waves of persecution are so lofty and know, and whom you desire most proud. Let sweet Jesus take us by earnestly yourself, He would most the hand; neither must we think gladly have the Lord's call for that it will be otherwise, for it is told transplantation; for he knows, all to the souls under the altar, Rev. God's plants, set by his own hand, vi. That their fellow servants must thrive well; and if the work be be killed, as they were.' Surely it of God, he can make a steppingcannot be long till day. Nay, hear tone of the devil himself, for forward the work. For him say, Behold, I come, my dear setting bride; think not long, I shall be at yourself, I would advise you to ask Your you at once; I hear you, and am of God a submissive heart. coming. Amen, Even so come reward shall be with the Lord. AlLord Jesus, come quickly; for the though the people be not gathered, prisoners of hope are looking out a as the prophet speaks, and suppose the prison windows, to see if they the word do not prosper, God shall can behold the king's ambassador account you a repairer of the coming with the king's warrant, and breaches. And take Christ caution, the keys. I write not to you by ye shall not lose your reward. Hold guess now, because I have a warrant your grip fast. If ye knew the to say unto you, the garments of mind of the glorified in heaven, they Christ's spouse must be once again think heaven come to their hand at dyed in blood, as long ago her hus- an easy market, when they have got band's was but our Father sees his it for threescore or fourscore years' bleeding Son. What I write unto wrestling with God. When ye are you, shew it to I. G. Grace, grace, come thither, ye shall think, all I grace and rich reward now be with you, your did in respect of mercy my husband and children. enjoyed of free grace, was too little. Now then, for the love of the Prince of your salvation, who is standing at the end of your way, holding up in his hand the prize and the garland to the race-runners; forward, forward, faint not; take as many to heaven with you, as ye are able to draw ; the more ye draw with you, ye shall Well-beloved and dear Sister, in Christ, be the welcomer yourself. Be no I COULD not get an answer written niggard or sparing churl of the grace to your letter till now, in respect of of God; and employ all your enmy wife's disease, and she is yet leavours for establishing an honest mightily pained; I hope all shall ministry in your town, now when ye end in God's mercy: I know that have so few to speak a good word an afflicted life looks very like the for you I have many a grieved way that leads to the kingdom; heart daily in my calling: I would for the apostle, Acts xiv. 22. hath be undone, if I had not access to the drawn the line, and king's market- King's chamber of presence, to shew way, through much tribulation to him all the business. The devil the kingdom. The Lord grant urages and is mad, to see the water the whole armour of God. Y drawn from his own mill; but would Anwoth, Your's in the Lord, LETTER XIX. For MARION MACNAUGHT. S. R. write to me concerning your peo to God, we could be the Lord's in. ple's disposition, how their hearts struments to build the Son of God's are inclined toward the man you house. Pray for me. If the Lord furnish not new timber from Leba- his poor children. Therefore bid non, to build the house, the work my Well-beloved come to his garwill cease. I look to him, who hath begun well with me; I have his hand-writ, he will not change. Your daughter is well, and longs for a Bible. The Lord establish you in peace. The Lord Jesus be with your spirit. Anwoth, Your's at all power in Christ, LETTER XX. To MARION MACNAUGHT. Mistress, S. R. me den, and feed among the lilies. And as concerning Zion, I hope our Lord, who, Zech. ii. sent his angel with a measuring-line in his hand, to measure the length and breadth of Jerusalem, in token he would not want a foot length or inch of his own free heritage, shall take order with those who have taken away many acres of his own land from him; and God will build Jerusalem in the old stead and place, where it was before; in this hope, rejoice and be glad Christ's garment was not My love in Christ remembered. Our dipt in blood for nothing, but for his communion is on sabbath come eight bride, whom he bought with strokes. days, I will intreat you to recomI will desire you to remember my mend it to God, and to pray for old suits to God, God's glory and in that work. I have more sins upon increase of light, that I dry not up. me now than the last time; there- For your town, hope and believe, fore I will beseech you in Christ, that the Lord will gather in his loose seek this petition to me from God, sheaves among you to his barn, and that the Lord would give me grace send one with a well-toothed sharp to VOW and perform new obe-hook, and strong gardies, to reap his dience. I have cause to suit