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
down hungry in waiting for the mariage-supper of the lamb neverthelesse I think it the Lords wise love that feeds us with hunger and makes us fat with wants and desertions I know not my deare brother if our worthy brethren be gone to sea or not they are on my heart and in my prayers if they be yet with you salute my deare friend John Stuart my weilbeloved brethren in the Lord Mr Blair Mr Hamilton Mr Livingston and Mr Mak-Cleland and acquaint them with my troubles and intreat them to pray for the poor afflicted prisoner of Christ They are deare to my soul I seek your prayers and theirs for my flock their remembrance breaks my heart I desire to love that people and others my deare acquantance in Christ with love in God and as God loveth them I know that he who sent me to the west and south sends me also to the north I will Charge my soul to beleeve and to wait for him and will follow his providence and not goe before it nor stay behind it Now my deare brother taking farewell in paper I commend you all to the word of his grace and to the work of his spirit to him who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand that you may be keept spotlesse till the day of Jesus our Lord. I am From Irwing being on my Iourney to Christs palace in Aberden August 4. 1636. Your Brother in affliction in our sweet Lord Jesus S. R. To his Parochiners 2 DEarly beloved longed for in the Lord my crown my joy in the day of Christ Grace be to you and peace from God our father and our Lord Jesus Christ. I long exceedingly to know if the oft-spoken-of match betwixt you Christ holdeth and if you follow on to know the Lord. My day thoughts and my night thoughts are of you while ye sleep I am afraid of your souls that they be off the rock next to my Lord Jesus and this fallen kirk ye have the greaest share of my sorrow and also of my joy ye are the matter of the tears care fear and daily prayers of an oppressed prisoner of Christ as I am in bonds for my high and lofty one my Royall and princely master my Lord Jesus so I am in bonds for you for I should have sleeped in my warme nest kept the fat world in my armes and the cords of my tabernacle should have been fastned more strongly I might have sung an Evangel of Ease to my soul and you for a time with my brethren the sons of my mother that were angry at me have thrust me out of the vineyard if I should have been broken and drawn on to mire you the Lords flock to cause you eat pastures troden upon with mens feet and to drink foul and muddie waters But truly the almighty was a rerror to me his fear made me afraid O my Lord judge if my ministry be not deare to me but not so dear by many degrees as Christ Jesus my Lord God knoweth the heavie sad Sabbaths I have bad since I laid down at my Masters feet my two shepherds staves I have been often saying as it is writen Lam. 3 52. my enemies chased me sore like a bird without cause they have cut off my life in the dungeon cast a stone upon me for next to Christ I had but one joy the apple of the eye of my delights to preach Christ my Lord and they have violently plucked that away from me it was to me like the poor mans one eye they have put out that eye and quenched my light in the inheritance of the Lord but my eye is toward the Lord I know I shall see the salvation of God and that my hope shall not alwayes be forgotten And my sorrow shall want nothing to compleat it and to make me say what availeth it me to live if ye follow the voice of a stranger of one that cometh in to the sheepfold not by Christ the door but climbeth up another way if the man build his hay and stuble upon the golden foundation Christ Iesus already laid among you ye follow him I assure you the mans work shall burn never bide Gods fire and ye he both shall be in danger of everlasting burning except ye repent O if any pain any sorrow any losse that I can suffer for Christ and for you were laid in pledge to buy Christs love to you and that I could lay my dearest joyes next to Christ my Lord in the gap betwixt you eternall destruction O if I had paper as broad as heaven and earth and inke as the sea and all the rivers and fountaines of the earth were able to write the love the worth the excellency the Sweetnesse and due praises of our dearest and fairest welbeloved and then if ye could read understand it what could I want if my ministry among you should make a marriage between the little bride in that bounds the bridegroom O how rich a prisoner were I if I could obtaine of my Lord before whom I stand for you the salvation of you all O What a prey had I gotten to have you catched in Christs net O then I had cast out my Lords lines his net with a rich gain O then wel-wared pained breast and sore back and a crased body in speaking early and late to you my witnesse is above your heaven would be two heavens to me the salvation of you all as two salvations to me I would subscribe a suspension and a fristing of my heaven for many hundred yeers according to Gods good pleasure if ye were sure in the upper lodging in our fathers house before me I take to witnesse heaven and earth against you I take instruments in the hands of that sun day light that beheld us in the hands of the timber walls of that kirk if I drew not up a fair contract of mariage betvvixt you Christ if I went not with offers betwixt the bridegroome you your conscience did bear you witnesse your mouths confessed that there were many fair trysts meetings drawn on betwixt Christ and you at communion-feasts other occasions there were braclets jewels rings and love-letters sent to you by the bridegroom it was told you what a fair dowrie ye should have and what a house your husband and ye should dwell in and what was the bridgroomes excellencie Sweetnesse might Power The Eternitie and glory of his Kingdome the exceeding deepnesse of his love who sought his black wife through pain fires shame death the grave and swimmed the salt sea for her undergoeing the curse of the law then was made a curse for you ye then consented and said Even so I take him I counsell you beware of the new strange leaven of mens inventions beside and against the word of God contrair to the oath of this kirk novv comeing among
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
notwithstanding that your service to Christ miscarrieth To the which I answer God forbid that there were buying and selling and blocking for as good again betwixt Christ and us for then free grace might goe play it and a Saviour sing dumb and Christ goe and sleep but we goe to heaven with light shoulders and all the bairn-time and the vessels great and small that we have are fastned upon the sure nail Isa 23 24. the onely danger is that we give grace more a doe then God giveth it that is by turning his grace into wantonness 6. Ye write few see your guiltiness and ye cannot be free with many as with me I Answer blessed be God Christ we are not heard before men's courts it is at home betwixt him and us that pleas are taken away Grace be with you Aberd. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the right honourable Christian Lady my Lady KENMURE 13 MADAM GRace mercy and peace be to your La God be thanked ye are yet in possession of Christ that sweet childe I pray God the former may be sure heritage the latter a loan for your comfort while he doe good to his poor afflicted withered mount Sion who knoweth but our Lord hath comforts laid up in store for her you I am perswaded Christ hath bought you by the devil hell sin that they have no claime to you that is a rich unvaluable mercy Long since ye were half challenging deaths cold kindness in being so slow and swier to come and loose a tired prisoner but ye stand in need of all the erosses losses changes sad hearts that befell you since that time Christ knoweth the body of sin unsubdued will take them all more we know that Paul had need of the devils service to buffet him far more we But my dear honourable Lady spend your sand-glasse well I am sure ye have law to raise 2 suspension against all that devils men friends world losses hell or sin can decree against you it 's good your crosses will but convey you to heavens gates Inâ—an â—an they not goe the gate shall be closed on them when ye shall be admitted to the throne Time standeth not still eternity is hard at our door O what is laid up for you Therefore harden your face against the wind the Lamb your husband is making ready for you the bridegroom would fain have that day as gladly as your Honour would wish to have it he hath not forgotten you I have heard a rumour of the Prelats purpose to banish me but let it come if God so will the other side of the sea is my fathers ground aswell as this side I ow bowing to God but no servil bowing to crosses I have been but too soft in that I am comforted that I am perswaded fully that Christ is halfer with me in this well-born and honest crosse if he claime right to the best half of my troubles as I know he doeth to the whole I shall remit it over to Christ what I shall doe in this case I know certainly my Lord Jesus will not marre nor spill my sufferings he hath use for them in his house O what it worketh on me to remember that a stranger who cometh not in by the door shall build hay stuble upon the golden foundation I laâ—d amongst that people in Anwoth but I know providence looketh not asquint but looketh straight out thorow all mens darknesse O that I could wait upon the Lord I had but one eye one joy one delight even to preach Christ my mothers sons were angry at me have put out the poor mans one eye and what have I behinde I am sure this sowre world hath lost my heart deservedly but oh that there were a dâ—â—es-man to lay his hand upon us both determine upon my part of it Alace that innocent and lovely truth should be sold my tears are but little worth but yet for this thing I weep I weep alace that my fair lovely Lord Jesus should be miskent in his own house it reckoneth little of five hundred the like of me Yet the water goeth not over faiths breath yet our King liveth I write the prisoners blessing the good will long lasting Kindnesse with the comforts of the very God of peace be to your La to your sweet childe grace grace be with you Aberd. Sep. 7. 1637 Your honours at all obedience in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the much honoured JOHN GORDON Of Cardoness elder 14 MUch honoured and dearest in my Lord Grace mercy peace be to you my soul longeth exceedingly to hear how matters goe betwixt you and Christ and whether or not there be any work of Christ in that parish that will bide the triall of fire water let me be weighed of my Lord in a just ballance if your souls lie not weighty upon me you goe to bed you rise with me thoughts of your soul my dearest in our Lord depart not from me in my sleep ye have a great part of my tears sighs supplications prayers O if I could buy your souls salvation with any suffering whatsoever that ye I might meet with joy up in the Rain-bow when we shall stand before our judge O my Lord forbid I have any hard thing to depon against you in that day O that he who quickneth the dead would give life to my sowing among you what joy is there next to Christ that standeth on this side of death would comfort me more then that the souls of that poor people were in â—afety beyond all hazard of losing Sir shew the people this for when I write to you I think I write to you all old and young fulfill my joy and seek the Lord Sure I am once I discovered my lovely royall princely Lord Jesus to you all Woe woe woe shall be your part of it for evermore if the Gospel be not the savour of life unto life to you as many sermons as I preached as many sentences as I uttered as many points of dittay shall they be when the Lord shall plead with the world for the evil of their doings Beleeve me I finde heaven a city hard to be won the righteous will scarcely be saved O what violence of thronging will heaven take alace I see many deceiving them selves for we will all to heaven now every foul dog with his foul feet will in at the neerest to the new clean Jerusalem all say they have faith the greatest part in the world know not and will not consider that a slip in the matter of their salvation is the most pitifull slip that can be that no losse is comparable to this losse O then see that there be not a loose pin in the work of your salvation for ye will not beleeve how quickly the judge will come for your self I know that death
the free salvation Christs sweet balme for thy wounds O poor humble beleever Christs kisses for thy watery checks Christs blood of atonement for thy guilty soul Christs heaven for thy poor soul though once banished out of paradise my master shall make good my word ere long O that people were wise O that people were wise O that people would spier out Christ never est while they finde him O how shall my soul mourn in secret if my nine yeers pained head sore breast and pained back and grieved heart and privat publike prayers to God shall all be for nothing among that people Did my Lord Jesus send me but to summond you before your judge to leave your summonds at your houses was I sent as a witness onnly to gather your dittay's O my God forbid often did I tell you of a fan of Gods word to come among you for the contempt of it I told you often of wrath wrath from the Lord to come upon Scotland and yet I bide by my Masters word it is quickly coming desolation for Scotland because of the quarrell of a broken covenant Now worthy Sir now my dear people my joy and my crown in the Lord let him be your fear seek the Lord and his face save your souls doves flee to Christs windows pray for me praise for me The blessing of my God the prayers and blessing of a poor prisoner and your lawfull pastor be upon you Abrd. Iune 16. 1367. Your Lawfull Loving Pastor S. R. To the right honourable Christian Lady my Lady BOYD. 15 MADAM GRace mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ I cannot but thank your La for your Letter that hath refreshed my soul. I think my self many wayes obliged to your La for your love to my afflicted brother now embarked with me in that same cause his Lord hath been pleased to put him upon truths side I hope your La will befriend him with your counsell and countenance in that countrey where he is a stranger your La needeeth not fear but your kindness to his own shall be put up in Christs accounts Now Madam for your La case I rejoyce exceedingly that the Father of lights hath made you see that there is a niâ—â— in Christianity which ye contend to be at that is to quit the right eye the right hand to keep the Son of God I hope your desire is to make him your garland your eye looketh up the mount which certainly is nothing but the new creature fear not Christ will not cast water upon your smoaking coal then who else dare doe it if he say nay Be sorry at corruption not secure that companion lay with you in your mothers womb was as early friends with you as the breath of life Christ will not have it otherwise for he delighteth to take up fallen bairns to mend broken browâ— binding up of wounds is his office Isai. 61. First I am glad Christ will get employment of his calling in you many a whole soul is in heaven which was sicker then ye are He is content ye lay broken arms legs on his knee that he may spelk them 2. Hiding of his face is wise love his love is not fond doting reasonless to give your head no other pillow while ye be in at heavens gates but to lie betwixt his brests lean upon his bosome Nay hisbairns must often have the frosty cold side of the hill set down both their bare feet among thorns His love hath eyes in the mean time is looking on Our pride must have winter weather to rot it But I know Christ ye shall not be heard ye will whisper it over betwixt your selves agree again for the Anchor-tow abideth fast within the vaile the end of it is in Chrssts ten fingers who dare pull if he hold I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying fear not I will help thee Isa. 41 13. fear not Iacob The sea-sick passenger shall come to Land Christ will be the first that will meet you on the shore I hope your La will keep the Kings high-way goe on in the strength of the Lord in haste as if ye had not leisure to speak to the Inne-keepers by the way he is over beyond time in the other side of the water who thinketh long for you For my unfaithfull self Madam I must say a word At my first coming hither the devil made many black lies of my Lord Jesus said the court was changed and he was angry would give an evil servant his leave at mid-terme but he gave me grace not to take my leave I resolved to bide summonds and sit howbeit it was suggested said what should be done with a withered tree but over the dâ—ke with it But now now I dare not I dow not keep it up who is feasted as his poor exiled prisoner I think shame of the board-head the first messe the royall Kings dining-hall and that my black hand should come on such a rulers table but I cannot mend it Christ must have his will onely he paineth my soul so sometimes with his love that I have been nigh to passe modesty to cry out he hath lest a smoaking burning coal in my heart gone to the door himself and left me it together yet it is not desertion I know not what it is but I was never so sick for him as now I durst not challenge my Lord if I got no more for heaven it is a dâting crosse I know he hath other thing to doe then to play with me trâ—â—le an apple with me that this feast will end O for instruments in Gods name that this is he and that I may make use of it when it will be a neer friend within me when it will be said by a challengingdevil were is my God Since I know it will not laste I desire but to keep broken meat but let no man after me slander Christ for his crosse The Great Lord of the Covenant who brought from the dead the great shepherd of his sheep by the blood of the eternall covenant establish you and keep you yours to his appearance Aberd. March 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr ALEXANDER HENDERSON 16 My reverend dear Brother I Received your Letters They are as apples of gold to me for wich my sweet feasts they are above the deserving of such a sinner high out of measure I have sadness to ballast me weight me a little It is but his boundless wisdom who hath taken the tutouring of his witlesse childe and he knoweth to be drunken with comforts is not safest for our stomackes However it be the din and noise and glooms of Christs crosse are weightier then it self I protest to you my witnesse is in heaven I
me now so as God maketh an honest cross my daily sorrow and for fear of scandal and stumbling I must hide this day of the law 's pleading I know not if this court kept within my soul be fenced in Christ's name If certainty of salvation were to be bought God knoweth if I had ten earths I would not prig with God like a fool I beleeved under suffering for Christ that I my self should keep the key of Christ's treasures and take out comforts when I listed and eat and be fat But I see now a sufferer for Christ will be made to know himself and will be holden at the door as well as another poor sinner and will be fain to eat with the bairns and to take the by-board and glad so my blessing on the cross of Christ that hath made me see this Oh if we could take pains for the Kingdom of heaven but we sit down upon some ordinary markes of God's children thinking we have as much as will seperat us from a Reprobat and thereupon we tak the play and cry Holy-day thus the devil casteth water on our fire blunteth our zeal and care but I see heaven is not at the next door I see howbeit my challenges be many I suffer for Christ dare hazard my salvation upon it for some times my Lord cometh with a fair hour O but his love be sweet delightfull comfortable half a kiss is sweet but our doting love will not be content of a right to Christ unless we get posfession like the man who will not be content of rights to bought land except he get also the ridges and acers laid upon his back to carry home with him However it be Christ is wise and we are fools to be browden and fond of a pawne in the loof of our hand living on trust by faith may well content us Madam I know your La knoweth this and that made me bold to write of it that others might reap some what by my bonds for the truth for I should desire and I aime at this to have my lord well spoken of and honoured howbeit he should make nothing of me but a bridge over a water Thus recommending your La your son and children to his grace who hath honoured you with a name and room among the living in Jerusalem and wishing Grace to be with your La I rest Aberd. Your La in his sweetest Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr. DAVID DICKSON 21 Reverend Dear Brother GRace mercy and peace be unto you I finde great men especially old friends skar to speak for me but my kingly Royall Master biddeth me try his moyen to the uttermost I shall finde a friend at hand I still depend on him his court is as before the prisoner is welcome to him the black crabbed tree of my Lord's cross hath made Christ and my soul very entire he is my song in the night I am often laid in the dust with challenges and apprehensions of his anger and then if a mountain of iron were laid upon me I cannot be heavier and with much wrestling I win in to the Kings house of wine and for the most part my life is joy and such joy through his comforts as I have been afraid to shame my self and to cry out for I can scarce bear what I get Christ giveth me a measure heaped up pressed down and running over and beleeve it his love paineth me more then prison and banishment I cannot get a gate of Christ's love had I known what he was keeping for me I would never have been so faint-hearted In my heaviest times when all is lost the memory of his love maketh me think Christ's gloomes are but for the fashion I seek no more but a vent to my wine I am smothered and ready to burst for want of a vent Think not much of persecution it is before you but it is not as men conceive of it my suggared-cross forceth me to say this to you ye shall have wailed meat the sick bairn is often times the spilt baâ—rn ye shall command all the house I hope ye help a tired prisoner to pray and praise had I but the annuell of annuell to give to my Lord Jesus it should ease my pain but Alace I have nothing to pay he will get nothing of poor me but I am woe I have not room enough in my heart for such a stranger I am not cast down to goe further North I have good cause to work for my Master for I am well paid before the hand I am not behinde howbeit I should not get one smile more till my feet be up within the Kings dining-hall I have gone through yours upon the Covenant it hath edified my soul and refreshed an hungry man I judge it sharp sweet quick and profound take me at my word I fear it get no lodging in Scotland The Brethren of Ireland write not to me chide with them for that I am sure that I may give you and them a commission and I will bide by it that you tell my beloved I am sick of love I hope in God to leave some of my rust and superfluites in Aberd I cannot get an house in this town wherein to leave drink-silver in my Master's name save one onely there is no sale for Christ in the North he is like to lie long on my hand ere any accept him Grace be with you Aberd. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr MATHEW MOWAT 22 REverend and dear brother I am a very far misstaken man if others knew how poor my stock were they would not think upon the like of me but with compassion for I am as one kept under a strict Tutour I would have more then my Tutour alloweth upon me but it is good that a bairns wit is not the rule which regulateth my Lord Jesus let him give what he will it shall ay be above merit my ability to gain therewith I would not wish a better stock while heaven be my stock then to live upon credit at Christs hands daily borrowing surely running over love that vast hudge boundlesse love of Christ that there is telling in for man and Angel is the onely thing I fainest would be in hands with He knoweth I have little but the love of that love that I shall be happy suppose I never get another heaven but onely an eternall lasting feast of that love but suppose my wishes were poor He is not poor Christ all the seasons of the yeer is dropping sweetnesse if I had vessels I might fill them but my old riven holly and running out dish even when I am at the well can bring little away Nothing but Glory will make tight and fast our looking and rifty vessels Alace I have skailed more of Christs Grace love faith humility and godly sorrow then I have brought with me How little of the sea can a childe carry in his hand as little
