served to my country? Let no man to; neither shall the last black-faced think he shall lose at Christ's hands messenger, death, be holden at the in suffering for him. 4th, for these door, when it shall knock. If my present trials, they are most dange-Lord will take honour of the like of rous; for people shall be stolen off me, how glad and joyful shall my their feet with well washen and white-soul be! Let Christ come out with skinned pretences of indifferency; me to an hotter battle than this, and but it is the power of the great Anti-I shall fear no flesh. I know that christ working in this land. Wo, my Master will win the day, and that wo, wo be to apostate Scotland; he hath taken the ordering of my There is wrath and a cup of the red sufferings in his own hand. 7th As wine of the wrath of God Almighty for my deliverance, that miscarrieth, in the Lord's hand, that they shall I am here, by my Lord's grace, to drink and spue, and fall and not rise lay my hand on my mouth, to be siagain. The star called wormwood lent and wait on; my Lord Jesus and gall, is fallen in the fountains, is on his journey for my deliverance; and rivers, and hath made them bit-I will not grudge that he runneth ter; the sword of the Lord is fur- not so fast as I would have him; onbished against the idol shepherds of waiting till the swelling rivers fall, the land; women shall bless the bar- and till my Lord arise as a mighty ren womb and miscarrying breast; man after strong wine, shall be my all hearts shall be faint, and all knees best; I have not yet resisted to blood. shall tremble; an end is coming; 8th, O how often am I laid in the the Leopard and the Lion shall watch dust, and urged by the tempter, who over our cities: houses great and can ride his own errands upon our fair shall be desolate without an in- lying apprehensions, to sin against habitant; the Lord hath said, Pray the unchangeable love of my Lord; not for this people, for I have taken when I think upon the sparrows and my peace from them:' yet the Lord's swallows, that build their nests in third part shall come through the fire, the kirk of Anwoth, and of my dumb as refined gold for the treasure of the sabbaths, my sorrowful bleared eyes Lord, and the outcasts of Scotland look asquint upon Christ, and preshall be gathered together again, sent him as angry. But in this trial and the wilderness shall blossom as all honour to our princely and royal the flower, and bud, and grow as the King, faith saileth fair before the rose of Sharon, and great shall be wind, with top-sail up, and carrieth the glory of the Lord upon Scotland. the passenger through. I lay inhi5th, I am here assaulted with the bitions upon my thoughts, that they learned and pregnant wits of this receive no slanders of my only, only kingdom; but, all honour be to my beloved; let him even say out of his Lord, truth but laughs at bemisted own mouth, There is no hope; yet I and blind scribes, and disputers of will die in that sweet beguile. It is this world: and God's wisdom con not so; I shall see the salvation of foundeth them, and Christ triumph- God. Let me be deceived really, eth in his own strong truth, that and never win to dry land; it is my speaketh for itself. 6th, I doubt not joy to believe under the water, and but my Lord is preparing me for to die with faith in my hand gripping heavier trials; I am most ready at Christ; let my conceptions of Christ's the good pleasure of my Lord, in the strength of his grace, for any thing he shall be pleased to call me

love go to the grave with me, and to hell with me, I may not, I dare not quit then. I hope to keep Christ's

pawn; if he never come to loose it, and his furnace in Jerúsalem, hath let him see to his own promise. I been pleased to set up a furnace know, presumption, howbeit it be amongst you with the first in this made of stoutness, will not thus be kingdom: he who maketh old things wilful in heavy trials. Now, my new, seeing Scotland an old drossy dearest in Christ, the great messen- and rusted kirk, is beginning to ger of the covenant, the only wise make a new clean bride of her, and and all-sufficient Jehovah, establish to bring a young chaste wife to you to the end. I hear the Lord himself out of the fire. This fire hath been at your house, and hath shall be quenched, so soon as Christ called home your wife to her rest. I has brought a clean spouse through know, Sir, ye see the Lord loosing the fire! Therefore, my dearly bethe pins of your tabernacle, and loved in the Lord, fear not a worm: wooing your love from this plaister- fear not worm Jacob; Christ is in ed and over-gilded world, and cal- that plea, and shall win the plea; ling upon you to be making yourself charge an unbelieving heart, under ready to go to your Father's coun- the pain of treason against our great try, which shall be a sweet fruit of and royal King Jesus, to dependthat visitation. Ye know, to send ence by faith, and quiet on-waiting the Comforter, was the King's word on our Lord: get you into your when he ascended on high: ye have chambers, and shut the doors about claim to, and interest in, that pro- you; in, in with speed to your mise. Remember my love in Christ to your father; shew him it is late and black night with him; his long lying at the water-side, is that he may look his papers ere he take shipping, and be at a point for his last answer before his Judge and Lord. All love, all mercy, all grace, and peace, all multiplied saving consolations, all joy and faith in Christ, all Christian courage: look up and see stability, and confirming strength of grace, and the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush, be with you.

