Your Honour's at all obedience, in his sweet Lord Jesus, Aberdeen, Sept. 7, 1637. ing ready for you: the Bridegroom be to your Ladyship, and to your would fain have that day, as gladly sweet child: Grace, grace be with as your honour would wish to have you. it; he hath not forgotten you. I have heard a rumour of the Prelate's purpose to banish me; but let it come, if God so will; the other side of the sea is my Father's ground, as well as this side: I owe bowing to God, but no servile bowing to crosses; I have been but too soft in that; I am com මම LETTER XIV. To the much honoured JOHN GORDON of S. R. forted that I am persuaded fully, that MUCH honoured and dearest in my Christ is halver with me in this well Lord, grace, mercy, and peace be borne and honest cross: and if he to you. My soul longeth exceedingclaim right to the best half of my ly to hear how matters go betwixt troubles, as I know he doth to the you and Christ: and whether or not whole, I shall remit over to Christ, there be any work of Christ in that what I shall do in this case: I know parish, that will bide the trial of fire certainly my Lord Jesus will not and water; let me be weighed of my mar nor spill my sufferings, he hath Lord in a just balance, if your souls use for them in his house. O what lye not weighty upon me; you it worketh on me, to remember that go to bed and you rise with me; a stranger, who cometh not in by thoughts of your soul, my dearest in the door, shall build hay and stub- our Lord, depart not from me in ble upon the golden foundation, I my sleep; ye have a great part of laid amongst that people at Anwoth! my tears, sighs, supplications, and But I know Providence looketh not prayers; O if I could buy your soul's asquint, but looketh straight out, salvation with any suffering whatsoand through all men's darkness: Othat ever, and that ye and I might meet I could wait upon the Lord! I had with joy up in the rainbow, when we but one eye, one joy, one delight, shall stand before our Judge! O my even to preach Christ; and my moLord forbid, I have any hard thing ther's sons were angry at me, and to depone against you in that day! have put out the O that he who quickeneth the dead man's one eye, poor and what have I behind? I am sure would give life to my sowing among this sour world hath lost my heart you! What joy is there, next to deservedly, but oh that there were Christ, that standeth on this side of a days-man to lay his hands upon death, would comfort me more, than us both, and determine upon my part that the souls of that poor people of it. Alas! that innocent and lovely were in safety, and beyond all hazard truth should be sold! My tears are of losing! Sir, shew the people this: little worth, but yet this thing I weep; for when I write to you, I think I I weep, alas! that my fair and lovely write to you all, old and young; fulLord Jesus should be miskent in his fil my joy, and seek the Lord; sure own house! It reckoneth little of five I am, once I discovered my lovely, hundred the like of me: yet the royal, princely Lord Jesus to you water goeth not over faith's breath, all; wo, wo, wo shall be your part yet our King liveth. I write the of it for evermore, if the gospel be prisoner's blessings; the good will, not the savour of life unto life to and long-lasting kindness, with the you; as many sermons as I preached, comforts of the very God of peace as many sentences as I uttered, as many points of dittay shall they be, forts when your eye-strings shall when the Lord shall plead with the break, and the face wax pale, and world, for the evil of their doings. the soul shall tremble to be out of Believe me, I find heaven a city the lodging of clay, and by your hard to be won; The righteous compearance before your awful will scarcely be saved;' O what Judge, after the sight of this letter, violence of thronging will heaven take a new course with your ways, take! Alas! I see many deceiving and now in the end of your day themselves; for we will all to heaven; make sure of heaven. Examine now every foul dog with his foul feet yourself if ye be in good earnest in will in at the nearest, to the new and Christ; for some, Heb. vi. 4. ‘are clean Jerusalem; all say they have partakers of the Holy Ghost, and faith, and the greatest part in the taste of the good word of God, and world know not, and will not consid- of the powers of the life to come,' er, that a slip in the matter of their and yet have no part in Christ at all. salvation, is the most pitiful slip that Many think they believe, but never can be; and that no loss is compar- tremble; the devils are farther on able to this loss. O then see that than these, James ii. 10. Make sure there be not a loose pin in the work to yourself that ye are above ordinof your salvation! for ye will not ary professors; the sixth part of believe how quickly the Judge will your span-length and hand-breadth come; and for yourself, I know that of your days is scarcely before you; death is waiting and hovering, and haste, haste, for the tide will not lingering at God's command, that bide. Put Christ upon all your acye may be prepared. Then ye had counts, and your secrets. Better it need to stir your time, and to take is that you give him your counts, in eternity, and death, to your riper this life, out of your own hand, than advisement; a wrong step in going that after this life he take them from out of this life, in one property, is you. I never knew so well what like the sin against the Holy Ghost, sin was as since I came to Aberdeen, and can never be forgiven, because howbeit I was preaching of it to you. ye cannot come back again through To feel the smoke of hell's fire in the last water to mourn for it. I the throat for half an hour; to stand know your counts are many, and before a river of fire and brimstone will take telling, and