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sing beauty! If men and angels | ders, that he will take any praise or would come and look to that great glory, or any testimony to his honand princely One, their ebbness ourable cause, from such a forlorn would never take up his depth, sinner as I am: but when Christ their narrowness would never com- worketh, he needeth not ask the prehend his breadth, height, and question, by whom he will be glori length if ten thousand thousand ous; I know, seeing his glory at worlds of angels were created, then the beginning did shine out of poor might all tire themselves in wonder- nothing, to set up such a fair house ing at his beauty, and begin again for men and angels, and so many to wonder of new. O that I could glorious creatures, to proclaim his win nigh him, to kiss his feet, to goodness, power and wisdom, if I hear his voice, to find the smell of were burnt to ashes, out of the his ointments! But oh alas, I have smoke and powder of my dissolved little, little of him! yet I long for more. Remember my bonds, and help me with your prayers; for I would not niffer or exchange my sad hours with the joy of my velvet adversaries. Grace be with you. Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, Aberdeen, June 10, 1637. - S. R.

LETTER CXXXVII.

To Mr JAMES FLEMING. Reverend and well-beloved in our Lord.

body, he could raise glory to himself: his glory is his end; oh that I could join with him, to make it my end! I would think that fellowship with him sweet and glorious. But alas! few know the guiltiness that is on my part; it is a wonder, that this good cause hath not been marred and spilt, in my foul hands: but I rejoice in this, that my sweet Lord Jesus hath found something ado, even a ready market for his free grace, and in comparable and matchless mercy, in my wants; only my GRACE, mercy and peace be to you. [lothsome wretchedness and my wants I received your letter, which hath have qualified me for Christ, and refreshed me in my bonds. I cannot the riches of his glorious grace; he but testify unto you, my dear broth-behoved to take me for nothing, or er, what sweetnes I find in our Mas- else to want me: few know the unter's cross; but alas, what can I seen and private reckoning betwixt either do or suffer for him! If I my Christ and me; yet his love, his alone had as many lives, as there boundless love would not bide away, have been drops of rain since the nor stay at home with himself; and creation, I would think them too yet I cannot make it welcome as I little for that lovely One, our Well-ought, when it is come unsent-for beloved; but my pain and my sorrow and without hire. How joyful is my is above my sufferings, that I find heart, that ye write ye are desirous not ways to set out the praises of to join with me in praising; for it is his love to others, I am not able, by a charity to help a dyvour to pay tongue, pen, or sufferings, to provoke his debts; but when all have helped many to fall in love with him: but me, my name shall stand in his counthe knoweth, whom I love to serve book under ten thousand thousands in the spirit, what I would do, and of sums unpaid: but it easeth my suffer by his own strength, so being heart that his dear servants will but I might make my Lord Jesus lovely speak of my debts to such a sweet and sweet to many thousands in this Creditor. I desire, he may lay me land. I think it amongst God's won-in his own balance and weigh me,

of the saints, (Satan's hand also by them is at the melting of the Lord's vessels of mercy) and their office in God's house, is to scour and cleanse vessels for the King's table. I marvel not to see them triumph, and sit at ease in Zion; our Father must lay up his rods, and keep them carefully for his own use; our Lord cannot want fire in his house; his furnace is in Zion, and his fire in

if I would not fain have a feast of honourable testimony; I see, the his boundless love made to my own Lord can ride through his enemies soul, and to many others,, One bands and triumph in the sufferings thing I know, we shall not all be of his own; and that this blind world able to come near his exellency with seeth not, that sufferings is Christ's eye, heart, or tongue; for he is armour, wherein he is victorious: above all created thoughts; all na- and they that contend with Zion see tions before him are as nothing, and not what he is doing, when theya & less than nothing; he sitteth in the set to work, as under-smiths and circuit of heaven, and the inhabitants servants, to the work of refining of the earth are as grasshoppers before him! O that men would praise him! ye complain of your private case: alas I am not the man who can speak to such an one as ye are : any sweet presence I have had in this town, is (I know) for this cause, that I might express and make it known to others; but I never find myself nearer Christ, that royal and princely One, than after a great weight and sense of deadness, and Jerusalem; but little know the adgracelessness: I think, the sense of versaries the counsel and thoughts of our wants, when withal we have a the Lord. And for your complaints restlesness, and a sort of spiritual of your ministry, I now think all I do impatience under them, and can too little: plainness, freedom, watchmake a din because we want him fulness, fidelity, shall swell upon you, whom our soul loveth, is that which in exceeding large comforts, in your maketh an open door to Christ; and sufferings; the feeding of Christ's when we think we are going back- lambs in private visitations, and ward, because we feel deadness, we catechising, in painful preaching, are going forward: for the more and fair, honest and free warning of sense, the more life, and no sense the flock, is a sufferer's garland. O argueth no life. There is no sweeter ten thousand times blessed are they, fellowship with Christ, than to bring who are honoured of Christ to be our wounds and our sores to him. faithful and painful, in wooing a But for myself, I am ashamed of bride to Christ! My dear brother, Christ's goodness and love, since I know ye think more on this, than the time of my bonds; for he hath I can; and I rejoice that your purbeen pleased to open up new trea- pose is, in the Lord's strength, to sures of love and felt sweetness, and back your wronged Master, and to give visitations of love, and access come out, and call yourself Christ's to himself, in this strange land. I man, when so many are now denying would think a fill of his love, young him, as fearing that Christ cannot and green heaven; and when he is do for himself and them. I am a pleased to come, and the tide is in, lost man for ever, or this, this is the and the sea full, and the King and way to salvation, even this way that a poor prisoner together in the house they call heresy, that men now do of wine, the black tree of the cross mock and scoff at. I am confirmed is not so heavy as a feather, I can- now, that Christ will accept of his not, I dare not, but give Christ an servant's sufferings as good service

Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, Aberdeen, Aug. 15, 1637.

LETTER CXXXVIII.
To Mr. JOHN MEINE.

Worthy and dear Brother,

S. R.

GRACE, mercy and peace be to you. I have been too long in answering your letter, but other business took

to him, at the day of his appearance; and embracing, and upon the hopes and that ere it be long he will be of my meeting and his, when loveupon us all, and men in their blacks letters shall not go betwixt us, but and whites shall be brought out be- he shall be messenger himself; but fore God, angels and men. Our there is required patience on our Master is not far off; oh if we could part, till the summer fruit in heaven wait on, and be faithful! The good be ripe for us; it is in the bud, but will of Him who dwelt in the bush, there be many things to do before the tender favour and love, the our harvest come; and we take ill grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with it, and can hardly endure to with you. Help me with your set our paper-face to one of Christ's prayers; and desire, from me, other storms, and to go to heaven with brethren, to take courage for their wet feet, and pain, and sorrow. Master, We love to carry a heaven to heaven with us, and would have two summers in one year, and no less than two heavens; but this will not be for us: one, and such an one, may suffice us well enough; the man Christ got but one only, and shall we have two? Remember my love in Christ to your father, and help me with your prayers. If ye would be a deep divine, I recommend to you sanctification; fear him, me up. I am here waiting, if the and he shall reveal his covenant` to fair wind will turn upon Christ's sails in Scotland; and if deliverance be you. breaking out to this over-clouded and benighted kirk, Oh that we could contend by prayers and supplications with our Lord for that effect! I know, he hath not given out his last doom against this land. I have little of Christ is this prison, but groanings, and longings, and GRACE, mercy and peace be to you. desires; all my stock of Christ is I have longed to hear from you, and some hunger for him, and yet I can to know the estate of your soul, and not say, but I am rich in that, my the estate of that people with you. faith, and hope, and holy practice I beseech you, Sir, by the salvation of new obedience, are scarce worth the speaking of; but blessed be my Lord, who taketh me, light and clipped, and naughty, and feckless, as I am. I see Christ will not prig with me, nor stand upon steppingstones, but cometh in at the broadside without ceremonies, or making it nice, to make a poor ransomed one his own. O that I could feed upon his breathing, and kissing,

Grace be with you.

Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus.

Aberdeen, Jan. 5, 1637.

LETTER CXXXIX.

TO CARDÓNESS, Elder
Much honoured Sir,

S. R.

of your precious soul, and the mercies of God, make good and sure work of your salvation, and try upon what ground-stone ye have build. ed. Worthy and dear Sir, if ye be upon sinking sand, a storm of death, and a blast will loose Christ and you, and wash you close off the rock; O for the Lord's sake, look narrowly to the work. Read over your life, with the light of God's day light and

garland! Dear Sir, my soul would mourn in secret for you, if I knew your case with God to be but false work: love to have you anchored upon Christ, maketh me fear your tottering and slips: false under-water not seen in the ground of an enlight. ened conscience, is dangerous: so is often failing and sinning against light: know this, that these who never had sick nights or days in conscience for sin, cannot have but such a peace with God, as will undercot, and break the flesh again, and end in a sad war at death. O how fearfully are thousands beguiled with false

