Letters in Two Parts, Part 1 · LETTER 6 – LETTER 7
To the right honourable & Christian Lady, my Lady VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE. (6)
MADAM.
GRace, Mercy & peace be to you: I received your La: letter, it refreshed me in my heavinesse: the blessing & prayers of a prisoner of Christs come upon you. Since my coming hither, Galloway sent me not a line, except what my Brother, Earlstoun, & his son did write: I cannot get my papers transported: but Madam I want not kindnesse of one, who hath the gate of it, Christ (if he had never done more for me since I was borne) hath ingaged my heart, & gained my blessing, in this house of my pilgrimage. It pleaseth my welbeloved to dine with a poor prisoner, and the Kings spiknard casteth a fragrant smell: nothing grieveth me, but that I eat my feasts my alone, and that I cannot edifie his saints: O that this Nation knew what is betwixt him and me, none would skar at the crosse of Christ! my silence eates me up, but he hath told me, he thanketh me no lesse, then if I were preaching daily, he sees how gladly I would be at it, & therefore my wages are going to the fore up in heaven, as if I were still preaching Christ. Captains pay duely bedfast souldiers, howbeit they dow not march, nor carry armour; Though …srael be not gathered, yet shall … be glorious in the eyes of my Lord, & my lord shall be my strength, If… 49: 5. my garland, The Banished Minister, (the te…ne of Aberden) ashameth me not: I have seen the white side of Christs crosse, lovely, hath he been to his oppressed servant: Psal. 146: 7. The Lord executeth judgement for the oppressed, he giveth food to the hungry, the Lord looseth the prisoner, the Lord raiset… them that are bowed down, the Lord preserveth the stranger. If it were come to exchanging of crosses, I would not exchange my crosse with any, I am wel-pleased with Christ, & he with me; I hope none shall hear us. It's true for all this, I get my meat with many stroks, and am seven times a day up & down, & am often anxious, & cast down for the case of my oppressed brother, yet I hope the Lord will be surty for his servant. But now upon some weak, very weak experience, I am come to love a rumbling and raging devil beit, seeing we must have a devil to hold the saints waking, I wish a cumbersome devil, rather then a secure & sleeping one. At my first coming hither, I took the dorts at Christ; and took up a stoma…k against him, I said he had cast me over the dike of the vineyard, like a drie tree; but it was his mercy I see, that the fire did not burn the drie tree, & now as if my Lord Jesus had done the fault, & not I, (who belied my Lord,) he hath made the first mends, & he spake not one word against me, but hath come again, & quickned my soul with his presence: nay now I think the very a…uety, and casualities of the crosse of Christ Jesus my Lord, & these comforts that accompany it, better, then the worlds set rent. O how many rich off-fallings are in my Kings house, I am perswaded, & dare pawnd my salvation on it, that it is Christs truth I now suffet for: I know his comforts are no dreams, he would not put his seal on blank paper, nor deceive his afflicted ones, that trust in him. Your La; wrote to me, that ye are yet an ill scholler: Madam ye must goe in at heavens gates, and your book in your hand, still learning, you have had your own large share of troubls, & a double portion; but i… saith your Father counteth you not a ba…tard; fu…-begotten bairns are nurtured, Heb. 12. 8. I long to hear of the childe, I write the blessings of Christs prisoner & the mercies of God to him; let him be Christs & yours betwixt you, but let Christ …e whole play-maker, let him be the lender, & ye the borrower, not an owner: Madam it is not long since I did write to your La: that Christ is keeping mercy for you, & I bide by it still, & now I write it under my hand: love him dearly, win in to see him, there is in him, that which you never saw, he is a… …igh, he is a tree of life, green, & blossoming, both summer and winter. there is a nick in Christianity, to the which whosoever cometh, they see and feel more then others can doe: I invite you of new to come to him, Come & See will speak better things of him then I can doe, come neerer, come neerer wil say much. God thought never this world a portion worthy of you, he would not even you to a gift of dirt & clay, nay he will not give you Esa…'s portion, but reserves the inheritance of Jacob for you: are ye not well married now? have you not a good husband now? my heart cannot expresse what sad nights I have for the virgin daughter of my people: woe is me for our time is coming, Ezek. 7: 10. behold the day, behold it is come, the morning hath gone forth, the rod hath blossomed, pride hath bu…ded, violence is risen up in a rod of wickedness, the sun is gone down upon our prophets: A drie wind upon Scotland, but neither to fan nor to cleanse; but out of all question when the Lord hath cut down his forrest, the after-growth of Lebanon shall flourish, they shall plant vines in our mountains, and a cloud shall yet fill the Temple. Now the blessing of our dearest Lord Jesus, & the blessing of him that is seperat from his brethren come upon you.
Yours at Aberden the prisoner of Christ, S. R.
To the honourable & truly noble lady, the VICOUNTESSE of KENMURE. (7)
MADAM.
GRace, mercy & peace be to your La: I long to hear from you, I am here waiting if a good wind long-looked for, sha… at length blow in Christs sailes in this land: But I wonder if Jesus be not content, to suffer more yet in his members, & cause, & beauty of his house; rather then he should not be avenged upon this land: I hear many worthy men (who see more in the Lords dealing, then I can take up with my dim sight) are of a contrait minde, & doe beleeve the Lord is coming home again to his house in Scotland: I hope he is on his journey that way, yet I look not, but that he shall feed this land, with their own blood, before he establish his throne amongst us: I know your Honour is not looking after things here-away, ye have no great cause to think, that your stock, & principall, is under the roof of these visible heavens: & I hope ye would think your self a beguiled and co…sened Soul if it were so, I would be sorry to counsell your La: to make a covenant with time, & this life; but rather desire you to hold in fair generals, & far off, from this ill founded heaven that is on this side of the water. It speaketh some what, when our Lord bloweth the bloome off our daft hopes in this life, & loppeth the branches of our worldly joyes well nigh the root, on purpose, that they should not thrive. Lord spill my fools heaven in this life, that I may be saved for ever. A forfeiture of the saints part of the yolke and marrow, of short-laughing happinesse worldly; is not such a real evil, as our blinded eyes doe conceive: I am thinking long now for some deliverance, more then before; but I know I am in an errour: It is possible I am not come to that measure of triall, that the Lord is seeking in his work. If my friends in Galloway would effectualy doe for my deliverance, I would exceedingly rejoyce: but I know not, but the Lord hath a way, whereof he will be the only reaper of praises. Let me know with the bearer, how the childe is, the Lord be his Father, & Tutour, & your onelyonly comforter: There is nothing here where I am, but profanitie & atheisme. Grace, grace be with your La.
Aberd. Feb. 13. 1637. Your La: at all oblidged obedience in Christ, S. R.