautifull tent in this land to loose it's stakes to break it down certainly such as are not with Christ are against him blessed shall your Lo be of the Lord blessed shall your house seed be blessed shall your Honour be if ye empawnd lay in Christ's hand the Earledom of Cassills it is but a shaddow in comparison of the city made without hands and lay it even at the stake rather then Christ born-down truth want a witness of you against the apostasie of this land Ye hold your lands of Christ your charters are under his seal he who hath many crownes on his head dealeth cutteth carveth pieces of this clay-heritage to men at his pleasure It is little your Lo hath to give him he will not sleep long in your common but shall surely pay home your losses for his cause It is but our bliered eyes that look thorow a false glass to this idol-god of clay think some thing of it They who are past with their last sentence to heaven or hell and have made their reckoning departed out of this smoky inne have now no other conceit of this world but as a piece of beguiling wel-lustred clay how fast doeth time like a flood still in motion carry your Lo out of it is not eternity coming with wings Court goeth not in heaven as it doeth here Our Lord who hath all you the Nobles lying in the shell of his ballance esteemeth you accordingly as ye are the bridegroom's friends or foes Your Honourable Ancestors with the hazard of their lives brought Christ to our hands it shall be cruelty to the posterity if ye lose him to them One of our tribes Levi's Sons the watchmen are fallen from the Lord have sold their mother their father also and the Lord's truth for their new velvet-world and there satin-church If ye the Nobles play Christ a slip now when his back is at the wall if I may so speak then may we say that the Lord hath casten water upon Scotland's smoking coal But we hope better things of you It is no wisdom however it be the State-wisdom now in request to be silent when they are casting lots for a better thing then Christ's coat All this land every man's part of the play for Christ the tears of poor friendless Zion now going doollike in sackcloth are up in heaven before our Lord there is no question but our king Lord shall be master of the fields at length we would all be glad to divide the spoile with Christ to ride in triumph with him but Oh how few will take a cold bed of straw in the camp with him How fain would men have a wel-thatched house above their heads all the way to heaven And many now would goe to heaven the land way for they love not to be sea-sick riding up to Christ upon foot-mantles ratling coaches rubbing their velvet with the Princes of the Land in the highest seats If this be the way Christ called strait narrow I quite all skill of the way to salvation Are they not now rooping Christ the Gospel Have they not put our Lord Jesu to the market he who outbideth his fellow shall get him O my Dear Noble Lord goe on howbeit the wind be in your face to back our princely Captain be couragious for him fear not these who have no subscribed lease of dayes the worms shall eat kings let the Lord Jehovah be your fear And then as the Lord liveth the victory is yours It is true many are striking up a new way to heaven but my soul for theirs if they finde it if this be not the onely way whose end is Christ's father's house And my weak experience since the day I was first in bonds hath confirmed me in the truth assurance of this Let doctors learned men cry the contrair I am perswaded this is the way the bottom hath fallen out of both their wit conscience at once their book hath beguiled them for we have fallen upon the true Christ. I dare hazard if I alone had ten souls my salvation upon this stone that many now break their bones upon Let them take this fat world Oh poor and hungry is their paradise Therefore let me entreat your Lo By your compearance before Christ now while this piece of the afternoon of your day is before you for ye know not when your sun will turn eternity shall benight you let your glory honour might worldly be for our Lord Jesus And to his rich grace tender mercy and to the never-dying comforts of his gracious Spirit I recommend your Lo And Noble house Aberd. Sept. 9. 1637. Your Lo at all obedience S R. To the Lady Largirie 64 MISTRESS GRace Mercy Peace be to you I hope ye know what conditions past betwixt Christ you at your first meeting Ye remember he said your summer dayes would have clouds and your rose a prickly thorn bende it Christ is unmixt in heaven all sweetness and honey here we have him with his thorny and rough cross yet I know no tree beareth sweeter fruit then Christ's cross except I would raise a lving report on it It is your part to take Christ as he is to be had in this life Sufferings are like a wood planted round about his house over door and window If we could hold fast our grips of him the field were won Yet a little while and Christ shall triumph Give Christ his own short time to spin out these two long threeds of heaven and hell to all mankind for certainly the threed will not break and when he hath accomplished his work in mount Zion and hath refined his silver he will bring new vessels out of the furnace and plenish his house and take up house again I counsel you to free your self of clogging temptations by overcoming some contemning others and watching over all abide true and loyal to Christ for few now are fast to him they give Christ blank paper for a bond of service and attendance now when Christ hath most adoe to waste a little blood with Christ and to put out part of this drossie world in pawne over in his hand as willing to quite it for him is the safest cabinet to keep the world in But these who would take the world all their flitring on their back run away from Christ they will fall by the way leave their burden behinde them be taken captive themselves Well were my soul to put all I have life soul over in Christ's hands let him be forth-coming for all If any ask how I doe I answer none can be but well that are in
Reverend Dear Brother Mr DAVID DICKSON 92 Reverend dearest Brother WHat joy have I out of heaven's gates but that my Lord Jesus be glorified in my bonds Blessed be ye of the Lord who contribut any thing to my obliged indebted praises dear Brother help me a poor dyvour to pay the interest for I cannot come nigh to render the principall It is not jest nor sport which maketh me to speak write as I doe I never before came to that nick or pitch of a communion with Christ that I have now attained unto for my confirmation I have been these two Sabbaths or three in privat taking instruments in the name of God that my Lord Jesus I have kissed each other in Aberden the house of my pilgrimage I seek not an apple to play me with he knoweth whom I serve in the spirit but a seal I but beg earnest am content to suspend frist glory while supper time I know this world will not last with me for my moon-light is noon-day light my four-hours above my feasts when I was a preacher at which times also I was embraced very often in his armes But who can blame Christ to take me on behinde him if I may say so on his white horse or in his chariot paved with love through a water Will not a father take his little dated Davie in his armes carry him over a ditch or a mire my short legs could not step over this laire or sinking mire therefore my L Jesus will bear me thorow If a change come a dark day so being that he will keep my faith without flaw or crack I dare not blame him howbeit I get no more while I come to heaven But ye know the physick behooved to have sugar my faith was fallen a swoon and Christ but held up a swooning man's head Indeed I pray not for a Dâted Bairn's diet he knoweth I would have Christ sowre or sweet any way sobeing it be Christ indeed I stand not now upon paired apples or sugared dishes but I cannot blame him to give I must gape and make a wide mouth since Christ will not pantry-up joyes he must be welcome who will not bide away I seek no other fruit but that he may be glorified he knoweth I would take hard fare to have his name set on high I bless you for your counsel I hope to live by faith and swim without a masse or bundle of joyfull sense under my chinne at lest to venture albeit I should be ducked Now for my case I think the Councel should be essayed and the event referred to God Duties are ours and events are God's I shall goe through yours upon the Covenant at leisure write to you my minde thereanent anent the Arminian Contract betwixt the father the son I beseech you set to to goe through scripture yours on the Hebrews is in great request with all who would be acquaint with Christ's Testament I purpose God willing to set about Hosea to try if I can get it to the presse here It refresheth me much that ye are so kind to my brother I hope your counsel shall doe him good I recommend him to you since I am so far from him I am glad that the dying servant of God famous and faithfull Mr Cuninghame sealed your ministry before he fell asleep Grace grace be with you Aberd. March 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Much honoured WILLIAM RIGGE of Athernie 93 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I received your long-looked-for short letter I would ye had spoken more to me who stand in need I finde Christ as ve write ay the longer the better therefore cannot but rejoyce in his salvation who hath made my chains my wings hath made me a King over my crosses over my adversaries glory glory glory to his high high holy name Not one ounce not one grain-weight more is laid on me then he hath enabled me to bear And I am not so much wearied to suffer as Sion's haters are to persecute Oh if I could finde a way in any measure to strive to be even with Christ's love but that I must give over Oh who would help a dyvour to pay praises to the King of saints who triumpheth in his weak servants I see if Christ but ride upon a worm or a feather his horse will neither stumble nor fall The worm Jacob is made by him a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth to thresh the mountains beat them small to make the hills as chaff to fan them so as the wind shall carry them away the whirlwind shall scatter them Isa. 41 14 15 16. Christ's enemies are but breaking their own heads in pieces upon the rock laid in Zion the stone is not removed out of it's place Faith hath cause to take courage from our very afflictions the devil is but a whet-stone to sharpen the faith patience of the saints I know he but heweth polisheth stones all this time for the new Jerusalem But in all this three things have much moved me since it hath pleased my Lord to turn my moon light into day-light First he hath yoked me to work to wrestle with Christ's love of longing wherewith I am sick pained fainting like to die because I cannot get himself which I think a strange sort of desertion for I have not himself whom if I had my love-sickness would coole my fever goe away at least I should know the heat of the fire of complacencie which would coole the scorching heat of the fire of desire yet I have no penurie of his love so I dwin I die he seemeth not to rue on me I take instruments in his hand that I would have him but I cannot get him my best chear is black hunger I blesse him for that feast Secondly old challenges now then revive cast all down I goe halting sighing fearing there be an unseen processe yet coming out that heavier then I can answer I cannot read distinctly my Surtie's act of cautionrie for me in particular my discharge sense rather then faith assureth me of what I have So unable am I to goe but by an hold I could with reverence of my Lord forgive Christ if he would give me as much faith as I have hunger for him I hope the pardon is now obtained but the peace is not so sure to me as I would wish Yet one thing I know there is not a way to heaven but the way he hath graced me to professe suffer for Thirdly woe woe is me for the virgin daughter of Scotland and for the fearfull desolation wrath appointed for this land And yet all are sleeping eating and drinking laughing and sporting as if all were well Oh our dim gold our dumb blinde pastors the sun is gone down upon
