faithfull to him we are more happy at our worst then we know or rather we are onely in so far miserable as we know not how happy we are he who is admitted to know that he hath a place in the heart of God needs but care little what he meet with from the hand of man this may wipe all teares from his eyes even while he sighes out that sad word I am poor and needy that he knoweth and is in case to adde that other yet the Lord thinketh upon me doth earnestly remember me still And by the way though it 's neither far out of my way nor thine nor eccentrick to my present purpose let me say that if the question were moved how it cometh to pass that he found so much and other worthy sufferers also before him that these things seem almost dreams incredible to us truely without speaking any thing of the absolut soveraignty of God who may doe with his own what he will and dispense as he pleaseth both as to measure time the reason may seem to be very obvious his their witness-bearing for Jesus Christ did every way in all respects exceed our's They gave to God as Kings though it was of his own they served him their Testimonies against the corruptions of their times whither in King or Parliament or Churchmen had so much of ministeriall faithfulness so much of freedom so much of grave Gospel-becoming boldness in them so much holy zeal even for the least of these concernments of the Kingdom of Christ upon which we are loath to state our sufferings or for the keeping whereof we are unwilling to hazard the loss of any thing that it was apparent they loved him so well that they loved not their lives unto the death and that Christ could require nothing of them as a signification of their zeal for his interests which they were not at a point to part with were not ready to give away And he upon the other hand to make it appear that they could not serve the Lord for nothing and to evidence his speciall complacency in such a zealous frame of spirit did not onely extraordinarily support them under their trouble so that they did not sink even when they seemed to others to be pressed out of measure beyond strength but did manifest himself in a most familiar manner unto them so that when they were almost at this that they had not whereupon to lay their head they had then free accesse to lean it lay it on his bosome in a word God did declare that he thought nothing too great nor too good for them who gave themselves away so intirely to him so that if the question were asked at God whence is it that there is so vaste a difference betwixt his dealing with his former witnesses these who now give some kinde of testimony to his name He could quickly silence put to shame the movers of that question by sending us back to see what a difference there is betwixt what these worthies did suffered for him what we have done though under moe obligations at least subjective under moe oaths Covenants ingagements protestations these often reiterat then many of them were He met them as men whose hearts wer listed up in the wayes of the Lord as men who rejoyced wrought righteousnesse could neither be flattered nor frowned out of their fidelitie freedom he hids himself from us as it were ashamed of such witnesses whose very testimony is so unworthy of such a Master so far short of what it ought to be as if indeed we were ashamed of him his truth or thought the torne the lame a sufficient sacrifice for him It was not the maine question of these men in a suffering time how much they might let goe yet keep the substantialls of religion or how long they should be silent out of fear lest while they endeavoured to acquit themselves faithfully they should both be reput rash impâ—udent provoke the Magistrat by venting their needless jealousies to doe what he intended not They did not think it enough to give some oblique intimation of their dislike or half signification of their detestation of these courses whereby they conceived their Master's interests wronged his prerogative incroched upon the whole indangered Nay nay these men of God who knew the times what Israel had to doe thought such a carriage unworthy of the Ambassadours of Christ who are set for the defence of the Gospel upon the matter but as a couching of Asses under the burden they would sooner have parted with their lives then with one hoof of what belonged to their Master They thought it more worthy of a watchman to put all on their guard upon the Least appearance of the approach of an enemy then suffer themselves to be shamefully surprised in their security And they thought it more like the good souldiers of Jesus Christ to cover the ground where they stood with their dead bodies then as afraid or terrified by their adversaries in any thing to make a dishonourable retreat He who would have put them from witnessing a good confession when the danger of the work of God called them to cry aloud not to spare behovâ—d not onely to have threatned them for that would not have done the businesse they being men of such mettall as could have looked death out of countenance in it's most formidable shape carryed in the face of all opposition as these whom no affliction could make miserable but to silence them perfectly he behoved to have sent them into the other world whith could not be terrible to them who had the certain expectation that if so dismissed they should take up their place amongst the soul under the Altar slain for the word of God their testimony that they held And I may say particularly to the commendation of the grace of God in this his faithfull servant who having served his generation according to the will of God is now fallen asleep that to the observation of all he never was afraid of the face of man in appearing for the interests of Christ neither knew he what it was to be silent when he saw these in hazard nay he was such a son of Levi as knew neither friend nor brother in the matters of God Which blessed disposition did accompany him to his grave for though such was the indulgence of his Master to so faithfull a servant that he would have him to die in peace though he denied him not the honour of a martyr dying under a sentence of confinement to his own house plucking him out of the jaws of a bloody death wherewith he was threatned which was intended for him by them whose indignation had almost come to that hight as to say upon the matter bring him hither upon the bed that we may kill â—im for not being
satisfied with the testimony of the Physicans nor the Magistrats nor the Ministers of the place certifying that he was not able to travell to Edinburgh as by the sâ—quel was too sadly confirmed he was confined in his own house when he was not able to goe a broad put to shame in that place where he had deservedly gained the reput of one of the most learned succesfully laborious Doctors that ever had filled that chair of one of the most faithfull diligent Minister that ever watched over or laboured amongst a people Ah Scotland Scotland whither hast thou caused thy shame to goe If it had been an enemy who had sought to deal thus with thy Secrs faithfull Prophets it had become thee better to have hide these by fifties in caves from the fury of their enemiâ—s or if thou couldest not have preserved the lives of such worthies either to have died with them or to have made it appear thou onely lived to lament the loss of a greater treasure then if thou hadst lost all the gold of Indie and Ophir but for thy own sword to devour thy own Prophets that under the colour of law what canst thou say for this that will satisfie what Apology canst thou make to God for misusing his Prophets shedding the blood of the just in the midst of thee What canst thou say for satisfying the Nations who have heard of the renown of these men these precious sons of Zion comparable to fine gold who have been dashed in pieces in the midst of thee delt with as earthen pitchers the work of the hands of the potter wilt thou not be speechlesse not have wherewith to Answer him that reproveth reprocheth thee Canst thou look fordward not blush to think what succeeding generations will say of thee What wilt thou say when it shall be asked by one whom thou must Answer what manner of men were these whose blood thou didst had however thou hast represented them now as malefactors that thou mightest deal so with them yet then must thou say all of them were as the sons of Kings Ah Scotland Scotland the most solemnly ingaged to God the most guilty ungrate of all the nations under the heaven Doest thou not fear after all this the cry of the souls under the Altar Saying with a loud voice how long O Lord holy and true doest thou not judge avenge our blood on them that dwel on the earth Thou was once made use of as a Carpenter to fâ—ay the hornes of them who did push the in heritance of the Lord but now the spirit of the hornes hath entered into the Carpenters doest thou think thy self secure after all this It 's true their is no visible power or party upon earth of whom thou hast much reason to be a afraid but remember that he who is higher then the highest regardeth who will mak inquisition for the blood of his saints which thou hast shed his interests If thou wilt feare nothing else let me recommend the Scythian fear unto thee of whom it is reported that they fear nothing but that the heavens should fall upon them Alas if thy enemy be above thee how wilt thou guard thy head oâ— secure thy heart when he gives the blow recompences thy way upon thine own head but if thou wilt still goe on in stead of smiting on thy thigh saying what have I done harden thy self think to prosper I shall desire Grace to have such a frame of soul as to weep for thee in secret But to returne to my purpose from which this sad meditation hath a little withdrawn me though such I say was the tenderness of his master to this servant yet when he had nothing else to complain of being for many dayes together before his death filled with as much joy of the Holy Ghost as he could hold he went away regrating this though with a sweet submission to his Master's will that he died not in that bed of honour and was not brought forth to breath out his life last upon a scaffold since his Master was dealing such favours amongst his followers for to some and blessed be he eternally who carried them honourably through it was given not onely to beleeve but also to suffer and to the conviction of their enemies as men who seemed rather to triumph over that King of terrours then to de daunted by it's dreadfull aspect since he was taking such proofs of the fidelitie affection of some of his followers It will not be amiss for this purpose to insert his own words which were taken from his mouth not once but often reiterat Now said that faithfull servant even when he was upon the threshold of glory ready to receive the immortall crown my tabernacle is weak I would think it a more glorions way of going hence to lay down my life for the cause at the Cross of Edinburgh or St Andrews but I submit to my Master's will Is it any wonder then I say since he these other worthy mens way in witnessing for God was so unlike ours so far beyond what is to be found in our faint appearances for him as the one keeps no proportion with the other that there should be so remarkable a difference betwixt his bearing witness to testifying his complacencie in what they did what we doe if there be for the most part some proportion betwixt the dispensation of God the disposition of men What wonder that he who admitted them to the nearest familiarity with himself deal thus with us so let us know his breach of promiseâ— nay if there be any thing strange to be wondered at in this It is rather that he hath not been more terrible to us by writting his displeasure against our lukwarmness in greater Characters then that we have not been more indulgently dealt with It is exceedingly of all our concernments to lay this to heart seriously to consider whether this be not the very thing that maks him keep a distance from us I suppose upon a very overly search survey of our way it will be found that by our unworthy carriage in his matters we have rewarded this evil to our own souls Our suffering if it deserve that name is with less edification advantage to the Church and less comfort to our own souls because of our testimony be weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary it will be found light and to want many pounds not onely of what it ought to have but what theirs had whose work was found perfect before God But if we be really desireous to be dealt with as they were what is so desirable next to heaven the coming of the Kingdom of the son of God upon the earth let us endeavour to carry as they did were they not men of the like passions infirmities with us why then should not we
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
set rent O how many rich off-fallings are in my Kings house I am perswaded dare pawnd my salvation on it that it is Christs truth I now suffet for I know his comforts are no dreams he would not put his seal on blank paper nor deceive his afflicted ones that trust in him Your La wrote to me that ye are yet an ill scholler Madam ye must goe in at heavens gates and your book in your hand still learning you have had your own large share of troubls a double portion but iâ— saith your Father counteth you not a baâ—tard fuâ—-begotten bairns are nurtured Heb. 12. 8. I long to hear of the childe I write the blessings of Christs prisoner the mercies of God to him let him be Christs yours betwixt you but let Christ â—e whole play-maker let him be the lender ye the borrower not an owner Madam it is not long since I did write to your La that Christ is keeping mercy for you I bide by it still now I write it under my hand love him dearly win in to see him there is in him that which you never saw he is aâ—â—igh he is a tree of life green blossoming both summer and winter there is a nick in Christianity to the which whosoever cometh they see and feel more then others can doe I invite you of new to come to him Come See will speak better things of him then I can doe come neerer come neerer wil say much God thought never this world a portion worthy of you he would not even you to a gift of dirt clay nay he will not give you Esaâ—'s portion but reserves the inheritance of Jacob for you are ye not well married now have you not a good husband now my heart cannot expresse what sad nights I have for the virgin daughter of my people woe is me for our time is coming Ezek. 7 10. behold the day behold it is come the morning hath gone forth the rod hath blossomed pride hath buâ—ded violence is risen up in a rod of wickedness the sun is gone down upon our prophets A drie wind upon Scotland but neither to fan nor to cleanse but out of all question when the Lord hath cut down his forrest the after-growth of Lebanon shall flourish they shall plant vines in our mountains and a cloud shall yet fill the Temple Now the blessing of our dearest Lord Jesus the blessing of him that is seperat from his brethren come upon you Yours at Aberden the prisoner of Christ S. R. To the honourable truly noble lady the VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE 7 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to your La I long to hear from you I am here waiting if a good wind long-looked for shaâ—â— at length blow in Christs sailes in this land But I wonder if Jesus be not content to suffer more yet in his members cause beauty of his house rather then he should not be avenged upon this land I hear many worthy men who see more in the Lords dealing then I can take up with my dim sight are of a contrait minde doe beleeve the Lord is coming home again to his house in Scotland I hope he is on his journey that way yet I look not but that he shall feed this land with their own blood before he establish his throne amongst us I know your Honour is not looking after things here-away ye have no great cause to think that your stock principall is under the roof of these visible heavens I hope ye would think your self a beguiled and coâ—sened Soul if it were so I would be sorry to counsell your La to make a covenant with time this life but rather desire you to hold in fair generals far off from this ill founded heaven that is on this side of the water It speaketh some what when our Lord bloweth the bloome off our daft hopes in this life loppeth the branches of our worldly joyes well nigh the root on purpose that they should not thrive Lord spill my fools heaven in this life that I may be saved for ever A forfeiture of the saints part of the yolke and marrow of short-laughing happinesse worldly is not such a real evil as our blinded eyes doe conceive I am thinking long now for some deliverance more then before but I know I am in an errour It is possible I am not come to that measure of triall that the Lord is seeking in his work If my friends in Galloway would effectualy doe for my deliverance I would exceedingly rejoyce but I know not but the Lord hath a way whereof he will be the only reaper of praises Let me know with the bearer how the childe is the Lord be his Father Tutour your onely comforter There is nothing here where I am but profanitie atheisme Grace grace be with your La. Aberd. Feb. 13. 1637. Your La at all oblidged obedience in Christ S. R. To the noble Christian lady the VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE 8 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to you I would not omit the occasion to write to your La with the bearer I am glad the childe is well Gods favour even in the eyes of men be seen upon him I hope your La is thinking upon these sad woefull dayes wherein we now live when our Lord in his righteous judgment is sending the kirk the gate she is going to Romes brothell house to seek a lover of her own seeing she hath given up with Christ her husband O what sweet comfort what rich salvation is laid up for these who had rather wash and roll their garments in their own blood then break out from Christ by Apostasie keep your self in the love of Christ stand far aback from the pollutions of the vvorld side not with these times and hold off from coming nigh the signs of a conspiracie with these that are now come out against Christ that ye may be One keept for Christ onely I know your La thinketh upon this and how ye may be humbled for your self this backsliding land for Iavouch that wrath from the Lord is gone out against Scotland I think ay the longer the better of my Royall and worthy master he is become a new welbeloved to me now in renewed consolations by the presence of the spirit of grace and glory Christs garments smell of the powder of the marchant when he cometh out of his Ivory chambers O his perfumed face his fair face his lovely kindly kisses have made me a poor prisoner see there iâ— more to be had of Christ in this life then I beleeved we think all is but a little earnest a four hours a small tasting we have or is to be had in this life which is true compared with the inheritance but yet I know it is more It is the Kingdom of God within us Woe woe is me that I have not ten loves for that one
dow I take away of my great sea my boundlesse Runing-over-Christ-Jesus I have not lighted upon the right gate of puting Christ to the banke making my self rich with him my misguiding and childish trafficking with that matchlesse pearl That heaven's jewell the jewell of the fathers delights hath put me to a great losse O that he would take a loan of me my stock and put his name in all my bonds and serve himself Heir to the poor mean portion I have be countable for the talent himself gladly would I put Christ in my room to guide all and let me be but a servant to run errands doe by his direction let me be his interdicted heir Lord Jesus work upon my minority let him win a pupil's blessing Oh how would I rejoyce to have this work of my salvation legally fastned upon Christ a back-bond of my Lord Jesus that it should be forthcoming to the Orphan should be my happinesse dependency on Christ were my surest way if Christ were my bottome I were sure enough I thought guiding of grace had been no art I thought it would come of will but I would spill my own heaven yet if I had not burdened Christ with All I but lend my bare name to the sweet covenant Christ behinde before on either side maketh all sure God will not take an Arminian-cautioner Freewill a weather-cock turning at a serpents tongue a Tutor that couped our father Adam unto us brought down the house sold the Land sent the father mother all the bairns through the earth to beg their bread nature in the Gospel hath cracked credit O well to my poor soul for evermore that my Lord called grace to the councel put Christ Jesus with free merits the blood of God foremost in the chase to draw sinners after a ransomer O what a sweet block was it by way of buying selling to give and tell down a ransome for grace glory to Dyvours O would to my Lord I could cause paper and ink speak the worth and excellencie the high loud praises of a Brother-ransomer O the Ransomer needs not my report but oh if he would take it make use of it I should be happy if I had an errand to this world but for some few yeers to spread proclamations out-crys love-letters of the highnes the highnes for evermore the glory the glory for evermore of the Ransomer whose cloaths were wet died in blood howbeit that after I had done that my soul body should goe back to the mother nothing that their Creator brought them once out from as from their beginning But why should I pine away and pain my self with wishes not beleeve rather that Christ will hire such an out-cast as I am a masterlesse-body put out of the house by the sons of my mother give me employment and a calling one way or other to out Christ and his wares to countrey buyers propose Christ unto presse him upon some poor souls that fainer then their life would receive him You complain heavily of your short coming in practice and venturing on suffering for Christ you have many marrowes For the first I would not put you off sense of wretcheduesse hold on Christ never yet slew a sighhing groaning childe more of that would make you won goods and a meet prey for Christ Alace I have too little of it For venturing on suffering I had not somuch free gier when I came to Christs camp as to buy a sword a wonder that Christ should not laugh at such a souldier I am no better yet but faith liveth spendeth upon our Captains charges who is able to pay for all we need not pitie him he is rich enough Ye desire me also not to mistake Christ under a mask I blesse you thank God for it but alace masked or bare-faced kissing or glooming I mistake him yea I mistake him furthest when the mask is off for then I play me with his sweetness I am like a childe that hath a golden book that playeth more with the ribbens and the guilding the picture in the first page then readeth the contents of it Certainly if my desires to my welbeloved were fulfilled I could provoke divels and crosses the world tentations to the fields but oh my poor weakness makes me lie behinde the bush and hide me Remember my service and my blessing to my Lord I am mindfull of him as I am able desire him from a prisoner to come visite my good master feel but the smell of his love it sets him well howbeit he be young to make Christ his garland I could not wish him in a better case then in a fever of love-sickness for Christ Remember my bonds the Lord Iesus be with your spirit Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To WILLIAM HALLIDAY 23 Loving friend I Received your letter I wish ye take pains for salvation mistaken grace somewhat like conversion which is not conversion is the sadest and most dolefull thing in the world make sure of salvation and Lay the foundation sure for many are beguiled Put a low price upon world's clay put a high price upon Christ temptations will come but if they be not made welcome by you ye have the best of it be jealous over your self your own heart and keep touches with God let him not have a faint and feeble souldier of you fear not to back Christ for he will conquer and overcome let no man skar at Christ for I have no quarrels at his crosse He and his crosse are two good guests and worth the lodging men would fain have Christ good cheap but the mercat will not come down acquaint your self with prayer make Christ your captain and your armour make conscience of sinning when no eye seeth you grace be with you Aberd. Yours in Ch Iesus S. R. To a Gentle Woman after the Death of her Husband 24 DEar loving sister I know ye are minding your sweet countrey not taking your Innes the place of your banishmet for your home this life is not worthy to be the thatch or outer wall of your Lord Jesus his paradise that he did sweat for to you that he keepeth for you Short silly sand-blinde were our hope if it could not look over the water to our best heritage and if it stayed only at home about the doors of our clay-house I marvel not my dear sister that ye complain that ye come short of your old wrestlings you had for a blessing and that now you finde it not so bairns are but hired to learn their lesson when they first goe to school and it is enough that these who run a race see the gold onely at the starting place and possibly they see little more of it or nothing at all till they win to the rink's-end and get the gold