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
with the want of what we are obliged to give him even the glory of his grace by beleeving yet a poor covenanted sinner wanteth not but if guiltiness were removed doubtings would find no friend nor life and yet faith is to beleeve the removal of guiltiness in Christ. A reason why ye get less now as ye think then before as I take it is because at our first conversion our Lord putteth the meat in young bairns mouthes with his own hand but when we grow to some further perfection we must take heaven by violence and take by violence from Christ what we get and he can and doeth hold because he will have us to draw Remenber now ye must live upon violent plucking laziness is a greater fault now then long since we love alwayes to have the pape put in our mouth No for my self alace I am not the man I goe for in this nation men have not just weights to weigh me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I am a liâ—â—yâ—â—â—less Body and ove◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If Christ would refer the matter to 〈◊〉 in his presence I speak it I might think shame to vote my own salvation I think Christ might say thinkâ—â— thou not shame to claim heaven who does so 〈◊〉 for it I am very often so that I know not whether 〈◊〉 â—â—nk oâ— swine in the water I find my self a bag of light froth I would bear no weight but vanities nothing's weigh in Christs balance if my Lord cast not in borrowed weight metall even Christs righteousness to weigh for me the stock I have is not mine own I am but the merchand that traffiques with other folks goods if my creditor Christ would take from me what he hath lent I would not long keep the causey but Christ hath made it mâ—â—e his I think it manhood to play the coward jouke in the lee-side of Christ and thus I am not onely saved from my enemies but I obtain the victory I am so empty that I think it were an almes-deed in Christ if he would win a poor prisoners blessing for evermore and fill me with his love I complain when Christ cometh he cometh alwayes to fetch fire he is ever in haste he may not tarry poor 〈◊〉 a beggerly Dyvour get but a standing visit a standing kiss but how doest thou in the by-going I dare not say he is lordly because he is made a King now at the right hand of God or is grown miskenning dry to his poor freinds for he cannot make more of his kisses then they are worth but I think it my happiness to love the love of Christ when he goeth away the memory of his sweet presence is like a feast in a dear summer I have comfort in this that my soul desireth that every hour of my imprisonment were a company of heavenly tongues to praise him on my behalf howbeit my bonds were prolonged for many hundred yeers O that I could be the man who could procure my Lords glory to flow like a full sea blow like a mighty wind upon all the four Airths of Scotland England Ireland O if I could write a book of his praises O fairest among the sons of men why stayest thou so long away O heavens move fast O time run run hasten the marriage-day for love is tormented with delayes O Angels O Seraphims who stand before him O blessed Spirits who now see his face set him on high for when ye have worn your harps in his praises all is too little is nothing to cast the smel of the praise of that fair flower that fragrant rose of Sharon through many worlds Sir take my hearty commendations to him tell him that I am sick of love Grace be with you Aberd. June 16. 1637. Yours in his sweet L. Iesus S. R. To his Honoured Dear Brother ALEXAND GORDON of KNOCKGRAY 28 Dearest truly honoured Brother GRace mercy peace be to you I have seen no letter from you since I came to Aberdeen I will no tinterpret it to be forgetfulness I am here in a fair prison Christ is my sweet honourable fellow-prisoner I his sad joyful Lord-prisoner if I may speak so I think this cross becometh me well is suitable to me in respect of my duty to suffer for Christ howbeit not in regard of my deserving to be thus honoured However it be I see Christ is strong even lying in the dust in prison and in banishment Losses disgraces are the wheels of Christs triumphing chariot In the sufferings of his own saints as he intendeth their good so he intendeth his own glory that is the butte his arrowes shoot at Christ shooteth not at the tovers he hitteth what he purposeth to hit Therefore he doeth make his own feckless weak nothing's these who are the contempt of men a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth to thresh the mountains beat them small to make the hills as chaff to fan them Isa. 51 15 16. What harder stuff or harder grain for threshing out then high and rockie mountains But the Saints are Gods threshing instruments to beat them all in chaff are we not Gods leem vessels yet when they cast us over an house we are not broken in sheards we creep in under our Lords wings in the great shower the water cannot goe thorow these wings It is folly then for men to say this is not Christs plea he will lose the wed-fee men are like to beguile him that were indeed a strange play Nay I dare pledge my soul lay it in pawne on Christs side of it be half-tiner half-winner with my Master Let fools laugh the foolslaughter scorn Christ bid the weeping captives in Babylon sing us one of the songs of Zion play a spring to chear up your sad-hearted God We may sing upon lucks head before hand even in our winter-storme in the expectation of a summer-sun at the turn of the yeer no created powers in hell or out of hell can mar our L. Jesus his musick nor spill our song of joy let us then be glad rejoyce in the salvation of our Lord for faith had never yet cause to have wet cheeks hingingdown browes or to droup or die what can aile faith seeing Christ suffereth himself with reverence to him be it spoken to be commanded by it Christ commandeth all things faith may dance because Christ sings we may come in the Quite lift our hoarse rough voices chirp sing shout for joy with our Lord Jesus We see oxen goe to the shambles leaping startling We see Gods fed oxen prepared for the day of slaughter goe dancing singing down to the black chambers of hell why should we goe to heaven weeping as if we were like to fall down thorow the earth for sorrow If God were dead if I may speak so with
heavens gates it is a castle taken by force many shall strive to enter in shall not be able I beseech obtest you in the Lord make conscience of rash passionat oathes of raging sudden revenging anger of night-drinking of needless companionry of Sabbath-breaking of hurting any under you by word or deed of hating your very enemies Except ye receive the Kingdom of God as a little childe be as meek sober-minded as a babe ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God That is a word which should touch you near and make you stoop cast your self down and make your great spirit fall I know this will not be easily done but I recommend it to you as you tender your part of the Kingdom of heaven Brother I may from new experience speak of Christ to you Oh if ye saw in him what I see a river of God's unseen joyes hath flowed from bank to brae over my soul since I parted with you I wish I wanted part so being ye might have that your soul might be sick of love for Christ or rather satiat with him this clay-idol the world would seem to you then not worth a fig time will eat you out of possession of it when the eye strings break the breath groweth cold the imprisoned soul looketh out at the windowes of the clay house ready to leap out into eternity what would ye then give for a lamp full of oyl Oh seek it now I desire you to correct curb banning swearing lying drinking sabbath-breaking idle spending of the Lords day in absence from the Kirk as far as your Authority reacheth in that Parish I hear a man is to be thrust in to that place to the which I have God's right I know ye should have a voice by God's word in that Act. 1 15 16. to the end and Act. 6 3 5. Ye would be loath that any Prelat should put you out of your possession earthly this is your right What I write to you I write to your wife Grace be with you Aberd. March 14 1637. Your loving Pastor S. R. To the Lady HALHILL 37. DEar Christian Lady Grace mercy peace be to you I longed much to write to your La But now the Lord offering a fit occasion I would not omit to doe it I cannot but acquaint your Lae with the Kind dealing of Christ to my soul in this house of my pilgrimage that your La May know Christ is as good as he is called For at my first entry into this triall being easten down troubled with challenges jealousies of his love whose name testimony I now bear in my bonds I feared nothing more then that I was casten over the dike of the vineyard as a dry tree but blessed be his great name the dry tree was in the fire was not burnt his dew came down quickned the root of a withered plant now he is come again with joy hath been pleased to feast his exiled afflicted prisoner with the joy of his consolations now I weep but am not sad I am chastned but I die not I have losse but I want nothing this water cannot drown me this fire cannot burn me because of the goodwill of him that dwelt in the bush The worst things of Christ his reproaches his crosse is better then Egypt's treasures He hath opened his door taken into his house of wine a poor sinner hath leâ—t me so sick of love for my Lord Jesus that if heaven were at my disposing I would give it for Christ would not be content to goe to heaven except I were perswaded Christ were there I would not give nor exchange my bonds for the I'relats velvets nor my prison for their coaches nor my sighs for all the world's laughter this clay idol the world hath no great court in my soul Christ hath come run away to heaven with my heart my love so that neither heart nor love is mine I pray God Christ may keep both without reversion In my estimation as I am now disposed if my part of this world's clay were rooped sold I would think it dear of a drink of water I see Christ's love is so Kingly that it will not abide a marrow it must have a throne all alone in the soul I see apples beguile bairns howbeit they be worm-eaten the moth-eaten pleasures of this present world make bairns beleeve ten is a hundred yet all that are here are but shaddowes if they would draw by the curtain that is hanged betwixt them Christ they should think themselves fools who have so long miskenned the Son of God I seek no more next to heaven but that he may be glorified in a prisoner of Christ that in my behalf many would praise his high glorious name who heareth the sighing of the prisoner Remember my service to the Laird your husband to your son my aquaintance I wish Christ had his young love that in the morning he would start to the gate to seek that which this world knoweth not therefore doeth not seek it The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you Aberd. March 14. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the right honourable my Lord LINDSAY 38 Right honourable my very good Lord. GRace mercy peace be to your Lo Pardon my boldness to express my self to your Lo At this so needful a time when your wearied friendless mother-kirk is looking round about her to see if any of her sons doeth really bemoan her desolation Therefore my dear worthy Lord I beseech you in the bowels of Christ pity that widow-like sister spouse of Christ. I know her husband iâ— not dead but he seemeth to be in another countrey seeth well beholdeth who are his true tender hearted friends who dare venture under the water to bring out to dry land sinking truth who of the Nobles will cast up their arm to warde a blow off the crowned head of our Royal law-giver who reigneth in Zion who will plead contend for â—acob in the day of his controversie It iâ— now time my worthy noble Lord for you who are the little nurse-fathers under our Soveraign Prince to put on courage for the Lord Jesus to take up a fallen orphan speaking out of the dust to embrace in your arms Christ's Bride he hath no more in Scotland that is the delight of his eyes but that one little sister whose breasts were once well fashioned She once ravished her welbeloved with her eyes and overcame him with her beauty She looked forth as the morning fair as the moon clear as the sun terrible as an army with banners Her stature was like the palm-tree and her breasts like clusters of grapes she held the King in his galleries Cant. 4 9. 6 10. 7 5 7. But now the crown is fallen
to set it right ere the string be drawn but when once it is shot in the air the flight begun then ye have no power at all to command it It were a blessed thing if your love could now levell onely at Christ that his fair face were the black of the marke ye shot at For when your love is loosed and out of your grips in its motion to fetch home anâ— Idol hath taken a whorish gading-journey to seek an unknown strange lover ye shall not then have power to call home the arrow or to be master of your love ye shall hardly give Christ what ye scarcely have your self I speak not this as if youth it self could fetch heaven Christ. Beleeve it my Lo It is hardly credible what a nest of dangerous tentations youth iâ— how inconsiderat foolish proud vain heady rash profane careless of God this piece of your life is so that the devil findeth in that age a garnished swept house for himself seven devils worse then himself for then affections are on horse-back lofty stirring then the old man hath blood lust much will little wit and hands feet wanton eyes profane ears as his servants as a Kings officers at command to come goe at his will Then a green conscience is as souple as the twig of a young tree it is for every way every religion every lewd course prevaileth with it And therefore O what a sweet couple what a glorious yoke are youth and Grace Christ a young-man This is a meeting not to be found in every town None who have been at Christ can bring back to your Lo a report answerable to his worth for Christ cannot be spoken of or commended according to his worth Come see is the most faithfull messenger to speak of him little perswasion would prevail where this were It is impossible in the setting out of Christ's love to lye and passe over truth's line The discourses of Angels or Love-books written by the congregation of Seraphims all their wits being conjoyned and melted in one would for ever be in the nether side of truâ— and plentifully declaring the thing as it is The infinitness the boundlesness of that incomparable excellency that is in Jesus is a great word God send me if it were but the relicts and leavings or an ounce weight or two of his matchless love and suppose I never got another heaven providing this blessed fire were evermore burning I could not but be happy forever Come hither then and give out your money wisely for bread Come here and bestow your love I have cause to speak this because except ye enjoy and possess Christ ye will be a cold friend to his spouse For it is love to the husband that causeth kindness to the wife I dare swear it were a blessing to your House the honour of your Honour the flower of your credit now in your place and as far as ye are able to lend your hand to your weeping Mother even your oppressed and spoiled Mother-kirk If ye love her and bestir your self for her hazard the Lordship of Boyd for the recovery of her vail which the smiting-watchmen have taken from her then surely her husband will scorn to sleep in your common or reverence Bits of Lordships are little to him who hath many crownes on his head the Kingdoms of the world in the hollow of his hand Court Honour Glory riches Stability of houses Favour of Princes are all on his finger ends O what glory were it to lend your honour to Christ and to his Jerusalem Ye are one of Zions born sons your Honourable and Christian Parents would venture you upon Christ's errands Therefore I beseech you by the mercies of God by the death and wounds of Jesus by the hope of your glorious inheritance and by the comfort hope of the joyfull presence ye would have at the water-side when ye are putting your foot in the dark grave take courage for Christ's truth the Honour of his free Kingdom for howbeit ye be a young flower and green before the sun ye know not how soon death will cause you cast your bloom and wither root and branch leaves And therefore write up what ye have to doe for Christ and make a treasure of good works and begin in time by appearance ye have the advantage of the brae see what ye can doe for Christ against these who are waiting while Christ's Tabernacle fall that they may run away with the boards thereof and build their nests on Zion's ruines They are blinde who see not lowns now pulling up the stakes and breaking the cords renting the curtains of Christ's some times beautifull tent in this land Antichrist is lifting that tent up upon his shoulders and going away with it when Christ the Gospel are out of Scotland dream not that your houses shall thrive that it shall goe well with the Nobles of the land As the Lord liveth the streams of your waters shall become pitch and the dust of your land brimstone and your land shall become burning pitch and the Owl and the Raven shall dwell in your houses and where your table stood there shall grow briers nettles Isa. 34 9 11. The Lord gave Christ and his Gospel as a pawne to Scotland the watchmen have fallen foul lost their part of the pawne who seeth not that God hath dryed up their right eye their right arme hath broken the shepherds staves men are treading in their hearts upon such unsavoury salt that is good for nothing else If ye the Nobles put away the pawne also refuse to plead the controversie of Sion with the professed enemies of Jesus ye have done with it Oh where is the courage zeal now of the ancient Nobles of this land who with their swords hazard of life honour houses brought Christ to our hands And now the Nobles cannot be but guilty of shouldering out Christ murthering of the souls of the posterity if they shall hide themselves lurk in the lee-side of the hill till the wind blow down the temple of God It goeth now under the name of wisdom for men to cast their cloak over Christ their profession as if Christ were stolen goods durst not be avouched though this be reputed a piâ—ce of policy yet God estemeeth such men to be but State-fool Court-gooks what ever they or other Heads of wit like to them think of themselves since their damnable silence is the ruine of Christs Kingdom Oh but it be true honour glory to be the fast friends of the bridegroom to own Christ's bleeding head his forsaken cause to contend legally in the wisdom of God for our sweet Lord Jesus his Kingly crown But I will beleeve your Lo will take Christs honour to heart be a man in the streets as the
rejoyce in death Oh for a yeer's lease of the sense of his love without a cloud to try what Christ is Oh for the coming of the bridegroom Oh when will I see the bridegroom the bride meet in the clouds kisse each other Oh when will we get our day our hearts full of that love Oh is it were lawfull to complain of the fâ—mine want of that love of the immediat vision of God! O time time how doest thou torment the souls of these that would be swallowed up of Christ's love because thou movest so slowly Oh if he would pity a poor prisoner blow love upon me give a prisoner a taste or draught of that surpassing sweetness which is glory as it were begun to be a confirmation that Christ I shall have our fill of other for ever Come hither O love of Christ that I may once kisse thee before I die what would I not give to have time that lieth betwixt Christ me taken out of the way that we might once meet I cannot think but â—t the first sight I shall see of that most lovely fairest face love shall come out of his two eyes fill me with astonishment I would but desire to stand at the utter side of the gates of the new Jerusalem look thorow a hole of the door see Christ's face a borrowed vision in this life would be my borrowed begun heaven while the long long-looked for day dawn It is not for nothing that it is said Colos. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory I will be content of no pawne of heaven but Christ himself for Christ possessed by faith here is young heaven glory in the bud If I had that pawne I would bide horning hell both ere I gave it again All we have here is scarce the picture of glory Should not we young bairns long look for the expiring of our minority It were good to be daily begging propines love-gifts the bridegroom's favours if we can doe no more seek Crumbs hungry dinners of Christ's love to keep the taste of heaven in our mouth while supper time I know it is far afternoon and nigh the marriage-supper of the Lamb the table is covered already O welbeloved run run fast O fair day when wil't thou dawn O shaddows flee away I think hope love woven thorow other make our absence from Christ spirituall torment It is a pain to wait on but hope that maketh not a hamed swalloweth up that pain It is not unkindness that keepeth Christ us so long asunder What can I say to Christ's love I think more then I can say To consider that when my Lord Jesus may take the air if I may so speak goe abroad yet he will be confined keep the prison with me but in all this sweet communion with him what am I to be thanked for I am but a sufferer whether I will or not he will be kind to me as if he had defied my guiltiness to make him unkind so he beareth in his love on me Here I die with wondering that justice hindereth not love for there are none in hell nor out of hell more unworthy of Christ's love Shame may confound and scar me once to hold up my black mouth to receive one of Christ's undeserved kisses If my inner-side were turned out all men saw my vileness they would say to me It is a shame for thee to stand still while Christ kiss thee embrace thee It would seem to become me rather to run away from hi love as ashamed at my own unworthiness Nay I may think shame to take heaven who have so higly provoked my Lord Jesus But seeing Christ's love will shame me I am content to be shamed My desire is that my Lord would give me broader deeper thoughts to feed my self with wondering at his love I would I could weigh it but I have no ballance for it When I have worn my tongue to the stump in praising of Christ I have done nothing to him I must let him alone for my withered armes will not goe about his high wide long and broad love What remaineth then but that my debt to the love of Christ lie unpaid for all eternity All that are in heaven are black sham'd with his love as well as I we must all be Dyvours together the blessing of that house-full or heaven-full of Dyvours shall rest for ever upon him Off this Land Nation would come stand beside his inconceivable glorious perfections look in love wonder adore would to God I could bring in many lovers to Christ's house But this Nation hath forsaken the fountain of living waters Lord cast not water on Scotland's coal Woe woe will be to this Land because of the day of the Lord 's fierce anger that is so fast coming Grace be with you Aberd. Your affectionat Brother in our Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN KENNEDY Bailiffe of Ayr. 46 Worthy Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you I long to see you in this Northerne world in paper I know it is not forgetfulness that ye write not I am every way in good case both in soul body all honour glory be to my Lord I want nothing but a further revelation of the beauty of the unknown Son of God Either I know not what Christianity is or we have stinted a measure of so many ounce weights no more upon holiness there we are at a stay drawing our breath all our life a moderation in God's way now is much in request I profess I have never taken pains to finde out him whom my soul loveth there is a gate yet of finding out Christ that I have never lighted upon Oh if I could finde it out Alas how soon are we pleased with our own shaddow in a glass It were good to be beginning in sad earnest to finde out God to seek the right tread of Christ time custome a good opinion of our selves our good meaning our lazie desires our fair showes the world's glistering lustres these broad passements buskings of religion that bear bulk in the Kirk is that wherewith most satisfie themselves but a watered bed with tears a dry throat with praying eyes a fountain of tears for the sins of the land is rare to be found among us Oh if we could know the power of godliness This is one part of my case an other is that I like a fool once summoned Christ for unkindness complained of his sickelness unconstaney because he would have no more of my service nor preaching had casten me out of the inheritance of the Lord And I confess now this was but a bought plea I was a fool yet he hath born with me I gave him a fair advantage against me but love mercy would not let him take it