that will not doe it For my self I am as well as Christ's prisoner can be For by him I am master King of all my crosses I am above the prison the lash of mens tongues Christ triumpheth in me I have been casten down heavie with fears hunted with challenges I was swimming in the depths but Christ had his hand under my chin all the time took good heed that I should not lose breath And now I have gotten my feet again there are love-feasts of joy spring-tides of consolation betwixt Christ me We agree well I have court with him I am still welcome to his house O my short arms cannot fathom his love I beseech you I charge you help me to praise Ye have a prisoner's prayers therefore forget me not I desire Sibilla to remember me dearly to all in that Parish who know Christ as if I had named them Grace grace be with you Aberd. March 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my very dear Brother VVILLIAM LIVINGSTONE 113 My very dear Brother I Rejoyce to hear that Christ hath run away with your young love that ye are so early in the morning matched with such a Lord for a young man is often a dressed lodging for the devil to dwell in be humble and thankfull for grace weigh it not so much by weight as if it be true Christ will not cast water on your smoking coal he never yet put out a dim candle that was lighted at the sun of righteousness I recommend to you prayer watching over the sins of your youth for I know missive letters goe between the Devil young blood Satan hath a friend at court in the heart oâ— youth there pride luxury lust revenge forgetfulness of God are hired as his agents happy is your soul if Christ man the house take the keys himself command all as it suiteth him full well to rule all where ever he is keep him entertain Christ well cherish his grace blow upon your own coal let him tutour you Now for my self know I am fully agreed with my Lord Christ hath put the father me in other's arms many a sweet bargain he made before he hath made this among the rest I reign as King over my crosses I will not flatter a temptation nor give the Devil a good word I defie Hell's iron gates God hath past over my quarrelling of him at my entry here now he feedeth feasteth with me praise praise with me let us exalt his name together Aberd. March 13. 1637. Your brother in Christ S. R. To WILLIAM GORDON of VVhite parke 114 Worthy Sir GRace mercy peace be unto you I long to hear from you I am here the Lord's prisoner patient handled as softly by my Physician as if I were a sick man under cure I was at hard terms with my Lord pleaded with him But I had the worst side It is a wonder he should have suffered the like of me to have nicknamed the Son of his love Christ to call him a changed Lord who had forsaken me but misbelief hath never a good word to speak of Christ. The dross of my cross gathered a scum of fearsin the fire doubtings impatience unbelief challenging of providence as sleeping not regarding my sorrow but my gold smith Christ was pleased to take off the scum burn it in the fire And blessed be my finer he hath made the metall better furnished new supply of grace to cause me hold out weight I hope hath not loosed one grain weight by burning his servant Now his love in my heart casteth a mighty heat He knoweth that the desire I have to be at himsâ—lf paineth me I have sick nights frequent fits of love-fevers for my welbeloved Nothing paineth me now but want of presence I think it long till day I challenge time as too slow in it's pace that holdeth my onely onely fair one my love my welbeloved from me O if we were together once I am like an old crazed ship that hath endured many storms that would fain be in the lee of the shore feareth new storms I would be that nigh heaven that the shadow of it might break the force of the storm the crazed ship might win to land My Lord's sâ—n casteth a heat of love beam of light on my soul. My blessing thrice every day upon the sweet cross of Christ I am not ashamed of my garland The banished â—inister which is the term of Aberden Love Love defieth reproaches The love of Christ hath a croslet of proof on it arrows will not draw blood of it We are more then conquerours through the blood of him that hath loved us Rom. 8. The devil the world they cannot wound the love of Christ. I am further from yeelding to the course of defection then when I came hither sufferings blunt not the fiery edge of love Cast love in the floods of hell it will swim above it careth not for the world 's busked and plaistered offers It hath pleased my Lord so to lyne my heart with the love of my Lord Jesus that as if the field were already won I on the other side of time I laugh at the world 's golden pleasures at this dirtie Idol that the sons of Adam worship This worm-eaten God is that which my soul hath fallen out of love with Sir ye were once my hearer I desire now to hear from you your wife I salute her your children with blessings I am glad that ye are still hand-fasted with Christ goe on in your journey take the city by violence Keep your garments clean Be clean virgins to your husband the Lamb the world shall follow you to heaven's gates ye would not wish it to goe in with you Keep fast Christ's love Pray for me as I doe for you the Lord Jesus be with your Spirit Aberd. March 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr GEORGE GILLESPIE 115 Reverend dear Brother I Received your letter as for my case Brother I bless his glorious name my losses are my gain my prison a palace my sadness joyfulness At my first entry my apprehensions wrought so upon my cross that I becâ—me jealouse of the love of Christ as being by him thrust out of the vineyard I was under great challenges as ordinarily melted gold casteth first a drossie scum Satan our corruption form the first words that the heavy cross speaketh say â—od is angry He loveth you not But our apprehensions are not cannonicall they dite lyes ' of God Christ's love but since my spirit was setled the clay fallen to the bottom of the well I see better what Christ was doing And now my Lord is returned with salvation under his wings now I want little of half a heaven I finde
a nearer communion with my Lord-tutour the prime heir of all Christ I wish for my part I could send you that gentleman who wrote his commendations to me in to the kings innermost cellar house of wine to be filled with love A drink of this love is worth the having indeed We carry our selves but too too nicely with Christ our Lord our Lord loveth not niceness dryness uncouthness in friends Since need force we must be in Christ's common then let us be in his common for it will be no otherwayes Now for my present case in my imprisonment deliverance for any appearance I see looketh cold like My hope if it looked to or leaned upon men should wither soon at the root like a May-flower Yet I resolve to ease my self with on-waiting on my Lord to let my faith swim where it looseth ground I am under a necessity either offainting which I hope my master of whom boast all the day shall avert or then to â—ay my faith upon omnipotency to wink stick by my grip And I hope my ship shall ride it out seeing Christ is willing to blow his sweet wind in my sailes mendeth closeth the leks in my ship ruleth all It will be strange if a beleeving passenger be casten â—ver beard As for your Master My Lord my Lady I will be loath to forget them I think my prayers such as they are are due debt to him I shall be faâ— more engaged to his Lo if he be fast for Christ as I hope he will now when so many of his coat quality slip from Christ's back leave him to send for himself I entreat you remember my love to that wo thy Gentleman A. C. who salated me in your letter I have heard that he is one of my Master's friends for the which cause I am tied to him I wish he may more more fall in love with Christ. Now for your question as far as I rawly conceive I think God is praised two wayes First by a concional profession of his highness before men such as is the very hearing of the word receiving of either of the Sacraments in which acts by profession we give out to men that he is our God with whom we are in covenant our Lawgiver Thus eating drinking in the Lord's supper is an annunciation profession before men that Christ is our slain Redeemer Here because God speaketh to us not we to him it is not a formal thanks giving but an annunciation or predication of Christ's death concionall not adorative neither hath it God for the immediat object and therefore no kneeling can be here Secondly there is another praising of God formal when we are either formally blessing God or speaking his praises And this I take to be twofold 1. When we directly formally direct praises and thanksgiving to God This may well be done kneeling in token of our recognizance of his highness yet not so but it may be standing or sitting especially seeing joyfull elevation which should be in praising is not formally signified by kneeling 2. When we speak good of God declare his glorious nature attributes extolling him before men to excite men to conceive highly of him The former I hold to be worship every way immediat else I know not any immediat worship at all the latter hath God for the subject not properly the object seeing the predication is directed to men immediatly rather then to God for here we speak of God by way of praising rather then to God And for my own part as I am for the present minded I see not how this can be done kneeling seeing it is praedicatio Dei Christâ— non laudatio aut benedictio Dei But observe that it is formal praising of God not meerly concional as I distinguished in the first member for in the first member any speaking of God or of his works of creation providence redemption is indirect concional praising of him formally preaching or an act of teaching not an act of predication of his praises for there is a difference betwixt the simple relation of the vertues of a thing which is formally teaching the extolling of the worth of a thing by way of commendation to cause others to praise with us Thus recommending you to God's grace I rest Aberd. June 15. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr J. R. 124. Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be unto you upon the report I hear of you without any further acquaintance except our straitest bonds in our Lord Jesus I thought good to write unto you hearing of your danger to be thrust out of the Lord's house for his name sake Therefore my earnest humble desire to God is that ye may be strengthned in the grace of God by the power of his might to goe on for Christ not standing in aw of a worm that shall die I hope ye will not put your hand to the ark to give it a wrong totch to overturn it as many now doe when the archers are shooting sore at Joseph whose bowe shall abide in it's strength We ow to our royall King Princely Master a testimony O how blessed are they who can warde a blow off Christ his born-down truth Men think Christ a gone man now that he shall never get up his head again And they beleeve his court is failed because he suffereth men to break their spears swords upon him and the enemies to plow Sion make long deep their furrows on her back But it would not be so if the Lord had not a sowing for his plowing What can he doe but melt an old drossie Kirk that he may bring out a new bride out of the fire again 〈◊〉 I think Christ is just now reparing his house exchanging his old vessels with new vessels is going through this land and taking up an inventure a roll of so many of Levi's sons good Professors that he may make them new work for the second temple And whatsoever shall be found not to be for the work shall be casten over the wall When the house shall be builded he shall lay by his hammers as having no more to doe with them It is possible he doe worse to them then lay them by I think the vengeance of the Lord the vengeance of his temple shall be upon them I desire no more but to keep weight when I am past the fire I can now in some weak measure give Christ a testimonial of a lovely loving companion under suffering for him I saw him before but afar off his beauty to my eye's sight groweth a fig a straw for ten worlds plaistered glory for childish shadows The idol of clay this God the world that fools fight for If I had a lease of Christ of my own dating for whoever
to trust in him When Christ hath sleeped out his sleep if I may speak so of him who is the watch-man of Israel that neither slumbereth nor sleepeth and his own are tried he will arise as a strong man after wine and make bare his holy arm and put on vengeance as a cloak and deal vengeance thick double amongst the haters of Zion It may be we see him sow and send down maledictions vengeances as thick as drops of rain or hail upon his enemies For our Lord oweth them a black day he useth duely to pay his debts neither his friends followers nor his foes adversaries shall have it to say that he is not faithfull exact in keeping his word I know no bar in God's way but Scotland's guiltiness he can come over that impediment break that bar also then say to guilty Scotland as he said Ezek. 36. Not for your sakes c. On-waiting had ever yet a blessed issue to keep the word of God's patience keepeth still the saints dry in the water cold in the fire breathing blood-hot in the grave What are prisons of iron walls gates of brass to Christ Not so good as feal dikes fortifications of straw or old tottering walls If he give the word then the chains will fall off the arms legs of his prisoners God be thanked that our Lord Jesus hath the tutouring of King and Court and Nobles and that he can dry the gutters and the mires in Sion and lay causeys to the Temple with the carcases of bastard Lord-Prelats idol-shepherds The corn on the house-tops got never the husband-man's prayers so is seen on it for it filleth not the hand of mowers Christ truth innocency worketh even under the earth verily there is hope for the righteous We see not what conclusions pass in heaven anent all the affaris of God's house we need not give hire to God to take vengeance of his enemies for Justice worketh without hire O that the seed of hope would grow again and come to maturity And that we could importune Christ double our knocks at his gate cast our cries shouts over the wall that he might come out make our Ierusalem the praise of the whole earth give us Salvation for walls bulwarks If Christ bud grow green and bloom bear seed again in Scotland his father send him two summers again in one year bless his crop O what cause have we to rejoyce in the free salvation of our Lord to set up our banners in the name of our God! O that he would hasten the confusion of the leprous strumpet the mother mistress of abominations in the earth take graven images out of the way come in with the Iews in troops agree with his old out cast forsaken wife take them in again to his bed of love Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in our Master and Lord S. R. To the Lady LARGIRIE 129. MISTRESS GRace mercy peace be to you I exhort you in the Lord to goe on in your journey to heaven to be content of such fare by the way as Christ his followers have had before you for they had alwayes the wind on their faces our Lord hath not changed the way to us for our ease but will have us following our sweet guide Alas how doeth sin dog us in our journey retard us What fools are we to have a by-god or an other lover or match to our souls beside Christ It were best for us like ill bairns who are best heard at home to seek our own home to sell our hopes of this little clay Innes idol of the earth where