him in his own country at home, ye will think ye never saw him before : demptions; so now he is saying, The more of the disease there is, the more of the Physician's art of He shall be admired of all them grace and tenderness there must be: that believe,' 2 Thess. i. 12. Ye may only I know, no sinner can put in- judge how far all your now sad days finite grace to it, so as the Mediator and tossings, changes, losses, wants, shall have difficulty or much ado, to conflicts, shall then be below you. save this or that man; millions of Ye look to the cross, now it is above hells of sinners cannot come near to your head, and seems to threaten exhaust infinite grace. I pray you death, as having a dominion; but it (remembering my love to your wife, shall then be so far below your and friends there) let me find that I thoughts, or your thoughts so far ahave solicitors there amongst your bove it, that ye shall have no lei. acquaintance; and forget not Scot- sure to lend one thought to old dated land. Your brother in Jesus Christ, London, Jan. 30, 1646. Madam, LETTER L. To the Lady KENMURE. crosses, in youth, in age, in this country or in that, from this instruS. R. ment or from another; except it be to the heightening of your consolation, being now got above and be yond all these. Old age, and waxing old as a garment, is written on the fairest face of the creation, Psal. It is too like, the Lord's controver the second Adam's appearance, playcii. 26, 27. Death, from Adam to sy with these two nations is but yet eth the king and reigneth over all; beginning, and that we are ripened the prime Heir died, his children, and white for the Lord's sickle. For which the Lord hath given, follow the particular condition your Lady- him: and we may speak freely of ship is in, another might speak (if the life which is here; were it heathey would say all) of more sad ven, there were not much gain in things. If there was not a fountain godliness: but there is a rest for of free grace to water dry ground, the people of God. Christ-man posand an uncreated wind to breathe sesseth it now one thousand six hunon withered and dry bones, we were dred years before many of his memgone. The wheels of Christ's charbers; but it weareth not out. Grace iot to pluck us out of the womb of be with you. many deaths, are winged like eagles. All I have, is, to desire to believe, Your Ladyship's in Christ Jesus, that Christ will shew all good-will London, Feb. 16th, 1640. Madam, LETTER LI. To the Lady ARDROSS. S. R. to save and as for your Ladyship, I know that our Lord Jesus carrieth on no design against you, but seeketh to save and redeem you: he lieth not in wait for your falls, except it be to take you up. His way GRACE, mercy and peace be to you: of redeeming is ravishing and tak- it hath seemed good (as I hear) to ing; there are more miracles of glo-him who hath appointed a bounds rified sinners in heaven, than can for the number of our months, to be on earth. Nothing of you, Ma- gather in a sheaf of ripe corn (in dam, nay, not your leaf, can with- the death of your Christian mother) er. Verily, it is a king's life to fol- into his garner; it is the more evilow the Lamb; but when ye see dent, that winter is near, when ap 'ples, without violence of wind, do of Sharon for ever and ever? What of their own accord fall off the tree. a singing life is there? there is not She is now above the winter with a a dumb bird in all that large field, little change of place, not of a Savi- but all sing and breathe out heaven, our; only she enjoyeth him now joy, glory, dominion, to the high without messages, and in his own Prince of that new-found land; and immediate presence, from whom she verily the land is the sweeter, that heard by letters and messengers be- Jesus Christ paid so dear a rent for fore. I grant death is to her a very it, and he is the glory of the land: new thing, but heaven was prepared all which, I hope, doth not so much of old; and Christ enjoyed in his mitigate and allay your grief for her highest throne, and as loaded with part (as truly this should seem sufglory, and incomparably exalted a- ficient) as the unerring expectation bove men and angels, having such of the dawning of that day upon a heavenly circle of glorified harpers yourself, and the hope ye have of and musicians above, compassing the fruition of that same King and the throne with a song, is to her a kingdom to your own soul. Cernew thing; but so new, as the first tainly the hope of it, when things summer-rose, or the first fruits of look so dark like on both kingdoms, that heavenly field; or as a new must be an exceeding great quickparadise to a traveller, broken and ening to languishing spirits, who worn out of breath with the sad oc- are far from home while we are currences of a long and dreary way. here. What misery, to have both Ye easily judge, Madam, what a a bad way all the day, and no hope large recompence is made to all her of lodging at night! but he hath service, her walking with God, and taken up your lodging for you. I her sorrows, with the first cast of can say no more now; but I pray, the soul's eye upon the shining and that the very God of peace may esadmirably beautiful face of the Lamb, tablish your heart to the end. I that is in the midst of that fair and rest, white army that is there, and with the first draught and taste of the fountain of life, fresh and new at the London, Feb. 24th, 1646. well-head to say nothing of the enjoying of that face, without date, for more than this term of life which we