LETTER LII.

desired to be faithful in his house. Thus, in my rovings and mistakings, TO JOHN STEWART, Provost of Ayr. my Lord Jesus bestowed mercy on Much Honoured and Dearest in Christ, me, who am less than the least of GRACE, mercy and peace from God all saints. I lay upon the dust, and our Father, and from our Lord Jesus bought a plea from Satan against Christ, be upon you. I expected Christ, and he was content to sell it: the comfort of a letter to a prisoner but at length Christ did shew him- from you, ere now. I am here, Sir, self friends with me, and in mercy putting off a part of my inch of time; pardoned and past my part of it, and when I awake first in the mornand only complained that a court ing, which is always with great should be holden in his bounds, heaviness and sadness, this question without his own allowance. Now I is brought to my mind; Am I serving pass from my compearance; and as God or not? Not that I doubt of if Christ had done the fault, he hath the truth of this honourable cause made the mends, and returned to wherein I am engaged, I dare venmy soul; so that now his poor pris- ture into eternity, and before my oner feedeth on the feasts of love. judge, that I now suffer for the My adversaries know not what a truth: because that I cannot endure courtier I am now with my royal that my master, who is a free born King, for whose crown I now suffer, it King, should pay tribute to any of is but our soft and lazy flesh that hath the shields or pot-sherds of the raised an ill report of the cross of crown earth; O that I could hold the Christ; O sweet, sweet is his yoke! upon my princely King's head with Christ's chains are of pure gold; my sinful arm, howbeit it should be sufferings for him are perfumed; I struck from me in that service from would not give my weeping for the the shoulder blade! but my closed laughing of all the fourteen prelates, mouth, my dumb sabbaths, the mem I would not exchange my sadness ory of my communion with Christ, with the world's joy. O lovely, in many fair, fair days in Anwoth, lovely Jesus, how sweet must thy whereas now my master getteth no kisses be, when thy cross smelleth service of my tongue as then, hath so sweetly! O if all the three king- almost broken my faith in two halves: doms had part of my love-feast, and yet in my deepest apprehensions of of the comfort of a dawted prisoner! his anger, I see through a cloud Dear brother, I charge you to praise that I am wrong; and he, in love to for me, and seek help of our aquaint- my soul, hath taken up the controance there, to help me to praise. versy betwix, faith and apprehenWhy should I smother Christ's hon- sions, and a decreet is past on esty to me? My heart is taken up Christ's side of it, and I subscribe with this, that my silence and suffer- the decreet. The Lord is equal in ings may preach. I beseech you in his ways, but my guiltiness often the bowels of Christ, to help me to over-mastereth my believing. I have praise. Remember my love to your not been well known; for, except as wife, to Mr. Blair, and Mr. Living-to open out-breakings, I want nothston, and Mr. Cunningham. Let ing of what Judas and Cain had; only me hear from you, for I am anxious he hath been pleased to prevent me in what to do: if I saw a call for New mercy, and to cast me into a fever England, I would follow it. Grace of love for himself, and his absence be with you. Your's in our Lord Jesus, maketh my fever most painful; and Aberdeen, 1697. S. R. beside, he hath visited my soul and

3.

Sir,

Your's in his Dearest Lord Jesus, Aberdeen, 1837.

LETTER LIII.

S. R.

watered it with his comforts: but in my sufferings. 6. Christ's love yet I have not what I would, the hath pained me; for howbeit his want of real and felt possession is presence hath shamed me, and drownmy only death; I know Christ pitieth ed me in debt, yet he often goeth me in this. The great men my away when my love to him is burnfriends, that did for me, are dried ing; he seemeth to look like a proud up, like winter brooks of water: all wooer, who will not look upon a say, No dealing for that man; his poor match, who is dying of love: best will be, to be gone out of the I will not say he is lordly; but I know kingdom. So I see they tire of me; he is wise, in hiding himself from a but, believe me, I am most gladly child and a fool, who maketh an content that Christ breaketh all my idol and a god of one of Christ's idols in pieces: it hath put a new kisses, which is idolatory. I fear edge upon my blunted love to Christ; I adore his comforts more than himI see he is jealous of my love, and self, and that I love the apples of will have all to himself. In a word, life better than the tree of life. these six things are my burden: write to me: commend me to your 1. I am not in the vineyard as others wife, mercy be her portion. Grace are, it may be, because Christ think- be with you, eth me a withered tree, not worth its room; but God forbid. 2. Wo, wo, wo is coming upon my harlot mother, this apostate kirk: the time is coming, when we shall wish for doves wings, to fly and hide us: Oh To JOHN STEWART, Provost of Ayr. for the desolation of this land! I see my dear master, Christ going Worthy and dearly beloved in our Lord, as alone, as it were, mourning in GRACE, mercy, and peace be to you. sackcloth his fainting friends fear I was refreshed and comforted with that King Jesus shall lose the field; your letter; what I wrote you for but he must carry the day. 4. My your comfort I do not remember; guiltiness and the sins of youth are but I believe, love will prophecy come up against me, and they would homeward, as it would have it. I come in the plea in my sufferings, as wish I could help you to praise his deserving causes in God's justice; but I pray God, for Christ's sake, he never gave them that room. Wo's me that I cannot get my royal, dreadful, mighty, and glorious Prince of the kings of the earth set on high. Sir, ye may help me and pity me in this, and bow your knee, and bless his name, and desire others to do it, that he hath been pleased in my suf-am confident ye shall yet say, that ferings to make Atheists, Papists, God's mercy blew your sails back to and enemies about me, say, It is like, Ireland again. Worthy and dear God is with this prisoner. Let hell Sir, I cannot but give you an acand the powers of hell, I care not, count of my present estate, that ye be let loose against me to do their may go an errand for me to my bigh worst, so being Christ, and my and royal Master, of whom I boast Father and his Father be magnified all the day. I am as proud of his

