Letters in Two Parts, Part 1 · LETTER 174 – LETTER 178
To my Lord CRAIGHALL. (174)
My Lord.
I Received one letter of your Lo: from C & another of late from A. B. wherein I finde your Lo: in perplexity what to doe: But let me entreat your Lo: not to cause your self mistake Truth & Christ, because they seem to encounter with your peace & ease: My Lord, remember that a prisoner …ath written it to you, As the Lord liveth, if ye put to your hand with other Apostates in this land, to pull down the sometime beautifull tab…rnacle of Christ in this land, & joyn hands with th…m in one hair-breadth to welcome Antichrist to Scotland, there is wrat… gone out from the Lord against you & your house. If the terror of a King hath overtaken you, & your Lo: looketh to sleep in your nest in peace & to take the nearest shore, there are many wayes, too too many wayes how to shift Christ with some ill-washen and foul distinctions; but assure your self, suppose a King should assure you he would be your God [as he shall never be, for that piece of service] your clay-god shall die and your carnall counsellers, when your conscience shall storm against you, & ye complain to them, they will say, What is that to us? Beleeve not that Christ is weak, or that he is not able to save: Of two fires that ye cannot pass, take the least: Some few years will bring us all out in our black's and white's before our Judge, Eternity is nearer to you then ye are aware of: To goe on in a course of defection, when an enlightned conscience is stirring, & looking you in the face, & crying within you, That ye are going in an evil way, is, a step to the sin against the holy Ghost: Either many of this land are near that sin, or else I know not what it is: And if this for which I now suffer be not the way of peace, & the King's high-way to salvation, I beleeve there is not a way at all: There is not such breadth and elbow-room in the way to heaven as men beleeve, Howbeit this day be not Christ's, the morrow shall be his: I beleeve assuredly our Lord shall repair the old …a…e places and his ruined house in Scotland; & this wilderness shall yet blossom as the rose. My very worthy & dear Lord, Wait upon him who hideth his face from the house of Jacob & look for him: wait patiently a little upon the bridegroom's return again, that your soul may live and ye may rejoyce with the Lord's inheritance: I dare pawnd my life and soul for it, if ye take this storm with bor…-down Christ, your skie shall quickly clear, & you… fair morning dawn. Think [as the truth is] that Christ is just now saying, And will ye also leave me? Ye have a fair occasion to gratifie Christ now, if ye will stay with him, & want the night's sleep with your suffering Saviour one hour, now when Scotland hath fallen asleep and leaveth Christ to fend for himself. I profess my self but a weak feeble man, when I came first to Christ's camp I had nothing to maintain this war or to bear me out in this encounter, and I am little better yet; but since, I finde furniture, armour and strength from the consecrated Captain, the Prince of our salvation, who was perfected though suffering, I esteem suffering for Christ a King's life: I finde that our wants qualifie us for Christ; & howbeit your Lo: write, ye despair to attain to such a communion & fellowship [which I would not have you to think] yet would ye nobly and courageously venture to make over to Christ, for his honour now lying at the stake, your estate, place and honour; He would lovingly and largely requite you, and give you a King's word for a recompense: Venture upon Christ's come, and I dare swear ye shall say as it is Psal: 16: 7. I bless the Lord who gave me counsel. My very worthy Lord, many eyes in both the kingdoms are upon you now, and the eye of our Lord is upon you, acquite your self manfully for Christ: Spill not this good play: Subscribe a blank submission, and put it in Christ's hands: Win, win the blessings and prayers of your sighing and sorrowfull mother-church seeking your help: Win Christ's bond [who is a King of his word] for a hundred fold more even in this life. If a weak man hath past a promise to a King to make a slip to Christ [if we look to flesh & blood I wonder not of it, possibly. I might have done worse my self, but] adde not further guiltiness to goe on in such a scandalous and foul way: Remember that there is a wee, …oe to him by whom offences come: This woe came out of Christ's m…ut…, and it is heavier then the woe of the Law: It is the Mediato…'s vengeance, & that is two vengeances to these who are enlightned: Free your self from unlawfull anguish about advising and resolving: When the truth is come to your hand, hold it fast, goe not again to make a new search and enquiry for truth: It is easie to cause conscience beleeve as ye will, not as ye know: It is easie for you to cast your light into prison, and detain God's truth in unrighteousn…ss; But that prisoner will break ward to your incomparable torture: Fear your light, and stand in aw of it, for it is from God: Think what honour it is in this life also to …e …nrolled to the succeeding ages amongst Christ's witnesses, standing against the re-entry of Antichrist: I know certainly your light looking to two wayes, and to the two sides, cryeth shame upon the course that they would counsel you to follow: The way that is halfer and compartner with the smoke of this fat world & with ease, smelleth strong of a foul & false way. The Prince of peace, he who brought again from the dead, the great shepherd of his sheep, by the blood of the eternall covenant, establish you, and give you sound light, & counsel you to follow Christ. Remember my obliged service to my Lord your Father, & Mother, & your Lady. Grace be with you.
