thing to pay, he will get nothing of hands, daily borrowing; surely rudpoor me; but I am wo, I have not ning-over love, that vast, huge, room enough in my heart for such a boundless love of Christ, that there is stranger. I am not cast down to go telling in for man and angel, is the farther North, I have good cause to only thing I fainest would be in work for my Master, for I am well hands with; he knoweth I have little paid before the hand; I am not be- but the love of that love; and that hind, howbeit I should not get one I shall be happy, suppose I never smile more till my feet be up with- get another heaven, but only an eterin the King's dining hall. I have nal lasting feast of that love; but gone through your's upon the Cove- suppose my wishes were poor, he is nant; it hath edified my soul, and not poor; Christ all the seasons of refreshed an hungry man: I judge the year is dropping sweetness 90 if it sharp, sweet, quick and profound; I had vessels I might fill them, but take me at my word, I fear it get my old riven, and running out dish, no lodging in Scotland. The breth- even when I am at the well, can ren of Ireland write not to me; chide bring little away; nothing but glory with them for that; I am sure that will make tight and fast our leaking I may give you and them a commis- and rifty vessels. Alas, I have sion, and I will bide by it, that you skailed more of Christ's grace, love, tell my beloved, I am sick of love. faith, humility, and godly sorrow, I hope in God to leave some of my than I have brought with me. How rust and superfluities in Aberdeen; little of the sea can a child carry in I cannot get an house in this town his hand! as little do I take away of wherein to leave drink-silver in my my great sea, my boundless and runMaster's name save one only; there is no sale for Christ in the North; he is like to lye long on my hand ere any accept him. Grace be with you. Aberdeen. Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, මෙම LETTER XXII. To Mr. MATTHEW MOWAT. Reverend and Dear Brother, 1 ning over Christ Jesus. I have not lighted upon the right way of putting Christ to the bank, and making myself rich with him; my misguiding and childish trafficking with that matchless pearl, that heaven's jewel, the jewel of the Father's delights hath put me to a great loss. O that he would take the loan of me, and my stock, and put his name in all my bonds, and serve himself heir to the poor mean portion I have, and be I AM a very far mistaken man; if countable for the talent himself. others knew how poor my stock Gladly would I put Christ in my were they would not think upon the room, to guide all; and let me be like of me, but with compassion; for but a servant to run errands, and do I am as one kept under a strict tutor; by his direction, let me be his interI would have more than my tutor dicted heir. Lord Jesus work upon alloweth upon me, but it is good my minority, and let him win a pupil's that a child's wit is not the rule blessing. O how would I rejoice to which regulateth my Lord Jesus; Let have this work of my salvation legalhim give what he will, it shall ay be ly fastened upon Christ! A backabove merit, and my ability to gain bond of my Lord Jesus, that it should therewith. I would not wish a better be forth-coming to the orphan, should stock, while heaven be my stock, be my happiness; dependency on than to live upon credit at Christ's Christ were my surest way; if Christ A were my bottom I were sure enough. me employment and a calling, one I thought guiding of grace had been way or other, to out Christ and his no art, I thought it would come of wares to country buyers, and propose will; but I would spill my own Christ unto, and press him upon heaven yet, if I had not burdened some poor souls, that fainer than Christ with all. I but lend my bare their life would receive him? You name to the sweet covenant; Christ complain heavily of your short-combehind and before and on either side, ing in practice, and venturing on maketh all sure. God will not take suffering for Christ: you have many an Arminian cautioner free-will, a marrows. For the first, I would not weather-cock, turning at a serpent's put you off a sense of wretchedness; tongue, a tutor that couped our hold on, Christ never yet slew a father Adam unto us, and brought sighing, groaning child; more of down the house, and sold the land; that would make you won goods, and sent the father and mother, and and a meet prey for Christ. Alas; all the children through the earth, to I have too little of it, for venturing beg their bread: nature in the gos-on suffering; I had not so much free pel hath cracked credit. O well to gear, when I came to Christ's camp, my poor soul for evermore, that my as to buy a sword; a wonder that Lord called grace to the council, Christ should not laugh at such a and put Christ Jesus with free mer-soldier; I am no better yet; but its, and the blood of God, foremost faith liveth and spendeth upon our in the chace, to draw sinners after Captain's charges, who is able to pay a Ransomer! O what a sweet block for all; we need not pity him, he is was it, by way of buying and selling, rich enough. Ye desire me also not to give and tell down a ranson for to mistake Christ under a mask; I grace and glory to dyvours! O would bless you and thank God for it; but to my Lord I could cause paper and alas! masked or bare-faced, kissing ink speak the worth and excellency, or glooming, I mistake him; yea the high and loud praises of a I mistake him furthest when the brother-ransomer! O the ransomer mask is off; for then I play me with needs