crave my minde whether found comfort may be found in prayer when conviction of a known idol is present I answer an idol as an idol can not stand with found comfort for that comfort that is gotten at Dagon's sect is a cheat or blea-flumme yet sound comfort conviction of an eye to an idol may as well dwell together as tears joy But let this doe you no ill I speak it for your encouragement that ye may make the best out of your joyes ye can albeit ye finde them mixed with motes 2. Sole conviction if alone without remorse and grief is not enough therefore lend it a tear if ye dow win at it 7. Ye question when ye win to more fervency sometimes with your neighbour in prayer then your alone whether hypocrisie be in it or not I answer if this be alwayes no question a spice of hypocrisie in in it which would be taken head to out possibly desertion may be in privat presence in publike then the case is clear 2. A fit of applause may occasion by accident a rubbing of a cold heart so heat life may come but it is not the proper cause of that heat hence God of his free grace will ride his errands upon our stinking corruption but corruption is but a meer occasion accident as the playing on a pipe removed anger from the prophet made him fitter to prophesie 2. King 3 v. 15. 8. Ye complain of Christ's short visits that he will not bear you company one night but when ye lie down warm at night ye rise cold at morning Ans. I cannot blame you nor any other who knoweth that sweet guest to bemoan his withdrawings to be most desirous of his abode company for he would captivat engage the affection of any creature that saw his face since he looked on me gave me a sight of his fair love he gained my heart wholly got away with it Well well may he brook it he shall keep it long ere I fetch it from him But I shall tell you what ye shall doe treat him well give him the chair the board-head make him welcome to the mean portion ye have a good supper kind entertainment maketh the guest love the innes the better Yet sometimes Christ hath an errand elsewhere for meer trial then though ye give him king's-chear he will away as is clear in desertions for meer trial not for sin 9. Ye seek the difference betwixt the motions of the Spirit in their least measure the natural joyes of your own heart Ans. as a man can tell if he joy delight in his wife as his wife or if he delight joy in her for satisfaction of his lust but hating her person so loving her for her her flesh not grieving when ill befalleth her so will a man's joy in God and his who â—ish naturall joy be discovered if he sorrow for any thing that may offend that Lord it will speak the singleness of his love to him 10. Ye aske the reason why sense overcometh faith Ans. because sense is more naturall neer of kin to our own selfish soft nature Ye aske if faith in that ease be found Ans If it be chased away it is neither sound nor unsound because it is not faith but it might be was faith before sense did blow out the act of beleeving Lastly ye aske what to doe when promises are born in upon you sense of impenitency for sins of youth hindereth application I answer if it be living sense it may stand with application in this case put to your hand eat your meat in God's name if false so that the sins of youth are not repented of then as faith impenitency cannot stand together so neither that sense application can consist Brother excuse my brevity for time straitneth me that I get not my minde said in these things but must refer that to a new occasion if God offer it Brother Pray for me Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his dearest Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN STUART Provest of Ayr now in Ireland 51 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be unto you I long to hear from you being now removed from my flock the prisoner of Christ at Aberd I would not have you to think it strange that your journey to New-England hath gotten such a dash It indeed hath made my heart heavie yet I know it is no dumb providence but a speaking one whereby our Lord speaketh his minde to you though for the present ye doe not well understand what he saith however it be he who sitteth upon the floods hath showen you his marvellous kindness in the great depths I know your loss is great your hope is gone far against you But I entreat you Sir expound aright our Lord 's laying an hinderance is the way I perswade my self your heart aimeth at the footsteps of the flock to feed beside the shepherds tents to dwell beside him whom your soul loveth that it is your desire to remain in the wilderness where the woman is kept from the Dragon this being your desire remember that a poor prisoner of Christ said it to you that That miscarried journey is with childe to you of mercy consolation and shall bring forth a fair birth and the Lord shall be midwife to the birth wait on he that beleeveth maketh not haste Isa 28. 16. I hope ye have been asking what the Lord meaneth what further may be his will in reference to your return my dear Brother let God make of you what he will he will end all with consolation shall make glory out of your sufferings would ye wish better work this water was in your way to heaven written in your Lord's book ye behooved to cross it therefore kisse his wise unerring providence Let not the censures of men who see but the out side of things scarce well that abate your courage rejoycing in the Lord howbâ—it your faith seeth but the black side of providence yet it hath a better side God shall let you see it Learn to beleeve Christ better then his strokes himself his promises better then his gloomes dashes disappointments are not Canonick scripture fighting for the promised land seemed to cry to God's promise thoulyest If our Lord rideupon a straw his horse shall neither stumble nor fall Rom. 8. 28. For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God Ergo shipwrak losses c work together for the good of them that love God Hence I inferre that losses disappointments ill tongues losse of friends houses or countrey are God's work men set on work to work out good to you out of every thing that befalleth you let not the Lord's dealing seem harsh rough ot unfatherly because it is unpleasant when the Lord
Christ breaketh all my idols in pieces it hath put a new edge upon my blunted love to Christ I see he is Jealouse of my love will have all to himself In a word these six things are my burden 1. I am not in the vineyard as others are it may be because Christ thinketh me a withered tree not worthy it's room but God forbid 2. Woe woe woe is coming upon my harlot-mother this Apostat-kirk the time is coming when we shall wish for doves wings to flee and hide us Oh for the desolation of this land 3. I see my dear master Christ going his alone as it were mourning in sackeloth his fainting friends fear that King Jesus shall lose the field but he must carry the day 4. My guiltiness and the sins of my youth are come up against me and they would come in the plea in my sufferings as deserving causes in God's justice but I pray God for Christ's sake he never give them that room woe 's me that I cannot get my Royall dreadfull mighty glorious Prince of the Kings of the earth set on high Sir ye may help me pity me in this and bow your knee blesse his name desire others to doe it that he hath been pleased in my sufferings to make Atheists Papists enemies about me say It is like God is with this prisoner Let hell the powers of hell I care not be let loose against me to doe their worst so being Christ my Father his Father be magnified in my sufferings 6. Christ's love hath pained me for howbeit his presence hath shamed me and drowned me in debt yet he often goeth away when my love to him is burning he seemeth to look like a proud wooer who will not look upon a poor match who is dying of love I will not say he is lordly but I know he is wise in hiding himself from a childe a fool who maketh an idol a God of one of Christ's kisses which is Idolatry I fear I adore his comforts more then himself and that I love the apples of life better then the tree of life Sir write to me Commend me to your wife mercy be her portion Grace be with you Aberd. 1637 Yours in his dearest Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN STUART Provest of Ayr. 53 Worthy and dearly beloved in our Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you I was refreshed comforted with your letter what I wrote to you for your comfort I doe not remember but I beleeve love will prophesie home-ward as it would have it I wish I could help you to praise his great and holy name who keepeth the feet of his saints hath numbred all your goings I know our dearest Lord will pardon passe by our honest errours mistakes when we minde his honour yet I know none of you have seen the other half the hidden side of your wonderfull return home to us again I am confident ye shall yet say that God's mercy blew your sailes back to Ireland again Worthy dear Sir I cannot but give you an account of my present state that ye may goe an errand for me to my high royall master of whom I boast all the day I am as proud of his love nay I blesse my self boast more of my present lot as any poor man can be of an earthly Kings court or of a Kingdom First I am very often turning both the sides of my cross especially my dumb silent Sabbaths not because I desire to finde a crook or defect in my Lord's love but because love is sick with phansies fears whether or not the Lord hath a processe leading against my guiltiness that I have not yet well seen I know not my desire is to ride fair not to spark dirt if with reverence of him I may be permitted to make use of such a word in the face of my onely onely welbeloved but fear of guiltness iâ— a tale-bearer betwixt me Christ is still whispering ill tales of my Lord to weaken my faith I had rather a cloud went over my comforts by these messages then that my faith should be hurt for if my Lord get no wrong by me verily I desire grace not to care what become of me I desire to give no faith nor credit to my sorrow that can make a lye of my best friend Christ. Woe woe be to them all who speak ill of Christ. Hence these thoughts awake with me in the morning goe to bed with me Oh what service can a dumb body doe in Christ's house Oh I think the word of God is imprisoned also Oh I am a dry tree Alas I can neither plant nor water Oh if my Lord would make but dung of me to fatten and make fertile his own corn-ridges in mount Sion Oh if I might but speak to three or four herd-boyes of my worthy master I would be satisfied to be the meanest and most obscure of all the Pastors in this land to live in any place in any of Christ's basest out-housâ—s but he saith Sirra I â—ill not send you I have no errands for you there away My desire to serve him is sick of jealousie lest he be unwilling to employ me Secondly this is seconded with another Oh all that I have done in Anwoth the fair work that my Master began there is like a bird dying in the shell what will I then have to show of all my labour in the day of my compearance before him when the Master of the vineyard calleth the labourers giveth them their hire Thirdly but truly when Christ's sweet wind is in the right airth I repent I pray Christ to take law-borrows of my quarrelous unbeleeving sadness sorrow Lord rebuke them that put ill betwixt a poor servant like me his good master then I say whether the black cross will or not I must climb hands feet up to my Lord. I am now ruing from my heart that I pleasure the law my old dead husband so far as to apprehend wrath in my sweet Lord Jesus I had far rather take an hire to plead for the grace of God for I think my self Christ's sworn debter the truth is to speak of my Lord what I cannot deny I am over head ears drowned in many obligations to his love mercy he handleth me sometimes so that I am ashamed almost to seek more for a four-hours but to live content till the marriage-supper of the Lamb with that which he giveth but I know not how greedy how ill to please love is for either my Lord Jesus hath taught me ill manners not to be content of a seat except my head lie in his bosom except I be fed with the fattest of his house or else I am grown impatiently dainty ill to please as if Christ were obliged under this cross to doe no other thing but bear me in his armes
Beware of lying swearing uncleanness the rest of the works of the flesh because for these things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience how sweet soever they may seem for the present yet the end of these courses is the eternall wrath of God utter darkness where there is weeping gnashing of teeth Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Your Loving Pastor S. R. To Mr THOMAS GARVEN 56 Reverend Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be unto you I am sorry that what joy sorrow drew from my imprisoned pen in my love-fits hath made you many of God's children beleeve that there is something in a broken reed the like of me except that Christ's grace hath bought such a sold body I know not what else any may think of me or expect from me my stock is less my Lord knoweth I speak truth then many beleeve my empty sounds have promised too much I would be glad to lie under Christ's feet keep receive the off-fallings or the old pieces of any grace that fall from his sweet fingers to forlorn sinners I lie often uncouth-like looking in at the King's windowes surely I am unworthy of a seat in the King's hall-floor I but often look afar off both feared and framed-like to that fairest face fearing he bid me look away from him my guiltiness riseth up upon me I have no answer for it I offered my tongue to Christ my pains in his house what know I what it meaneth when Christ will not receive my poor propine when love will not take we expone it will neither take nor give borrow nor lend Yet Christ hath another sea-compass he saileth by then my short raw thoughts I leave his part of it to himself I dare not expound his dealing as sorrow misbelief often dictateth to me I look often with bleared and blinde eyes to my Lords cross when I look to the wrong-side of his cross I know I miss a step slide surely I see I have not legs of my own for carrying me to heaven I must goe in at heavens gates borrowing strength from Christ. I am often thinking Oh if he would but give me leave to love him if Christ would but open up his wares the infinite infinite plyes windings corners of his soul-delighting-love let me see it back-side fore-side give me leave but to stand beside it like an hungry man beside meat to get my fill of wondering as a preface to my fill of enjoying but verily I think my foul eyes would defile his fair love to look to it Either my hunger is over humble if that may be said or else I consider not what honour it is to get leave to love Christ. O that he would pity a prisoner let out a flood upon the dry ground it is nothing to him to fill the like of me one of his looks would doe me meekle world's good him no ill I know I am not at a point yet with Christ's love I am not yet fitted for so much as I would have of it my hope sitteth neighbour with meekle black hunger certainly I dow not but think there is more of that love ordained for me then I yet comprehend I know not the weight of the pension the King will give me I shall be glad if my hungry bill get leave to lie beside Christ waiting on an answer now I would be full rejoyce if I got a poor man's almes of that sweetest love but I confidently beleeve there is a bal made for Christ me that we shall take our fill of love in it I often think when my joy is run out at the lowest ebbe that I would seek no more but my rights past the King 's great seal that these eyes of mine could see Christ's hand at the pen. If your Lord call you to suffering be not dismayed there shall be a new allowance of the King for you when ye come to it One of the softest pillowes Christ hath is laid under his witnesses head though often they must set down their bare feet among thorns He hath brought my poor soul to desire wish O that my ashes the powder I shall be dissolved into had well tuned tongues to praise him Thus in haste desiring your prayers praises I recommend you to my sweet sweet Master my honourable Lord of whom I hold all Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JEAN BROWN 57. MISTRESS GRace mercy peace be to you I am glad that ye goe on at Christ's back in this dark cloudy time It were good to sell other things for him for when all these dayes are over we shall finde it our advantage that we have taken part with Christ. I confidently beleeve his enemies shall be his footstool that he shall make green flowers dead withered hay when the honour glory shall fall off them like the bloom or flower of a green herb shaken with the wind It were not wisdom for us to think that Christ the Gospel will come sit down at our fire side nay but we must goe out of our warm houses seek Christ his gospel It is not the sunny side of Christ that we must look to we must not forsake him for want of that but must set our face against what may befall us in following on till he we be through the briers buâ—hes on the dry ground Our soft nature would be born through the troubles of this miserable life in Christ's arms it is his wisdom who knoweth our mould that his bairns goe wet-shod cold-footed to heaven O how sweet a thing were it for us to learn to make our burdens light by framing our hearts to the burthen and making our Lord's will a law I finde Christ his cross not so ill to please nor yet such troublesom guests as men call them Nay I think patience should make Christ's water good wine this dross good mettall we have cause to wait on for ere it be long our Master will be at us bring this whole world out before the sun the day-light in their black 's white 's Happy are they who are found watching Our sand-glass is not so long as we need to weary time will eat away root out our woes sorrow our heaven is in the bud growing up to an harvest why then should we not follow on seeing our span length of time will come to an inch Therefore I commend Christ to you as your last living longest living husband the staff of your old age let him have now the rest of your dayes think not much of a storm upon the ship that Christ saileth in there shall no passenger fall over board but the craised ship the sea-sick passenger shall come to land safe I am
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
