be an eye-witness to it in the flesh; of the reformed churches) is now but I believe he comes quickly, who intended to be utterly subverted will remove our darkness, and will and condemned: and what is taken shine gloriously in the isle of Britain, from Christ, as the flower of his as a crowned king, either in a form. prerogative royal, is now put upon ally sworn covenant, or in his own the head of a mortal power, which glorious way, which I leave to the must be that great idol of indignadetermination of his infinite wisdom tion that provoketh the eyes of his and goodness; and this is the hope glory. Dear brother, let us mind and confidence of a dying man, the rich promises that are made to who is longing and fainting for the those that overcome, knowing that salvation of God. Beware of the those that endure to the end shall ensnaring bonds and obligations, by be saved. Thus recommending you any hand-writ or otherways, to give to the rich grace of God, I remain unlimited obedience to any authoriYour affectionate brother in Christ, ty, but only in the Lord; for all innocent self-defence (which is acSt. Andrews, 1661. S. R. cording to the covenant, the word of God, and the laudable example CONTAINING SOME MORE LETTERS OF THE SAME AUTHOR, FROM ANWOTH AND EDINBURGH, BEFORE HIS CONFINEMENT AT. ABERDEEN; FROM ABERDEEN During his confiNEMENT; AND FROM ST. ANDREWS, &c. AFTER HIS ENLARGEMENT. LETTER I. treat the Lord for me, now when I For MARION MACNAUGHT. am so comfortless, and so full of Well-beloved and dear Sister, heaviness, that I am not able to My love, in Christ remembered. I stand under the burden any longer. have sent to you your daughter, Gris The Almighty hath doubled his sel, with Robert Gordon, who came stripes upon me; for my wife is so to fetch her: I am in good hopes sore tormented night and day, that I that the seed of God is in her, as in have wondered why the Lord tarone born of God, and God's seed will rieth so long: my life is bitter unto come to God's harvest. I have her me, and I fear the Lord be my conpromise, she shall be Christ's, for trair party. It is (I now know by I have told her she may promise experience) hard to keep sight of much in his worthy name; for he God in a storm, especially when he becomes caution to his Father for hides himself for the trial of his chilall such as resolve and promise to dren. If he would be pleased to reserve him. I will remember her to move his hand, I have a purpose to God. I trust you will acquaint her seek him more than I have done: with good company, and be diligent happy are they that can win away to know with whom she loveth to with their soul; I am afraid of his haunt. Remember Zion, and our judgments. I bless my God, that necessities. I bless your daughter there is a death and a heaven; I from our Lord, and pray the Lord would weary to begin again to be a to give you joy and comfort of her. Christian, so bitter is it to drink of Remember my love to your hus- the cup that Christ drank of, if I band, to William and Samuel your knew not that there is no poison in sons. The Lord Jesus be with your it. God give us not of it while we spirit. vomit again, for we have sick souls when God's physic works not. Pray that God would not lead my wife into temptation. Wo is my heart that I have done so little against the kingdom of Satan in my calling; for he would fain attempt to make me blaspheme God in his face: I believe, in the strength of him who If ever you would pleasure me, in-hath put me in his work, he shall Your's at all power in the Lord Jesus, LETTER II. For MARION MACNAUGHT. Loving and dear Sister, fail in that which he seeks: I have morning cloud, and God shall bring comfort in this, that my Captain forth your righteousness as the light Christ hath said, I must fight and at noon-tide of the day: let me inovercome the world, John xvi. 33. treat you in Christ's name, to keep and with a weak spoiled weaponless a good conscience in your proceeddevil, John xiv. 30. The prince of ings in that matter, and beware of this world cometh, and hath nothing yourself; yourself is a more dangerin me.' Desire Mr. Robert to re- ous enemy than I, or any without member me, if he love me. Grace, you: innocence, and an upright grace be with you, and all yours; cause, is a good advocate before remember Zion. There is a letter God, and shall plead for you, and procured from the king by Mr. John win your cause; and count much of Maxwell, to urge conformity, to give your Master's approbation, and his the communion at Christmass in E-smiling: he is now as the king that dinburgh. Hold fast that