Letters in Two Parts, Part 1 · LETTER 91 – LETTER 96
To JONET KENNEDY. (91)
MISTRESS.
GRace, mercy & peace be unto you: Ye are not a little obliged to his rich grace who hath separat you for himself, & for the promised inheritance with the saints in light, from this condemned & guilty world: Hold fast Christ, contend for him, it is a lawfull plea to goe to holding & drawing for Christ; & it is not possible to keep Christ peaceably, having once gotten him, except the devil were dead. It must be your resolution to set your face against Satan's northern tempests & stormes for salvation: Nature would have heaven come sleeping to us in our beds: we would all buy Christ, sobeing we might make price our selves; but Christ is worth more blood & lives then either ye or I have to give him. When we shall come home & enter to the possession of our brother's fair kingdom, & when our heads shall finde the weight of the eternall crown of glory, & when we shall look back to pains & sufferings; then shall we see life, & sorrow, to be less then one step or stride from a prison to glory: & that our little inch of time-suffering is not worthy of our first night's welcome-home to heaven. O what then will be the weight of every one of Christ's kisses! O how weighty & of what worth shall every one of Christ's love-smiles be! O when once he shall thrust a wearied traveller's head betwixt his blessed breasts, the poor soul shall think one kiss of Christ hath fully paid home fourtie or fiftie yeers wet feet, & all it's sore hearts & light sufferings it had in following after Christ! O thrice blinded souls whose hearts are charmed & betwitched with dreams, shadows, feckless things, night-vanities & night fancies of a miserable life of sin! Shame on us who sit still fettered with the love & liking of the loan of a piece dead clay. O poor fools who are beguiled with painted things & this world's fair weather & smooth promises, & rotten worm-eaten hopes! may not the devil laugh to see us give out our souls & get in but corrupt & counterfeit pleasures of sin. O for a sight of eternity's glory, & a little tasting of the Lamb's marriage-supper! halt a draught or a drop of the wine of consolations that is up in our banquetting house, out of Christ's own hand would make our stomacks loath the brown bread & the sowre drink of a miserable life. O how far are we berest or wit, to chase & hunt & run, till our souls be out of breath after a condemned happiness of our own making! & doe we not sit far in our own light, to make it a matter of bairns-play to skink & drink over paradise & the heaven that Christ did sweat for, even for a blast of smoke & for Esau's morning break-fast? O that we were out of ourselves & dead to this world, & this world dead & crucified to us, & then we should be close out of love & conceit of any masked & fairded lover whatsoever: then Christ would win & conquer to himself a lodging in the inmost yolk of our heart: then Christ should be our night-song & our morning-song: then the very noise & din of our welbeloved's feet when he cometh, & his first knock or rap, at the door should be as the newes of two heavens to us. Oh that our eyes & our soul's-smelling should goe after a blasted & sun-burnt flower, even this plaistered fair out-sided world, & then we have neither eye nor smell for the flower of I…sse, for that plant of renown, for Christ the choisest, the fairest, the sweetest rose that ever God planted! O let some of us die to feel the smell of him, & let my part of this rotten world be forfeited & sold for evermore, providing I may anchor my tottering soul upon Christ! I know it is sometimes at this, Lord, what wilt thou have for Christ? But O Lord canst thou be budded or propined with any gift for Christ? O Lord, can Christ be sold, or rather may not a poor needy sinner have him for nothing? If I can get no more, O let me be pained to all eternity with longing for him. The joy of hungring for Christ, should be my heaven for evermore. Alas that I cannot draw souls & Christ together: but I desire the coming of his Kingdō, & that Christ [as I assuredly hope he shall] would come upon withered Scotland as rain upon the new mowen grass. O let the king come! O let his Kingdom come! O let their eyes rot in their eye holes who will not receive him home again to reign & rule in Scotland! Grace, grace be with you.
Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord. Iesus, S. R.
To his Reverend & Dear Brother, Mr DAVID DICKSON. (92)
Reverend & dearest. Brother.
