Your loving brother in our Lord Jesus, Anwoth, Feb. 2, 1632, LETTER VII. S. R. prisoners of hope, and the mourn man, to whom Jesus is dearer than ers in Zion: we can do little, ex- her own heart, when there be so cept pray and mourn for Joseph in many that cast Christ over their the stocks; and let their tongue shoulder. Good brother, call to cleave to the roof of their mouth, mind the memory of your worthy who forget Jerusalem now in her father, now asleep in Christ; and, day; and the Lord remember E-as his custom was, pray continualdom, and render to him as he hath ly, and wrestle for the life of a dydone to us. Now, brother, I will ing breathless kirk; and desire John not weary you; but I entreat you, Stewart not to forget poor Zion; remember my dearest love to Mr. she hath few friends, and few to David Dickson, with whom I have speak one good word for her. Now small acquaintance; yet I bless the I commend you, your whole soul Lord, I know, he both prayeth and and body and spirit, to Jesus Christ doth for our dying kirk. Remem- and his keeping, hoping ye will die ber my dearest love to John Stew- and live, stand and fall, with the art, whom I love in Christ; and cause of our Master, Jesus. The shew him from me, I do always re- Lord Jesus himself be with your member him, and hope for a meet- spirit. ing: the Lord Jesus establish him more and more, though he be already a strong man in Christ. Remember my heartiest affection in Christ to William Rodger, whom I also remember to God: I wish the first news I hear of him, and you, and all that love our common Saviour, in those bounds, may be, that they are so knit and linked, and I HAVE longed exceedingly to hear kindly fastened in love with the Son of your life and health, and growth of God, that ye may say, Now if in the grace of God. I lacked the we would never so fain escape out opportunity of a bearer, in respect I of Christ's hands, yet love hath so did not understand of the hasty debound us, that we cannot get our parture of the last, by whom I hands free again; he hath so ravish- might have saluted your Ladyship; ed our hearts, that there is no loos- and therefore I could not write being of his grips; the chains of his fore this time. I intreat you, Madsoul-ravishing love are so strong, am, let me have two lines from you, that the grave nor death will not concerning your present condition; break them.' I hope, brother, yea, I know ye are in grief and heaviI doubt not of it, but ye lay me, ness; and if it were not so, ye might and my first entry to the Lord's be afraid, because then your way vineyard, and my flock, before him should not be so like the way that who hath put me in his work: as our Lord saith leadeth to the New the Lord knoweth, since first I saw Jerusalem. Sure I am, if ye knew you, I have been mindful of you. what were before you, or if ye saw Marion Macknaught doth remem- but some glances of it, ye would ber most heartily her love to you, with gladness swim through the and to John Stewart: blessed be present floods of sorrow, spreading the Lord, that in God's mercy, I forth your arms out of desire to be found in this country such a wo- at land. If God have given you To my Lady KENMURE. the earnest of the Spirit, as part of Christ; when ye have sold all that payment of God's principal sum, ye ye have, and bought the field wherein have to rejoice for our Lord will this pearl is, ye will think it no bad not lose his earnest, neither will he market: for if ye be in him, all his go back or repent him of the bar is yours, and ye are in him: "theregain. If ye find at some time a fore because he liveth, ye shall live longing to see God, joy in the as- also,' John xiv. 19. And what is that surance of that sight, (howbeit that else, but as if the Son had said, 'I feast be but like the passover, that will not have heaven, except my recometh about only once a year,) deemed ones be with me; they and peace of conscience, liberty of pray- cannot live asunder, abide in me er, the doors of God's treasure and I in you,' John xv. 5: casten up to the soul, and a clear sweet communion, when Christ and sight of himself looking out, and we are through other, and are no saying with a smiling countenance, longer two! 'Father, I will that welcome to me, afflicted soul; this those whom thou hast given me, be is the earnest that he giveth some- with me where I am, to behold my times, and which maketh glad the glory, that thou hast given_ me,' heart, and is an evidence that the John xvii. 24. Amen; dear Jesus, bargain will hold. But to the end let it be according to that word. I ye may get this earnest, it were wonder that ever your heart should good to come oft in terms of speech be casten down, if ye believe this with God, both in prayer and hear- truth; and they are not worthy of ing of the word; for this is the Jesus Christ, who will not suffer house of wine, where ye meet with forty years trouble for him, since your Well-beloved; here it is where they have such glorious promises : he kisseth you with the kisses of his but we fools believe those promises mouth, and where ye feel the smell as the man that read Plato's writ of his garments; and they have in- ings concerning the immortality of deed a most fragrant and glorious the soul; so long as the book was smell ; ye must, I say, wait upon in his hand, he believed all was him, and be often communing with true, and that the soul could not him, whose lips are as lillies, drop-die: but so soon as he laid by the ping sweet smelling myrrh, and book, presently he began to imagine, by the moving thereof he will as that the soul is but a smoke or airy swage your grief; for