Letters in Two Parts, Part 1 · LETTER 5
To the Noble & Christian Lady the VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE. (5)
My very Honourable & dear Lady
GRace mercy & peace, be to you, I cannot forget your La: & that sweet childe, I desire to hear what the Lord is doing to you, & him: to write to me were charity, I cannot but write to my friends, that Christ hath try…ted me in Aberden, & my adversaries have sent me here, to be feasted with love-banquets with my royall, high, high, & princely King Jesus. Madam why should I smother Christs honesty, I dare not conceal his goodness to my soul, he looked fram'd and uncouth-like upon me, when I came first here; but I beleeve himself better then his looks: I shall not again quarrell Christ for a gloome, now he hath taken the mask off his face & saith kisse thy fill, & what can I have more, while I get great heaven in my little armes. O how sweet are the sufferings of Christ, for Christ! God forgive them that raise an ill report upon the sweet crosse of Christ, it is but our weak & dim eyes, that look but to the black side that makes us mistake: these who can take that crabbed-tree hand-somely upon their back, & fasten it on cannily, shall finde it such a burden, as wings unto a bird, or sailes to ship. Madam rue not of your having chosen the better part: upon my salvation this is Christs truth I now suffer for, if I found but cold comfort in my sufferings, I would not beguile others, I would have told you plainly; but the truth is, Christs crown, his scepter, and the freedom of his Kingdom, is that, which is now called in question: because we will not allow that Christ pay tribute and be a vassall to the shields of the earth, therefore the sons of our mother are angry at us: but it becometh not Christ to hold any mans stir…up: It were a sweet and honourable death to die for the honour of that royall, & princely King Jesus: his love is a mystery to the world: I would not have beleeved that there was so much in Christ, as there is, Come & see maketh Christ to be known in his excellency & glory. I wish all this Nation knew how sweet his breath is, it is little to see Christ in a book, as men doe the world in a card, they talke of Christ by the book & the tongue, & no more; but to come nigh Christ and hausse him, & embrace him, is another thing. Madam I write to your Honour for your encouragement in that honourable profession, Christ hath honoured you with: Ye have gotten the Sunny side of the brae, & the best of Christs good things; he hath not given you the bastard's portion, & howbeit ye get strokes & sowre looks from your Lord, yet beleeve his love more then your own feeling, for this world can take nothing from you, that is truly yours, & death can doe you no wrong: your rock doeth not ebbe & flow, but your sea: that which Christ hath said he will bide by it, he will be your tutour, you shall not get your charters of heaven to play you with: It is good that ye have lost your credit with Christ, & that Lord fr…ewill shall not be your tutour, Christ will lippen the taking of you to heaven neither to your self, nor any deputy, but onelyonly to him self, blessed be your tutour: When your head shall appear, your bridegroom & Lord, your day shall then dawn & it shall never have an afternoon nor an evening shadow. Let your childe be Christs, let him stay beside you, as the lords pledge, that you shall willingly render again if God will. Madam I finde folks here kind to me, but in the night, & under their breath; my masters cause may not come to the crown of the causey, others are kind according to their fashion, many think me a strange man, & my cause not good; but I care not much for mans thoughts or approbation: I think no shame of the crosse. The preachers of this town pretend great love, but the Prelats have added to the rest this gentle cruelty (for so they think of it) to discharge me of the pulpits of this town, the people murmur, & cry out against it, and to speak truly howbeit Christ is most indulgeat to me otherwise, yet my silence on the Lords day keeps me from being exalted above measure, & frō …artling in the heat of my Lords love. Some people affect me, for the which cause, I hear the preachers here, purpose to have my confinement changed, to another place; so cold is northern love: but Christ and I will bear it. I have vvrestled long with this sad silence, I said what aileth Christ at my service, and my soul hath been at a pleading with Christ, & at yea & nay; but I will yeeld to him, providing my suffering, may preach more then my tongue did; for I gave not Christ an inch but for twice as good again: in a word I am a fool, & he is God. I will hold my peace hereafter. Let me hear from your La: & your Dear Childe pray for a prisoner of Christ who is mindfull of your La: Remember my obliged obedience to my good Lady Marre, Grace, Grace be with you. I write & pray blessings to your sweet childe.
Aberd. Nov. 22. 1636. Yours in all Dutiefull obedience in his onelyonly Lord Iesus, S. R.