places, and stretch forth the cur- own house; but Christ shall never tains, and strengthen the stakes of be content and pleased with this Christ's tent in this land! O bless- land, neither shall his hot fiery ined are they, who, when Christ is dignation be turned away, so long driven away, will bring him back as the prelate, (the man that lay in again, and lend him lodging! and Antichrist's foul womb, and the Anblessed are ye of the Lord! your tichrist's Lord-bailiff,) shall sit lordname and honour shall never rot carver in the Lord Jesus his courts: nor wither in heaven at least, if ye the prelate is both the egg and the deliver the Lord's sheep, that have nest to cleck and bring forth popebeen scattered in the dark and ry: plead, therefore, in Christ's becloudy day, out of the hands of half, for the plucking down of the strange lords and hirelings, who nest, and the crushing of the egg; with rigour and cruelty have caus- and let Christ's kingly office suffer ed them to eat the pastures trodden no more unworthy indignities. Be upon with their foul feet, and to valiant for your royal King Jesus; drink muddy water, and who have contend for him: your adversaries spun out such a world of yards of shall be moth-eaten worms, and indifferencies in God's worship, to die as men. Christ and his honour make and weave a web for the An- now lieth on your shoulders, let him tichrist, (which shall not keep any not fall to the ground; cast your from the cold,) as they mind no- eye upon him, who is quickly com thing else, but that, by the bringing ing to decide all the controversies in of the pope's foul tail first upon in Zion, and remember, the sand us, (their wretched and beggarly in your night-glass will run out; ceremonies,) they may thrust in af- time with wings will flee away, eterter them the Antichrist's legs and nity is hard upon you; and what thighs, and his belly, head, and will Christ's love smiles, and the shoulders; and then cry down Christ light of his lovely and soul-delight. and the gospel, and up the mer- ing countenance be to you in that chandize and wares of the great day, when God shall take up in his whore. Fear not, my worthy Lord, right hand this little lodge of heav to give yourself, and all ye have, en, (like as a shepherd lifteth up out for Christ and his gospel: no his little tent,) and fold together man dare say, whoever did thus the two leaves of this tent, and put bazard for Christ, that Christ paid the earth and all the plenishing of him not his hundred-fold in this life, it into a fire, and turn this clayduly, and in the life to come, life idol, the god of Adam's sons, into everlasting. This is his own truth smoke and white ashes! O! what ye now plead for; for God and man hire, and how many worlds would cannot but commend you, to beg many then give to have a favourable justice from a just prince for oppres-decreet of the Judge? or what mosed Christ; and to plead that Christ, neys would they not give, to buy a who is the king's Lord, may be mountain, to be a grave above both heard in a free court to speak for soul and body, to hide them from himself, when the standing and es- the awsome looks of an angry Lord tablished laws of our nation can and Judge ? I hope, your Lordstrongly plead for Christ's crown in ship thinketh upon this, and that the pulpits, and his chair, as Law-ye mind loyalty to Christ, and to giver in the free government of his the king both. Now the very God

our guiltiness: I know he doth 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, doth yet look warm-like, lovelike, kind-like, and life-life home over to Christ, and would be in at him, ill and well as it may be! Think not much, that your husband, or the nearest to you in the world, proveth to have the bowels and mercy of the ostrich, hard, and rigorous, and cruel; for Psalm xxvii. 10. the Lord taketh up such fallen ones as these. I could not wish a more

