when they have eaten and drunken world, O come help to set on you, their stomach shall be sick, and high the praises of our Lord! O they shall spue you out alive, O what fairness of creatures, blush before glory is it, to be suffering abjects his uncreated beauty! O created for the Lord's glory and royalty! strength, be amazed to stand before Nay, though his servants had a body your strong Lord of hosts! O creto burn for ever for this gospel, so ated love, think shame of thyself bebeing that triumphing and exalted Je-fore this unparalleled love of heaven! sus his high glory did rise out of these O angel of wisdom, hide thyself beflames, and out of that burning bo- tore our Lord, whose understanding dy, Oh, what a sweet fire! Oh what passeth finding out! O eun in thy soul-refreshing torment should that shining beauty, for shame put on a be! what if the pickles of dust and web of darkness and cover thyself ashes of the burnt and dissolved before thy brightest Master and body were musicians to sing his Maker! Oh, who can add glory, by praises, and the highness of that doing or suffering to this nevernever enough exalted Prince of enough admired and praised Lover! ages! O what love is it in him, that Oh, we can but bring our drop to he will have such musicians as we this sea, and our candle, dim and are, to tune that psalm of his ever- dark as it is, to this clear and lightlasting praises in heaven! Oh what some Sun of heaven and earth! Oh, shining and burning flames of love but we have cause to drink ten are those, that Christ will divide his deaths in one cup dry, to swim share of life, of heaven and glory through ten seas to be at that land of with you! Luke xxii. 29. John xvii. praises, where we shall see that won24. Rev. iii. 21. A part of his throne, der of wonders, and enjoy this Jewone draught of his wine (his wine el of heaven's jewels! O death, do of glory and life, that comes from thy utmost against us! O torments, under the throne of God and the O malice of men and devils, waste Lamb) and one apple of the tree thy strength on the witnesses of our of life, will do more than make up Lord's testament! O devils, bring all the expences and charges of hell to help you, in tormenting the clay, lent out for heaven. Oh! followers of the Lamb! we will deOh! but we have short, and nar-fy you to make us too soon happy, row, and creeping thoughts of and to waft us too soon over the wa. Jesus, and do but shape Christ in ter, to the land where the noble our conceptions, according to some Plant, the Plant of renown, groweth. created portraiture! O angels, lend | O cruel time, that torments us, and in your help to make love-books and suspends our dearest enjoyments, songs of our fair, and white, and that we wait for, when we shall be ruddy Standard-bearer amongst ten bathed and steeped, soul and body, thousand! O heavens! O heaven of down in the depths of this love of heavens! O glorified tenants, and loves! O time, I say, run fast! O triumphing householders with the motions, mend your pace! O WellLamb, put in new psalms and love beloved be like a young roe on the sonnets of the excellency of our mountains of separation! Post, post, Bridegroom, and help us to set him and hasten our desired and hungeron high! O indwellers of earth and ed-for meeting; love is sick to hear heaven, sea and air, and O all ye tell of to-morrow: and what then created beings, within the bosom can come wrong to you, O honourof the utmost circle of this great able witnesses of his kingly truth?

Men have no more of you to work | ven, Jesus, not to shine in the beauupon, but some inches and span.ty of his gospel, to the chosen and lengths of sick, coughing and phleg-bought ones. O thou fair and matic clay your spirits are above fairest Sun of righteousness, arise their benches, courts, or high com- and shine in thy strength whether missions; your souls, your love to earth or hell will or not: O victoChrist, your faith cannot be sum-rious, O royal, O stout, princely moned, nor sentenced, nor accused, Soul-conqueror, ride prosperously nor condemned by pope, deputy pre- upon truth; stretch out thy sceptre late, ruler or tyrant; your faith is a as far as the sun shines, and the free lord, and cannot be a captive: moon waxeth and waineth. Put on all the malice of hell and earth can thy glittering crown, O thou Maker but hurt the scabbard of a believer; of kings, and make but one stride, and death at the worst can get but a or one step of the whole earth, and elay pawn in keeping till your Lord travel in the greatness of thy strength make the king's keys, and open your Isa. Ixiii. 1, 2. And let thy appagraves. Therefore upon luck's head, rel be red, and all dyed with the as we use to say, take your fill of blood of thy enemies: thou art falhis love, and let a post-way or cause- len righteous Heir by line to the way be laid betwixt your prison and kingdoms of the world.' Laugh ye heaven, and go up and visit your at the giddy-headed clay pots, and treasure. Enjoy your Beloved, and stout-brain sick worms, that daresay dwell upon his love, till eternity in good earnest, This man shall not come in time's room, and possess reign over us; as though they were you of your eternal happiness. Keep casting the dice for Christ's crown, your love to Christ, lay up your who of them should have it. I faith in heaven's keeping, and follow know ye believe the coming of the chief of the house of the martyrs Christ's kingdom; and that there is that witnessed a fair confession be a hole out of your prison, through fore Pontius Pilate; your cause and which ye see day-light; let not faith his is all one The apposers of his be dazzled with the temptations from cause are like drunken judges and a dying deputy, and from a sick transported, who in their cups would prelate; believe under a cloud, and make acts and laws in their drunken wait for him, when there is no mooncourts, that the sun should not rise light nor star-light; let faith live and and shine on the earth; and send breathe, and lay hold on the sure saltheir officers and pursuivants, to vation of God, when clouds and charge the sun and moon to give no darkness are about you, and ap more light to the world; and would pearance of rotting in the prison beenact in their court books, that the fore you. Take heed of unbelieving sea, after once ebbing, should never hearts, which can father lies upon flow again: but would not the sun, Christ; beware of, Doth his promise moop, and sea break these acts, and fail for evermore? Psal. lxxvii. 8. keep their Creator's directions? The For it was a man and not God, that devil, the great fool, and father of said it, who dreamed that a promise these under-fools, is older and more of God could fail, fall a-swoon or malicious than wise, that sets the die. We can make God sick, or his spirits in earth on work, to contend promises weak, when we are pleased and clash with heaven's wisdom, and to seek a plea with Christ. O sweet, to give mandates and law-summons O stout word of faith, Job xiii. 15. to our Sun, to our great Star of hea-Though he slay me, yet will I trust