the whole ordering and disposing of my sufferings Let him tutour me tutour my crosses as he thinketh good there is no danger nor hazard in following such a guide howbeit he should lead me through hell if I could put faith foremost fill the fieldwith a quiet on-waiting beleeving to see the salvation of God I know Christ is not obliged to let me see both the sides of my cross turn it over over that I may see all My faith is richer to live upon credit Christ's borrowed money then to have much in my hand Alas I have forgotten that faith in times past hath stopped a lek in my crazed barke hath filled my sailes with a fair wind I see it a work of God that experiences are all lost when summonds of improbation to prove our Charters of Christ to be counterfit are raised against poor souls in their heavie trials but let me be a sinner worse then the chief of sinners yea a guilty devil I am sure my welbeloved is God when I say Christ is God my Christ is God I have said all things I can say no more I would I could build as much on this my Christ is God as it would bear I might lay all the world upon it I am sure Christ untried and untaken up in the power of his love Kindness mercies goodness wisdom long-suffering greatness is the rock that dim-sighted travellers dash their foot against so stumble fearfully But my wounds are sorest pain me most to sin against his love his mercy if he would set me my conscience by the ears together resolve not to rid the plea but let us deal it betwixt us my spitting upon the fair face of Christ's love mercies by my Jealousies unbelief and doubting would be enough to sink me Oh oh I am convinced O Lord I stand dumb before thee for this Let me be mine own Judge in this and I take a dreadfull doom upon me for it for I still misbeleeve though I have seen that my Lord hath made my cross as if it were all Crystal so as I can see thorow it Christs fair face and heaven and that God hath honoured a lump of sinfull flesh and blood the like of me 〈◊〉 to be Christ's honourable Lord-prisoner I ought to esteem the walls of the theeves-hole if I were shut up in it or any stinking dungeon all hung with tapestrie most beautifull for my Lord Jesus yet I am not so shut up but that the sun shineth upon my prison the fair wide heaven is the covering of it But my Lord in his sweet visits hath done more for he make me finde that he will be a confined prisoner with me he lieth down riseth up with me when I sigh he sigheth When I weep he suffereth with me I confesse here is the blessed issue of my sufferings already begun that my heart is filled with hunger desire to have him glorified in my sufferings Blessed ye of the Lord Madam if ye would help a poor Dyvour cause others of your acquaintance in Christ help me to pay my debt of love even reall praises to Christ my Lord. Madam let me charge you in the Lord as ye will answer to him help me in this duty which he hath tyed about my neck with a chain of such singular expressions of his loving kindness to set on high Christ to hold in my honesty at his hands for I have nothing to give him O that he would arrest comprise my love my heart for all I am a Dyvour who have no more free goods in the world for Christ save that it is both the whole heritage I have all my movables besides Lord give the thirsty man a drink Oh to be over the ears in the well Oh to be swattering swimming over head ears in Christ's love I would not have Christ's love entering in me but I would enter into it be swallowed up of that love But I see not my self here for I fear I make more of his love then of himself whereas himself is far beyond much better then his love Oh if I had my sinfull armes filled with that lovely one Christ Blessed be my rich Lord Jesus who sendeth not away beggers from his house with a toom dish He filleth the vessels of such as will come seek We might beg our selves rich if we were wise if we could but hold out our withered hands to Christ learn to suit seek aske knock I ow my salvation for Christ's glory low it to Christ desire that my hell yea a new hell seven times hotter then the old hell might buy praises before men and Angels to my Lord Jesus providing alwayes I were free of Christ's hatred displeasure What am I to be forfeited sold in soul body to have my great royall King set on high and extolled above all O if I knew how high to have him set all the world far far beneath the soles of his feet Nay I deserve not to be the matter of his praises far less to be an agent in praising of him But he can win his own glory out of me out of one worse then I if any such be if it please his holy Majesty so to doe he knoweth that I am not now flattering him Madam let me have your prayers as ye have the prayers blessing of him that is separated from his Brethren Grace Grace be with you Aberd. June 15. 1637. Your own in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Earle of Cassills 42 My very Noble honourable Lord. I make bold out of the honourable Christian report I hear of your Lo having no other thing to say but that which concerneth the honourable cause which the Lord hath enabled your Lo to professe to write this that it is your Lo crown your glory your honour to set your shoulder under the Lords glory now falling to the ground to back Christ now when so many think it wisdom to let him send for himself the shields of the earth ever did doe still beleeve that Christ is a cumbersom neighbour that it is a pain to hold up his yea's nay's They fear he take their chariots their crownes their honour from them but my Lord standeth in need of none of them all But it is your glory to own Christ his buried truth for let men say what they please the plea with Sion's enemies in this day of Jacob's trouble is If Christ should be King no mouth steak lawes but his It concerneth the apple of Christ's eye his royall priviledges what now is debated Christ's Kingly honour is come to yea nay But let me be pardoned my my dear Noble Lord to beseech you by the mercies of God by the comforts of the Spirit by the wounds of your dear
to follow cannot be blowen away with winds either from hell or the evil smelled air of this polluted world Sir for aback from the walls of this pest-house even the pollutions of this defiling world Keep your taste your love and hope in heaven it 's not good your love your Lord should be in two sundry countreys Up up after your lover that ye he may be together A King from heaven hath sent for you by faith he sheweth you the new Jerusalem taketh you alongst in the Spirit thorow all the ease-rooms dwelling-houses in heaven saith All these are thine this palace is for thee Christ if ye onely had been the chosen of God Christ would have built that one house for you and himself Now it is for you many also take with you in your journey what ye may carry with you your conscience faith hope patience meekness goodness brotherly kindness for such wares as these are of great price in the high new countrey whether ye goe As for other things that are but the world's vanity trash since they are but the house-sweepings ye shall doe best not to carry them with you ye found them here leave them here and let them keep the house Your Sun is well turned low be nigh your lodging against night We goe one one out of this great market till the town be empty the two lodgings Heaven Hell be filled At length there will be nothing in the earth but room walls burnt ashes therefore it is best to make away Antichrist his Master are busie to plenish Hell to seduce many Stars great church-lights are falling from heaven many are missed seduced make up with their faith sell their birth-right by their hungry hunting for I know not what Fasten your grips fast upon Christ I verily esteem him the best aught that I have He is my second in prison having him though my cross were as heavie as ten mountains of iron when he putteth his sweet shoulder under me it my cross is but a feather I please my self in the choice of Christ he is my waile in heaven earth I rejoyce that he is in heaven before me God send a joyfull meeting in the mean time the traveller's charges for the way I mean a burden of Christ's love to sweeten the journey to encourage a breathless runner for when I lose breath climbing up the mountain he maketh new breath Now the very God of peace establish you to the day of his appearance Aberd. Sept. 9 1637. Yourâ— in his onely Lord Iesus S. R. To MARGARET REID 49 My very Dear worthy Siâ—â—er GRace mercy peace be to you Ye are truly blessed of the Lord however a lowre world gloom upon you if ye continue in the faith grounded settled be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel it is good there is a heaven it is not a night dream or a fancy It is a wonder that men deny not that there is a heaven as they deny there is a way to it but of mens making You have learned of Christ that there is a heaven contend for it contend for Christ bear well submissivily the hard cross of this step-mother world that God will not have to be yours I confess it is hard I would I were able to ease you of your burthen But beleeve me this world which the Lord will not have to be yours is but the dross the refuse scum of God's creation the portion of the Lord 's poor hired servants the moveables not the heritage a hard bone casten to the dogs holden out of the new Jerusalem whereupon they rather break their teeth then satisfie their appetite It is your father's blessing Christ's birth-right that our Lord is keeping for you I perswade you your seed also shall inherit the earth if that be good for them for that iâ— promised to them God's bond is as good and better then if men would give every one of them a bond for thousand thousands Ere ye was born crossâ—s in number measure weight were written for you your Lord will lead you thorow them make Christ sure the blessings of the earth shall be at Christ's back I see many professors for the fashion follow on but they are professors of glass I would cause a little knock of persecution ding them in twenty pieces so the world should laugh at the sheards Therefore make fast work see that Christ lay the ground-stone of your profession for wind rain speats will not wash away his building his works have no shorter date then to stand for evermore I should tweâ—ty times have perished in my affliction if I had not leaned my weak back laid my pressing burthen both upon the stone the foundation-stone the corner-stone laid in Zion I desire never to rise off this stone Now the very God of peace confirm establish you unto the day of the blessed appearance of Christ Jesus God be with you Aberd. Yours in his dearest Lord Iesus S. R. To JAMES BAUTIE 50 Loving Brother GRace mercy peace be unto you I received your letter renders you thanks for the same but I have not time to answer all the heads of it as the bearer can inform you 1. Ye doe well to take your self at the right stot when ye wrong Christ by doubting misbeleef for this is to nick-name Christ terme him a liar which being spoken to our Prince would be hanging or heading but Christ hangeth not alwayes for treason It is good that he may registrat a beleevers bond a hundred times more then seventy times a day have law against us yet he spareth us as a man doeth his son that serveth him No tender hearted mother who may have law to kill her sucking childe would put in execution that law 2. For your failings even ye have a set tryst with Christ when ye have a fair seen advantage by keeping your appointment with him Salvation cometh to the very passing of the seals I would say two things 1. Concluded sealed Salvation may goe through be ended suppose ye write your name to the tail of the Covenant with ink that can hardly be read Neither think I ever any man's Salvation passed the seals but there was an odde trick or slip in less or more upon the fools part who is infested in heaven In the most grave serions work of our Salvation I think Christ had ever good cause to laugh at our filliness to put on us his merits that we might bear weight 2. It is a sweet law of the new Covenant a priviledge of the new burgh that the citizens pay according to their means for the new covenant saith not so much obedience by ounce weights no less under the pain of damnation Christ taketh as
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
hath my heart for evermore but alas it is over little for him O if it were better more worthy for his sake O if I might meet with him face to face in this side of eternity might have leave to plead with him that I am so hungred famished here with the niggardly portion of his love that he giveth me O that I might be carver steward my selâ— at mine own will of Christ's love if I may lawfully wish this then would I enlarge my vessel alas a narrow ebbe soul take in a sea of i love My hunger for it is hungry lean in beleeving that ever I shall be satisfied with that love so fain would I have what I know I cannot hold O Lord Jesus delightest thou delightest thou to pine torment poor souls with the want of thy incomparable loved O if I durst call thy dispensation cruell I know thou thy self aâ—t mercy without either brim or bottom I know thoâ— art a God bankfull of mercy love but Oh alas little of it cometh my way I die to look a far off to that love because I can get but little of it But hope saith this providence shall ere long look more favourably upon poor bodies me also Grace be with your La Spirit Aberd. Sept. 10. 1637. Yours La in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr JAMES HAMILTON 71 Reverend dear Brother PEace be to you from God our father and from our Lord Jesus I am laid low when I remember what I am and that my out-side casteth such a lustre when I finde so little within It is a wonder that Christ's glory is not defiled in running through such an unclean impure channel But I see Christ will be Christ in the dreg and refuse of men his art his shining wisdom his beauty speaketh loudest in blackness weakness deadness yea in nothing I see nothing no money no worth no good no life no deserving is the ground that omnipotency delighteth to draw glory out of O how sweet is the inner side of the walls of Christ's house and a room beside himself my distance from him maketh me sad O that we were in others arms O that the middle things betwixt us were removed I finde it a difficult matter to keep all stots with Christ when he laugheth I scarce beleeve it I would so fain have it true But I am like a low man looking up to a high mountain whom weariness and fainting overcometh I would climb up but I finde that I doe not advance in my journey as I would wish Yet I trust he shall take me home against night I marvel not that Antichrist in his slaves is so busie but our crowned King seeth and beholdeth and will arise for Zion's safety I am exceedingly distracted with letters and company that vilite me what I can doe or time will permit I shall not omit Excuse my brevity for I am straitned Remember the Lord's prisoner I desire to be mindfull of you Grace grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr GEORGE DUMBAR 72 Reverend Dearly beloved in the Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you Because your words have strengthened many I was silent expecting some lines from you in my bonds this is the cause why I wrote not to you but now I am forced to break off and speak I never beleeved till now that there was so much to be found in Christ in this side of death and of heaven O the ravishments of heavenly joy that may be had here in the small gleanings of comforts that fall from Christ what fools are we who know not and consider not the weight and the telling that is in the very earnest-penny the first fruits of our hoped for harvest How sweet how sweet is our infeftment O what then must personal possession be I finde that my Lord Jesus hath not miscooked or spilt this sweet cross he hath an eye on the fire and the melting gold to separate the mettall and the dross O how much time would it take me to read my obligations to Jesus my Lord who will neither have the faith of his own to be burnt to ashes nor yet will have a poor beleever in the fire to be half raw like Ephraim's unturned cakeâ— this is the wisdom of him who hath his fiâ—elâ— Zion and his furâ—ace in Jerusaâ—em I need not either bud or flatter temptations crâ—sses nor strive to buy the Devil or this malicious world by or râ—deem their kindness with half a han-breadth of truth He who is surâ—ty for his servant for good doeth power fully over-rule all that I sâ—e my prison hath neither lock nor door I am free in my bonds and my chains are made of rotten straw they shall not bide one pull of faith I am sure they are in hell who would exchange their torments with our crosses suppose they should nevâ—r be delivered give twenty thousand years torment to boot to be in our bonds for ever therefore we wrong Christ who siâ—…h fear doubt despond in them Our suffâ—â—ings are washen in Christ's blood as well as our souls for Christ's merits bought a blessing to the crosses of the sons of God and Jesus hath a back-bond of all our temptations that the free warders shall come out by law and justice in respect of the infinite and great summe that the Redeemer paid Our troubles ow us a free passage through them devils and men and crosses are our debters and death and all storms are our debters to blow our poor tossed bark over the water fraught-frâ—e to set the travellers in their own known ground Therefore we shall die yet live we are over the water some way already we are married our tocher-good is payed we are already more then conquerours If the devil and the world knew how the court with our Lord shall goe I am sure they would hire death to take us off their hand our sufferings are the onely wâ—ack ruine of the black Kingdom and yet a little the Antichrist must play himself with the bones slain bodies of the Lamb's followers but withall we stand with the hundred fourty four thousand who are with the Lamb upon the top of â—ount Sion Antichrist his followers are down in the valley ground we have the advantage of the hill our temptation are alwayes beneath our waters are beneath our breath as dying and behold we live I never heard before of a living death or a quick death but ours our death iâ— not like the common death Christ's skill his handy work a new cast of Christ's admirable art may be seen in our quick death I bless the Lord that all our troubles come through Christ's singers that he casteth sugar among them and casteth in some ounce weights of heaven and of the spirit of glory that resteth on suffering beleevers in
chaff Isa. 41. If ye slack your hands at your meetings your watching to prayer then it would seem our rock hath sold us but be dililigent be not discouraged I charge you in Christ rejoyce give thanks beleeve be strong in the Lord That burning bush in Galloway Kirkâ—…dbright shall not be burnt to ashes for the Lord is in the bush Be not discouraged that banishment is to be procured by the King's warrand to the Councel against me the earth is my Lord's I am filled with his sweet love running over I rejoyce to hear ye are in your journey such newes as I hear of all your faith love rejoyce my sad heart Pray for me for they seek my hurt but I give my self to prayer The blessing of my Lord a prisoner of Christ's blessing be with you O chosen greatly beloved woman faint not Fy fy if ye faint now Ye lose a good cause double your meetings cease not for Zion's sake hold not your peace till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Aberd. 1637. Yours in Christ Iesus his Lord. S. R. To THOMAS CORBET 85 Dear friend I Forget you not It shall be my joy that ye follovv after Christ till ye finde him My conscience is a feast of joy to me that I sought in singleness of heart for Christ's love to put you upon the King's high-vvay to our Bridegroom our father's house Thrice blessed are ye my dear Brother if ye hold the way I beleeve ye and Christ once met I hope ye will not sunder with him Follovv the counsel of the man of God Mr William Dalglâ—ish If ye depart from what I taught you in a hair-breadth for fâ—ar or favour of men or desire of ease in this world I take heaven earth to witness that ill shall come upon you in end Build not your nest here This world is an hard ill made bed no rest in it for your soul awake awake make haste to seek that pearl Christ that this world seeth not Your night and your Master Christ will be upon you within a clap your hand-breadth of time will not bide you Take Christ hovvbeit a storm follow him howbeit this day be not yours Christ's the morrow will be yours his I would not exchange the joy of my bonds imprisonment for Christ with all the joy of this dirty soul-skinned world I have a love-bed with Christ am filled with his love I desire your vvife to doe what I write to you Let her remember how dear Christ would be to her when her breath turneth cold the eye-strings shall break O how joyfull should my soul be to know that I had brought on a marriage betvvixt Christ that people fevv or many if it be not so I vvill be woe to be a vvitness against them Use prayer love not the world be humble and esteem little of your self love your enemies pray for them make conscience of speaking truth when none knoweth but God I never eat but I pray for you all Pray for me Ye I shall see one another up in our father's house I rejoyce to hear that your eye is upon Christ. Follow on hing on quite him not The Lord Jesus be with your spirit Aberd. 1637. Your affectionat Brother in our Lord Iesus S. R. To ALEXANDER GORDON of Earlestoun 86. Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I received your letter which refreshed me Except from your son my brother I have seen few lâ—tters from my acquaintance in that countrey which maketh me heavie But I have the company of a Lord who can teach us all to be kind hath the right gate of it though for the present I have seven up's down's every day yet I am abundantly comforted feasted with my King welbeloved dâ—ily It pleaseth him to come dine with a sad prisoner a solitary stranger His spikenard casteth a smell yet my sweet hath some sowre mixed with it wherein I must acquiesce for there is no reason that his comforts be too cheap seeing they are delicates why should he not make them so to his own But I verily think now Christ hath led me up to a nick in Christianity that I was never at before I think all before vvas but child-hood bairns-play Since I departed from you I have been scalded vvhile the smoak of hell's fire vvent in at my throat I vvould have bought peace vvith a thousand years torment in hell I have been up also after these deep dovvn-castings sorrovvs before the Lamb 's vvhite throne in my father's inner court the great King'â— dining-hall Christ did cast a coveâ—ing of love over me he hath casten in a coal in my soul it is sâ—oking â—mong the stravv keeping the hearth warme I look back to what I vvas before I laugh to see the sand-houses I built vvhen I vvas a childâ— At first the remembrance of many fair feast-dayes vvith my Lord Jesus in publike wich are now changed into silent sabbaths raised a great tempest if I may speak so made the Devil a doe in my soul the devil came in would prompt me to make a plea with Christ to lay the blame on him as a hard master But now these mists are blowen away I am not onely silenced as to all quarrelling but fully satisfied Now I wonder that any man living can laugh upon the world or give it a hearty good-day The Lord Jesus hath handled me so that as I am now disposed I think never to be in this world 's common again for a night's lodging Christ beareth me good company he hath eased me when I saw it not lifting the cross off my shoulders so that I think it to be but a feather because underneath are everlasting arms God forbid it came to bartering or niffering of crosses for I think my cross so sweet that I know not where I would get the like of it Christ's honey-combs drop so abundantly that they sweeten my gall Nothing breaketh my heart but that I cannot get the daughters of Ierusalem to tell them of my bride-groom's glory I charge you in the name of Christ that ye tell all ye come to of it yet it is above telling understanding Oh if all the kingdom were as I am except my bonds they know not the love-kisses that my onely Lord Jesus wasteth on a dâted prisoner On my salvation this is the onely way to the new city I know Christ hath no dumb seals would he put his privy seal upon blank paper he hath sealed my sufferings with comforts I write this to confirm you I write now what I have seen as well as heard Now then my silence burneth up my spirit But Christ hath said thy stipend is running up with interest in heaven as if thou wert preaching And this from a King's mouth rejoyceth my heart At other