we are neither well summered nor well wintered Oh that our souls would fall so at oddes with the love of this world as to think of it as a traveller doeth of a drink of water which is not any part of his treasure but goeth away with the using for ten miles journey maketh that drink to him as nothing O that we had as soon done with this world and could as quickly dispatch the love of it But as a childe cannot hold two apples in his little hand but the one putteth the other out of it's room so neither can we be masters and Lords of two loves Blessed were we if we could make our selves masters of that invaluable treasure the love of Christ or rather suffer our selves to be mastered and subdued to Christ's love so as Christ were our all things all other things our nothings the refuse of our delights O let us be ready for shipping against the time our Lord's wind tide call for us Death is the last thief that shall come without din or noise of feet take our souls away we shall take our leave at Time fâ—ce Eternity our Lord shall lay together the two sides of this earthly Tabernacle fold us lay us by as a man layeth by his clothes at night put the one half of us in a house of clay the dark grave the other half of us in heaven or hell Seek to be found of your Lord in peace gather in your flitting put your soul in order for Christ will not give a nail-breadth of Time to our little sand-glass Pray for Zion for me his prisoner that he would be pleased to bring me amongst you again full of Christ fraughted laden with the blessings of his Gospel Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his onely Lord and Master S. R. To EARLESTOWN Younger 130 Worthy dearly beloved in the Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear from you I remain still a prisoner of hope doe think it service to the Lord to wait on still with submission till the Lord's morning-skie break his summer day dawn for I am perswaded it is a piece of the chief errand of our life that God sent us for some years down to this earth among devils men the fire-brands of the devil temptations that we might suffer for a time here amongst our enemies otherwise he might have made heaven to wait on us at our coming out of the womb and have carried us home to our countrey without letting us set down our feet in this knotty and thorny life but seeing a piece of suffering is carved to every one of us less or more as infinite wisdom hath thought good our part is to harden and habituat our soft and thin skinned nature to endure fire and water devils lions men losses woe hearts as these that are looked upon by God Angels men devils O what folly is it to sit down weep upon a decree of God that is both dumb deaf at our tears must stand still as unmovable as God who made it for who can come behinde our Lord to
Lord. Is not Christ now crying Who will help me Who will come out with me to take part with me share in the honour of my victory over these mine enemies who have said Wee â—ill not have this man to rule over us My very honourable and dear Lord joyn joyn aâ— ye doâ— with Christ he is more worth to you your posterity then this world's May flowers withering Riches Honour that shall goe away as smoke evanish in a night-vision shall in one half hour after the blast of the Archangel's trumpet lie in white ashes Let me beseech your Lo to draw by the lap of Time's curtain look in through that window to great endless Eternity consider if a worldly price suppose this little round clay globe of this ashie dirty earth the dying idol of the fools of this world were all your own can be given for one smile of Christ's God-like soul ravishing countenance in that day when so many joints and knees of thousand thousands wailing shall stand before Christ trembling shouting making their prayers to hills mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the face of the Lamb. O how many would sell Lordships Kingdoms that day buy Christ But Oh the market shall be closed ended ere then Your Lo hath now a blessed venture of winning court with the Prince of the Kings of the earth He himself weeping truth born down fallen in the streets an oppressed Gospel Christ's bride with watery eyes spoiled of her vail her hair hanging about her eyes forced to goe in ragged apparel the banished silenced imprisoned prophets of God who have not the favour of liberty to prophesie in sackcloth all these I say call for your help Fear not worms of clay the moth shall eat them as a garment let the Lord be your fear he is with you shall fight for you thus shall ye cause the blessing of these who are ready to perish come upon you ye shall make the heart of this your mother-Church to sing for joy The Lamb his armies are with you the Kingdoms of the earth are the Lord 's I am perswaded there is not another Gospel nor another saving truth then that which ye now contend for I dare hazard my heaven salvation upon it that this is the onely saving way to glory Grace grace be with your Lo Aberd. 1637. Your Lo at all respective obedience in Christ. S. R. To ROBERT GORDON Bailiffe of Ayr. 135 Worthy Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear from you Our Lord is with his afflicted Kirk so that this burning bush is not consumed to ashes I know submissive on-waiting for the Lord shall at length ripen the joy deliverance of his own who are truly blessed on-waiters What is the dry miscarrying hope of all them who are not in Christ but confusion wind O how pitifully and miserably are the children of this world beguiled whose wine cometh home to them water their gold brass tin And what wonder that hopes builded upon sand should fall sink It were good for us all to abandon the forlorn blasted withered hope we have had in the creature let us henceforth come drink water out of our own well even the fountain of living waters build our selves our hope upon Christ our rock But alas that naturall love that we have to this borrowed home that we were born in and that this clay-city the vain earth should have the largest share of of our heart Our poor lean and empty dreams of confidence in some-thing beside God are no further travelled then up down the naughty feckless creatures God may say of us as he said Amos 6 13. Ye rejoyce in a thing of nougâ—t Surely we spin our spider's web with pain and build our rotten and tottering house upon a lye and falshood and vanity O when will we learn to have thoughts higher then the sun and moon and learn our joy hope confidence and our soul's desires to look up to our best countrey and to look down to clay tents set up for a night's lodging or two in this unknown land laugh at our childish conceptions imaginations that suck our joy out of creatures woe sorrow losses grief O sweetest Lord Jesus O fairest Godhead O flower of man angels why are we such strangers to far-off beholders of thy glory O it were our happiness for evermore that God would cast a pest a botch a leprosie upon our part of this great whore a fair and well busked World that clay might no longer deceive us but O that God may burn and blast our Hope hereaway rather then our Hope should live to burn us Alas the wrong side of Christ to speak so his blackside his suffering side his wounds his bare coat his wants his wrongs the oppressions of men done to him are turned towards mens eyes they see not the best fairest side of Christ nor see they his amiable face and his beauty that man and angels wonder at Sir lend your thoughts to thâ—se things learn to contemn this world to turn your eyes and heart away from beholding the masked beauty of all things under Time's law and doom See him who is invisible and his invisible things draw by the curtain and look in with liking and longing to a Kingdom undefiled that fadeth not away reserved for you in the heaven This is worthy of your pains and worthy of your soul 's sweating and labouring seeking after night and day Fire will flee over the earth and all that is in it even destruction from the Almighty Fy fy upon that hope that shall be dryed up by the root Fy upon the drunken night-bargains And the drunken and mad covenant that sinners make with death and hell after cups and when mens souls are mad and drunken with the love of this lawless life They think to make a nest for their hopes and take quarters and conditions of hell and death that they shall have ease long life peace in the morning when the last trumpet shall awake them then they rue the block It is time high time for you to think upon death and your accounts and to remember what ye are where ye will be before the year of our Lord 1700. I hope ye are thinking upon this pull upon your soul and draw it aside from the company that it is with and round whisper in to it newes of eternity death judgement heaven and hell Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To ALEXANDER GORDON Of Earlestown 136 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you It is like if ye the Gentry Nobility of this nation be men in the streets as the word speaketh for the Lord that he will now deliver his flock
your hand as ye doe all honour to God to the faâ—ling tottering tabernacle of Christ in this your mother-Church to own Christ's wrongs as your own wrongs O blessed hand which shall wipe and dry the watery eyes of our weâ—ping Lord Jesus now going mourning in sackcloth in his members in his spouse in his truth in the prerogative royal of his Kingly power He needeth not service and help from men but it pleaseth his wisdom to make the wants losses sores and wounds of his spouse a â—ield an office-house for the zeal of his servants to exercise themselves in Therefore my noble dear Lord goe on goe on in the strength of the Lord against all opposition to side with wronged Christ The defending warding of strokes off Christ his Bride the King's daughter is like a piece of the rest of the way to heaven knotty rough stormy full of thorns Many would follow Christ but with a reservation that by open proclamation Christ would cry down crosses cry up fair weather a summer-skie sun till we were all fairly landed at heaven I know your Lo hath not so learned Christ but that ye intend to fetch heaven suppose your father were standing in your way to take it with the wind on your face for so both storm wind was on the fair face of your lovely fore-runner Christ all his way It is possible the success answer not your desire in this worthy cause what then Duties are ours but events are the Lord's I hope if your Lo others with you shall goe on to dive to the lowest ground bottom of the knavery perfidious treachery to Christ of the cursed wretched Prelats the Anti-Christ's first-born the first fruit of his foul womb shall deal with our Soveraign Law going before you for the reasonable impartial hearing of Christ's bill of complaints set your selves singley to seek the Lord his face your righteousness shall break through the clouds that prejudice hath drawn over it ye shall in the strength of the Lord bring our banished departing Lord Jesus home again to his Sanctuary Neither must your Lo advise with flesh blood in this but wink in the dark reach your hand to Christ follow him Let not mens fainting discourage you neither be afraid of mens canny wisdom who in this storm take the nearest shore goe to the lee calm side of the Gospel hide Christ if ever they had him in their cabinets as if they were ashamed of him or as if Christ were stoln wares would blush before the sun My very dear noble Lord ye have rejoyced the hearts of many that ye have made choice of Christ his Gospel whereas such great temptations doe stand in your way But I love your profession the better that it endureth winds If we knew our selves well to want temptations is the greatest temptation of all Neither is father nor mother nor court nor honour in this overlustred world with all it 's paintry fairding any thing else when they are laid in the ballance with Christ but feathers shadows night-dreams straws O if this world knew the excellency sweetness beauty of that high lofty one that fairest among the sons of men verily they should see if their love were bigger then ten heavens all in circles without other that it were all too little for Christ our Lord. I hope your choice shall not repent you when life shall come to that twilight betwixt Time Eternity and ye shall see the utmost border of Time shall draw the curtain look in to Eternity shall one day see God take the heavens in his hands fold them together like an old holly garment set on fire this clay-part of the creation of God consume away in smoke ashes the idol-hopes of poor fools who think there is not a better countrey then this low countrey of dying clay Children can not make comparison aright betwixt this life and that to come therefore the babes of this world who see no better mould in their own brain a heaven of their own coyning because they see no further then the nearest side of Time I dare lay in pawne my hope of heaven that this reproached way is the onely way of peace I finde it is the way that the Lord hath sealed with his comforts now in my bonds for Christ I verily esteem finde chains fetters for that lovely one Christ to be watered over with sweet consolations the love-smiles of that lovely Bridegroom for whose coming we wait when he cometh then shall the black 's white 's of all men come before the sun then shall the Lord put a finall decision upon the pleas that Zion hath with her adversaries And as fast as Time posteth away which neither sitteth nor standeth nor sleepeth as fast is our hand-breadth of this short winter-night flying away the skie of our long lasting day drawing near it's breaking Except your Lo be plâ—ased to plead for me against the tyranny of Prelats I shall be forgotten in this prison for they did shape my doom according to their new lawless Canons which is that a deprived minister shall be utterly silenced not preach at all which is a cruelty contrary to their own former practices Now the onely wise God the very God of peace confirm strengthen establish your Lo upon the stone laid in Zion be with you for ever Aberd. 1637. Your Lo at all respective obedience in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JEAN BROWN 142 MISTRESS GRace mercy and peace be to you I long to hear how your soul prospereth I earnestly desire your on-going toward your countrâ—y I know ye see your day melteth away by little little that in short time ye will be put beyond Time's bounds for life is a post that standeth not still our joyes here are born weeping rather then laughing they die weeping Sin Sin this body of sin and corruption imbittereth poisoneth all our enjoyments O that I were where I shall sin no more O to be freed of these chains iron fetters that we carry about with us Lord loose the sad prisoners Who of the children of God have not cause to say that they have their fill of this vain life like a full and sick stomack to wish at mid-mid-supper that the supper were ended the table drawen that the sick man might win to bed and enjoy rest We have cause to tire at mid-supper of the best messes that this world can dress up for us and to cry to God that he would remove the table put the sin-sick souls to rest with himself O for a long play-day with Christ and our long lasting vacance of rest Glad may their souls be that are safe over the fiâ—th Christ having payed the fraught Happy are