in a

LETTER XXIX.

To Mrs. PON T, prisoner at Dublin.
Worthy and dear Mistress,
GRACE, mercy and

in him!' O sweet epitaph, written upon the grave stone of a dying be liever, viz. I died hoping, and my dust, and ashes believe life! Faith's eyes that can see through a mill-stone, can see through a gloom of God, peace be to and under it read God's thoughts of you. The cause ye suffer for, and love and peace. Hold fast Christ your willingness to suffer, is ground in the dark; surely ye shall see the enough of acquaintance for me to salvation of God. Your adversaries write to you; although I do confess are ripe and dry for the fire; yet a myself unable to speak for a prisoner little while and they shall go up of Christ's encouragement. I know, flame; the breath of the Lord, like ye have advantage beyond us, who a river of brimstone, shall kindle are not under sufferings: for your about them, Isa. xxx. 33. What I sighing (Psal. cxx. 20.) it is a written write to one, i write to you all, that bill. for the ears of your head, the are sound-hearted in that kingdom, Lord Jesus; and your breathing, whom; in the bowels of Christ, Lam. iii. 51. and your looking up, would exhort not to touch that Psal. v. 3. and Ixix. 3. And thereoath; albeit the adversaries put a fore your meaning half-spoken, halffair meaning on it, yet the swearer unspoken, will seek no jailor's leave, must swear according to the profess- but will go to heaven without leave ed intent and godless practice of the of prelate or deputy, and be heartily oath makers, which is known to the welcome; so that ye may sigh and world; otherwise I might swear groan out your mind to him, who that the creed is false, according hath all the keys of the king's three I dare to this private meaning and sense kingdoms and dominions. put upon it. Oh let them not be believe your hopes shall not die; beguiled, to wash perjury, and the your trouble is a part of Zion's burndenial of Christ and the gospel, with ing, and ye know who guides Zion's ink-water, some foul and rotten dis. furnace, and who loves the ashes of tinctions. Wash, and wash again his burnt bride, because his servants and again the devil and the lie, it love them, Psal. cii 14. I believe shall be long ere their skin be white, your ashes, if ye were burnt for this I profess, it should beseem men of cause, shall praise him: for the great parts rather than me, to write wrath of men and their malice shall to you: but I love your cause, and make a psalm to praise the Lord, desire to be excused; and must in- Psal. lxxvi. 10. And therefore stand treat for the help of your prayers, still, and behold, and see what the in this my weighty charge here for Lord is to do for this island; his the university and pulpit, and that work is perfect, Deut. xxxii. 4. The ye would intreat your acquaintance also to help me. Grace be with you all. Amen.

nations have not seen the last end of his work, his end is more fair and more glorious than the beginning. Ye have more honour than ye can be able to guide well, in that your bonds are made heavy for such an honourable cause. The seals of a controuled gospel, and the seals by bonds, and blood and sufferings, are not committed to every ordinary

professor. Some that would back (give Christ a new day, till eternity Christ honestly in summer-time and time meet in one point. A paid would but spill the beauty of the sum, if ever paid, is paid, if no day gospel, if they were put to suffering. be broken to the hungry creditor; And therefore let us believe, that take heaven's bond and subscribed Wisdom dispenseth to every one obligation for the sum, John xiv. 3. here, as he thinks good, who bears If hope can trust Christ, I know he them up that bear the cross: and can, and will pay: but when all is since our Lord hath put you to that done and suffered by you, ten hunpart, which was the flower of his own dred deaths for lovely, lovely Jesus, sufferings, we all expect that as ye is but eternity's half-penny; figures have in the strength of our Captain and cyphers cannot lay the propor begun, so ye will go on without tion. Oh but the superplus of Christ's fainting. Providence maketh use glory is broad and large! Christ's of men and devils, for the refining items of eternal glory are hard and of all the vessels of God's house, cumbersome to tell; and if ye bor. small and great; and for doing of two row by faith and hope ten days, or great works at once in you, both for ten hundred years from that eternity smoothing a stone, to make it take of glory that abides you, ye are paid, bond with Christ, in Jerusalem's and more in your hand Therefore, wall; and for witnessing to the glory O prisoner of hope, wait on; postof this reproached and borne-down ing, hasting salvation sleeps not. gospel which cannot die, though Antichrist is bleeding, and in the hell were made a grave about it. It way to death; and he bites sorest, shall be timeous joy for you, to when he bleeds fastest. Keep your divide joy betwixt you and Christ's intelligence betwixt you and heaven, laughing bride in these three king and your court with Christ; he hath doms: and what if your mourning in heaven the keys of your prison, continue till mystical Christ in Ire- and can set you at liberty when he land and in Britain, and ye, laugh pleaseth: his rich grace support you. both together? Your laughing and pray you help me with your prayers. joy were the more blessed, that one Grace be with you. sun should shine upon Christ, the gospel, and you, laughing altogether in these three kingdoms.