GRACE, mercy and 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 Je. sus, under your trials, to keep an sweet life, nor more satisfying exear open to Christ, who can speak pressions of kindness, till I be up at for himself, howbeit your visitations, that Prince of kindness, than the and your own sense, should dream Lord's saints find, when the Lord hard things of his love and favour. taketh up men's refuse, and lodgeth Our Lord never getteth so kind a this world's outlaws, whom no man look of us, nor our love in such a seeketh after. His breath is never degree, nor our faith in such a mea- so hot, his love casteth never such sure of stedfastness, as he getteth a flame, as when this world, and out of the furnace of our tempting those who should be the helpers of fears and sharp trials. I verily be- our joy, cast water on our coal. It lieve, (and too sad proofs in me say is a sweet thing to see them cast no less,) that if our Lord would out, and God take in; and to see grind our whorish lust in powder, them throw us away, as the refuse very old ashes, of our corruption of men, and God take us up as his should take life again, and live, and jewels and his treasure. Often he hold us under so much bondage, maketh gold of dross, as once he that may humble us, and make us made the cast-away stone, the stone sad, till we be in that country where rejected by the builders, the Head we shall need no physic at all. O of the corner. The princes of this what violent means doth our Lord world would not have our Lord Je use to gain us to him, as if indeed sus a pinning in the wall, or to have we were a prize worthy his fighting any place in the building; but the for! And be sure, if leading would Lord made him the Master-stone of do the turn, he would not use pul- power and place. God be thanked, ling of the hair, and drawing: but that this world has not power to cry the best of us will bide a strong pull us down so many pounds, as rulers of our Lord's right arm, ere we fol- cry down light gold, or light silver; low him. Yet I say not this, as if we shall stand for as much as ouṛ our Lord always measured afflic- Master-coiner, Christ, whose coin, tions by so many ounce-weights, arms, and stamp we bear, will have answerable to the grain-weights of us; Christ hath no miscarrying bal

the

ance. Thank your Lord, who chas- tion and glory sitting in his counteeth your love through two king-nance, and betwixt his eyes. Faint doms, and followeth you and it over not; the miles to heaven are but few sea, to have you for himself, as he and short; he is making a green speaketh, Hos. iii. For God lay-bed (as the word speaketh, Cant.i.) eth up his saints, as the wail and of love, for himself and you; there the choice of all the world, for him- are many heads lying in Christ's self; and this is like Christ and his bosom, but there is room for your's love. O what, in heaven or out of among the rest; and therefore go heaven, is comparable to the smell on, and let hope go before you. of Christ's garments! Nay, sup Sin not in your trials, and the vic pose our Lord would manifest his tory is your's. Pray, wrestle, and art, and make ten thousand heavens believe, and ye shall overcome and of good and glorious things, and of prevail with God, as Jacob did; no new joys, devised out of the deep windlestraws, no bits of clay, no of infinite wisdom, he could not temptations, which are of no longer make the like of Christ; for Christ life than an hour, will then be able is God, and God cannot be made: to withstand you, when once ye and, therefore, let us hold us with have prevailed with God. Help Christ, howbeit we might have our me with your prayers, that it would wail and will of a host of lovers, as please the Lord to give me housemany as three heavens could con room again, to speak of his righttain; O that he and we were to-eousness in the great congregation, gether! O! when Christ and ye if it may seem good in his sight. shall meet about the outmost march Grace, grace be with you. and borders of time, and the entry into eternity, ye shall see heaven in

Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus,

his face at the first look, and salva- Aberdeen, July 6, 1687.

S. R.

CONTAINING

SOME LETTERS OF THE SAME AUTHOR, FROM ANWOTH, BEFORE HIS CONFINEMENT AT ABERDEEN; and others from ST. ANDREW'S, LONDON, &C. AFTER HIS ENLARGEMENT.

LETTER I.