they who have past their hard and wearisom time of apprentiship and are now free-men and citizens in that joyfull high city the new Ierusalem Alas that we should be glad of and rejoyce in our fetters our prison-house this dear Innes a life of sin where we are absent from our Lord and so far from our home O that we could get bonds law-suretiship of our love that it fasten not it self on these clay-dreams these clayshadows and worldly vanities We might be oftener seeing what they are doing in heaven and our heart more frequently upon our sweet treasure above We smell of the smoke of this lower house of the earth because our heart and our thoughts are here If we could haunt up with God we should smell of heaven and of our countrey above we should look like our countrey and like strangers or people not born or brought up hereaway Our crosses would not bite upon us if we were heavenly minded I know no obligation the saints have to this world seeing we fare but upon the smoke of it if there be any smoke in the house it bloweth upon our eyes all our part of the table is scarce worth a drink of water when we are striken we dare not weep but steal our grief away betwixt our Lord and us and content our selves with stoln sorrow behinde backs God be thanked we have many things that so stroake us against the hair as we may pray God keep our better home God bless our Father's house not this smoke that bloweth us to seek our best lodging I am sure this is the best fruit of the cross when we from the hard fare of the dear Innes cry the more that God would send a fair wind to â—…nd us hungred oppressed strangers at the door of our Father's house which now is made in Christ our kindly heritage O then let us pull up the stakes stoups of our tent take our tent on our back goe with our flitting to our best home for here we have no continuing city I am waiting in hope here to see what my Lord will doe with me Let him make of me whath he pleaseth providing he make glory to himself out of me I care not I hope yea I am now sure that I am for Christ all that I can or may make is for him I am his everlasting debter or dyvour still shall be for alas I have nothing for him he getteth little service of me Pray for me that our Lord would be pleased to give me house-room that I may serve him in the calling he hath called me unto Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To ROBERT STUART 143. My Very dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you Ye are heartily welcome to my world of suffering heartily wel-come to my Master's house God give you much joy of your new Master If I have been in the house before you I were not faithfull to give the house an ill name or to speak evil of the Lord of the family I rather wish God's Holy Spirit O Lord breath upon me with that Spirit to tell you the fashions of the house One thing I can say by on-waiting ye will grow a great man with the Lord of the house Hang on till ye get some good from Christ Lay all your loads your weights by faith upon Christ Ease your self let him bear all he can he dow he will bear you howbeit hell were upon your back I rejoyce that he is come hath chosen you in the furnace it was even there where ye he set tryst that is an old gate of Châ—ist's he keepeth the good old fashion with you that was in Hosea's days Hos. 2 14. Therefore behold I will allure her bring her to the wilderness and speak to her heart There was no talking to her heart while he she were in the fair flourishing city at ease but out in the cold hungry waste wilderness he allureth her he whispered in newes into her ear there said Thou art mine What would ye think of such a bed Ye may soon doe worse then say Lord holds all Lord Iesus a bargain be it it shall not goe back on my side Ye have gotten a great advantage in the way to heaven that ye have started to the gate in the morning Like a fool as I was I suffered my sun to â—e high in the heaven and near afternoon before ever I took the gate by the end I pray you now keep the advantage ye have My heart be not lazie set as quickly up the bâ—ae on hands feet as if the last pickle of sand were running out of your glass death were coming to turn the glass be very carefull to take heed to your feet in that slippery dangerous way of youth that ye are walking in The devil temptations now have the advantage of the brae of you are upon your wand-hand your working hand Dry timber will soon take fire Be covetous greedy of the grace of God beware that it be not holiness that cometh onâ—ly from the cross for too many are that way disposed Psal. 78. 34. When he slew them then they sought him they râ—turned enquired early after God v. 35. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues It is a part of our hypocrisie to give God â—air white words when he hath us in his grips if I may speak so to flatter him till we win to the fair fields again Try well green godliness and exâ—mine what it is ye love in Christ if ye love but Christ's sunny side would have onely summer-weather a land-gate not a sea-way to heaven your profession will play you a slip and the winter-well will goe dry again in summer Make no sports nor bairns-play of Christ But labour for a sound lively sight of sin that ye may judge your self an undone man a damned slave of hell sin one dying in your own blood except Christ come and rue upon you take you up and therefore make sure fast work of conversion Cast the earth deep and down down with the old work the building of confusion that was there before let Christ lay new work make a new creation within you look if Christ's rain goeth down to the root of your withered plants and if his love wound your heart while it bleed with sorrow for sin if ye can pant fall a swoon be like to die for that lovely one Jesus I know Christ will not to be hid where he is grace will ever speak for it self be fruitfull in weldoing The sanctified cros is a fruitfull tree it bringeth forth many apples If I should tell you by some weak experience what I have found in Christ ye or others could hardly
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
to sleep wish that heaven may fall down in our laps Yet for all my Lord's glooms I finde him sweet gracious loving kinde I want both pen words to set forth the fairness beauty sweetness of Christ's love the honour of this cross of Christ which is glorious to me though the world thinketh shame thereof I verily think that the cross of Christ would blush think shame of these thin-skined worldlings who are so married to their credit that they are ashamed of the sufferings of Christ. O the honour to be scourged stoned with Christ to goe through a furious-faced death to life eternall But men would have Lawborrows against Christ's cross Now My dear Brother forget not the prisoner of Christ for I see very few here who kindely fear God Grace be with you Let my love in Christ hearty affection be remembred to your kinde wife to your Brother Iohn to all friends The Lord Jesus be with your Spirit Abed Sept. 20. 1636. Yours in his onely onely Lord Iesus S. R. To EARLESTOWN Younger 160. Much Honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I am well Christ triumpheth in me blessed be his name I have all things I burden no man I see this earth and the fullness thereof is my father's sweet sweet is the cross of my Lord The blessing of God upon the cross of my Lord Jesus My enemies have contributed beside their designe to make me blessed This is my palace not my prison especially when my Lord shineth smileth upon his poor afflicted sold Joseph who is separated from his brethen But often he hideth himself there is a day of law court of challenges within me I know not if fenced in God's name but Oh my neglects Oh my unseen guiltiness I imagined that a sufferer for Christ kept The keys of Christ's treasure might take out his womb-full of comforts when he pleased but I see a sufferer witness will be holden at the door aswell as another poor sinner be glad to eat with the bairns to take the by-board This cross hath let me see that heaven is not at the next door that it is a castle not soon taken I see also it is neither pain nor art to play the hyprocrite We have all learned to sell our selves for double price to make the people who call ten twenty twenty an hundred esteem us half-gods or men fallen out of the clouds But Oh sincerity sincâ—rity if I knew what sincerity meaneth Sir lay the foundation thus ye shall not soon shrink nor be shaken Make tight work at the bottom your ship shall ride against all storms if with all your anchor be fastned upon good ground I mean with in the vail verily I think this is All to gain Christ All other things are shadows dreams fansies nothing Sir remember my love to your mother I pray for mercy grace to her I wish her on-going toward heaven As I promised to write so shew her I want nothing in my Lord's service Christ will not be in such a poor man's common as mine Grace grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 22. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN GORDON 161 Worthy dear Brother GRace mercy and peace be to you I have been too long in writing to you but multitude of letters taketh much time from me I bless his great name whom I serve in the spirit if it came to voting amongst Angels and men how excellent and sweet Christ is even in his reproaches and in his cross I cannot but vote with the first that all that is in him both cross crown kisses glooms embracements and frownings and strokes are sweet and glorious God send me no more happiness in heaven or out of heaven but Christ For I finde this world when I have looked upon it on both sides within without when I have seen even the laughing and lovely-like side of it to be but a fool's idol a clay prison Lord let it not be the nest that my hope buildeth in I have now cause to judge my part of this earth not worth a blast of smoke or a mouth-full of brown bread I wish my Hope may take a running-leap skip over Time's pleasures Sin 's plaistering gold-â—oâ—e this vain earth rest upon my Lord. O how great is our night-darkness in this wilderness To have any conceit at all of this world is as a man would close his handfull of water and holding his hand in the river say all the water of the flood is his as if it were indeed all within the compass of his hand Who would not laugh at the thoughts of such a crack-brain Verily they have but an handfull of water are but like a childe clasping his two hands about a night-shadow who idolize any created hope but God I now ligh lie put the price of a dream or fable or black nothing upon all things but upon God that desireable love-worthy one my Lord Jesus Let all the world be nothing for nothing was their seed mother let God be all things My very dear Brother know ye are as near heaven as ye are far from your self far from the love of a bewitching whorish world For this World in it's gain and glory is but the great and notable common whore that all the sons of men have been in fancy lust withall these 5000 years the children that they have begotten with this uncouth lustfull lover are but vanity dreams golden imaginations night-thoughts For there is no good ground here under the covering of heaven for men poor wearied souls to set down their foot upon O he who is called God that one whom they term Iesus Christ is worth the having indeed even ifâ— had given away all without my eye-holes my soul and my self for sweet Jesus my Lord O let the claim be cancelled that the creatures have to me except that claim my Lord Iesus hath to me Oh that he would claim poor me my silly light worthless soul O that he would pursue his claim to the utmost point not want me For it is my pain remediless sorrow to want him I see nothing in this life but sinks mires dreams beguiling ditches ill ground for us to build upon I am fully perswaded of Christs victory in Scotland but I fear this land be not yet ripe and white for mercy Yet I dare be halfer upon my salvation with the losses of the church of Scotland that her foes afternoon shall sing dole sorrow for evermore and that her joy shall once again be cried up her skie shall clear But vengeance burning shall be to her adversaries the sinners of this land Oh that we could be awakened to prayers humiliation Then should our sun shine like seven suns in the heaven then
