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neighbours, who would pay you a such a weak woman as ye should sum of money after this manner. send Satan away, frustrate of his But what do ye think her lost, design: now honour God, and when she is but sleeping in the bo- shame the strong roaring lion, when som of the Almighty? Think not ye seem weakest. Should such an her absent, who is in such a friend's one as ye faint in the day of adverhouse. Is she lost to you, who is sity? Call to mind the days of old: found to Christ? If she were with the Lord yet liveth; trust in him, a dear friend, although ye should although he should slay you. Faith never see her again, your care of is exceeding charitable, and believ her would be but small. Oh, now, eth no evil of God. Now is the is she not with a dear friend, and Lord laying in the one scale of the gone higher, upon a certain hope balance, your making conscience that ye shall, in the resurrection, of submission to his gracious will; see her again, when, be ye sure, and in the other, your affection and she shall neither be hectic, nor con- love to your daughter; which of sumed in body! Ye would be sor- the two will ye then choose to satry either to be, or be esteemed, an isfy? Be wise then; and as I trust atheist; and yet not I, but the ye love Christ better than a sinful apostle, 1 Thess. iv. 13. thinketh woman, pass by your daughter, and those to be hopeless atheists, who kiss the Lord's rod. Men do lop mourn excessively for the dead. the branches off their trees round But this is not a challenge on my about, to the end they may grow part; I do speak this only fearing up high and tall; the Lord hath your weakness; for your daughter this way lopped your branch, in was a part of yourself; and, there- taking from you many children, to fore, nature in you being, as it the end ye should grow upward, were, cut and halved, will indeed like one of the Lord's cedars, setbe grieved: but ye have to rejoice, ting your heart above, where Christ that when a part of you is on earth, is at the right hand of the Father. a great part of you is glorified in What is next, but that your Lord heaven. Follow her, but envy her cut down the stock, after he hath not; for indeed it is self love in us, cut the branches? Prepare yourthat maketh us mourn for them that self; ye are nearer your daughter die in the Lord. Why? Because this day, than you were yesterday; for them we cannot mourn, since while ye prodigally spend time in they are never happy, till they be mourning for her, ye are speedily dead; therefore we mourn for our posting after her. Run your race own private respect. Take heed with patience; let God have his then, that in showing your affection own, and ask of him, instead of in mourning for your daughter, ye your daughter, whom he hath takbe not, out of self-affection, mourn-en from you, the daughter of faith, ing for yourself. Consider what the which is patience; and in patience Lord is doing in it; your daughter possess your soul. Lift up your is plucked out of the fire, and she head, ye do not know how near resteth from her labours; and your your redemption doth draw. Thus, Lord in that is trying you, and cast- recommending you to the Lord, ing you in the fire; go through all who is able to establish you, I rest, fires to your rest: and now remember, that the eye of God is upon the burning bush and not consum

Your loving and affectionate friend

in the Lord Jesus, S. R.

ed; and he is gladly content, that Anwoth, April 23, 1628.

LETTER IV.

To the elect and noble Lady, my Lady
KENMURE.

eternity; and ye have to rejoice, that ye have now some plenishing up in heaven. Build your nest upMadam, on no tree here; for ye see God SALUTING your Ladyship with grace hath sold the forest to death; and and mercy from God our Father, every tree, whereupon we would and from our Lord Jesus Christ; I rest, is ready to be cut down, to was sorry at my departure, leaving the end we might flee and mount your Ladyship in grief; and would up, and build upon the Rock, and still be grieved at it, if I were not dwell in the holes of the Rock, assured, that ye have One with you What ye love besides Jesus your in the furnace, whose visage is like husband, is an adulterous lover: unto the Son of God. I am glad now it is God's special blessing to that ye have been acquainted from Judah, that he will not let her find your youth with the wrestlings of her paths in following her strange God; and that ye get scarce liberty lovers, Hos. ii. 6. Therefore, beto swallow down your spittle, be- hold, I will hedge up her way with ing casten from furnace to furnace, thorns, and make a wall, that she knowing if ye were not dear to God, shall not find her paths, ver. 7. And and if your health did not require she shall follow after her lovers, so much of him, he would not spend but she shall not overtake them. so much physic upon you. All the O thrice happy Judah, when God brethren and sisters of Christ must buildeth a double stone-wall betwixt be conform to his image and copy, her and the fire of hell! The world, in suffering, Rom. viii. and some and the things of the world, Maddo more vively resemble the copy am, is the lover ye naturally affect, than others. Think, Madam, that beside your own husband, Christ : it is a part of your glory, to be en- the hedge of thorns, and the wall rolled among those whom one of which God buildeth in your way, the elders, Rev. vii. 14. pointed out to hinder you from this lover, is the to John, These are they which thorny hedge of daily grief, loss of came out of great tribulation, and children, weakness of body, iniquity have washed their robes, and made of the time, uncertainty of estate, them white in the blood of the lack of worldly comfort, fear of Lamb.' Behold your forerunner God's anger for old unrepented-of going out of the world, all in a lake sins. What lose ye, if God twist of blood; and it is not ill to die as and plait the hedge daily thicker ? he did: fulfil with joy the remnant God be blessed, the Lord will not of the grounds and remainders of let you find your paths: return to the afflictions of Christ, in your bo- your first husband; do not weary, dy. Ye have lost a child; nay, neither think that death walketh toshe is not lost to you, who is found ward you with a slow pace: ye must to Christ; she is not sent away, be riper ere ye be shaken; your but only sent before; like unto a days are no longer than Job's, that star, which, going out of our sight, were swifter than a post, and passed doth not die and vanish, but shin- away as the ships of desire, and as eth in another hemisphere; ye see the eagle that hasteth for the prey, her not, yet she doth shine in an- Job ix. 25, 26. There is less sand other country. If her glass was in your glass now, than there was but a short hour, what she wanteth yesterday; this span-length of everof time, that she hath gotten of posting time will soon be ended:

LETTER V.

To my Lady KENMURE.
Madam,

SALUTING you in Jesus Christ, to
my grief I must bid you, (it may
be,) for ever farewell on paper, hav-
ing small assurance ever to see your
face again, till the last general as-
sembly, where the whole church
universal shall meet: yet promising
by his grace, to present your La-
dyship, and your burdens, to him
who is able to save you, and give
you an inheritance with the saints,
after a more special manner than
ever I have done before.
Ye are

but the greater is the mercy of God, the more years ye get to advise upon what terms, and upon what conditions, ye cast your soul into the huge gulf of never-ending eternity. The Lord hath told you what ye should be doing till he come; wait and hasten, saith Peter, for the coming of our Lord: all is night that is here, in respect of ignorance and daily ensuing troubles, one always making way to another, as the ninth wave of the sea to the tenth; therefore, sigh and long for the dawning of that morn ing, and the breaking of that day of the coming of the Son of man, when the shadows shall flee away. going to a country where the Sun Persuade yourself the King is com- of righteousness in the gospel shining; read his letter sent before him, eth not so clearly as in this kingRev. iii. 11. Behold, I come quick-dom; but if ye would know where ly wait with the wearied night-he whom your soul loveth doth rest, watch for the breaking of the east-and where he feedeth at the noonern sky, and think that ye have not tide of the day, wherever ye be, a morrow; as the wise father said, get ye forth by the footsteps of the who, being invited against to mor- flock, and feed yourself beside the row to dine with his friends, an- shepherds' tents, Cant. 1. 7. that swered, Those many days I had no is, ask for some of the watchmen morrow at all. I am loath to wea- of the Lord's city, who will tell you ry you; shew yourself a Christian, truly, and will not lie, where ye by suffering without murmuring, shall find him whom your soul lov for which sin fourteen thousand and eth. I trust ye are so betrothed in seven hundred were slain, Numb. marriage to the true Christ, that ye xvi. 49. In patience possess your will not give your love to any false soul; they lose nothing, who gain Christ: ye know not how soon your Christ. Thus, remembering my marriage-day will come; nay, is brother's and my wife's humble ser-not eternity hard upon you? it vice to your Ladyship; I commend were time then, that ye had your you to the mercy and grace of our wedding-garment in readiness: be Lord Jesus, assuring you, that your not sleeping at your Lord's coming; day is coming, and that God's mer- I pray God, ye may be upon your cy is abiding you. The Lord Jesus be with your spirit.

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feet standing, when he knocketh. Be not discouraged to go from this country to another part of the Lord's earth; The earth is his, and the fulness thereof, Psal. xxiv. 1. This is the Lord's lower house; while we are lodged here, we have no assurance to lye ever in one chamber, but must be content to remove from one corner of our

xc. 1.

:

Your Ladyship's at all dutiful obedience in Christ,

Anwoth, Sept. 14, 1629.

LETTER VI.

To JOHN KENNEDY.

