prisoner, and blow love upon me, ashamed swalloweth up that pain. It and give a prisoner a taste or is not unkindness that keepeth Christ draught of that sweetness, which is and us so long asunder. What can glory as it were begun to be a con- I say to Christ's love? I think more firmation, that Christ and I shall than I can say; to consider, that have our fill of other for ever: come when my Lord Jesus may take the air, hither, O love of Christ, that I may if I may so speak, and go abroad, once kiss thee before I die: what yet he will be confined and keep the would I not give to have time, that prison with me; but in all this sweet lyeth betwixt Christ and me, taken communion with him, what am I to out of the way, that we might be thanked for? I am but a sufferonce meet? I cannot think but at er; whether I will or not, he will the first sight I shall see of that be kind to me, as if he had defied most lovely and fairest face, love my guiltiness to make him unkind; shall come out of his two eyes, and so he beareth his love in on me. fill me with astonishment: I would Here I die with wondering, that but desire to stand at the outer side justice hindreth not love; for there of the gates of the new Jerusalem, are none in hell, nor out of hell, and look through a hole of the door, more unworthy of Christ's love. and see Christ's face; a borrowed Shame may confound and fear me, vision in this life would be my bor-once to hold up my black mouth, to rowed and begun heaven, while the receive one of Christ's undeserved long, long looked for day dawn. It kisses; if my inner-side were turned is not for nothing that it is said, out, and all men saw my vileness, Col. i. 27. "Christ in you the hope they would say to me, It is a shame of glory." I will be content of no for thee to stand still, while Christ pawn of heaven, but Christ himself, kiss thee and embrace thee; it for Christ, possessed by faith here, would seem to become me rather to is young heaven and glory in the run away from his love, as ashamed bud; if I had that pawn, I would at my own unworthiness; nay, I bide horning and hell both, ere I may think shame to take heaven, gave it again. All we have here, is who have so highly provoked my scarce the picture of glory; should Lord Jesus; but seeing Christ's not we young children, long and look love will shame me, I am content for the expiring of our minority? It to be ashamed. My desire is, that were good to be daily begging pro- my Lord would give me broader pines and love gifts, and the Bride- and deeper thoughts, to feed my. groom's favours; and, if we can do self with wondering at his love; I no more, seek crumbs, and hungry would I could weigh it, but I have dinners of Christ's love, to keep the no balance for it. When I have taste of heaven in our mouth, while worn my tongue to the stump, in supper-time. I know it is far after praising of Christ, I have done nonoon, and nigh the marriage-supper thing to him; I must let him alone, of the Lamb; the table is covered for my withered arms will not go already. O Well-beloved, run, run about his high, wide, long and broad fast! O fair day, when wilt thou love. What remaineth then, but dawn! O shadows, flee away! I that my debt to the love of Christ think, hope and love woven through lye unpaid for all eternity? other make our absence from Christ that are in heaven are black-shamed spiritual torment; it is a pain to with his love as well as I; we must wait on, but hope that maketh not all be dyvours together; and All Your affectionate Brother in our Lord LETTER XLVI. To JOHN KENNEDY, Baillie of Ayr. Worthy and Dear Brother, the blessings of that houseful, or the world's glistering lustres, and heavenful of dyvours, shall rest for these broad passments and buskings ever upon him. O if this land and of religion, that bear bulk in the kirk, nation would come and stand beside is that wherewith most satisfy themhis inconceivable and glorious per-selves: but a watered bed with tears, fections, and look in, and love, and a dry throat with praying, eyes as adore! Would to God I could bring a fountain of tears for the sins of in many lovers to Christ's house! the land, is rare to be found among but this nation hath forsaken the us. Oh if we could know the power fountain of living waters. Lord, of godliness! This is one part of my cast not water on Scotland's coal. case; and another is, that I, like a Wo, wo will be to this land, because fool, once summoned Christ for unof the day of the Lord's fierce kindness, and complained of his fickanger, that is so fast coming. Grace leness and inconstancy, because he be with you. would have no more of my service nor preaching, and had casten me out of the inheritance of the Lord : S. R. and now I confess this was but a bought plea, and I was a fool: yet he hath borne with me. I gave him a fair advantage against me, but love and mercy would not let him take it; and the truth is, now he hath chidGRACE, mercy and peace be to you. ed himself friends with me, and hath I long to see you in this northern taken away the mask, and hath reworld, on paper; I know it is not for newed his wonted favour in such a getfulness that ye write not. I am manner, that he hath paid me my every way in good case, both in hundred fold in this life, and one to soul and body; all honour and glory the hundred. This prison is my be to my Lord: I want nothing but banqueting house; I am handled as a further revelation of the beauty of softly and delicately as a dawted the unknown Son of God. Either child; I am nothing behind, I see, I know not what Christianity is, or with Christ; he can in a month make we have stinted a measure of so many up a year's