To the Viscountess of KENMURE. Madam,

eth the strength of your stomach, will mix that cup with one drachmweight of poison. Drink then with ALL dutiful obedience in the Lord the patience of the saints; and the remembered: I have heard of your God of patience bless your physic. Ladyship's infirmity and sickness, I have heard your Ladyship comwith grief; yet I trust ye have plain of deadness, and want of the learned to say, It is the Lord, let bestirring power of the life of God; him do whatsoever seemeth good but courage; he who walked in the in his eyes. It is now many years garden, and made a noise that since the apostate angels made a made Adam hear his voice, will question, whether their will or the also at some times walk in your will of their Creator should be done; soul, and make you hear a more and since that time, froward man- sweet word; yet ye will not always kind hath always in that same suit of hear the noise and the din of his Jaw compeared to plead with them feet, when he walketh. Ye are at against God, in daily repining such a time like Jacob mourning against his will: but the Lord at the supposed death of Joseph, being both party and judge, hath when Joseph was living. The new obtained a decreet, and saith, Isa. creature, the image of the second xlvi. 10. My counsel shall stand, Adam, is living in you; and yet ye and I will do all my pleasure.' It are mourning at the supposed death is then best for us, in the obedience of the life of Christ in you. Ephof faith, and in an holy submission, raim is bemoaning and mourning, to give that to God, which the law Jer. xxxi. 18. when he thinketh of his Almighty and just power will God is far off and heareth not; and have of us. Therefore, Madam, yet God is like the Bridegroom, your Lord willeth you, in all states Cant. ii. standing only behind a thin of life, to say, Thy will be done in wall, and laying to his ear; for he earth as it is in heaven; and herein saith himself, ver. 18. 1 have sureshall ye have comfort, that he who ly heard Ephraim bemoaning himseeth perfectly through all your self. I have good confidence, evils, and knoweth the frame and Madam,that Christ Jesus, whom constitution of your nature, and your soul through forests and what is most healthful for your soul, mountains is seeking, is within holdeth every cup of affliction to and yet speak not this, to lay a your head, with his own gracious pillow under your head, or to dishand. Never believe, that your suade you from an holy fear of the tender-hearted Saviour, who know-loss of your Christ, or of provoking

you:

and stirring up the Beloved before dried up, and ye have only these he please, by sin. I know, in spirit-two shallow brooks, sickness and ual confidence, the devil will come death, to pass through; and ye have in, as in all other good works, and also a promise, that Christ shall do cry, half mine; and so endeavour to more than meet you, even that he bring you under a fearful sleep, till shall come himself and go with you he whom your soul loveth be de- foot for foot, yea, and bear you in parted from the door, and have left his arms. O then! O then, for the off knocking; and therefore, here joy that is set before you, for the the Spirit of God must hold your love of the man (who is also God soul's feet in the golden mid-line, over all, blessed for ever) that is betwixt confident resting in the standing upon the shore to welcome arms of Christ, and presumptuous you, run your race with patience. and drowsy sleeping in the bed of The Lord go with you. Your Lord fleshly security. Therefore, wor-will not have you, nor any of his thy Lady, so count little of your-servants, to exchange for the worse. self, because of your own wretched- Death in itself includeth both the ness and sinful drowsiness, that ye death of the soul, and the death of count not also little of God in the the body; but to God's children course of his unchangeable mercy; the bounds and the limits of death for there be many Christians, most are abridged, and drawn into a more like unto young sailors, who think narrow compass: so that when ye the shore and the whole land doth die, a piece of death shall only seize move, when the ship and they them- upon you, or the least part of you selves are moved; just so, not a few shall die, and that is the dissolution do imagine that God moveth and of the body: for in Christ ye are faileth, and changeth places, because delivered from the second death: their giddy souls are under sail, and therefore, as one born of God, and subject to alteration, to ebbing commit not sin, although ye cannot and flowing; but the foundation of live and not sin, and that serpent the Lord abideth sure. God know- shall but eat your earthly part. As eth, that ye are his own; wrestle, for your soul, it is above the law of fight, go forward, watch, fear, be- death; but it is fearful and dangerlieve, pray; and then ye have all the ous, to be a debtor and servant to infallible symptoms of one of the sin; for the count of sin ye will not elect of Christ within you. Ye be able to make good before God, have now, Madam, a sickness be except Christ both count and pay fore you; and also after that, a for you. I trust also, Madam, that death: gather then now food for ye will be careful to present to the the journey. God give you eyes to Lord the present estate of this desee through sickness and death, and caying kirk; for what shall be conto see something beyond death. Icluded in parliament anent her, the doubt not, but if hell were betwixt Lord knoweth : sure I am, the you and Christ, as a river which ye decree of a most fearful parliament behoved to cross, ere ye could come in heaven is at the very point of at him, but ye would willingly put coming forth, because of the sins of in your foot, and make through, to the land; for we have cast away the be at him, upon hope that he law of the Lord, and despised the would come in himself in the deep-words of the Holy One of Israel,' est of the river, and lend you his Isa. v. 24 Judgment is turned ahand. Now I believe, your hell is way backward, and justice standeth