not my report; but oh, if he his sweetness; I am like a child that would take it, and make use of it! I hath a gilded book, that playeth should be happy! if I had an errand with the ribbons, and the gilding, to this world, but for some few years, and the picture on the first page; to spread proclamations and out- but readeth not the contents of cries, and love-letters, of the highness it. Certainly if my desires to my (the highness for evermore) the Well-beloved were fulfilled, I could glory (the glory for evermore) of provoke devils, and crosses, and the the Ransomer, whose clothes were world, and temptations to the field; wet, and dyed in blood; howbeit, but oh my poor weakness makes me after I had done that, my soul and lye behind the bush and hide me. body should go back to the mother Remember my service and my blessnothing, that their Creator brought ing to my Lord; I am mindful of him them once out from, as from their as I am able; desire him from a prisbeginning. But why should I pine oner, to come and visit my good masaway, and pain myself with wishes, ter, and feel but the smell of his love; and not believe rather, that Christ It sets him well, howbeit he be young will hire such an outcast as I am, a to make Christ his garland; I could masterless body, put out of the house not wish him in a better case, than by the sons of my mother, and give in a fever of love-sickness for Christ. Remember my bonds. Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, Aberdeen, 1637. LETTER XXIII. To WILLIAM HALLIDAY. Loving Friend, S. R. ye The Lord eth for you; and silly and sand-blind were our hope, if it could not look over the water to our best heritage, and if it stayed only at home about the doors of our clay-house. I marvel not, my dear sister, that ye complain, that ye come short of your old wrestlings, you had for a blessing, and that now you find it not so: children are but hired to learn I RECEIVED your letter; I wish their lesson, when they first go to take pains for salvation; mistaken school: and it is enough that these grace, and somewhat like converwho run a race see the gold only at sion, which is not conversion, is the the starting place; and possibly they saddest and most doleful thing in see little more of it, or nothing at the world; make sure of salvation, all, till they win to the rink's-end, and lay the foundation sure, for ma- and get the gold in the loof of their ny are beguiled; put a low price up- hand. Our Lord maketh delicates on the world's clay, put a high price and dainties of his sweet presence upon Christ; temptations will come, and love-visits to his own, but Christ's but if they be not made welcome by love under a vail is love; if ye get you, ye have the best of it! be jeal Christ, howbeit not the sweet and ous over yourself and your own heart, pleasant way ye would have him, it and keep touches with God; let him is enough; for the Well-beloved not have a faint and feeble soldier of cometh not our way, he must wail you; fear not to back Christ, for he his own way himself. For worldly will conquer and overcome: let no things, seeing they are meadows, man scar at Christ, for I have no and fair flowers in your way to heaquarrels at his cross; he and his cross ven, a smell in the by-going is sufare two good guests, and worth the ficient; he that would reckon and lodging; men would fain have Christ tell all the stones in his way, in a good cheap, but the market will not journey of three or four hundred come down; acquaint yourself with miles, and write up in his count-book prayer; make Christ your Captain all the herbs and the flowers grow and your armour; make conscience ing in his way, might come short of of sinning when no eye seeth you. his journey, You cannot stay in Grace be with you. Aberdeen. Your's in Christ Jesus, LETTER XXIV. your inch of time to lose your day, seeing you are in haste, and the S. R. night and your afternoon will not To a Gentlewoman, after the death of her Husband, bide you, in setting your heart on this vain world; it were your wisdom to read your count book, and to have in readiness your business, against the time you come to death's water side. I know your lodging is I KNOW you are minding your sweet taken; your fore-runner Christ hath country, and not taking your inns, not forgotten that, and therefore the place of your banishment, for you must set yourself to one thing, your home; this life is not worthy which you cannot well want. In to be the thatch or out-wall of your that our Lord took your husband to Lord Jesus' paradise, that he did himself, I know it was that he might sweat for to you, and that he keep- make room for himself; he cutteth LETTER XXV. off your love to the creature, that ye might learn that God only is the right owner of your love, sorrow, loss, sadness, death, or the worst To JOHN GORDON of Cardoness, Younger. I am re things that are, except sin; but I WROTE of late to you: multitudes Christ knoweth well what to make of letters burden me now. of them, and can put his own in the freshed with your letter. I exhort cross's common, that we shall be o... you in the bowels of Christ, set to bliged to affliction, and thank God, work for your soul, and let these who learned us to make our acbear weight with you, and ponder quaintance with such a rough com them seriously; 1st. Weeping and panion, who can hale us to Christ. gnashing of teeth in utter darkness. You must learn to make your evils or heaven's joy. 2d. Think what your great good, and to spin out ye would give for an hour, when ye comforts, peace, joy, communion shall lye like dead, cold, blackened with Christ, out of your troubles, clay. 3d. There is sand in your that are Christ's wooers, sent to glass yet, and your sun is not gone speak for you to himself. It is eas- down. 4th. Consider what joy and peace is in Christ's service. 