nations in the way fighting against ready to kill them who had the promise or keep them from possâ—ssing that good land which the Lord their God had given them I know ye have most to doe with submission of spirit but I perswade my self ye have learned in every condition wherein ye are cast therein to be content to say good is the will of the Lord let it be done I beleeve the Lord tackleth his ship often to fetch the wind that he purposeth to bring mercy out of your sufferings silence which I know from mine own experience is grievous to you sâ—eing he knoweth our willing minde to serve him our wages stipend is running to the fore with our God even as some tick souldiers get their pay when then they are bed-â—ast not able to goe to the fields with others Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord my God shall be my strentgh Isa. 49 3. we are to beleeve it shall be thus ere all the play be played Ier. 51 35. The violence done to me my flesh be upon Babylon the great whore's lovers shall the inhabitants of Zion say and my blood be upon Caldea shall Ierusalem say Zech. 12 2. Behold I will make Ierusalem a cap of trembling to all the people about where they shall be in the siege bosh against Iudah and Ierus them v. 3. And is that day I will make Ierusalem a burden so 〈…〉 stone for all people they that burden themselves with it shall be broken in pieces though all the people of the earth be gathered against it When they have eaten swallowed us up they shall be sick vomit us out living men again the devil's stomack cannot digest the Church of God Suffering is the other half of our ministry howbeit the hardest For we would be content our King Jesus would make an open proclamation cry down crosses cry up joy gladness ease honour peace but it must not be so through many affâ—ctions we must enter into the Kingdom of God not onely by them but through them must we goe wiles will not take us by the cross It is folly to think to steal to heaven with a whole skin For myself I am here a prisoner confined in Aberdâ—…n threatned to be removed to Caithness because I desire to edifie in this town I am openly preached against in the pulpits in my hearing tempted with disputations by the Doctors especially by D. B. Yet I am not ashamed of my Lord Jesus his garland crown I would not exchange my weeping with the fourteen Prelat painted laughter At my first coming here I took the Dorts at Christ would forsooth summond him for unkindness I sought a plea of my Lord was tossed with challenges whether he loved me or not disputed all over again that he had done to me because his word was a fire shut up in my bowels I was weary with forbearing because I said I was cast out of the Lord's inheritance but now I see I was a fool My Lord miskend all did bear with my foolish jealousies miskend that ever I wronged his love and now he is come again with mercy under his wings I past from my O witless summonds he is God I see I am man Now it hath pleased him to renew his love to my soul to dâte his poor prisoner Therefore my dear Brother help me to praise shew the Lord's people with you what he hath done to my soul that they may pray praise I charge you in the name of Christ not to omit it for for this cause I write to you that my sufferings may glorifie my royal King edifie his church in Ireland He knoweth how one of Christ's love-coals hath burnt my soul with a desire to have my bonds to preach his glory whose cross I now bear God forgive you if ye doe it not But I hope the Lord will move your heart to proclaim in my behall the sweetness excellency glory of my royal King It is but our soft flesh that hath raised a slander on the cross of Christ I see now the white side of it My Lord's chains are all overguilded O if Scotland Ireland had part of my feast yet I get not my meat but with many strokes There are none here to whom I can speak I dwell in Kedar's tents Refresh me with a letter from you Few know what is betwixt Christ me Dear Brother upon my salvation this is his truth that we suffer for Christ would not seal a blank charter to souls Courage courage joy joy for evermore O joy unspeakable glorious Oh for help to set my crowned King on high O for love to him who is altogether lovely That love which many waters cannot quench neither can the floods drown I remember you I bear your name on my breast to Christ I beseech you forget not his afflicted prisoner Grace mercy peace be with you Salute in the Lord from me Mr Cuninghame Mr Livingston Mr Ridge Mr Colwart c. Aberd. Feb. 7. 1637. Your Brother fellow prisoner S. R. To JOHN KENNEDY Bailiffe of Ayr. 89 Worthy welbeloved Brother GRace mercy peace be unto you I am yet waiting what our Lord will doe for his afflicted church for my re-entry to my Lord's house Oh that I could hear the forfeiture of Christ now casten out of his inheritance recalled taken off by open proclamation that Christ were restored to be a Free holder and a landed Hieritour in Scotland That the courts fenced in the name of the bastard Prelats their God-father's the Pop's Bailiffes Sherifes were cryed down Oh how sweet a sight were it to see all the Tribes of the Lord in this land fetching home again our banished king Christ to his own palace his Sanctuary and his throne I shall think it mercy to my soul if my faith shall out-watch all this winter night not nod or slumber till my Lord's summer day dawn upon me It is much if faith hope in the sad nights of our heavie trial escape with a whole skin without crack or crook I confess unbelief hath not reason to be either father or mother to it for unbelief is alwayes an irrationall thing but how can it be but such weak eyes as ours must cast water in a great smoke or that a weak head should not turn giddy when the water runneth deep and strong But God be thanked that Christ in his children can endure a stress storm howbeit soft nature would fall down in peices Oh that I had that confidence as to rest rest on this though he should grind me into small powder bray me into dust scatter the dust to the four winds of heaven that my Lord would gather up the powder make me up a new
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
them and our Nobles bid Christ send for himself if he be Christ It were good we should learn in time the way to our strong hold Sir howbeit not acquainted remember my love to your wife I pray God establish you Aberd. March 9 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN EWART Bailiffe of Kirkcudbright 94 My very worthy dear Friend I Cannot but most kindly thank you for the expressions of your love your love respect to me is a great comfort to me I blesse his high glorious name that the terrors of great men have not affrighted me from open avouching of the Son of God nay his cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bare It is such a burden as wings are to a bird or sailes to a ship to carry me forward to my harbour I have not much cause to fall in love with the world but rather to wish that he who sitteth upon the floods would bring my broken ship to Land keep my conscience safe in these dangerous times for wrath from the Lord is coming on this sinfull Land It were good that we prisoners of hope knew of our strong hold to run to before the storm come on Therefore Sir I beseech you by the mercies of God and comforts of his Spirit by the blood of your Saviour by your compearance before the sin-revenging Judge of the world keep your garments clean stand for the truth of Christ which ye professe When the time shall come that your eye strings shall break your face wax pale your breath grow cold this house of clay shall totter your one foot shall be over the march in eternity it shall be your comfort joy that ye gave your name to Christ. The greatest part of the world think heaven at the next door that Christianity is an easie task but they will be beguiled Worthy Sir I beseech you make sure work of salvation I have found by experience that all I could doe hath had much adoe in the day of my trial therefore lay up a sure foundation for the time to come I cannot requite you for your your undeserved favours to me my nowafflicted brother but I trust to remember you to God remember me heartily to your kinde wife Aberd. March 13. 1637. Yours in his onely Lord Iesus S. R. To VVILLIAM FULLERTON Provest of Kirkcudbright 95 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy and peace be to you I am obleiged to your love in God I beseech you Sir let nothing be so dear to you as Christ's truth for salvation is worth all the world therefore be not afraid of men that shall die the Lord shall doe for you in your suffering for him shall blesse your house seed ye have God's promise that ye shall have his presence in fire water in seven tribulations Your day will wear to an end your sun goe down in death it will be your joy that ye have ventured all ye have for Christ there is not a promise of heaven made but to such as are willing to suffer for it it is a Castle taken by force This earth is but the clay-portion of bastards therefore no wonder the world smile on it's own but better things are laid up for hiâ— lawfully begotten bairnes whoÌ„ the world hateth I have experience to speak this for I would not exchange my prison sad nights with the court honour ease of my adversaries My Lord is pleased to make many unknown faces to laugh upon me to provide a lodging for me he himself visiteth my soul with feasts of spiritual comforts O how sweet a Master is Christ Blessed are these who lay down all for him I thank you kindly for your love to my distressed brother Ye have the blessing prayers of the prisoner of Christ to you your Wife Children Remember my love blessing to William Samuel I desire them in their youth to seek the Lord fear his great name to pray twice a day at least to God to read God's word to keep themselves from cursing lying filthie talking Now the onely wise God the presence of the Son of God be with you all Aberd. March 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the worthy much honoured Mr ALEXANDER COLVILL Of Blair 96 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you The bearer hereof M. R. F. is most kinde to me I desire you to thank him But none is so kinde as my onely royal King Master whose cross is my garland The King dineth with his prisoner his spikenard casteth a smell He hath led me up to such a pitch nick of joyfull communion with himself as I never knew before When I look back to by-gones I judge my self to have been a childe at A B C. with Christ. Worthy Sir pardon me I dare not conceal it from you it is as a fire iâ— my bowels In hiâ— presâ—nce who seeth me I spâ—ak it I am pained pained with the love of Christ he hath made me sick wounded me Hunger for Christ out-runneth faith I miss faith more then love O if the three Kingdoms would come see O if they knew his kindness to my soul It hath pleased him to bring me to this that I will not strike sails to this world nor flatter it nor adore this clay idol that fools worship As I am now disposed I think I will neither borrow nor lend with it yet I get my meat from Christ with nurture for seven times a day I am lifted up casten down My dumb Sabbaths burthen my heart make it bleed I want not fearful challenges jealousies sometimes of Christ's love that he hath casten me over the dike of the vineyard as a dry tree But this is my infirmity By his grace I take my self in these ravings It is kindly that faith love both be sick fevers are kindly to most joyful communion with Christ. Ye are blessed who avouch Christ openly before the Princes of this Kingdom whose eyes are upon you It is your glory to lift him up on his throne to carry his trâ—in bear up the hem of his robe royal He hath an hiding place for M. A. C. against the storm goe on fear not what man can doe The saints seem to have â—he worst of it for apprehensions can make a lye of Christ of his love but it is not so Providence is not rolled upon unequal crooked wheels All things work togâ—ther for the good of these who love God are called according to his purpose Ere it be long we shall see the white side of God's Providence My Brother's case hath moved me not a little He wrote to me your care kindness Sir the prisoner's blessings prayers I trust shall not goe by you He that is able to keep you to present you before
world I testifie give it under mine own hand that Christ is most worthy to be suffered for Our lazie flesh which would have Christ to cry down crosses by open proclamation hath but raised a slander upon the cross of Christ. My Lord I hope ye i will not forget what he hath done for your soul I think ye are n Christ's count-book as his obliged debter Grace grace be with your spirit Aberd. March 13. 1637. Your Lo obliged Servant S. R. To ALEXANDER GORDON Of Knockgray 110 Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear how your soul prospereth I expected letters from you ere now As for my self I am here in good case well feasted with a great King At my first coming here I was that bold as to to take up a jealousie of Christ's love I said I was cast over the dike of the Lord's vineyard as a dry tree but I see if I had been a withered branch the fire would have burnt me long ere now blessed be his high name who hath kept sap in the dry tree now as if Christ had done the wrong he hath made the mends hath miskent my ravings for a man under the water cannot well command his wit far less his faith love because it was a fever my Lord Jesus forgave me that among the rest He knoweth in our afflictions we can finde a spot in the fairest face that ever was even in Christ's face I would not have beleeved that a gloom should have made me to misken my old Master But we must be whiles sick Sickness is but kindly to both faith Love But O how execedingly is a poor dâted prisoner obliged to sweet Jesus My tears are sweeter to me then the laughter of the fourteen Prelats to them The worst of Christ even his chaff is better then the world's corn Dear Brother I beseech you I charge you in the name authority of the Son of God help me to praise his highness I charge you also to tell all your acquaintance that my Master may get many thanks O if my hairs all my members and all my bones were well tuned tongues to sing the high praises of my great glorious King Help me to lift Christ up upon his throne to lift him up above all the thrones of the clay Kings the dying scepter-bearers of this world The prisoner's blessing the blessing of him that is separated from his brethren be upon them all who will lend me a lift in this work Shew this to that people with you to whom sometimes I preached Brother my Lord hath brought me to this that I will not flatter the world for a drink of water I am no debter to clay Christ hath made me dead to that I now wonder that ever I was such a Childe long since as to beg at such beggers Fy upon us who wooe such a black skinned harlot when we may get such a fair fair match up in heaven Oh that I could give up with this clay-idol this masked painted overguilded dirt that Adam's sons adore We make an idol of our Will as many iusts in us as many Gods We are all God-makers We are like to lose Christ the true God in the throng of these new false Gods Scotland hath cast her crown off her head The virgin Daughter hath lost her garland woe woe to our harlot mother Our day is coming a time when women shall wish they had been childless fathers shall bless miscarrying wombs dry breasts many houses great fair shall be desolate This Kirk shall sit on the ground all the night the tears shall run down her cheeks The sun hath gone down upon her Prophets Blessed are the prisoners of hope who can run in to their strong hold hide themselves for a little till the indignation be overpast Commend me to your Wife your Daughters your Son in law to A. T. write to me of the case of your Kirk Grace be with you I am much moved for my Brother I entreat for your kindness counsel to him Aberd. Feb. 23. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady MARRE Younger 111. My Very noble dear Lady GRace mercy peace be to you I received your La letter which hath comforted my soul. God give you to finde mercy in the day of Christ. I am in as good termes and court with Christ as an exiled oppressed prisoner of Christ can be I am still welcome to his house he knoweth my knock letteth in a poor friend Under this black rough tree of the cross of Christ he hath ravished me with his love taken my heart to heaven with him well long may he bruik it I would not niffer Christ with all the joyes that man or Angel can devise beside him Who hath such cause to speak honourably of Christ as I have Christ is King of all crosses he hath made his saints little Kings under him he can ride triumph upon weaker bodies then I am if any can be weaker his horse will neither fall nor stumble Madam your La hath much adoe with Christ for your soul husband children house Let him finde much employment for his calling with you for he is such a friend as delighteth to be burdened with sutes and employments and the more ye lay on him and the more homely ye be with him the more welcome O the depth of Christ's love It hath neither brim nor bottom O if this blinde world saw his beauty When I count with him for his mercies to me I must stand still wonder goe away as a poor dyvour who hath nothing to pay Free forgiveness is my payment I would I could get him set on high for his love hath made me sick I die except I get reall possession Grace grace be with you Aberd. March 13. 1367. Your La at all obedience in Christ. S. R. To JAMES Mc ADAM 112 My very dear worthyfriend GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear of your growing in grace of your advancing in your journey to heaven It will be the joy of my heart to hear that ye hold your face up the brae wade through tentations without fearing what man can doe Christ shall when he ariseth mowe down his enemies lay bulks as they use to speak on the green fill the pits with dead bodies Psal. 110 6. they shall lie like handfulls of withered hay when he ariseth to the prey Salvation Salvation is the onely necessary thing this clay-idol the World is not to be sought it is a morsel not for you but for hunger-bitten bastards Contend for Salvation Your Master Christ won heaven with strokes It is a besieged castle it must be taken with violence Oh this world thinketh heaven but at the next door that godliness may sleep in a bed of downs till it come to heaven but
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
Christ every day so sweet comfortable lovely Kinde as three things onely trouble me 1. I see not how to be thankfull or how to get help to praise that royall King who raiseth up these that are bowed down 2. His love paineth me woundeth my soul so as I am in a fever for want of reall presence 3. An excessive desire to take instruments in God's name that this is Christ his truth I now suffer for yea the apple of the eye of Christ's honour even the Soveraignity royall priviledges of our King law-giver Christ therefore let no man scar at Christ's cross or raise an ill report upon him or it for he beareth the sufferer it both I am here troubled with the disputes of the great Doctors especially with D. B. in Ceremoniall Arminian controverâ—â—es for all are corrupt here but I thank God with no detriment to the truth or discredit to my profession So then I see that Christ can triumph in a weaker man nor I who can be more weak But his grace is sufficient for me Brother remember our old Covenant pray for me write to me your case The Lord Jesus be with your spirit Aberd. March 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN MEINE 116 Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be unto you I wonder ye sent me â—ot an answer to my last letter for I stand in need of it I am still 〈◊〉 some piece of court with our great King whose love would cause a dead man speak live whether my court will continue or not I cannot well say but I have his ear frequently to his glory onely I speak it no penurie of the love-kisses of the Son of God He thinketh good to cast apples to me in my prison to play withall lest I should think long faint I must give over all attempts to fathom the depth of his love all I can doe is but to stand beside his great love look wonder my debts of thankfulness affright me I fear my Creditor get a Dyvour-bill a ragged account I would be much the better of help O for help that ye would take notice of my case Your not writing to me maketh me think ye suppose that I am not to be bemoaned because he is comfortable but I have pain in my unthankfulness pain in the feeling of his love while I am sick again for real presence reall possession of Christ yet there is no gooked if I may speak so nor fond love in Christ He casteth me down sometimes with challenges for old faults I know he knoweth well that sweet comforts are swelling therefore sorrow must make a vent to the wind my dumb sabbaths are undercotting wounds The condition of this oppressed kirk my brother's case I thank you your wife for your kindness to him hold my sore smarting keep my wounds bleeding but the ground-work standeth sure Pray for me Grace be with you Remember meto your wife Aberd. March 14. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr THOMAS GARVEN 117 Reverend and dear Brother I Blesse you for your letter it was a shower to the new mowen grass The Lord hath given you the tongue of the Learned Be fruitfull humble It is possible ye come to my case or the like but the water is neither so deep nor the stream so strong as it is called I think my fire is not hot my water dry land my loss rich loss O if the walls of my prison be high wide large the place sweet No man knoweth it no man I say knoweth it my Dear Brother so well as he I no man can put it down in black white as my Lord hath sealed it in my heart My poor stock is growen since I came to Aberden And if any had known the wrong I did in being jealous of such an honest lover as Christ who witheld not his love from me they would think the more of it but I see he must be above me in mercy I will never strive with him To think to recompense him is folly If I had as many Angel's tongues as there have fallen drops of rain since the creation or as there are leaves of trees in all the forrests of the earth or stars in the heaven to praise yet my Lord Jesus would ever be behinde with me We will never get our accounts sitted A pardon must close the reckoning for his comforts to me in this his honourable cause have almost put me beyond the bounds of modesty howbeit I will not let every one know what is betwixt us Love love I mean Christ's love is the hottest coal that ever I felt O but the smoke of it be hot Cast all the salt sea on it it will flame hell cannot quench it Many many waters will not quench love Christ is turned over to his poor prisoner in a masse globe of love I wonder he should waste so much love upon such a waster as I am but he is no waster but abundant in mercy He hath no niggards almes when he is pleased to give O that I could invite all the nation to love him Free grace is an unknown thing This world hath heard but a bare name of Christ no more There are infinite plyes in his love that the saints will never win to unfold I would it were better known that Christ got more of his own due then de doeth Brother ye have chosen the good part who have taken part with Christ Ye will see him win the field ye shall get part of the spoile when he divideth it They are but fools who laugh at us for they see but the backside of the moon yet our moon-light it better thâ—n their twelve-hours-sun We have gotten the new heavens as a pledge of that the bridegroom's love-ring The children of the wedding chamber have cause to skip leap for joy for the marriage supper is drawing nigh we finde the fours-hours sweet comfortable O time be not slow O sun move speedily hasten our banquet O bridegroom be like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains O welbeloved run fast that we may once meet Brother I contain my self for want of time Pray for me I hope to remember you The goodwill of him who dwelt in the bush the tender mercies of God in Christ enrich you Grace be with you Aberd. March 14. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To BETHAIA AIRD. 118 Worthy Sister GRace mercy peace be unto you I know ye desire news from my prison I shall shew you news At my first entry hither Christ I agreed not well upon it The devil made a plea in the house I laid the blame upon Christ for my heart was fraughted with challenges I feared that I was an outcast that I was but a withered tree in
