*

fear them not they are but idols, Lord of armies! Oh, foolish wisdom that can neither do evil nor good. of men and angels, when it is laid Walk not in the way of those peo- in the balance beside that spotless ple that slander the footsteps of our substantial wisdom of the Father! royal and princely anointed king, if heaven and earth, and ten thouJesus, now riding upon his white sand heavens, even round about horse in Scotland; let Jehovah be these heavens that now are, were your fear. That decree of Zion's all in one paradise, decked with all deliverance, passed and sealed up the roses, flowers, and trees that before the throne, is now ripe and can come forth from the art of the shall bring forth a child, even the Almighty himself; yet set but our ruin and fall of the black kingdom, one Flower, that groweth out of the and the Antichrist's throne, in these root of Jesse, beside that orchard kingdoms; the Lord hath begun, of pleasure, one look of him, one and he shall make an end, Who view, one taste, one smell of his did ever hear the like of this? Be- God-head, would infinitely exceed fore Scotland travailed, she brought and go beyond the smell, colour, forth; and before her pain came, beauty and loveliness of that parashe was delivered of a man-child, |dise. O to be with child of his

Isa. lxvi. 7, 8. And when all is love! and to be suffocated (if that done, suppose there were no sweet- could be) with the smell of his ness in our Lord's cross, yet it is sweetness, were a sweet fill and sweet for his sake, for that lovely lovely pain. Oh, worthy, worthy One, Jesus Christ: whose crown loveliness! Oh, less of the creaand royal supremacy is the question tures, and more of thee! Oh, open this day in Great Britain, betwixt the passage of the well of love, and us and our adversaries; and who glory on us, dry pits and withered would not think him worthy of the trees! Oh, that Jewel and Flower suffering for? What is burning of heaven! If our Beloved were not quick? what is drinking of our own mistaken by us, and unknown to us, heart's-blood? and what is a draught he would have no scarcity of wooers of melted lead for his glory? less and suitors; he would make heaven than a draught of cold water to a and earth both see, that they canthirsty man, if the right price and not quench his love, for his love is due value were put on that worthy, a sea: oh, to be a thousand fathworthy Prince, Jesus. Oh, who can oms deep in this sea of love! He, weigh him! Ten thousand thousand he himself, is more excellent than heavens would not be one scale, or heaven; for heaven, as it cometh the half of the scale of the balance into the souls and spirits of the glorto lay him in. Oh, black angels, ified, is but a creature; and he is in comparison of him! Oh, dim something, and a great something and dark and lightless sun, in re- more than a creature. Oh, what a gard of that fair Sun of righteous-life were it, to sit beside this well ness! Oh, feckless and worthless of love, and drink and sing, and heaven of heavens, when they stand sing and drink; and then to have beside my worthy and lofty, and desires and soul-faculties stretched high and excellent Well-beloved! and extended out many thousand Oh, weak and infirm clay-kings! fathoms in length and breadth, to Oh, soft and feeble mountains of take in seas and rivers of love! I brass, and weak created strength, earnestly desire to recommend this in regard of our mighty and strong love to you, that this love may

Your brother and companion in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, Anwoth, 1689.

LETTER XXVII.

S. R.

To his reverend and much honoured brother, Dr.

ALEXANDER LEIGHTON, Christ's Prisoner in bonds at London.

Reverend and much honoured prisoner of hope,

cause you to keep his command-me. I know the worthy servants ments, and to keep clean fingers, of Christ, who once laboured among and make clean feet, that ye may you, cease not to write to you also, walk as the redeemed of the Lord. and I shall desire to be excused that Wo, wo be to them that put on his I do join with them. Pray for your name, and shame this love of Christ sister-church in Scotland, and let with a loose and profane life: their me entreat you for the aid of your feet, tongue, and hands, and eyes, prayers for myself and flock and give a shameless lie to the holy gos ministry, and my fear of transporpel, which they.profess. I beseech tation from this place of the Lord's you in the Lord, keep Christ, and vineyard. Now the very God of walk with him; let not his fairness peace sanctify you throughout. be spotted and stained by godless Grace be with you all. living. Oh! who can find in their heart to sin against love? and such a love as the glorified in heaven shall delight to dive into, and drink of for ever; for they are evermore drinking in love, and the cup is still at their head, and yet without lothing; for they still drink, and still desire to drink for ever and ever: is not this a long lasting supper? Now if any of our country-people, professing Christ Jesus, have brought GRACE, mercy and peace be to you. themselves under the stroke and It was not my part whom our Lord wrath of the Almighty, by yielding hath enlarged, to forget you his to Antichrist in an hairbreadth, but prisoner. When I consider how especially by swearing and subscrib- long your night hath been, I think ing that blasphemous oath, (which Christ hath a mind to put you in is the church of Ireland's black hour free grace's debt so much the deepof temptation) I would entreat them, er, as your sufferings have been of - by the mercies of God at their last so long continuance. But what if summons, to repent and openly con- Christ mind you no joy but public fess before the world, to the glory joy with enlarged and triumphing of the Lord, their denial of Christ: Zion; I think, Sir, ye would love or otherwise, if either man or wo it best to share and divide your man will stand and abide by that song of joy with Zion, and to have oath, then, in the name and authori-mystical Christ in Britain halver and ty of the Lord Jesus, I let them compartner with your enlargement. see that they forfeit their part of I am sure, your joy bordering and heaven, and let them look for no neighbouring with the joy of Christ's less than a back-burden of the pure bride, would be so much the sweetunmixed wrath of God, and the er that it were public. I thought plague of apostates and deniers of if Christ had halved my mercies, our Lord Jesus. Let not me, a and delivered his bride and not me, stranger to you, who never saw your that his praises should have been face in the flesh, be thought bold in double to what they are: but now writing to you for the hope I have two rich mercies conjoined in one of a glorious church in that land, have stolen from our Lord more and the love of Christ constraineth than half praises: Oh that mercy