RIGGE of Atherny 68 Worthy much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you How sad a prisoner would I be if I knew not that my Lord Jesus had the keys of the prison himself that his death blood hath bought a blessing to our crosses aswell as to our selves I am sure troubles have no prevailing right over us if they be but our Lord's Serjeants to keep us in ward while we are in this side of heaven I am perswaded also that they shall not goe over the bound-road nor enter in to heaven with us for they finde no welcome there where there is no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither any more pain therefore we shall leave them behinde us Oh if I could get as good a gate of sin even this wofull wretched body of sin as I get of Christ's cross Nay indeed I think the cross beared bâ—th me it self rather then I it in comparison of the tyranny of the lawless flesh wicked nighbour that dwelleth beside Christ's new creature But Oh this is that which presseth me down paiâ—eth me Jesus Christ in his saints sitteth neighbour with an ill second corruption deadness coldness pride lust worldliness self-love security falshood a world of â—oâ— the like which I finde in me that are daily doing violence to the new man O but we have cause to carry low sails to cleave fast to free grace free free grace Blessed be our Lord that ever that way was found out If my one foot were in heaven my soul half in if free-will corruption were absolute Lords of me I should never win wholly in O but the sweet new living way that Christ hath stroke up to our home be a safe way I finde now presence accâ—ss a greater dainty then bâ—fore but yet the bridegroom looketh through the lattes thorow the hole of the door O if he I were in fair dry land together in the other side of the water Grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 30. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S R. To the Lady KILCONQUHAIR 69 MISTRESS GRace mercy peace be to you I received your letter I am heartily content ye love own this oppâ—essed and wronged cause of Christ that now whâ—n so many are miscarried ye are in any measure taken with the love of Jesuâ— weary not but come in see if there be not more in Christ then the tongue of men Angels can express If ye seek a gate to heaven the way is in him or he is it What ye want is treasured up in Jesus he saith all his are yours even his Kingdom he is content to divide it betwixt him you yea his throne his glory Luk. 21. 29. Ioh. 17. 24. Rov 3. 21. Therefore take pains to climb up to that besâ—eged house to Christ for devils men armies of temptations are lying about the house to hold out all that are out it is taken with violence It is not a smooth easie way neitâ—er will your weather be fair pleasant but whosoever saw the invisible God the fair city make no reckoning of lossâ—s or crosses in ye must be cost you what it will stand not for a price for all that ye have to win the castle the rights to it are won to you it is disponed to you in your Lord Jesus's testament see what a fair legacy your dying friend Christ hath left you And there wanteth nothing but possession Then get up in the strength of the Lord get over the water to possâ—ss that good land It is better then a land of olives wine-trees for the tree of life that beareth twelve manner of fruits every moneth is there before you a pure river of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb is there Your time is short therefore lose no time Gracious faithfull is he who hath called you to his Kingdom glory The city is yours by free conquest by promise therefore let no uncouth Lord-idol put you from your own The devil hath cheated the simple heir of his Paradise by enticing us to taste of the forbidden fruit hath as it were bought us out of our kindly heritage But our Lord Christ Jesus hath done more then bought the devil by for he hath redeemed the wodset made the poor heir free to the inheritaÌ„ce If we knew the glory of our elder brother in heaven we would long to be there to see him to get our fill of heaven We children think the earth a fair garden but it is but God's out-field wilde cold barren ground All things are fading that are here It is our happiness to make sure Christ to our selves Thus remembring my love to your husband wiâ—king to him what I write to you I commit you to God's tender mercy Aberd. Sepr 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady CRAIGHALL 70 Honourable and Christian Lady GRace mercy peace be to you I cannot but write to your La of the sweet glorious termes I am in with the most joyful King that ever was under this well thrifing prosperous cross it is my Lord's salvation wrought by his own right hand that the water doeth not suffocat the breath of â—â—pe joyfull courage in the Loâ—d Jesus For his own person is still in the camp with his poor souldier I see the cross is tied with Christ's hand to the end of an honest profession We are but fools to endeavour to loose Christ's knot When I consider the comforts of God I durst not consent to sell or wod-set my short life-rent of the cross of the Lord Jesus I know that Christ bought with his own blood a right to sanctified blessed crosses in as far as they blow me over the water to my long desired home it were not good that Christ should be the buyer I the seller I know time death shall take sufferings fairly off my hand I hope we shall have an honest parting at night when this piece cold frosty afternoon-tide of my evil rough day shall be over Well is my soul of either sweet or sowre that Christ hath any part or portion in if he be at the one end of it it hall be well with me I shall die ere I libell faults against Christ's cross it hall have my testimonial under my hand as an honest saving mean of Christ for mortification faith's growth I have a stronger assurance since I came over Forth of the excellency of Jesus then I had before I am rather about him then in him while I am absent from him in this house of clay But I would be in heaven for no other cause but to essay try what boundies joy it must be to be over head ears in my welbeloved Christ's love O that fair one
sick night through the terrors of the Almighty would make men whose conscience hath such a wide throat as an image like a Chathedral Church would goe down it have other thoughts of Christ and his worship then now they please themselves with The scarcity of faith in the earth saith We are hard upon the last nick of time Blessed are these who keep their garments clean against the bridegroom's coming There shall be spotted clothes many defiled garments at his last coming therefore few found worthy to walk with him in white I am perswaded my Lord this poor travelling woman our pained Church is with childe of victory shall bring forth a man-childe that shall be caught up to God his throne howbeit the Dragon in his followers be attending the childe-birth-pain as an Egyptian midwife to receive the birth strangle it Isa. 29 8. But they shall be disappointed who thirst for the destruction of Zion they shall be as when a hungry man dreameth that he eateth but behold he awaketh his soul is empty or when a thirsty man dreameth that he drinketh but behold he awaketh is faint his soul is not satisfied so shall it be I say with the multitude of all the nations that fight against mount Zion Therefore the weak feeble these that are as signes wonders in Israel have chosen the best side even the side that victory is upon I think this is no evil policy Verily for my self I am so well pleased with Christ his noble honest-born cross this cross that is come of Christ's house is of kin to himself that I should weep if it should come to niffering barâ—â—ring of lots condition with these that are at ease in Zion I hold still my choice blesse my self in it I see I beleeve there is salvation in this way that is every where spoken against I hope to goe to eternity to venture upon the last evil to the saints even upon death fully perswaded that this onely even this is the saving way for rackel consciences for weary laden sinners to finde ease peace for evermore into indeed it is not for any worldly respect that I speak so of it the weather is not so hot that I have great cause to startle in my prison or to boast of that â—ntertainment that my good friends the Prelats intend for me which is banishment if they shall obtain their desire effectu at what they design but let it come I rue not that I made Christ my waile my choice I think him ay the longer the better My Lord It shall be good service to God to hold your noble friend Chief upon a good course for the truth of Christ. Now the very God of peace establish your Lo in Christ Jesuâ— unto the end Aberd. Sept 10. 1637. Your Lo in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Laird of GAITGIRTH 76 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you I can doe no more but thank you in paper remember you to him whom I serve for your kindness care of a prisoner I bleâ—s the Lord the cause I suffer for needeth not to bluâ—h before Kings Christs white honest fair truth needeth neither wax pale for fear nor blush for shame I bless the Lord who hath graced you to own Christ now when so many are affraid to profess him hide him for fear they suffer loss by avouching him Alas that so many in these dayes are carried with the times As if their conscience rolled upon oyled wheels so doe they goe any way the wind bloweth them because Christ is not market-sweet men put him away from them Worthy much honoured Sir goe on to own Christ his oppressed truth The end of sufferings for the Gospel is rest and gladness light joy is sown for the mourners in Zion and the harvest which is of God's making for time manner is neer Crosses have right claim to Christ in hs members till legs arms whole mystical-Christ be in heaven There will be rain hail stormâ—â—n the saints clouds ever till God cleanse with fire the works of creation till he burn the botch-house of heaven earth that mens sin hath subjected unto vanity They are blessed who suffer sin not for suffering is the badge that Christ hath put upon his followers Take what way we can to heaven the way is hedged up with crosses there is no way but to break through them wit wiles shifts laws will not finde out a way about the cross of Christ but we must through one thing by experience my Lord hath taught me that the waters betwixt this heaven may all be ridden if â—e be well hors'd I mean if we be in Christ not one shall drown by the way but such as love their own destruction Oh if we could wait on for a time beleeve in the dark the salvation of God! At least we are to beleeve good of Christ till he give us the slip which is impossible to take his word for caution that he shall fill up all the blanks in his promises give us what we want but to the unbeleever Christ's Testament is white blank unwritten paper worthy and dear Sir set your face to heaven make you to stoop at all the low entries in the way that ye may receive the Kingdom as a childe without this he that knew the way said there is no entry in O but Christ be willing to lead a poor sinner O what love my poor soul hath found in him in the house of my pilgrimage Suppose love in heaven and earth were lost I dare swear it may be found in Christ. Now the very God of peace establish you till the day of the glorious appearance of Christ. Aberd. Sept. 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady GAITGIRTH 77 Much honoured Christian Lady GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear how it goeth with you your children I exhort you not to lose breath nor to faint in your journey The way is not so long to your home as it was it will wear to one step or an inch at length ye shall come ere long to be within your arm-length of the glorious crown Your Lord Jesus did sweat pant ere he got up that mount he was at father save me with it it was he who Psal. 22 14. said I am poured out like water all my bones are out of joynt Christ waâ— as if they had broken him upon the wheel my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels v. 15. My strength is dried up like a poâ—sheard I am sure ye love the way the better that his holy feet trod it before you Crosses have a smell of crossed pained Christ. I beleeve your Lord will not leave you to
die your alone in the way I know ye have sad hours when the comforter is hid under a vail when ye inquire for him finde but a toom nest This I grant is but a cold good-day when the seeker misseth him whom the soul loveth but even his unkindness is kind his absence lovely his mask a sweet fight till God send Christ himself in his own sweet presence make his sweet comforts your own be not strange shame fast with Christ homely dealing is best for him it is his liking When your winter storms are over the summer of your Lord shall come Your sadness is with childe of joy he will doe you good in the latter end Take no heavier lift of your children then your Lord alloweth give them room beside your heart but not in the yolk of your heart where Christ should be for then they are your idols not your bairns if your Lord take any of them home to his house before the storm come on take it well the owner of the orchard may take down two or thrâ—…â—pples off his own trees before midsummer ere they get the harvest sun it would not be seemly that his servant the gardiner should chide him for it Let our Lord pluck his own fruit at any season he pleaseth they are not lost to you they are laid up so well as that they are coffered in heaven where our Lord 's best jewely lie They are all free goods that are there death can have no law to arrest any thing that is within the walls of the new Ierusalem All the saints because of sin are like old rusty horologies that must be taken down the wheels scoured mended set up again in better case then before Sin hath rusted both soul body our dear Lord by death taketh us down to scour the wheels of both to purge us perfectly from the root and remainder of sin we shall be set up in better case then before Then pluck up your heart heaven is yours that is a word few can say Now the great Shepherd of the sheep the very God of peace confirm establish you to the day of the appearance of Christ our Lord. Aberd. 7 Sept. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To his revend very dear brother Mr GEORGE GILLESPIE 78 My very Dear Brother I Received yours I am still with the Lord his cross hath done that which I thought impossible once Christ keepeth tryst in the fire water with his own cometh ere our breath goe out ere our blood grow cold Blessed are they whose feet escape the great golden net that is now spread it is our happiness to take the crabbed rough poor side of Christ's world which is a lease of crosses losses for him for Christ's in comes casualities that follow him are many it is not a little one that a good conscience may be had in following him this is true gain most to be laboured for loved Many give Christ for a shadow because Christ was rather beside their conâ—cience in a dead reprobate light then in their conscience Let us be ballasted with grace that we be not blowen over that we staggar not Yet a little while Christ his redeemed ones shall fill the field come out victorious Christ's glory of triumphing in Scotland is yet in the bud in the birth but the birth cannot prove an abortive He shall not faint nor be discouraged till he have brought forth judgement unto victory Let us still minde our Covenant the very God of peace be with you Aberd. 9. Sept. 1637. Your Brother in Christ. S. R. To Mr MATHEW MOWAT 79 Reverend Dear Brother I Am refreshed with your letters I would take all well at my Lord's hands that he hath done If I knew I could doe my Lord any service in my suffering suppose my Lord would make a stop-hole of me to fill a hole in the wall of his house or a pinning in Zion's new work For any place of trust in my Lord's house as steward or chamberlain or the like surely I think my self my very dear brother I speak not by any proud figure or trope unworthy of it nay I am not worthy to stand behinde the door if my head feet body were half out half in in Christ's house so I saw the fair face of the Lord of the house it would still my grieuing love-sick desires When I hear that the men of God are at work speaking in our Lord Jesus his name I think my self but an out-cast or out-law chased from the City to lie on the hills live amongst the rocks out-fields O that I might but stand in Christ's out-house or hold a candle in any low vault of his house But I know this is but the vapours that arise out of a quarrellous unbeleeving heart to darken the wisdom of God And your fault is just mine that I cannot beleeve my Lord's bare naked word I must either have an apple to play me with shake hands with Christ have seal caution witness to his word or else I count my self loose how beit I have the word faith of a King Oh I am made of unbelief cannot swim but where my feet may touch the ground Alas Christ under my temptations is presented to me as lying-waters as a dyvour a cousener We can make such a Christ as temptations casting us in a night-dream doeth feign devise tempeations represent Christ ever unlike himself we in our folly listen to the tempter If I could minister one saving word to any how glad would my soul be But I my self which is my greatest evil often mistake the cross of Christ For I know if we had wit knew well that ease slayeth us fools we would desire a market where we might barter or niffer our lazie ease with a profitable cross howbeit there be an out-cast natural betwixt our desires tribulation But some give a dear price gold for physick which they love not buy sickness howbeit they wish rather to have been whole then to be sick But surely Brother ye shall not have my advice howbeit alas I cannot follow it my self to contend with the honest faithfull Lord of the house for goe he or come he he is ay gracious in his departure There are grace mercy loving kindness upon Christ's back-parts When he goeth away the proportion of his face the image of that fair sun that staveth in eyes senses heart after he is gone leaveth a mass of love behinde it in the heart The sound of his knock at the door of his beloved after he is gone past leaveth 〈◊〉 share of joy sorrow both So we have something to feed upon till he return he is more loved in his departure after he is gone then
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
the presence of his face with joy establish your heart in the love of Christ. Aberd. 19. Febr. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To EARLESTOWN Younger 97 Honoured Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you I received your letter which refreshed my soul. I thank God the court is closed I think shame of my part of it I pass now from my unjust summonds of unkindness libelled against Christ my Lord He is not such a Lord Master as I took him to be verily he is God I am dust ashes I took Christ's glooms to be as good as Scripture speaking wrath but I have seen the other side of Christ the white side of his cross now I behooved to come to Aberdeen to learn a new mystery in Christ that his promise is better to be beleeved then his looks that the devil can cause Christ's glooms speak a lie to a weak man Nay verily I was a childe before all by-gones are but bâ—irns play I would I could begin to be a Christian in sad earnest I nâ—ed not blame Christ if I be not one for he hath shewed me heaven hell in Aberdeen But the truth is for all my sorrow Christ is nothing in my debt for his comforts have refreshed my soul I have heard sâ—en him in his sweetness so as I am almost saying it is not he that I was wont to meet with He laugheth more chearfully his kisses are more sweet soul-refreshing then the kisses of the Christ I saw before were though he be the same or rather the King hath led me up to a measure of joy communion with my Bridegroom that I never attained to before so that often I think I will neither borrow nor lend with this world I will not strike sail to crosses nor flatter them to be quite of them as I have done Come all crosses welcome welcome So I may get my heartfull of my Lord Jesus I have been so near him as I have said I take instruments this is the Lord leave a token behinde thee that I may never forget this Now what can Christ doe more to dâte one of his poor prisoners Therefore Sir I charge you in the name of my Lord Jesus praise with me shew to others what he hath done unto my soul. This is the fruit of my sufferings that I desire Christ's name may be spread abroad in this Kingdom in my behalf I hope in God not to slander him again yet in all this I get not my feasts without some mixture of gall neither am I free of old jealousies for he hath removed my lovers friends far from me he hath made my congregation desolate taken away my crown my dumb sabbaths are like a stone tied to a bird's foot that wanteth not wings they seem to hinder me to fleo Were it not that I dare not say one word but Well done Lord Iesus We can in our prosperity sport our selves be too bold with Christ yea be that insolent as to chide with him but under the water we dare not speak I wonder now of my sometimes boldness to chide quarrell Christ to nickname Providence when it stroaked me against the hair but now swimming in the waters I think my will is fallen to the ground of the water I have lost it I think I would fain â—et Christ alone give him leave to doe with me what he pleaseth if he would smile upon me Verily we know not what an evil it is to spill indulge our selves to make an idol of our will I was once I would not eat except I had wailed meat now I dare not complain of crumbs pairings under his table I was once that I would make the house adoe if I saw not the world carved set in order to my liking now I am silent when I see God hath set servants on horseback is fatning feeding the children of perdition I pray God I never finde my will again Oh if Christ would subject my will to his trample it under his feet liberate me from that lawless Lord. Now Sir in your youth gather fast your sun will mount to the Meridian quickly thereafter decline Be greedy of grace Study above any thing my dear Brother to mortifie your lusts Oh but pride of youth vainty lust idolizing of the world charming pleasures take long time to root them out As far as ye are advanced in the way to heaven as neer as ye are to Christ as much progress as ye have made in the way of mortification ye will finde that ye are far behinde have most of your work before you I never took it to be so hard to be dead to my lusts to this world When the day of visitation cometh your old idols come weeping about you ye will have much adoe not to break your heart it 's best give up in time with them so as ye could at a call quite your part of this world for a drink of water or a thing of nothing Verily I have seen the best of this world a moth-eaten threed bare coat I purpose to lay it aside being now hollie old O for my house above not made with hands Pray for Christ's prisoner write to me Remember my love to your mother Desire her from me to make for removing the Lord's tide will not bide her to seek an heavenly minde that her heart may be often there Grace be with you Aberd. Feb. 20. 1637. Yours Christ's prisoner S. R. To ROBERT GLENDINING 98 My Dear Friend GRace mercy peace be to you I thank you most kindly for your care of me your love and respective kindness to my brother in his distresse I pray the Lord ye may finde mercy in the day of Christ I entreat you Sir to consider the times ye live in that your soul is of more worth to you then the whole world which in the day of the blowing of the last trumpet shall lie in white ashes as an old castle burnt to nothing Remember that judgement eternity is before you My dear worthy friend let me entreat you in Christ's name by the salvation of your soul by your compearance before the dreadful sin-revenging judge of the world make your accounts ready read them ere ye come to the water side for your after-noon will wear short your sun fall low and goe down ye know that this long time your Lord hath waited on you O how comfortable a thing shall it be to you when time shall be no more your soul shall depart out of the house of clay to vaste endlesse eternity to have your soul dressed up prepared for your bridegroom No losse is comparable to the losse of the soul there is no hope of regaining that losse O how joyfull would my soul be to hear that ye would start to
