reprobates; the love of Christ hath cross, that I became jealous of the a croslet of proof on it, and arrows love of Christ, as being by him thrust will not draw blood of it: we are out of the vineyard, and I was under more than conquerors through the great challenges, as ordinarily melted blood of him that loved us, Rom. gold casteth forth a drossy scum, viii. The devil and the world, they and Satan and our corruption form cannot wound the love of Christ. the first words that the heavy cross I am further from yielding to the speaketh, and say, God is angry, he course of defection, than when I loveth you not, but our apprehensions came hither. Sufferings blunt not are not canonical; they dite lies of the fiery edge of love; cast love in- God and Christ's love. But since to the floods of hell, it will swim a- my spirit was settled, and the clay bove; it careth not for the world's fallen to the bottom of the well, I busked and plaistered offers. It hath see better what Christ was doing; pleased my Lord so to line my heart and now my Lord is returned with with the love of my Lord Jesus, salvation under his wings; now I that, as if the field were already want little of half a heaven, and I won, and I on the other side of time, find Christ every day so sweet, comI laugh at the world's golden plea- fortable, lovely, and kind, as three sures, and at this dirty idol, that things only trouble me: 1. I see not the sons of Adam worship; this how to be thankful, or how to get worm-eaten god is that which my help to praise that royal King, who soul hath fallen out of love with. raiseth up those that are bowed down. Sir, ye were once my hearer; I de- 2. His love paineth me, and woundsire now to hear from you and your eth my soul, so as I am in a fever wife: I salute her and your children for want of real presence. 3. An with blessings. I am glad that ye excessive desire to take instruments are still hand-feasted with Christ; in God's name, that this is Christ go on in your journey, and take the and his truth I now suffer for, yea, city by violence; keep your gar- the apple of the eye of Christ's honments clean; be clean virgins to our, even the sovereignty and royal your husband the Lamb: the world privileges of our King and Law-giver, will follow you to heaven's gates; Christ: and therefore let no man scar and ye would not wish it to go in at Christ's cross, or raise an ill report with you. Keep fast Christ's love; upon him, or it; for he beareth the pray for me as I do for you. The sufferer and it both. I am here Lord Jesus be with your spirit. troubled with the disputes of the Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, great doctors, especially with D.B. in ceremonial and Arminian controAberdeen, March 13, 1637. versies, 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 than I; and who can be more weak? but his grace is sufficient for me. Brother, remember our old covenant, and pray for me, and write to me your case. The Lord Jesus be with your LETTER CXIV. S. R. To Mr. GEORGE GILLESPIE. Reverend and 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, and my sadness joyfulness. At my first entry, my apprehensions wrought so upon my spirit. Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, LETTER CXV. TO JOHN MEINE, Dear Brother, LETTER CXVI. To Mr. THOMAS GARVEN. Reverend and dear Brother, GRACE, mercy and peace be to you. I BLESS you for your letter: it was I wonder ye sent me not an answer a shower to the new mown grass. to my last letter, for I stand in need The Lord hath given you the tongue of it; I am in some piece of court of the learned; be fruitful and humwith our great King, whose love ble. It is possible ye come to my would cause a dead man speak and case, or the like; but the water is live; whether my court will continue neither so deep, nor the stream so or not, I cannot well say; but I strong, as it is called. I think my have his ear frequently, and, to his fire is not so hot, my water dry land, glory only I speak it, no penury of my loss rich loss. O if the walls of the love-kisses of the Son of God. He my prison be high, wide and large, thinketh good to cast apples to me and the place sweet! no man knowin my prison to play withal, lest I it, no man, I say, knoweth it, my should think long and faint; I must dear brother, so well as he and I: give over all attempts to fathom the no man can put it down in black depth of his love; all I can do is, and white as my Lord hath sealed it but to stand beside his great love, in my heart. My poor stock is and look and wonder. My debts of grown since I came to Aberdeen; thankfulness affright me: I fear my and if had known the wrong I any creditor get a dyvour-bill and rag- did, in being jealous of such an ged account. I would be much the honest lover as Christ, who with-held better of help; O for help! and that not his love from me, they would ye would take notice of my case. think the more of it; but I see, he Your not writing to me maketh me must be above me in mercy: I will think, ye suppose that I am not to never strive with him; to think to be bemoaned, because he is comfort-recompense him is folly. If I had able; but I have pain in my unthank- as many angels' tongues, as there fulness, and pain in the feeling of have fallen drops of rain since the his love, while I am sick again for creation, or as there are leaves of real presence, and real possession of trees in all the forests of the earth, Christ; yet there is no gouked, if I or stars in the heaven, to praise; yet may so speak, nor fond love in