this harvest. And the Lord Jesus be of you, and shew it to Thomas Husbandman, and oversee the grow Carsen, Fergus and Jane Brown, for ing. Remember my love to your I have been and am exceedingly husband and to Samuel: grace upon cast down, and am fighting against you and your children; Lord make a malicious devil, of whom I can them corner-stones in Jerusalem, win little ground, and I would think and give them grace in their youth, a spoil plucked from him and his to take band with the fair chief trusty servant sin, a lawful and just Corner-stone, who was hewed out conquest and it were no sin to take of the mountain without hands, and from him. In the name of the got many a knock with his Father's Goodman of our house. King Jesus. forehammer, and endured them all, I invite you to the banquet: he saith and the stone did neither cleave nor ye shall be dearly welcome to him. break; upon that stone your soul And I desire to believe (howbeit not doth well to lie. King Jesus be without great fear) he shall be as with your spirit. hearty in his own house, as he has been before. For me it is but small reckoning; but I would fain have Anwoth, our Father and Lord to break the fair Loaf, Christ, and to distribute his slain Son amongst the children of his house; and that, if any were a step-child, in respect of comfort and sense, it were rather myself than Your friend in his well-beloved LETTER XXI. For MARION MACNAUGHT. am grieved at the heart to write any comfort your soul; but have pathing to you to breed heaviness to tience and stand still; he that beyou; and what I have written, I lieveth maketh not haste. This matwrote it with much heaviness. But ter of Crammond, cast in at this I intreat you in Christ's name, when time, is either a temptation, having my soul is under wrestlings, and fallen out at this time, or then it will seeking direction from our Lord (to clear all my doubts, and let you see whom his vineyard belongeth) whi- the Lord's will. But I never knew ther I shall go, give me liberty to my own part in the business till now; advise, and try all airths and paths, I thought I was more willing to have to see whether he goeth before me embraced the charge in your town and leadeth me; for if I were assu-than I am, or am able to win to. I red of God's call to your town, let know ye pray that God would remy arm fall from my shoulder blade solve me what to do; and will interand lose power, and my right eye be pret me, as love biddeth you, which dryed up, which is the judgment of thinketh not ill, and believeth all the idol shepherd, Zech xi. 17. if things, and hopeth all things. Would I would not swim through the water ye have more than the Son of God? without a boat, ere I sat his bidding. and ye have him already, and ye But if ye knew my doubtings and shall be fed by the Carver of the fears in that, ye would suffer with meat, be who he will, and these Whether they be temptations, who are hungry, look more to the or impediments cast in by God, I meat than to the Carver. I cannot know not; but you have now cause see you the next week. If my lady to thank God: for, seeing the Bi- come home, I must visit her. shop hath given you such a promise, week thereafter will be a presbytery he will give you an honest man at Girtoun; God will dispose of the more willingly than he will permit meeting. Grace upon you, and me to come to you. And, as I ever your seed and husband: the Lord intreated you, put the business out Jesus be with your spirit. me. of your hand in the Lord's rever- The Your's in Christ, LETTER XXII. For MARION MACNAUGHT. S. R. to do: for I know not what he will My love in Christ remembered. I do with me, but God shall fill you have sent you a letter from Mr. with joy ere the business be ended: David Dickson, concerning the plafor 1 persuade myself, our Lord Je-cing of Mr. Hugh MacKail with sus hath stirred you up already to themselves; therefore I write to you do good in the business, and ye now, only to intreat you in Christ shall not loose your reward. I have not to be discouraged thereat: be heard your husband and Samuel submissive to the will of your dear have been sick. The man who is Lord, who knoweth best what is called the Branch and God's Fel-good for your soul and your town low, who standeth before his Father, both; for God can come over greatwill be your stay and help, Zech.jer mountains than these we believe xiii. 7. I would I were able to for he worketh his greatest works contrary to carnal reason and means. LETTER XXIII. For MARION MACNAUGHT. I trust in him ye shall have My love in Jesus Christ remembered. am no whit put from my belief for Your daughter is well, thanks be to all that; believe, pray, and use God; means. We shall cause Mr. John Ker, who convoyed myself to Loch- Joy of her; the Lord bless her. I am now presently going about cateinvar, to use means to seek a man, chising. The bearer is in haste; forif