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heaven: we forget that as our gifts men's labours for this clay-idol are and light grow, so God's gain and to be laughed at. Therefore come the interest of his talents should near, and take a view of that transgrow also; and that we cannot pay parent beauty that is in Christ, which God with the old use and wont (as would busy the love of ten thousand we use to speak) which we gave him millions of worlds and angels, and seven years ago; for this were to hold them all at work: surely I am mock the Lord, and to make price grieved, that men will not spend with him as we list. O what diffi- their whole love upon that culty is there in our Christian jour- princely Well-beloved, that high and royal and ney! and how often come we short lofty one; for it is cursed love that of many thousand things that are runneth another way than Christ's due! and we consider not And for myself, if I had ten loves him. upon how far our dear Lord is behind and ten souls, O how glad would I with us. Mistress, I cannot render be, if he would break in upon me, you thanks, as I would, for your and take possession of them all! Wo, kindness to my brother, an oppressed wo is me, that he and I are so far stranger; but I remember you unto asunder! I hope, we shall be in one the Lord, as I am able: I entreat country and one house together. you, think upon me, his prisoner, and pray that the Lord would be pleased to give me room to speak to his people in his name. Grace, grace be with you.

Your's in his sweet Lord and Master, Aberdeen, 1636.

LETTER CXCIV.

To FULWOOD, Younger.

Much honoured Sir,

S. R.

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 and months and hours, and over-leap time, that we might meet! And for this truth, Sir, that ye profess, I avow before the world of men and angels, that it is the way, and the only way, to our country, the rest are by-ways; and that what I suffer for, is the apple of Christ's eye, even his honour as Lawgiver and King of GRACE, mercy and peace be to you. his church. I think death too little Upon the report of this worthy bearer ere I forsook it. Do not, Sir, I beconcerning you, I thought good to seech you in the Lord, make Christ's speak a word to you: it is enough court thinner by drawing back from for acquaintance, that we are one in him; it is too thin already; for I dare Christ. My earnest desire to you pledge my heaven upon it, he shall is, that ye would, in the fear of God, win this plea, and the fools that plea compare your inch and hand-breadth against him shall lose the wager, of time with vast eternity, and your which is their part of salvation, exthoughts of this now fair, blooming cept they take better heed to their and green world, with the thoughts ways. Sir, free grace that we give ye shall have of it, when corruption no hire for, is a jewel our Lord and worms shall make their houses giveth to few. Stand fast in the in your eye-holes, and shall eat your hope you are called unto: our Masflesh, and make that body dry bones: ter will rend the clouds, and will be if ye so do, I know then, that your light of this world's vanity shall be more clear, than now it is; and I am persuaded ye shall then think, that

upon us quickly, and clear our cause, and bring us all out in our blacks and whites. Clean, clean garments in the Bridegroom's eye, are of great

worth: step over this hand-breadth making to sleep in. The law shall of world's glory, in to our Lord's never be my doomster, by Christ's new world of grace, and ye will grace, if I get no more good of it; laugh at the feathers that children I shall find a sore enough doom in are chasing in the air. I verily judge, the gospel, to humble and to cast that these inns, men are building me down: it is (I grant) a good their nest in, is not worth a drink of rough friend, to follow a traitor to cold water. It is a rainy and smoky the bar, and to back him, till he house; best we come out of it, lest come to Christ. We may blame we be choked with the smoke there ourselves, who cause the law to of. O that my adversaries knew how crave well-paid debt, to scar us sweet my sighs for Christ are, and away from Jesus, and dispute about what it were for a sinner to lay his a righteousness of our own, a world head between Christ's breasts, and in the moon, a chimera, and a nightto be over head and ears in Christ's dream, that pride is father and molove! Alas, I cannot cause paper ther to: there cannot be a more speak the height and breadth and humble soul than a believer; it is depth of it! I have not a balance to no pride for a drowning man to weigh my Lord Jesus's worth: hea- catch hold of a rock. I rejoice ven, ten heavens would not be the that the wheels of this confused beam of a balance, to weigh him in. world are rolled, and cogged, and I must give over praising of him; driven according as our Lord will. angels see but little of him: O if that Out of whatever airth the wind fair one would take off the mask off blow, it will blow us on our Lord; his fair face, that I might see him: no wind can blow our sails overa kiss of him through his mask is board; because Christ's skill, and half a heaven. O day dawn! O honour of his wisdom, are empawntime, run fast! O Bridegroom, post, ed and laid down at the stake for post fast, that we may meet! O the sea-passengers, that he shall put heavens, cleave in two, that that them safe off his hand on the shore, in bright face and head may set itself his father's known bounds, our nathrough the clouds!' O that the corn tive home ground. My dear brother, were ripe, and this world prepared scar not at the cross of Christ: it for his hook! Sir, be pleased to is not seen yet what Christ will do remember a prisoner's bonds. Grace for you, when it cometh to the be with you.

Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus,

Aberdeen, July 10, 1637.