my Lord Jesus would ever be beChrist: he casteth me down some- hind with me; we will never get times for old faults: and I know our accompts fitted; a pardon must he knoweth well, that sweet comforts close the reckoning: for his comforts are swelling: and therefore sorrow to me in this honourable cause have must take a vent to the wind. My almost put me beyond the bounds of dumb sabbaths are undercotting modesty; howbeit I will not let ewounds. The condition of the op- very one know what is betwixt us, pressed kirk and my brother's case (I Love, love, I mean Christ's love, is thank you and the hottest coal that ever I felt; O wife for your kindness to him) hold my sore smart-but the smoke of it be hot! Cast all ing, and keep my wounds bleeding; the salt sea on it, it will flame; hell but the ground-work standeth sure. cannot quench it; many, many wa Pray for me. Grace be with you. ters will not quench love. Christ is Remember me to your wife. turned over to his poor prisoner in a mass and globe of love: I wonder he should waste so much love upon T your Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, Aberdeen, March 14, 1637. S. R. such a waster as I am; but he is no Christ and I agreed not well upon Traster, but abundant in mercy; he it: the devil made a plea in the house, hath no niggard's alms, when he is and I laid the blame upon Christ; pleased to give. O that I could in- for my heart was fraughted with vite all the nation to love him. Free challenges, and I feared that I was grace is an unknown thing: this world an outcast, and that I was but a hath heard but a bare name of Christ, withered tree in the vineyard, and and no more: there are infinite plies but held the sun off the good plants in his love, that the saints will never with my idle shadow, and therefore win to unfold; I would it were better my master had given the evil servant known, and that Christ got more of the fields to fend them. Old guiltihis own due than he doth. Brother, ness, as witness, said all is true: ye have chosen the good part, who my apprehensions were with child of have taken part with Christ; ye will faithless fears, and unbelief put a see him win the field, and shall get seal and amen to all. I thought part of the spoil when he divideth myself in a hard case; some said, I it. They are but fools who laugh had cause to rejoice, that Christ had at us: for they see but the backside honoured me to be a witness for him; of the moon; yet our moon-light is and I said in my heart, These are better than their twelve-hours sun; words of men, who see but mine we have gotten the new heavens, outside, and cannot tell if I be a false and, as a pledge of that, the Bride-witness or not. If Christ had in this groom's love-ring; the children of matter been as wilful and short as I the wedding-chamber have cause to skip, and leap for joy; for the marriage-supper is drawing nigh, and we find the four-hours sweet and comfortable. O time be not slow! O sun, move speedily and hasten our banquet! O Bridegroom, be like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountains! O Well-beloved, run fast, that we may once meet! Brother, I contain myself, for want of time. Pray for me; I hope to remember you. The good-will of him who dwelt in the bush, the tender mercies of God in Christ, enrich you. Grace be with you. was, my faith had gone over the brae, and broken its neck; but we were well met, a hasty fool, and a wise, patient and meek Saviour; he took no law-advantage of my folly, but waited on till my ill blood was fallen, and my drumbled and troubled well began to clear: he was never a whit angry at the fever-ravings of a poor tempted sinner: but he mercifully forgave, and came, as it well becometh him, with grace and new comfort, to a sinner who deserved the contrary. And now he is content to kiss my black mouth, to put his hand in mine, and to feed me with as many consolations, as would feed ten hungry souls! yet I dare not say, he is a waster of comforts, for no less would have borne me up; one grain-weight less would have casten the balance. Now, who is like to that royal King, crowned in Zion! Where will I get a seat for royal Majesty, to set him on? If I could set him as far above the heaven as thousand thousands of heights devised by men and angels, I would think him but too low. I pray you, in whom I trusted much; our husfor God's sake, my dear sister, help band doth well in breaking our idols me to praise: his love hath neither in pieces: dry wells send us to the brim nor bottom; his love is like fountain. My life is not dear to me, himself, it passeth all natural under-so being I may fulfil my course with standing. I go to fathom it with my joy. I fear you must remove, if arms, but it is as if a child would your new hireling will not bear your take the globe of sea and land in his discountenancing of him: for the two short arms: blessed and holy is prelate is afraid Christ get you, and his name! This must be his truth that he hath no will to. Grace be I now suffer for; for he would not with you. laugh upon a lie, nor be witness with his comforts to a night-dream. I intreat for your prayers; and the prayer and blessing of a prisoner of Christ be upon you. Grace be with you. Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, Aberdeen, March 14, 1637. LETTER CXVIII. S. R. To ALEXANDER GORDON, of Knockgray. Your's in his sweet Lord and Master, Aberdeen, 1657. LETTER CXIX. S. R. To JOHN FLEMING, Baillie of Leith, Worthy and dearly beloved in the Lord, GRACE, mercy and peace be unto you. I received your letter; I wish I could satisfy your desires, in drawing up, and framing for you a Christian directory; but the learned have done it before me, more judiciously I HAVE not leisure to write to you: than I can; especially Mr. Rodgers, Christ's ways were known to you, Greenham, and Perkins: notwithlong before I, who am but a child, standing, I shall shew you what I knew any thing of him. What wrong would have been at myself, howbeit and violence the prelates may, by I came always short of my purpose. God's permission, do unto you, for 1. That the hours of the day, less your trial, I know not; but this I or more time, for the word and prayknow, that your ten days' tribulationer, be given to God, not sparing the will end: contend to the last breath twelfth hour, or mid-day, howbeit it for Christ. Banishment out of these should then be the shorter time. 2. kingdoms is determined against me, In the midst of worldly employments, as I hear; this land cannot bear there would be some thoughts of sin, me; I pray you, recommend my judgment, death and eternity, with case and bonds to my brethren, and at least a word or two of ejaculatory sisters, with you; and I intrust prayer to God. 3. To beware of more of my spiritual comfort to you wandering of heart in private prayers. and them, that way, my dear bro- 4. Not to grudge, howbeit ye come ther, than to many in this kingdom from prayer without sense of joy; besides. I hope ye will not be want. down-casting, sense of guiltiness, ing to Christ's prisoner. Fear no- and hunger is often best for us. 5. thing, for I assure you, Alexander That the Lord's day, from morning Gordon of Knockgray shall win a- to night, be spent always, either in way, and get his soul for a prey: private or public worship. 6. That and what can he then want that is words be observed, wandering and worth the having? Your friends are idle thoughts be avoided, sudden cold, as ye write, and so are these, anger and desire of revenge, even of such as persecute the truth, be or ordinary conference. 10. That guarded against; for we often mix in great troubles, I have received our zeal with our wild-fire. 7. That false reports of Christ's love, and known, discovered and revealed sins, misbelieved him in his chastening; that are against the conscience, be whereas the event hath said, All was issued, as most dangerous prepara- in mercy. 11. Nothing more movtives to hardness of heart. 8. That eth me, and weighteth my soul, than in dealing with men, faith and truth that I could never for my heart, in in covenants and trafficking be re my prosperity, so wrestle in prayer garded, that we deal with all men with God, nor be so dead to the in sincerity, that conscience be made world, so hungry and sick of love of idle and lying words; and that our for Christ, so heavenly-minded, as carriage be such, as that they who when ten stone weight of a heavy see it may speak honourably of our cross was upon me. 12. That the sweet Master and profession. 9. I cross extorted vows of new obedihave been much challenged, 1. For ence, which ease hath blown away, not referring all to God, as the last as chaff before the wind. 13. That end; that I do not eat, drink, sleep, practice was so short and narrow, journey, speak and think for God. and light so long and broad. 14. 2. That I have not benefited by That death hath not been often megood company; and that I left not ditated upon. 15. That I have not some word of conviction, even upon been careful of gaining others to natural and wicked men, as by re- Christ. 16. That my grace and gifts proving swearing in them, or because bring forth little or no thankfulness. of being a silent witness to their There are some things also, whereby loose carriage, and because I intend- I have been helped: as, 1. I have beed not in all companies to do good. 3. That the woes and calamities of the kirk, and particular professors, have not moved me. 3. That at the reading of the life of David, Faul, and the like, when it humbled me, I, coming so far short of their holiness, laboured not to imitate them, afar off at least, according to the measure of God's grace. 5. That unrepented sins of youth were not looked to, and lamented for. 6. That sudden stirrings of pride, lust, revenge, love of honours, were not resisted and mourned for. 7. That my charity was cold. 8. That the experiences I had, of God's hearing me in this and the other particular, being gathered, yet in a new trouble I had always, once at least, my faith to seek, as if I were to begin at A, B, C, again. 9. That I have not more boldly contradicted the enemies, speaking against the truth, either in public church-meetings, or at tables, nefited by riding alone along journey, in giving that time to prayer. 2. By abstinence, and giving days to God. 3. By praying for others; for, by making an errand to God for them, I have gotten something for myself. 4. I have been really confirmed, in many particulars, that God heareth prayers; and therefore I used to pray for any thing, of how little importance soever. 5. He enabled me to make no question, that this mocked way, which is nicknamed, is the only way to heaven. Sir, These, and many more occurrences in my life, would be looked unto: and, 1. Thoughts of atheism would be watched over, as, if there be a God in heaven; which will trouble and assault the best, at sometimes. 2. Growth in grace would be cared for, above all things; and falling from our first love mourned for. 3. Conscience made of praying for the enemies, who are blinded. Sir, I thank |