Aberd. Agust. 10. 1637, Your Lo: at all obliged obedience in his sweet Lord Iesus. S. R.
To JEAN GORDON. (175)
My very dear & loving Sister.
GRace, mercy & peace be to you: I long to hear from you: I exhort you to set up the brac to the King's city that must be taken with violence: Your afternoon's sun is wearing low: Time will eat up your frail life like a worm gnawing at the root of a May-flower: Lend Christ your heart: Set him as a seal there: Take him in within, & let the world and children stand at the door; they are not yours, make you and them for your proper owner, Christ: It is good He is your husband and their father: What missing can there be of a dying man, when God filleth his chair? Give hours of the day to prayer: Fash Christ [If I may speak so] and importune him, be often at his gate, give his door no rest; I can tell you he will be found: O what sweet fellowship is betwixt him and me! I am imprisoned, but he is not imprisoned: He hath shamed me with his kindness: He hath come to my p…ison & run away with my heart & all my love: Well may he brooke it: I wish my love get never an owner but Christ: Fy, fy upon old lovers that held us so long asunder! We shall not parr now: He & I shall be heard before he win out of my grips: I resolve to wrestle with Christ ere I quite him: But my love to him hath casten my soul in a fever, & there is no cooling of my fever till I get r…all possession of Christ: O strong, strong love of Jesus, thou hast wounded my heart with thine arrows! O pain! O pain of love io… Christ! Who will help me to praise? Let me have your prayers. Grace be with you,
Aberd. March. 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus. S. R.
To GRISSAL FULLERTON. (176)
Dear Sister.
I Exhorr you in the Lord to seek your one thing, Marie's good part that shall not be taken from you: Set your heart & soul on the Childrens inheritance: This clay-idol the world, is but for Bastards & ye are his lawfull begotten childe: Learn the way [as your dear mother hath hath gone before you] to knock at Christ's door: Many an almes of mercy hath Christ given to Her, & hath abundance behinde to give to you: Ye are the seed of the faithfull & born within the Covenant, claim your right. I would not exchange Christ Jesus for ten worlds of glory: I know now [blessed be my teacher] how to shut the lock & unbolt my welbeloved's door, & he maketh a poor stanger welcome when he cometh to his house: I am swelled up & satisfied with the love of Christ that is better then wine: It is a fire in my soul; let hell & the world cast water on it, they will not mend themselves: I have now gotten the right gate of Christ: I recommend him to you above all things: Come & finde the smell of his breath: See if his kisses be not sweet: He desireth no better then to be much made of: Be homely with him & ye shall be the more welcome: Ye know not how fain Christ would have all your love. Think not this is imaginations & bairns-play we make din for: I would not suffer for it if it were so: I dare pawnd my heaven for it, that it is the way to glory: Think much of truth, & abhorre these wayes devised by men in God's worship. The Grace of Christ be with you.
Aberd. March. 14. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.
To PATRICK CARSEN, (177)
Dear & loving friend.
I Cannot but upon the opportunity of a bearer exhort you to re…gn… the love of your youth to Christ, & in this day while your sun is high and your youth serveth you, to seek the Lord and his face; for there is nothing out of heaven so necessary for you as Christ: And ye cannot be ignorant but your day will end, & the night of death will call you from the pleasures of this life, & a doom given out in death standeth for ever as long as God liveth. Youth ordinarily is a Post & ready servant for Satan to run errands; for it is a nest for lust, cursing, drunkenness, blaspheming of God, lying, pride & vanitie. O that there were such an heart in you as to fear the Lord, & to dedicate your soul & body to his service: When the time cometh that your eye-strings shall break, & your face wax pale, and legs & arms trem…le, & your breath grow cold, & your poor soul look out at you… prison-hous… of clay to be set at liberty; then a good conscience & your Lord's favour shall be worth all the world's glory: Seek it as your garland & crown. Grace be with you.
Aberd. March. 14. 1636. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.
To JOHN CARSEN. (178)
My welbeloved & dear friend.
EVery one …eeketh not God, & far fewer finde him, because they seek amiss: He is to be sought for above all things, if men would finde what they seek: Let feathers & shadows alone to children & goe seek your welbeloved: Your onelyonly errand to the world, is, to wooe Christ; therefore put other lovers from about his house, & let Christ have all your love, without miniching or dividing it: It is little enough if there were more of it: The serving of the world & sin hath but a base reward, & smoke in stead of pleatures, & but a night-dream for true case to the soul: Goe where ye will your soul shall not sleep sound but in Christ's bosom: Come in to him & lie down & rest you on the slain Son of God & enquire for him: I sought him, & now a fig for all the worm-eaten pleasures, & moth-eaten glory out of heaven, since I have found him, & in him all I can want or …ish: He hath made me a King over the world: Princes cannot overcome me: Christ hath given me the marriage-kiss, & he hath my ma…ing -love: We have made up a full bargain that shall not goe back on either side: O if ye and all in that countrey knew what sweet terms of mercy are betwixt him & me! Grace be with you.
Aberd. March. 11. 1637, Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus. S. R.