WHat joy have I out of heaven's gates, but that my Lord Jesus be glorified in my bonds? Blessed be ye of the Lord who contribut any thing to my obliged & indebted praises: dear Brother help me a poor dyvour to pay the interest, for I cannot come nigh to render the principall: It is not jest nor sport which maketh me to speak & write as I doe: I never before came to that nick or pitch of a communion with Christ that I have now attained unto, for my confirmation. I have been these two Sabbaths or three in privat, taking instruments in the name of God, that my Lord Jesus & I have kissed each other in Aberden, the house of my pilgrimage: I seek not an apple to play me with he knoweth, whom I serve in the spirit but a seal; I but beg earnest, & am content to suspend & frist glory while supper time: I know this world will not last with me; for my moon-light is noon-day light, & my four-hours above my feasts when I was a preacher; at which times also, I was embraced very often in his armes: But who can blame Christ to take me on behinde him [if I may say so] on his white horse or in his chariot paved with love through a water: Will not a father take his little dated Davie in his armes, & carry him over a ditch or a mire? my short legs could not step over this laire or sinking mire & therefore my L: Jesus will bear me thorow: If a change come & a dark day, so being that he will keep my faith without flaw or crack, I dare not blame him; howbeit I get no more while I come to heaven: But ye know the physick behooved to have sugar, my faith was fallen a swoon, and Christ but held up a swooning man's head: Indeed I pray not for a Dâted Bairn's diet, he knoweth I would have Christ sowre or sweet; any way. sobeing it be Christ indeed: I stand not now upon paired apples or sugared dishes; but I cannot blame him to give, & I must gape and make a wide mouth: since Christ will not pantry-up joyes, he must be welcome who will not bide away: I seek no other fruit but that he may be glorified: he knoweth, I would take hard fare to have his name set on high. I bless you for your counsel: I hope to live by faith and swim without a masse or bundle of joyfull sense under my chinne; at lest to venture albeit I should be ducked. Now for my case I think the Councel should be essayed, and the event referred to God: Duties are ours and events are God's. I shall goe through yours upon the Covenant at leisure, & write to you my minde thereanent; & anent the Arminian Contract betwixt the father & the son. I beseech you set to, to goe through scripture: yours on the Hebrews is in great request with all who would be acquaint with Christ's Testament. I purpose God willing to set about Hosea & to try if I can get it to the presse here. It refresheth me much that ye are so kind to my brother, I hope your counsel shall doe him good, I recommend him to you, since I am so far from him: I am glad that the dying servant of God, famous and faithfull Mr Cuninghame sealed your ministry before he fell asleep: Grace, grace be with you.
Aberd. March. 7. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus. S. R.
To the Much honoured WILLIAM RIGGE of Athernie. (93)
Much honoured Sir.
GRace, mercy & peace be to you: I received your longlooked-for & short letter; I would ye had spoken more to me who stand in need: I finde Christ as ve write ay the longer the better, & therefore cannot but rejoyce in his salvation, who hath made my chains my wings, & hath made me a King over my crosses & over my adversaries: glory, glory, glory to his high, high & holy name: Not one ounce, not one grain-weight more is laid on me, then he hath enabled me to bear: And I am not so much wearied to suffer as Sion's haters are to persecute. Oh if I could finde a way in any measure to strive to be even with Christ's love, but that I must give over! Oh who would help a dyvour to pay praises to the King of saints, who triumpheth in his weak servants? I see if Christ but ride upon a worm, or a feather, his horse will neither stumble nor fall: The worm Jacob is made by him a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth to thresh the mountains, & beat them small, & to make the hills as chaff & to fan them, so as the wind shall carry them away, & the whirlwind shall scatter them. Isa. 41: 14, 15, 16. Christ's enemies are but breaking their own heads in pieces upon the rock laid in Zion, & the stone is not removed out of it's place: Faith hath cause, to take courage from our very afflictions, the devil is but a whet-stone to sharpen the faith & patience of the saints: I know he but heweth & polisheth stones all this time for the new Jerusalem: But in all this, three things have much moved me, since it hath pleased my Lord to turn my moon light into day-light. First, he hath yoked me to work, to wrestle with Christ's love of longing, wherewith I am sick, pained, fainting & like to die, because I cannot get himself, which I think a strange sort of desertion; for I have not himself [whom if I had my love-sickness would coole & my fever goe away, at least I should know the heat of the fire of complacencie, which would coole the scorching heat of the fire of desire] & yet I have no penurie of his love, & so I dwin, I die, & he seemeth not to rue on me. I take instruments in his hand that I would have him; but I cannot get him, & my best chear is black hunger: I blesse him for that feast. Secondly, old challenges now & then revive & cast all down, I goe halting & sighing, fearing there be an unseen processe yet coming out, & that heavier then I can answer: I cannot read distinctly my Surtie's act of cautionrie for me in particular, & my discharge; & sense rather then faith assureth me of what I have: So unable am I to goe but by an hold. I could [with reverence of my Lord] forgive Christ, if he would give me as much faith as I have hunger for him: I hope the pardon is now obtained, but the peace is not so sure to me as I would wish: Yet, one thing I know; there is not a way to heaven but the way he hath graced me to professe & suffer for. Thirdly, woe, woe is me for the virgin daughter of Scotland and for the fearfull desolation & wrath appointed for this land; And yet all are sleeping, eating and drinking, laughing and sporting, as if all were well. Oh our dim gold, our dumb, blinde pastors, the sun is gone down upon them, and our Nobles bid Christ send for himself if he be Christ: It were good we should learn in time the way to our strong hold. Sir howbeit not acquainted remember my love to your wife, I pray God establish you.
Aberd. March. 9 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.
To JOHN EWART Bailiffe of Kirkcudbright. (94)
My very worthy & dear Friend.