Your unworthy Brather in his sweet
Lord Jesus,
S. R.

Aberdeen, June 15, 1687.

strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: ye doves, flee unto Christ's windows till the indignation be over, and the storm be past: glorify the Lord in your sufferings, and take his banner of love and spread over you; others will follow you, if they see you strong in the Lord; their courage shall take life from your

who is coming, lift up your head, he is coming to save, in garments dyed in blood, and travelling in the greatness of his strength I laugh, I smile, I leap for joy, to see Christ coming to save you so quickly. O such wide steps Christ taketh! three or four hills are but a step to him; he skippeth over the mountains. Christ hath set a battle betwixt his poor weak saints and his enemies; he waileth the weapons for both parties, and saith to the enemies, take you a sword of steel, law, au-I EVER loved (since I knew you,) thority, parliaments, and kings upthat little vineyard of the Lord's on your side, that is your armour; planting in Galloway, but now and he saith, to his saints I give much more, since I have heard you a feckless tree-sword in your that he who hath his fire in Zion, hand, and that is, suffering, receiv

LETTER XXXV.

To MARION M NAUGHT. Worthy and dearest in the Lord,

to my

ing of strokes, spoiling of your stepping up to my Father's house. goods; and with your tree sword I know my Lord can make long, ye shall get and gain the victory. and broad, and high, and deep gloWas not Christ dragged through ry to his name, out of this bit feckthe ditches of deep distresses and less body; for Christ looketh not great straits? and yet Christ, who what stuff he maketh glory out of. is your head, hath win through with My dearly beloved, ye have often his life, howbeit not with a whole refreshed me, but this is put up in skin. Ye are Christ's members, and my Master's account; ye have him he is drawing his members through debtor for me: but if ye will do the thorny hedge up to heaven af- any thing for me, (as I know ye ter him: Christ one day will not will) now in my extremity, tell all have so much as a pained toe; my dear friends, that a prisoner is but there are great pieces and por- fettered and chained in Christ's tions of Christ's mystical body not love, Lord, never loose the fetters; yet within the gates of the great and ye and they together take my high city, the new Jerusalem: and heartiest commendations the dragon will strike at Christ, so Lord Jesus, and thank him for a long as there is one bit or member poor friend. I desire your husband of Christ's body out of heaven. I to read this letter: I send him a tell you, Christ will make new work prisoner's blessing; I will be obligout of old for-casten Scotland, and ed to him if he will be willing to gather the old broken boards of his suffer for my dear Master; suffer. tabernacle, and pin them, and nail ing is the professor's golden garthem together: but bills and sup-ment; there shall be no losses on plications are up in heaven, Christ Christ's side of it. Ye have been hath coffers full of them; there is witnesses of much joy betwixt mercy on the other side of this his Christ and me at communion-feasts, cross; a good answer to all our the remembrance whereof (howbeit bills is agreed upon. I must tell I be feasted in secret) holdeth my you what lovely Jesus, fair Jesus, heart; for I am put from the board King Jesus, hath done to my soul: head, and the King's first mess to sometimes he sendeth me out a his by-board, and his broken meat standing drink, and whispereth a is sweet unto me. I thank my Lord word through the wall; and I am for borrowed crumbs no less than well content of kindness at the se- when I was feasted at the communcond hand; his bode is ever wel-ion-table at Anwoth and Kircudcome to me, be what it will; but bright. Pray that I may get one at other times he will be messenger day of Christ in public, as I have himself, and I get the cup of salva- had long since, before my eyes be tion out of his own hand, (he drink-closed. O that my Master would ing to me) and we cannot rest till take up house again, and lend me we be in other's arms; and O how the keys of his wine-cellar again, sweet is a fresh kiss from his holy and God send me borrowed drink mouth! his breathing that goeth till then! Remember my love to before a kiss upon my poor soul, Christ's kinsmen with you. I pray is sweet, and hath no fault, but for Christ's Father's blessing to that it is too short; I am careless, them all. Grace be with you; a and stand not much on this, how-prisoner's blessing be with you: I beit loins, and back, and shoul-write it, and abide by it, God shall ders, and head rive in pieces, in be glorious in Marion M'Naught,

when this stormy blast shall be over. O woman beloved of God, believe, rejoice, be strong in the Lord! Grace is thy portion.

Your Brother in his sweet Lord Jesus. Aberdeen, June 15th, 1637.

LETTER XXXVI.

