Letters in Two Parts, Part 1 · LETTER 202 – LETTER 204
To my Lady BOYD. [202.]
GRace, mercy & peace be to you: Few [I beleeve] kn…w the pain & torment of Christ's fristed love, fristing of Christ's presence is a matter of torment. I know a poor soul that would lay all oars in the water for a banquet or feast o… Christ's love. I cannot think but it must be uptaking & sweet to see the white & red of Christ's fair face; for he is white & ruddy & the chiefest among ten thousands. Cant, 5, 10. I am sure that must be a well made face of his, heaven must be in his visage; glory, glory for evermore must …it on his countenance. I dare not curse the mask & covering that is on his face, but O if there were a hole in it! O if God would tear the mask! Fy, fy upon us, we were never shamed till now… that we doe not proclaim our pining & languishing for him. I am sure, nev…r tongue spake of Christ as he is: I am still of that minde and still will be, that we wrong & undervalue that holy, holy One in having such short and shallow thoughts of his weight & worth. O if I could have but leave to stand beside & see the Father weigh Christ the Son, if it were possible! But how every one of them comprehendeth another, we who have eyes of clay cannot comprehend: But it is pity for evermore & more then shame, that such an one as Christ, should sit in heaven his alone for us: To goe up thither one's errand and on purpose to see, were no small glory. O that he would strike out windows & fair and great lights in this old house, this fallen down soul, and then set the soul near hand Christ, that the rays & beams of light & th soul-delighting glances of the fair, fair God-head, might shine in at the windows & fill the house! A fairer & more near & direct sight of Christ would make room for his love, for we are but pinched & straitned in his love: Alas it were easy to measure & weigh all the love that we have for Christ by inches and ounces! Alas that we should love by measure & weight, and not rather have floods & feasts of Christ's love! Oh that Christ would break down the old narrow vessels of these narrow & ebbe souls; & make fair, deep, wide & broad souls, to hold a sea & a full tide flowing over all it's banks, of Christ's love! Oh that the Almighty would give me my request! That I might see Christ come to his temple again [as he is minting & it's like minding to doe] & if the land were humbled, the judgements threatned are with this reservation I know, if we shall turn and repent. O what heaven should we want on ear…h, to see Scotland's moon like the light of the Sun & Scotland's sun-light seven fold like the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people & healeth the stroke of their wounds! Isa. 30: 26. Alas that we will not pull & draw Christ to his old tents again, to come & feed among the lilies till the day break & shadows flee away! O that the Nobl…s would goe on in the strength & courage of the Lord to bring our lawfull King Jesus home again! I am perswaded he shall return again in glory to this land, but happy …ere they who could help to convoy him to his sanctuary & set him again up upon the mercy-seat betwixt the Cher…b…ms. O Sun return to darkned Britain! O fairest among all the sons of men! O most excellent One, come home again, come home & win the praises & blessings of the mourners in Zion, the prisoners of hope that wait for thee! I know he can also triumph in suffering, & weep & reign, & die & triumph, & remain in prison & yet subdue his enemies: But how happy were I to s…e the coronation day of Christ, to see his mother who bare him put the crown upon his head again, & cry with shouting till the earth should ring, Let Iesus our King live & reign for evermore! Grace, grace be with your La.
Aberd. 1637. Your La: at all obedience in Christ, S. R.
To Mr ALEXANDER COLVILL. Of Blair. (203.)
Much honoured Sir.
GRace, mercy & peace be to you: I would desire to know how my Lord took my letter I sent him, & how he is: I desire nothing but that he be fast and honest to my royal Master & King. I am well every way, all praise to him in whose books I must stand for ever as his debter: OnelyOnly my silence paineth me: I had one joy out of heaven next to Christ my Lord, & that was to preach him to this faithless generation, & they have taken that from me: It was to me as the poor man's one eye & they have put out that eye. I know the violence done to me & his poor be-rest Bride, is come up before the Lord: & suppose I see not the other side of my cross, or what my Lord will bring out of it; yet I beleeve the vision shall not tarry, & that Christ is on his journey for my deliverance, he goeth not slowly but passeth over ten mountains at one stride: In the mean time, I am pained with his love, because I want reall possession, when Christ cometh he stayeth not long, but certainly the blowing of his breath upon a poor soul is heaven upon earth, & when the wind turneth into the North & he goeth away, I die till the wind change in the West & he visite his prisoner: But he holdeth me not often at his door. I am richly repayed for suffering for him. O if all Scotland were as I am, except my bonds! O what pain I have, because I cannot get him praised by my sufferings! O that heaven, within and without, & the earth were paper, & all the rivers, fountains & s…as were ink, & I able to write all the paper within & without, full of his praises & love & excellency, to be read by man & Angel! Nay this is little, I ow my heaven for Christ, & to desire, howbeit I should never enter in at the gates of the new Ierusalem, to send my love & my praises over the wall to Christ. Alas that Time & Days lie betwixt him & me, & adjourn our meeting! It is my part to cry, O when will the night be past & the day dawn, that we shall see one another! Be pleased to remember my service to my Lord to whom I wrote, & shew him, that for his affection to me, I cannot but pray for him & earnestly desire that Christ miss him not out of the roll of these who are his witnesses, now, when his kingly honour is called in question: It is his honour to hold up Christ's royal train & to be an instrument to hold the crown upon Christ's head: Shew him, because I love his true honour & standing, that this is my earnest desire for him. Now I bless you, & the prayers of Christ's prisoner come upon you, & his sweetest presence whom ye serve in the spirit accompany you.
Aberd. June. 23. 1637. Yours at all obliged obed…ince in Christ, S. R.
To Mr JOHN ROW. (204)
Reverend & dear Brother.
I Received yours: I bless his high & great name, I like my sweet Master still the longer the better: A sight of his cross is more awsom then the weight of it. I think the worst things of Christ, even his reproaches & his cross [when I look on these not with bleared eyes] far rather to be chosen then, the laughter & wormeaten joys of my adversaries. Oh that they were as I am, except my bonds! My witness is above, my Ministery next to Christ is dearest to me of any thing; but I lay it down at Christ's feet for his glory & his honour as supreme Law-giver, which is dearer to me. My dear Brother, if ye will receive the testimony of a poor prisoner of Christ, who dare not now dissemble for the world, I beleeve certainly & expect thanks from the Prince of the Kings of the earth, for my poor hazards [such as they are] for his honourable cause, whom I can ever enough extoll for his running-over love to my sad soul, since I came hither. O that I could get him set on high & praised! I seek no more as the top & root of my desires, but that Christ may make glory to himself & edification to the weaker out of my sufferings. I desire ye would help me both to pray & praise, Grace be with you.
Aberd. July. 8. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.