the gate contend for the crown leave all vanities make Christ your garland Let your soul put away your old lovers let Christ have your whole love I have some experience to write of this to you My witnesse is in heaven I would not exchange my chains bonds for Christ my sighs â—or ten worlds glory I judge this clay-idol that Adam's sons are rouping selling their souls for not worth a drink of cold water O if your soul were in my soul's stead how sick would ye be of love for that fairest one that fairest among the sons of men Mayflowers morning vapours summer mist posteth not so fast away as these worm-eaten pleasures that we follow We build castles in the air night dreams are our day idols that we dote on Salvation Salvation is our onely one necessarie thing Sir call home your thoughts to this work to inquire for your welbeloved This earth is the portion of bastards seek the sons inheritance let Christ's truth be dear to you I pawnd my salvation on it that this is the honour of Christ's Kingdom I now suffer for this world I hope shall not come between me my garland that this is the way to life When ye I shall lie lumps of pale clay upon the cold ground our pleasures that we now naturally love shall be lesse then nothing in that day dear Brother fulfill my joy betake you to Christ without further delay ye will be fain at length to seek to him or doe infinitly worse Remember my love to your wife grace be with you Aberd. March 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To WILLIAM GLENDINING 99 Welbeloved dear Brother GRace mercy and peace be to you I thank you most kindly for your care love to me in particular to my brother in hiâ— distresse in Edinburgh Goe on thorow your waters without wearying your guide knoweth the way follow him cast your caâ—es tentation upon him let not wormes the sons of men affright you they shall die the moth shall eat them keep your garland there is no lesse at the stake in this game betwixt us the world then our conscience salvation we have need to take heed to the game not to yield to them Let them take other things from us but here in matters of conscience we must hold draw with Kings set our selves in termes of opposition with the shields of the earth O the sweet communion for evermore that hath been between Christ his poor prisoner He wearieth not to be kinde He is the fairest sight I see in Aberd or any part that ever my feet were in Remember my hearty kindness to your wife I desire her to beleeve lay her cares on God make fast work of salvation Grace be with you Aberd. March 13. 1637. Yours in his onely Lord Iesus S. R. To JEAN BROWN 100 Welbeloved and dear Sister GRace mercy peace be to you I received your letter which I esteem an evidence of your Christian affection to me of your love to my honourable Lord Master My desire is that your communion with Christ may grow that your reckonings may be put by hand with your Lord ere ye come to the water side O who knoweth how sweet Christs ' kisses are who hath been more kindly embraced kissed then I his banished prisoner If the comparison could stand I would not exchange Christ with heaven it self He hath left a dart arrow of love in my soul it paineth me till he come take it out I finde pain of these wounds because I would have possession I know now this worm-eaten apple the plaistered rotten world that the silly Children of this world are beating buffetting pulling others ears for is a portion for bastards good enough that is all they have to look for I offend not that my adversaries stay at home at their own fire-side with more yearly rent then I should I be angry that the good-man of this house of the world casteth a dog a bone to hurt his teeth he hath taught me to be content with a borrowed fire-side an uncouth bed I think I have lost nothing the in come is so great O what telling is in Christ O how weighty is my fair garland my crown my fair supping-hall in glory where I shall be above the blowes and buffettings of Prelats Let this be your desire let your thoughts dwell much upon that blessednesse that abideth you in the other world The fair side of the world will be turned to you quickly when ye shall see the crown I hope ye are neer your lodging O but I would think my self blessed for my part to win the house before the shower come on For God hath a quiver full of arrowes to shoot at shower down upon Scotland Ye have the prayers of a prisoner of Christ. I desire Patrick to give Christ his young love even the flower of it and put it by all others it were good to start soon to the way He should thereby have a great advantage in the evil day Grace be with you Aberd. March 7. 1637. Yours in his onely Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr JOHN FERGUSHILL 101 Reverend and welbeloved in the Lord. I Was refreshed with your letter I am sorry for that lingering and long some visitation that is upon your wife but I know ye take it as a mark of a lawfully begotten childe not of a bastard to be under your father's rod till ye be in heaven it will be but foul weather one shower up another down The lintel-stones pillars of the new Jerusalem suffer moe knocks of God's hammer tool then the common side-wall stones if twenty crosses be written for you in God's book they will come to ninteen then at last to one after that nothing but your head betwixt Christ's breasts for evermore his own soft hand to dry your face wipe away your teares As for publike sufferings for his truth your Master also will see to these Let us put him in his own office to comfort deliver the gloom of Christ's crosse is worse then it self I cannot keep up what he hath done to my soul My dear Brother will I not get help of you to praise to lift Christ up on high He hath pained me with his love hath left a love arrow in my heart that hath made a wound swelled me up with desires so that I am to be pitied for want of reall possession love would have the company of the party loved my greatest pain is the want of him not of his joyes comforts but of a neer union communion This is his truth I am fully perswaded I now suffer for For Christ hath taken upon him to be witnesse to it by his sweet comforts to my soul
shall I think him a false witnesse or that he would subscribe blank paper I thank his high and dreadfull name for what he hath given I hope to keep his seal his pawne till he come loose it himself I defie hell to put me off it but he is Christ he hath met with his prisoner I took instruments in his own hand that it was he no other for him When the Devil fenceth a bastard court in my Lord's ground giveth me forged summonds it will be my shame to misbeleeve after such a fair broad seal yet Satan my apprehension sometimes make a lye of Christ as if he hated me but I dare beleeve no evil of Christ if he would cool my lovefever for himself with reall presence possession I would be rich but I dare not be mislearned and seek more in that kinde howbeit it be no shame to beg at Christ's door I pity my adversaries I grudge not that my Lord keepeth them at their own fire-side hath given me a borrowed bâ—d a borrowed fire-side Let the good-man of the house cast a dog a bone why should I offend I rejoyce that the broken bark shall come to land that Christ will on the shore welcome the sea-sick passenger We have need of a great stock against this day of trial that is coming neither chaff nor corn in Scotland but it shall once passe thorow God's sieve Praise praise pray for me for I cannot forget you I know ye will be friendly to my afflicted brother who is now embarked in the same cause with me Let him have your counsel comforts Remember my love in Christ to your wife her health is coming and her salvation sleepeth not Ye have the prayers and blessing of a prisoner of Christ Sowe fast deal bread plentifully The pantry door will be locked on the bairns in appearance ere long Grace grace be with you Aberd. March 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord. Iesus S. R. To his reverend dear Brother Mr ROBERT DOUGLASS 102 My very reverend and dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you I long to see you in paper I cannot but write to you that this which I now suffer for is Christ's truth because he hath been pleased to seal my sufferings with joy unspeakable glorious I know he will not put his seal upon blank paper Christ hath not dumb seals neither will he be witness to a lye I beseech you my dear Brother help me to praise to lift Christ up on his throne above the shields of the earth I am astonished confounded at the greatness of his Kindness to such a sinner I know Christ I shall never be even I shall die in his debt He hath left an arrow in my heart that paineth me for want of reall possession hell cannot quench this coal of God's kindling I wish no man slander Christ or his crosse for my cause for I have much cause to speak much good of him He hath brought me to a nick degree of communion with himself that I knew not before The din gloom of our Lord's cross is more fearfull hard then the cross it self He taketh the bairns in his arms when they come to a deep water at least when they lose ground are put to swim then his hand is under their chin Let me be helped by your prayers remember my love to your kinde wife Grace be with you Aberd. March 7. 1637. Your Brother and Christ's prisoner S R. To his loving friend JOHN HENDERSON 103. Loving friend COntinue in the love of Christ the doctrine which I taught you faithfully painfully according to my measure I am free of your blood Fear the dreadfull name of God Keep in minde the examinations which I taught you love the truth of God Death as fast as time flyeth chaseth you out of this life It is possible ye make your reckoning with your judge before I see you let salvation be your care night day set aside hours times of the day for prayer I rejoyce to hear that there is prayer is your house See that your servants keep the Lord's day This dirt god of clay I mean the vain world is not worth the seeking An hireling pastor is to be thrust in upon you in the room to which I have Christ's warrand right Stand to your liberties for the word of God alloweth you a vote in chusing your Pastor What I write to you I write to your wife commend me heartily to her The grace of God be with you Aberd. March 14. 1637. Your loving friend and Pastor S. R. To Mr HUGH HENDERSON 104 My reverend and dear Brother I hear ye bear the marks of Christ's dying about with you that your brethren have cast you out for your Master's sake Let us wait on till the evening till our reckoning in black white come before our Master Brother since we must have a devil to trouble us I love a raging devil best Our Lord knoweth what for of devil we have need of It is best Satan be in his own skin look like himself Christ weeping looketh like himself also with whom Scribes Pharisees were at yea nay sharpe contradiction Ye have heard of the patience of Iob when he lay in the ashes God was with him clawing curing his scabs letting out his boils comforting his soul he took him up at last That God is not dead yet he will stoop take up fallen bairns many broken legs since Adam's dayes hath he spelked many weary hearts hath he refreshed Bless him for comfort Why None cometh dry from David's well let us goe amongst the rest cast down our toom buckets into Christ's Ocean suck consolations out of him We are not so sore striken but we may fill Christ's hall with weeping We have not gotten our answer from him yet Let us lay up our broken plea's to a full sea keep them till the day of Christ's coming We and this world will not be even till then They would take our garment from us but let us hold them draw Brother it is a strange world if we laugh not I never saw the like of it if there be not paiks the man for this contempt done to the Son of God We must doe as these who keep the bloody napkin to the Bailiffe let him see blood we must keep our wrongs to our Judge let him see our bluddered foul faces Prisoners of hope must run to Christ with the gutters that tears have made on their cheeks Brother for my self I am Christ's dâted one for the present I live upon no deaf nuts as we use to speak he hath opened fountains to me in the wilderness Goe look to my Lord Jesus his love to me is such that I defie the world to finde either brim or bottom in it
Christ but his coat Oh how forlorn desolate is the Bride of Christ made to all passers by Who seeth not Christ buried in this land his prophets hidden in caves silenced banished imprisoned Truth weeping in sackcloth before the Judges Parliament the Rulers of the land But her bill is cast by them Holiness hideth it self fearing the streets for the reporoaches persecution of men Justice is fallen a swoon in the gate the long shadows of the evening are stretched out upon us Woe woe to us for our day flyeth away what remaineth but that the Antichrist set down his tent in the midst of us except your Lo others with you read Christ's supplication give him that which the most lewd and scandalous wretches in this land may have before a judge even the poor man's due law and justice for God's sake O therefore my noble dear Lord as ye have begun goe on in the mighty power and strength of the Lord to cause our Lord in his Gospel and afflicted members laugh to cause the Christian Churches whose eyes are all now upon you to sing for joy when Scotland's moon shall shine like the light of the sun the sun like the light of seven dayes in one ye can doe noless then run bear up the head of your dying swooning mother-Church plead for the production of her ancient charters They hold out and put out they hold in and bring in at their pleasure men in God's house they stole the keys from Christ and his Church and came in like the thief the robber not by the door Christ now their song is Authority Authority obedience to Church-Governours When such a bastard lawless pretended step-dame as our prelacy is gone mad it is your place who are the Nobles to rise binde them at least law should fetter such wilde bulls as they are who push all who oppose themselves to their domination Alas What have we lost since Prelats were made Master coiners to change our gold in brass and to mix the Lord's wine with their water Blessed for ever shall ye be of the Lord if ye help Christ against the mighty and shall deliver the flock of God scattered upon the mountains in the dark cloudy day out of the hands of these idol-shepherds Fear not men that shall be moth-eaten-clay that shall be rolled up in a chest casten under the earth Let the holy one of Israel be your fear be couragious for the Lord and his truth Remember your accounts coming upon you with wings as fast as time posteth away Remember what peace with God in Christ the presence of the Son of God in the revealed felt sweetness of his love will be to you when eternity shall put time to the door ye shall take good-night at Time this little shepherd's tent of clay this Innes of a borrowed earth I hope your Lo is now then sending out thoughts to view this world's naughtiness vanity the hoped-for glory of the life to come that ye resolve that Christ shall have your self all yours at command for him his honour Gospel Thus trusting your Lo Will pardon my boldness I pray that the onely wise God the very God of peace may preserve strengthen establish you to the end Aberd. 1637. Your Lo at all command obedience in Chrst. S. R. To the Lady ROVVALAND 107 MADAM THough not acquainted I am bold in Christ to speak to vour La in paper I rejoyce in our Lord Jesus on your behalf that it hath pleased him whose love to you is as old as himself to manifest the savour of his love in Christ Jesus to your soul in the revelation of his will minde to you now when so many are shut up in unbelief O the sweet change ye have made in leaving the black kingdom of this world sin coming over to our bridegroom 's new kingdom to know to be taken with the love of the beautifull Son of God I beseech you Madam in the Lord make now sure work see that the old house be casten down razed from the foundation and that the new building of your soul be of Christ's own laying for then wind and storm shall neither loose it nor shake it asunder Many now take Christ by guess Be sure that it be he and onely he whom ye have met with His sweet smell his lovely voyce his fair face his sweet working in the soul will not lye they will soon tell if it be Christ indeed I think your love to the saints speaketh that it is he therefore I say be sure that ye take Christ himself take him with his father's blessing his father alloweth him well upon you your lines are well fallen it could not have been better nor so well with you if they had not fallen in these places In heaven or out of heaven there is nothing better nothing so sweet excellent as the thing ye have lighted on therefore hold you with Christ Joy much joy may ye have of him But take his cross with himself cheerfully Christ and his cross are not separable in this life howbeit Christ his cross part at heaven's door for there is no house-room for crosses in heaven one tear one sigh one sad heart one fear one losse or thought of trouble cannot finde lodging there they are but the markes of our Lord Jesus down in this wide innes stormy countrey on this side of death Sorrow the saints are not married together of suppose it were so heaven shall make a divorce I finde his sweet presence eateth out the bitterness of sorrow suffering I think it a sweet thing that Christ saith of my cross Halfmine that he divideth these sufferings with me taketh the largest share to himself nay that I my whole cross are wholly Christ's O what a portion is Christ O that the saints would dig deeper in the treasures of his wisdom excellency Thus recommending your La to the goodwill tender mercies of our Lord I rest Aberd. Sept. 7. 1637 Yours La in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To ROBERT GORDON Of Knockbrex 108 My very worthy dear Friend GRace mercy peace be unto you Though all Galloway should have forgotten me I would have expected a letter from you ere now But I will not expound it to be forgetfulness of me Now My dear Brother I cannot shew you how matters goe betwixt Christ and me I finde my Lord going and coming seven times a day His visits are short but they are both frequent sweet I dare not for my life think of a challenge of my Lord I hear ill tales hard reports of Christ from the Tempter and my flesh but love beleeveth no evil I may swear that they are lyars and that apprehensions make lyes of Christ's honest and unalterable love to me
I dare not say that I am a dry tree or that I have no room at all in the vineyard but yet I often think that the sparrows are blessed who may resort to the house of God in Anwoth from which I am banished Temptations that I supposed to be striken dead and laid upon their back rise again and revive upon me yea I see that while I live temptations will not die The devil seemeth to brag boast as much as if he had more court with Christ then I have as if he had charmed blasted my ministery that I shall doe no more good in publike but his wind shaketh no corn I will not beleeve Christ would have made such a mint to have me to himself and have taken so much pains upon me as he hath done and then slip so easily from possession and lose the glory of what he had done Nay since I came to Aberden I have been taken up to see the new land the fair palace of the Lamb And will Christ let me see heaven to break my heart never give it to me I shall not think my Lord Jesus giveth a dumb earnest or putteth his sealâ— to blank paper or intendeth to put me off with fair and false promises I see that now which I never saw well before 1. I see faith's necessity in a fair day is never known aright but now I miss nothing somuch as faith Hunger in me runneth to fair and sweet promises but when I come I am like a hungry man that wanteth teeth or a weak stomack having a sharp appetite that is filled with the very sight of meat or lik one stupified with cold under the water that would fain come to land but cannot grip any thing casten to him I can let Christ grip me but I cannot grip him I love to be kissed and to sit on Christ's knee but I cannot set my feet to the ground for afflictions bring the cramp upon my faith All I dow doe is to hold out a lame faith to Christ like a begger holding out a stump in stead of an arm or leg and cry Lord Iesus work a miracle O what would I give to have hands arms to grip strongly fold heart somly about Christ's neck to have my claim made good with reall possession I think my love to Christ hath feet abundance ruinneth swiftly to be at him but it wanteth hands and fingers to apprehend him I think I would give Christ every morning my blessing to have as much faith as I have love hunger at least I miss faith more then love hunger 2. I see mortification to be crucified to the world is not so highly accounted of by us as it should be O how heavenly a thing is it to be dead dumb deaf to this world 's sweet musick I confess it hath pleased his Majesty to make me laugh at children who are wooing this world for their match I see men lying about the world as Nobles about a King's court I wonder what they are a doing there As I am at this present I would scorn to court such a feckless petty Princesse or buy this world's kindness with a bow of my knee I scarce now either hear or see what it is that this world offereth me I know it 's little it can take from me as little it can give me I recommend Mortification to you above any thing For alas we but chase feathers flying in the air tire our own spirits for the froth overguilded clay of a dying life One sight of what my Lord hath let me see within this short time is worth a world of worlds 3. I thought courage in the time of trouble for Christ's sake a tâ—ing that I might take up at my foot I thought the very remembrance of the honesty of the cause would be enough but I was a fool in so thinking I have much adoe now to win to one smile but I see joy groweth up in heaven it is above our short arm Christ will be steward dispenser himself nonâ— else but He Therefore now I count much of one dram weight of spirituall joy one smile of Christ's face is now to me as a Kingdom yet he is no niggard to me of comforts Truly I have no cause to say that I am pinched with penury or that the consolations of Christ are dried up for he hath poured down rivers upon a dry wilderness the like of me to my admiration in my very swoonings he holdeth up my head stayeth me with flagons of wine comforteth me with apples My house bed is strowed with kisses of love Praise praise with me O if ye I betwixt us could lift up Christ upon his throne howbeit all Scotland should cast him down to the ground My Brother's case toucheth me neer I hope ye will be kinde to him give him your best counsel Remember my love to your Brother to your wife G. M. desire him to be faithfull repent of his hypocrisie and say that I wrote it to you I wish him salvation Write to me your minde anent C. E. And C. Y. And their wives I. G. Or any others in my parish I fear I am forgotten amongst them but I cannot forget them The prisoner's prayers and blessing come upon you Grace grace be with you Aberd. Feb 9. 1637. Your Brother in the Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lord. BALMERINOCH 109 My very Noble truly honourable Lord. I Make bold to write newes to your Lo from my prison though your Lo have experience more then I can have At my first entry here I was not a little casten down with challenges for old unrepented of sins Satan my own apprehensions made a lye of Christ that he had casten a dry withered tree over the dike of the vineyard but it was my folly blessed be his great name the fire cannot burn the dry tree He is pleased noâ— to feast the exiled prisoner with his lovely presence for it suiteth Christ well to be kinde he dineth suppeth with such a sinner as I am I am in Christ's tutouring here He hath made me content with a borrowed fire-side it casteth as much heat as mine own I want nothing at all but reall possession of Christ And he hath given me a pawne of that also which I hope to keep till he come himself to loose the pawne I cannot get help to praise his high name He hath made me a King over my losses imprisonment banishment onely my dumb sabbaths stick in my throat But I forgive Christ's wisdom in that I dare not say one word He hath done it I will lay my hand upon my mouth If any other had done it to me I could not have born it Now My Lord I must tell your Lo That I would not give a drink of cold water for this clay idol this plaistered
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
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