laying, and broader than the earth: and to think reckoning betwixt you and your to be bound hand and foot, and Lord; fit your counts, and order casten in the midst of it quick, and them; lose not the last play what- then to have God locking the prisonever ye do, for in that play with door, never to be opened for all eterdeath your precious soul is the prize; nity; O how it will'shake a conscience for the Lord's sake spill not the play, that hath any life in it! I find the and lose not such a treasure. Ye fruits of my pains to have Christ and know, out of love I had to your soul, that people once fairly met, now and out of desire I had to make an meet my soul in my sad hours; and honest count for you, I testified my I rejoice that I gave fair warning of displeasure and disliking of your all the corruptions now entering in ways very often, both in private and Christ's house and now many a public; I am not now a witness of sweet, sweet, soft kiss, many perfumyour doings, but your Judge is al-ed, well-smelled kisses and embraceways your witness. I beseech you ments, have I received of my royal by the mercies of God, by the sal-master. He and I have had much vation of your soul, by your com- love together. I have for the present a sick dwining life, with much pain, me, I cannot set him out to men and much love-sickness for Christ; and angels. O there are few tongues O what would I give to have a bed to sing love-songs of his incomparmade to my wearied soul, in his bo- able excellency! What can I, poor som! I would frist heaven for many prisoner, do to exalt him? or what years, to have my fill of Jesus in course can I take to extol my lofty, this life, and to have occasion to of- and lovely Lord Jesus? I am put to fer Christ to my people; and to woo my wit's end, how to get his name many people to Christ. I cannot made great. Blessed they who tell you what sweet pain, and delight- would help me in this! How sweet some torments are in Christ's love; are Christ's back-parts? O what then I often challenge time that holdeth is in his face? These that see his us sundry. I profess to you I have face, how do they get their eye no rest, I have no ease, while I be plucked off him again? Look up to over head and ears in love's ocean. him and love him: O love and live, If Christ's love, that fountain of It were life to me, if you would read delight, were laid as open to me as this letter to that people, and if they I would wish, O how would I drink, did profit by it. O if I could cause and drink abundantly! O how drunk- them die of love for Jesus! I charge en would this my soul be! I half call them by the salvation of their souls, his absence cruel, and the mask and to hang about Christ's neck, and take vail on Christ's face a cruel cover- their fill of his love, and follow him, ing, that hideth such a fair face from as I taught them. Part by no means a sick soul, I dare not challenge him- with Christ; hold fast what ye have self, but his absence is a mountain of received; keep the truth once deliviron upon my heavy heart. O when ered; if ye or that people quit it in will we meet? O how long is it to an hair or in an hoof, ye break your the dawning of the marriage day! conscience in twain; and who then - O sweet Lord Jesus, take wide steps; can mend it, and cast a knot on it? O my Lord, come over mountains My dearest in the Lord, stand fast at one stride! O my Beloved, flee in Christ: keep the faith; contend like a roe, or a young hart, on the for Christ; wrestle for him, and take mountains of separation; O if he men's feud for God's favour; there would fold the heavens together like is no comparison betwixt these. an old cloke, and shovel time and O that the Lord would fulfil my joy days out of the way, and make ready and keep the young bride to Christ, in haste the lamb's wife for her hus-that is at Anwoth. And now, whoband! Since he looked upon me, my ever they be, that have returned to heart is not mine own, he hath run the old vomit since my departure, I away to heaven with it; I know it bind upon their back, in my Master's was not for nothing that I spake so name and authority, the long-lasting, meikle good of Christ to you in pub. weighty vengeance, and curse of lic. O if the heaven, and the heaven God; in my Lord's name, I give of heavens were paper, and sea ink, them a black, unmixed, pure wrath, and the multitude of mountains pens which my Master shall ratify and of brass, and I able to write that make good, when we stand together paper, within and without, full of before him, except they timeously the praises of my fairest, my dearest, repent and turn to the Lord. And my lovliest, my sweetest, my match- I write to thee, poor mourning and less, and my most marrowless and broken-hearted believer, be who thou marvellous Well-beloved! Wo is will, of the free salvation; Christ's sweet balm for thy wounds, O poor thank your Ladyship, for your lethumble believer; Christ's kisses for ter that hath refreshed my soul. I thy watery cheeks: Christ's blood think myself many ways obliged to of atonement for thy guilty soul; your Ladyship for your love to my afChrist's heaven for thy poor soul, flicted brother, now embarked with though once banished out of paradise; me in that same cause. His Lord hath and my Master shall make good my been pleased to put him on truth's word ere long. O that people were side; I hope your Ladyship will bewise! O that people were wise! O friend him with your counsel and that people would seek out Christ, countenance in that country where and never rest while they find him, he is a stranger; and your Ladyship O how shall my soul mourn in secret! needeth not fear but your kindness if my nine years pained head, and to his own shall be put up in Christ's sore breast, and pained back, and accounts. Now, Madam, for your grieved heart, and private and