S. R.

might have; that your soul might be sick of love for Christ, or rather satiate with him: this clay idol, the world, would seem to you then not worth a fig; time will eat you out of possession of it, when the eyestrings break, and the breath groweth cold, and the imprisoned soul looketh out of the windows of the clay house, ready to leap out into To JOHN GORDON, at Kisco, in Galloway. eternity, what would you then give for a lamp full of oil? O seek it now. My Worthy and Dear Brother, I desire you to correct and curb MISPEND not your short sand-glass, banning, swearing, lying, drinking; which runneth very fast; seek your sabbath-breaking, and idle spend. Lord in time. Let me obtain of ing of the Lord's day in absence you a letter under your hand, for from the kirk, as far as your autho a promise to God, by his grace to rity reacheth in that parish. I hear take a new course of walking with a man is to be thrust into that place, God: heaven is not at the next to the which I have God's right; I door; I find it hard to be a Christ know ye should have a voice by ian; there is no little thrusting and God's word in that, Acts i. 15, 16. thronging to thrust in at heaven's to the end, and Acts vi. 3, 5. Ye gates; it is a castle taken by force: would be loath that any prelate Many shall strive to enter in, and should put you out of your possesshall not be able,' I beseech and sion earthly, and this is your right. obtest you in the Lord, make con- write to your wife. Grace be science of rash and passionate oaths, with you. of raging and sudden avenging anger, of night-drinking, of needless companionry, of sabbath-breaking, of hurting any under you by word or deed, of hating your very enemies. Except ye receive the kingdom of God as a little child (and To the Lady HALHILL. be as meek and sober minded as a babe) ye cannot enter into the kingDear and Christian Lady, dom of God: that is a word which GRACE. mercy, and peace be to should touch you near, and make you. I longed much to write to you stoop and cast yourself down, your Ladyship; but now, the Lord and make your great spirit fall. I offering a fit occasion, I would not know this will not be easily done, omit to do it. I cannot but acbut I recommend it to you, as you quaint your Ladyship with the kind tender your part of the kingdom of dealing of Christ to my soul, in this heaven. Brother, I may from new house of my pilgrimage that your experience, speak of Christ to you. Ladyship may know that he is as O if ye saw in him what I see! A good as he is called for at my first river of God's unseen joys have entry into this trial, (being casten flowed from bank to brae over my down and troubled with challenges soul since I parted with you: I and jealousies of his love, whose wish I wanted part, so being ye name and testimony I now bear in

6

Your Loving Pastor, S. R. Aberdeen, March 14th, 1637.

මෙ**

LETTER XXXVII.

Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus, S. R Aberdeen, March 14th, 1657.

LETTER XXXVIII.

To the Right Honourable my Lord LINDSAY.

my bonds) I feared nothing more ows: if they would draw by the than that I was casten over the curtain that is hanged betwixt them dyke of the vineyard, as a dry tree; and Christ, they should see themselves but, blessed be his great name, the fools who have so long miskenned dry tree was in the fire and was not the Son of God, I seek no more, burnt, his dew came down and next to heaven, but that he may be quickened the root of a withered glorified in a prisoner of Christ; plant; and now he is come again and that in my behalf many would with joy, and hath been pleased to praise his high and glorious name who feast his exiled and afflicted prison-heareth the sighing of the prisoner. er with the joy of his consolations: Remember my service to the Laird now I weep, but am not sad; I am your husband, and to your son my chastened, but I die not; I have acquaintance: I wish Christ had loss, but I want nothing; this water his young love, and that in the cannot drown me, this fire cannot morning he would start to the gate, burn me, because of the good-will to seek that which this world knowof him that dwelt in the bush. The eth not, and therefore doth not worst things of Christ, his reproach- seek it. The grace of our Lord Jees, his cross, is better than Egypt's sus Christ be with you. treasures. He hath opened his door, and taken into his house of wine a poor sinner, and hath left me so sick of love for my Lord Jesus, that if heaven were at my disposing, I would give it for Christ, and would not be content to go to heaven, except I were persuaded Right Honourable and my very good Lord, Christ were there; I would not give GRACE, mercy, and peace be to nor exchange my bonds for the P. your Lordship; pardon my boldness velvets; nor my prison for their to express myself to your Lordship coaches; nor my sighs for all the at this so needful a time, when your world's laughter; this clay-idol, the wearied and friendless mother.kirk world, hath no great court in my is looking round about her, to see soul: Christ hath come and run a- if any of her sons doth really beway to heaven with my heart and moan her desolation: Therefore, my love, so that neither heart nor my dear and worthy Lord, I belove is mine; I pray God, Christ seech you in the bowels of Christ, may keep both without rever-pity that widow-like sister and spouse sion. In my estimation, as I am of Christ. I know, her husband is now disposed, if my part of this not dead, but he seemeth to be in world's clay were rouped and sold, another country, and seeth well, I would think it dear of a drink of and beholdeth who are his true and water. I see Christ's love is so king-tender-hearted friends, who dare ly, that it will not abide a marrow; venture under the water to bring out it must have a throne all alone in to dry-land sinking truth, and who of the soul; and I see apples beguite the nobles will cast up their arm, to children, howbeit they be worm-ward a blow off the crowned head eaten the moth-eaten pleasures of of our royal Lawgiver who reigneth this present world make children in Zion, who will plead and contend believe ten is a hundred, and yet for Jacob, in the day of his controall that are here are but shad-versy. It is now time, my worthy