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my foul, fo as I am in a fever for want of real prefence. 3. An exceffive defire to take instruments in God's name, that this is Chrift and his truth I now fuffer for, yea, the apple of the eye of Christ's honour, even the fovereignty and royal privileges of our King and Law-giver, Chrift: and therefore let no man fear at Chrift's crofe, or raife an ill report upon him, or it; for he beareth the fufferer and it both.. I am here troubled with the disputes of the great doctors (especially with D. B. in ceremonial and Arminian controverfies, for all are corrupt here) but, I thank God, with no detriment to the truth, or difcredit to my profeffion. So then, I fee that Christ can triumph in a weaker man than I; and who can be more weak? but his grace is fufficient for me. Brother, remember our old covenant, and pray for me, and write to me your cafe. The Lord Jesus be with your spirit.

Aberdeen, March 13. 1637.

Dear brother,

Yours in his fweet Lord

115. To JOHN MEINE.

Jefus, S. R.

GRace, mercy and peace be unto you. I wonder ye fent me

not answer to my last letter, for I ftand in need of it: I am in fome piece of court with our great King, whose love would cause a dead man speak and live: whether my court will continue or not, I cannot well fay; but I have his ear frequently, and (to his glory only I fpeak it) nó penury of the love-kiffes of the Son of God. He thinketh good to caft apples to me in my prifon to play withal, left I should think long and faint; I must give over all attempts to fathom the depth of his love: all I can do is, but to ftand befide his great love, and look and wonder. My debts of thankfulness affright me; I fear my creditor get a dyvour bill and ragged account. I would be much the better of help; O for help! and that ye would take notice of my cafe. Your not writing to me maketh me think, ye suppose that I am not to be bemoaned, because he iscomfortable; but I have pain in my unthankfulness, and pain in the feeling of his love, while I am fick again for real prefence, and real poffeffion of Chrift; yet there is no gouked (if I may fo fpeak) nor fond love in Chrift: he cafteth me down fometimes for old faults; and I know he knoweth well, that fweet comforts are fwelling; and therefore forrow must make a vent to the wind. My dumb Sabbaths are undercutting wounds. The condition ofthis oppressed kirk and my brother's cafe (I thank you and your wife for your kindnefs to him) hold my fore smarting, and keep my wounds bleeding: but the ground-work ftandeth fure. Pray for me. Grace

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be with you. Remember me to your wife.

Aberdeen, March 14.

1637.

Yours in his fweet Lord

Jefus, S. R.

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116. To Mr. THOMAS GARVEN.

Reverend and dear brother,

Blefs

you for your letter: it was a fhower to the new mown grafs. The Lord hath given you the tongue of the learned, be fruitful and hamble. It is poffible ye come to my cafe, or the like; but the water is neither fo deep, nor the stream so strong, as it is called. I think my fire is not fo hot, my water dry land, my lofs rich lofs. O but the walls of my prifon be high, wide and large, and the place fweet! no man knoweth it, no man, I fay, knoweth it, (my dear brother) fo well as he and I: no man can put it down in black and white as my Lord hath fealed it in my heart. My poor stock is grown fince I came to Aberdeen: and if any had known the wrong I did, in being jealous of fuch an honeft love as Chrift, who with-held not his love from me, they would think the more of it; but I fee, he must be above me in mercy: I will never strive with him: to think to recompenfe him is folly. If I had as many angels tongues, as there have fallen drops of rain fince the creation, or as there are leaves of trees in all the forefts of the earth, or ftars in the heaven, to praife; yet my Lord Jefus would ever be behind with me: we will never get our accompts fitted; a pardon must close the reckoning: for his comforts to me in this honourable caufe have almost put me beyond the bounds of modefty; howbeit I will not let every one know what is betwixt us. Love, love (I mean Christ's love) is the hottest coal that ever I felt: O but the fmoke of it be hot! Caft all the falt fea on it, it will flame; hell cannot quench it : many, many waters will not quench love. Chrift is turned over to his poor prifoner in a mafs and globe of love: I wonder he fhould waste so much love upon fuch a waster as I am: but he is no wafter, but abundant in mercy: he hath no niggard's alms, when he is pleased to give. O that I could invite all the nation to love him! Free grace is an unknown thing: this world hath heard but a bare name of Chrift, and no more there are infinite plyes in his love, that the faints will never win to unfold; I would it were better known, and that Chrift got more of his own due than he doth. Brother, ye have chofen the good part, who have taken part with Christ: ye will fee him win the field, and ye shall get part of the spoil when he divideth it. They are but fools who laugh at us: for they fee but the backfide of the moon; yet our moon-light is better than their twelve hours fun: we have gotten the new heavens, and, as a pledge of that, the. Bridegroom's