your

should so beguile us, and steal away iv. 17. Oh how advantageous a our counts and acknowledgments! bargaining is it with such a rich Worthy Sir, I hope I need not ex- Lord! If your hand and pen had hort you to go on, in hoping for been at leisure to gain glory on pathe salvation of God: there hath per, it had been but paper-glory; not been so much taken from your but the bearing of a public cross so time of ease and created joys as e-long for the now controverted privternity shall add to your heaven: ye ileges of the crown and sceptre of know when one day in heaven hath free King Jesus, the Prince of the paid you, yea, and over-paid your kings of the earth, is glory booked blood, bonds, sorrow and sufferings, in heaven. Worthy and dear brothat it would trouble angels' under-ther, if ye go to weigh Jesus his standing to lay the count of that su- sweetness, excellency, glory and perplus of glory, which eternity can beauty, and lay fore gainst him and will give you. O but your ounces or drachms of suffering for sand-glass of sufferings and losses him, ye shall be straitened two ways, cometh to little, when it shall be 1. It will be a pain to make the comcounted and compared with the parison, the disproportion being by no glory that abideth you on the other understanding imaginable: nay, side of the water! Ye have no heaven's arithmetic and angels were leisure to rejoice and sing here while set to work, they should never numtime goeth about you, and where ber the degrees of difference. 2. your psalms will be short: therefore It should straiten you to find a scale ye will think eternity and the long for the balance to lay that high and day of heaven that shall be meas lofty One, that over-transcending ured with no other sun nor horo Prince of excellency into: if your loge than the long life of the An-mind could fancy as many created cient of days, to measure your prais-heavens as time hath had minutes, es little enough for you: if your trees have had leaves, and clouds span length of time be cloudy, ye have had rain-drops, since the first ⚫ cannot but think, your Lord can stone of the creation was laid, they no more take your blood and your should not make half a scale to bear bands without the income and re- and weigh boundless excellency incompence of free grace, than he to. And therefore the King whose would take the sufferings of Paul marks ye are bearing, and whose and his other dear servants that were dying ye carry about with you in well paid home beyond counting, your body, is, out of all cry and Rom. viii. 18. If the wisdom of consideration, beyond and above all Christ hath made you Antichrist's our thoughts. For myself, I am eye-sore and his envy, ye are to content to feed upon wondering thank God that such a piece of clay sometimes, at the beholding but of as ye are is made the field of glory the borders and skirts of the incomto work upon it was the Potter's parable glory which is in that exaltaim that the clay should praise him, ed Prince; and I think, ye could and I hope it satisfieth you that your wish for more ears to give than clay is for his glory. Oh who can ye have, since ye hope these ears ye suffer enough for such a Lord! and now have given him shall be passawho can lay out in bank enough of ges to take in the music of his glopain, shame, losses, and tortures, to rious voice. I would fain both bereceive in again the free inter- lieve and pray for a new bride of est of eternal glory! 2 Corinthians Jews and Gentiles to our Lord Je

LETTER XXVIII.

To Mr. HENRY STEWART, his wife, and two daughters, all prisoners of Christ at Dublin.

Rev. iii. 10. Fear none of these things, which ye shall suffer, &c.

Truly honoured and dearly beloved, GRACE, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Think it not strange, beloved in our Lord Jesus, that Satan can command keys of prisons, and bolts, and chains; this is a piece

over the world. Interpret and understand our Lord well in this; be not jealous of his love, though he make devils and men his under-servants to scour the rust off your faith, and purge you from your dross. And let me charge you, O prisoners of hope, to open your window, and to look out by faith: behold heaven's post, that speedy and swift salvation of God, that is coming to you. It