gather rescue his scattered sheep from the hands of cruel rigorous Lords that have ruled over them with force O that mine eyes might see the moon-light turn to the light of the sun But I still fear the quarrel of a broken Covenant in Scotland standeth before the Lord However it be I avouch it before the world the tabernacle of the Lord shall again be in the midst of Scotland and the glory of the Lord shall dwell in beauty as the light of many days in one in this land O what could my soul desire more next to my Lord Jesus while I am in this flesh but that Christ his Kingdom might be great amongst Jews Gentiles that the Isles amongst them overclouded darkned Britan might have the glory of a noon-day's sun Oh that I had any thing I will not except my part in Christ to wodset or lay in pledge to redeem buy such glory to my highest royal Prince my sweet Lord Jesus my poor little heaven were well bestowed if it could stand a pawne for ever to set on high the glory of my Lord But I know he needeth not wages nor hire at my hand Yea I know if my eternal glory could weigh down in weight it 's alone all the eternal glory of thâ— blessed Angels of all the spirits of just perfect men glorified to be glorified Oh alas how far am I engaged to forgoe it for and give it over to Christ sobeing he might thereby be set on high above ten thousand thousand millions of heavens in the conquest of many many nations to his Kingdom Oh that his Kingdom would come O that all the world would stoop before him O blessed hands that shall put the crown upon Christ's head in Scosland But alas I can scarce get leave to ware my love on him I can finde no wayes to â—uâ— my hâ—at upon Christ my love that I with my soul bestow on him it is like to die upon my hand I think it no bairns-play to be hungred with Christ's love To love him to want him wanteth little of hell I am sure he knoweth how my joy would swell upon me from a little well to a great sea to have as much of his love as wide a soul answerable to comprehend it till I cried hold Lord no more But I finde he will not have me to be mine own steward nor mine own carver Christ keepeth the keys of Christ to speak so of his own love and he is a wiser distributer then I can take up I know there is more in him then would make me run over like a coast-full-sea I were happy for evermore to get leave to stand but beside Christ and his love and to look in suppose I were interdicted of God to come near hand touch or embrace kiss or set too my sinfull head and drink my self drunken with that lovely thing God send me that I would have for I now verily see more clearly then before our folly in drinking dead waters in playing the whore with our soul's love upon running-out wells broken sheards of creatures of yesterday whom Time will unlaw with the penalty of losing their being natural ornaments O when a soul's love is itching to speak so for God and when Christ in his boundless and bottomless love beauty and excellency cometh rubbeth up exciteth that love what can be heaven if this be not heaven I am sure this bit feckless narrow short love of regenerated sinners was born for no other end but to breath live and love dwell in the bosom and betwixt the breasts of Christ Where is there a bed or a lodging for the saints love but Christ O that he would take our selves off our hand for neither we nor the creatures can be either due conquest or lawfull heritage to love Christ none but Christ is Lord proprietour of it Oh alas how pitifull is it that so much of our love goeth by him O but we be wretched wasters of our soul's love I know it is the deep of bottomless and unsearchable providence that the saints are suffered to play the whore from God and that their love goeth a hunting when God knoweth it shall rost nothing of that at supper-time The renewed would have it otherwise why is it so seeing our Lord can keep us without nodding tottering or reeling or any fall at all Our desires I hope shall meet with perfection but God will have our sins an office-house for God's grace hath made sin a matter of an unlaw penalty for the Son of God's blood howbeit sin should be our sorrow yet there is a sort of acquiescing resting upon God's dispensation required of us that there is such a thing in us as Sin whereupon mercy forgiveness healing curing in our sweet Physician may finde a field to work upon O what a deep is here that created wit cannot take up However matters goe it is our happiness to win new ground daily in Christ's love and to purchase a new piece of it daily and to adde conquest to conquest till our Lord Jesus we be so near other that Satan shall not draw a straw or a threed betwixt us And for my self I have no greater joy in my welfavoured bonds for Christ then that I know time shall put him me together that my love longing hath room liberty amidst my bonds foes whereof there are not a few here of all ranks to goe visit the borders utter coasts of my Lord Jesus's countrey see at least afar off darkly the countrey which shall be mine inheritance which is my Lord Jesus's due both through birth and conquest I dare avouch to all that know God that the saints know not the length largeness of the sweet earnest of the sweet green sheaves before the harvest that might be had on this side of the water if we should take more pains And that we all goe to heaven with less earnest lighter purses of the hoped-for summe then otherwise we might doe if we took more pains to win further in upon Christ in this pilgrimage of our absence from him Grace grace glory be your portion Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN LAWRIE 137 Dear Brother I Am sorry that ye or so many in this Kingdom should expect so much of me an empty reed Verily I am a naughty poor body But if the tinkling of my Lord Jesus's iron chains on legs arms could sound the high praises of my royall King whose prisoner I am O how would my joy run over If my Lord would bring edificatioÌ„ to one soul by my bonds I am satisfied but I know not what I can doe to such a princely beautifull welbeloved He is far behinde with me Little thanks to me to say to others his wind bloweth on me who
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
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
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
to be Christ's ransomed sinner sick one His relation to me is that I am sick He is the physician of whom I stand in need Alas how often play I fast loose with Christ He bindeth I loose he buildeth I cast down he tâ—immeth up a salvation for me I mar it I cast out with Christ he agreeth with me again twenty times a day I forfeit my Kingdom heritage I lose what I had but Christ is at my back and following on to stoop take up that falleth from me Were I in heaven had the crown on my head if Freewill were my tutour I should lose heaven seeing I lose my self what wonder I should let goe lose Jesus my Lord O well to me for evermore that I have cracked my credit with Christ cannot by law at all borrow from him upon my feckless worthless bond faith for my faith reputation with Christ is that I am a creature that God will not put any trust into I was am bewildered with temptations wanted a guide to heaven O what have I to say of that excellent surpassing supereminent thing they call The Grace of God the way of free redemption in Christ And when poor poor I dead in law was sold fettered imprisoned in Justice's closest ward which is hell damnation when I a wretched one lighted upon noble Iesus eternally kinde Iesus tender hearted Iesus nay when he lighted upon me first knew me I found that he scorned to take a price or any thing like hire of Angels or Seraphims or any of his creatures and therefore I would praise him for this that the whole armie of the redeemed ones sit rent-free in heaven Our holding is better then Blench We are all Free-holders seeing our eternall feuduty is but thanks Oh woefull me that I have but spilt thanks broken lame miscarried praises to give him so my silver is not good current with Christ were it not that free merites have stamped it washen it me both And for my silence I see somewhat better through it now If my high lofty one my princely Royall Master say Hold hold thy peace I lay bonds on thee thou speak none I would fain be content let my fire be smothered under ashes without light or flame I cannot help it I take laws from my Lord but I give none As for your journey to F. ye doe well to follow it The camp in Christ's ordinary bed A carried bed is kindly to the Beloved down in this lower house It may be who knoweth but our Lord hath some Centurions ye are sent to Seeing your angry mother denieth you lodging house-room with her Christ's call to unknown faces must be your second wind seeing ye cannot have a first O that our Lord would water again with a new visite this piece withered dry hill of our widow-mount Zion my Dear Brother I will think it comfort if ye speak my name to our welbeloved wherever ye are I am mindefull of you O that the Lord would yet make the light of the moon in Scotland like the light of the sun and the light of the sun seven fold brighter For my self as yet I have received no answer whither to goe I wait on O that Jesus had my love Let matters frame as they list I have some more to doe with Christ yet I would fain we were nearer Now the great shepherd of the sheep the very God of peace establish confirm you till the day of his coming Aberd. Sept. 9 1637. Yours in his lovely sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady CARLETON 173 MISTRESS GRace mercy and peace be to you My soul longeth once again to be amongst you to behold that beauty of the Lord that I would see in his house But I know not if he in whose hands are all our waves seeth it expedient for his glory I ow my Lord I know submission of spirit suppose he should turn me into a stone or pillar oâ— salt Oh that I were He in whom my Lord could be glorified suppose my little heaven were forfeited to buy glory to him before men and Angels suppose my want of his presence and separation from Christ were a pillar as high as ten heavens for Christ's glory to stand upon above all the world What am I to him How little am I though my feathers stood out as broad as the morning lighâ— to such a high to such a lofty to such a never-enough admired glorious Lord My trials are heavy bâ—cause of my sad sabbaths but I know they are less then my high provocations I seek no more but that Christ may be the gainer and I the loser that he may be raised and hightned and I cryed down and my worth made dust before his glory Oh that Scotland all with one shout would cry up Christ and that his name were high in this land I finde the very utmost borders of Christ's high excellency and deep sweâ—tness heaven and earth's wonder O what is he if I could win in to see his inner side Oh I am run dâ—y of loving and wondering and adoring of that greatest most admirable one Woe woe is me I have not half-love for him Alas what can my drop doe to his great sea What gain is it to Christ that I have casten my little sparkle in his great fire What can I give to him Oh that I had love to fill a thousand worlds that I might emptie my soul of it all upon Christ I think I have now just reason to quite my part of any hope or love that I have to this scum and the refuse of the dross of God's work-manâ—hip this vain earth I ow to this stormy world whose kindness 〈◊〉 heart to me hath been made of iron or of a piece of a wilde sea-Island that never a creature of God yet lodged in not a look I ow it no love no hope therefore Oh if my love were dead to it my soul dead to it What am I obliged to this house of my pilgrimage A straw for all that God hath made to my soul's liking except God that lovely one Iesus Christ Seeing I am not this world's debter I desire I may be striped of all confidence in any thing but my Lord that he may be for me I for my onely onely onely Lord that he may be the morning evening-tide the top the root of my joyes the heart flower yolk of all my soul's delights O let me never lodge any creature in my heart confidence Let the house be for him I rejoyce that sad dayes cut off a piece of the lease of my short life that my shadow even while I suffer weareth long my evening hasteneth on I have cause to love home with all my heart to take the opportunity of the day to hasten to the
but too lazie and careless in seeking of it It is all our riches we have here glory in the bud I wish I could set out â—ree Grace I was the Law 's man under the Law under a curse but Grace brought me from under that hard Lord I rejoyce that I am Grace's Free-holder I pay tribute to none for heaven seeing my land heritage holdeth of Christ my new King Infinite wisdom hath devised this excellent way of Free-holding for sinners It is a better way to heaven then the old way that was in Adam's dayes It hath this fair advantage that no man's emptiness want layeth an inhibition upon Christ or hindereth his salvation that is far best for me but our new Land-Lord putteth the names of Dyvours Adam's forlorn Heirs beggers crooked blinde in the free charters Heaven Angels may wonder that we have gotten such a gate of sin hell Such a back-entry out of hell as Christ made brought out the captives by is more then my poor shallow thoughts can comprehend I would think sufferings glory I am sometimes not far from it if my Lord would give me a new almes of free grace I hear that the Prelats are intending banishment for me but for more grace no other hire I would make it welcome The bits of this clay-house the earth the other side of the sea are my father's If my sweet Lord Jesus would bud my sufferings with a new measure of grace I were a rich man But I have not now of a long time found such high spring-tides as formerly The sea is out the wind of his Spirit calm I cannot buy a wind or by requesting the sea cause it to flow again onely I wait on upon the banks shore-side till the Lord send a full sea that with up-sailes I may lift up Christ Yet sorrow for his absence is sweet sighes with Saw ye him whom my soul loveth have their own delights Oh that I might gather hunger against his long-looked for return Well were my soul if Christ were the element mine own element that I loved breathed in him if I could not live without him I allow not laughter upon my self when He is away yet He never leaveth the house but the leaveth drink-money behinde him a pawne that he will return Woe woe to me if he should goe away take all his flitting with him Even to dream of him is sweet To build a house of pining wishes for his return to spin out a web of sorrow care languishing sighes either dry or wet as they may be because he hath no leisure if I may spâ—aâ— so to make a visite or to see a poor friend sweetneth refreâ—heth the thoughts of the heart A mistie dew will stand for rain doe some good keep some greenness in the herbs till our Lord's clouds â—ue upon the earth send down a watering of rain Truly I think Christ's mistie dew a welcome message from heaven till my Lorâ—'s rain fall Woe woe is me for the Lord's vineyard in Scotland Howbeit the Father of the house embrace a childe feed him kiss him yet it is sorrow and sadness to the children that our poor mother hath gotten her leave that our Father hath given up house It is an unheartsom thing to see our Father mother agree so ill yet the Bastards if they be fed care not O Lord cait not water on Scotland's smoking coal It is a strange gate the saints goe to heaven our enemies often eat drink us we goe to heaven through their bellies stomacks they vomit the church of God undigested among their hands even while we are shut up in prisons by them we advance in our jâ—urney Remember my service to my Lord your kinde Son who was kinde to me in my bonds was not ashamed to own me I would be glad that Christ got the morning-service of his life now in his young years It would sute him well to give Christ his young green love Christ's stamp and seal would goe far down in a young soul If he would receive the thrust of Christ's stamp I would desire him to make search for Christ for Nobles now are but dry friends to Christ. The Grace of God our Father the goodwill of him who dwelt in the bush be with your La. Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady CARDONNESS ELDER 180. Worthy welbeloved in the Lord GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear from you in paper that I may know how your soul prospereth My desire longing in to hear that ye walk in the truth that ye are content to follow the despised but most lovely Son of God I cannot but recommend him unto you as your husband your welbeloved your portion your comfort your joy I speak this of that lovely one because I praise commend the foord as we use to speak as I finde it He hath watered with his sweet comforts an oppressed prisoner He was alwayes kinde to my soul but never so kinde as now in my greatest extremittes I dine sup with Christ He visiteth my soul with the visitations of love in the night-watches I perswade my soul that this is the way to heaven his own Truth I now suffer for I exhort you in the name of Christ to continue in the truth which I delivered to you Make Christ sure to your soul for your day draweth nigh to an end Many slide back now who seemed to be Christ's friends prove dishonest to him But be ye faithfull to the death ye shall have the crown of life This span-length of your dayes whereof the Spirit of God speaketh Psal. 39. will within a short time come to a finger-breadth at length to nothing O how sweet comfortable shall the feast of a good conscience be to you when your eye-strings shall break your face wax pale the breath turn cold your poor soul come sighing to the windows of the house of clay of your dying body shall long to be out to have the jaylor to open the door that the prisoner may be set at liberty Ye draw nigh the water-side look your accounts Ask for your guide to take you to the other side Let not the world be your portion What have ye to doe with dead clay Ye are not a bastard but a lawfull begotten childe therefore set your heart on the inheritance Goe up before hand and see your lodging Look through all your father's rooms in heaven in your father's house are many dwelling-places Men take a sight of lands ere they buy them I know Christ hath made the bargain already But be kinde to the house ye are going to see it often Set your heart on things that are above where Christ is at the right
hay stubble But let me my very dear worthy Lord most humbly beseech you by the mercies of God by the consolations of his Spirit by the dear blood wounds of your lovely Redeemer by the salvation of your soul by your compearance before the awfull face of a sin-revenging dreadfull Judge not to set in comparison together your soul's peace Christ's love his Kingly honour now called in question with your place honour house or ease that an inch of time will make out of the way I verily beleeve Christ is now begging a testimony of you is saying And will ye also leave me It is possible the wind shall not blow so fair for you all your life for coming out appearing before others to back countenance Christ the fairest among the sons of men the Prince of the Kings of the earth Isa. 51. 7. Fear ye not the reproach of men neither be afraid of their revilings v. 8. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment the worm shall eat them like wool When the Lord shall begin he shall make an end mow down his adversaries and they shall lie before him like withered hay their bloom shaken off them Consider how many thousands in this Kingdom veshall cause to fall stumble if ye goe with them that ye shall be out of the prayers of many who doe stand before the Lord for you your house further when the time of your accounts cometh your one foot shall be within the border of eternity the eye-strings shall break the face wax pale the soul shall look out at the windows of the house of clay longing to be out ye shall finde your self arraigned before the Judge of quick dead to answer for the putting to your hand with the rest confederate against Christ to the overturning of his Ark the loosing of the pins of Christ's tabernacle in this land shall certainly sâ—e your self mired in a course of Apostasie then then a King's favour your worm-eaten honour shall be miserable comforters to you The Lord hath enlightened you with the knowledge of his will as the Lord liveth they lead you and others to a communion with great Babel the mother of fornications God said of old continueth to say the same to you Come out of her my people lest ye be partakers of her plagues will ye then goe with them set your lip to the whore 's golden cup drink of the wine of the wrath of God Almighty with them O poor hungry honour O cursed pleasures And O damnable ease bought with the loss of God! How many shall pray for you What a sweet presence shall â—…efinde of Christ under your sufferings if ye shall lay down your honour place at the feet of Christ What a fair recompence of reward I avouch before the Lord that I am now shewing you a way how the house of Craighall may stand on sure pillars If ye will set it on rotten pillars ye cruelly wrong your posterity Ye have the word of a King for an hundred fold more in this life if it be good for you for life everlasting also Make not Christ a liar in distrusting his promise Kings of clay cannot back you when ye stand before him a straw for them their hungry heaven that standeth on this side of time a fig for the dayes-smile of a woâ—m Consider who have gone before you to eternity would have given a world for a new occasion of a vouching that truth It 's true they call it not substantial and we are made a scorn to these that are at ease for suffering these things for it but it is not time to judge of our losses by the morning stay till the evening we shall count with the best of them I have found by experience since the time of my imprisonment my witness is above Christ fealing this honourable cause with another a nearer fellowship then ever I knew before and let God weigh me in an even ballance in this if I would exchange the cross of Christ or his truth with the fourteen Prelacies or what else a King can give My dear Lord venture to take the wind on your face for Christ I beleeve if he should come from heaven in his own person seek the charters of Craighall from you a dimission of your place ye saw his face ye would fall down at his feet and say Lord Iesus it is too little for â—…ee If any man think it not a truth to die for I am against him I dare goe to eternity with it that this day the honour of our royal Law-giver King in the Government of his own free Kingdom who should pay tribute to no dying King is the true state of the question My Lord be ye upon Christ's side of it take the word of a poor prisoner nay the Lord Jesus be surety for it ye have incomparably made the wisest choice for my own part I have been in this prison that I would be half a hamed to seek more till I be up at the well-head Few know in this world the sweetness of Christ's breath the excellency of his love which hath neither brim nor bottom the world hath raised a slander upon the cross of Christ because they love to goe to heaven by dry land love not sea-storms But I write it under my hand would say more if possibly a reader would not deem it hypocrisie My obligation to Christ for the smell of his garments for his love-kisses these thirty weeks standeth so great that I should I desire also to chuse to suspend my salvation to have many tongues loosed in my behalf to praise him suppose in person I never entered within the gates of the new â—erusalem yet sobeing Christ may be set on high I had the liberty to cast my love praises for ever over the wall to Christ I would be silent content But O he is more then my narrow praises O time time flee swiftly that our communion with Jesus may be perfected I wish your Lo would urge Mr L. to give his minde in the Ceremonies be pleased to let me sâ—e it as quickly as can be it shall be answered To his rich grace I recommend your Lo shall remain Aberd. Juny 8. 1637. Yours at all respective obedience in Christ S. R. To the Lady CULROSS 211 MADAM YOur letter came in due time to me now a prisoner of Christ in bonds for the Gospel I am sentenced with deprivation confinement within the town of Aberdeen but Oh my guiltiness the follies of my youth the neglects in my calling especially in not speaking more for the Kingdom crown scepter of my royal princely King Iesus doe so stare me in the face that I apprehend anger in that which is a crown of rejoycing to
then now food for the journey God give you eyes to see through sickness death to see something beyond death I doubt not but if hell were betwixt you Christ as a river which ye behooved to cross ere ye could come at him but ye would willingly put in your foot make through to be at him upon hope that he would come in himself in the deepest of the river lend you his hand Now I beleeve your hell is dried up ye have onely these two shallow brooks Sickness Death to pass through ye have also a promise that Christ shall doe more then meet you even that he shall come himself goe with you foot for foot yea bear you in his arms O then O then for the joy that is set before you For the love of the man who is also God over all blessed for ever that is standing upon the shore to welcome you run your race with patience The Lord goe with you Your Lord will not have you nor any of his servants to exchange for the worse Death in it self includeth both the death of the soul the death of the body but to God's children the bounds the limits of death are abridged drawn into a more narrow compass So that when ye die a piece of death shall onely seise upon you or the least part of you shall die that is the dissolution of the body for in Christ ye are delivered from the second death therefore as one born of God commit not sin although ye cannot live not sin that serpent shall but eat your earthly part As for your soul it is above the law of Death But it is fearfull dangerous to be a debter and servant to sin for the count of sin ye will not be able to make good before God except Christ both count pay for you I trust also Madam that ye will be carefull to present to the Lord the present estate of this decaying Kirk For what shall be concluded in Parliament anent her the Lord knoweth sure I am the decree of a most fearfull Parliament in heaven is at the very point of coming forth because of the sins of the land For We have cast away the law of the Lord and despised the words of the holy one of Israel Isa. 5 24. Iudgement is turned away backward and justice standeth afar off truth is fallen in the streâ—ts and equity cannot enter Lo the prophet as if he had seen us our Kirk resembleth justice to be handled as an enemy holden out at the ports of our city so is she banished Truth to a person sickly diseased fallen down in a deadly swooning sit in the streets before he can come to an house Isa. 59. 14. The Priests have caused many to stumble at the Law have corrupted the Covenant of Levi Mal. 2. 8. But what will they doe in the end Ier. 5 31. Therefore give the Lord no rest for Zion Stir up your husband your brother all with whom ye are in favour and credit to stand upon the Lord's side against Baal I have good hope your husband loveth the peace prosperity of Zion The peace of God be upon him for his intended courses anent the establishment of a powerfull Ministery in this land Thus not willing to weary your La further I recommend you now alwayes to the grace mercy of that God who is able to keep you that ye fall not The Lord Jesus be with your spirit Anwoth July 27. 1628. Your La servant at all dutifull obedience in Christ S. R. To the Parishoners of KILMACOLME 2 Worthy welbeloved in Christ Iesus our Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you Your letters could not come to my hand in a greater throng of business then I am now pressed with at this time when our Kirk requireth the publike help of us all yet I cannot but answer the heads of both your letters with provision that ye chuse after this a fitter time for writing 1. I would not have you pitch upon me as the man able by lettters to answer doubts of this kinde while there are in your bounds men of such great parts most able for this work I know the best are unable yet it pleaseth that Spirit of Jesus to blow his sweet wind through a piâ—ce dry stick that the empty reed may keep no glory to it self but a Minister can make no such wind as this to blow he is scarce able to lend it a passage to blow through him 2. Know that the wind of this Spirit hath a time when it bloweth sharp pierceth so strongly that it would blow through an iron door this is commonly rather under suffering for Christ then at any other time Sick children get of Christ's pleasant things to play them withall because Jesus is most tender of the sufferer for he was a sufferer himself O if I had but the leavings the drawing of the by-board of a sufferer's table But I leave this to answer yours First ye write that God's vows are lying on you security strong â—â—b to nature stealing on you who are weak I answer 1. Till we be in heaven the best have heavy heads as is evident Cant. 5. 1. Psal. 30. 6. Iob. 29. 18. Matth. 26. 33. Nature is a sluggard loveth not the labour of religion Therefore rest should not be taken till we know the disease be over in the way of turning that it is like a fever past the cool And the quietness the calms of the faith of victory over corruption would be entertained in place of security so that if I sleep I would desire to sleep faith's sleep in Christ's bosom 2. Know also none that sleep sound can seriously complain of sleepiness sorrow for a slumbering soul is a token of some watchfulness of spirit But this is soon turned into wantonness as grace in us too often is abused therefore our waking must be watched over else sleep will even grow out of watching there is as much need to watch over grace as to watch over sin full men will soon sleep sooner then hungry men 3. For your weakness to keep off security that like a thief stealeth upon you I would say two things 1. To want complaints of weakness is for heaven Angels that never sinned not for Christians in Christ's camp on earth I think our weakness maketh us the Church of the redeemed ones Christ's field that the Mediator should labour in If there were no diseases on earth there needed no Physicians on earth If Christ had cried down weakness he might have cried down his own calling but weakness is our Mediator's world Sin is Christ's onely onely fa e market no man should rejoyce at weakness diseases but I think we may have a sort of gladness at boils sores because without them Christ's fingers as a slain Lord