I

Your brother in the patience and kingdom of Jesus Christ,

Your St. Andrew's, 1640.

LETTER XXX.

To Mr. JAMES WILSON.
Dear Brother,

S. R.

time is measured. and your days and hours of suffering from eternity were by infinite Wisdom considered: if heaven recompense not to your own mind inches of sorrow, then I must say, that infinite Mercy cannot get you pleased; but if the first kiss GRACE, mercy and peace be multiof the white and ruddy cheek of the plied upon you. I bless our rich Standard-bearer and Chief among and only wise Lord, who careth so ten thousand, Cant. v. 10. shall for his new creation, that he is going over-pay your prison at Dublin in over it again, and trying every piece Ireland, then ye shall have no counts in you, and blowing away the motes unanswered, to give in to Christ: if of his new work in you. Alas! I am your faith cannot see a nearer term not so fit a physician as your disease day, yet let me charge your hope to requireth: sweet, sweet, lovely Jesus

be your physician, where his under-round you in the ear, and when you chirurgeon cannot do any thing for have a sight of your deservings, are putting in order the wheels. paces apocrypha, and not scripture, I hope. and goings of a married soul, I Hear what the Lord saith of you, have little time; but yet the Lord He will speak peace: if your Master hath made me so concern myself in say, I quit you, I shall then bid you your condition, that I do not, I dare eat ashes for bread, and drink waters not be altogether silent. First, Ye of gall and worm-wood. But, how. doubt from 2 Cor. xiii. 5. whe. beit Christ out of his own mouth ther ye be in Christ or not? and so, should seem to say, I come not for whether ye be a reprobate or not? thee, as he did; Matth. xv 24. yet I answer three things to the doubt: let me say the words of tempting 1. Ye owe charity to all men, but Jesus are not to be stretched as most of all to lovely and loving scripture beyond his intention, seeJesus, and some also to yourself, ing his intention in speaking them is especially to your renewed self; be to strengthen, not to deceive; and cause your new self is not yours, therefore here faith may contradict but another Lord's, even the work what Christ seemeth at first to say, of his own Spirit: therefore to slan and so may ye. I charge you, by der his work is to wrong himself. the mercies of God, be not that Love thinketh no evil; if ye love cruel to grace and the new birth, as grace, think not ill of grace in your- to cast water on your own coal by self; and ye think ill of grace in misbelief: if ye must die (as I know yourself when ye make it but a ye shall not) it were a folly to slay bastard and a work of nature. For yourself. 3, I hope ye love the new a holy fear that ye be not Christ's, birth and a claim to Christ, howbeit and withal a care and a desire to ye do not make it good; and if ye be his, and not your own, is not, were in hell, and saw the heavenly nay cannot be bastard nature. The face of lovely, ten thousand times great Advocate pleadeth hard for lovely Jesus, that hath God's hue, you; be upon the Advocate's side, and God's fair, fair and comely red O poor feared client of Christ! Stay and white, wherewith it is beautified and side with such a Lover, who beyond comparison and imagination, pleadeth for no other man's goods ye could not forbear to say, Oh if I but his own; (for he, if I may say could but blow a kiss from my sinful so, scorneth to be enriched with an mouth from hell up to heaven, upon unjust conquest) and yet he plead- his cheeks, that are a bed of spices, eth for you, whereof your letter as sweet flowers, Cant. v. 13. I (though too full of jealousy) is hope ye dare say, O fairest sight a proof; for if ye were not his, your of heaven! O boundless mass of thoughts, which I hope are but the crucified and slain Love for me, suggestions of his spirit, (that only give me leave to wish to love thee! bringeth the matter in debate, to O Flower and Bloom of heaven and make it sure to you,) would not be earth's love! O angels Wonder! O such, nor so serious as these, Am I thou, the Father's eternal sealed his? or, Whose am I? 2. Dare ye Love! and O thou, God's old Deforswear your Owner, and say in light! give me leave to stand beside cold blood, I am not his? What thy love, and look in and wonder, nature or corruption saith at starts in and give me leave to wish to love you, I regard not: your thoughts thee, if I can do no more.' 4. We of yourself when sin and guiltiness being born in atheism, and children