Letters in Two Parts, Part 2 · LETTER 30
For Mistress PONT prisoner at Dublin. (30)
Worthy & dear Mistress.
GRace, mercy & peace be to you. The cause ye suffer for … your willingness to suffer, is ground enough of acquaintance, for me to write to you; although I doe confess my self unable to speak for a prisoner of Christ's encouragement. I know ye have advantage beyond us, who are not under suffering: for your sighing [Psal. 102. 20.] is a witten bill, for the ears of your Head, the Lord Jesus; & your breathing, Lam. 3. 51. and your looking up, Psal. 5. 3. & 69. 3. And therefore your meaning half spoken, half unspoken, will seek no jaylor's leave, but will goe to heaven without leave of Prelat or Deputy, & be heartily welcome: so that ye may sigh and gro…n out your mind to him who hath all the keyes of the King's three Kingdoms and dominions: I dare beleeve your hope shall not die; your trouble is a part of Zion's burning, and ye know who guides Zion's furnance, and who loves the ashes of his burnt Bride, because his servants love them, Psal. 102. 14. I beleeve your ashes, if ye were burnt for this cause, shall praise him: For the wrath of men & their malice shall make a psalm to praise the Lord, Psal. 76: 10. & therefore stand still & behold & see what the Lord is to doe for this Island; his work is perfect, Deut. 32: 4. the nations have not seen the last end of his work; his end is more fair & more glorious then the beginning. Ye have more honour then ye can be able to guide well, in that your bonds are made heavy for such an honourable cause. The seals of a controlled Gospel, & the seals by bonds & blood & sufferings, are not committed to every ordinary professour. Some that would back Christ honestly in summer-time, would but spill the beauty of the Gospel, if they were put to suffering. And therefore let us beleeve, that wisdom dispenseth to every one here as he thinks good who bears them up that bear the cross: & since our Lord hath put you to that part which was the flower of his own sufferings, we all expect that as ye have in the strength of our Captain begun, so ye will goe on without fainting. Providence maketh use of men & devils for the refining of all the vessels of God's house, small & great, & for doing of two works at once in you, both for smothing of a stone to make it take bond with Christ in Ierusalem's wall, & for witnessing to the glory of this reproached & born down Gospel, which cannot die though hell were made a grave about it. It shall be timous joy for you to divide joy betwixt you & Christ's laughing Bride, … these three Kingdoms: & what if your mourning continue till mystical Christ in Ireland & in Britain & ye laugh both together? your laughing & joy were the more blessed, that one sun should shine upon Christ, the Gospel, & you, laughing altogether, in these three Kingdoms. Your time is measured & your dayes & hours of suffering from eternity were by infinite wisdom considered: If heaven recompense not to your own minde inches of sorrow, then I must say that infinite mercy cannot get you pleased: but if the first kiss of the white and ruddy cheek of the standard, bearer and chief among ten thousand [Cant. 5: 10] shall over-pay your prison at Dublin in Ireland, then ye shall have no counts unanswered, to give in to Christ: if your faith cannot see a nearer term-day; yet let me charge your hope to give Christ a new day till eternity & time meet in one point: a payed summe, if ever payed, is payed, if no day be broken to the hungry creditour: take heaven's bond & subscribed obligation for the summe, Iohn 14. 3. If Hope can trust Christ, I know he can, & will pay: but when all is done & suffered by you, ten hundred deaths for lovely, lovely Jesus, is but eternitie's half penny; figures & ciphers cannot lay the proportion. O but the super-plus of Christ's glory is broad & large! Christ's Item's of eternal glory are hard & cumbersom to tell, & ifye borrow by faith & hope ten dayes or ten hundred years from that eternity of glory that abides you, ye are payed & more in your own hand. Therefore, O prisoner of hope, wait on! posting, hasting salvation sleeps not. Antichrist is bleeding & in the way to death, & he bites forest when he bleeds fastest. Keep your intelligence betwixt you & heaven, & your court with Christ: he hath in heaven the keyes of your prison, & can set you at liberty when he pleaseth: His rich grace support you. I pray you help me with your prayers. Grace be with you.
St Andrews 1640. Your brother in the patience & Kingdom of Iesus Christ, S. R.