your glass now then there was yesternight this span-length of ever-posting time will soon be ended But the greater is the mercy of God the moe years ye get to advise upon what terms upon what conditions ye cast your soul in the huge gulf of never-ending Eternity The Lord hath told you what ye should be doing till he come wait hasten saith Peter for the coming of our Lord All is night that is here in respect of ignorance daily ensuing troubles one alwayes making way to another as the ninth wave of the sea to the tenth therefore sigh long for the dawning of that morning the breaking of that day of the coming of the SoÌ„ of man when the shadows shall flee away Perswade your self the King is coming read his letter sent before him Rev. 3. 11. Behold I come quickly Wait with the wearied night-watch for the breaking of the eastern skie think that ye have not a morrow As the wise father said who being invited against to morrow to dine with his friends answered These many dayes I have had no morrow at all I am loath to weary you Shew your self a Christian by suffering without murmuring for which sin fourteen thousand seven hundred were slain Numb 16. 49. In patience possess your soul they lose nothing who gain Christ. Thus remembring my brother's my wife's humble service to your La I commend you to the mercy grace of our Lord Jesus assuring you that your day is coming that God's mercy is abiding you The Lord Jesus be with your spirit Anwoth Jan. 15. 1629. Yours in the Lord Iesus at all dutifull obedience S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 5. MADAM SAluting you in Jesus Christ to my grief I must bid you 〈◊〉 may be for ever farewell in paper having small assurance 〈◊〉 to see your face again till the last general Assembly where the whole church universal shall meet Yet promising by his grace to present your La your burdens to him who is able to save you give you an inheritance with the saints after a more special manner then ever I have done before Ye are going to a countrey where the Sun of righteousness in the Gospel shineth not so clearly as in this Kingdom but if ye would know where he whom your soul loveth doeth rest where he feedeth at the noon-tide of the day where ever ye be get you forth by the footsteps of the stock feed your self beside the shepherds tents Cant. 1 7. that is ask for some of the watchmen of the Lord's city who will tell you truly will not lye where ye shall finde him whom your soul loveth I trust ye are so betrothed in marriage to the true Christ that ye will not give your love to any false Christ Ye know not how soon your marriage-day will come nay is not Eternity hard upon you It were time then that ye had your wedding garment in readiness be not sleeping at your Lord's coming I pray God ye may be upon your feet standing when he knocketh Be not discouraged to goe from this countrey to another part of the Lord's earth the earth is his the fulness thereof Psal. 24 1. This is the Lord's lower house while we are lodged here we have no assurance to lie ever in one chamber but must be content to remove from one corner of our Lord's nether-house to another resting in hope that when we come up to the Lord 's upper city Ierusalem that is above we shall remove no more because then we shall be at home And goe wheresoever ye will if your Lord goe with you ye are at home your lodging is ever taken before night so long as he who is Israel's dwelling house is your home Psal. 90 1. Beleeve me Madam my minde is that ye are well lodged that in your house there are fair ease-rooms pleasant lights if ye can in faith lean down your head upon the breast of Jesus Christ till this be ye shall never get a sound sleep Jesus Jesus be your shadow your covering It is a sweet soul-sleep to lie in the arms of Christ for his breath is very sweet Pray for poor friendless Zion Alas No man will speak for her now although at home in her own countrey she hath good friends her husband Christ his father her father in law Beseech your husband to be a friend to Zion pray for her I have received many divers dashes heavy strokes since the Lord called me to the Ministery but indeed I esteem your departure from us amongst the weightiest but I perceive God will have us to be deprived of whatsoever we idolize that he may have his own room I see exceeding small fruit of my Ministery would be glad to know of one soul to be my crown rejoycing in the day of Christ. Though I spend my strength in vain yet my labour is with my God Isa. 49 9. I wish pray that the Lord would harden my face against all make me to learn to goe with my face against a storm Again I commend you body spirit to him who hath loved us washed us from our sins in his own blood Grace grace grace for ever be with you Pray pray continually Anwoth Sept 14. 1629. Your La at all dutifull obedience in Christ S. R. To JOHN KENNEDY 6. My loving most affectionat brother in Christ. I Salute you with grace mercy peace from God our father from our Lord Iesus Christ. I promised to write to you although late enough yet now I make it good I heard with grief of your great danger of perishing by the sea but of your mercifull deliverance with joy Sure I am Brother Satan will leave no stone unrolled as the proverb is to roll you off your rock or at least to shake unsettle you For at that same time the mouths of wicked men were opened in hard speeches against you by land the Prince of the power of the air was angry with you by sea See then how much ye are obliged to that malitions murderer who would beat you with two rods at one time but blessed be God his arm is short If the sea winds would have obeyed him ye had never come to land Thank your God who saith Rev. 1 18. I have the keys of hell and of death Deut 32 39. I kill and I make alive 1 Sam. 2 6. The Lord bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up If Satan were Iaylâ—ur and had the keys of Death or the Grave they should be stored with moe prisoners Ye were knocking at these black gates and ye found the doors shut and we doe all welcome you back again I trust ye know it is not for nothing that ye are sent to us again The Lord knew ye had forgotten something that was necessary for your journey that your armour was not as yet thick enough
against the stroke of death Now in the strength of Jesus dispatch your business that debt is not forgiven but fristed Death hath not bidden you fare-well but hath onely left you for a short season End your journey ere the night come upon you have all in readiness against the time that ye must sail through that black impetuous Iordan Jesus Jesus who knoweth both these depths the rocks all the coasts be your Pilot That last tide will not wait for you one moment if ye forget any thing when your sea is full your foot in that ship there is no returning again to fetch it What ye doe amiss in your life to day ye may amend it to morrow for as many suns as God maketh to arise upon you ye have as many new lives but ye can die but once if ye mar or spill that business ye cannot come back to mend that piece of work again No man sinneth twice in dying ill As we die but once so we die but ill or well once Ye see now the number of your moneths is written in God's book as one of the Lord's hirelings ye must work till the shadow of the evening come upon you ye shall run out your glass even to the last pickle of sand fulfill your course with joy for we take nothing to the grave with us but a good or evil conscience And although the skie clear after this storm yet clouds will engender another Ye contracted with Christ I hope when first ye began to follow him that ye would bear his cross fulfill your part of the Contract with patience break not to Jesus Christ Be honest Brother in your bargaining with him for who knoweth better how to bring up children then our God For to lay aside his knowledge of the which there is no searching out he hath been practised in bringing up his heirs these 5000 years his bairns are all well brought up many of them are honest men now at home up in their own house in heaven are entred heirs to their father's inheritance Now the form of his bringing up was by chastisements scourging correcting nurturing See if he maketh exception of any of his bairns Rev. 3. 19. Heb. 12. 7 8. No His eldest Son his heir Iesus is not excepted Heb. 2. 10. Suffer we must ere we were born God dcreed it it is easier to complain of his decree then to change it It is true terrors of conscience cast us down yet without terrors of conscience we cannot be raised up again fears doubtings shake us yet without fears doubtings we would soon sleep and loose our grips of Christ tribulation tentations will almost loose us at the root yet without tribulations temptations we can now no more grow then herbs or corn without rain Sin Satan the World will say cry in our ear that we have a hard reckoning to make in Judgement yet none of these three except they lye dare say in our face that our sin can change the Tenour of the new Covenant Forward then dear Brother lose not your grip hold fast the Truth for the world sell not one dram weight of God's truth especially now wheÌ„ most meÌ„ measure Truth by time like young sea-men setting their Compass by a cloud For now Time is father mother to Truth in the thoughts practices of our evil Time The God of Truth establish us for Alas Now there are none to comfort the prisoners of hope the mourners in Zion We can doe little except pray mourn for Iosepâ— in the stocks And let their tongue cleave to the roof of their mouth who forget Ierusalem now in her day And the Lord remember Edom render to him as he hath done to us Now Brother I will not weary you but I intreat you remember my dearest love to Mr David Dickson with whom I have small acquaintance yet I bless the Lord I know he both prayeth doeth for our dying Kirk Remember my dearest love to Iohn Stuart whom I love in Christ show him from me I doe alwayes remember him hope for a meeting The Lord Jesus establish him more more though he be already a strong man in Christ. Remember my heartiest affection in Christ to â—illiam Rodger whom I also remember to â—od I wish the first newes I hear of him you all that love our common Saviour in these bounds may be that ye are so knit linked kindly fastened in love with the Son of God that ye may say now if we would never so fain escape out of Christ's hands yet love hath so bound us that we cannot get our â—ands fâ—ce again he hath so ravished our hearts that there is no loosing of his grips the chains of his soul-ravishing love are so sâ—rong that the Crave nor Death will not bâ—â—â—k them I hope Brother yea I doubt not of it but ye lay me my first entry to the Lord's vineyard my flock before him who hath put me in his work as the Lord knoweth since first I saw you I have been mindfull of you Marion Mcknaught doeth remember most heartily her love to you to Iohn Stuart Blessed be the Lord that in God's mercy I found in this countrey such a woman to whom Jesus is dearer then her own heart when there be so many that cast Christ over their shoulder Good Brother call to minde the memory of your worthy father now asleep in Christ as his custom was pray continually wrestle for the life of a dying breathless Kirk And desire Iohn Stuart not to forget poor Zion she hath â—ew friends few to speak one good word for her Now I commend you your whole soul body spirit to Jesus Christ his keeping hoping ye will die live stand fall with the cause of our Master Jesus The Lord Jesus himself be with your spirit Anwoth Feb. 2. 1637. Your loving Brother in our Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 7 MADAM I Have longed exceedingly to hear of your life health growth in the grace of God I lacked the opportunity of a bearer in respect I did not understand of the hasty departure of the last by whom I might have saluted your La therefore I could not write before this time I intreat you Madam let me have two lines from you concerning your present condition I know ye are in grief heaviness if it were not so ye might be afraid because then your way should not be so like the way that our Lord saith leadeth to the new Ierusalem Sure I am if ye knew what were before you or if ye saw but some glances of it ye would with gladness swim through the present floods of sorrow spreading forth your arms out of desire to be at land If God have given you the earnest of the Spirit as
back again to the waters to your wearisom journey shall see in that clear glass of endless glory nearer to the bottom of God's wisdom ye shall then be forced to say If God had done otherwise with me then he hath done I had never come to the enjoying of this crown of glory It is your part now to beleeve suffer hope wait on for I protest in the presence of that all-discerning eye who knoweth what I write what I think that I would not want the sweet experience of the consolations of God for all the bitterness of affliction nay whether God come to his children with a rod or a crown if he come himself with it it is well Welcome welcome Jesus what way soever thou come if we can get a sight of thee sure I am it is better to be sick providing Christ come to the bed-side draw the curtains say Courage I am thy salvatioÌ„ theÌ„ to enjoy health being lustie strong never to be visited of God Worthy de aâ— Lady in the strength of Christ fight overcome Ye are now your alone but ye may have for the seeking three alwayes in your company the Father Son Holy Spirit I trust they are near you Ye are now deprived of the comfort of a lively Ministery so was Israel in their captivity yet hear God's promise to them Ezek. 11 16. Therefore say Thus saith the Lord God Although I have cast them far off among the heat eâ— although I have scattered them among the countreys yet will be to them as a little Sanctuary in the countreys where they shall come Behold a Sanctuary for a Sanctuary God himself in the place room of the Temple of Ierusalem I trust in God carrying this Temple about with you ye shall see Iehovah's beauty in his house We are in great fears of a great fearfull trial to come upon the Kirk of God For these who would build their houses nests upon the ashes of mourning Ierusalem have drawn our King upon hard langerous conclusions against such as are termed Puritans for the rooting of them out Our Prelats the Lord take the keyes of his house from these bastard-porters assure us that for such as will not conforâ— there is nothing but Imprisonment Deprivationâ— The Spouse of Jesus will ever be in the fire but I trust in my God she shall not consume because of the good-will of him who dwelleth in the buâ—h for he dwelleth in it with good will All sort of crying sins without controlment abound in our Land 〈◊〉 the glory of the Lord is departing from Israel the Lord is looking back over his shoulder to see if any will say Lord tarry no man requesteth him to stay Corrupt false doctrine is openly preached by the Idol-shepherds of the Land For myself I have daily griefs through the disobedience unto contempt of the word of God I was summoned before the High Commission by a profligate person in this Parish convicted of incest in the business Mr Alexander Colvill for respect to your La was my great friend wrote a most kinde letter to me The Lord give him mercy in that day Upon the day of my compearance the sea winds refused to give passage to the Bishop of St Andrews I intreat you La thank Mr Alexander Colvill with two lines of a letter My wife now after long disease torment for the space of a year moneth is departed this life the Lord hath done it blessed be his name I have been diseased of a fever tertian for the space of thirteen weeks am yet in that sickness so that I preach but once on the sabbath with great difficulty I am not able either to visite or examine the Congregation The Lord Jesus be with your spirit Anwoth 26. June 1630. Your La at all obedience S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 9. MADAM HAving saluted you in the Lord Jesus I thought it my duty having the occasion of this bearer to write again unto your La though I have no new purpose but what I wrote of before Yet ye cannot be too often awakned to go forward towards your city since your way is long and for any thing ye know your day is short your Lord requireth of you as ye advance in years steal forward insensibly towards eternity that your saith may grow and ripen for the Lords harvest for the great husband-man giveth a season to his fruits that they may come to maturitie having gotten their fill of the tree they may then be shaken gathered in for his use whereas the wicked rot upon the tree their branch shall not be green Job 15. 32. 33. He shall shake off his unripe grapes as the vine and shall cast oft his flower as the olive It is God's mercy to you â—adam that 〈◊〉 giveth you your fill even to loathing of this bitter world that ye may willingly leave it like a full and satisfied banquetter long for the drawing of the table and at last having trampled under your feet all the â—otten pleasure that are under un Moon and having rejoyced as though ye rejoyced not and having bought as though ye possessed not 1 Cor. 7. 30. Ye may like an old crazie ship arrive at your Lord's harbour be made welcome as one of these who have ever had one foot loose from this earth longing for that place where your soul shall feast banquet for ever ever upon a gloriouâ— sight of the incomprehensible Trinity where ye shall see the fair face of the man Christ even the beautifull face that was once for your cause more marred then any of the visages of the sons of men Isa 52 14. And was all covered with spitting blood Be content to wade through the waters betwixt you glory with Him holding his hand fast for he knoweth all the foords Howbeit ye may be duckt yet ye cannot drown being in his company ye may all the way to glory see the way bedewed with his blood who is the fore-runner be not afraid therefore when ye come even to the black swelling river of death to put in your foot wade after him the current how strong soever cannot carry you down the water to Hell the Son of God his death resurrection are stepping-stones a stay to you set down your feet by faith upon these stones goe through as on dry land If ye knew what he is preparing for you ye would be too glad he will not it may be give you a full-draught till ye come up to the well-head and drink yea drink abundantly of the pure river of the water of Life that proceedeth out from the Throne of God and from the Lamb. Rev. 22 1. Madam â—tire not weary not I dare finde you the Son of God caution when ye are got up thither and have casten your eyes to
view the golden city and the fair never-withering tree of Life that beareth twelve manner of fruits every moneth ye shall then say four and twenty hours abode in that place is worth threescore ten years sorrow upon earth If ye can but say ye long earnestly to be carried up thither as I hope you cannot for shame deny him the honour of having wrought that desire in your soul then hath your Lord given you earnest And Madam doe ye beleeve that our Lord will lose his earnest rue of the bargain change his minde as if he were a man that can lye or the son of man that can repent Nay he is unchangeable the same this year that he was the former year And his Son Jesus who upon earth eat drank with publicans sinners spake conferred with whores harlots put up his holy hand and touched the lepers filthy skin came evermore nigh sinners even now in glory is yet that same Lord His honour his great court in leaven hath not made him forget his poor friends on earth In him honours change not manners and he doeth yet desire your company Take him for the old Christ and claim still kindness to him and say Oh it is so He is not changed but I am changed Nay it is a part of his unchangeable love and an article of the new covenant to keep you that ye cannot dispon him nor sell him He hath not played fast and loose with us in the Covenant of Grace so that we may run from him at our pleasure His love hath made the bargain surer then so for Jesus as the cautioner is bound for us Heb 7 22. And it cannot stand with his honour to die in the burrows as we use to say and lose these whom he must render again to the father when he shall give up the Kingdom to him Consent and say Amâ—… to the promises and ye have sealed That God is truâ—… and Christ is yours This is an easie market Ye but look on with faith for Christ suffered all and paid all Madam fearing I be tedious to your La I must stop here desiring alwayes to hear that your La is well and that ye have still your face up the mountain Pray for us Madam and for Zion whereof ye are apart We expect a trial God's wheat in this land must goe through Satan's sieve but their faith shall not fail I am still wrestling in our Lord's work and have been tried and tempted with brethren who look awry to the Gospel Now he that is able to keep you untill that day preserve your soul body spirit present you before his face with his own Bride spotless blamless Anwoth Nov. 26. 1631. Your La to be commanded alwayes in the Lord Iesus S R. To my Lady KENMURE 10. MADAM I Am grieved exceedingly that your La should think or have cause to think that such as love you in God in this countrey are forgetfull of you For my self Madam I ow to your La all evidences of my high respect in the sight of my Lord whose truth I preach I am bold to say it for his rich grace in you My Communion put off till the end of a longsom rainny harvest the Presbyteriall exercise as the bearer can inform your La hindered me to see you And for my people's sake finding them like hot iron that cooleth being out of the fire and that is pliable to no work I doe not stir abroad neither have I left them at all since your La was in this countrey save at one time onely about two years agoe yet I dare not say but it is a fault howbeit no defect in my affection and I trust to make it up again so soon as possibly I am able to wait upon you Madam I have no new purpose to write unto you but of that which I think nay which our Lord thinketh needfull that one thing Marie's good part which ye have chosen Luk 10 42. Madam all that God hath both himself and the creatures he is dealing and parting amongst the sons of Adam There are none so poor as that they can say in his face He hath given them nothing But thereis no small ods betwixt the gifts given to lawfull bairns and to bastards And the more greedy ye are in suiting the more willing he is to give delighting to be called open handed I hope your La laboureth to get assurance of the surest patrimony even God himself ye will finde in Christianity that God aimeth in all his dealings with his children to bring them to a high contempt of and deadly feud with the world and to set an high price upon Christ to think him one who cannot be bought for gold well-worthy the fighting for And for no other cause Madam doeth the Lord withdraw from you the childish toyes the earthly delights that he giveth unto others but that he may have you wholly to himself Think therefore of the Lord as of one who cometh to wooe you in marriage when ye are in the furnace He seeketh his answer of you in affliction to see if ye will say even so I take him Madam give him this answer pleasantly in your minde doe not secretly grudge nor murmure When he is striking you in love beware to stâ—…e again That is dangerous for these who strike again shall get the last blow If I hit not upon the right string it is because I am not acquainted with your La present condition But I beleeve your La goeth on foot laughing putting on a good countenance before the world yet ye carry heaviness about with you Ye doe well Madam not to make them witnesses of your grief who cannot be curerâ— of it But be exceeding charitable of your dear Lord As there be some friends worldly of whom ye will not entertain an ill thought far more ought ye to beleeve good evermore of your dear friend that lovely fair person Iesus Christ. The thorn is one of the most cursed angry crabbed weeds that the earth yeeldeth yet out of it springeth the Rose one of the sweetest smelled flowers most delightfull to the eye that the earth hath Your Lord shall make joy gladness out of your afflictions for all his roses have a fragrant smell wait for the time when his own holy hand shall hold them to your nose if ye would have present comfort under the cross be much in prayer for at that time your faith kisseth Christ he kisseth the soul O if the breath of his holy mouth be sweet I dare be caution out of some small experience that ye shall not be beguiled for the world yea not a few number of God's children know not well what that is which they call a Godhead But Madam come near to the Godhead look down to the bottom of the well there is much in him sweet were