sus, after the land of graven images shall be laid waste; and that our Lord Jesus is on horse back, hunt ing and pursuing the beast; and that England and Ireland shall be well sweeped chambers for Christ and his righteousness to dwell in; for he hath opened our graves in Scotland, and the two dead and buried witnesses are risen again, and are prophesying. Oh that Princes would glory and boast themselves in carrying the train of Christ's robe-roy-of the devil's princedom that he hath al in their arms! Let me die with in half an hour after I have seen the Son of God his temple enlarged, and the cords of Jerusalem's tent length ened, to take in a more numerous company for a bride to the Son of God. Oh, if the corner or founda. tion-stone of that house, that new house, were laid above my grave! Oh! who can add to him, who is that great All? If he would create suns and moons, new heavens, thous- is a broad river that faith will not and thousand degrees more perfect look over: it is a mighty and a an these that now are; and again, broad sea, that they of a lively hope make a new creation ten thousand cannot behold the farthest bank and thousand degrees in perfection be- other shore thereof: look over the yond that new creation; and again, water, your anchor is fixed within still for eternity multiply new heav- the vail; the one end of the cable ens: they should never be a perfect is about the prisoner of Christ, and resemblance of that infinite excel the other is entered within the vail, lency, order; weight, measure, beau- whither the Forerunner is entered ty and sweetness that is in him. Oh, for you, Heb. vi. 19. 20. It can go how little of him do we see! oh how straight through the flames of the fire shallow are our thoughts of him! of the wrath of men, devils, losses, Oh! if I had pain for him, and shame tortures, death, and not a thread of it and losses for him, and more clay be singed or burnt; men and devils and spirits for him; and that I could have no teeth to bite it in two. Hold go upon earth without love, desire, fast till he come: your cross is of the hope, because Christ hath taken away my love, desire and hope to heaven with him! I know, worthy Sir, your sufferings for him are your glory; and therefore weary not: his salvation is near at hand, and shall not tarry. Pray for me. His grace be with you.

colour of heaven and Christ, and pasmented over with the faith and comforts of the Lord's faithful covenant with Scotland; and that dye and colour can abide fair weather, and neither be stained nor cast the colour; yea, it reflects a scad, like the cross of Christ, whose holy hands many a day lifted up to God, praying for sinners, were fettered' and bound, as if these blessed hands

had stolen, and shed innocent blood: | pursements for him: it shall be enwhen your lovely, lovely Jesus had graven and printed in great letters no better than the thief's doom, it upon heaven's throne, what you are is no wonder that your process be willing to give for him: Christ's pa. lawless and turned upside down; pers of that kind cannot be lost or for he was taken, fettered, buffeted fall by. Do not wonder to see clay whipped, spitted upon, before he boast the great Potter, and to see T was convicted of any fault, or sen-blinded men threaten the gospel with tenced. Oh such a pair of sufferers death and burial, and to raze out and witnesses, as high and royal truth's name. But where will they Jesus, and a poor piece guilty clay make a grave for the gospel and the marrowed together under one yoke! Lord's bride? earth and hell shall oh how lovely is the cross with such be but little bounds for their burial; a second! I believe that your prison lay all the clay and rubbish of this is enacted in God's court, not to inch of the whole earth above our

keep you till your hope breathe out Lord's spouse, yet it will not cover its life and last; your cross is under her, not hold her down; she shall law to restore you again safe to your live and not die, she shall behold brethren and sisters in Christ: take the salvation of God. Let your heaven and Christ's back-bond for a faith frist God a little, and not be fair back-door out of your suffering. afraid for a smoking fire-brand; there The Saviour is on his journey with is more smoke in Babylon's furnace salvation and deliverance for mount than there is fire: till doom's day Zion; and the sword of the Lord shall come, they shall never see the is drunk with blood, and made fat kirk of Scotland and our covenant with fatness; his sword is bathed in burnt to ashes; or if it should be heaven against Babylon. for it is the thrown in the fire, yet it cannot be day of the Lord's vengeance, and so burnt or buried, as not to have the year of recompence for the con- a resurrection: angry clay's wind troversy of Zion: and persuade shall shake none of Christ's corn: yourselves, the streams of the river he will gather in all his wheat into of Babylon shall be pitch,' and the his barn: only let your fellowship dust of the land brimstone and burn-with Christ be renewed. Ye are

ing pitch, Isa. xxxiv. 8. And if sibber to Christ now, when you are your deliverance be joined with the imprisoned for him, than before, deliverance of Zion, it shall be two for now the strokes laid on you do salvations to you. It were good to come in rememberance before our be armed before hand for death or Lord, and he can own his own bodily tortures for Christ; and to wounds: a drink of Christ's love, think what a crown of honour it is, which is better than wine, is the that God hath given you pieces of drink-silver which suffering fer his living clay, to be tortured witnesses Majesty leaves behind it. It is not for saving-truth; and that ye are so your sins which they persecute in happy, as to have some pints of you, but God's grace and loyalty to blood to give out for the crown of King Jesus; they see no treason in that royal Lord, who hath caused you to your prince the king of Briyou to avouch himself before men: tain, albeit they say so; but it is heavif ye can lend fines of three thousand en in you that earth is fighting apounds sterling for Christ, let heavgainst, and Christ is owning his own en's register and Christ's count. cause: grace is a party that fire book keep in reckoning your de- will not burn, nor water drown;