I Cannot but most kindly thank you for the expressions of your love: your love & respect to me is a great comfort to me. I blesse his high & glorious name that the terrors of great men, have not affrighted me from open avouching of the Son of God; nay his cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bare: It is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or sailes to a ship to carry me forward to my harbour. I have not much cause to fall in love with the world; but rather to wish that he who sitteth upon the floods would bring my broken ship to Land, & keep my conscience safe in these dangerous times: for wrath from the Lord is coming on this sinfull Land. It were good that we prisoners of hope knew of our strong hold to run to, before the storm come on: Therefore Sir I beseech you by the mercies of God and comforts of his Spirit, by the blood of your Saviour, & by your compearance before the sin-revenging Judge of the world, keep your garments clean & stand for the truth of Christ, which ye professe: When the time shall come that your eye strings shall break, your face wax pale, your breath grow cold, & this house of clay shall totter, & your one foot shall be over the march in eternity, it shall be your comfort & joy that ye gave your name to Christ. The greatest part of the world think heaven at the next door, & that Christianity is an easie task; but they will be beguiled. Worthy Sir, I beseech you make sure work of salvation: I have found by experience that all I could doe, hath had much adoe in the day of my trial; & therefore lay up a sure foundation for the time to come. I cannot requite you for your your undeserved favours to me & my nowafflicted brother; but I trust to remember you to God: remember me heartily to your kinde wife.
Aberd. March. 13. 1637. Yours in his onelyonly Lord Iesus. S. R.
To VVILLIAM FULLERTON. Provest of Kirkcudbright. (95)
Much honoured Sir.
GRace, mercy and peace be to you: I am obleiged to your love in God: I beseech you Sir let nothing be so dear to you as Christ's truth, for salvation is worth all the world; & therefore be not afraid of men that shall die: the Lord shall doe for you in your suffering for him, & shall blesse your house & seed, & ye have God's promise that ye shall have his presence in fire, water & in seven tribulations. Your day will wear to an end, & your sun goe down: in death it will be your joy that ye have ventured all ye have for Christ, & there is not a promise of heaven made but to such as are willing to suffer for it: it is a Castle taken by force. This earth is but the clay-portion of bastards, & therefore no wonder the world smile on it's own; but better things are laid up for hi… lawfully begotten bairnes; whō the world hateth: I have experience to speak this: for I would not exchange my prison & sad nights with the court, honour, & ease of my adversaries: My Lord is pleased to make many unknown faces to laugh upon me, & to provide a lodging for me: & he himself visiteth my soul with feasts of spiritual comforts. O how sweet a Master is Christ! Blessed are these who lay down all for him. I thank you kindly for your love to my distressed brother. Ye have the blessing & prayers of the prisoner of Christ to you, your Wife & Children. Remember my love & blessing to William & Samuel: I desire them in their youth to seek the Lord & fear his great name, to pray twice a day [at least] to God, & to read God's word, to keep themselves from cursing, lying & filthie talking. Now the onelyonly wise God & the presence of the Son of God be with you all.
Aberd. March. 13. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.
To the worthy & much honoured Mr ALEXANDER COLVILL, Of Blair. (96)
Much honoured Sir.
GRace, mercy & peace be to you: The bearer hereof M. R. F. is most kinde to me; I desire you to thank him: But none is so kinde as my onelyonly royal King & Master, whose cross is my garland: The King dineth with his prisoner & his spikenard casteth a smell: He hath led me up to such a pitch & nick of joyfull communion with himself, as I never knew before: When I look back to by-gones, I judge my self to have been a childe at A, B, C. with Christ. Worthy Sir, pardon me, I dare not conceal it from you, it is as a fire i… my bowels: In hi… pres…nce who seeth me I sp…ak it, I am pained, pained with the love of Christ; he hath made me sick & wounded me: Hunger for Christ out-runneth faith: I miss faith more then love. O if the three Kingdoms would come & see! O if they knew his kindness to my soul! It hath pleased him to bring me to this, that I will not strike sails to this world nor flatter it, nor adore this clay idol that fools worship: As I am now disposed, I think I will neither borrow nor lend with it; & yet I get my meat from Christ with nurture; for seven times a day I am lifted up & casten down. My dumb Sabbaths burthen my heart & make it bleed: I want not fearful challenges & jealousies sometimes of Christ's love, that he hath casten me over the dike of the vineyard as a dry tree: But this is my infirmity: By his grace I take my self in these ravings: It is kindly that faith & love both be sick, & fevers are kindly to most joyful communion with Christ. Ye are blessed who avouch Christ openly before the Princes of this Kingdom, whose eyes are upon you: It is your glory to lift him up on his throne, to carry his tr…in & bear up the hem of his robe royal: He hath an hiding place for M. A. C. against the storm: goe on & fear not what man can doe: The saints seem to have …he worst of it, [for apprehensions can make a lye of Christ & of his love] but it is not so: Providence is not rolled upon unequal & crooked wheels: All things work tog…ther for the good of these who love God & are called according to his purpose. Ere it be long we shall see the white side of God's Providence. My Brother's case hath moved me not a little: He wrote to me your care & kindness. Sir, the prisoner's blessings & prayers I trust shall not goe by you. He that is able to keep you & to present you before the presence of his face with joy, establish your heart in the love of Christ.
Aberd. 19. Febr. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.