the Christ vapour, that perisheth with the exthat saveth you, is a speaking Christ; piring of the breath; so we at starts the church knoweth him, Cant. ii. do assent to the sweet and precious by his voice, and can discern his promises; but laying aside God's voice among a thousand. I say book, we begin to call all in quest. this, to the end ye should not love ion. It is faith indeed to believe those masks of Antichristian ce- without a pledge, and to hold the remonies, that the church, where heart constant at this work, and ye are for a time, hath casten over when we doubt, to run to the law the Christ, whom your soul loveth; and to the testimony, and stay there. this is to set before you a dumb Madam, hold you here; here is your Christ: but when our Lord cometh, Father's testament read it: in it he he speaketh to the heart in the sim- hath left to you remission of sins plicity of the gospel. I have neith-and life everlasting. If all that ye er tongue nor pen, to express to you have here be crosses and troubles, the happiness of such as are in down-castings, frequent desertions, Your's in the Lord, LETTER VIII. To the Lady KENMURE. S. R. and departure of the Lord, who is broken boards; it were time for us, suiting you in marriage, courage; by prayer, to put upon our Masterhe who is wooer and suiter should pilot Jesus, and to cry, Master, save not be an household-man with you, us, we perish. Grace, grace be till ye and he come up to his with you We would think it a Father's house together: he pur- blessing to our kirk, to see you poseth to do you good at your latter here; but our sins withhold good end, Deut. viii. 16. and to give you things from us. The great messrest from the days of adversity, enger of the covenant preserve you Psal. xciv. 13. It is good to bear in body and in spirit. the yoke of God in your youth,' Lam. iii. 27. Turn in to your strong Anwoth, Feb. 1, 1630. hold as a prisoner of hope,' Zech. ix. 12. For the vision is for an ap pointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry,' Hab. ii. 3. Hear himself, saying, Isa. xxvi. 20. GRACE, mercy and peace be multiCome my people, (rejoice, he plied upon you. I received your calleth on you,) enter thou into thy | Ladyship's letter, in the which I chambers, and shut thy doors about perceive your case in this world thee; hide thyself, as it were for a smelleth of worship and communion little moment, till the indignation be with the Son of God in his sufferpast.' Believe then, believe and beings. Ye cannot, ye must not have saved: think it not hard, if ye get not a more pleasant or more easy conyour will, nor your delights in this dition here, than He had, who life; God will have you to rejoice through afflictions was made perin nothing but himself. God forbid fect, Heb. ii. 10. We may indeed that ye should rejoice in any thing think, cannot God bring us to heav but in the cross of Christ,' Gal. iv. en with ease and prosperity? Who 16. Our church, Madam, is de- doubteth but he can? but his infincaying; she is like Ephraim's cake, ite wisdom thinketh, and decreeth and gray hairs are here and there the contrary; and we cannot see a upon her, and she knoweth it not, reason of it, yet he hath a most just Hos. vii. 9. She is old and gray-reason. We never with our eyes headed, near the grave, and no man saw our own soul, yet we have a layeth it to heart; her wine is sour, soul; we see many rivers, but we and is corrupted. Now, if Phin- know not their first spring and orieas's wife did live, she might travail ginal fountain, yet they have a bein birth and die, to see the ark of ginning. Madam, when ye are God taken, and the glory departing come to the other side of the water, from our Israel: the power and life and have set down your foot on the of religion is away; Wo be to us, shore of glorious eternity, and look for the day goeth away, for the back again to the waters, and to shadows of the evening are stretch- your wearisome journey, and shall ed out,' Jer. vi. 4. Madam, Zion see in that clear glass of endless is the ship wherein ye are carried glory, nearer to the bottom of God's to Canaan; if she suffer shipwreck, wisdom; ye shall then be forced to ye will be casten over-board upon say, if God had done otherwise with death and life, to swim to land upon me than he hath done, I had never come to the enjoying of this crown | such as are termed Puritans, for the of glory. It is your part now to rooting of them out. Our prelates, believe, and suffer, and hope, and the Lord take the keys of his house wait on: for I protest in the pre- from these bastard porters, assure sence of that all-discerning Eye, us, that for such as will not con who knoweth what I write, and form, there is nothing but imprison. what I think, that I would not want ment and deprivation. The spouse the sweet experience of the consol- of Jesus will ever be in the fire; ations of God, for all the bitterness but I trust in my God, she shall not of affliction: nay, whether God consume, because of the good-will come to his children with a rod or of him who dwelleth in the bush, a crown, if he come himself with it, for he dwelleth in it with good will. it is well; welcome, welcome Jesus, All sorts of crying sins without conwhat way soever thou come, if we troulment abound in our land; the can get a sight of thee. And sure glory of the Lord is departing from I am, it is better to be sick, provid-Israel, and the Lord is looking back ing Christ come to the bed-side, over his shoulder, to see if any will and draw by the curtains, and say, say, Lord tarry, and no man reCourage, I am thy salvation, than questeth him to stay. Corrupt