spue fall Remember my love to your good kinde wife Grace be with you Aberd. Nov. 23. 1636. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To EARLESTOVVN ELDER Rev. 12 11. And they overcame the Dragon by the blood of the Lamb the word of their testimony they loved not their lives unto the death 165 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I long to see you in paper to be refreshed by you I cannot but desire you charge you to help me to praise him who feedeth a poor prisoner with the fatness of his house O how weighty is his love O but there is much telling in Christ's kindness The Amen the faithfull true witness hath payed me my hundred fold well told one to the hundred I complained of him but he is owing me nothing now Sir I charge you to help me to praise his goodness to proclaim to others my Bridegroom's kindness whose love is better then wine I took up an action against Christ bought a plea against his love libelled unkindness against Christ my Lord I said this is my death he hath forgotten me But my meek Lord held his peace beheld me would not contend for the last word of flyting now hath chided himself friends with me And now I see he must be God I must be flesh I pass from my summonds I acknowledge he might have given me my fill of it never troubled himself But now he háth taken away the mask I have been comforted he could not smother his love any longer to a prisoner a stranger God grant that I may never buy a plea against Christ again but may keep good quarters with him I want no kindness no love-token but Oh wise is his love for notwithstanding of this hot summer-blenk I am keeped low with the grief of my silence for his word is in me as a fire in my bowels and I see the Lord's vineyard laid waste the heathen entred into the sanctuary and my belly is pained and my soul in heaviness because the Lord's people is gone into captivity because of the fury of the Lord that wind but neither to fan nor to purge that is coming upon Apostate Scotland Also I am kept awake with the late wrong done to my brother but I trust ye will counsel comfort him Yet in this mist I see beleeve the Lord will heal this halting Kirk will lay her stones with fair colours her foundations with Saphires will make her windows of Agates her gates Carbuncles Isa. 54. 11 12. And for brass he will bring gold He hath created the smith that formed the sword no weapon in war shall prosper against use Let us be glad rejoyce in the Lord for his Salvation is near to come Remember me to your wife your son Iohn And I entreat you to write to me Grace grace be with you Aberd. Decemb. 30. 1636. Yours in his onely onely Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr JOHN FERGUSHILL 166 Reverend welbeloved in our Lord Iesus I Must still provoke you to write by my lines whereat ye need not wonder for the cross is full of talke speak it must either good or bad Neither can grief be silent I have no dittay nor inditement to bring against Christ's cross seeing he hath made a friendly agreement betwixt me it we are in terms of love together If my former miscarriages my nowsilent sabbaths seem to me to speak wrath from the Lord I dare say it is but Satan borrowing the use loan of my cowardly feeble apprehensions which start at straws I know faith is not so saint foolish as to tremble at every false alarm Yet I gather this out of it Blessed are they who are grac'd of God 〈◊〉 guide a cross well that there is some art required herein I pray God I may not be so ill friend-stead as that Christ my Lord should leave me to be my own Tutour my own Physician Shall I not think but my Lord Jesus who deserveth his own place very well will take his own place upon him as it becometh him that he will fill his own chair For in this is his office to comfort us thes that are casten down in all their tribulations 2 Cor. 1. 4. Alas I know I am a fool to seek an hole or defect in Christ's way with my soul. If I have not a stock to pre sent to Christ at his appearance yet I pray God I may be able with joy faith constancy to shew the Captain of my savation in that day a bloody head that I received in his service howbeit my faith hang by a small tack threed I hope the tack shall not break howbeit my Lord get no service of me but broken wishes yet I trust these shall be accepted upon Christ's account I have nothing to comfort me but that I say Oh will the Lod disappoint an hungry on-waiter The smell of Christ's wine apples which surposse the uptaking of dull sense bloweth upon my soul I get no more for the mean time I am sure to let a famishing body see meat give him none of it is a double pain Our Lord's love it not so cruell as to let a poor man see Christ heaven never give him more for want of money to buy nay I rather think Christ such fair market-wares as buyers may have â—it out money without price And thus I know it shall not stand upon my want of money for Christ upon his own charges must buy my wedding garment redeem the inheritance which I have forfeited give his word for one the like of me who am not law-biding of my self Poor folks must either borrow or beg from the rich the onely thing that commendeth sinners to Christ is extream necessity want Christ's love is ready to make provide a ransome money for a poor body who hath lost his his purse Ho ye that have no money come buy Isa 55. 1. That is the poor man's market Now Brother I see old crosses would have done nothing at me therefore Christ hath takeÌ„ a new fresh rod to me that seemeth to talk with my soul make me tremble I have often more adoe now with faith when I lose my compasse am blowen on a rock then these who are my beholders standing upon the shore are aware of a counsel to a sick man is sooner given then taken Lord send the wearied man a borrowed bed from Christ I think often it is after supper with me I am heavie O but I would sleep soundly with Christ's left hand under my head his right hand embracing me the devil could not spill that bed When I consider how tenderly Christ hath cared for me in this prison I think he hath handled me as the bairn that it pitied
we list O what difficulty is there in our christian journey how often come we short of many thousand things that are Christ's due and we consider not how far our dear Lord is behinde with us Mistress I cannot render you thanks as I would for your kindness to my Brother â—n opprâ—ssâ—d stranger but I remember you unto the Lord as I am able I entreat you think upon me his prisoner pray that the Lord would be pleased to give me â—oom to speak to 〈◊〉 people in his name Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lorâ— and Master S. R. To FULWOOD Younger 195 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you Upon the report of this worthy bearer concerning you I thought good to speaâ— a woâ—d to you It is enough for acquaintance that we are one in Christ My earnest desire to you is that ye would in the fear of God compare your inch hand-breadth of time with vaste Eternity your thoughts of this now fair blooming and green world with the thoughts ye shall have of it when corruption worms shall make their houses in your eye-holes shall eat your flesh make that body dry bones if ye doe so I know then that your light of this world's vanity shall be more clear then now it is And I am perswaded ye shall then think that mens labours for this clay-idol are to be laughed at Therefore come near and take a view of that transparent beauty that is in Christ which would busie the love of ten thousand millions of world's Angels hold them all at work Surely I am grieved that men will not spend their whole love upon that royal princely Welbeloved that High lofty One For it is cursed love that runneth another way then upon him And for my self if I had ten loves ten souls O how glad would I be if he would break in upon me take possession of them all Woe woe is me that He I are so far asunder I hope we shall be in one countrey one house together truly pain of love-sickness for Jesus maketh me to think it long long long to the dawning of that day Oh that he would cut short years moneths hours overleap Time that we might meet And for this truth Sir that ye profess I avow before the world of men Angels that it is the way onely way to our countrey the rest are by-wayes that what I suffer for is the apple of Christ's eye even his honour as Law-giver King of his Church I think death too little ere I forsook it Doe not Sir I beseech you in the Lord make Christ's court thinner by drawing back from him it is â—oo thin already for I dare pledge my heaven upon it he shall win this plea the fools that plea against him shall lose the wager which is their part of salvation except they take better heed to their wayes Sir free grace that we give no hire for is a jewel our Lord giveth to few Stand fast in the hope ye are called unto Our Master will rend the clouds will be upon us quicâ—ly clear our cause bring us all out in our black 's white 's Clean clean garments in the Bridegroom's eye are of great worth Step over this hand-breadth of world's glory in to our Lord 's new world of grace ye will laugh at the feathers that children are chasing in the air I veâ—â—ly judge that this Inneâ— men are building their nest in is not worth a drink of cold water It is a rainny and smoky house bâ—st we come out of it lest we be choked with the smoke thereof O that my adversaries knew how sweet my sighs for Christ are what it were for a sinner to lay his head between Christ's breasts to be over head ears in Christ's love Alas I cannot cause paper speak the height breadth depth of it I have not a ballance to weigh my Lord Jesus's worth heaven ten heavens would not be the beam of a ballance to weigh him in I must give over praising of him Angels see but little of him O if that fair one would take off the mask off his fair face that I might see him a kiss of him through his mask is half a heaven O day dawn O time run fast O Bridegroom post post fast that we may meet O hea vens cleave in two that that bright face head may set it self through the clouds O that the corn were ripe this world prepared for his hook Sir be pleased to remember a prisoner's bonds Grace be with you Aberd. July 10. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr HUGH M C KAILL 196 My very dear Brother YE know that men may take their sweet fill of the sowre Law in Grace's ground betwixt the Mediator's breasts and this is sinners safest way for there is a bed for wearied sinners to rest them in in the new Covenant though no bed of Christ's making to sleep in The Law shall never be my doomster by Christ's grace if I get no more good of it I shall finde a sore enough doom in the Gospel to humble to cast me down It is I grant a good rough friend to follow a traitour to the bar to back him till he come to Christ We may blame our selves who cause the Law to crave well paid debt to scar us away from Jesus dispute about a righteousness of our own a world in the moon a chimâ—rd a night-dream that pride is Father mother to There cannot be a more humble soul then a beleever it is no pride for a drowning man to catch hold of a rock I rejoyce that the wheels of this confused world are rolled cogged driven according as our Lord will Out of whatever aiâ—th the wind blow it will blow us on our Lord No wind can blow our sailes over-board because Christ's skill the honour of his wisdom are empawned laid down at the stake for the sea-passengers that he shall put them safe off his hand on the shore in his father's known bounds our native homeground My dear Brother scar not at the cross of Christ It is not seen yet what Christ will doe for you when it cometh to the worst He will keep his grace till ye be at a strait then bring forth the decreed birth for your salvation Ye are an arrow of his own making let him shoot you against a wall of brass your point shall keep whole I cannot for multitude of letters distractions of friends prepare what I would for the times I have not one hour of spare time suppose the day were fourtie hours long Remember me in prayer Grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 5. 1637. Your in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R To his Reverend Dear Brother Mr DAVID DICKSON 197 My Reverend