Brother I cannot tell what is become of my labours among that people If all that my Lord builded by me be casten down the bottom fallen out of the profession of that parish none stand by Christ whose love I once preached as clearly plainly as I could though far below it's worth excellency to that people if so how can I bear it If another make a foul harvest where I have made a painfull honest sowing it will not soon digest with me but I know his wayes pass finding out Yet my witness both within me above me knoweth my pained breast upon the Lord's day at night my desire to have had Christ awfull amiable sweet to that people is now my joy it was my desire aime to make Christ them one If I see my hopes die in the bud ere they bloom a little come to no fruit I die with grief O my God seek not an account of the violence done to me by my brethren whose salvation I love desire I pray that they I be not heard as contrary parties in the day of our compearance before our judge in that process led by them against my ministery which I received from Christ I know a little inch less then the third part of this span-length hand-breadth of time which is posting away will put me without the stroke above the reach of either brethren or foes And it is a short-lasting injurie done to me to my pains in that part of my Lord's vineyard O how silly an advantage is my deprivation to men seeing my Lord Jesus hath many wayes to recover his own losses is irresistible to compass his own glorious ends that his lilie may grow amongst thorns his little Kingdom exalt it self even under the swords spears of contrary powers But my dear Brother goe on in the strength of his rich grace whom ye serve Stand fast for Christ Deliver the Gospel off your hand your ministery to your Master with a clean undefiled conscience Loose not a pin of Christ's tabernacle Doe not so much as picke with your naile at one board or border of the ark Have no part or dealing upon any terms in a hoof in a closed window or in a bowing of your â—…nce in casting down of the temple But be a mourning speaking witness again them who now ruine Zion Our Master will be on us all in a clap ere ever we wit That day will discover all our white 's our black 's concerning this controversie of poor oppressed Zion Let us make our part of it good that it may be able to abide the fire when hay and stuble shall be burnt to ashes Nothing nothing I say nothing but sound sanctification can abide the Lord's fan I stand to my testimony that I preached often of Scotland Lamentation mourning woe abideth thâ—â— O Scotland O Scotland the fearfull quarrell of a broken Covenant standeth good with thy Lord. Now remember my love to all friends to all my parishoners as if I named each one of them particularly I recommend you God's people committed by Christ to your trust to the rich grace of our alsufficient Lord. Remember my bonds Praise my Lord who beareth me up in my sufferings As ye sinde occasion accorcording to the wisdom given you shew our acquaintance what the Lord hath done to my soul This I seek not verily to hunt my own praise but that my sweetest dearest Master may be magnified in my sufferings I rest Aberd. June 17. 1637. Your brother in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To MARION MCKNAUGHT 126 Dearly beloved in our Lord Iesus Christ. GRace mercy peace be to you Few know the heart of a stranger prisoner I am in the hands of mine enemies I would honest lawfull means were essayed for bringing me home to my charge now when Mr A. R. Mr H. R. are restored It concerneth you of Galloway most to use supplications and addresses for this purpose and try if by fair means I can be brought back again As for liberty without I be restored to my flock it is little to me for my silence is my greatest prison However it bâ— I wait for the Lord I hope not to rot in my sufferings Lord give me submission to wait on my heart is sad that my dayes flee away I doe no service to my Lord in his house now when his harvest and the souls of perishing people require it but his ways are not like my wayes neither can I finde him out O that he would shine upon my darkness and bring forth my morning light from under the thick cloud that men have spread over me O that the Almighty would lay my cause in a ballance and weigh me if my soul was not taken up when others were sleeping how to have Christ betrothed with a Bride in that part of the land but that day that my mouth was most unjustly and cruelly closed the bloom fell off my branches and my joy did cast the flower How beit I have been casting my self under Christ's feet and wrestling to beleeve under a hidden and covered Lord yet my fainting cometh before I eat and my faith hath bowed with the sore cast and under this almost insupportable weight O that it break not I dare not say that the Lord hath put out my candle and hath casten water upon my poor coal and broken the stakes of my tabernacle But I have tasted bitterness and eaten gall wormwood since that day my Master laid bonds upon me to speak no more I speak not this because the Lord is uncouth to me but because beholders that stand on dry land see not my sea-storm The witnesses of my cross are but strangers to my sad dayes nights O that Christ would let me alone speak love to me come home to me bring summer with him O that I might preach his beauty glory as once I did before my clay-tent be removed to darkness that I might lift Christ off the ground my branches might be watered with the dew of God my joy in his work might grow green again bud send out a flower But I am but a short sighted creature my candle casteth not light afar off He knoweth all that is done to me how that when I had but one joy no more one green flower that I esteemed to be my garland he came in one hour dried up my flower at the root took away mine onely eye mine onely one crown garland What can I say Surely my guiltiness hath been remembered before him he was seeking to take down my sails to land the flower of my delights and to let it lie on the coast like an old broken ship that is no more for the sea But I praise him for this wailed stroke I welcome this surnace God's
posting sand-glass Seek the Lord while he may be found the Lord waiteth upon you Your soul is of no little price gold or silver of as much bounds as would cover the highest heavens round about cannot buy it To live as others doe to be free of open sins that the world crieth shame upon it will not bring you to heaven as much civility countrey-discretion as would lye between you heaven will not lead you one foot or one inch above condemned nature therefore take pains upon seeking of salvation give your will wit humour the green desires of youth's pleasures off your hand to Christ It is not possible for you to know till experience teach you how dangerous a time Youth is It is like green wet timber when Christ casteth fire on it it taketh not fire There is need here of more then ordinary pains for corrupt nature hath a good back-friend of Youth sinning against light will put out your candle stupifie your conscience bring upon it moe coverings skins less feeling sense of guiltiness when that is done the Devil is like a mad horse that hath broken the bridle runneth away with his rider whither he listeth Learn to know that which the Apostle knew the deceitfulness of sin strive to make prayer reading holy company holy conference your delight when delight cometh in ye shall by little little smell the sweetness of Christ till at length your soul be over head ears in Christ's sweetness then shall ye be taken up to the top of the mountain with the Lord to know thâ— ravishments of spiritual love the glory excellency of a sâ—en revealed felt embraced Christ then ye shall not be able to loose your self off Christ to binde your soul to old lovers then never till then are all the paces motions walkings wheels of your soul in a right tune in a spiritual temper But if this world the lusts thereof be your delight I know not what Christ can make of you ye cannot be mettall to be a vessel of glory mercy as the Lord liveth thousand thousands are beguiled with security because God wrath judgement is not terrible to them stand in aw of God of the warnings of a checking rebuking conscience make others to see Christ in you moving doing speaking thinking your actions will smell of him if he be in you there is an instinct in the new born babes of Christ like the instinct of nature that leades birds to build their nests bring up their young love such such places as woods forests wildernesses better then other places The instinct of nature maketh a man love his mother-countrey above all countreys The instinct of renewed nature supernatural grace will lead you to such such works as to love your countrey above to sigh to be clothed with your house not made with hands to call your borrowed prison here below a borrowed prison to look upon it servant-like pilgrim-like And the pilgrim's eye look is a disdainfull like discontented cast of his eye his heart crying after his eye Fy fy tâ— is is not like my countrey I recommend to you the mending of a hole reforming of a failing one or other every week put off a sin or a piece of it as of anger wrath lust intemperance every day that ye may more easily master the remnant of your corruption God hath given you a wife love her let her breasts satisfie you for the Lord's sake drink no waters but out of your own cistern strange wells are poison Strive to learn some new way against your corruption from the man of God M. W. D. or other servants of God sleep not sound till ye finde your self in that case that ye dare look death in the face durst hazard your soul upon eternity I am sure many ells inches of the short threed of your life are by hand since I saw you and that threed hath an end and ye have no hands to cast a knot adde one day or a finger-breadth to the end of it When hearing and seeing and the utter walls of the clay-house shall fall down life shall render the besieged castle of clay to death judgement ye finde your time worn ebbe run out what thoughts will ye then have of idol-pleasures that possibly are now sweet what bud or hire would ye then give for the Lord's favour what a price would ye then give for pardon It were not amiss to think what if I were to receive a doom to enter into a surnace of fire brimstone What if it come to this that I shall have no portion but utter darkness And what if 〈◊〉 be brought to this to be banished from the presence of God to be given over to God's serjeants the Devil the power of the second Death Put your soul by supposition in such a case â—…sider what horrour would take hold of you what then ye would esteem of pleasing your self in the course of sin O dear Sir for the Lord's sake awake to live righteously love your poor soul after ye have seen this my letter say with yourself the Lord will seck an account of this warning I have received Lodge Christ in your family Receive no stranger hireling as your Pastor I bless your children Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Your lawful and loving Pastor S. R. To my Lord BOYD. 134 My very honourable good Lord. GRace mercy peace be to your Lo Out of the worthy report that I hear of your Lo zeal for this born down oppressed Gospel I am bold to write to your Lo beseeching you by the mercies of God by the honour of our royal and princely King Jesus by the sorrows tears desolation of your afflicted mother-church by the peace of your conscience your joy in the day of Christ that your Lo would goe on in the strength of your Lord and in the power of his might to bestir your self for the vindicating of the fallen honour of your Lord Jesus O blessed hands for evermore that shall help to put the crown upon the head of Christ again in Scotland I dare promise in the name of our Lord that this shall fasten fix the pillars the stakes of your own honourable house upon earth if ye lend lay in pledge in Christ's hand upon spiritual hazard life estate house honour credit moyen friends the favour of men suppose King 's with three crownâ— sobeing ye may bear witness acquit your self as a man of valour and courage to the Prince of your salvation for the purging of his temple sâ—…eeping out the Lordly Diotrephes's time-courting Demas's corrupt Hymeneus's Philetus's other such oxen that with their dung defile the Temple of the
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
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
mean time the least intimation of Christ's love is sweet and the hope of marriage with the Bridegroom holdeth me in some joyfull on-waiting that when Christ's summer-birds shall sing upon the branches of the tree of life I shall be tuned by God himself to help them to sing the home-coming of our welbeloved his Bride to their house together When I think of this I think winters summers years dayes time doe me a pleasure that they shorten this untwisted weak threed of my life that they put sin miseries by hand that they shall carry me to my Bridegroom within a clap Dear Brother pray for me that it would please the Lord of the vineyard to give me house-room to preach his righteousness again to the great congregation Grace grace be with you Remember me to your wife Aberd. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To the Lady CULROSS Rev. 7 14. These are they vvhich came out of great tribulation have vvashed their robes made them vvhite in the blood of the Lamb. 168 MADAM GRace mercy peace be multiplied upon you I greatly long to be refreshed with your letter I am now all honour glory to the King eternal immortal invisible in better terms with Christ then I was I like a fool summoned my husband Lord libelled unkindness against him but now I pass from that foolish pursuit I give over the plea he is God I am man I was loosing a fast stone digging at the ground-stone the love of my Lord to shake unsettle it but God be thanked it is fast all iâ— sure In my prison he hath showen me day-light he dought not hide his love any longer Christ was disguised masked I apprehended it was not he he hath said It is 〈…〉 be not afraid And now his love is better then wine Oh that all the virgins had part of the Bridegroom's love whereupon he maketh me to feed Help me to praise I charge you Madam help me to pay praises tell others the daughters of Jerusalem how kinde Christ is to a poor prisoner he hath payed me my hundred fold it is well told me one to the hundred I am nothing behinde with Christ Let not fools because of their lazie soft flesh raise a slander an ill report upon the cross of Christ it is sweeter then fair I see grace groweth best in winter This poor pâ—rsecuted Kirk this lilie amongst the thorns shall blossom and laugh upon the gardiner the husband-man's blessing shall light upon it Oh if I could be free of jealousies of Christ after this beleeve keep good quarters with my dearest husband for he hath been kinde to the stranger yet in all this fair hot summer-weather I am keeped from saying 〈◊〉 is good to be here with my silence with grief to see my mother wou ded her vail taken from her the fair Temple casten down my belly is pained my soul is heavy for the captivity of the daughter of my people because of the fury of the Lord his fierce indignation against Apostate Scotland I pray you Madam let me have that which is my prayer here that my sufferings may preach to the four quarters of this land and therefore tell others how open-handed Christ hath been to the prisoner and the oppressed stranger Why should I conceal it I know no other way how to glorifie Chriâ—t but to make an open proclamation of his love and of his his soft and sweet kisses to me in the furnace of his fidelity to such as suffer for him Give it me under your hand that ye will help me to pray praise but rather to praise rejoyce in the salvation of God Grace grace be with you Aberd. Dec. 30. 1636. Yours in his dearest onely onely Lord Iesus S. R To the Lady CARDONNESS 169 My dearly beloved longed for in the Lord. GRace mercy peace be to you I long to hear how your soul Prospereth how the Kingdom of Christ thriveth in you I exhort you beseech you in the bowels of Christ faint not weary not There is a great necessity of heaven ye must needs have it All other things as houses lands children husband friends countrey credit health wealth honour may be wanted but Heaven is your one thing necessary the good part that shall not be taken from you See that ye buy the field where the pearl is sell all make a purchase of salvation think it not easie for it is a steep ascent to eternal glory Many are lying dead by the way that are slain with security I have now been led by my Lord Jesus to such a nick in Christianity as I think little of former things Oh what I want I want so many things that I am almost asking if I had any thing at all Every man thinketh he is rich enough in grace till he take out his purse tell his money then he findeth his pack but poor light in the day of a heavy trial I found I had not to bear my expences and should have fainted if want penury had not chased me to the store-house of all I beseech you make couscience of your wayes deal kindly with conscience with your Tenants to fill a breach or a hole make not a greater breach in the conscience I wish plenty of love to your soul let the world be the portion of bastards make it not yours after the last trumpet is blowen the world all its glory will be like an old house that is burnt to ashes like an old fallen castle without a roof Fy fy upon us fools who think our selves debters to the world My Lord hath brought me to this that I would not give a drink of cold water for this world's kindness I wonder that men long after love or care for these feathers it is almost an uncouth world to me to think that men are so mad as to block with dead earth to give cut conscience to get in clay again is a strange bargain I have written my minde at length to your husband write to me again his case I cannot forget him in my prayers I am looking Christ hath some claim to him My counsel is that ye bear with him when passion overtaketh him A soft answer putteth away wrath answer him in what he speaketh apply your self in the fear of God to him then ye will remove a pound weight of your heavy cross that way so it shall become light When Christ hideth himself wait on make diâ— till he return it is not time then to be carelesly patient I love it to be grieved when he hideth his smiles yet beleeve his love in a patient on-waiting and beleeving in the dark Ye must learn to swim hold up your head above the water even when the sense of his presence
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
and I seek no more Men think it but a stryde or a step over to heaven but when so few are saved even of a mumber like the sand of the sea but a handfull a remnant as God's word saith what cause have we to shake our selves out of our selves to ask our poor soul whether goest thou where shalt thou lodge at night Where are thy charters and writes of thy heavenly inheritance I have known a man turn a key in a door lock it by Many men leap over as they think leap in O see see that ye give not your salvation a wrong cast think all is well leave your soul loose uncertain look to your building to your ground-stone what signes of Christ are in you set this world behinde your back It is time now in the evening to cease from your ordinary work high time to know of your lodging at night It is your Salvation that is in dependence that is a great weighty business though many make light of the matter Now the Lord enable you by his grace to work it out Aberd. 1637. Your lawfull and loving Pastor S. R. To WILLIAM GORDON Of Robertovvn 186 Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you So often as I think on our case in our souldiers night-watch of our sighting life in the fields while we are here I am forced to say prisoners in a dungeon condemned by a judge to want the light of the sun and moon candle till their dying day are no more nay not so much to be pitied as we are for they weary of their life they hate their prison But we fall to in our prison where we see little to drink our selves drunk with the night-pleasures of our weak dreams we long for no better life then this but at the blast of the last trumpet the shout of the Archangel when God shall take down the shepherd's tent of this fading world we shall not have somuch as a drink of water of all the dreams that we now build on Alas that the sharp bitter blasts on face sides which meet us in this life have not learned us mortification made us dead to this world We buy our own sorrow we pay dear for it when we spend out our love our joy our desires our confidence upon an handfull of snow ice that time will melt away to nothing go thirstie out of the drunken Innes when all is done Alas that we enquire not for the clear fountain but are so foolish as to drink foul muddy rotten waters even till our bed-time then in the resurrection when we shall be awakned our yesternight's sowre drinke swinish dregs shall rift up upon us and sick sick shall many a soul be then I know no wholesom fountain but one I know not a thing worth the buying but heaven And my own minde is if comparison were made betwixt Christ heaven I would sell heaven with my blessing buy Christ. Oh if I could raise the market for Christ heighten the market a pound for a penny cry up Christ in mens estimation ten thousand talents more then men think of him But they are shaping him crying him down valuing him at their unworthy half-penny or else exchanging bartering Christ with the miserable old fallen house of this vain world or then they lend him out upon interest play the usurers with Christ Because they profess him give out before men that Christ is their treasure stock in the mean time praise of men a name case the summmer-sun of the Gospel is the usury they would be at so when the trial cometh they quite the stock for the interest loose all Happy are they who can keep Christ by himself alone and keep him clean and whole till God come count with them I know in your hard and heavy trials long since ye thought well and highly of Christ but truly no cross should be old to us We should not forget them because years are come betwixt us and them cast them by hand as we doe old clothes We may make a cross old in time new in use as fruitfull as in the beginning of it God is where and what he was seven years agoe what ever change be in us I speak not this as if I thought ye had forgotten what God did to have your love long since but that ye may awake your self in this sleepy age remember fruitfully of Christ's first wooing and suiting of your love both with fire water try if he got his answer or if ye be yet to give him it For I finde in my self that water runneth not faster through a sieve then our warnings slip from us for I have lost casten by hands many summonds the Lord sent to me therefore the Lord hath given me double charges that I trust in God shall not rive me I bless his great name who is no niggard in holding in crosses upon me but spendeth largely his rods that he may save me from this perishing world how plentifull God is in means of this kinde is esteemed by many one of God's unkinde mercies but Christ's cross is neither a cruel nor unkinde mercy but the love-token of a father I am sure a lover chasing us for our well to have our love should not be run away from or fled God send me no worse mercy then the sanctified cross of Christ portendeth I am sure I should be happy blest Pray for me that I may finde house-room in the Lord's house to speak in his name Remember my dearest love in Christ to your wife Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1636. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady BOYD. 187 MADAM GRace mercy peace from God our father from our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied upon you I have reasoned with your son at large I rejoyce to see him set his face in the right airth now when the Nobles love the sunny side of the Gospel best and are afraid that Christ want souldiers and shall not be able to doe for himself Madam our debts of obligation to Christ are not small the freedom of grace salvation is the wonder of man and Angels but mercy in our Lord scorneth hire Ye are bound to lift Christ on high who hath given you eyes to discern the Devil now coming out in in his white 's the Idolatry and Apostacy of the time well washen with fair pretences but the skin is black the water foul It were art I confess to wash a black Devil and make him white I am in strange up's down's seven times a day I lose ground I am put often to swimming and again my feet are set on the rock that is higher then my self He hath now let me see 4 Things I never saw before 1.