LETTER CXCV.

To Mr. HUGH MACKAIL.

S. R.

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worst; he will keep his grace till ye be at a strait, and 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, and distraction of friends, prepare what I would for the times: I have not one hour of spare time, suppose the day were forty hours long. Remember me in prayer. Grace be with you.

My very dear Brother, Yɛ know, that men may take their sweet fill of the sour law, in grace's ground; and betwixt the Mediator's breasts and this, is sinner's safest way; for there is a bed for wearied sinners to rest them in, in the new covenant, though no bed of Christ's Aberdeen, Sept. 5, 1687.

Yours in his sweet Lord Jesus.

S. R.

LETTER CXCVI.

To his Rev. and dear Brother, Mr. DAVID

DICKSON.

groom; the Bridgroom himself is better than all the ornaments that are about him. Now, I would not so much have these, as God him

My Reverend and dear Brother, I FEAR ye have never known me self, and to be swallowed up of love well: if ye saw my inner-side, it to Christ. I see, in delighting in a is possible ye would pity me, but communion with Christ, we may you would hardly give me either make more gods than one; but how love or respect; men mistake me ever, all was but children's play bethe whole length of the heavens; tween Christ and me, till now. If my sins prevail over me, and the one would have sworn unto me, I terrors of their guiltiness. I am would not have believed what may put often to ask, if Christ and I did be found in Christ. I hope, ye pity ever shake hands together in ear- my pain that much, in my prison, nest; I mean not, that my feast-days as to help me yourself, and to cause are quite gone, but I am made of others help me, a dyvour, a sinful extremities. I wretched dyvour, to pay some of my pray God ye never have the woful and dreary expedebts of praise to my great King. rience of a closed mouth; for then Let my God be judge and witness, ye shall judge the sparrows, that if my soul would not have sweet may sing in the church of Irvine, ease and comfort, to have many blessed birds; but my soul hath hearts confirmed in Christ, and enbeen refreshed and watered, when I larged with his love, and many hear of your courage and zeal for tongues set on work to set on high your never enough-praised, praised my royal and princely Well-belovMaster, in that ye put the men of ed. O that my sufferings could pay God, chased out of Ireland, to work. tribute to such a king! I have given if I could confirm you! I dare over wondering at his love; for say, in God's presence, That this Christ hath manifested a piece of shall never hasten your suffering, art upon me, that I never revealed but shall be David Dickson's feast to any living; he hath gotten fair and speaking joy, that while he had and rich employment, and sweet time and leisure, he put many to sale, and a goodly market for his work, to lift up Jesus his sweet honourable calling of shewing mer Master, high in the skies,' O man cy on me the chief of sinners. of God go on, go on, be valliant Every one knoweth not so well as I for that Plant of renown, for that do, my wofully often broken coveChief among ten thousands, for that nants, my sins against light, workPrince of the kings of the earth. ing in the very act of sinning, have It is but little that I know of God, been met with admirable mercy; yet this I dare write, Christ shall be but alas! he will get nothing back glorified in David Dickson, howbeit again, but wretched unthankfulness. Scotland be not gathered. I am I am sure, if Christ pity any thing pained, pained, that I have not in me, next to my sin, it is pain of more to give my sweet Bridegroom; love for an arm-ful and soul-ful of his comforts to me are not dealt himself, in faith, love, and begun with a niggard's hand, but I would fruition; my sorrow is, that I canfain learn not to idolize comfort, not get Christ lifted off the dust in sense, joy, and sweet felt presence; Scotland, and set on high, above all all these are but creatures, and no- the skies, and heaven of heavens. thing but the kingly robe, the gold Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, ring and the bracelets of the Bride- Aberd. May 1, 1637.

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S. R

LETTER CLXCVII.