:

great and holy name, who keepeth the feet of his saints, and hath numbered all your goings. I know our dearest Lord will pardon and pass by our honest errors and mistakes, when we mind his honour; yet I know, none of you have seen the other half and the hidden side of your wonderful return home to us again. I

love, nay, I bless myself, and boast | employ me. Secondly, This is se. more of my present lot, as any conded by another; Oh! what have poor man can be of an earthly I done in Anwoth? The fair work king's court, or of a kingdom. First, that my Master began there, is like I am very often turning both the a bird dying in the shell; and what sides of my cross, especially my will I then have to shew of all my dumb and silent sabbaths; not be- labour, in the day of my compearcause I desire to find a cross or de-ance before him, when the master of fect in my Lord's love, but because the vineyard calleth the labourers, love is sick with fancies, and fear and giveth them their hire? Thirdwhether or not the Lord hath a pro-ly, But truly, when Christ's sweet cess leading against my guiltiness, wind is in the right airth, I repent, that I have not yet well seen, I know and I pray Christ to take law-burnot; my desire is to ride fair, and roughs of my quarrellous unbelieving not to spark dirt (if with reverence to sadness and sorrow; Lord rebuke him, I may be permitted to make them that put ill betwixt a poor seruse of such a word,) in the face of vant like me and his good master: then my only Well-beloved; but fear of I say, whether the black cross will or guiltiness is a tale bearer betwixt me not, I must climb on hands and feet and Christ, and is still whispering ill up to my Lord. I am now rueing tales of my Lord, to weaken my from my heart, that I pleasured the faith: I had rather a cloud went o-law, my old dead husband, so far as ver my comforts by these messages, to apprehend wrath in my sweet than that my faith should be hurt; Lord Jesus; I had far rather take a for, if my Lord get no wrong by hire to plead for the grace of God, me, verily I desire grace, not to care for I think myself Christ's sworn what become of me. I desire to debtor. And the truth is, to speak give no faith, nor credit to my sor-of my Lord what I cannot deny, I row, that can make a lie of my am over head and ears drowned in friend Christ; wo, wo be to them many obligations to his love and all, who speak ill of Christ. Hence mercy; he handleth me sometimes these thoughts awake with me in the so, that I am ashamed almost to morning, and go to bed with me; seek more for a four-hours, but to Oh what sweet service can a dumb live content, till the marriage-supbody do in Christ's house! Oh I per of the Lamb, with that which he think the word of God is imprisoned giveth: but I know not how greedy also! Oh I am a dry tree! Alas and how ill to please love is; for eiI can neither plant nor water! Oh ther my Lord Jesus hath taught me if my Lord would make but dung of ill manners, not to be content with Ime, to fatten and make fertile his a seat, except my head lye in his boown corn ridges in mount Zion! Oh if I might but speak to three or four herd-boys, of my worthy Master, 1 would be satisfied to be the meanest and most obscure of all the pastors in this land, and to live in any place, in any of Christ's basest out-houses! →but he saith, Sirrah, I will not send you, I have no errands for you there away: my desire to serve him is sick of jealousy, lest he be unwilling to

som, and except I be fed with the fatness of his house; or else I am grown impatiently dainty, and ill to please, as if Christ were obliged, under this cross, to do no other thing but bear me in his arms, and as if I had claim by his merit for my suffering for him: but I wish he could give me grace to learn to go on my own feet, and to learn to want his comforts, and to give thanks and be

all things for him; it is no child's market, nor a blind block; we know well what we get and what we give. Now, for any resolution to go to any other kingdom, I dare not speak one word: my hopes of enlargement are cold, my hopes of re-entry to my Master's ill-dressed vineyard again is far colder: I have no seat for my faith to sit on, but bare omnipotency, and God's holy arm and good. will; here I desire to stay, and ride at anchor, and winter, till God send fair weather again, and be pleased to take home to his house my harlot mother: Oh if her husband would be that kind, as to go and fetch her out of the brothel-house, and chase her lovers to the hills! but there will be sad days ere it come to that. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you.

Your's in our Lord Jesus,

Aberdeen, 1637.