take from you against your will It is good to play the â—surer with him take in in stead of ten of the hundred an hundred often an hundred of one Madam fearing to be tedious to you I break off here commending you as I trust to doe while I live your person wayes burdens all that concerneth you to that Almighty who is able to bear you your burdens I still remember you to him who will cause you one day to laugh I expect that what ever ye can doe by word or deed for the Lord 's friendless Zion ye will doe it She is your mother forget her not for the Lord intendeth to melt try this land it is high time we were all upon our feet falling about to try what claim we have to Christ It is like the the Bridegroom will be taken from us then we shall mourn Dear Iesus remove not else take us with thee Grace grace be with you for ever Anwoth 14. Jan. 1632. Your La at all dutifull obedience S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 12 MADAM YOur La will not I know weary nor offend though I trouble you with many letters the memory of what obligations I am under to your La is the cause of it I am possibly impertinent in what I write because of my ignorance of your present estate But for all that is said I have learned of M W. D. that ye have not changed upon nor wearied of your sweet Master Christ his service neither were it your part to change upon him who resteth in his love Ye are among honourable company such as affect grandour court But Madam thinking upon your estate I think I see an improvident wooer coming too late to seek a Bride because she is contracted already promised away to another so the wooer's busking bravery who cometh to you as who but he is in vain the outward pomp of this busie wooer a beguiling world is now coming in to sute your soul too late when ye have promised away your soul to Christ many years agoe And I know Madam what answer ye may now justly make to the late suter even this Ye are to long of coming my soul the Bride is away already the contract with Christ subscribed I cannot cause but I must be honest faithfull to him Honourable-Lady keep your first love hold the first match with that soul-delighting lovely Bridegroom our sweet sweet Jesus fairer then all the children of men the Rose of Sharon the fairest sweetest smelled Rose in all his father's garden there is none like him I would not exchange one smile of his lovely face with Kingdoms Madam let others take their silly feckless heaven in this life envy them not but let your soul like a tarrowing misiearned childe take the dorts as we use to speak or cast at all things disdain them except one onely either Christ or nothing your welbeloved Jesus will be content that ye be here devotely proud ill to please as one that contemneth all husbands but himself Either the King's son or no husband at all this is humble worthy ambition What have ye to doe to dally with a whorish foolish world Your jealous husband will not be content that ye look by him to another he will be jealous indeed offend if ye kiss another but himself What weights doe burden you Madam I know not but think it great mercy that your Lord from your youth hath been hedging in your out-straying affections that they may not goe a whoring from himself If ye were his bastard he would not nurture you so If ye were for the slaughter ye would be fatned But be content ye are his wheat growing in our Lord's field Matth. 13 v. 25 38. And if wheat ye must goe under our Lord's threshing instrument in his barn-â—oor through his sieve Amos 9 v. 9. And through his mill to be bruised as the Prince of your salvation Iesus was Isa. 53 9. that ye may be found good bread in your Lord's house Lord Jesus bless the spiritual husbandry separate you from the chaff that dow not bide the wind I am perswaded your glass is spending it self by little little if ye knew who is before you ye would rejoyce in your tribulations Think ye it a small honour to stand before the throne of God and the Lamb to be clothed in white to be called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb to be led to the fountain of living waters to come to the well-head even God himself get your fill of the clear cold sweet refreshing water of life the King 's own well to put up your now sinfull hand to the tree of life take down eat the sweetest apple in all God's heavenly Paradise Jesus Christ your life your Lord Up your heart shout for joy your King is coming to fetch you to his father's house Madam I am in exceeding great heaviness God thinking it best for my own soul thus to exercise me thereby it may be to fit me to be his mouth to others I see hear at home abroad nothing but matter of grief discouragement which indeed maketh my life bitter And I hope in God never to get my will in this world I expect ere long a fiery trial upon the Church for as many men almost in England Scotland as many false friends to Christ as many pulling and drawing to pull the crown off his holy head for fear that our Beloved stay amongst us as if his room were more desirable then himself men are bidding him goe seek his lodging Madam if ye have a part in silly friendless Zion as I know ye have speak a word on her behalf to God man If ye can doe nothing else speak for Jesus ye shall thereby be a witness against this declining age Now from my very soul laying leaving you on the Lord desiring a part in your prayers as my Lord knoweth I remember you I deliver over your body spirit all your necessities to the hands of our Lord remains for ever Answeth Febr. 13. 1632. Your La. in your sweet Lord Iesus mine S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 14 MADAM THe cause of my not writing to your La is not my forgetfulness of you but the want of the opportunity of a convenient bearer for I am under more then a simple obligation to be kinde in paper at least to your La I bless our Lord through Christ who hath brought you home again to your countrey from that place where ye have seen with your eyes that which our Lord's truth taught you before to wit that worldly glory is nothing but a vapour a shadow the foam of the water or something less lighter even nothing that our Lord hath not without cause said in his word 1 Cor. 7. 31. The
countenance or fashion of this world passeth away In which place our Lord compareth it to an Image in a looking-glass for it is the looking-glass of Adam's sons Some come to the glass see in it the picture of Honour and but a picture indeed for true Honour is to be great in the sight of God others see in it the shadow of Riches but a shadow indeed for durable Riches stand as one of the maids of Wisdom upon her left hand Prov. 3. 16. a third sort see in it the face of painted Pleasures the beholders will not beleeve but the Image they see in this glass is a living man till the Lord come break the glass in pieces remove the face then like Pharaoh awakened they say And behold it was a dream I know your La thinketh your self little in the common of this world for the favourable aspect of any of these three painted faces blessed be our Lord that it is so the better for you Madam they are not worthy to be wooers to sute in marriage your soul that looks to an higher match then to be married upon painted clay know therefore Madam the place whither our Lord Jesus cometh to wooe a Bride it is even in the furnace for if ye be one of Zion's daughters which I ever put beyond all question since I first had occasion to see in your La such pregnant evidences of the grace of God the Lord who hath his fire in Zion his furnace in Ierusalem Isa. 31 9. is purifying you in the furnace And therefore be content to live in it and every day to be adding sowing-to a pasment to your wedding garment that ye may be at last decored trimmed as a Bride for Christ a Bride of his own busking beautified in the hidden man of the heart forgetting your Father's house so shall the King greatly desire your beauty Psal. 45 11. If your La be not changed as I hope ye are not I beleeve ye esteem your self to be of these whom God hath tried these many years refined as silver But Madam I will shew your La a priviledge that others want ye have in this case Such as are in prosperity are fatted with earthly joyes encreased with children friends though the Word of God is indeed written to such for their instruction yet to you who are in trouble spare me Madam to say this from whom the Lord hath taken many children whom he hath exercised otherwise there are some chapters some particular promises in the Word of God made in a most special manner which should never have been yours so as they now are if ye had your portion in this life as others therefore all the comforts promises mercies God offereth to the afflicted they are as many love-letters written to you take them to you Madam claim your right be not robbed It is no small comfort that God hath written some Scriptures to you which he hath not written to others ye seem rather in this to be envied then pitied ye are indeed in this like people of another world these that are above the ordinary rank of mankinde whom our King Lord our Bridegroom Iesus in his love-letter to his welbeloved Spouse hath named beside all the rest hath written comforts and his hearry commendations in the 56 of I saiah vers 4 5. Bsal. 147 2 3 to you Read these the like think your God is like a friend that sendeth a letter to a whole house family but speaketh in his letter to some by name that are dearest to him in the house Ye are then Madam of the dearest friends of the Bridegroom If it were lawfull I would envie you that God honoured you so above many of his dear children Therefore Madam your partis in this case seeing God taketh nothing from you but that which he is to supply with his own presence to desire your Lord to know his own room take it even upon him to come in in the room of dead children Iehovah know thy own place take it to thee is all ye have to say Madam I perswade my self that this world is to you an uncouth Innes that ye are like a traveller who hath his bundel upon his back his staff in his hand his feet upon the door-threshold Goe forward honourable elect Lady in the strength of your Lord let the world bide at home keep the house with your face toward him who longeth more for a sight of you then ye can doe for him ere it be long he will see us I hope to see you laugh as cheerfully after-noon as ye have mourned before-noon The hand of the Lord the hand of the Lord be with you in your journey What have ye to doe here This is not your mountain of rest arise then and set your foot up the mountain goe up out of the wilderness leaning upon the shoulder of your Beloved Caent 8 v. 5 If ye knew the welcome that abideth you when ye come home ye would hasten your pace for ye shall see your Lord put up his own holy hand to your face wipe all tears from your eyes I trow then ye shall have some joy of heart Madam paper willeth me to end before affection Remember the estate of Zaon pray that Ierusalem may be as Zechariah prophesied Ch. 12 3. A burdensom stone for all that whosoever boweth down to roll the stone out of the way may hurt break the joynts of their back strain their arms disjoynt their shoulder-blades pray Iehovah that the stone may lie still in it's own place keep bond with the corner-stone I hope it shall be so he is a skilled Master-builder who laid it I would Madam under great heaviness be refreshed with two lines from your La pen which I refer to your own wisdom Madam I would seen undutifull not to shew you that great solistation is made by the town of Kircudbright for to have the use of my poor labours amongst them If the Lord shall call his people cry who am I to resist but without his seen calling till the flock whom I now oversee be planted with one to whom I dare intrust Christ's Spouse gold nor silver nor favour of men I hope shall not loose me I leave your La praying more earnestly for grace mercy to be with you multiplied upon you here hereafter then my pen can express The Lord Jesus be with your spirit Kirkcudbright Your La at all obedience in the Lord S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 15. MADAM HAving saluted you with grace mercy from God our father from our Lord Jesus Christ I long both to see your La to hear how it goeth with you I doe remember you present you your necessities to him who is able to keep you present you blameless before
the world began ever hanging by a small threed all the hands of hell of the wicked have been drawing at the threed but God be thanked they onely break their arms by pulling but the threed is not broken for the sweet fingers of Christ our Lord have spun and twisted it Lord hold the threed whole Madam stir up your husband to lay hold upon the Covenant to doe good What hath he to doe with the World It is not his inheritance Desire him to make him home over put to his hand to lay one stone or two upon the wall of God's house before he goe hence I have heard also Madam that your childe is removed But to have or want is best as he pleaseth Whether she be with you or in God's keeping think it all one nay think it the better of the two by far that she is with him I trust in our Lord that there is something laid up and kept for you for our kinde Lord who hath wounded you will not be so cruel as not to allay the pain of your green wound therefore claim Christ still as your own own him as your One thing So resting I recommend your La your soul spirit in pawne to him who keepeth all his father's pawnes will make an account of them faithfully even to that fairest amongst the sons of men our sweet Lord Jesus the fairest the sweetest the most delicious rose in all his father's great field The smell of that rose perfume your soul. Anwoth April 1. 1633. Your La in his sweetest Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 17 MADAM I Determined was desirous also to have seen your La but because of a pain in my arm I could not I know ye will not impute it to any unsutable forgetfulness of your La from whom at my first entry to my calling in this countrey since also I received such comfort in my affliction as I trust in God never to forget it shall labour by his grace to recompense it the onely way possible to me that is by presenting your soul person house all your necessities in prayer to him whose I hope ye are who is able to keep you till that day of appearance to present you before his face with joy I am confident your La is going forward in the begun journey to your Lord father's home Kingdom howbeit ye want not temptations within without And who among the saints hath ever taken that castle without stroke of sword The chief of the house our elder brother our Lord Iesus not being excepted who won his own house home due to him by birth with much blood many blowes Your La hath the more need to look to your self because our Lord hath placed you higher then the rest and your way to heaven lieth through a more wilde and waste wilderness then the way of many of your fellow-travellers not onely through the midst of this wood of thorns The cumbersom world but also through these dangerous paths The vain glory of it The consideration whereof hath often moved me to pity your soul the soul of your worthy noble husband And it is more to you to win heaven being ships of greater burden and in the main sea then for little vessels that are not so much in the mercy and reverence of the storms because they may come quietly to their port by lanching alongst the coast For the which cause ye doe much if in the midst of such a tumult of business croud of temptations ye shall give Christ Jesus his own court his own due place in your soul. I know am perswaded that that lovely one Iesus is dearer to you then many Kingdome and that ye esteem him your welbeloved and the standard-bearer among ten thousand Cant. 5 10 And it becometh him full well to take the place and the board-head in your soul before all the world I knew saw him with you in the furnace of affliction for there he wooed you to himself chose you to be his now he craveth no other hire of you but your Love that he get no cause to be jealous of you And therefore Dear Worthy Lady be like to the fresh river that keepeth it's own fresh taste in the salt sea This world is not worthy of your soul Give it not a good-day when Christ cometh in competition with it Be like one of another countrey Home stay not for the sun is fallen low nigh the tops of the mountains the shadows are stretched out in great length linger not by the way The world and sin would train you on make you turn aside Leave not the way for them the Lord Jesus be at the voyage Madam many eyes are upon you many would be glad your La should spill a Christian and maâ— a good professour Lord Jesus mar their godless desires keep the conscience whole without a crack If there be a hole in it so that it take in water at a leck it will with difficulty mend again It is a dainty delicate creature a rare piece of the workmanship of your maker therefore deal gently with it keep it intire that amidâ—â— this world's glory your La may learn to entertain Christ whatsoever creature your La findeth not to smell of him it may have no better relish to you then the white of an egge Madam it is a part of the truth of your profession to drop words in the ears of your Noble husband continually of Eternity Judgement Death Hell Heaven The honourable Profession The sins of his Father's House He must reckon with God for his father's debt Forgetting of accounts payeth not debt Nay the interest of a forgotten bond runneth up with God to interest upon interest I know he looketh homeward loveth the truth but I pity him with my soul because of his many temptations Satan layeth upon men a burthen of cares above a load maketh a pack-horse of mens souls when they are wholly set upon this world We ow the Devil no such service It were wisdom to throw off that load into a mire to cast all our cares over upon God Madam think ye have no childe Subscribe a bond to your Lord That she shall be his if he take her thanks praise glory to his holy name shall be the interest for a year's loan of her Look for crosses while it is fair weather mend the sails of the ship Now hoping your La will pardon my tediousness I recommend your soul person to the grace mercy of our sweet Lord Jesus in whom I am Anwoth Nov. 15. 1633. Your La at all dutifull obedience in Christ S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 18 MADAM HAving received a letter from some of the worthiest of the Ministery in this Kingdom the contents where of I am â—â—nred to communicate to such
fetch home all your love to himself it is but too narrow short for him if it were more if ye were before pouring all your love if it had been many gallons more in upon your Lord if drops fell by in the in-pouring he forgiveth you he hath done now all that can be done to win beyond it all hath left little to wooe your love from himself except one onely childe what is his purpose herein he knoweth best who hath taken your soul in tutouring Your faith may be boldly charitable of Christ that however matters goe the worst shall be a tired traveller a joyfull sweet welcome-home the back of your winter-night is broken Look to the East the day skie is breaking think not that Christ loseth time or lingereth unsutably O fair fair sweet morning We are but here as sea-passengers if we look right we are upon our countrey-coast our Redeemer is fast coming to take this old worm-eaten world like an old moth-eaten garment in his two hands to roll it up lay it by him These are the last dayes an oath is given Rev. 10. by God himself that Time shall be no more when Time it self is old gray-haired it were good we were away Thus Madam ye see I am as my custom is tedious in my lines your La will pardon it The Lord Jesus be with your spirit Anwoth January 18. 1636. Your La at all obedience in Christ. S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 24 Right honourable I Cannot finde time for writing some things I intended on Iob I have been so taken up with the broils that we are incumbered with in our calling for our Prelat will have us either to swallow our light over digest it contrary to our stomacks howbeit we should vomit our conscience all in this troublesom Conformity or then he will try if Deprivation can convert us to the Ceremonial faith I write to your La Madam not as distrusting your affection or willingnesse to help me as your La is able by your self or others but to advertise you that I hang by a small threed for our learned Prelat because we cannot see with his eyes so far in a mil-stone as his light doeth will not follow his Master meek Jesus who waiteth upon the wearied short-breathed in the way to heaven where all see not alike some are weaker he carrieth the lambs in his bosom leadeth gently these that are with young But we must either see all the evill of Ceremonies to be but as indifferent strawes or suffer no loss then to be easten our of the Lord's inheritance Madam if I had time I would write more at length but your La will pardon me till a fitter occasion Grace be with you and your childe and bear you company to your best home Anwoth June 8. 1636. Your La in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To EARLESTOWN Elder 25. Much honoured Sir I Have heard of the minde malice of your adversaries against you It 's like they will extend the law they have in length breadth answerable to their heat of minde but it is a great part of your glory that the cause is not yours but your Lord's whom ye serve I doubt not but Christ will count it his honour to back his weak servant it were a shame for him with reverence to his holy Name that he should suffer himself to be in the common of such a poor man as ye are that ye should give out for him not get in again Write up your depursments for your Master Christ keep the count what ye give out whether name credit goods or life suspend your reckoning till nigh the evening remember that a poor weak servant of Christ wrote it to you ye shall have Christ a King caution for your incomes all your losses Reckon not from the fore-noon Take the word of God for your warrand and for Christ's act of cautionry howbeit body life goods goe for Christ your Lord though ye should lose the head for him yet Luk 21. 18. There shall not one hair of your head perish ver 19. in patience therefore possess your soul because ye are the first man in Galloway called out questioned for the name of Jesus his eye hath been upon you as upon one whom he hath designed to be among his witnesses Christ hath said Alexander Gordon shall lead the ring in witnessing a good confession therefore he hath put the garland of suffering for himself first upoÌ„ your head think your self so much the more obliged to him fear not for he layeth his right hand on your head He who was dead is alive will plead your cause will look attentively upon the process from the beginning to the end the Spirit of glory shall rest upon you Rev. 2 10. Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some â—f you into prison that ye may be tried ye shall have tribuâ—â—tion ten dayes Be thou faithfull unto the death I will give thee the crown of life That lovely one esus who also became the Son of man that he might take strokes for you write the cross-sweetning soul-supporting sense of these words in your heart These rumbling wheels â—f Scotland's ten dayes tribulation are under his look who hath seven eyes Take a house on your head slip your self by faith in under Christ's wings till the storm be over And remember when they have drunken us down Ierusalem will be a Cup of trembling of poison Zech. 12 2. They shall be fain to vomit out the saints for Iudah v. 6. Shall be a hearth of â—ire in a sheaf they shall devour all the people round about on the right band on the â—ft Woe to Zion's enemies they have the worst or it for we have write for the victory Sir ye were never honourable till now this is your glory that Christ hath put you in the roll with himself and the rest of the witnesses who are come out of great tribulation have washen their garments made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Be not cast down for what the servants of Antichrist cast in your tâ—eth that Yeare ahead to and favourer of the Puritanes leader to thâ—â—â—â—ct if your conscience say Alas here is much din little done is the proverb is because ye have not done so much service to Christ that way as ye might should Take courage from that same temptation for â—our Lord Christ looketh â—poâ— that very challenge as an hungring desire in you to have done more then ye did that filleth up the blank he will accept of what ye have done in that kinde If great men be kinde to you I pray you overlook them if they smile on you Christ but borroweth their face to smile through them upon his afflicted