S. R.

My loving and most affectionate brother in
Christ,

Lord's nether-house to another, blood. Grace, grace, grace for resting in hope, that, when we ever be with you. Pray, pray concome up to the Lord's upper city, tinually. Jerusalem that is above, we shall remove no more; because then we shall be at home. And, go whithersoever ye will, if your Lord go with you, ye are at home; and your lodging is ever taken before night, so long as he, who is Israel's dwelling-house, is your home, Psal. Believe me, Madam, my mind is, that ye are well lodged, and that in your house there are I SALUTE you with grace, mercy, fair ease-rooms and pleasant lights, and peace from God our Father, if ye can in faith lean down your and from our Lord Jesus Christ. head upon the breasts of Jesus I promised to write to you, and Christ; and till this be, ye shall ne- although late enough, yet I now ver get a sound sleep. Jesus, Je- make it good. I heard with grief sus, be your shadow and your cov- of your great danger of perishing ering it is a sweet soul-sleep to by the sea, but of your merciful lye in the arms of Christ, for his deliverance with joy. Sure I am, breath is very_sweet. Pray for brother, Satan will leave no stone poor friendless Zion; alas! no man unrolled, as the proverb is, to roll will speak for her now, although at you off your Rock, or at least to home in her own country she hath shake and unsettle you: for at the good friends, her Husband, Christ, same time, the mouths of wicked and his Father, her Father-in-law: men were opened in hard speeches beseech your husband to be a friend against you, by land; and the prince to Zion, and pray for her. I have of the power of the air was angry received many and divers dashes with you, by sea. See then how and heavy strokes, since the Lord much ye are obliged to that malicicalled me to the ministry; but in- ous murderer, who would beat you deed I esteem your departure from with two rods at one time; but, us amongst the weightiest: but I blessed be God, his arm is short; perceive God will have us to be de- if the sea and winds would have prived of whatsoever we idolize, obeyed him, ye had never come to that he may have his own room. I land. Thank your God, who saith, see exceeding small fruit of my mi- Rev. i. 11. I have the keys of nistry, and would be glad to know hell and of death,' Deut. xxxii. 39. of one soul, to be my crown and I kill and make alive,' 1 Sam. ii. rejoicing in the day of Christ 6. The Lord bringeth down to the Though I spend my strength in vain, grave, and bringeth up.' If Satan yet my labour is with my God, Isa. were jailor, and had the keys of xlix. 4. I wish and pray, that the death and of the grave, they should Lord would harden my face against be stored with more prisoners. Ye all, and make me to learn to go were knocking at these black gates, with my face against a storm. A and ye found the doors shut; and gain, I commend you body and spi- we do all welcome you back again. rit, to him who hath loved us, and I trust, ye know it is not for nowashed us from our sins in his own thing, that ye are sent to us again;

the Lord knew, ye had forgotten how to bring up children than our something that was necessary for God? For, to lay aside his knowyour journey; that your armour ledge, of the which there is no findwas not as yet thick enough against ing out, he hath been practised in the stroke of death. Now, in the bringing up his heirs these five thoustrength of Jesus, dispatch your sand years, and his children are all business; that debt is not forgiven, well brought up, and many of them but fristed; death hath not bidden are honest men now at home, up in you farewell, but hath only left you their own house in heaven, and are for a short season. End your jour- entered heirs to their Father's inney, ere the night come upon you; heritance. Now, the form of his have all in readiness against the bringing-up was by chastisements, time that ye must sail through that scourging, correcting, nurturing: black and impetuous Jordan; and see if he maketh exception of any Jesus, Jesus, who knoweth both of his children, Rev. iii. 19. Heb. these depths and the rocks, and all xii. 7. 8. No: his eldest Son, and the coasts, be your pilot: the last his Heir, Jesus, is not excepted, tide will not wait for you one mo- Heb. ii. 10. Suffer we must: ere we ment; if ye forget any thing, when were born, God decreed it; and it your sea is full, and your foot in is easier to complain of his decree, that ship, there is no returning than to change it. It is true, teragain to fetch it. What ye do rors of conscience cast us down; amiss in your life to-day, ye may and yet, without terrors of consciamend it to-morrow: for as many ence we cannot be raised up again; suns as God maketh to arise upon fears and doubtings shake us; and you, ye have as many new lives; yet without fears and doubtings we but ye can die but once; and if ye would soon sleep, and lose our grips mar or spill that business, ye can- of Christ: tribulation and temptanot come back to mend that piece tions will almost loose us at the root; of work again: no man sinneth and yet without tribulations and twice in dying ill; as we die but temptations, we can now no more once, so we die but ill or well once. grow, than herbs or corn without Ye see how the number of your rain. Sin and Satan, and the world months is written in God's book; will say, and cry in our ear, that and as one of the Lord's hirelings, we have a hard reckoning to make ye must work till the shadow of the in judgment; and yet none of these evening come upon you, and ye three, except they lie, dare say in shall run out your glass even to the our face, that our sin can change last grain of sand: fulfil your course the tenor of the new covenant. with joy; for we take nothing to Forward then, dear brother, and the grave with us, but a good or lose not your grips; hold fast the evil conscience. And although the truth; for the world, sell not one sky clear after this storm, yet clouds drachm-weight of God's truth, eswill engender another. Ye con- pecially now, when most men meatracted with Christ, I hope, when sure truth by time, like young seafirst ye began to follow him, that ye men setting their compass by a would bear his cross. Fulfil your cloud: for now time is father and part of the contract with patience, mother to truth, in the thoughts and break not to Jesus Christ; be and practices of our evil time. The honest, brother, in your bargaining God of truth establish us; for alas! with him; for who knoweth better now there are none to comfort the

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