Letters in Two Parts, Part 2 · LETTER 59 – LETTER 60
To the worthy & much honoured Collonel G. KER. (59)
Much honoured & worthy Sir.
IT is considerable; that the Lord may, & often doeth call to a work, & yet hide himself, & try the faith of his own: If I conceive aright, the Lord hath called you to act against that enemy, & the withdrawers of their sword, in my weak apprehension, adde their seale unto, & take upon them the guilt of that unjust invasion of this Land, made by Cromwel's Army, & of the blood of the Lord's people in this Kingdom; since the sword put into the hand of his Children is to execute wrath & vengeance upon evil doers: the Lord's time of appearing for his broken Land, is reserved to the breathings of the Spirit of the Lord, such as came upon Gideon & Sampson, & that is an Act of princely & royal soveraignity in God: Ye are, Sir, to lay hold on opportunities of providence & to wait for him. As for your parcular treating by your selves with the invaders of our land, I have no minde to it, & doe look upon their way as a carriyng on of the mystery of iniquity [for Babylon is a seat of many names] Sir, let this controversie stand undecided till the second appearance of Jesus Christ, & our Appeal lye before the throne undiscussed till that day: I hope to lie down in the grave, in the faith of the justnesse of our cause: I speak nothing of the mantaining the greatnesse of men, not subordinate to the Prince of the Kings of the earth: I Judge that the blood of the witnesses of Jesus is found upon the skirts of this society; asweel as in Babylons skirts: I beleeve the way of the Lord is Col: Gilbert Ker's strength, & glory, & should be countent to want my part of him (which is, I confesse, precious & dear in Christ) so, he be spent in the service of him, who will anone make inquisition for the blood of the truely godly, which these men have shedafter fair warning that they were the godly of Scotland. Worthy Sir, beleeve, faint not, set your shoulder under the glory of Jesus, that is misprised in Scotland, & give a testimony for him, he hath many names in Scotland who shall walk with him in white: This despised Covenant shall ruine Malignants, Sectaries & Atheis…s: Yet a little while & behold he cometh, & walketh in the greatnesse of his strength, & his garments dyed with blood. Oh for the sad & terrible day of the Lord upon England, their ships of Tarshish, their fenced Cities, &c. because of a broken Covenant! A conference with the & enemy, not to hinder Acting [O that the Lord would thereby or some other way remove the cloud that is over you] if authority would concurre, were to be desired, but it can hardly be exspected; however in the way of duty & in the silence of faith goe on, if ye perish, ye are the first of the creation with whom the Lord hath taken that dispensation. I should humbly advise you Sir, to look to that, Dying & behold we live, killed all the day long, & yet more then conquerours. There shall be the heat & warmenesse of life in your graves, & buried bones: But look not for the Lord's coming the higher way onelyonly, for he may come the lower way: O how little of God doe we see, & how mysterious is he! Christ known is amongst the greatest secrets of God: Keep your self in the love of God, & in order to that, as far in obedience & subjection to the King (whose salvation & true happinesse my soul desireth) & to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, & to the foundamentall lawes of this kingdom, as your Lord requireth. Sir, ye are in the hearts & prayers of the Lord's people in this kingdom, & in the other two: The Lord hath said, There is a blessing in the cluster of graps, destroy it not. Grace, grace be upon the head of him that is separated from his brethren, & the goodwill of him that dwelt in the bush be with you.
Perth 23. Nov. 1650. Your servant in his sweet Lord Iesus, S. R.
To the worthy & much honoured, Collonel G. KER. (60.)
Much honoured & worthy Sir.
I know not why the people of God should not take notice of the bonds of any, who have blood in readinesse to be let out for his cause: And I judge it was not of you, that ye died not in the undecided controversie, which the Lord of the whole earth hath with the men, whom he hath sent against us. Dear & much honoured in the Lord, Let me intreat you to be far from the thoughts of leaving this Land: I see it, & finde it, that the Lord hath covered the whole land with a cloud in his anger; but though I have been tempted to the like, I had rather be in Scotland, beside angry Jesus Christ, knowing he mindeth no evil to us; then in any Eden or garden in the earth: If we can remain united with the Lord's remant in the land, he layeth up wrath for all sort of Adversaries in Britain: Though I never see the glory of his glistering sword shining in Britain, I would be solaced in the innocent thoughts [far from revenge] that the saints shall dip their feet in the blood of the s…ain of the Lord: & truely Sir, I suppose, ye cannot but come to these thoughts & weak desires, before the hearer of prayers, for as little as ye think of, & value your self: for me, if I could minde you in your bonds, I purpose not to stand to the account ye give, or thoughts ye have, of your self; though I know ye are not in a whit more or lesse before him (who weigheth his own according to the weight of imputed righteousnesse,] for my apprehensions. Christ cannot mistake you men may, & the calculation & esteem of free grace maketh you to be what ye are. I hope to see you an everlastingly obliged debter to him, whom ye shall praise, but never pay: And truely, ye have no riches but that debt, and I know ye Love to be ingaged to Jesus Christ, the most excellent of creditors: much joy & sweetnesse may ye have in standing written in his book: I desire to doe it my self, & I would have you also, highly to esteem the designe of Christ, who hath raised the riches of the glory of so much grace, above the Circle of the heaven of heavens out of very nothings, & contrived his thoughts of love, so, that' lumps of glorified clay, should stand before him for all ages, the burdenes & loaden debters of free, eternally free grace. Sir, ye cannot cast the count of the rents of your so great inheritance of glory. Grace be with you.
Edinb: May. 18. 1651. Your servant in his own Lord Iesus, S. R.