Letters in Two Parts, Part 1 · LETTER 57 – LETTER 58
To JEAN BROWN. (57.)
MISTRESS.
GRace, mercy & peace be to you: I am glad that ye goe on at Christ's back in this dark & cloudy time: It were good to sell other things for him; for when all these dayes are over, we shall finde it our advantage, that we have taken part with Christ. I confidently beleeve his enemies shall be his footstool, & that he shall make green flowers dead withered hay, when the honour & glory shall fall off them, like the bloom or flower of a green herb shaken with the wind. It were not wisdom for us to think that Christ & the Gospel will come & sit down at our fire side, nay, but we must goe out of our warm houses & seek Christ & his gospel: It is not the sunny side of Christ that we must look to, & we must not forsake him for want of that, but must set our face against what may befall us in following on till he & we be through the briers & bu…hes on the dry ground: Our soft nature would be born through the troubles of this miserable life in Christ's arms: & it is his wisdom who knoweth our mould, that his bairns goe wet-shod & cold-footed to heaven. O how sweet a thing were it for us, to learn to make our burdens light, by framing our hearts to the burthen and making our Lord's will a law! I finde Christ & his cross not so ill to please, nor yet such troublesom guests as men call them: Nay, I think patience should make Christ's water good wine; & this dross good mettall: & we have cause to wait on, for ere it be long, our Master will be at us, & bring this whole world out before the sun & the day-light in their black's & white's: Happy are they who are found watching: Our sand-glass is not so long as we need to weary; time will eat away & root out our woes, & sorrow: our heaven is in the bud & growing up to an harvest; why then should we not follow on seeing our span length of time will come to an inch: Therefore I commend Christ to you as your last living, & longest living husband, & the staff of your old age: let him have now the rest of your dayes; & think not much of a storm upon the ship that Christ saileth in, there shall no passenger fall over board, but the craised ship & the sea-sick passenger shall come to land safe. I am in as sweet communion with Christ as a poor sinner can be, & am onelyonly pained that he hath much beauty and fairness, and I little love, he great power & mercy & I little faith, he much light & I bliered eyes. Oh that I saw him in the sweetness of his love & in his marriage clothes, & were over head & ears in love with that princely one Christ Jesus my Lord! Alas, my riven dish & running-out vessel can hold little of Christ Jesus. I have joy in this, that I would not refuse death before I put Christ's lawfull heritage in mens trysting, & what know I, if they would have pleased both Christ & me. Alas, that this land hath put Christ to open rooping, & to an any man more b… Blessed are they who would hold the crown on his head, & buy Christ's honour with their own losses. I rejoyce to hear your son Iohn is coming to visit Christ & taste of his love: I hope he shall not lose his pains or rue of that choice. I had alwayes [as I said often to you] a great love to dear Mr Iohn Brown because I thought I saw Christ in him more then in his brethren, fain would I write to him to stand by my sweet Master, & I wish ye would let him read my letter, & the joy I have, if he will appeare for, & side with my Lord Jesus. Grace, grace, be with you.
Aberd. March. 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus. S. R.
To JEAN Mc MILLAN. (58)
Loving Sister.
GRace, mercy & peace be to you: I cannot come to you to give you my counsel, & howbeit I would come I cannot stay with you; but I beseech you keep Christ, for I did what I could to put you within grips of him; I told you Christ's Testament & latterwill plainly, & I kept nothing back that my Lord gave me, & I gave Christ to you with good will: I pray you make him your own, & goe not from that truth I taught you in one hair breadth, that truth shall save you if ye follow it: salvation is not an easie thing & soon gotten; I often told you few are saved, & many, many damned: I pray you make your poor soul sure of salvation, & make the seeking of heaven your daily task: if ye never had a sick night & a pained soul for sin, ye have not yet lighted upon Christ; look to the right marks of having closed with Christ, if ye love him better then the world, & would quite all the world for him then that saith the work is sound. O if ye saw the beauty of Jesus & felt the smell of his love, ye would run through fire & water to be at him: God send you him. Pray for me, for I cannot forget you. Grace be with you.
Aberd. 1637. Your loving Pastor, S. R.