Letters in Two Parts, Part 1 · LETTER 189 – LETTER 190
To the Laird of MONCRIEFE. (189)
Much honoured Sir.
GRace, mercy & peace be to you: Although not acquaint, yet at the desire of your worthy sister, the Lady Ley's, & upon the report of your kindness to Christ & his oppressed truth, I am bold to write to you, earnestly desiring you to joyn with us [so many as in these bounds profess Christ] to wrestle with God one day of the week, especially the Wedensday, for mercy to this fallen & decayed Kirk, and to such as suffer for Christ's name, & for your own necessities & the necessities of others who are by covenant engaged in that business: For we have no other armour in these evil times but prayers, now when wrath from the Lord is gone out against this back-sliding land: for ye know we can have no true publike fasts, neither are the true causes of our humiliation ever laid before the people. Now, very worthy Sir, I am glad in the Lord, that the Lord reserveth any of your place, or of note, in this time of common Apostacy, to come forth in publike to bear Christ's name before men, when the great men think Christ a cumbersom neighbour and that religion carrieth hazards, trials & persecutions with it. I perswade my self, it is your glory & your garland & shall be your joy in the day of Christ, & the standing of your house & seed to inherit the earth, that ye truly & sincerely profess Christ: Neither is our King, whom the father hath crowned in mount Zion, so weak, that he cannot doe for himself & his own cause. I verily beleeve, they are blessed who can hold the crown upon his head and carry up the train of his robe royal, and that he shall yet be victorious and triumph in this land. It is our part to back our royal King, howbeit there were not six in all the land to follow him. It is wisdom now to take up and discern the devil & the Antichrist coming out in their whites, & the Apostacy & Idolatry of this land washen with foul water: I confess it is art to wash the Devil till his skin be white: For my self, Sir, I have bought a plea against Christ since I came hither, in judging my princely Master angry at me, because I was cast out of the vineyard as a withered tree, my dumb sabbaths working me much sorrow: But I see now sorrow hath not eyes to read love written upon the cross of Christ, & therefore I pass from my rash plea: Woe, woe is me that I should have received a slander of Christ's love to my soul: & for all this, my Lord Jesus hath forgiven all, as not willing to be heard with such a fool, & is content to be as it were confined with me & to bear me company & to feast a poor oppressed prisoner. And now I write it under my hand, Worthy Sir, that I think well & honourably of this cross of Christ: I wonder that he will take any glory from the like of me: I finde that when he but sendeth his hearty commendations to me, & but bloweth a kiss afar off, I am confounded with wondering what the supper of the Lamb will be, up in our father's dining-palace of glory, since the four-hours in his dismall wilderness, & when in prisons & in our sad dayes a kiss of Christ is so comfortable, O how sweet & glorious shall our case be, when that fairest among the sons of men shall lay his fair face to our now sinfull faces, & wipe away all tears from our eyes! O Time, Time, run swiftly & hasten that day! O sweet Lord Jesus, come flying like a roe or a young hart! Alas that we blinde fools are fallen in love with moon-shine & shadows! how sweet is the wind that bloweth out of the airth where Christ is! Every day we may see some new thing in Christ, his love hath neither brim nor bottom. Oh if I had help to praise him! He knoweth if my sufferings glorifie his name, & encourage others to stand fast for the honour of our supream Law-giver Christ, my wages then are payed to the full. Sir, help me to love that never-enough praised Lord. I finde now that the faith of the saints under suffering for Christ is fair before the wind & with full sails carried upon Christ, & I hope to lose nothing in this furnace but dross; for Christ can triumph in a weaker man then I am, if there be any such: And when all is done, his love paineth me & leaveth me under such debt to Christ as I can neither pay principal nor interest. Oh if he would comprize my self, & if I were sold to him as a bond-man, & that he would take me home to his house & fire-side; for I have nothing to render to him! Then after me let no man think hard of Christ's sweet cross, for I would not change my sighs with the painted laughter of all my adversaries. I desire grace in patience to wait on, & to lie upon the brink till the water fill & flow: I know he is fast coming. Sir, ye will excuse my boldness, & till it please God I see you, ye have the prayers of a prisoner of Christ, to whom I recommend you & in whom I rest.
Aberd. May, 14. 1637. Yours at all obedience in Christ, S. R.
To JOHN CLARK. (190.)
Loving Brother.
HOld fast Christ without wavering, & contend for the faith, because Christ is not easily gotten nor kept: The lazie professour hath put heaven [as it were] at the very next door, & thinketh to flye up to heaven in his bed and in a night-dream; but truly that is not so easie a thing as most men beleeve: Christ himself did sweat ere he won this city, howbeit he was the freeborn Heir. It is Christianity, My heart, to be sincere, unfeigned, honest & upright-hearted before God, & to live & serve God, suppose there were not one man or woman in all the world dwelling beside you to eye you: Any little grace that ye have, see that it be sound & true: Ye may put a difference betwixt you and reprobats if ye have these markes. 1. If ye prize Christ & his truth so, as ye will sell all & buy him & suffer for it. 2. If the love of Christ keepeth you back from sinning more then the Law or fear of hell. 3. If ye be humble, & deny your own will, wit, credit, ease, honour, the world & the vainity & glory of it. 4. Your profession must not be barren & void of good works. 5. Ye must in all things aime at God's honour, ye must eat, drink, sleep, buy, sell, sit, stand, speak, pray, read, and hear the word with a heart-purpose that God may be honoured. 6. Ye must shew your self an enemy to sin, and reprove the works of darkness, such as drunkenness, swearing & lying, albeit the company should hate you for doing so. 7. Keep in minde the truth of God that ye heard me teach, and have nothing to doe with the corruptions and new guises entred into the house of God. 8. Make conscience of your calling, in covenants, in buying & selling. 9. Acquaint your self with daily praying, commit all your wayes & actions to God by prayer, supplication & thank giving, and count not much of being mocked; for Christ Jesus was mocked before you. Perswade your self that this is the way of peace and comfort I now suffer for, I dare goe to death & in to eternity with it, though men may possibly seek another way. Remember me in your prayers, & the state of this oppressed Church. Grace be with you.
Aberd. 1637. Your soul's Well-wisher. S. R.