losses: and I write this ounce weights and no more, upon to you that I may intreat, này, adholiness; and there we are at a stay, jure and charge you by the love of drawing our breath all our life: a our Well-beloved, to help me to moderation in God's way, now, is praise. and to tell all your Chrismuch in request. I profess I have tian acquaintance to help me! for I never taken pains to find out him am as deeply drowned in his debt as whom my soul loveth; there is a any dyvour can be: and yet in this way yet of finding out Christ, that I fair sun-blink, I have something to have never lighted upon. O if I keep me from startling, or being excould find it out! Alas how soon are alted above measure; his word is as we pleased with our own shadow in a fire shut up in my bowels, and I am glass! It were good to be beginning weary with forbearing. The minisin sad earnest to find out God, and ters in this town are saying they shall to seek the right tread of Christ. have my prison changed into less Time, custom, and a good opinion bounds, because they see God with of ourselves, our good meaning, and me; my mother hath born me a our lazy desires, our fair shews, and man of contention, one that striveth with the whole earth. The late wrongs and oppressions done to my brother keep my sails low; yet I defy crosses to embark me in such a plea against Christ as was troubled with of late. I hope to over-hope and over-believe my troubles; I have cause now to trust Christ's promise, more than his gloom. Remember my hearty affections to your wife. My soul is grieved for the success of our brethrens' journey to New England; but God hath somewhat to revealing, eating, drinking, and sleeping. that we see not. Grace be with you. Pray for the prisoner. soul and body, in a river and great lake of fire and brimstone; then they would wish no more goods, but the thousandth part of a cold fountain well to cool their tongue; they would then buy death, with enduring of pain and torment for as many years as God hath created drops of rain since the creation; but there is no market of buying or selling life or death there; Oh! alas the greatest part of the world run to the place of that torment rejoicing and danc Yours in his only Lord Jesus, Aberdeen, Jan. 1, 1637. LETTER XLVII. To MARGARET BALLANTINE. Mistress, S. R. My counsel to you is, that ye start in time to be after Christ; for if ye go quickly, Christ is not far before you, ye shall overtake him. O Lord God, what is so needful as this, Salvation, salvation? Fy upon this condemned and foolish world, that would give so little for salvation? Oh, if there were a free market of salvation GRACE, mercy and peace be unto proclaimed, in that day when the you. It is more than time that trumpet of God shall awake the dead; should have written to you, but it is how many buyers would be then! yet good time, if I could help your God send me no more happiness but soul to mend your pace, and to go that salvation which the blind world, more swiftly to your heavenly coun- to their eternal wo, letteth slip try; for truly ye have need to make through their fingers; therefore look all haste, because the inch of your if ye can give out your money, (as day that remaineth will quickly slip Isaiah speaketh, chap. lv. 2.) for away; for whether we sleep or wake, bread, and lay Christ and his blood our glass runneth, the tide bideth in wadset for heaven; it is a dry no man. Beware of a beguile in the and hungry child's part of goods matter of your salvation; wo, wo for that Esaus are hunting for here; evermore to them that lose that see thousands following the chase, prize; for what is behind, when the and in the pursuit of such things, soul is once lost, but that sinners while in the meantime they lose the warm their bits of clay-houses at a blessing; and when all is done, they fire of their own kindling, for a day have caught nothing to roast for supor two, which doth rather suffocate per but lye down hungry; and bewith its smoke than warm them; sides, they go to bed, when they die and at length they lye down in sor- without a candle; for God saith to row, and are clothed with everlast- them, This shall ye have at my ing shame! I would seek no further hand, ye shall lye down in sorrow.' measure of faith to begin withal, And truly this is as ill made a bed than to believe really and stedfastly to lye upon as one could wish; for the doctrine of God's justice, his all- he cannot sleep soundly, nor rest devouring wrath and everlasting sweetly, who hath sorrow for his burning, where sinners are burnt, pillow. Rouze, rouze up, therefore; I once we could have a fair meeting. Thus recommending Christ to you, and you to him for evermore, I rest. Grace be with you. Yours in his sweet Lord Jesus, Aberdren, 1637. LETTER XLVIII. To JANET KENNEDY, S. R. your soul, and ask how Christ and your soul met together; I am sure they never got Christ who were not once sick at the yolk of the heart for him; too, too many whole souls think they have met with Christ, who had never a wearied night for the want of him; but alas, what richer are men, that they dreamed the last night they had much gold, and when they awoke in the morning they found it was but a dream? What GRACE, mercy and peace be to you. are all the sinners in the world, in I received your letter: I know the that day when heaven and earth shall savour of Christ in you (that the go up in a flame of fire, but a num-virgins love to follow) cannot be ber of beguiled dreamers? Every blown away with winds, either from one shall say of his hunting and his hell, or the evil smelled air of this conquest, Behold it was a dream; polluted world: sit far a·back