his face with joy my prayer to our Lord is that ye may be sick of love for him who died of love for you I mean your Saviour Jesus And O sweet were that sickness to be soul-sick for him And a living death it were to die in the fire of the love of that soul-lover Iesus And Madam if ye love him ye will keep his commandements this is not one of the least to lay your neck cheerfully willingly under the yoke of Jesus Christ For I trust your La did first contract and bargain with the Son of God to follow him upon these terms that by his grace ye should endure hardship suffer affliction as the souldier of Christ They are not worthy of Jesus who will not take a blow for their Master's sake For our glorious peace-maker when he came to make up the friendship betwixt God us God bruised him strooke him the sinfull world also did beat him and crucifie him yet he took buffets of both the parties and honour to our Lord Jesus he would not leave the field for all that till he had made peace betwixt the parties I perswade â—y self your sufferings are but like your Saviour's yea incomparably less lighter which are called but a bruising of his â—eel Gen. 3. 15 a wound far from the heart Your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. And therefore ye cannot be robbed of it Our Lord handleth us as fathers doe their young children they lay up jewels in a place above the reach of the short arm of bairns else â—aiâ—ns would put up their hands take them down lose them soon So hath our Lord done with our spiritual life Jesus Christ is the high coffer in the which our Lord hath hid our life we children are not able to reach up our arm so high as to take down that life lose it it is in our Christ's hand O long long may Jesus be Lord-keeper of our life happy are they that can with the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. lay their soul in pawne in the hand of Jesus for he is able to keep that which is committed in pawne to him against that day Then Madam so long as this life is not hurt all ether troubles are but touches in the heel I trust ye will soon be cured Ye know Madam Kings have some servants in their court that receive not present wages in their hand but live upon their hopes The King of Kings also hath servants in his court that for the present get little or nothing but the heavie cross of Christ troubles without terrours within but they live upon hope when it cometh to the parting of the inheritance they remain in the house as heirs It is better to be so then to get present payment a portion in this life an inheritance in this world God forgive me that I should honour it with the name of an inheritance it is rather a farme-room then in the end to be casten out of God's house with this word Ye have received your consolation ye will get no more Alas What get they The rich glutton's heaven Oh but our Lord Luk. 16. maketh it a sillie heaven He fared well saith our Lord delicately every day Oh no more A sillie heaven Truly no more except that he was clothed in purple that is all I perswade my self Madam ye have joy when ye think that your Lord hath dealt more graciously with your soul. Ye have gotten little in this life It is true indeed Ye have then the more to crave yea ye have all to crave For except some tastings of the first fruits some kisses of his mouth whom your soul loveth ye get no more But I cannot tell you what is to come yet I may speak as our Lord doeth of it The foundation of the city is pure gold clear as crystall the twelve ports are set with precious stones If orchards rivers commend a soil upon earth there is a Paradise there wherein groweth the tree of life that beareth twelve manner of fruits every moneth which is seven score four harvests in the year there is there a pure river of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God of the Lamb the city hath no need of the light of the sun or moon or of a candle for the Lord God Almighty the Lamb is the light thereof Madam beleeve and hope for this till ye see enjoy Jesus is saying in the Gospel Come see he is come down in the chariot of Truth wherein he rideth through the world to conquer mens souls Psal. 45. 4. is now in the word saying Who will goe with me will ye goe my Father will make you welcome give you house-room for in my Father's house are many dwelling places Madam consent to goe with him Thus I rest commending you to God's dearest mercy Anwoth Yours in the Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 16. MADAM I Am afraid now as many others are that at the sitting down of our Parliament our Lord Jesus his Spouse shall be roughly handled And it must be so since false deelining Scotland whom our Lord took off the dunghill out of hell made a fair Bride to himself hath broken her faith to her sweet husband hath put on the forehead of a whore therefore he saith he will remove would God we could stir up our selves to lay hold upon him who being highly provoked with the handling he hath met with is ready to depart Alas we doe not importune him by prayer supplication to abide amongst usâ— If we could but weâ—p upon â—â—m in the holy pertinacy of faith wrestle witâ—… say We will not let thee goe it may be that then he who is easy to be intreated would yet notwithstanding of our high provocations condescend to stay feed among the lilies till that fair desirable day break and the shadows flâ—e away Ah! What cause of mourning is there When our gold is become dim the visage of our Nazarites sometimes whiter then snow is now become blacker then a coal Levi's house once comparable to fine gold is now changed become like vessels in whom he hath no pleasure Madam think upon this that when our Lord who hath his handkerchief to wipe the face of the mourners in Zion shall come to wipe away all tears froÌ„ their eyes he may wipe yours also in the passing amongst others I am confident Madam that our Lord will yet build a new house to himself of our rejected and scattered stones for our bridegroom cannot want a wife Can he live a widow Nay he will embrace both Us the little young sister the elder sister The church of the Iews there will yet be a day of it therefore we have cause to rejoyce yea to sing shout for joy The Church hath been â—nce
professours in these parts as I know love the beauty of Zion are afflicted to see the Lord's vineyard froden under foot by the wilde boars out of the wood who lay it waste I could not but also desire your La help to joyn with the rest desiring you to impart it to my Lord your husband if ye think it needfull I shall write to his Lo as Mr G. G. shall advertise me Know therefore that the best affected of the Ministery have thought it convenient necessary at such a time as this that all who love the truth should joyn their prayers together cry to God with humiliation fasting The times which are agreed upon are the two first sabbaths of February next the six dayes interveening betwixt these sabbaths as they may conveniently be had the first sabbath of every Quarter And the Causes as they are written to me are these 1. Besides the distresses of the Reformed Churches abroad the many reigning sins of uncleanness ungodliness unrighteousness in this land the present judgements on the land many moe hanging over us whereof few are sensible or yet know the right true cause of them 2. The lamentable pitifull estate of a glorious Church in so short a time against so many bonds in Doctrine Sacraments Discipline so sore persecuted in the persons of faithfull Pastors and professors and the door of God's house kept so strait by Bastard-Porters in so much that worthy instruments able for the work are held at the door the Rulers having turned over Religion into Policy the Multitude ready to receive any Religion that shall be enjoyned by Authority 3. In our Humiliation besides that we are under a necessity of deprecating God's wrath vowing to God sincerely new obedience the weakness coldness silence luke warmness of some of the best of the Ministery the deadness of Professors who have suffered the truth both secretly to be stoln away openly to be plucked from us would be confessed 4. Atheism Idolatry profanity vanity would be confessed Our King's heart recommended to God God intreated that he would stir up the Nobles the People to turn from their evil waves Thus Madam hoping that your La will joyn with others that such a work be not slighted at such a necessary time when our Kirk is at the overturning I will promise to my self your help as the Lord in secrecy prudence shall enable you that your La may rejoyce with the Lord's people when deliverance shall come for true sincere humiliation came alwayes speed with God And when Authority King Court Church-men oppose the truth what other armour have we but prayer faith Whereby if we wrestle with him there is ground to hope that these who would remove the burdensom stone out of it's place shall but hurt their back the stone shall not be moved at least not removed Zech 12 3. Grace grace be with you from him who hath called you to the inheritance of the saints in light Anwoth Jan. 23. 1634. Your La at all submissive obedience in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 19 MADAM ALl submissive dutifull obedience in our Lord Jesus remembered I trust I need not much intreat your La to look to him who hath stricken you at this time but my duty in the memory of that comfort I found in your La kindness when I was no less heavy in a case not unlike that speaketh to me to say something now I wish I could ease your La at least with words I am perswaded your Physician will not slay you but purge you seeing he calleth himself the Chirurgian who maketh the wound bindeth it up again for to launce a wound is not to kill but cure the patient Deut. 32. 30. 1 Sam. 2 6. Iob 6 v. 18. Hos. 6. 1. I beleeve Faith will teach you to kiss a striking Lord so acknowledge the soveraignty of God in the death of a childe to be above the power of us mortal men who may pluck up a flower in the bud not be blamed for it If our dear Lord pluck up one of his Roses and pull down sowre green fruit before harvest who can challenge him For he sendeth us to his world as men to a market wherein some stay many hours eat drink buy sell pass through the fair till they be weary such are these who live long get a hearty fill of this life And others again come slipping in to the morning-market doe neither sit nor stand nor buy nor sell but look about them a little pass presently home again and these are infants young ones who end their short market in the morning get but a short view of the fair Our Lord who hath numbered man's moneths set him bounds that he cannot pass Iob. 14 5. hath written the length of our market it is easier to complain of the decree then to change it I verily beleeve when I write this your Lord hath taught your La to lay your hand on your mouth But I shall be far from desiring your La or any others to cast by a cross like an old useless bill that is onely for the fire but rather would wish each cross were looked in the face seven times were read over over again It is the Messenger of the Lord speakes something the man of understanding will hear the rod him that hath appointed it Try what is the taste of the Lord's cup drink with God's blessing that ye may grow thereby I trust in God whatever other speach it utter to your soul this is one word in it Iob. 5. 17. Behold blessed is the man whom God correcteth And that it saith to you Ye are from home while here ye are not of this world as your Redeemer Christ was not of this world There is something keeping for you which is worth the having All that is here is condemned to die to pass away like a snow-ball before a summer-sun since Death took first possession of something of yours it hath been daily is creeping nearer nearer to your self howbeit with no noise of feet Your husbandman Lord hath lopped off some branches already the tree it self is to be transplanted to the high harden in a good time be it our Lord ripen your La all these crosses indeed when I remember them they are heavy many peace peace be the end of them are to make you white ripe for the Lord's harvest-hook I have seen the Lord weaning you from the breasts of this world it was never his minde it should be your patrimony God be thanked for that ye look the liker one of the heirs let the moveables goe why not They are not yours fasten your grips upon the heritage our Lord Jesus make the charters sure give
comforter's part of it not against you Madam for I am sure ye are not his party but against your grief which will have it 's own violent incursions in your soul I think it be not in your power to help it But I must say there are comforts allowed upon you therefore want them not When ye have gotten a running-over soul with joy now that joy will never be missed out of the infinite Ocean of delight which iâ— not diminished by drinking at it or drawing out of it It is a Christian art to Comfort your self in the Lord to say I was obliged to render back again this childe to the giver if I have had four years loan of him Christ eternitie's possession of him the Lord hath keeped condition with me If my Lord would not have him me to tryst both in one hour at death's door threshold together it is his wisdom so to doe I am satisfied my tryst is suspended not broken off nor given up Madam I would I could divide sorrow with you for your ease But I am but a beholder it is easie to me to speak The God of comfort speak to you allure you with his feasts of love My removal from my flock is so heavy to me that it maketh my life a burden to me I had never such a longing for death The Lord help hold up sad clay I fear ye sin in drawing Mr William Dalgleish from this countrey where the labourrers are few and the harvest great Madam desire my Lord Argyle to see for provision to a Pastor for this poor people Grace be with you Kircudbright Octob. 1. 