and to enjoy health, being lusty and false doctrine is openly preached by strong, and never to be visited of the idol shepherds of the land. For God. Worthy and dear lady, in myself, I have daily griefs, through in the strength of Christ, fight and the disobedience unto, and conovercome: ye are now your alone; tempt of the word of God. I was but ye may have for the seeking, summoned before the high commisThree always in your company, the sion by a profligate person in this Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Iparish, convicted of incest; in the trust they are near you. Ye are business, Mr Alexander Colvil, for now deprived of the comfort of a respect to your Ladyship, was my lively ministry, so was Israel in their great friend, and wrote a most kind captivity; yet hear God's promise letter to me; the Lord give him to them, Ezek. xi. 16. Therefore mercy in that day. Upon the day say, saith the Lord God, Although of my compearance, the sea and I have cast them far off among the winds refused to give passage to heathen, and although I have scat- the Bishop of St. Andrews. I intered them among the countries, treat your Ladyship to thank Mr. yet will I be to them as a little Alexander Colvil with two lines of sanctuary, in the countries where a letter. My wife now, after a long they shall come: behold a sanctu- disease and torment, for the space ary! for a sanctuary God himself, in the place and room of the temple of Jerusalem: I trust in God, carrying this temple about with you, ye shall see Jehovah's beauty in his house. We are in great fears of a great and fearful trial to come upon the kirk of God; for these, who would build their houses and nests upon the ashes of mourning Jerusalem, have drawn our King upon hard and dangerous conclusions, against of a year and month, is departed this life; the Lord hath done it, blessed be his name. I have been deseased of a fever tertian for the space of thirteen weeks, and am yet in that sickness, so that I preach but once on the sabbath with great difficulty; I am not able either to visit or examine the congregation. The Lord Jesus be with your spirit. Your Lordship's at all obedience, Anwoth, June 26, 1630. S. R LETTER IX. To my Lady KENMURE. marred than any of the visages of the sons of men, Isa. v. 2, 14. and Madam, was all covered with spitting and HAVING saluted you in the Lord blood. Be content to wade through Jesus, I thought it my duty, having the waters betwixt you and glory the occasion of this bearer, to write with him, holding his right hand again unto your Ladyship. Though fast; for he knoweth all the fords: I have no new purpose, but what I howbeit ye may be duckt, yet ye wrote of before; yet ye cannot be cannot drown, being in his comtoo often awakened to go forward pany; and ye may, all the way to toward your city, since your way is glory, see the way bedewed with long, and for any thing ye know, his blood, who is the fore-runner; your day is short; and your Lord be not afraid, therefore, when ye requireth of you, as you advance in come even to the black and swelling years, and steal forward insensibly river of death, to put in your foot towards eternity, that your faith and wade after him; the current, may grow and ripen for the Lord's how strong soever, cannot carry you harvest; for the great Husbandman down the water to hell; the Son of giveth a season to his fruits, that God his death and resurrection are they may come to maturity; and stepping-stones and a stay to you; having got their fill of the tree, set down your feet by faith upon they may be then shaken and gath- these stones, and go through as on ered in for his use; whereas the dry land. If ye knew what he is wicked rot upon the tree, and their preparing for you, ye would be too branch shall not be green, Job xv. glad; he will not, it may be, give 32, 33. He shall shake off his unripe you a full draught till ye come up grapes as the vine, and shall cast off to the well-head, and drink, yea his flower as the olive. It is God's drink abundantly of the pure river mercy to you, Madam, that he giv. of the water of life, that proceedeth eth you your fill, even to loathing, out from the throne of God, and of this bitter world, that ye may willingly leave it, and like a full and satisfied banqueter, long for the drawing of the table; and at last, having trampled under your feet all the rotten pleasures that are under sun and moon, and having rejoiced as though ye rejoiced not, and hav ing bought as though ye possessed not, 1 Cor. vii. 30. ye may like an old crazy ship, arrive at your Lord's harbour, and be made welcome, as one of those who have ever had one foot loose from this earth, longing for that place where your soul shall feast and banquet for ever and ever upon a glorious sight of the incomprehensible Trinity, and where ye shall see the fair face of the man Christ, even the beautiful face, that was once, for your cause, more from the Lamb, Rev. xxii. 1. Madam, tire not, weary not; I dare find you the Son of God caution, when ye are got up thither, and have casten your eyes to view the golden city, and the fair and never withering tree of life; that beareth twelve manner of fruits every month ye shall then say, Four and twenty hours abode in that place is worth threescore and ten years sorrow upon earth. If ye can but say, ye long earnestly to be carried up thither (as I hope ye cannot for shame deny him the honour of having wrought that desire in your soul,) then hath your Lord given you an earnest; and, Madam, do ye believe that our Lord will lose his earnest, and rue of the bargain, and change his mind, as if he were a |