Letters in Two Parts, Part 1 · LETTER 11
To the right honourable & Christian Lady, my Lady VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE (11)
MADAM.
GRace mercy & peace to you: I am refreshed with your Letter: the right hand of him to whom belong the issues from death, hath been gracious to that sweet childe, I dow not, I doe not forget him, & your La: in my prayers. Madam for your own case, I love carefull, and withall doing-complaints of want of practice, because I observe many who think it holiness enough, to complain and set themselves at nothing; as if to say I am sick, would cure them: they think complaints a good charme for guiltiness. I hope ye are wrestling & strugling on, in this dead age, wherin folks have lost tongue, and legs and armes for Christ. I urge upon you Madam, a neerer communion with Christ and a growing communion: There are curtains to be drawn by, in Christ, that we never saw; and new foldings of love in him: I despair that ever I shall win to the far end of that love, there are so many plies in it. Therefore dig deep, and sweat, and labour, and take paines for him; and set by so much time in the day for him; as you can: he will be win with labour. I, his exiled prisoner sought him, and he hath rued upon me, and hath made a moan for me, as he doth for his own, Jer. 31: 20. Isa 45: 11. and I know not what to doe with Christ, his love surroundeth, and surchargeth me. and burdened with it, but O how sweet & lovely is that burden, I dow not keep it within me: I am so in love with his love, that if his love were not in heaven, I would be unwilling to goe there. O what weighing & what telling is in Christs love! I fear nothing now so much, as the laughing of Christs crosse, & the love-showers that accompany it: I wonder what he meaneth to put such a slave at the board-head, at his own elbow. Oh that I should lay my black mouth to such a fair, fair, fair face as Chri…s: but I dare not refuse to be loved, the cause is not in me why he hath looked upon me, & loved me, for he got neither budde nor hire of me, it co…t me nothing, it is good cheap love. O the many pound-weights of his love under which I am sweetly pressed! Now Madam, I perswade you, the greatest part but play with Christianity, they put it by hand easily: I thought it had been an easie thing to be a Christian, and that to see… God, had been at the next door, but oh the windings, the turnings, the up's, & the down's, that he hath led me through, and I see yet much way to the foord, he speaketh with my reins in the night season and in the morning, when I awake I finde his love-arrowes that he shot at me, sticking in my heart: who will help me to praise? who will come lift with me, & set on high his great love? and yet I finde that a fir…-flaught of challanges will come in at mid-summer, and question me, but it is onelyonly to keep a …inner in order. As for Friends I shall not think the world, to be the world, if that well goe not drie, I trust in God, to use the world as a Canny or Cunning-master do…th a knave-servant (at lest God give me grace to doe so) he giveth him no handling or credit, onelyonly he intrusteth him with common errands, wherin he cannot play the knave: I pray God I may not give this world credit of my joyes, and comforts, and confidence, that were to put Christ out of his office: nay I counsel you Madam, from a little experience, let Christ ke…p the great seal, & intrust him so, as to hing your vessels great and small, and pin your burdens upon the nail fastened in Davids house, Isai. 22: 23. L…t me not b… well, if ever they get th… tutouring of my comforts: away, away with irresponsall Tutours, that would play me a slip, & then Christ would laugh at me, & say well-wared, try again ere ye trust. Now woe is me for my whorish mother the Kirk of Scotland; Oh who will bewaile her: Now the presence of the great Angel of the covenant to be with you & that sweet childe.
Aberd. March. 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.