bonds blood sufferings are not committed to every ordinary professour Some that would back Christ honestly in summer-time would but spill the beauty of the Gospel if they were put to suffering And therefore let us beleeve that wisdom dispenseth to every one here as he thinks good who bears them up that bear the cross since our Lord hath put you to that part which was the flower of his own sufferings we all expect that as ye have in the strength of our Captain begun so ye will goe on without fainting Providence maketh use of men devils for the refining of all the vessels of God's house small great for doing of two works at once in you both for smothing of a stone to make it take bond with Christ in Ierusalem's wall for witnessing to the glory of this reproached born down Gospel which cannot die though hell were made a grave about it It shall be timous joy for you to divide joy betwixt you Christ's laughing Bride 〈◊〉 these three Kingdoms what if your mourning continue till mystical Christ in Ireland in Britain ye laugh both together your laughing joy were the more blessed that one sun should shine upon Christ the Gospel you laughing altogether in these three Kingdoms Your time is measured your dayes hours of suffering from eternity were by infinite wisdom considered If heaven recompense not to your own minde inches of sorrow then I must say that infinite mercy cannot get you pleased but if the first kiss of the white and ruddy cheek of the standard bearer and chief among ten thousand Cant. 5 10 shall over-pay your prison at Dublin in Ireland then ye shall have no counts unanswered to give in to Christ if your faith cannot see a nearer term-day yet let me charge your hope to give Christ a new day till eternity time meet in one point a payed summe if ever payed is payed if no day be broken to the hungry creditour take heaven's bond subscribed obligation for the summe Iohn 14. 3. If Hope can trust Christ I know he can will pay but when all is done suffered by you ten hundred deaths for lovely lovely Jesus is but eternitie's half penny figures ciphers cannot lay the proportion O but the super-plus of Christ's glory is broad large Christ's Item's of eternal glory are hard cumbersom to tell ifye borrow by faith hope ten dayes or ten hundred years from that eternity of glory that abides you ye are payed more in your own hand Therefore O prisoner of hope wait on posting hasting salvation sleeps not Antichrist is bleeding in the way to death he bites forest when he bleeds fastest Keep your intelligence betwixt you heaven your court with Christ he hath in heaven the keyes of your prison can set you at liberty when he pleaseth His rich grace support you I pray you help me with your prayers Grace be with you St Andrews 1640. Your brother in the patience Kingdom of Iesus Christ S. R. To Mr JAMES WILSON 31 Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be multiplied upon you I bless our rich onely wise Lord who careth so for his new creation that he is going over it again trying every piece in you blowing away the motes of his new work in you Alas I am not so fit a Physician as your disease requireth sweet sweet lovely Jesus be your Physician where his under-Chirurgians cannot doe any thing for putting in order the wheels paces goings of a marred soul. I have little time but yet the Lord hath made me so concern my self in your condition that I dow not I dare not be altogether silent First ye doubt from 2 Cor. 13 5. whether ye be in Christ or not so whether ye be a reprobate or not I answer three things to the doubt 1. Ye ow charity to all men but most of all to lovely loving Jesus some also to your self especiall to your renewed self because your new self is not yours but another Lord's even the work of his own Spirit therefore to slander his work is to wrong himself Love thinketh no evil if ye love Grace think not ill of Grace in your self and ye think ill of Grace in your self when ye make it but a bastard and a work of nature for a holy fear that ye be not Christ's and withall a care and a desire to be his not your own is not nay cannot be bastard nature The great Advocate pleadeth hard for you be upon the Advocate 's side O poor feared client of Christ stay side with such a lover who pleadeth for no other man's goods but his own for he if I may say so scorneth to be enriched with an unjust conquest and yet he pleadeth for you whereof your letter though too too full of jealousie is a proof for if ye were not his your thoughts which I hope are but the suggestion of his Spirit that onely bringeth the matter in debate to make it sure to you would not be such nor so serious as these am I his or whose am I 2. Dare ye forswear your owner and say in cold blood I am not his what nature or corruption saith at starts in you I regard not your thoughts of your self when sin and guiltiness round you in the ear and when ye have a sight of your deservings are Apocrypha and not Scripture I hope Hear what the Lord saith of you he will speak peace if your Master say I quite you I shall then bid you eat ashes for bread and drink waters of gall and wormwood But howbeit Christ out of his own mouth should seem to say I came not for thee as he did Matth. 15 24. yet let me say The words of tempting Jesus are not to be stretched as Scripture beyond his intention seeing his intention in speaking them is to strengthen not to deceive therefore here Faith may contradict what Christ seemeth at first to say and so may ye I charge you by the mercies of God be not that cruel to Grace and the new birth as to cast water on your own coal by misbelief If ye must die as I know ye shall not it were a folly to slay your self 3. I hope ye love the new birth a claim to Christ howbeit ye dow not make it good if ye were in hell saw the heavenly face of lovely ten thousand times lovely Iesus that hath God's hew and God's fair fair and comely red and white wherewith it is beautified beyond comparison and imagination ye could not forbear to say Oh! if I could but blow a kiss from my sinfull mouth from hell up to heayen upon his cheeks that are as a bed of spices as sweet flowers Cant. 5 13. I hope ye dare say O fairest sight of heaven O boundless mass of crucified slain love for me give
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
is incomprehensible love that Christ saith If I enjoy the glory of my father the crown of heaven far above men Angels I must use all means though never so violent to have the company of such an One for ever ever If with the eyes of wisdom as a childe of wisdom ye justifie your mother The wisdom of God whose childe ye are ye shall kiss embrace this loss see much of Christ in it Beleeve submit referre the income of the consolations of Jesus the event of the trial to your heavenly father who numbereth all your hairs And put Christ in his own room in your Love It may be he hath either been out of his own place or in a place of love inferiour to his worth Repair Christ in all his wrongs done to him love him for a husband he is a husband to the widdow shall be that to you which he hath taken from you Grace be with you London Octob. 15. 1645. Your sympath Zing Brother S. R. To BARBARA HAMILTON 44 Loving Sister GRace mercy peace be to you I have heard with grief that Newcastle hath taken one more in a bloody account then before even your Son in Law my friend But I hope ye have learned that much of Christ as not to look to wheels rolled round about on earth Earthen vessels are not to dispute with their Former peices of sinning-clay may by reasoning contending with the Potter mar the work of him who hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem as bullocks sweating wrestling in the furrow make their yoke more heavie In quietness rest ye shall be saved If men doe any thing contrary to our heart we may ask both who did it And what is done And why When God hath done any such thing we are to enquire who hath done it And to know that this cometh from the Lord who is wonderfull in counsel but we are not to ask what or why If it be from the Lord as certainly their is no evil in the city without him Amos. 3. 6. it is enough the fairest face of his spotless way is but coming ye are to beleeve his works aswell as his word Violent death is a sharer with Christ in his death which was violent it maketh not much what way we goe to heaven the happie home is all where the roughness of the way shall be forgotten He is gone home to a friend's house and made welcome and the race is ended Time is recompensed with eternity and copper with gold God's order is in wisdom the husband goes home before the wife and the throng of the marker shall be over ere it be long and another generation where we now are and at length an emptie house and not one of mankinde shall be upon the earth within the sixth part of an hour after the earth and the works that are therein shall be burnt up with fire I fear more that Christ is about to remove when he carrieth home so much of his plenishing before hand we cannot teach the Almighty knowledge when he was directing the bullet against his servant to fetch out the soul no wise man could cry to God Wrong wrong Lord for he is thine own There is no mist over his eyes who is wonderfull in counsel If Zion be builded with your son in law's blood the Lord deep in counsel can glew together the stones of Zion with blood and with that blood which is precious in his eyes Christ hath fewer labourers in his vineyard then he had but some moe witnesses for his cause and the Lord's Covenant with the three Nations What is Christ's gain is not your loss Let not that which is his holy and wise will be your unbeleeving sorrow Though I really judge I had interest in his dead servant yet because he now liveth to Christ I quite the hops I had of his succesfull labouring in the ministery I know he now praiseth the grace that he was to preach And if there were a better thing on his head now in heaven then a crown or any thing more excellent then heaven he would cast it down before his feet who sitteth on the throne Give glory therefore to Christ as he now doeth and say Thy will be done The grace and consolation of Christ be with you London Nov 15. 1645. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the vicountesse of KENMURE 45 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to your La though Christ lose no time yet when sinfull men drive his chariot the wheels of 〈◊〉 chariot move slowly The woman Zion as soon as she travelled brought forth her children yea Isa. 66 7. before she travelled she brought fâ—rth before her pain came she was delivered of a man-childe Yet the deliverance of the people was with the woman's going with childe seventy years that is more then nine moneths There be many oppositions in carrying on the work but I hope the Lord will build his own Zion evidence to us that it is done not by might not by power but by the Spirit of the Lord. Madam I have heard of your infirmities of body sickness I know the issue shall be mercy to you that God's purpose which lieth hidden underground to you is to commend the sweetness of his love care to you from your youth And if all the sad losses trials sicknesses infirmities griefs heaviness inconstancie of the creature be expounded as sure I am they are the rods of the jealousie of an husband in heaven contending with all your lovers on earth though there were millions of them for your love to fetch more of your love home to heaven to make it single unmixt chast to the fairest in heaven earth to Jesus the Prince of ages ye will forgive to borrow that word every rod of God not let the Sun goe down on your wrath against any messinger of your afflicting correcting Father Since your La cannot but see that the mark at which Christ hath aimed at these twenty four years and above is to have the company fellowship of such a sinfull creature in heaven with him for all eternity and because he will not such is the power of his love enjoy his father's glory and that crown due to him by eternall generation without you by name Ioh. 17 24. Ioh. 10 16. Ioh. 14 3. Therefore Madam beleeve no evil of Christ Listen to no hard reports that his rods make of him to you He hath loved you washed you from your sins what would ye have more Is that too little except he adjourne all crosses till ye be where ye shall be out of all capacity to sigh or to be crossed I hope ye can desire no more no greater nor more excellent sute then Christ the fellowship of the Lamb for evermore And if that desire be answered in heaven as I am sure it is ye cannot
also it may be in the prayers of these of your Christian Acquaintance with whom ye have been intimate London Jan. 9. 1646. Your Brother in his own Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 49 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to you It is the least of the princely royal bounty of Jesus Christ to pay a King's debts not to have his servants at a loss his gold is better then yours his hundred fold is the in-come rent of heaven far above your revenues ye are not the first who have casten up your accounts that way better have Christ your factor then any other for he tradeth to the advantage of his poor servants But if the hundred fold in this life be so well told as Christ cannot pay you with miscounting or deferred hope O what must the rent of that Land be which rendereth every day every hour of the years of long Eternity the whole rent of a year yea of more then thousand thousands of ages even the weighty in-come of a rich Kingdom not every summer once but every moment That summe of glory will take you all the Angels telling To be a Tennant to such a Land-lord where every berry grape of the large field beareth no worse fruit then glory fulness of joy pleasures that endure for evermore I leave it to your self to think what a summer what a soil what a garden must be there and what must be the commodities of that highest Land where Sun Moon are under the feet of the inhabitants Surely the Land cannot be bought with gold blood banishment loss of father mother husband wife children We but dwell here because we can doe no better it is need not vertue to be sojourners in a prison to weep sigh Alas to sin 60 or 70 years in a land of tears the fruits that grow here are all seasoned salted with sin O how sweet is 't that the company of the first born should be divided in two great bodies of an Army some in their countrey some in the way to their countrey If it were no more but to see once the face of the Prince of this good land to be feasted for eternity with the fatness sweetness dainties of the rayes beams of matchless glory incomparable fountain-love it were a well spent journey to creep hands feet through seven deaths seven hells to enjoy him up at the well-head Onely let us not weary the miles to that Land are fewer shorter then when we first beleeved strangers are not wise to quarrel with their Host complain of their lodging it 's a foul way but a fair home O that I had but such grapes clusters out of the Land as I have sometime seen tasted in the place where of your La maketh mention but the hope of it in the end is a heartsom convoy in the way if I see little more of the gold till the race be ended I dare not quarrel it is the Lord I hope his chariot shall goe through these three Kingdoms after our suffering shall be accomplished Grace be with you London Jan. 26. 1646 Your La in Iesus Christ S. R. To Mr I. G. 50 Reverend dear Brother I shall with my soul desire the peace of these Kingdoms I doe beleeve it shall at last come as a river as the mighty waves of the sea but O that we were ripe in readiness to receive it The preserving of two or three or four or five berries in the outmost boughs of the Olive-tree after the vintage is like to be a great matter ere all be done yet I know a Cluster in both Kingdoms shall be saved for a blessing is in it but it is not I fear so near to the dawning of the day of Salvation but that the clouds must send down moe showers of blood to water the vineyard of the Lord to cause it to blossom Scotland's scum is not yet removed nor is England's dross tin taken away nor the filth of our blood purged by the spirit of judgement the spirit of Burning But I am too much on this sad subject As for my self I doe esteem nothing out of heaven and next to a communion with Jesus Christ more then to be in the hearts prayers of the saints I know he feedeth there amongst the lies till the day break but I am at a low ebbe as to any sensible communion with Christ yea as low as any soul can be doe scarce know where I am doe now make it a Question If any can goe to him who dwelleth in light inaccessible through nothing but darkness Sure all that come to heaven have a stock in Christ but I know not where mine is It cannot be enough for me to beleeve the Salvation of others to know Christ to be the honey-comb the Rose of Sharon the Paradise Eden of the Saints first-born written in heaven not to see afar the borders of that good land But what shall I say Either this is the Lord making grace a new creation where there is pure nothing sinfull nothing to work upon or I am gone I should count my soul ingaged to your self others there with you if ye would but carry to Christ for me a letter of ciphers non-sense for I know not how to make language of my condition onely showing that I have need of his love for I know many fair washen ones stand now in white before the throne who were once as black as I am If Christ pass his word to wash a sinner it is less to him then a word to make fair Angels of black Devils Onely let the art of free Grace be ingaged I have not a Cautioner to give Surety nor doeth a Mediator such as he is in all perfection need a Mediator But what I need he knoweth onely it is his depth of wisdom to let some pass millions of miles over score in debt that they may stand between the winning the losing in need of more then ordinary free grace Christ hath been multiplying Grace Mercy above these sive thousand years the latter born heirs have so much greater guiltiness that Christ hath passed moe experiments multiplied essays of heart-love on others by misbeleeving after it is past all question many hundreds of ages that Christ is the undeniable now uncontroverted Treasurer of multiplied redemptions so now he is saying The more of the disease there is the more of the Physician 's art of Grace tenderness there must be Onely I know no sinner can put infinite Grace to it so as the Mediator shall have difficultie or much adoe to save this or that man Millions of hells of sinners cannot come near to exhaust infinite Grace I pray you remembring my love to your wife friends there let me finde that I have Sollicitors there amongst your
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
may be as we are confident in the Lord of you and in humility boast of his grace in you savoury convincing and like unto this honourable cause that will prevail in Britain contrary to all the Machinations and counsels of Devils men though there were no other ink in the pen I now write with but some dewing of my last cooling blood this I purpose his grace whose I am enabling me to Stand too Sir we desire to adore no instruments yet we conceive the shining rayes of grace from the fountain Iesus Christ the fulness of the Godhead bestowed on sinfulmen hold forth the good thoughts of Christ to this poor land whose multipied graves and whose souls under the Altar slain by Sestaries Malignants cry aloud to heaven I see nothing Sir if the Lord be not near though I dare not say how soon to awak for the year of Zion's controversie Isai. 34 5. for my sword shall be bathed in heaven behold it shall come down upon England and the residue of his enemies in Scotland Woe is me for England that land shall be soaked with blood and their dust made fat with fatness That pleasant land shall be wildernesse the dust of their land pitch A judgement upon their walled towns ' thâ—… pleasant feilds their strong ships c if they doe not repent Ye have not I conceive seen such searching trying times as now these are yet the question will be drawn to a more narrow state multitudes will yet leave the cause for we took all in to the Covenant that offered to build with us but Christ must have but a small remnant few Nobles if any few Ministers few Professors though our way standeth unchanged 2 Cor. 6 8. by honour di honour by good report evil report as deceâ—…ers yet true as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we live as chastned and yet not killed Neither is this your condition alone but the experienced lot of all the saints that have gone before you It is one the same cross of Christ but there be sundry faces diverse circumstances in the same remnant the sufferings of Christ yours Sir to be delivered to Souldiers in captivity looketh like his sufferings of whom Isaiah saith Chap. 53 8. he was taken from prison from judgement yea taken bound Ioh. 18 12. when the cause is the truth of God the lustre and face of suffering is somuch the more lovely that it hath the hew colour of Christ's sufferings who endured contradiction of sinners and despised the shame O it is a great word Christ shamed and Christ abased but thus was the Head so are the members dealt with in the world and truely any thing of Christ even the worst of him to speake so his reproach and shame are lovely Though superstitious love to the materiall crosse he suffered upon be foolery doting upon the holy grave be cursed idolatry yet is there a communion with him in his sufferings most desirable 1 Pet. 4 15. but rejoyce in as much as ye are Partakers of Christ's sufferings in which sense the cup that his lip touched hath thâ— sweeter taste even though death were in it The grave because He did lie in it is so much the softer the more refreshfull a bed of rest And that part of the sky clouds that the Beloved shall break through come to judgement it is as lovely a piece of the created heaven as any is if we may love the ground he goeth on the better But all this is to be understood in a spirituall manner The Lord calleth you Sir upon whom the Spirit of God his glory resteth to put your soul 's Amen to this dispensation requireth of us that our desires follow the now-declared decree of God concerning the desolation of our sinfull land so many wayes guilty of a despised Gospel and a broken Covenant and that with all submission Certainly no man hath failed more in this thing then he who writeth to you for I have brought my health in great hazard and tormented my spirit with excessive grief so our present provocations the rentings of our Kirk and I see it is a challenging of a bold pleading against him upon whose â—…er the government is Isa. 22 2â— The Father hath â—ut a glorious 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Christ v. 23. I will fasten him as a naâ—… a sure place and he shall be for a glorious throne to his Father's house v. 24. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his Father's house the offspring and the issue all vessels of small quantity from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of slagons Our unbeleeving apprehensions doe so quarrel at the prosperity of enemies in an evil cause that we wrestle with defeatâ— spoiling captivity of the Godly killing of his people the wasting of our land starving and famishing of the Kingdom which is worse then the sword but this is a sinfull coutradicting of the Lord 's revealed decree His wisdom saith Spoiling desolation is best for Scotland we say Not so accuse Christ of misgovernment of not being true to the trust put upon him But since he doeth not drag the government at his heels but hath it upon his shoulder since the 〈◊〉 fastned in a sure place cannot be broken nor can the smallest vessel fail to finde sweet security in dependence upon him since all the weight of heaven earth of redeemed saints confirmed Angels is upon his shoulder I am a fool brutish to imagine that I can adde any thing to Christ's speciall care of tenderness to his people He who keepeth the basons knives of his house bringâ—th the vessels back again to the second temple Ezra 1 8 9 10. must have a more tender care of his redeemed ones then of a spoon or of Peter's old shoes which yet must not be lost in his captivity Act. 12 8. O for grace to suffer Christ to tutour his own Minors young Heirs But we cannot endure to be under the actings of his government We love too much to be our own O how sweet to be wholly Christ's wholly in Christ To be out of the creatures owning made compleat in Christ to live by faith in Christ to be once for all cloâ—… with the 〈◊〉 Majesty glory of the Son of God wherein he makes all his friends and followers sharers To dwell in Immanuel's high and blessed land and live in that sweetest air where no wind bloweth but the breathings of the Holy Ghost No seas or sloods flow but the pure water of life that proceedeth from under the throne and from the Lamb No planting but the tree of life that yeeldeth twelve manner of fruits every moneth What doe we here but fin and suffer O when shall the night be gene the shadows 〈◊〉 away and the morning of that long