pub- Ladyship's case I rejoice exceedinglic prayers to God, shall all be for ly, that the Father of lights hath nothing among that people! Did my made you see that there is a nick in Lord Jesus send me but to summon Christianity, which ye contend to you before your Judge, and to leave be at; and that is, to quit the right you summons at your houses? Was eye, and the right hand, and to keep I sent as a witness only to gather the Son of God: I hope your desire your dittays? O my God forbid! is to make him your garland, and Often did I tell you of a fan of God's your eye looketh up the mount, word to come among you, for the which certainly is nothing but the contempt of it; I told you often of new creature. Fear not, Christ will wrath, wrath, from the Lord, to not cast water upon your smoaking come upon Scotland; and yet I bide coal; and then, who else dare do it by my Master's word; it is quick- if he say nay? Be sorry at corruply coming, desolation for Scotland, tion, and not secure; that companbecause of the quarrel of a broken ion lay with you in your mother's covenant. Now, worthy Sirs, my womb, and was as early friends with dear people, my joy, and my crown you as the breath of life: and Christ in the Lord, let him be your fear, will not have it otherwise; for he seek the Lord, and his face-save delighteth to take up fallen children, your souls. Doves, flee to Christ's and to mend broken brows; binding windows; pray for me, and praise up of wounds is his office, Isa. lxi. for me. The blessing of my God,-1st. I am glad Christ will get emthe prayers and blessing of a poor ployment of his calling in you: maprisoner, and your lawful pastor, beny a whole soul is in heaven, which upon you. Your lawful and loving pastor, S. R. Aberdeen, June 16, 1637. LETTER XV. was sicker than ye are: he is content ye lay broken arms and legs on his knee, that he may spelk them. -2dly. Hiding of his face is wise love; his love is not fond, doating, and reasonless, to give your head no other pillow, while ye be in at heaven's gates, but to lye between Madam, his breasts, and lean upon his boGRACE, mercy, and peace be to you, som: nay, his children must often from God our Father, and from ourave the frosty cold side of the hill, Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot but and set down both their bare feet a To the Right Honourable and Christian Lady, my Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, Aberdeen, March 7th, 1637. LETTER XVI. S. R. mong thorns: his love hath eyes, as now. I durst not challenge my and in the mean time is looking on. Lord, if I got no more for heaven, Our pride must have winter weath it is a dawting cross. I know he er to rot it: But I know Christ and hath other things to do than to play ye shall not be heard; ye will whis- with me, and trundle an apple with per it over betwixt yourselves, and me, and that this feast will end, O agree again; for the anchor-tow a- for instruments in God's name, that bideth fast within the vail; the end this is he! and that I may make use of it is in Christ's ten fingers: who of it, when it may be, a near friend dare pull if he hold? I the Lord within me will say, and when it will thy God will hold thy right hand, be said by a challenging devil, Where saying, Fear not, I will help thee. Is. is thy God? Since I know it will not xli. 13. Fear not Jacob. The sea- last, I desire but to keep broken sick passenger shall come to land; meat: but let no man after me sianChrist will be the first that will meet der Christ for his cross. The great you on the shore. I hope your La Lord of the covenant, who brought dyship will keep the king's highway: from the dead the great Shepherd go on in the strength of the Lord of his sheep, by the blood of the ein haste, as if ye had not leisure to ternal covenant, establish you, and speak to the inn-keepers by the keep you and your's to his appearway; he is over beyond time on ance. the other side of the water, who thinketh long for you. For my un faithful self, Madam, I must say a word. At my first coming hither, the devil made many a black lie of my Lord Jesus, and said, the court was changed, and he was angry, and would give an evil servant his leave I RECEIVED your letters; they are at mid-term; but he gave me grace apples of gold to me, for with my not to take my leave; I resolved to sweet feasts (and they are above bide summons, and sit, howbeit it the deserving of such a sinner, high was suggested and said, What should and out of measure) I have sadness be done with a withered tree, but o to ballast me, and weight me a little. ver the dike with it? But now, now, It is but his boundless wisdom who I dare not, I can not keep it up, hath taken the tutoring of his witless who is feasted as his poor exiled pri child: and he knoweth to be drunksoner? I think shame of the board-en with comforts is not safest for head and the first mess, and the roy- our stomachs. However it be, the al king's dining hall, and that my din and noise, and glooms of Christ's black hand should come on such a cross are weightier than itself. I ruler's table: but I cannot mend it, protest to you, my witness is in Christ must have his will: only he heaven. I could wish many pound paineth my soul so sometimes with weights added to my cross, to know his love, that I have been nigh to that by my sufferings, Christ were pass modesty, and to cry out; he set forward in his kingly office in hath left a smoaking burning coal in this land. Oh! what is my skin to my heart, and gone to the door him- his glory; or my losses, or my sad self, and left me and it together; yet heart, to the apple of the eye of our it is not desertion; I know not what Lord, and his beloved spouse, his it is, but I was never so sick for him precious truth, his royal privileges, To Mr ALEXANDER HENDERSON, My reverend and dear brother, |