from every man in that day will tell his the walls of this pest-house, even the dream. I beseech you in the Lord pollutions of this defiling world. Jesus, beware, beware of unsound Keep your taste, your love and work, in the matter of your salva-hope in heaven; it is not good your tion; ye may not, ye cannot, ye dow love and your Lord should be in not want Christ; then after this day two sundry countries. Up, up afconvene all your lovers before your ter your Lover, that ye and he soul, and give them their leave; and may be together. A King from strike hands with Christ, that there- heaven hath sent for you; by faith after there may be no happiness to he sheweth you the New Jerusalem, you but Christ, no hunting for any and taketh you alongst in the spirit, thing but Christ, no bed at night, through all the ease rooms, and dwelwhen death cometh, but Christ; ling-houses in heaven, and saith, All Christ, Christ, who but Christ? I these are thine, this palace is for know this much of Christ, he is not thee and Christ; and if ye only had ill to be found, nor lordly of his love; been the chosen of God, Christ wo had been my part of it for ever- would have built that one house for more, if Christ had made a dainty you and himself; now it is for you of himself to me; but God be thank- and many others also: take with you ed, I gave nothing for Christ; and in your journey what ye may carry now, I protest before men and an- with you, your conscience, faith, gels; Christ cannot be sold, Christ hope, patience, meekness, goodness, cannot be weighed; where would brotherly kindness, for such wares angels, or all the world find a bal- as these are of great price in the high ance to weigh him in? All lovers and new country whither ye go; as blush when ye stand beside Christ; for other things, that are but the wo upon all love but the love of world's vanity and trash, since they Christ hunger, hunger for ever- are but the house-sweepings, ye shall more, be upon all heaven but Christ; do best not to carry them with you: shame, shame for evermore, be upon ye found them here, leave them here, all glory. I cry death upon all lives and let them keep the house. Your but the life of Christ. O what is it sun is well turned and low; be nigh that holdeth us asunder! O that your lodging against night. We go one and one out of this great mar-that there is a heaven, as they deny ket, till the town be empty, and the there is a way to it but of men's maktwo lodgings, heaven and hell, be ing. You have learned of Christ filled at length there will be no- that there is a heaven; contend for thing in the earth but toom walls it, and contend for Christ; bear well and burnt ashes, and therefore it is and submissively the hard cross of best to make away. Antichrist and this step-mother world, that God his master are busy to plenish hell, will not have to be yours. I confess and to seduce many; and stars, great it is hard, and I would I were able church lights, are falling from hea- to ease you of your burden; but beven, and many are misled and se- lieve me, this world (which the Lord duced, and make up with their will not have to be yours) is but the faith, and sell their birth-rights, by dross, the refuse and scorn of God's their hungry hunting for I know creation, the portion of the Lord's not what. Fasten your grips fast poor hired servants; the moveables, upon Christ. I verily esteem him not the heritage; a hard bone casten the best aught that I have; he is to the dogs, holden out of the New my second in prison; having him, Jerusalem, whereupon they rather though my cross were as heavy as break their teeth than satisfy their ten mountains of iron, when he put- appetite: it is your Father's blessing, teth his sweet shoulder under me and Christ's birth-right, that our and it, my cross is but a feather. I Lord is keeping for you; and I perplease myself in the choice of Christ; suade you, your seed also shall inhe is my wail in heaven and earth herit the earth, (if that be good for I rejoice that he is in heaven before them) for that is promised to them; me; God send a joyful meeting and God's bond is as good, and betand in the meantime, the traveller's ter, than if men would give every charges for the way, I mean a bur- one of them a bond for a thousand den of Christ's love to sweeten the thousands. Ere you was born, crosjourney, and to encourage a breath-ses in number, measure and weight less runner; for when I lose breath, were written for you, and your Lord climbing up the mountain, he mak-will lead you through them: make eth new breath. Now the very God peace establish you to the day of of his appearance. Yours in his only Lord Jesus, Aberdeen, Sept. 9, 1637. LETTER XLIX. To MARGARET REID. My very dear and worthy Sister, : : GRACE, mercy and peace be to you. Ye are truly blessed of the Lord, however a sour world gloom upon you, if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. It is good there is a heaven, and it is not a night dream or a fancy: it is a wonder that men deny not Christ sure, and the blessings of the earth shall be at Christ's back. I see many professors for the fashion followeth on; but they are professors of glass: I would cause a little knock of persecution ding them in twenty pieces, and so the world should laugh at the shivers. Therefore make fast work, see that Christ lay the ground stone of your profession; for wind and rain, and speats will not wash away his building; his works have no shorter date than to stand for evermore. should twenty times have perished in my affliction, if I had not leaned my weak back, and laid my pressing burden both upon the stone, the foundation stone, the corner stone I |