1639. Your La at all obedience in Christ S. R. To the persecuted Church in Ireland 27 Much honoured reverend dearly beloved in our Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you all I know there are many in this Nation more able then I to speak to the sufferers for witnesses of Jesus Christ yet pardon me to speak a little to you who are called in question for the Gospel once committed to you I hope ye are not ignorant that if peace was left to you in Christ's Testament so the other half of the Testament was a legacy of Christ's sufferings Ioh. 16 35. These things I have spoken that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have trouble Because then ye are made assignayes heâ—â—s to a life-rent of Christ's Cross think that fiery trial no strangething For the Lord Jesus shall be no loser by purging the dross tin out of his Church in Ireland his wine press is out squising out the dreg the scum the froath refuse of that Church I had once the proof of the sweet smell the honest honourable peace of that slandered thing the Cross of our Lord Jesus But though Alas that these golden dayes that then I had be now in a great part gone yet I dare say that the issue outgate of your sufferings shall be the advantage the golden reign dominion of the Gospel the high glory of the never-enough-praised Prince of the Kings of the earth the changing of the brass of the Lord's temple among you into gold the iron into silver the wood into brass your officers shall yet be peace your exactors righteousness Isa. 60 v. 17 18. Your old fallen walls shall get a new name the gates of your Ierusalem shall get a new stile they shall call your walls Salvation your gates Praise I know that Deputy Prelats Papists temporizing Lords proud mockers of our Lord crucifiers of Christ for his coat all your enemies have neither fingers nor instruments of war to pick out one stone out of your wall for each stone of your wall is Salvation I dare give you my royal Princely Master's word for it that Ireland shall be a fair Bride to Jesus Christ shall build on her a palace of silver Cant. 8 9. Therefore weep not as if there were no hope fear not put on strength put on your beautifull garments Isa. 52 1. Your foundation shall be saphires Isa. 54 11 12. Your windows gates precious stones Look over the water behold see who is on the dry land waiting for your landing Your deliverance is concluded subscribed sealed in heaven Your goods that are taken from you for Christ his truth's sake are but arrested laid in pawne not taken away There is much laid up for you in his store-house whose the earth the fulness thereof is your garments are spun your flocks are feeding in the fields your bread is laid up for you your drink is browen your gold silver is at the bank the interest goeth on groweth yet I hear that your task-masters doe robe spoil you fine you your prisons my brethren have two keyes the Deputy Prelats Officers keep but the iron keyes of the prison wherein they put you but he that hath created the smith hath other keyes in heaven therefore ye shall not die in the prison other mens ploughs are labouring for your bread your enemies are gathering in your rents He that is kissing his Bride on this side of the sea in Scotland is beating her beyond the sea in Ireland and feeding her with the bread of adversity and the water of affliction and yet he is the same Lord to both Alas I fear that Scotland be undone and slain with this great mercy of Reformation because there is not here that life of Religion answerable to the huge greatness of the work that dazleth our eyes For the Lord is rejoycing over us in this land as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride the Lord hath changed the name of Scotland they call us now no more Forsaken nor Desolate but our land is called Heph Zibah Beislah Isa. 62 4 for the Lord delighteth in us this land is married to himself there is now an high way made through our Zion it is called the way of holiness the unclean shall not pass over it the wayfaring men though fools shall not erre in it the wilderness doth rejoyce blossom as the rose the ransomed of the Lord are returned back unto Zion with songs everlasting joy up on their heads Isa. 35. The Canaanite is put out of our Lord's house there is not a beast left to doe hurt at least professedly in all the holy mountain of the Lord our Lord is fallen to wrestle with his enemies hath brought us out of Egypt we have the strength of an Unicorn Numb 23 22. The Lord hath eaten up the sons of Babel he hath broken their bones hath pierced them through with his arrows we take them captives whose captives we were we rule over our oppressors Isa 14 2. It is not brick nor clay nor Babel's cursed timber stones that is in our second temple but our Princely King â—esus is
mercy cannot dry it up your troubles are many great yet not an ounce-weight beyond the measure of infinite wisdom I hope not beyond the measure of grace that he is to bestow for our Lord never yet brake the back of his childe nor spilt his own work nature's plastering counterfit work he doeth often break in sheards putteth out a candle not lighted at the Sun of righteousness but he must cherish his own reeds handle them softly never a reed getteth a thrust with the Mediator's hand to lay together the two ends of the reed O what bonds ligaments hath our Chirurgion of broken spirits to binde up all his lame bruised ones with cast your disjoynted spirit in his lap lay your burden upon one who is so willing to take your cares your fears off you to exchange niffer your crosses to give you new for old gold for iron even to give you garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness It 's true in a great part what ye write of this Kirk that the letter of Religion onely is reformed scarce that I doe not beleeve out Lord will build his Zion in this land upon this skin of Reformation so long as our scum remaineth our heart-idols are keeped this work must be at a stand and therefore our Lord must yet sift this land and search us with candles and I know he shall give and not sell us his Kingdom his Grace and our remaining guiltiness must be compared the one must be seen in the glory of it and the other in the sinfulness of it But I desire to beleeve and would gladly hope to see that the glancing and shining luster of glory coming from the diamonds and stones set in the crown of our Lord Jesus shall cast rayes and beams many thousand miles about I hope Christ is upon a great Marriage and that his wooing and suting of his excellent Bride doeth take it's beginning from us the ends of the earth O what joy and what glory would I judge it if my heaven should be suspended till I might have leave to run on foot to be a witness of that Marriage-glory see Christ put on the glory of his last married Bride and his last Marriage-love on earth when he shall enlarge his love-bed and set it upon the top of the mountains and take in the elder Sister the Iewes and the fulness of the Gentiles It were heaven's honour glory upon earth to be his lackey to run at his horse-foot and hold up the train of his Marriage-roberoyal in the day of our high aâ—d royal Solomon's espousals But O what glory to have a seat or â—eâ— in King Iesus his chariot that is bottomed with gold paved and lined over and floored within with Love fâ— the daughters of Ierusalem Cant. 3. 10. To lie upon such a King's love were a bed next to the flower of heaven's glory I am sorry to hear you speak in your Letter of a God anâ—ry at you and of the sense of his indignation which onely ariseth from suffering for Jesus all that is now come upon you Indeed apprehended wrath flameth out of such ashes as apprehended sin but not from suffering for Christ But suppose ye were in hell for by-gones and for old debt I hope ye ow Christ a great summe of charity to beleeve the sweetness of his love I know what it is to sin in that kinde it is to sin our if it were possible the unchangeableness of a Godhead out of Christ to sin away a lovely unchangeable God Put more honest apprehensions upon Christ put on his own mask upon his face and not your vail made of unbelief which speaketh as if he borrowed love to you from you and your demerits sinfull deservings Oh no! Christ is man but he is not like man he hath man's love in heaven but it is lustered with God's love it is very God's love ye have to doe with When your wheels goe about he standeth still Let God be God and be ye a man and have ye the deserving of man the sin of one who hath suffered your Welbeloved to slip away nay hath refused him entrance when he was knocking till his head and locks were frozen Yet what is that to him his book keepeth your name and is not printed and reprinted and changed and corrected And why but he should goe to his place hide himself Howbeit his Departure be his own good work yet the belief of it in that manner is your sin But wait on till he return with Salvation and cause you rejoyce in the latter end It is not much to complain but rather beleeve then complain and sit in the dust and close your mouth till he make your sown light grow again for your afflictions are not eternal Time will end them so shall ye at length see the Lord's salvation his love sleepeth not but is still in working for you his Salvation will not tarry nor linger Suffering for him is the noblest cross that is out of heaven Your Lord had the waile choice of ten thousand other crosses beside this to exercise you withall but his wisdom his love wailed and choosed out this for you beside them all take it as a choice one make use of it so as ye look to this world as your step-mother in your borrowed prison For it is a love-look to heaven and the other side of the water that God seeketh this is the fruit the flower bloom growing out of your cross that ye be a dead man to time to clay to gold to countrey to friends wife children all pieces of created nothings for in them there is not a seat nor bottom for your soul's love O what room is for your Love if it were as broad as the sea up in heaven and in God! and what would not Christ give for your love God gave so much for your soul blessed are ye if ye have a love for him can call in your soul's love from all idols and can make a God of God a God of Christ draw a line betwixt your heart and him If your deliverance come not Christ's presence and his beleeved love must stand as caution and surety for your deliverance till your Lord send it in his blessed time for Christ hath many Salvations if we could see them and I would think it better born comfort and joy that cometh from the faith of deliverance and the faith of his love then that which cometh from deliverance it self It is not much matter if ye finde ease to your afflicted soul what be the means either of your own wishing or of God's choosing the latter I am sure is best and the comfort strongest and sweetest let the Lord absolutely have the ordering of your evils troubles and put them off you by recommending your cross and your furnace to him
not but goeth with even equal legs yet are they not the greatest sinners upon whom tower of Siloam fell was not time's lease expired the sand of heaven's sand-glass set by our Lord run out Is not he an unjust debter who payeth due debt with chiding I beleeve Christian Lady your faith leaveth that much charity to our Lord's judgements as to beleeve how beit ye be in blood sib to that cross that yet ye are exempted freed from the gall wrath that is in it I dare not deny but Iob. 18 15. the King of terrors dwelleth in the wicked man's tabernacle brimstone shall be scattered on his habitation yet Madam it is safe for you to live upon the faith of his love whose arrows are over-watered pointed with love mercy to his own who knoweth how to take you yours out of the roll book of the dead Our Lord hath not the eyes of flesh in distributing wrath to the thousand generation without exception Seeing ye are not under the Law but under Grace married to another husband Wrath is not the Court that ye are liable to As I would not wish neither doe I beleeve your La doeth despise so neither faint read spell aright all the words syllabes in the visitation miscall neither letter nor syllabe in it Come along with the Lord see lay no more weight upon the Law then your Christ hath laid upon it If the Law 's bill get an answer from Christ the curses of it can doe no more And I hope ye have resolved that if he should grind you to powder your dust powder shall beleeve his salvation And who can tell what thoughts of love peace our Lord hath to your children I trust he shall make them famous in excuting the written judgements upon the enemies of the Lord this honour have all his saints Psal. 149 9. that they shall bear stones on their shoulders for building that city that is called Ezek. 46 35. The Lord is there happy shall they be who have a hand in the sacking of Babel come out in the year of vengeance for the controversy of Zion against the land of graven images Therefore Madam let the Lord make out of your father's house any work even of judgement that he pleaseth What iâ— wrath to others is mercy to you your house It is Faith's work to claim and challenge loving kindness out of all the roughest strokes of God Doe that for the Lord which ye will doe for time time will calme your heart at that which God hath done let our Lord have it now What love ye did bear to friends now dead seeing they stand now in no need of it let it fall as just legacy to Christ. O how sweet to put out many strange lovers to put in Christ It is much for our half-slain affections to part with that which we beleeve we have right unto but the servant's will should be our will he is the best servant who retaineth least of his own will most of his Master's That much wisdom must be ascribed to our Lord that he knoweth how to lead his own in-through and out-through the little time-hells and the pieces of time-during wraths in this life yet keep safe his love without any blurre upon the old great seal of free Election And seeing his mountains of brass the mighty strong decrees of free grace in Christ stand sure the Covenant standeth fast for ever as the dayes of heaven let him strike nurture his striking must be a very act of saving seeing strokes upon his secret ones come from the soft heavenly hand of the Mediatour his rods are steeped watered in that flood river of love that cometh from the God-man's heart of our soul-loving soul-redeeming JESUS I hope ye are content to frist the Cautioner of mankinde his own conquest heaven till he pay it you bring you to a state of glory where he shall never crook a finger upon nor lift a hand to you again And be content withall greedily covetous of Grace the interest pledge of Glory If I did not beleeve your crop to be on the ground your part of that heaven of the saints heaven white ruddy fair fair beautifull Jesus were come to the bloom the flower near your hook I would not write this but seeing time ' threed is short ye are upon the entry of heaven's harvest Christ the field of heaven's glory is white ripe-like the losses that I write of to your La are but summer-showers that will onely wet your garments for an hour or two and the Sun of the new Ierusalem shall quickly dry the wet coat especially seeing rains of Affliction cannot stain the image of God or cause Grace cast the colour And since ye will not alter upon him who will not change upon you I durst in weakness think my self no spiritual Seer if I should not prophesie that day-light is neer when such a morning-darkness is upon you that this trial of your Christian minde towards him whom ye dare not leave howbeit he should slay you shall close with a doubled mercy It is time for faith to hold fast as much of Christ as ever ye had to make the grip stronger to cleave closer to him seeing Christ loveth to be beleeved in trusted to The glory of laying strength upon one that is mighty to save is more then we can think That piece of service of beleeving in a smiting Redeemer is a precious part of obedience O what glory to him to lay over the burden of our heaven upon him that purchased for us an eternal Kingdom O blessed soul who can adore kiss his lovely free Grace The rich grace of Christ be with your spirit St. Andrews Octob. 15. 1640. Yours at all obedience in Christ Iesus S. R. To AGNES MCMATH 38 Dear Sister IF our Lord hath taken away your childe your lease of him is expired seeing Christ would want him no longer it is your part to hold your peace worship adore the soveraignty liberty that the potter hath over the clay pieces of clay-nothings that he gave life unto And what is man to call summond the Almighty to his lower Court down here For he giveth account of none of his doings And if ye will take a loan of a childe give him back again to our Lord laughing as his borrowed goods should return to him beleeve he is not gone away but sent before that the change of the countrey should make you think he is not lost to you who is found to Christ that he is now before you that the dead in Christ shall be raised again A going down star is not annihilat but shall appeare again If he have casten his bloom flower the bloom is fallen