sun; for salvation is not casten down | breath in their race many miles, and at every man's door: it is good to yet come short of the prize and the look to your compass, and all ye have need of, ere ye take shipping; for no wind can blow you back again. Remember, when the race is ended, and the play either won or lost, and ye are in the utmost circle and border of time, and shall put your foot within the march of eternity, and all your good things of this short night-dream shall seem to you like the ashes of a blaze of thorns or straw, and your poor soul shall be crying, Lodging, lodging, for God's sake; then shall your soul be more glad at one of your Lord's lovely and homely smiles, than if ye had the charters of three worlds for all hide-grown-over old sins, as if the eternity. Let pleasures and gain, soul were cured and healed! Dear will and desires of this world, be put Sir, I saw ever nature mighty, lofty, over in God's hands, as arrested and heady and strong in you; and it was fenced goods, that ye cannot intro- more for you to be mortified and mit with. Now when ye are drinking dead to the world, than another the grounds of your cup, and ye are common man: ye will take a low upon the utmost ends of the last link ebb, and a deep cut, and a long of time, and old age, like death's lance, to go to the bottom of your long shadow, is casting a covering wounds, in saving humiliation, to upon your days; it is no time to make you a won prey for Christ. court this vain life, and to set love Be humbled, walk softly; down, and heart upon it: it is near after-down, for God's sake, my dear and supper; seek rest and ease for your worthy brother, with your top sail; soul, in God through Christ. Be- stoop, stoop; it is a low entry to go lieve me, I find it hard wrestling, to in at heaven's gates: there is infinite play fair with Christ, and to keep justice in the party ye have to do good quarters with him, and keep with; it is his nature not to acquit love to him in integrity and life, and the guilty and the sinner; the law of to keep a constant course of sound God will not want one farthing of and solid daily communion with the sinner; God forgetteth not both Christ: temptations are daily break- the cautioner and the sinner; and ing the thread of that course, and it every man must pay, either in his is not easy to cast a knot again, own person (O Lord, save you from and many knots make evil work. O that payment!) or in his cautioner, how fair have many ships been ply- Christ. It is violence to corrupt ing before the wind, that, in an nature, for a man to be holy, to lye hour's space, have been lying in the down under Christ's feet, to quit will, sea bottom! How many professors pleasure, worldly love, earthly hope, cast a golden lustre, as if they were and an itching of heart after this pure gold, and yet are, under that fairded and overgilded world, and skin and cover, but base and repro- to be content that Christ trample bate metal! And how many keep upon all. Come in, come in to

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sundered us; and that cannot be. I desire your children to seek this Lord: desire them from me to be requested, for Christ's sake, to be

me again among them, that I might tell uncouth and great tales of Christ to them! Receive not a stranger to preach any other doctrine to them. Pray for me, his prisoner of hope. I pray for you without ceasing; I write my blessing, earnest prayers, the love of God, and the sweet presence of Christ to you, and yours, and them. Grace, grace be with you.

Christ, and see what you want, and find it in him; he is the short cut, as we use to say, and the nearest way to an outgate of all your burdens. I dare avouch, ye shall be dearly wel-blessed and happy, and come and come to him; my soul would be glad take Christ, and all things with him; to take part of the joy ye should let them beware of glassy and sliphave in him. I dare say, angels' pens, pery youth, of foolish young notions, angels' tongues, nay as many worlds of worldly lusts, of deceivable gain, of angels, as there are drops of wa- of wicked company, of cursing, lyter in all the seas, and fountains, and ing, blaspheming, and foolish talkrivers of the earth, cannot paint him ing: let them be filled with the Spiout to you. I think, his sweetness, rit, acquaint themselves with daily since I was a prisoner, hath swelled praying, and with the store house of upon me to the greatness of two wisdom and comfort, the good word heavens. O for a soul as wide as of God. Help the souls of the poor the utmost circle of the highest hea-people; O that my Lord would bring ven that containeth all, to contain his love! And yet I could hold little of it. O world's wonder! O if my soul might but lye within the smell of his love, suppose I could get no more but the smell of it! O but it is long to that day when I shall have a free world of Christ's love! O what a sight to be up in heaven, in that fair orchard of the new paradise; and to see, and smell, and touch, and kiss that fair field flower, that ever-green tree of life! His bare shadow were enough for me; a sight of him would be the earnest of heaven to me. Fy, fy upon us that we have love lying To the Earl of LOTHIAN. rusting beside us, or which is worse, Right honourable, and my very worthy and wasted upon lothsome objects, and Noble Lord, Christ should lye his alone. Wo, wo OUT of the honourable and good is me, that sin hath made so many report that I hear of your Lordship's mad-men, seeking the fool's paradise, good will and kindness, in taking to fire under ice, and some good and heart the honourable cause of Christ, desireable thing, without and apart and his afflicted church and wronged from Christ. Christ, Christ, nothing truth, in this land; I make bold to but Christ can cool our love's burn-speak a word on paper to your Lording languor; O thirsty love! wilt ship at this distance, which I trust thou set Christ, the well of life, to your Lordship will take in good part. thy head, and drink thy fill; drink It is your Lordship's honour and and spare not, drink love, and be credit, to put to your hand, as ye drunken with Christ? Nay, alas, do, all honour to God! to the fallthe distance betwixt us and Christ ing and tottering tabernacle of Christ, is death. O if we were clasped in in this your mother-church, and to other's arms! We should never twin own Christ's wrongs, as your own again, except heaven twined and wrongs. O blessed hand, which shall

Your lawful and loving Pastor,
Aberdeen, 1637.

LETTER CXL.

S. R.