Letters in Two Parts, Part 1 · LETTER 15 – LETTER 16
To the right honourable & Christian Lady, my Lady BOYD. (15)
MADAM.
GRace, mercy and peace be to you, from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ: I cannot but thank your La: for your Letter that hath refreshed my soul. I think my self many wayes obliged to your La: for your love to my afflicted brother, now embarked with me, in that same cause: his Lord hath been pleased to put him upon truths side: I hope your La: will befriend him with your counsell, and countenance in that countrey, where he is a stranger: & your La: needeeth not fear but your kindness to his own, shall be put up in Christs accounts. Now Madam for your La: case, I rejoyce exceedingly that the Father of lights, hath made you see, that there is a ni… in Christianity, which ye contend to be at; & that is to quit the right eye, & the right hand, & to keep the Son of God: I hope your desire is to make him your garland, & your eye looketh up the mount, which certainly is nothing but the new creature: fear not, Christ will not cast water upon your smoaking coal, & then who else dare doe it, if he say nay? Be sorry at corruption & not secure, that companion lay with you in your mothers womb, & was as early friends with you, as the breath of life, & Christ will not have it otherwise; for he delighteth to take up fallen bairns & to mend broken brow…: binding up of wounds, is his office: Isai. 61. First, I am glad Christ will get employment of his calling in you, many a whole soul is in heaven, which was sicker then ye are: He is content ye lay broken arms, & legs on his knee, that he may spelk them. 2. Hiding of his face is wise love, his love is not fond, doting, & reasonless, to give your head no other pillow, while ye be in at heavens gates, but to lie betwixt his brests, & lean upon his bosome: Nay hisbairns, must often have the frosty cold side of the hill, & set down both their bare feet among thorns: His love hath eyes, & in the mean time is looking on. Our pride must have winter weather to rot it. But I know Christ & ye shall not be heard, ye will whisper it over betwixt your selves, & agree again, for the Anchor-tow abideth fast within the vaile; the end of it is in Chrssts ten fingers, who dare pull if he hold? I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying, fear not, I will help thee: Isa. 41: 13. fear not Iacob. The sea-sick passenger shall come to Land, Christ will be the first that will meet you on the shore. I hope your La: will keep the Kings high-way; goe on in the strength of the Lord in haste, as if ye had not leisure to speak to the Inne-keepers by the way: he is over beyond time in the other side of the water who thinketh long for you. For my unfaithfull self, Madam, I must say a word. At my first coming hither, the devil made many black lies of my Lord Jesus, & said the court was changed, and he was angry & would give an evil servant his leave at mid-terme; but he gave me grace not to take my leave, I resolved to bide summonds, and sit, howbeit it was suggested & said, what should be done with a withered tree, but over the d…ke with it? But now, now, (I dare not, I dow not keep it up) who is feasted as his poor exiled prisoner? I think shame of the board-head, & the first messe, & the royall Kings dining-hall; and that my black hand should come on such a rulers table: but I cannot mend it, Christ must have his will; onelyonly he paineth my soul so, sometimes with his love, that I have been nigh to passe modesty, & to cry out, he hath lest a smoaking burning coal in my heart, & gone to the door himself, and left me & it together; yet it is not desertion, I know not what it is; but I was never so sick for him as now. I durst not challenge my Lord, if I got no more for heaven, it is a dâting crosse. I know he hath other thing to doe, then to play with me, & tr…le an apple with me, & that this feast will end. O for instruments in Gods name, that this is he! and that I may make use of it, when it will be a neer friend within me, & when it will be said by a challengingdevil were is my God? Since I know it will not laste, I desire but to keep broken meat: but let no man after me, slander Christ for his crosse. The Great Lord of the Covenant, who brought from the dead, the great shepherd of his sheep, by the blood of the eternall covenant, establish you, and keep you & yours to his appearance.
Aberd. March. 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.
To Mr ALEXANDER HENDERSON. (16)
My reverend & dear Brother.
I Received your Letters: They are as apples of gold to me, for wich my sweet feasts (& they are above the deserving of such a sinner, high & out of measure) I have sadness to ballast me, & weight me a little. It is but his boundless wisdom, who hath taken the tutouring of his witlesse childe, and he knoweth, to be drunken with comforts, is not safest for our stomackes: However it be, the din and noise and glooms of Christs crosse, are weightier then it self. I protest to you (my witnesse is in heaven) I could wish many pound weights added to my crosse, to know that by sufferings, Christ were set forward in his kingly office in this Land. Oh what is my skin to his glory, Or my losses, or my sad heart, to the apple of the eye of our Lord, & his beloved spouse, his precious truth, his royal priviledges, the glory of manifested justice in giving of his foes a dash, the testimony of his faithfull servants, who doe glorifie him when he rideth upon poor weak wormes, & triumpheth in them! I desire you to pray that I may come out of this furnace with honesty, & that I may leave Christs truth no worse then I found it, & that this most honourable cause, may neither be stained, nor weakned. As for your case my Reverend and Dearest Brother, ye are the talking of the North and South; & looked to so, as if ye were all crystall glasse, your mots and dust should soon be proclaimed, & trumpets blowne at your slips: But I know ye have laid help upon one that is mighty. Intrust not your comforts to mens airy & frothy applause, neither lay your down-castings on the tongues of salt mockers, & reproachers of godliness: As deceivers & yet true, as unknown & yet well known. God hath called you to Christs side, and the wind is now on Christs face in this land; and seeing ye are with him ye cannot expect the lee-side, or the sunny-side of the brae: But I know ye have resolved to take Christ upon any termes whatsoever: I hope ye doe not rue, though your cause be hated, & that prejudices are taken up against it; The shields of the world think our Master cumbersome wares; & that he maketh too great din, & that his cords and yoks make blains & deep scores in their neck, therefore they kick, they say this man shall not reigne over us. Let us pray one for another, He who hath made you a chosen arrow in his quiver, hide you in the hollow of his hand: I am.
Aberd. March. 9. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.