giving and count not much of being mocked for Christ Jesus was mocked before you Perswade your self that this is the way of peace and comfort I now suffer for I dare goe to death in to eternity with it though men may possibly seek another way Remember me in your prayers the state of this oppressed Church Grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Your soul's Well-wisher S. R. To CARDONNESS Elder 191 Much honoured Sir I long to hear how your soul prospereth I wonder that ye write not to me for the holy Ghost beareth me witness I cannot I dare not I dow not forget you nor the souls o these with you who are redeemed by the blood of the greaf Shepherd Ye are in my heart in the night watches ye are my◠joy crown in the day of Christ O Lord bear witness if my soul thirsteth for any thing out of heaven more then for your salvation Let God lay me in an even ballance try me in this Love heaven let your heart be on it Up up visit the new land view the fair city the white throne the Lamb the bride 's husband in his bridegroom's clothes sitting on it It were time your soul should cast it self all your burdens upon Christ. I beseech you by the wounds of your Redeemer by your compearance before him by the salvation of your soul lose no more time run fast for it is late God hath sworn by himself who made the world and time that time shall be no more Rev. 10 Ye are now upon the very border of the other life your Lord cannot be blamed for not giving you warning I have taught the truth of Christ to you delivered unto you the whole counsel of God I have stood before the Lord for you I shall yet still stand awake awake to doe righteously Think not to be eased of the burthens debts that are on your house by oppressing any or being rigorous to these that are under you remember how I endeavoured to walk before you in this matter as an example behold here am I witness against me before the Lord his Anointed whose ox or whoseass have I taken Whom have I defrauded Whom have I oppressed Who knoweth how my soul feedeth upon a good conscience when I remember how I spent this body in feeding the lambs of Christ At my first entry hither I grant I took a stomack against my Lord because he had casten me over the dike of the vineyard as a dry tree would have no more of my service My dumb sabbaths broke my heart and I would not be comforted but now he whom my soul love this come again and it pleaseth him to feast me with the kisses of his love A King dineth with me and his spikenard casteth a sweet smell The Lord my witness is above that I write my heart to you I never knew by my nine years preaching so much of Christ's love as he hath taught me in Aberden by six moneths imprisonment I charge you in Christ's name help me to praise shew that people countrey the loving kindness of the Lord to my soul that so my sufferings may someway preach to them when I am silent He hath made me know now better then before what it is to be crucified to the world I would not now give a drink of cold water for all the world's kindness I ow no service to it I am not the flesh's debter My Lord Jesus hath dâted his prisoner hath thoughts of love concerning me I would not exchange my sighs with the laughing of my adversaries Sir I write this to inform you that ye may know it is the truth of Christ I now suffer for he hath sealed nay sufferings with the comforts of his spirit on my soul I know he putteth not his seal upon blank paper Now Sir I have no comfort earthly but to know that I have espoused and shall present a bride to Christ in that congregation The Lord hath given you much and therefore he will require much of you again Number your talents see what ye have to render back again ye cannot be enough perswaded of the shortness of your time I charge you to write to me in the fear of God be plain with me whether or no ye have made your salvation sure I am confident hope the best but I know your reckonings with your Judge are many and deep Sir be not beguiled neglect not your one thing Philip. 3 13 your one necessary thing Luke 10 42 the good part that shall not be taken from you Look beyond time things here are but moon-shine they have but Childrens wit who are delighted with shadows deluded withfeathers flying in the air Desire your children in the morning of their life to begin seek the Lord to remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth Eccles. 12 1. to cleanse their way by taking heed thereto according to God's word Ps. 119 9. youth is a glassy age Satan findes a swept chamber for the most part in youth-hood a garnished lodging for himself his train Let the Lord have the flower of their age The best sacrifice is due to him Instruct them in this that they have a soul that this life is nothing in comparison of eternity They will have much need of God's conduct in this world to guide them by these rocks upon which most men split but far more need when it cometh to the hour of death their compearance before Christ. O that there were such a heart in them to fear the name of the great dreadfull God who hath laid up great things for these that love fear him I pray that God may be their portion Show others of my parishoners that I write to them my best wishes and the blessings of their lawfull Pastor Say to them from me that I beseech them by the bowels of Christ to keep in minde the Doctrine of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which I taught them that so they may lay hold on eternal life striving together for the faith of the Gospel making sure salvation to themselves Walk in love doe righteousness seek peace love one another wait for the coming of our Master Judge Receive no doctrine contrary to that which I delivered to you If ye fall away forget it that Catechisme which I taught you so forsake your own mercy the Lord be judge betwixt you me I take heaven earth to witness that such shall eternally perish but if they serve the Lord great will their reward be when they I shall stand before our Judge Set forward up the mountain to meet with God climb up for your Saviour calleth on you It may be God call you to your rest when I am far from you but ye have my love the desires of my heart for your souls wel-fare
we list O what difficulty is there in our christian journey how often come we short of many thousand things that are Christ's due and we consider not how far our dear Lord is behinde with us Mistress I cannot render you thanks as I would for your kindness to my Brother â—n opprâ—ssâ—d stranger but I remember you unto the Lord as I am able I entreat you think upon me his prisoner pray that the Lord would be pleased to give me â—oom to speak to 〈◊〉 people in his name Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lorâ— and Master S. R. To FULWOOD Younger 195 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you Upon the report of this worthy bearer concerning you I thought good to speaâ— a woâ—d to you It is enough for acquaintance that we are one in Christ My earnest desire to you is that ye would in the fear of God compare your inch hand-breadth of time with vaste Eternity your thoughts of this now fair blooming and green world with the thoughts ye shall have of it when corruption worms shall make their houses in your eye-holes shall eat your flesh make that body dry bones if ye doe so I know then that your light of this world's vanity shall be more clear then now it is And I am perswaded ye shall then think that mens labours for this clay-idol are to be laughed at Therefore come near and take a view of that transparent beauty that is in Christ which would busie the love of ten thousand millions of world's Angels hold them all at work Surely I am grieved that men will not spend their whole love upon that royal princely Welbeloved that High lofty One For it is cursed love that runneth another way then upon him And for my self if I had ten loves ten souls O how glad would I be if he would break in upon me take possession of them all Woe woe is me that He I are so far asunder I hope we shall be in one countrey one house together truly pain of love-sickness for Jesus maketh me to think it long long long to the dawning of that day Oh that he would cut short years moneths hours overleap Time that we might meet And for this truth Sir that ye profess I avow before the world of men Angels that it is the way onely way to our countrey the rest are by-wayes that what I suffer for is the apple of Christ's eye even his honour as Law-giver King of his Church I think death too little ere I forsook it Doe not Sir I beseech you in the Lord make Christ's court thinner by drawing back from him it is â—oo thin already for I dare pledge my heaven upon it he shall win this plea the fools that plea against him shall lose the wager which is their part of salvation except they take better heed to their wayes Sir free grace that we give no hire for is a jewel our Lord giveth to few Stand fast in the hope ye are called unto Our Master will rend the clouds will be upon us quicâ—ly clear our cause bring us all out in our black 's white 's Clean clean garments in the Bridegroom's eye are of great worth Step over this hand-breadth of world's glory in to our Lord 's new world of grace ye will laugh at the feathers that children are chasing in the air I veâ—â—ly judge that this Inneâ— men are building their nest in is not worth a drink of cold water It is a rainny and smoky house bâ—st we come out of it lest we be choked with the smoke thereof O that my adversaries knew how sweet my sighs for Christ are what it were for a sinner to lay his head between Christ's breasts to be over head ears in Christ's love Alas I cannot cause paper speak the height breadth depth of it I have not a ballance to weigh my Lord Jesus's worth heaven ten heavens would not be the beam of a ballance to weigh him in I must give over praising of him Angels see but little of him O if that fair one would take off the mask off his fair face that I might see him a kiss of him through his mask is half a heaven O day dawn O time run fast O Bridegroom post post fast that we may meet O hea vens cleave in two that that bright face head may set it self through the clouds O that the corn were ripe this world prepared for his hook Sir be pleased to remember a prisoner's bonds Grace be with you Aberd. July 10. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr HUGH M C KAILL 196 My very dear Brother YE know that men may take their sweet fill of the sowre Law in Grace's ground betwixt the Mediator's breasts and this is sinners safest way for there is a bed for wearied sinners to rest them in in the new Covenant though no bed of Christ's making to sleep in The Law shall never be my doomster by Christ's grace if I get no more good of it I shall finde a sore enough doom in the Gospel to humble to cast me down It is I grant a good rough friend to follow a traitour to the bar to back him till he come to Christ We may blame our selves who cause the Law to crave well paid debt to scar us away from Jesus dispute about a righteousness of our own a world in the moon a chimâ—rd a night-dream that pride is Father mother to There cannot be a more humble soul then a beleever it is no pride for a drowning man to catch hold of a rock I rejoyce that the wheels of this confused world are rolled cogged driven according as our Lord will Out of whatever aiâ—th the wind blow it will blow us on our Lord No wind can blow our sailes over-board because Christ's skill the honour of his wisdom are empawned laid down at the stake for the sea-passengers that he shall put them safe off his hand on the shore in his father's known bounds our native homeground My dear Brother scar not at the cross of Christ It is not seen yet what Christ will doe for you when it cometh to the worst He will keep his grace till ye be at a strait then bring forth the decreed birth for your salvation Ye are an arrow of his own making let him shoot you against a wall of brass your point shall keep whole I cannot for multitude of letters distractions of friends prepare what I would for the times I have not one hour of spare time suppose the day were fourtie hours long Remember me in prayer Grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 5. 1637. Your in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R To his Reverend Dear Brother Mr DAVID DICKSON 197 My Reverend
none of it When I am near the apple he draweth back his hand goeth away to cause me follow And again when I am within an arm-length to the apple he maketh a now break to the gate I have him to seek of new He seemeth not to pity my dwining my swooning for his love I dare sometimes put my hunger over to him to be judged if I would not buy him with a thousand years in the hottest furnace in hell sobeing I might enjoy him But my hunger is fed with want absence I hunger I have not but my comfort is to lie wait on to put my poor soul my sufferings in Christ's hand Let him make any thing out of me sobeing he be glorified in my salvation for I know I am made for him O that my Lord may win his own gracious end in me I will not be at ease while I but stand so far aback O if I were near him with him that this poor soul might be satisfied with himself Your son in law W. G. is now truly honoured for his Lord and Master's cause when the Lord is fanning Zion it is a good token that he is a true branch of the vine that the Lord beginneth first to dress him He is strong in his â—â—râ— as he hath written to me and his wife is his encourager which should make you rejoyce For your son who is your grief your Lord waited on you and me till we were â—ipe and brought us in It is your part to pray wait upon him When he iâ— ripe he will bâ— spoken for who can command our Lord's wind to blow I know it shall be your good in the latter end That is one of your waters to heaven ye could not goe about it there are the fewer behinde I remember you him yours as I am able But alas I am beleeved to be something I am nothing but an emptie reed Wants are my best riches because I have these suppâ—…ed by Christ Remember my dearest love to your brother I know he pleadeth with his harlot-mother for her Apostasie I know also ye are kinde to my worthy Lady Kenmure a woman beloved of the Lord who hath been very mindfull of my bonds The Lord give her to finde mercy her childe in the day of Christ. Great men are dry and cold in doing for me the tinckling of chains for Christ affrighteth them but let my Lord break all my idols I will yet bless him I am obliged to my Lord Lorâ— I wish him mercy Remember my bonds with praises and pray for me that my Lord my leaven the North by my bands sufferings Grace be with you Aberd. July 9. 1637 Yours â—his s swe Lord Iesus S. R. To ALEXANDER GORDON Of Knockgray 206. Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you There is no question but our mother-church hath a father that she shall not die withont an heir that her enemies hall not make mount Zion theâ— heritage We see whethersoever Zion's enemies goe suppose they dig many miles under the ground yet our Lord findeth them out and he hath vengeances laid up in â—orâ— for them the poor needy shall not alwayes be forgotten Our hope was drouping withering man was saying what can God make out of the old dry bones of this buried Kirk The Prelats their followers were a grave above us it is like our Lord is to open our graves purposeth to cause his two slain witnesses rise the third day O how long wait I to hear our weeping Lord Jesus sing again triumph rejoyce divide the spoil I finde it hard work to beleeve when the course of providence goeth cross-wayes to our faith when misted souls in a dark night cannot know East by West our sea Compass seemeth to fail us Every man is a beleever in day-light A fair day seemeth to be made all of faith hope What a trial of gold is it to smoke it a little above the fire But to keep gold perfect â—ellow-coloured amidst the flames to be turned from vessel to vessels yet to cause out furnace sound speak cry the praises of the Lord is another matter I know my Lord made me not for fire howbâ—it he hath fitted me in some measure for the fire I bless his high name that I wax not pale neither have I lost the colour of gold and that his fire hath made me somewhat thin that my Lord may pour me in any vessel he pleaseth For a small wager I may justly quite my part of this world's laughter give up with time cast out with the pleasures of this world I know a man who wondered to see any in this life laugh sport surely our Lord seeketh this of us as to any rejoycing in present perishing things I see above all things that we may sit down fold legs arms stretch our selves upon Christ laugh at the feathers that children are chasing here For I think the men of this world like children in a dangerous storm in the sea that play make sport with the white foam of the waves thereof coming in to sink drown them so are men making fool's sports with the white pleasures of a stormy world that will sink â—em But alas what have we to doe with their sports that they make If Solomon said of Laughter that it was madness what may we say of this world 's laughing sporting themselves with gold silver honours court broad large conquests but that they are poor souls in the height and rage of a fever gone mad Then a straw a fig for all created sports and rejoycing out of Christ Nay I think that this world at it's prime perfection when it is is come to the top of it's excellency and to the bloom might be bought with an half penny that it would scarce weigh the worth of a drink of water There is nothing better then to esteem it our crucified idol that is dead slain as Paul did â—al 6 14. Then let pleasures be crucified riches be crucified court honour be crucified since the Apostle faith the world is crucified to him we may put this world to the hanged man's doom and to the gallowes who will give much for a hanged man as little should we give for a hanged crucified world Yet what a sweet smell hath this dead carrion to many fools in the world and how many wooers and suiters findeth this hanged carrion Fools are pulling it off the gallowes and contending for it O when shall we learn to be mortified men to have our fill of these things that have but their short summer-quarter of this life If we saw our father's house and that great and fair citie the new Ierusalem which is up above sun moon we would cry to be over the water
of many noble many holy many learned worthy ones in our neighbour Churches about are upon you This poor Church your mother Christ's spouse is holding up her hands heart to God for you and doeth beseech you with tears to plead for her husband his Kingly Scepter for the liberties that her Lord King hath given to her as to a free Kingdom that oweth spiritual tribute to none on earth as being the free-born Princess daughter to the King of Kings This is a Cause that before God his Angels the World before Sun Moon needeth not to blush O what glory true honour is it to lend Christ your hand service to be amongst the repairers of the breaches of Sion's walls to help to â—uild the old waste places and stretch forth the curtains strengthen the stakes of Christ's tent in this land O blessed are they who when Christ is driven away will bring him back again lend him lodging And blessed are ye of the Lord your name honour shall never rot or wither in heaven at least if ye deliver the Lord's sheep that have been scattered in the dark cloudy day out of the hands of strange Lords hirelings who with rigour cruelty have caused them to eat the pastures troden upon with their foul feet to drink muddy water who have spun out such a world of yards of â—ndifferencies in God's Worship to make weave a web for the Antichrist that shall not keep any from the cold as they minde nothing else but that by the bringing in of the Pope's foul tail first upon us their wretched and beggerly Ceremonies they may thrust in after them the Antichrist's legs thighs his belly head shoulders then cry down Christ the Gospel up the merchandise wares of the great whore Fear not my worthy Lord to give your self all ye have out for Christ his Gospel No man dare say who ever did thus hazard for Christ that Christ payed him not his hundred fold in this life duely in the life to come life everlasting This is his own truth ye now plead for for God and man cannot but commend you to beg justice from a just Prince for oppressed Christ to plead that Christ who is the King's Lord may be heard in a free court to speak for himself when the standing established laws of our nation can strongly plead for Christ's crown in the pulpits his chair as Law-giver in the free Government of his own house But Christ shall never be content pleased with this land neither shall his hot fiery indignation be turned away so long as the Prelate the man that lâ—y in Antichrist's foul womb the Antichrist's Lord Bailiffe shall sit Lord-carver in the Lord Jesus his courts The Prelate is both the egge the nest to cleck bring forth Popery Plead therefore in Christ's behalf for the plucking down of the nest crushing of the egge let Christ's Kingly Office suffer no more unworthy indignities Be valiant for your royal King Jesus contend for him your adversaries shall be moth-eaten worms and shall die as men Christ and his honour now lieth upon your shoulders let him not fall to the ground Cast your eye upon him who is quickly coming to decide all the controversies in Zion remember the sand in your night-glass will run out Time with wings will flye away Eternity is hard upon you what will Christ's love-smiles the light of his lovely soul delighting countenance be to you in that day when God shall take up in his right hand this little lodge of heaven like as a shepherd lifteth up his little tent sold together the two leaves of his tent put the earth all the plenishing of it into a fire turn this clay-Idol the god of Adam's sons in to smoke white ashes O what hire how many worlds would many then give to have a favourable decreet of the Judge Or what moneyes would they not give to buy a mountain to be a grave above both soul body to hide them from the awsom looks of an angry Lord Judge I hope your Lo thinketh upon this that ye minde loyalty to Christ to the King both Now the very God of peace the onely wise God establish strengthen you upon the rock laid in Zion Aberd. Jan. 4. 1638. Your Lo at all obedience in Christ S. R. To a Christian Gentlewoman 2â—5 MISTRESS GRace mercy peace be to you Though not acquainted yet at the desire of a Christian brother I thought good to write a line unto you intreating you in the Lord Jesus under your trials to keep an ear open to Christ who can speak for himself howbeit your visitations and your own sense should dream hard things of his love and favour Our Lord never getteth so kinde a look of us nor our love in such a degree nor our faith in such a measure of stedfastness as he getteth out of the furnace of our tempting fears sharp trials I verily beleeve too sad proofs in me say no less that if our Lord would grind our whorish lust in powder the very old ashes of our corruption should take life again and live and hold us under so much bondage that may humble us make us sad till we be in that countrey where we shall need no Physick at all O what violent means doth our Lord use to gain us to him as if indeed we were a prize worthy his fighting for And be sure if leading would doe the turn he would not use pulling of hair and drawing But the best of us will bide a strong pull of our Lord 's right arm ere we follow him Yet I say not this as if our Lord alwayes measured afflictions by so many ounce weights answerable to the grain weights of our guiltiness I know he doeth in many and possibly in you seek nothing so much as faith that can endure summer and winter in their extremity O how precious to the Lord is faith and love that when threshed beaten and chased away and boasted as it were by God himself doeth yet look warm-like love-like kindlike and life-like home-over to Christ would be in at him ill well as it may be Think not much that your husband or the dearest to you in the world proveth to have the bowels mercy of the Ostrich hard rigourous cruel For Psal. 27. 10. The Lord taketh up such fallen ones as these I could not wish a more sweet life nor more satisfying expressions of kindness till I be up at that Prince of kindness then the Lord's saints finde when the Lord taketh up mens refuse lodgeth this world's out-lawes whom no man seeketh after His breath is never so hot his love casteth never such a flame as when this world and these who should be the helpers of our
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
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