dry branch of cut down Lebanon will bud again and be glorious, and To his Reverend and dear Brother, they shall yet plant vines upon our MR. JOHN LIVINGSTON. mountains. Now, my dear brother, My Reverend and dear Brother, I write to you for this end, that ye GRACE, mercy, and peace be to you. may help me to praise, and seek I long to hear from you and to be help of others with you, that God refreshed with the comforts of the may be glorified in my bonds. My bride of our Lord Jesus in Ireland, Lord Jesus hath taken the withered I suffer with you in grief, for the dry stranger, and his broken-indash that your desires to be at N. heart prisoner, into his house of E. have received of late; but if our wine. O! O! if ye, and all ScotLord, who hath skill to bring up land, and all our brethren with you, his children, had not seen it your knew how I am feasted! Christ's best, it should have not befallen honey-combs drop comforts: he dinyou; hold your peace, and stay eth with his prisoner, and the King's yourself upon the holy One of Is-spikenard casteth a smell. The derael: hearken what he hath said in vil cannot get it denied, but we sufcrossing of your desires, he will fer for the apple of Christ's eye, his speak peace to his people. I am royal prerogatives, as King and here removed from my flock, and Law-giver; let us not fear or faint. silenced, and confined in Aberdeen, He will have his gospel once again for the testimony of Jesus; and I rouped in Scotland, and have the have been confined in spirit also matter going to voices, to see who with desertions and challenges; I will say, 'Let Christ be crowned gave in a bill of quarrels, and com- King in Scotland: it is true, Antiplaints of unkindness against Christ, christ stirreth his tail; but I love a who seemed to cast me over the rumbling and raging devil in the dike of the vineyard, as a dry tree, kirk (since the church militant canand separated me from the Lord's not or may not want a devil to trouinheritance: but high, high and loud ble her) rather than a subtile or praises be to our royal crowned sleeping devil: Christ never yet King in Zion, that he hath not got a bride without stroke of sword; burnt the dry branch: I shall yet it is now nigh the Bridegroom's enlive, and see his glory. Your mo- tering into his chamber, let us ather-church for her whoredom, is wake and go in with him; I bear like to be cast off: the children your name to Christ's door; I pray may break their hearts, to see such you, dear brother, forget me not: chiding betwixt the husband and let me hear from you by a letter, the wife. Our clergy is upon a re- and I charge you, smother not conciliation with the Lutherans, and Christ's bounty towards me; I write the doctors are writing books, and what I have found of him in the drawing up a common confession, at house of my pilgrimage. Rememthe council's command. Our ser- ber my love to all our brethren and vice-book is proclaimed with sound sisters there. The keeper of the of trumpet; the night is fallen down vineyard watch for his besieged upon the prophets; Scotland's day city, and for you.

of visitation is come: it is time for the bride to weep, while Christ is a

Your brother and fellow sufferer,

saying, he will choose another wife: Aberdeen, Feb. 7, 1637. but our sky will clear again; the

S. R

LETTER CXCVIII.

To Mr. EPHRAIM MELVIL. Reverend and dear Brother.

sit actus omnis nostræ intentionis: sic religiosa genticulatio, sublata omni intentione humana, est externa adoratio panis, coram quo adora. I RECEIVED your letter, and am con- mus ut coram signo vicario et retented with all my heart, that our presentavio Dei. Thus recomacquaintance in our Lord continue. mending you to God's tender merI am wrestling, as I can, up the cy, I desire that ye would rememmount with Christ's cross: my se- ber me to God. Sanctification shall cond is kind, and able to help. As settle you most in the truth. Grace for your questions, because of my be with you. manifold distractions, and letters to multitudes, I have not time to an

Your brother in Christ Jesus,

LETTER CXCIX.

swer them: what shall be said in Aberd. 1687.
common for that, shall be imparted
to you: for I am upon these ques-
tions: therefore spare me a little,
for the Service book would take a
great time, but I think, Sicut
deosculatio religiosa imaginis, aut
etiam elementorum, est in se idola-

To a GENTLEWOMAN,
Upon the death of her husband.
Mistress,

S. R.

tria externa, etsi intentio deoscu-GRACE, mercy. and peace be to you.

landi, tota, quanta in actu est, fera- I cannot but rejoice, and withal be tur in Deum goTOTUòr; ita genicu- grieved, at your case: it hath pleas latio coram pane, quando, nempe, ed the Lord to remove your husex institutio totus homo externus band (my friend, and this kirk's et internus versari debeat circa ele- faithful professor) soon to his rest, mentaria signa, est adoratio relativa, but, shall we be sorry that our loss et adoratio ipsius panis. Ratio; in- is his gain, seeing his Lord would tentio adorandi objectum materiale, want his company no longer? Think non est de essentia externæ adora- not much of short summons; for tionis, ut patet in deosculatione re-seeing he walked with his Lord in ligiosa. Sic geniculatio coram ima- his life, and desired that Christ gine Babylonica est externa adora-should be magnified in him at his tio imaginis, etsi tres pueri mente death, ye ought to be silent and sa. intendissent adorare Jehovam. Sic tisfied. When Christ cometh for qui ex metu solo, aut spe pretii, aut his own, he runneth fast: mercy, inanis gloriæ, genticulatur coram mercy to the saints goeth not at aureo vitulo Jeroboami, (quod ab leisure; love, love in our Redeemer ipso rege, qui nulla religione induc-is not slow, and withal he is homely tus, sed libidine dominandi tantum with you, who cometh at his own vitulum erexit, factitatum esse, tex-hand to your house, and intromittus satis luculenter clamat) adorat teth, as a friend, with any thing vitulum externa adoration; est quod that is yours: I think he would fain putaret vitulum esse meram creatu- borrow and lend with you. Now ram, et honore nullo dignum: quia he shall meet with the solacious geniculatio, sive nos nolumus, sive company, the fair flock, and blessed volumus ex instituto Dei et naturæ, bairn-time of the first-born, banin actu religioso, est symbolum re- queting at the marriage-supper of ligiosæ adorationis: ergo, sicut pa- the Lamb. It is a mercy that the nis significat corpus Christi, etsi ab- poor wandering sheep get a dike

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