Letters in Two Parts, Part 2 · LETTER 23 – LETTER 24
To my Lady KENMURE. (23.)
MADAM.
I Received your La; letter from I. G. I thank our Lord, ye are as well, at least as one may be, who is not come home: it is a mercy in this stormy sea to get a second wind, for none of the saints get a first, but they must take the winds as the Lord of the seas causeth them to blow, & the Inne as the Lord & Master of the Innes hath ordered it: if contentment were here, heaven were not heaven: Who ever seek the world to be their bed, shall at best finde it short & ill made, & a stone under their side to hold them waking rather then a soft pillow to sleep upon: Ye ought to bless your Lord that it is not worse: we live in a sea where many have suffered ship wrack, and have need that Christ sit at the helm of the ship: it is a mercy to win to heaven, though with much hard toil & heavy labour, & to take it by violence ill & well as it may be: better goe swimming & wet through our waters, then drown by the way; especially now when Truth suffereth, & great men bid Christ sit lower & contract himself in less bounds, as if he took too much room. I expect our new Prelate shall try my sitting: I hang by a threed, but it is (if I may speak so] of Christ's spinning, there is no quarrel more honest or honourable, then to suffer for truth: but the worst is, that this Kirk is like to sink, & all her lovers & friends stand afar off, none mourn with her & none mourn for her. But the Lord Jesus will not be put out of his conquest so soon in Scotland; it will be seen, the Kirk & Truth will rise again within three dayes, & Christ again shall ride upon his white horse, howbeit his horse seem now to stumble, yet he cannot fall: the fulness of Christ's harvest in the end of the earth is not yet come in. I speak not this because I would have it so, but upon better grounds then my naked liking: but enough of this sad subject. I long to be fully assured of your La: welfare & that your soul prospereth, especially now in your solitary life, when your comforts outward are few, & when Christ hath you for the very uptaking. I know, his love to you is still running over, & his love hath not so bad a memory as to forget you, & your dear childe, who hath two fathers in heaven, the one the Ancient of dayes: I trust in his mercy, he hath something laid up for him above, however it may goe with him here, I know it is long since your La: saw this world turned your step-mother & did forsake you. Madam, ye have reason to take in good part a lean dinner & spare diet in this life, seeing your large supper of the Lamb's preparing will recompense all. let it goe, which was never yours, but onelyonly in sight, not in property: the time of your loan will wear shorter & shorter, & time is measured to you by ounce-weights: & then I know, your hope shall be a full ear of corn & not blasted with wind: it may be your joy, that your anchor is up within the vail, & that the ground it is cast upon, is not false but firm. God hath done his part, I hope ye will not deny to fish & fetch home all your love to himself, & it is but too narrow & short for him, if it were more: if ye were before pouring all your love [if it had been many gallons more] in upon your Lord, if drops fell by in the in-pouring, he forgiveth you: he hath done now all that can be done, to win beyond it all, & hath left little to wooe your love from himself, except one onelyonly childe: what is his purpose herein, he knoweth best, who hath taken your soul in tutouring: Your faith may be boldly charitable of Christ, that however matters goe, the worst shall be a tired traveller, & a joyfull & sweet welcome-home: the back of your winter-night is broken: Look to the East, the day skie is breaking: think not that Christ loseth time or lingereth unsutably. O fair, fair, & sweet morning! We are but here as sea-passengers, if we look right, we are upon our countrey-coast, our Redeemer is fast coming to take this old worm-eaten world, like an old moth-eaten garment, in his two hands, & to roll it up & lay it by him. These are the last dayes, & an oath is given, Rev. 10. by God himself, that Time shall be no more: & when Time it self is old & gray-haired, it were good we were away. Thus, Madam, ye see I am, as my custom is, tedious in my lines: your La: will pardon it. The Lord Jesus be with your spirit.
Anwoth. January. 18. 1636. Your La: at all obedience in Christ. S. R.
To my Lady KENMURE. (24)
Right honourable.
I Cannot finde time for writing some things I intended on Iob, I have been so taken up with the broils that we are incumbered with in our calling: for our Prelat will have us either to swallow our light over & digest it contrary to our stomacks, howbeit we should vomit our conscience & all, in this troublesom Conformity; or then he will try if Deprivation can convert us to the Ceremonial faith. I write to your La: Madam, not as distrusting your affection or willingnesse to help me, as your La: is able by your self or others, but to advertise you, that I hang by a small threed: for our learned Prelat, because we cannot see with his eyes, so far in a mil-stone as his light doeth, will not follow his Master, meek Jesus, who waiteth upon the wearied & short-breathed in the way to heaven: & where all see not alike & some are weaker, he carrieth the lambs in his bosom, & leadeth gently these that are with young. But we must either see all the evill of Ceremonies to be but as indifferent strawes, or suffer no loss then to be easten our of the Lord's inheritance. Madam, if I had time, I would write more at length, but your La: will pardon me till a fitter occasion. Grace be with you and your childe, and bear you company to your best home.
Anwoth. June. 8. 1636. Your La: in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.