in heaven in Christ's lap And as he was lent a while to Time so is he given now to Eternity which will take yourself And the difference of your shipping his to heaven Christ's shore the land of life is onely in some few years which weareth every day shorter some short soon-reckoned summers will give you a meeting with him but what with him â—â—y with better company with the chief leader of the heavenly troups that are riding on white horses that are triumphing in glory If Death were a sleep that had no wakening we might sorrow But our Husband shall quickly be at the bed-sides of all that lie sleeping in the grave shall raise their mortal bodies Christ was Death's Cautioner who gave his word to come loose all the clay-pawnes set them at his own right hand our Cautioner Christ hath an Act of Law-surety upon Death to render back his captives And that Lord Jesus who knoweth the turnings windings that is in that black trance of Death hath numbered all the steps of the stair up to heaven he knoweth how long the turnpike is or how many pair of stairs high it is for he ascended that way himself Rev. 1 18. I was dead am alive now he liveth at the right hand of God and his garments have not so much as a smell of death Your afflictions smell of the childrens case the bairns of the house are so nurtured Suffering is no new life it is but the rent of the sons bastards have not so much of the rent take kindly heartsomly with his cross who never yet slew a ehilde with the cross He breweth your cup therefore drink it patiently with the better will Stay wait on till Christ loose the knot that fasteneth his cross on your back for he is coming to deliver I pray you Sister learn to be worthy of his pains who correcteth let him wring be ye waâ—hen for he hath a father's heart a father's hand who is training you up making you meet for the high hall This School of Suffering is a preparation for the King 's higher house let all your visitations speak all the letters of your Lord summonds they cry 1. O vain World 2. O bitter Sin 3 O short uncertain Time 4. O fair Eternity that is above sickness Death 5. O Kingly Princely Bridegroom Hasten Glorie's Marriage shorten Time's short-spun soon-broken threed conquer Sin 6. O happy blessed Death that golden bridge laid over by Christ my Lord betwixt Time's clay-banks heaven's shore the Spirit the Bride say Come answer ye with them Even so come Lord â—esus Come quickly Grace be with you St Andrews Octob. 15. 1640. Your brother in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr MATHEW MOWAT 39 Reverend dear Brother WHat am I to answer you Alas my books are all bare shew me little of God I would fain goe beyond books in to his house of love to see himself Dear Brother neither ye nor I are parties worthy of his love or knowledge Ah! how hath sin bemisted blinded us that we cannot see him But for my poor sâ—lf I am pained like to burst because he will not take down the wall fetch hiâ— uncreated beauty bring his matchless white ruddy face out of heaven one's errand that I may have heaven meeting me ere I goe to it in such a wonderfull sight ye know that Majesty Love doe humble because homely love to sinners dwelleth in him with Majesty Ye should give him all his own court-stiles his high heaven-names What am I to shape conceptions of my highest Lord How broad how high how deep he is above beyond what these conceptions are I cannot tell but for my own weak practice which alas can be no rule to one so deep in love-sickness with Christ as ye are I would fain adde to my thoughts esteem of him make him more high would wish an heart love ten thousand times wider then the outmost circle curtain that goeth about the heaven of heavens to entertain him in that heart with that love But that which is your pain my dear Brother is mine also I am confounded with the thoughts of him I know God is casten if I may speak so in a sweet mould lovely image in the person of that heaven's jewel the man Christ that the steps of that steep ascentâ— stair to the Godhead is the flesh of Christ the new living way there is footing for faith in that curious Ark of the humanity therein dwelleth the Godhead married upon our Humanity I would be in heaven suppose I had not another errand but to see that dainty golden Ark God personally looking out at ears eyes a body such as we sinners have that I might wear my sinfull mouth in kisses on him for evermore I know all the Three blessed Persons should be well pleased that my piece of faint created love should first coast upon the man Christ I should see them all through him I am called from writing by my great imployments in this town have said nothing but what can I say of him Let us goe see St Andrews 1640. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 40 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to your La I am heartily sorry that your La is deprived of such an husband the Lord's Kirk of so active faithfull a friend I know your La long agoe made acquaintance with that wherein Christ will have you joyned in a fellowship with himself even with his own Cross hath taught you to stay your soul upon the Lord's goodwill who giveth not account of his matters to any of us When he hath led you through this water that was in your way to glory there are fewer behinde his order in dismissing us sending us out of the market one before another is to be reverenced One year's time of heaven shall swallow up all sorrows even beyond all comparison What then will not a duration of blessedness so long as God shall live fully and abundantly recompense It is good that our Lord hath given a debter obliged by gracious promises for more in Eternity then Time can take from you I beleeve your La hath been now many years advising thinking what that Glory will be which is abiding the pilgrims strangers on the earth when they come home which we may think of love thirst for but we cannot comprehend it nor conceive of it as it is far less can we over-think or over-love it O so long a Chapter or rather so large a Volume as Christ is in that Divinity of Glory There is no more of him let down now to be seen enjoyed by his children but as much as may feed hunger in
this life but not satisfie it Your La is a debter to the Son of God's Cross that is weaâ—ing out love and affiance in the creature out of your heart by degrees or rather the obligation standeth to his free grace who careth for your La in this gracious dispensation and who is preparing making ready the garments of Salvation for you who calleth you with a new name that the mouth of the Lord hath named purposeth to make you a crown of glory a royal diadem in the hand of your God Isa. 62. 2. 3. Ye are obliged to frist him more then one heaven yet he craveth not a long day it is fast coming is sure payment though ye gave no hire for him yet hath he given a great price ransom for you if the bargain were to make again Christ would give no less for you then what he hath already given he is far from ruing I shall wish you no more till Time be gone out of the way then the earnest of that which he hath purchased prepared for you which can never be fully preached written or thought of since it hath not entered into the heart to consider it So recommending your La to the rich grace of our Lord Jesus I am rests St Andrews Your La at all respective observance in Christ Iesus S R. To Mistress TAYLOR 41 MISTRESS GRace mercy peace be to you Though I have no relation worldly or acquaintance with you yet upon the testimony importunity of your Elder son now at London where I am but chiefily because I esteem Jesus Christ in you to be in place of all relations I make bold in Christ to speak my poor thoughts to you concerning your Son lately fallen asleep in the Lord who was some time under the ministery of the worthy servant of Christ my fellow-labourer Mr Blair and by whose ministery I hope he reaped no small advantage I know grace rooteth not out the affections of a mother but putteth them on his wheel who maketh all things new that they may be refined therefore sorrow for a dead childe is allowed to you though by measure ounce-weights the redeemed of the Lord have not a dominion or Lordship over their sorrow other affections to lavish out Christ's goods at their pleasure for ye are not your own but bought with a price your sorrow is not your own nor hath he redeemed you by halves therefore ye are not to make Christ's cross no cross He commandeth you to weep that Princely one who took up to heaven with him a man's heart to be a compassionat high priest became your fellow companion on earth by weeping for the dead Ioh. 11 35. And therefore ye are to love that cross because it was once on Christ's shoulders before you so that by his own practice he hath overguilded and covered your cross with the Mediator's lustre The cup ye drink was at the lip of sweet Jesus he drank of it so it hath a smell of his breath And I conceive ye love it not the worse that it is thus sugared therefore drink beleeve the resurrection of your Son's body If one coal of hell could fall off the exalted head Iesus Jesus the Prince of the Kings of the earth burn me to ashes knowing I were a partner with Christ a fellow-sharer with him though the unworthiest of men I think I should die a lovely death in that fire with him The worst things of Christ even his cross have much of heaven from himself so hath your Christian sorrow being of kin to Christ's in that kinde If your sorrow were a Bastard not of Christ's house because of the relation ye have to him in conformity with his death sufferings I should the more compassionat your condition but kinde compassionat Jesus at every sigh ye give for the loss of your now-glorified childe so I beleeve as is meet with a man's heart cryeth halfe mine I was not a witness to his death being called out or the Kingdom but ye shall credit these whom I doe credit I dare not lye he died comfortably It is true he died before he did so much service to Christ on earth as I hope heartily desire your Son Mr Hugh very dear to me in Jesus Christ shall doe But that were a reall matter of sorrow if this were not to counterballance it that he hath changed service-houses but hath not changed services or master Rev. 22 3. And there shall be no more curse but the throne of God of the Lamb shall be in it his servants shall serve him What he could have don in this lower house he is now upon that same service in the higher house it is all one it is the same service the same Master onely there is a change of conditions And ye are not to think it a bad bargain for your beloved son where he hath gold for copper brass Eternity for Time I beleeve Christ hath taught you for I give credit to such a witness of you as your Son Mr Hugh not to sorrow because he died All the knot must be he died too soon he died too young he died in the morning of his life this is all but soveraignity must silence your thoughts I was in your condition I had but two children both are dead since I came hither The supream and absolut former of all things giveth not an account of any of his matters The good husband-man may pluck his roses gather in his lilies at midsummer for ought I dare say in the beginning of the first summer-moneth he may transplant young trees out of the lower-ground to the higher where they may have more of the sun a more free air at any season of the year what is that to you or me The goods are his own The Creator of time winds did a mercifull injurie if I dare borrow the word to nature in landing the passenger so early They love the sea too well who complain of a fair wind a desirable tide and a speedy coming ashore especially a coming ashore in that land where all the inhabitants have everlasting joy upon their heads He cannot be too earely in heaven His twelve hours were not short hours And withall if ye consider this had ye been at his bed-side and should have seen Christ coming to him ye would not ye could not have adjourned Christ's free love who would want him no longer And dying in an other land where his mother could not close his eyes is not much who closed Mose's eyes And who put on his winding-sheet For ought I know neither father nor mother nor friend but God onely And there is as expedite fair easie a way betwixt Scotland heaven as if he had died in the very bed he was born in The whole earth is his father's Any corner of his
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