Letters in Two Parts, Part 1 · LETTER 211 – LETTER 213
To the Lady CULROSS. (211)
MADAM.
YOur letter came in due time to me, now a prisoner of Christ & in bonds for the Gospel: I am sentenced with deprivation, & confinement within the town of Aberdeen: but Oh my guiltiness, the follies of my youth, the neglects in my calling, & especially in not speaking more for the Kingdom, crown & scepter of my royal & princely King Iesus, doe so stare me in the face, that I apprehend anger in that which is a crown of rejoycing to the dear saints of God! This before my compearance [which was three several dayes] did trouble me, & burdeneth me more now; howbeit Christ, & in him, God reconciled, met me with open arms, & trysted me precisely at the entry of the door of the Chancellour's hall, & assisted me to answer so, as the advantage that is, is not their's but Christ's. Alas! There is no cause of wondering that I am thus born down with challenges, for the world hath mistaken me, & no man knoweth what guiltiness is in me, so well as these two [who keep my eyes now waking & my heart heavie] I mean, my Heart & Conscience, & my Lord who is greater then my Heart. Shew your brother that I desire him while he is on the watch-tower to plead with his mother, & to plead with thi…land, & spare not to cry for my sweet Lord Jesus his fair crown, that the interdited & forbidden Lords are plucking off his royal head. If I were free of challenges & a High Commission within my soul. I would not give a straw to goe to my father's house through ten deaths for the truth & cause of my lovely, lovely one▪ Iesus: But I walk in heaviness now. If ye love me & Christ in me, my dear Lady, pray, pray for this onelyonly, that by-gones betwixt my Lord & me may be by-gones, & that he would pass from the summonds of his High Commission, & seek nothing from me, but what he will doe for me & work in me. If your La: knew me as I doe my self, ve would say, Poor soul, no marvel. It is not my apprehension that createth this cross to me, it is too real & hath sad & certain grounds. But I will not beleeve that God will take this advantage of me, when my back is at the wall: He who forbiddeth to adde affliction to affliction, will he doe it himself? Why should …e pursue a dry lea… & stubble? Desire him to spare me now. Also the memory of the fair feast-dayes that Christ & I had in his banquetting house of wine, & the scattered flock once committed to me & now taken off my hand by himself, because I was not so faithfull in the end, as I was in the first two years of my entry, when sleep departed from my eyes, because my soul was taken up with a care for Christ's lambs, even these adde sorrow to my sorrow. Now my Lord hath onelyonly given me this to say, & I write it under mine own hand [be ye the Lord's servant's witness] Welcome, welcome, sweet, sweet cross of Christ: welcome fair. fair, lovely, royal King with thine own cross: Let us all three goe to heaven together. Neither care I much to goe from the South of Scotland to the North, & to be Christ's prisoner amongst … couth faces, a place of this Kingdom which I have little reason to be in love with. I know, Christ shall make Ab…rdeen my garden of delights. I am fully perswaded that Scotland shall …at Ez…kiel's book that is written within & without; Lamen… & mourni…g & …oe. Ezek. 2, 10. But the saints shall get a drink of the well that goeth through the streets of the n…w Ierusalem to put it down. Thus hoping ye will think upon the poor prisoner of Christ, I pray, Grace, grace be with you.
Edinb. July. 30. 1636. Your La: in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. ….
To ALEXANDER GORDON. of Earlestovvn. (212)
Much honoured Sir.
I Finde small hopes of Qs. business: I intend after the Councel-day to goe on to Aberdeen: The Lord is with me, I care not what man can doe. I burden no man, & I want nothing: No King is better provided then I am: Sweet, sweet & easie is the cross of my Lord: All men I look in the face [of whatsoever rank, Nobles & poor, acquaintance & strangers] are friendly to me. My welbeloved is some kinder & more warmly then ordinary, & cometh and visiteth my soul: My chains are overguilded with gold. OnelyOnly the remembrance of my fair dayes with Christ in Anwoth, & of my dear flo… [whose case is my heart's sorrow] is vinegar to my sugared wine, yet both sweet & sowre feed my soul: No pen, no words, no ingine can express to you, the loveliness of my onelyonly, onelyonly Lord Jesus. Thus in haste, making for my palace at Aberdeen, I bless you, your wife, your eldest son & other children. Grace, grace be with you.
Edinb. Sept. 5. 1636. Your in his onelyonly, onelyonly Lord Iesus. S. R.
To ROBERT GORDON of Knockbrex. (213.)
My dearest Brother.
I See Christ thinketh shame [if I may speak so] to be in such a poor man's common as mine. I burden no man, I want nothing, no face hath gloomed upon me since I left you. God's son & fair weather conveyeth me to my time- Paradise in Aberdeen. Christ hath so handsomely fitted for my shoulders this …ugh …ee of the cross, as that it hurteth me no wayes. My treasure is up in Christ's …ffers, my comforts are greater then ye can beleeve: my per shall ye for p…ury of words to write of them. God knoweth▪ I am filled with the joy of the Holy Ghost. OnelyOnly the memory of you, my dearest in the Lord, my flock & others▪ keepeth me under, & from being exalted above measure: Christ's sweet sa… hath this sowre mixed with it; but O such a sweet & pleasant taste! I finde small hopes of Qs: matter. Thus in haste. Remember me to your wife, & to William Gordon. Grace be with you.
Edinb. Sept. 5. 1636. Yours in his onelyonly, onelyonly Lord Iesus, R. S.