your La to grow as a palm-tree on God's mount Zion howbeit shaken with winds yet the root is fast This is all I can doe to recommend your case to your Lord who hath you written upon the palms of his hand if I were able to doe more your La may beleeve me that gladly I would I trust shortly to see your La Now he who hath called you confirm stablish your heart in grace unto the day of the liberty of the sons of God Ardwell April 29. 1634. Your La at all submissive obedience in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 20 My very Noble worthy Lady SO oft as I call to minde the comforts that I my self a poor friendless stranger received from your La here in a strange part of the countrey when my Lord took from me the delight of mine eyes as the word speaketh Ezek. 24. 16. which wound is not yet fully healed cured I trust your Lord shall remember that give you comfort now at such a time as this wherein your dearest Lord hath made you a widow that ye may be a free Woman for Christ who is now suteing for marriage-love of you therefore since you lie alone in your bed let Christ be as a bundle of myrrhe to sleep lie all the night betwixt your breasts Cant. 1 13. then your bed is better filled then before And seeing amongst all crosses spoken of in our Lord's word this giveth you a particular right to make God your husband which was not so yours while your husband was alive read God's mercy out of this visitation And albeit I must out of some experience say the mourning for the husband of your youth be by God's own mouth the heaviest wordly sorrow Ioel 1. 8. though this be the weightiest burden that ever lay upon your back Yet ye know when the fields are eâ—ptied your husband now asleep in the Lord if ye shall wait upon him who hideth his face for a while that it lieth upon God's honour truth to ful the field to be a husband to the widow See consider then what ye have lost how little it is Therefore Madam let me intreat you in the bowels of Christ Jesus by the comforts of his Spirit your appearance before him let God men Angels now see what is in you The Lord hath pâ—irced the vessel it will be known whether there be in it wine or water let your faith patience be seen that it may be known your onely beloved first and last hath been Christ And therefore now were your whole love upon him he alone is a sutable object for your love and all the affections of your soul God hath dried up one channel of your love by the removal of your husband let now that speat run upon Christ. Your Lord lover hath graciously taken out your husband's name your name out of the summonds that are raised at the instance of the terrible sin-revenging Judge of the world against the house of the Kenmure And I dare say that God's hammering of you from your youth is onely to make you a fair carved stone in the high upper temple of the new Ierusalem Your Lord never thought this world 's vain painted glory a gift worthy of you therefore would not bestow it on you because he is to propine you with a better portion Let the moveables goe the inheritance is yours Ye are a childe of the house joy is laid up for you it is long in coming but not the worse for that I am now expecting to see that with joy comfort that which I hoped of you since I knew you fully even that ye have laid such strength upon the Holy One of Israel that yed â—sie troubles that your soul is a castle that may be beâ—â—â—ged but cannot be taken What have ye to doe here This would never looked like a friend upon you ye ow it little love it looked ever sowre-like upon you Howbeit ye should wooe it it will not match with you therefore never seek warm fire under cold ice This is not a field where your happiness groweth it is up above where Rev. 7. 9. there are a great multitude which no man can number of all nations Kindreds people tongues standing before the throne before the Lamb clothed with wâ—â—te robes palms in their hands What ye could never get here ye shall finde there And withall consider how in all these trials truly they have been many your Lord hath been loosing you at the root from perishing things hunting after you to grip your soul Madam for the Son of God's sake let him not miss his grip but stay abide in the love of God as Iude saith ver 21 Now Madam I hope your La will take these lines in good part wherein I have fallen short failed to your La in not evidencing what I was obliged to your more then undeserved love respect I request for a full pardon for it Again my dear noble Lady let me beseech you to list up your head for the day of your redemption draweth near And remember that star that shined in Galloway is now shining in another world Now I pray that God may answer his own stile to your soul that he may be to you the God of all consolations Thus I remain Anwoth Sept. 14. 1634. Your La at all dutifull obedience in the Lord S. R. To my Lady KENMURE 21 MADAM ALl dutifull obedience in our Lord remembered I know ye are now near one of these strairs in which ye have been before But because your outward comforts are fewer I pray him whose ye are to supply what ye want an other way for howbeit we cannot win to the bottom of his wise Providence who ruleth all yet it is certain this is not onely good which the Almighty hath done but it is best he hath reckoned all your steps to heaven if your La were through this water there are the fewer behinde if this were the last I hope your La hath learned by on-waiting to make your acquaintance with Death which being to the Lord the woman's seed Iesus onely a bloody heel not a broken head Gen. 3 15. cannot be ill to his friends who get fâ—r less of Death then himself Therefore Madam seeing ye know not but the journey is ended ye are come to the water-side in God's wisdom look all your papers your counts whether ye be ready to receive the Kingdom of heaven as a little childe in whom there is little haughtiness much humility I would be far from discouraging your La but there is an absolute necessity that near eternity we look ere we leap seeing no man winneth back again to mend his leap I am confident your La thinketh often upon it that your old guide shall goe before you take
servant know the well-head for all that learn the way to the well it self Thank God that Christ came to your house in your absence took with him some of your children He presumed that much on your love that ye would not offend howbeit he should take the rest he cannot come upon your wrong side I question not if they were children of gold but ye think them well bestowed upon him Expound well two rods on you one in your house at home another on your own person abroad Love thinketh no evil If ve were not Christ's wheat appointed to be bread in his house he would not grind you thus But keep the middle line neither despise nor faint Hebr 12. 6. Ye see your father is homely with you Strokes of a father evidence kindness care take them so I hope your Lord hath manifâ—sted himself to you and suggested these or more choice thoughts about his dealing with you we are using our weak moyen credit for you up at our own court as we dow we pray the King to hear us the Son of man to goe side for side with you hand in hand in the fiery oven to quicken encourage your unbeleeving heart when ye droop despond Sir to the honour of Christ be it said my faith goeth with my pen now I am presently beleeving Christ shall bring you out Truth in Scotland shall keep the crown of the causey yet the saints shall see Religion goe naked at noonday free from shame fear of men We shall yet divide Sechem ride upon the high places of Iacob Remember my obliged respects love to my lady Kenmure her sweet childe Anwoth July 6. 1636. Yours ever in his sweet Lord Iesus S R. To the Vicountess of KENMURE 26 MADAM GRace mercy peace be to you I know ye are near many comforters that the promised comforter is near hand also yet because I found your La comfortable to my self in my sad dayes that are not yet over my head it is my part and more in many respects howbeit I can doe little God knoweth in that kinde to speak to you in your wilderness-lot I know Dear Noble Lady this loss of your dear childe came upon you one piece part of it after another that ye was looking for it that now the Almighty hath brought on you that which ye feared that your Lord gave you lawfull warning I hope for his sake who brewed masked this cup in heaven ye will gladly drink and salute welcome the cross I am sure it is not your Lord's minde to fâ—ed you with judgement worm wood to give you waters of gall to drink Ezek. 34. 16. Ier. 9. 15. I know your cup is sugared with mercy that the withering of the bloom the flower even the white red of worldly joyes is for no other end but to buy out at the ground the reversion of your heart and love Madam subscribe the Almightie's will put your hand to the pen let the crosse of your Lord Jesus have your submissive and resolute AMEN If ye ask and try whose this cross is I dare say it is not all your own the best half of it is Christ's then your cross is no born bastard but lawfully begotten It sprang not out of the dust Iob. 5. 6. if Christ ye be halvers of this suffering he say half mine what should aile you I am sure I am here right upon the stile of the word of God Phil. 3. 10. The fellowship of Christ's sufferings Col. 1. 29. The remnant of the afflictions of Christ. Heb. 11. 28. The reproach of Christ. It were but to shiâ—t the comforts of God to say Christ had never such a cross as mine he had never a dead childe so this is not his crosse neither can he in that meaning be the owner of this cross but I hope Christ when he married you married you and all the crosses woâ—-hearts that follow you the word maketh no exception Isa. 63. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted Then Christ bore the first stroke of this cross it rebounded off him on upon you ye got it at the second hand ye and he are halvers in it And I shall beleeve for my part he mindeth to destill heaven out of this loss and all others the like for wisdom devised it and love laid it on and Christ owneth it as his own and putteth your shoulder onely beneath a piece of it take it with joy as no bastard cross but as a vintation of God well born and spend the rest of your appointed time till your change come in the work of beleeving and let faith that never yet made a lye to you speak for God's part of it he will not he doth not make you a sea or a whalefish that he keepeth you inward lob 7. 12. It may be ye think not many of the children of God in such a hard case as your self but what would ye think of some who would exchange afflictions give you to the boot but I know yours must be your own alone and Christ's together I confess it seemed strange to me that your Lord should have done that which seemeth to ding out the bottom of your comforts worldly but we see not to the ground of the Almightie's soveraignity he goeth by on our right hand on our left hand we see him not We see but pieces of the broken links of the chain of his providence and he coggeth the wheels of his own providence that we see not O let the former work his own clay in what frame he pleaseth Shall any teach the Almighty knowledge If he pursue dry stubble who dare say what doest thou doe not wonder to see the Judge of the world weave in one web your mercies the judgements of the house of the Kenmure he can make one web of contraries But my weak advice with reverence correction were for you Dear worthy Lady to see how far mortification goeth on what scum the Lord's fire casteth out of you I know ye see your knottiness since our Lord whyteth heweth plaineth you the glanceing of the furnace is to let you see what scum or refuse ye must want what froath is in nature that must be boiled out taken off in the fire of your trials I doe not say heavier afflictions prophesie heavier guiltiness a cross is often but a false prophet in this kinde but I am sure our Lord would have the tin the bastard mettall in you removed least the Lord say the bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed in the fare the founder melteth in vain Ier. 6 29 And I shall hope that grief shall not so far smother your light as not to practize this so necessary a duty to concur with him in this blessed design I would gladly plead for the
to restore you again safe to your brethren sisters in Christ take heaven and Christ's back-bond for a fair back-door out of your suffering The Saviour is on his journey with salvation and deliverance for mount Zion the sword of the Lord is drunk with blood and made fat with fatness his sword is bathed in heaven against Babylon for it is the day of the Lord's vengeance and the year of recompences for the comtroversie of Zion And perswade your selves the streams of the rivers of Babylon shall be pitch and the dust of the land brimstone and burning pitch Isa. 34 8. And if your deliverance be conjoyned with the deliverance of Zion it shall be two salvations to you It were good to be armed before hand for death or bodily tortures for Christ and to think what a crown of honour it is that God hath given you pieces of living clay to be tortured witnesses for saving truth and that ye are so happy as to have some pints of blood to give out for the crown of that royal Lord who hath caused you to avouch himself before men If ye can lend fines of three thousand pound sterling for Christ let heaven's register and Christ's count-book keep in reckoning your depursments for him It shall be engraven printed in great letters upon heaven's throne what you are willing to give for him Christ's papers of that kinde cannot be lost or fall by Doe not wonder to see clay boast the great potter to see blinced men to threaten the Gospel with death burial to raze out Truth 's name but where will they make a grace for the Gospel the Lord's bride Earth hell shall be but little bounds for their burial lay all the clay rubbish of this inch of the whole earth above our Lord's spouse yet it will not cover her nor hold her down she shall live not die she shall behold the salvation of God Let your faith frist God a little be not afraid for a smoking fire-brand there is more smoke in Babylon's furnace then there is fire till dooms-day shall come they shall never see the Kirk of Scotland our Covenant burnt to ashes or if it should be thrown in tho fire yet it cannot be so burnt or buried as not to have a resurrection angry clay 's wind shall shake none of Christ's corn he will gather in all his wheat into his barn onely let your fellowship with Christ be renewed ye are sibber to Christ now when you are imprisoned for him then before for now the stroakes laid on you doe come in remembrance before our Lord he can owne his own wounds a drink of Christ's love which is better then wine is the drink-silver which Suffering for his majesty leaves behinde it it is not your sins which they persecute in you but God's grace loyalty to King Jesus they see no treason in you to your Prince the King of Britain albeit they say so but it is heaven in your that earth is fighting against Christ is owning his own cause grace is a party that fire will not burn not water drown when they have eaten drunken you their stomack shall be sick they shall spue you out alive O what glory is it to be suffering abjects for the Lord's glory royalty Nay though his servants had a body to burn for ever for this Gospel so being that triumphing exalted Jesus his high glory did rise out of these flames out of that burning body Oh what a sweet fire O what soul-refreshing torment should that be What if the pickles of dust ashes of the burnt dissolved body were musicians to sing his praises the highness of that never-enough-exalted Prince of ages O what love is it in him that he will have such musicians as we are to tune that Psalm of his everlasting praises in heaven Oh what shining burning flames of love are these that Christ will divide his share of life of heaven glory with you Luk. 22. 29. Ioh. 17 24. Rev. 3 21. A part of his throne one draught of his wine his wine of glory life that comes from under the throne of God of the Lamb one apple of the tree of life will doe more then make up all the expences charges of clay lent out for heaven Oh! Oh but we have short narrow creeping thoughts of Jesus doe but shape Christ in our conceptions according to some created portraiture O Angels lend in your help to make love-books songs of our fair white ruddy standard-bearer amongst ten thousand O heavens O heaven of heavens O glorified tennants triumphing house-holders with the Lamb put in new Psalms love-sonnets of the excellency of our bridegroom help us to set him on high O indwellers of earth heaven sea air O all ye created beings within the bosom of the outmost circle of this great world O come help to set on high the praises of our Lord O fairness of creatures blush before his uncreated beauty O created strength be amazed to stand before your strong Lord of hosts O created love think shame of thy self before this unparalleled love of heaven O angel-wisdom hide thy self before our Lord whose understanding passeth finding out O sun in thy shining beauty for shame put on a web of darkness cover thy self before thy brightest master maker O who can adde glory by doing or suffering to this never-enough-admired and praised lover Oh we can but bring our drop to this sea and our candle dim and dark as it is to this clear and lightsom sun of heaven and earth Oh but we have cause to drink ten deaths in one cup dry to swim through ten seas to be at that land of praises where we shall see that wonder of wonders enjoy this jewel of heavens jewels O death doe thy outmost against us O torments O malice of men devils waste thy-strength on the witnesses of our Lord's testament O devils bring hell to help you in tormenting the followers of the Lamb we will defie you to make us too soon happy to waft us too soon over the water to the land where the noble plant the plant of venown groweth O cruel Time that torments us suspends our dearest enjoyments that we wait for when we shall be bathed steeped soul body down in the depths of this love of loves O Time I say run fast O motions mend your pace O Welbeloved be like a young Roe upon the mountains of Separations Post post hasten our desired hungered-for meeting love is sick to hear tell of to morrow And what then can come wrong to you O honourable witnesses of his Kingly truth Men have no more of you to work upon but some few inches and span-lengths of fick coughing and flegmatick clay your spirits are above their benches courts or High
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
joy cast water on our coal It is a sweet thing to see them cast out God take in to see them throw us away as the refuse of men God take us up as his jewels his treasure Often he maketh gold of dross as once he made the cast-away stone the stone rejected by the builders the head of the corner The Princes of this world would not have our Lord Jesus a pinning in the wall or to have any place in the building but the Lord made him the Master-stone of power place God be thanked that this world hath not power to cry us down so many pounds as rulers cry down light gold or light silver We shall stand for as much as our master-coiner Christ whose coin arms stamp we bear will have us Christ hath no miscarrying ballance Thank your Lord who chaseth your love through two Kingdoms followeth you it over sea to have you for himself as he speaketh Hos. 3. For God layeth up his saints as the waile the choice of all the world for himself this is like Christ his love O what in heaven or out of heaven is comparable to the smell of Christ's garments Nay suppose our Lord would manifest his art make ten thousand heavens of good glorious things of new joyes devised out of the deep of infinite wisdom he could not make the like of Christ for Christ is God God cannot be made therefore let us hold us with Christ howbeit we might have our waile will of an host of lovers as many as three heavens could contain O that he we were together O when Christ ye shall meet about the outmost march borders of time the entry into eternity ye shall see heaven in his face at the first look salvation glory sitting in his countenance betwixt his eyes Faint not the miles to heaven are but few short he is making a green bed as the word speaketh Cant. 1. of love for himself you There are many heads lying in Christ's bosom but there is room for yours among the rest And therefore goe on let hope goe before you Sin not in your trials the victory is yours pray wrestle beleeve ye shall overcome prevail with God as Iacob did No windle-straws no bits of clay no temptations which are of no longer life then an hour will then be able to withstand you when once ye have prevailed with God Help me with your prayers that it would please the Lord to give me house-room again to speak of his righteonsness in the great congregation if it may seem good in his sight Grace grace be with you Aberd. Jan. 6. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. THE SECOND PART Containing Some letters of the same Author from Anwoth before his confinement at Aberdeen And others from St Andrevvs London c. after his enlargement To the Vicountess of Kenmure 1. MADAM ALL dutifull obedience in the Lord remembred I have heard of your La Infirmity and sickness with grief yet I trust ye have learned to say It is the Lord let him doe whatsoever seemeth good in his eyes It is now many years since the Apostate Angels made a question whether their will or the will of their Creator should be done since that time frâ—ward mankinde hath alwayes in that same sute of Law compeared to plead with them against God in a dayly repining against his will but the Lord being both party Judge hath obtained a decreet saith Isa. 46. 10. My counsel shall stand I will doe all my pleasure It is then best for us in the obedience of faith in an holy submission to give that to God which the Law of â—is almighty just power will have of us Therefore Madam your Lord willeth you in all states of life to say Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven herein shall ye have comfort that he who seeth perfectly through all your evils knoweth the frame constitution of your nature what is most healthfull for your soul holdeth every cup of affliction to your head with his own gracious hand Never beleeve that your tender-hearted Saviour who knoweth the strength of your stomack will mix that cup with one dram weight of poison Drink then with the patience of the saints the God of patience bless your Physick I have heard your La complain of deadness want of the bestirring power of the life of God but courage he who walked in the garden made a noise that made Adam hear his voice will also at sometimes walk in your soul make you hear a more sweet word Yet ye will not alwayes hear the noâ—se the din of his feet when he walketh Ye are at such a time like Iacob mourning at the supposed death of Ioseph when Joseph was living The new creature the image of the second Adam is living in you yet ye are mourning at the supposed death of the life of Christ in you Ephraim is bemoaning mourning Ier. 31. 18. When he thinketh God is far off heareth not yet God is like the Bridegroom Cant. 2. standing onely behinde a thin wall laying to his ear for he saith himself ver 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself I have good confidence Madam that Christ Jesus whom your soul through forrests mountains is seeking is within you And yet I speak not this to lay a pillow under your head or to disswade you from an holy fear of the losse of your Christ or of provoking stirring up the beloved before he please by sin I know in spiritual confidence the Devil will come in as in all other good works cry half mine so endeavour to bring you under a fearfull sleep till he whom your soul loveth be departed from the door have left off knocking therefore here the Spirit of God must hold your souls feet in the golden mid-line betwixt confident resting in the arms of Christ presumptuous and drousie sleeping in the bed of fleshly security Therefore worthy Lady so count little of your self because of your own wretchedness and sinfull drousiness that ye count not also little of God in the course of his unchangeable mercy For there be many Christians most like unto young sailers who think the shore the whole land doeth move when the ship they themselves are moved just so not a few doe imagine that God moveth saileth changeth places because their giddy souls are under sail subject to alteration to ebbing flowing but the foundation of the Lord abideth sure God knoweth that ye are his own Wrestle fight goe forward watch fear beleeve pray then ye have all the infallible symptomes of one of the elect of Christ within you Ye have now Madam a sickness before you also after that a death gather