5th. Think what advantage it will be, to have angels, the world, life and death, crosses. ier to get good words, and a comfortable message from our Lord, even from such serjeants, as divers temptations. Thanks to God, for crosses, yea, and devils, all for you, as the king's serjeants and servants, When we count and reckon our losses in seeking God, we to do your business. 6th. To have find godliness is great gain. Great mercy on your seed, and a blessing partners of a shipful of gold are glad on your house. 7th. To have true to see the ship come to the harbour: honour, and a name on earth that surely we and our Lord Jesus to- casts a sweet smell. 8th. How ye gether have a shipful of gold coming will rejoice when Christ layeth down home, and our gold is in that ship. your head under his chin, and beSome are so in love, or rather in twixt his breasts, and drieth your lust with this life, that they sell their face, and welcometh you to glory part of the ship, for a little thing: and happiness. 9th. Imagine what I would counsel you to buy hope, pain and torture is a guilty conscibut sell it not, and give not away ence; what slavery to carry the de10th. Sin's your crosses for nothing; the inside vil's dishonest loads. of Christ's cross is white and joyful, joys are but night dreams, thoughts, and the far end of the black cross is vapours, imaginations, and shadows. a fair and glorious heaven of ease: 11th. What dignity it is to be a son and seeing Christ hath fastened hea of God. 12th. Dominion and masven to the far end of the cross, and tery over temptations, over the world he will not loose the knot himself, and sin. 13th. That your enemies and none else can, (for when Christ should be the tail, and you the head, casteth a knot, all the world cannot For your children, now at rest, I loose it,) let us then count it exspeak to you and your wife (and ceeding joy, when we fall into divers cause her read this). 1st. I am wittemptations. Thus recommending ness for Barbara's glory in heaven, you to the tender mercy and grace 2d. For the rest, I write it under of our Lord, I rest, my hand, there are days coming on Scotland, when barren wombs and dry breasts, and childless parents, shall be pronounced blessed: they and put our foot in the boat, we are then in the lee of their harbour, shall laugh at our felly. Sir, I reere the storm come on. 3d. They commend unto you the thoughts of are not lost to you, that are laid up death, and how ye could wish your in Christ's treasury in heaven. 4th. soul to be, when ye shall lye cold, At the resurrection ye shall meet blue, ill smelling clay. For any with them; there they are sent be- hireling to be intruded, I, being the fore, but not sent away. 5th. Your king's prisoner, cannot say much; Lord loveth you, who is homely to but as God's minister, I desire you take and give, borrow and lend. to read Acts i. 15, 16, to the end, 6th. Let not children be your idols; and Acts vi. 2, 3, 4, 5, and ye shall for God will be jealous, and take a- find God's people should have a way the idol, because he is greedy voice in chusing church-rulers and your love wholly. I bless you, teachers. I shall be sorry, if wilyour wife and children. Grace for lingly ye shall give way to his unever more be with you. lawful intrusion upon my labours: the only wise God direct you. God's of Aberdeen. Your Loving Pastor S. R. grace be with you. Aberdeen. Your Loving Pastor, S. R. LETTER XXVI. LETTER XXVII. TO EARLSTOUN, Younger. TO JOHN GORDON of Cardoness, Elder. Honoured and Dearest in the Lord, YOUR letter hath refreshed my soul. My joy is fulfilled, if Christ and ye be fast together; ye are my joy and GRACE, mercy, and peace be to you. crown; ye know I have recommend- Your letters give a dash to my lazied his love to you. I defy the world, ness in writing. I must first tell Satan, and sin. His love hath nei- you, there is not such a glassy, icy, ther brim, nor bottom in it. My and slippery piece of way betwixt dearest in Christ, I write my soul's you and heaven, as youth: I have desire to you; heaven is not at the experience to say with me here, and next door: I find Christianity a hard seal what I assert: the old ashes of task: set to it in your evening; we the sins of my youth are now fire of would all keep both Christ and our sorrow to me: I have seen the deright eye, our right hand and foot; vil, as it were, dead and buried, and but it will not do with us. I beseech yet rise again, and be a worse devil you, by the mercies of God, and than ever he was. Therefore, my your compearance before Christ, brother, beware of a green young look Christ's count-book and your devil that hath never been buried: own together, and collation them: the devil in his flowers (I mean the give the remnant of your time to hot fiery lusts and passions of youth) your soul. This great idol-god, the is much to be feared: better yoke world, will be lying in white ashes, with an old grey haired, withered, on the day of your compearance; dry devil: for in youth he findeth and why should night-dreams, and dry sticks, and dry coals, and a hot day-shadows, and water-froth, and hearth-stone; and how soon can he May-flowers run away with your with his flint cast fire, and with his heart? When we win to the water- bellows, blow it up, and fire the side, and black death's river-brink, house? Sanctified thoughts, thoughts |