which ye is gone to a far country; God seems have, that no man take the crown to be from home, (if I may say so) from you: The Lord Jesus be with yet he sees the ill servants, who say, your spirit. Anwoth, Nov. 17th, 1629. Your's in the Lord, LETTER III. For MARION MACNAUGHT. Well-beloved and dear Sister, Our Master deferreth his coming, and so strike their fellow-servants : but patience, my beloved, Christ the King is coming home, the evening is at hand, and he will ask an account of his servants; make a fair clear count to him: so carry yourself, as at night you may say, Master, I have wronged none: My love, in the Lord Jesus, remem- behold, you have your own with bered; I understand that you are advantage. O! your soul then will still under the Lord's visitation, in esteem much of one of God's kisses your former business with your ene- and embracements, in the testimies, which is God's dealing: for, mony of a good conscience. The till he take his children out of the wicked, howbeit they be casting furnace, that knoweth how long they many evil thoughts, bitter words, should be tried, there is no deliver- and sinful deeds behind their back, ance; but after God's highest and yet they are, in so doing, clerks fullest tide, that the sea of trouble to their own process, and doing is gone over the souls of his chil-nothing all their life, but gathering dren, then comes the gracious long-dittays against themselves; for God hoped for ebbing, and drying up of is angry at the wicked every day; the waters. Dear sister, do not and I hope your present process faint; the wicked may hold the bit- shall be sighted one day by him ter cup to your head, but God mix- who knoweth your just cause; and eth it, and there is no poison in it; the bloody tongues, crafty foxes, they strike, but God moves the rod; double ingrained hypocrites, shall Shimei curseth, but it is because the appear as they are before his MaLord bids him. I tell you, and Ijesty, when he shall take the mask have it from before whom I stand off their faces: and O thrice hapfor God's people, there is a decree py shall your soul be then, when given out, in the great court of the God finds you covered with nothing highest heavens, that your present but the white robe of the saints' introubles shall be dispersed as the nocence, and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. You have been of I persuade myself, he is saying late in the King's wine cellar, where yonder servants of mine are wrong. you were welcomed by the Lord ed, for my blood, Father, give them of the inns, upon a condition that justice. Think you not, cear sisyou would walk in love: put on love, ter, but our High Priest, our Je and brotherly kindness, and long sus, the Master of requests, presuffering; wait as long upon the fa-sents our bills of complaint to the vour and turned hearts of your en-great Lord Justice? Yea, I beemies, as your Christ waited upon lieve it, since he is our Advocate, you, and as dear Jesus stood at and Daniel calls him the Spokesyour soul's door with dewy and rainy man, whose hand presents all to the locks, the long cold night: be an Father. For other businesses, I gry but sin not; I persuade myself, say nothing, until the Lord give that holy unction within you, which me to see your face. I am credi teacheth you all things, is also say-bly informed, that multitudes of ing, Overcome evil with good. If England, and especially worthy that had not spoken in your soul, preachers, and silenced preachers at the tears of your aged pastor, of London, are gone to New-Eng you would not have agreed, and land; and I know one learned ho forgiven his foolish son who wrong-ly preacher, who hath written against ed you: but my Master bade me the Arminians, who is gone thither. tell you, God's blessing shall be Our blessed Lord Jesus. who can. upon you for it; and from him I not get leave to sleep with his spouse say, Grace, grace, and everlasting in this land, is going to seek an inns peace be upon you: it is my prayer where he will be better entertained; for you, that your carriage may and what marvel ? Wearied Jesus, grace and adorn the gospel of that after he had travelled from Geneva, Lord who hath graced you. I hear by the ministry of worthy Mr. Knox, your husband also was sick, but I and was laid down in his bed, and beseech you in the bowels of Jesus, reformation begun, and the curtains welcome every rod of God; for I drawn, he had not gotten his dear find not, in the whole book of God, eyes well together, when irreverent a greater note of the child of God, Bishops came in, and with the din than to