long day without cloud or night dawn The Spirit the Bride say Coâ—… O when shall the Lamb's wife be ready and the Bridegroom say Come Worthy Sir I minde you to the hearer of prayer O help me in that kind The Spirit of Jesus be with your Spirit S. Andrews May. 14. 1651. Yours in his onely onely Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 63 MADAM GRaceâ— mercy peace be to you We are fallen in winâ—owing trying times I am glad that your breath serveth you to run to the end in the same condition way wherein ye have walked these twenty years past It is either the way of peace or we are yet in our sins have missed the way the Lord it's true hath stained the pride of all our glory now last of all the sun hath gone down upon many of the Prophets but stumble not men are men God appeareth more more to be God Christ it still Christ. Madam stronger then I am had almost stumbled me cast me down But O what mercy is it to discern betwixt what is Christ's what is man's what way the hew colour lustre of gifts grace dazle deceive our weak eyes Oh to be dead to all things that are below Christ were it even a created heaven created grace Holiness is not Christ nor are the blossoms flowers of the tree of life the tree it self Men creatures may winde themselves in between us Christ therefore the Lord hath done much to take out of the way all betwixt him and us There are not in our way now Kings or Armies or Nobles or Judicatories or strong holds or watchmen or godly professours The fairest things most eminent in Britain are stained and have lost their lustre Onely onely Christ keeps his greenness beauty remaineth what he was Oh! If he were more more ezcellent to our apprehensions then ever he was whose excellency is above all apprehensions still more more sweet to our taste I care for nothing if so be I were nearer to him yet he flyeth not from me I flee from him but he pursueth I hear your La hath the same esteeÌ„ of the despised cause Covenant of our Lord ye had before Madam hold you there I dare would gladly breath out my spirit in that way with a nearer communion fellowship with the Father the Son would seek no more but that I might die beleeving And also I would hope that the earth shall not cover the blood of the Godly slain in Scotland but that the Lord will make inquisition for their blood when the sufferings of the saints in these lands shall be fulfilled The goodwill of him that dwelt in the bush be with you Glasgow Sept 28. 1651. Your La at all observance in the Lord Iesus S. R To my Lady KENMURE 64. MADAM GRace mercy peace be to you I know ye think of an out-going that your quartering in Time and your abode in this life is short for we flee away as a shadow the declining of the Sun the lengthning of the shadow saith our journey is short near the end I speak it because I have warnings of my removal Madam I know not any against whom the Lord is not for he is against the proud and lofty the day of the Lord is upon all the Cedars upon all the high mountains upon every high tower and upon every fenced wall upon all the ships of Tarshish upon all pleasant pictures I know not any thing comparable to a nearness spirituall communion with the Father the Son Christ there is much deadnes witheredness upon many spirits sometimes near to God and I wish the Lord have not more to say to doe against the Land Ye have Madam in your accounts mercies deliverances rods warnings plenty of means consolations when refuge failed you when ye looked on the right hand behold no man would know you nor care for your soul when young weak manifestations of God the out-goings of the Lord for you experiences answers from the Lord by all which ye may be comforted now confirmed in the certain hope that Grace free Grace in a fixed established Surety shall perfect that good work in you happy they who see not yet beleeve Grace grace eternally in our Lord Jesus be with you Edinburgh May. 27. 1653. Yours in the Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 65 MADAM I have been so long silent that I am almost ashamed now to speak I hear of your weakly condition of body which speaketh some warning to you to look for a longer life where ye shall have more leisure to praise then Time can give you here it shall be a loss to many but sure your self Madam shall he onely free of any loss And truly considering what dayes we are now fallen into if failing were not serving of the Lord which I can hardly attain a calm harbour were very good when storms are so high The fore-runner who hath landed first must help to bring the sea-beaten vessel safe to the port the sick passengers who are following the fore-runner safe a-shore Much deadness prevaileâ—…h over some but there is much life in him who is the resurrection and tho life to quicken O what of our hid life is without us how little poor a stock is in the hand of some The onely wise God supply what is wanting the more ye want the more your joy hath run on the more is owing to you by the promise of Grace by gons of waterings from heaven which your La wanted in Kenmure Rusco the West Clasgow Edinburgh England etc. Shall all come in a great summe together the marriage-supper of the Lamb must not be marred with too large a fourhours-refreshment Know Madam he who hath tutoured you from the breasts knoweth how to time his own day-shinings love-visits Grace that runs on be with you St. Andrews Yours in the Lord at all observance S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 66 MADAM I Confess I have cause to be grieved at my long silence or Laziness in writing I am also afflicted to hear that such who were debters to your La for better dealing have served you with such prevarication Ye know crookedness is neither strong nor long-enduring ye know likewise that these things spring not out of the dust It 's sweet to look upon the lawless sinfull stirrings of the creatures as ordered by a most holy hand in heaven O if some could make peace with God! It would be our wisdom afford us much sweet peace if oppressours were looked upon as passive instruments like the saw or ax in the Carpenters hand they are bidden if such a distinction may be admitted but not commanded of God as Shimei was 2. Sam. 16 10. to doe what they doe Madam these many years the Lord hath been teaching
you to read study well the book of holy holy spotless soveraignity in suffering from some nigh hand some far off Whoever be the instruments the replying of â—lay to the Potter the Former of all is unbeseeming the nothing creature I hope he shall clear you but when Zion's publict evils lie not nigh some of us leave no impression upon our hearts it is no wonder that we be exercised with domestick troubles but I know ye are taught of God to prefer Jerusalem to your chiefest joy Madam there is no cause of fainting Wait upon the not-carrying vision for it will speak The onely wise God be with you God even your own God bless you St Andrews June 1657. Yours at all observance in God S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 67. MADAM I Should not forget you but my deadness under a threatning-stroke both of a failing Church a broken Covenant a despised remnant craziness of body that I cannot get a piece sickly clay carryed about from one house or town to another lies most heâ—vy on me The Lord hath removed Scotland's crown for we owned not his crown we fretted at his Catholick Government of the world fretted that he would not be ruled led by us in breaking our adversaries he makes us suffer pine away in our in quities under the broken Government of his house It 's like it would be our snare to be tryed with the honour of a peaceable Reformation we might mar the carved work of his house worse then thâ—se against whom we cry out It 's like he hath bidden us lie on our left side three hundred ninetie dayes yet so astonishing is our stupiditie that we â—…oan not our sore side Our gold is become dim the visage of our Nazarites is become black the Sun is gone down on our Seeâ—s the crown is sallen from our head we roar like bears Lord save us from that He that hath made them will not have meâ—â— on them The heart of the Scribe meditats terror Oh Madam if the Lord would help to more self-judging and to make sure an interest in Christ Ah we forget eternity it approacheth quickly Grace be with you St Andrewes 20 Nov. 1657. Your La at all obedience in the Lord S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 68 MADAM I am ashamed of my long silence to your Lâ— Your â—ossings wanderings are known to him upon whom ye have been cast from the breasts who hath been your God of old The temporall loss of creatures dear to you there may be the more easily endured that the gain of one who onely hath immortality groweth There is an universal complaint of deadness of spirit on all that know God he that writes to you Madam is as deep in this as any is afraid of a strong hot battle before time be at a close but no matter if the Lord crown all with the victorious triumphing of faith God teacheth us by terrible things in righteousness we see many things but we observe nothing Our drink is sowre gray hairs are here there on us we change many Lords Rulers but the same bondage of soul body remains We live little by faith but much by sense according to the times by humane policy The watchmen sleep the people perish for lack of knowledge How can we be enlightened when we turn our back on the Sun And must we not be withered when we leave the fountain It should be my onely desire to be a minister gifted with the white stone the new name written on it I judge it were fit now when tall Professors when many stars fall from heaven God poureth the Isle of great Britain from vessel to vessel yet we sit are setled on our lees to consider as sometimes I doe but ah rarely how irrecoverable a â—oe it is to be under a beguile in the matter of eternity what if I who can have a subscribed testimoniall of many who shall stand at the right hand of the judge shall miss Christ's approving testimony be set upon the left hand among the goats there is such a beguile Math. 7 22. Math. 25 8 9 10 11 12. Luke 13. 25 26. And iâ— befalls many what if it befall me who have but too much art to coosen my own soul others with the flourish of ministerial or Countrey-holiness Dear Lady I am afraid of prevailing security we watch little I have mainly relation to my self we wrettle little I am like one travelling in the night who sees a Spirit sweats for fear dare not tell it to his fellow for encreasing his own fear however I am sure when the Master is nigh his coming it were safe to write over a double new copy of our accounts of the sins of nature childhood youth riper years old age What if Christ have another written representation of me then I have of my self sure his is right if it contradict my mistaking sinfully erroneous account of myself ah where am I then But Madam I discourage none I know Christ hath made a new marriage contract of love sealed it with his blood the trembling beleever shall not be confounded Grace be with you St Andrews May 26. 1659. Yours at all obedience in Christ S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 69 MADAM I should be glad that the Lord would be pleased to lengthen our more time to you that ye might yet before your eyes be shut see more of the work of the right hand of the Lord in reviving a now-swooning and crushed Land Church Though I was lately knocking at deaths gate yet could I not get in but was sent back for a time It is well if I could yet doe any service to him but ah what deadness lieth upon the spirit deadness breedeth distance from God Madam These many years the Lord hath let you see a clear difference betwixt these who serve God 〈◊〉 love his name these who serve him not I judge ye look upon the way of Christ as the onely best way that ye would not exchange Christ for the world's God or their Mammon that ye can give Christ a testimony of chief among ten thousand True it is that many of us have fallen from our first love but Christ hath renewed his first love of our â—â—pousals to himself multiplied the seekers of God all the countrey over even where Christ was scarce named East West South North above the number that our fathers ever knew But ah Madam what shall be done or said of many fallen stars and many near to God complying wofully and failing to the nearest shore Yea we are consumed in the furnace but not melted burnt but not purged our dross is not removed but our scum remains in us in the furnace we fret we faint which is more strange we slumber The fire burneth
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
Saviour by your compearance before the Judge of quick dead to stand for Christ and to back him Oh if the Nobles had done their part been zealous for the Lord it had not been as it is now but men think it wisdom to stand beside Christ till his head be broken sing dumb there is a time coming when Christ will have a thick court he will be the glory of Scotland he shall make a diadem a garland a seal upon his heart a ring on his finger of these who have avouched him before this faithlesse generation Howbeit ere that come wrath from the Lord is ordained for this land My Lord I have cause to write this to your Lo for I dare not conceal his kindness to the soul of an afflicted exiled prisoner Who hath more cause to boast in the Lord then such a sinner as I Who am feasted with the consolations of Christ have no pain in my sufferings but the pain of soul-sickness of love for Christ sorrow that I cannot get help to sound aloud the high praises of him who hath heard the fighing of the prisoner is content to lay the head of his oppressed servant in his bosome under his chinne let him feel the smell of his garments This I behooved to write that your Lo might know Christ is as good as he is called to testifie to your Lo the cause your Lo now professeth before this faithless world is Christ's your Lo shall have no shame of it Grace be with you Aberd. March 13. 1637. Your Lo obliged Servant S. R. To the much honoured JOHN OSBURN Provest of Ayr. 43 Much honoured Sir GRrace mercy peace be to you Upon our small acquaintance the good report I hear of you I could not but write to you I have nothing to say but Christ in that honourable place lie hath put you in hath intrusted you with a dear pledge which is his own glory hath armed you with his sword to keep the pledge make a good account of it to God Be not affraid of me Your master can mowe down his enemies make with red hay of fair flowers your time will not be long after your after 〈…〉 will come your evening after evening night serve Christ back him lethis cause be your cause give not an hair breadth of 〈◊〉 away for it is not yours but God's then since ye are going take Christ's tâ—â—tiâ—cat with you out of this life Well done good faithfull servant His well done is worth a shipfull of Good-dayes earthly honours I have cause to say this because I finde him truth it self In my sad dayes Christ laugheth cheerfully saith All will be well Would to God all this Kingdom ye all that know God knew what is betwixt me Christ in this prison what kisses embracements love-communings I take his cross in my armes with joy I blesse it I rejoyce in it suffering for Christ is my garland I would not exchange Christ for ten thousand worlds nay if the comparison could stand I would not exchange Christ with heaven Sir pray for me the prayers blessing of a prisoner of Christ meet you in all your straits Grace be with you Aberd. March 14. 1637. Yours in Christ Iesus his Lord. S. R. To ROBERT GORDON Bailiffe of Ayr. 44 Worthy Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear from you in paper Remember your Chief's speeches on his death-bed I pray your Sir sell all buy the pearle time will cut you from this world's glory Look what will doe you good when your glasse shall be run out let Christ's love bear most court in your soul that court will bear down the love of other things Christ seeketh your help in your place give him your hand Who hath more cause to encourage others to own Christ then I have for he hath made me sick of love leâ—t me in pain to wrestle with his love love is like to fall a swoon through his absence I mean not that he deserteth me or that I am ebbe of comforts but this is an uncouth pain Oh that I had a heart a love to render to him back again O if principalities powers thrones dominions all the world would help me to praise Praise him in my behalf Remember my love to your wife I thank you most kindly for your love to my brother Grace be with you Aberd. March 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN KENNEDY Bailiffe of Ayr. 45 GRace mercy and peace be unto you Your nor writing to me cannot binde me up from remembring you now then that at least ye may be a witness a third man to behold in paper what is betwixt Christ me I was in his eyes like a young Orphan wanting known parents casten out in the open fields either Christ behooved to take me up to bring me home to his house and fire-side else I had dyed in the fields now I am homly with Christ's love so that I think the house mine own the master of the house mine also Christ enquired not when he began to love me whether I was fair or black sun-burnt love taketh what it may have He loved me before this time I know but now I have the flower of his love his love is come to a fair bloom like a young rose opened up out of the green leaves it casteth a strong fragrant smell I want nothing but wayes of expressing Christ's love A full vessel would have a vent O if I could smoke out cast out coales to make a fire in many brests of this land Oh it is a pity that there were not many imprisoned for Christ for no other purpose but to write books love-songs of the love of Christ. This love would keep all created tongues of men Angels in exercise busie night day to speak of it Alas I can speak nothing of it but wonder at three things in his love First Freedome O that lumps of sin should get such love for nothing Secondly The Sweetness of his love I give over either to speak or write of it but these that feel it may better bear witness What it is but it is so sweet that next to Christ himself nothing can match it nay I think a soul could live eternally blessed onely on Christ's love feed upon no other thing yea when Christ in love giveth a blow it doeth a soul good it is a kinde of comfort joy to it to get a cuff with the lovely sweet soft hand of Jesus And Thirdly what power strength is in his love I am perswaded it can climb aâ—stâ—ep hill hell upon it's back swim through the water not droâ—n sing in the fire finde no pain triumph in losles prisons sorrows exile disgrace laugh
it must be a rueing a pitifull a melting-hearted love But suspension of that love I think it half a hell the want of it more then a whole hell When I look to my guiltiness I see my salvation one of our Saviour's greatest miracles either in heaven or earth I am sure I may defie any mâ—n to shew me a greater wonder but seeing I have no wares no hire no money for Christ he must either take me with want misery corruption or then want me O if he would be pleased to be compassionat and pitifull hearted to my pining fevers of longing for him oâ— then give me a reall pawne to keep out of his own hand till God send a meeting betwixt him me But I finde neither as yet howbeit he who is absent be not cruel nor unkinde yet his absence is cruel and unkinde His love is like it self his love is his love but the coveâ—ing the cloud the vail the mask of his love is more wise then kinde if I durst speak my apprehensions I lead no process now against the suspension delay of God's love I would with all my heart frist till a day ten heavens and the sweet manifestations of his love Certainly I think I could give Christ much on his word But my whole pleading is about intimated born-in assurance of his love O if he would perswade me of my heart's desire of his love at all he should have the term-day of payment at his own carving But I know raving unbeleef speaketh it's pleasure while it looketh upon guiltinesse and this body of corruption O how loathsom burdensom is it to carry about a dead corps this old carrion of corruption O how steadable a thing is a Saviour to make a sinner rid of his chains fetters I have now made a new question Whether Christ be more to be loved for giving Sanctification or for free Justification And I hold he is more most to be loved for Sâ—nâ—tification it is in some respect greater love in him to sanctifie then to justifie for he maketh us most like himself in his own essential pourtraiture image in sanctifying us Justification doth but make us happy which is to be like the Angels onely Neither is it such a misery to lie a condemned man under unforgiven guiltiness as to serve sin work the works of the Devil therefore I think Sanctification cannot be bought it 's above all price God be thanked for ever that Christ was a told down price for Sanctification Let a sinner if possible lie in hell for ever if he make him truly holy let him lie there burning in love to God rejoycing in the Holy Ghost hanging upon Christ by faith hope that is heaven in the heart and bottom of hell Alas I finde a very thin harvest here few to be saved Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his lovely longed-for Lord â—â—sus S. R. To my Lord CRAIGHALL 209 My Lord. I Perswade my self notwithstanding of the greatness of this temptation ye will not let Christ want a witness of you to avow him before this evil generation And if ye advise with God's truth the perfect testament of Christ that forbiddeth all mens additions to his worship with the truly learned withall the sanctified in this land with that warner within you that will not fail to speak against you in God's time if ye be not now fast fixed for Christ I hope then your Lo will acquit your self as a man of courage for Christ refuse to bow your knee superstitiously idolatrously to wood or stone or any creature whatsoever I perswade my self when ye shall take good-night at this world ye shall think it God's truth I now write Some fear your Lo have obliged your self to his Maj by promise to satisfie his desire If it be so my dear worthy Lord hear me for your soul 's good Think upon swimming a shore after this ship wrack be pleased to write your humble Apologie to his Majestie it may be God give you favour in his eyes However it be far be it from you to think a promise made out of weakness extorted by the terrour of a King should binde you to wrong your Lord Jesus But for my self I give no faith to that report but I beleeve ye shall prove fast 〈◊〉 Christ To his grace I recommend you Aberd. July 8. 1637. Your Lo at all obedience in Christ. S. R. To my Lord CRAIGHALL 210. My Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you I am not onely content but I exceedingly rejoyce that I finde any of the Rulers of this Land especially your Lo so to affect Christ and his truth as ye dare for his name come to yea nay with Monarchs in their face I hope he who hath enabled you for that will give more if ye shew your self couragious as his word speaketh a man in the streets for the Lord But I pray your Lo give me leave to be plain with you as one who loveth both your honour your soul. I verily beleeve there was never Idolatry at Rome never Idolatry condemned in God's word by the Prophets if religious kneeling before a consecrate creature standing in room of Christ crucified in that very act that for reverence of the Elements as our Act cleareth be not Idolatry Neither will your intention help which is not of the essence of Worship for then Aaron saying To morrow shall be afeast for Iehovah that is for the golden Calf should not have been guilty of Idolatry for he intended onely to decline the lash of the people's fury not to honour the Calf Your intention to honour Christ is nothing seeing religious kneeling by God's institution doeth necessarily import religious divine adoration suppose our intention were both dead sleeping Otherwise kneeling before the Image of God directing prayer to God were lawfull if our intention goe right My Lord I cannot in this bounds dispute but if Cambridge Oxford the learning of Britain will answer this argument the argument from active scandal which your Lo seemeth to stand upon I will turn a formalist call my self an arrant fool by doing what I have done in my suffering for this truth I doe much reverence Mr Ls. learning but my Lo I will answer what he writes in that to pervert you from the truth else repute me beside an hypocrite an ass also I hope ye shall see something upon that subject if the Lord permit that no sophistry in Britain shall answer Courtiers arguments for the most part are drawn from their own skin are not worth a straw for your conscience A Marquess or a King's word when ye stand before Christ's tribunal shall be lighter then wind The Lord knoweth I love your true honour the standing of your house but I would not your honour or house were established upon sand