now enjoy. And it cost her no more to go thither, but to suffer death to do her this piece of service: for by him, who was dead, and is I CAN write nothing for the present alive, she was delivered from the concerning these times (whatever second death; what then is the first others may think) but that which death to the second? Not scratch speaketh wrath and judgment to of the hide of a finger, to the end- these kingdoms. If ever ye, or any less second death. And now she of that land, received the gospel in sittet for eternity mail-free, in a the truth, (as I am confident ye and very considerable land, which hath they did) there is here a great demore than four summers in the year. parture from that faith, and our sufO what spring-time is there! even ferings are not yet at an end: howthe smelling of the odours of that ever, I dare testify and die for it, great and eternally blooming Rose that once Christ was revealed in the Madam, Your Ladyship's at all respec- Sir, LETTER LII. To M. O. I power of his excellency and glory to and redeeming ones hurt, yea, even the saints there, and in Scotland, of go nigh to hate redeemed ones. which I was a witness: I pray God confess, I imagined, there had no none deceive you, or take the crown more been such an affliction on from you. Hell or the gates of earth, or in the world, as that one hell cannot ravel, mar, or undo elect angel should fight against anwhat Christ hath once done amongst other; but, for contempt of the you: it may be, that I am incap-communion of saints, we have need able of new light, and cannot re- of new-born crosses, scarce ever ceive that spirit whereof some vainly heard of before; the saints are not boast; but that which was from the Christ, there is no misjudging in beginning, which we have heard, him, there is much in us; and a which we have seen with our eyes, doubt it is, if we shall have fully which we have looked upon, and one heart, till we shall enjoy one our hands have handled, even the heaven : our star-light hideth us. word of life, John i. 2, 3. hath been from ourselves, and hideth us from declared to you. Thousands of one another, and Christ from us all; thousands, walking in that light and but he will not be hidden from us. that good old way, have gone to I shall wish that all the sons of our heaven, and are now before the Father in that land be of one mind, throne; truth is but one, and hath and that they be not shaken nor no numbers. Christ and Antichrist moved from the truth once received. are both now in the camp, and are Christ was in that gospel, and come to open blows: Christ's poor Christ is the same now that he was ship saileth in the sea of blood, the in the prelates' time: that gospel passengers are so sea-sick of a high cannot sink, it will make you free, fever, that they miscal one another; and bear you out: Christ, the subChrist (I hope) shall bring the ject of it, is the chosen of God, and broken bark to land: I had rather cometh from Bozrah with garments swim for life and death on an old dyed in blood. Ireland and Scotplank, or a broken board, to land land both must be his field, in which with Christ, than enjoy the rotten he shall feed and gather lillies: suppeace we have hitherto had. It is pose (which yet it is impossible) like, the Lord will take a severe that some had an eternity of Christ course with us, to cause the chil-in Ireland, and a sweet summer of dren of the family agree together. the gospel, and a feast of fat things I conceive that Christ hath a great for evermore in Ireland, and one design of free grace to these lands; should never come to heaven, it but his wheels must move over should be a desirable life; the King's mountains and rocks. He never spikenard, Christ's perfume, his apyet wooed a bride on earth, but in ples of love, his ointments, even blood, in fire, and in the wilder-down in this lower house of clay, A cross of our own choosing, are a choice heaven: O what then is honeyed and sugared with consola- the King in his own land, where tions, we cannot have: I think not there is such a throne, so many much of a cross, when all the chil- king's palaces, ten thousand thoudren of the house weep with me and sands of crowns of glory, that want for me; and to suffer when we en-heads yet to fill them! O so much joy the communion of the saints, is leisure as shall be there to sing! O not much; but it is hard when saints such a tree as groweth there in the rejoice in the suffering of saints, midst of that paradise, where the ness. Your friend in the Lord Jesus, London, April 17th, 1646. LETTER LIII. To EARLSTOUN, Elder. S. R. inhabitants sing eternally under its fruits, which grow on that crabbed branches! To look in at a window tree of the cross, are as sweet as it and see the branches burdened with is sour to bear it; especially conthe apples of life, to be the last sidering, that Christ hath borne the man that shall come in thither, were whole complete cross, and his saints too much for me. I pray you re-bear but bits and chips; as the apɔsmember me to the Christians there, tle saith, The remnants or leavings and remember our private covenant. of the cross. I judge you ten thouGrace be with you. sand times happy, that ever ye was grace's debtor; for certainly Christ hath engaged you over head and ears to free grace: and take the debt with you to eternity, Immanuel's highest land, where ye find before you a house full of Christ's everlasting debtors, the less shame Sir, to you: yea, and this lower kingI KNOW ye have learned long ago, dom