S. R.

lieve, when the sun is not in my firmament, and when my Well-beloved is from home, and gone another errand. O what sweet peace have I, when I find Christ holdeth and draw, when I climb up, and he shut teth me down, when I embrace him and he seemeth to loose the grips and flee away from me! I think there is even a sweet joy of faith and contentedness and peace, in his very tempting unkindness, because my faith saith, Christ is not in sad earnest with me, but trying if I can be kind to his mask and cloud that covereth him, as well as to his fair face. I bless his great name that I love his vail that goeth over his face, while God send better; for faith can kiss God's tempting reproaches when he nick-nameth a sinner, a dog, not worthy to eat bread with the children. I think it an honour that Christ miscalleth me, and reproacheth me; I will take that well of him, howbeit I would not bear it well, if another would be that homely; but because I am his own (God be thanked) he may use me as he pleas eth: I must say, the saints have a sweet life between them and Christ; ALTHOUGH not acquaint, yet be there is much sweet solace of love cause we are Father's children, I between him and them, when he thought good to write unto you: 'feedeth among the lilies, and com-howbeit my first discourse and cometh into his garden, and maketh a muning with you of Christ be on pafeast of honey-combs, and drinketh per; yet I have cause since I came his wine and his milk, and crieth, Eat, hither, to have no paper thoughts of O friends, drink, yea drink abundant-him; for in my sad days he has be ly O Well-beloved. One hour of this labour is worth a shipful of world's drunken and muddy joy: nay, even the gate of heaven is the sunny side of the brae, and the very garden of the world; for the men of this world have their own unchristened and profane crosses; and wo be to them and their cursed crosses both; for their ills are salted with God's vengeance, and our ills seasoned with our Father's blessing: so they are no fools who chuse Christ, and sell

Mistress,

LETTER LIV.

To the Lady BUSBIE.

come the flower of my joys, and I but lye here living upon his love; but cannot get so much of it as I fain would have; not because Christ's love is lordly, and looketh too high; but because I have a narrow vessel to receive his love, and I look too low: but I give under my own hand write to your testimonial of Christ and his cross, that they are a sweet couple, and that Christ hath never yet been set in his own due chair of honour amongst us all. Oh, I know

Your's in his sweet Lord Jesus,
Aberdeen, 1697.
S. R.

not where to set him! O for a high | pains to afflict and dress you, as a seat to that royal princely one! O fruitful vine for himself; grow and that my poor withered soul had once be green, and cast out your branches, a running-over flood of that love to and bring forth fruit: fat and grean put sap in my dry root, and that that and fruitful may ye be, in the true flood would spring out to the tongue and sappy root. Grace, grace, free and pen, to utter great things to the grace be your portion. Remember high and due commendation of such my bonds with prayers and praises. a fair one! O holy, holy, holy one! Alas there are too many dumb tongues in the world, and dry hearts, seeing there is employment in Christ for them all, and ten thousand worlds of men and angels more, to set on high, and exalt the greatest Prince of the kings of the earth. Woes me, I RECEIVED your letter: I entreat that bits of living clay dare come you, now in the morning of your out, to rush hard-heads with him; life, seek the Lord and his face: and that my unkind mother, this beware of the folly of dangerous harlot-kirk, hath given her sweet youth, a perilous time for your soul: half-marrow such a meeting; for this love not the world; keep faith and land hath given up with Christ, and truth with all men, in

LETTER LV.

To NINIAN MURE.
Loving Friend,

your covenants the Lord is cutting Scotland in two and bargains; walk with God, for halves, and sending the worst half, he seeth you: do nothing but that the harlot sister, over to Rome's which ye may and would do if your brothel-house, to get her fill of eye-strings were breaking, and your Egypt's love. I would my suffer- breath growing cold. Ye heard the ings (nay, suppose I were burnt truth of God from me; my dear quick to ashes) might buy an agree- heart, follow it, and forsake it not; ment betwixt his fairest and sweetest prize Christ and salvation above all love, and his gawdy lewd wife; fain the world: to live after the guise and would I give Christ his welcome course of the rest of the world, will home to Scotland again if he would not bring you to heaven; without return. This is a black day, a day faith in Christ, and repentance, ye of clouds and darkness; for the roof- cannot see God: take pains for saltree of my Lord Jesus his fair temple vation; press forward toward the has fallen, and Christ's back is to-mark for the prize of the high call. ward Scotland. O thrice blessed ing: if ye watch not against evils are they who would hold Christ with night and day, which beset you their tears and prayers! I know ye ye will come behind: beware of lywill help to deal with him, for he ing, swearing, uncleanness, and the shall return again to this land: the rest of the works of the flesh; benext day shall be Christ's, and there cause for these things the wrath of shall be a fair green young garden for Christ in this land, and God's summer-dew shall lye on it all the night, and we shall sing again our new marriage-song to our Bridegroom, concerning his vineyard: but who knoweth whether we shall live and see it? I hear the Lord is taking

God cometh upon the children of disobedience: how sweet soever they may seem for the present, yet the end of these courses is the eternal wrath of God, and utter darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Grace be with you. Your Loving Pastor, S. R. Aberdeen, 1637.