Mr. Hugh fail us. Our Lord get not poor Zion, and the Lord rehas a little bride among you, and member you, for we shall be shortI trust he will send one to woo her ly winnowed; Jesus, pray for us, to our sweet Lord Jesus. He will that our faith fail not. I would wish not want his wife for the suiting to see you a sabbath with us, and we and he has means abundance in his shall stir up one another, God willhand, to open all the slots and bars ing to seek the Lord; for it may be, that Satan draws over the door: he he hide himself from us ere it be long: cometh to his bride leaping over the keep that which you have, ye will mountains, and skipping over the get more in heaven. The Lord send hills. His way to his spouse is full us to the shore out of all the storms, of stones, mountains, and waters; with our silly souls whole and sound yet he putteth in his foot and wad- with us for if libery of conscience eth through; he will not want her come as is rumoured, the best of us and therefore refresh me with two all will be put to our wits, to seek words, concerning your confidence how to be freed. But we shall be and cou age in our Lord both about with those, who have their chamber that and about his own Zion; for he to go unto, spoken of, Isa xxvi 20. wooeth his wife in the burning Read the place yourself, and keep bush and for the good will of him within your that dwelleth in the bush, the bush storm be past. If you can learn a is not consumed. It is better to dittay aganst C. try, and cause try, weep with Jerusalem in the forenoon, that we may see the Lord's righteous than to weep with Babel afternoon, judgment upon the devil's instruin the end of the day. Our day of ments. We are not much obliged to laughter and rejoicing is coming his kindness; I wish all such wickyet a little while and ye shall see the ed doers were cut off. These in salvation of God. I long to see you, haste: I bless you in God's name and to hear how your children are, and all yours. Your daughter deespecially Samuel. Grace be their sires a Bible and a gown; I hope heritage and portion from the Lord, she shall use the Bible well, which and the Lord be their lot, and then if she do, the gown is the better be their inheritance shall please them stowed. The Lord Jesus be with well. Remember my love to your your spirit. husband: the Lord Jesus be with your spirit. Anwoth, Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, you Anwoth, house while the Your's for ever in Christ, LETTER XXIV. For MARION MACNAUGHT. Mistress, LETTER XXV. For MARION MACNAUGHT. know ye and desire My love in Jesus Christ remember-My love in Christ remembered. I ed. I am in good health, honour to have heard of the purpose my Lord; but my wife's disease in-of my adversaries, to try what they creaseth daily, to her great torment can do against me at this synod. for and pain night and day; she has not the work of God in your town when been in God's house since our com. I was at your communion. They munion, neither out of her bed. I intend to call me in question at have hired a man to Edinburgh, to the synod, for treasonable doctrine; Dr. Jeally and to John Hamilton: I therefore help me with your prayers, can hardly believe her disease is oryour acquaintance to help dinary; for her life is bitter to her: me also. Your ears heard how Christ she sleeps none, but cries, as a wo was there; if he suffer his servant man travailing in birth; what will to get a broken head, in his own be the event he that hath the keys kingly service, and not either help of the grave knows; I have been or revenge the wrong, I never saw many times, since I saw you, that I the like of it. There is not a nighthave besought the Lord to loose her drunkard, time-serving, idle idol-shepout of the body, and to take her to herd to be spoken against, I am the her rest. I believe the Lord's tide only man; and because it is so, and of afflictions will ebb again; but at I know God will not help them, lest present I am exercised with the they be proud, I am confident their wrestlings of God, being afraid of process shall fall asunder Only be nothing more than this, that God ye earnest with God for hearing, for has let loose the tempter upon my that he may in heaven hear both an open ear, and reading of the bill, house. God rebuke him and his instruments. Because Satan is not parties, and judge accordingly and cast out but by fasting and prayer, who now ride highest, put Christ doubt not, fear not, they shall not, I entreat you remember our estate to our Lord, and intreat all good land. The pride of man, and his out of his kingly possession in ScotChristians, whom ye know, but especially your pastor, to do the same. It becomes us still to knock, and to lie at the Lord's door, while we die knocking; If he will not open, it is more than he has said in his word; but he is faithful. I look not to win rage, of the Lamb shall overcome by the Anwoth, |