fall down and kiss the feet and noise of ceremonies, holy-days, of an angry God; and when he and other Romish corruptions, they seems to put you away from him, and awake our Beloved; others came to loose your hands that grip him, to his bed-side, and drew the curtains, look up in faith, and say, I shall not, and put hands in his servants, banI will not be put away from thee: ished, deprived and confined them; howbeit thy Majesty draw to free and for the pulpit, they got a stool thyself of me, yet Lord give me and a cold fire in Blackness; and leave to hold and cleave unto thy- the nobility drew the covering off self. I will pray that your husband him, and have made him a poor may return in peace: your decreet naked Christ, in spoiling his servants comes from heaven, look up thith- of the tithes and kirk-rents; and er for many (says Solomon) seek now there is such a noise of crying the face of the ruler, but every sins in the land, as the want of the man's judgment cometh of the knowledge of God, of mercy and Lord and be glad that it is so, for truth; such swearing, whoring, lyChrist is the clerk of your process, ing, and blood touching blood, that and will see that all go right; and Christ is putting on his clothes, and રિ 1 making him, like an ill-handled stran- prepare yourself for a new wound; ger, to go to other lands. Pray for, five thousand years ago, our him, dear sister, to ly down again Lord proclaimed deadly war betwixt with his beloved. Remember my the Seed of the woman, and the seed dearest love to John Gordon, to of the serpent; and marvel not that whom I will write when I am strong; one town cannot keep the children and to John Brown, Grissel, Samu- of God, and the children of the el, and William; grace upon them. devil; for one belly could not keep As you love Christ, keep Christ's Jacob and Esau; one house could favour, and put not upon him when not keep peaceably together Isaac he sleeps, to awake him before he the son of the promise, and Ishmael please. The Lord Jesus be with the son of the hand-maid. Be you your spirit. Your brother in Christ, Anwoth, July 21, 1630. LETTER IV. S. R. you upon Christ's side of it, and care not what flesh can do; hold yourself fast by your Saviour, howbeit be buffeted, and those that follow ☺☺☺☺ him; yet a little while and the wicked shall not be: see 2 Cor. iv. 8. • We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed: we are perplexed, but not in despair,' ver. 9. 'Per For MARION MACNAUGHT. Well-beloved Sister, I HAVE been thinking, since my de-secuted, but not forsaken, cast 6 parture from you, of the pride and down but not destroyed.' If you malice of your adversaries, and ye can possess your soul in patience, may not (since ye have heard the their day is coming. Worthy and book of the Psalms so often) take dear sister, know how to carry yourhardly with this; for David's ene- self in trouble; and when ye are hatmies snuffed at him, and through ed and reproached, the Lord shews the pride of their hearts said, The it to you, Psal. xliv. 17. All this Lord will not require it,' Psal. x. 13. is come upon us, yet have we not I beseech you therefore, in the bow-forgotten thee, neither have we dealt els of Christ, set before your eyes falsely in thy covenant.' Psal. cxix. the patience of your Fore-runner Je- 92. Unless thy law had been my sus, who, when he was reviled, re- delight, I had perished in mine afviled not again; when he suffered he flictions' Keep God's covenant in threatened not, but committed him- your trials; hold you by his blessed self to him who judgeth righteously, word, and sin not; flee anger, 1 Pet. ii. 23. And since our Lord wrath, grudging, envying, fretting; and Redeemer with patience receiv- forgive an hundred pence to your ed many a black stroke on his glori- fellow-servant, because your Lord ous body, and many a buffet of the hath forgiven you ten thousand taunbelieving world, and says of him- lents: for, I assure you by the Lord, self, Isa. 1. 6. 'I gave my back to your adversaries shall get no advanthe smiters, and my cheeks to them tage against you, except you sin, that plucked off the hair; I hid not and offend your Lord in your suffermy face from shame and spitting, ings; but the way to overcome, is follow him, and think not hard that by patience, forgiving, and praying you receive a blow with your Lord; for your enemies, in doing whereof take part with Jesus of his sufferings, you heap coals upon their heads, and glory in the marks of Christ. and your Lord shall open a door to If this storm were over, you must you in your trouble: wait upon him, |