of grace is but Christ's hospiere I knew any thing of Christ, that tal and guest-house of sick folks, if we had the cross at our own elec- whom the brave and noble Physition, we would either have law-sure- cian Christ hath cured, upon a venty for freedom from it, or then we ture of life and death; and if ye be would have it honeyed and sugared near the water-side (as I know ye with comforts, so as the sweet are) all that I can say is this, Sir, should overmaster the gall and worm- that I feel by the smell of that land wood. Christ knoweth how to breed which is before you, that it is a the sons of his house, and ye will goodly country, and it is well paid give him leave to take his own way for to your hand; and he is before of dispensation with you; and tho' you, who will heartily welcome you. it be rough, forgive him; he defieth O to suck those breasts of full conyou to have as much patience to solation above, and to drink Christ's him, as he hath borne to you. I new wine up in his Father's house, am sure there cannot a drahın-weight is some greater matter than is beof gall be less in your cup: and ye lieved! Since it was brewed from would not desire he should afflict eternity for the Head of the house, you, and hurt your soul. When and so many thousand crowned his people cannot have a providence kings; rubs in the way, where the of silk and roses, they must be con- lodging is so good, are not much. tent with such an one as he carveth He that brought again from the out for them: ye would not go to dead the great Shepherd of the heaven but with company; and ye sheep, by the blood of the eternal may perceive that the way of those covenant, establish you to the end. who went before you was through Your friend and servant in Jesus Christ, blood, sufferings, and many afflic-Londoa, May 15th, 1645. tions; nay, Christ, the Captain, went in over the door-threshold of paradise, bleeding to death. I do not think but ye have learned to stoop, though ye (as others) be naturally stiff; and that ye have found that the apples and sweet I CANNOT speak to you. The way LETTER LIV. S. R. To his reverend and worthy brother, Mr. GEORGE ye know, the passage is free and not the morning, the darker. Some trastopped, the print of the footsteps veller seeth the city twenty miles of the Forerunner is clear and mani-off, and at a distance: and yet withfest, many have gone before you: in the eighth part of a mile he can. ye will not sleep long in the dust be- not see it. It is all keeping, that ye fore the day break; it is a far short- would now have, till ye need it; er piece of the hinder-end of the and if sense and fruition come both night to you, than to Abraham and at once, it is not your loss; let Moses; beside all the time of their Christ tutor you as he thinks good, bodies resting under corruption, it ye cannot be marred nor miscary in is as long yet to their day as to your his hand. Want is an excellent morning-light of awaking to glory; qualification; and no money, no though their spirits, having the ad-price, to you (who I know, dare vantage of yours, have had now the not glory in your own righteousfore-start of the shore before you. ness) is fitness warrantable enough I dare say nothing against his dis- to cast yourself upon him, who juspensation; I hope to follow quickly: tifieth the ungodly. Some see the the heirs, that are not there before gold once, and never again till the you, are posting with haste after race's end; it is coming all in a sum you, and none shall take your lodg-together, when ye are in a more ing over your head. Be not heavy: gracious capacity to tell it than the life of faith is now called for; now: Ye are not come to the doing was never reckoned in your mount that burneth with fire, nor accounts, (though Christ in and by unto blackness, darkness, and temyou hath done more, than by twen-pest; but ye are come to mount ty, yea, an hundred gray haired and Zion, unto the city of the living godly pastors) believing now is your God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and last look to that word, Gal. ii. 20. to an innumerable company of anNevertheless I live, yet not I, but gels, to the general assembly and Christ liveth in me. Ye know the Ichurch of the first-born which are that liveth, and the I that liveth not; written in heaven, and to God the it is not single ye that liveth, Christ Judge of all, and to the spirits of by law liveth in the broken debtor; just men made perfect, and to Jesus it is not a life by doing or holy walk-the Mediator of the new covenant, ing, but the living of Christ in you. and to the blood of sprinkling,' &c. If ye lock to yourself as divided Ye must leave the wife to a more from Christ, ye must be more than choice Husband, and the children heavy: all your wants (dear brother) to a better Father. If ye leave any be upon him: ye are his debtor, testimony to the Lord's work and grace must sum and subscribe your covenant, against both malignants accounts as paid: stand not upon and sectaries, (which I suppose may items and small or little sanctifica- be needful) let it be under your tion; ye know, inherent holiness hand and subscribed before faithful must stand by, when imputed is all. witnesses. I fear the clay-house is a taking down and undermining; but it is nigh the dawning, look to the east, the dawning of the glory is near: your Guide is good company, and knoweth all the miles, and the ups and downs in the way; the nearer : Your loving and afflicted brother. St. Andrews, Sept. 27th 1648. S. R. |