Epift. 117. Bridegroom's love ring: the children of the wedding-chamber have caufe to skip, and leap for joy; for the marriage fupper is drawing nigh, and we find the four-hours fweet and comfortable. O time, be not flow? O fun, move fpeedily and haften our banquet! O Bridegroom, be like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountains! O Well-beloved, run faft, that we may once meet! Brother, I contain myself, for want of time. Pray for me: I hope to remember you. The good will of him who dwelt in the bush, the tender mercies of God in Christ, enrich you. Grace be with you.

Aberdeen, March 14. 1636.

Worthy fifter,

Yours in his fweet Lord

117. TO BETHAIA AIR D.

Jefus, S. R.

Grace, mercy and peace be unto you. I know ye on,

defire news

news. At my firft en

Old

from my prifon, and I fhall fhew you news. try hither, Chrift and I agreed not well upon it: the devil made a plea in the houfe, and I laid the blame upon Chrift; for my heart was fraught challenges, and I feared that I was an outcaft, and that I was but a withered tree in the vineyard, and but held the fun of the good plants, with my idle fhadow, and therefore my Master hath given the evil fervant the fields to fend him. guiltinefs (as witnefs) faid, all is true: my apprehenfions were with child of faithlefs fears, and unbelief put a feal and amen to all. I thought myself in a hard cafe: fome faid, I had cause to rejoice, that Chrift had honoured me to be a witness for him; and I faid in my heart, These are words of men, who fee but mine out- fide, and cannot tell if I be a falfe witness or not. If Christ had in this matter been as wilful and fhort as I was, my faith had gone over the brae, and broken its neck; but we were well met, a hafty fool, and a wife, patient and meek Saviour: he took no law-advantage of my folly, but waited on till my ill blood was fallen, and my drumbled and troubled well began to clear; he was never a whit angry at the fever-ravings of a poor tempted finner: but he mercifully forgave, and came (as it well becometh him) with grace and new comfort, to a finner who de ferveth the contrary. And now he is content to kifs my black mouth, to put his hand in mine, and to feed me with as many confolations, as would feed ten hungry fouls! yet I dare not fay, he is a wafter of comforts, for no lefs would have born me up; one grain-weight lefs would have caften the balance. Now, who is like to that royal King, crowned in Zion Where will I get a feat for royal Majefty, to fet him on? If I could fet him as far above the heaven as thoufand thousands of heights devifed

by

169 by men and angels, I would think him but too low. I pray you, for God's fake, my dear fifter, help me to praife: his love hath neither brim nor bottom; his love is like himself, it paffeth all natural understanding: I go to fathom it with my arms, but it is as if a child would take the globe of fea and land in his two fhort arms: bleffed and holy'is his name! This must be his truth I now fuffer for; for he would not laugh upon a lie, nor be witnefs with his comforts to a night dream. Iiatreat for your prayers; and the prayer and bleffing of a prifoner of Chrift be upon you. Grace be with you.

Aberd. March 14. 1637.

Yours in his fweet Lord
Jefus, S. R.

118. To ALEXANDER GORDON of Knockgray.

Dear brother,

Have not leisure to write to you: Chrift's ways were known

to you, long before I (who am but a child) knew any thing of him. What wrong and violence the prelates may, by God's permiffion, do unto you, for your trial, I know not; but this I know, that your ten days tribulation will end: contend to the laft breath for Chrift. Banifhment out of thefe kingdoms is de termined against me, as I hear; this land do not bear me: I pray you, recommend my cafe and bonds to my brethren and fifters, with you; and I intruft more of my fpiritual comfort to you and them, that way, my dear brother, than to many in this kingdom befides. I hope ye will not be wanting to Chrift's prifoner. Fear nothing, for I affure you, Alexander Gordon of Knockgray fhall win away, and get his foul for a prey: and what can he then want that is worth the having? Your friends are cold (as ye write) and fo are thefe, in whom I trusted much : our husband doth well in breaking our idols in pieces: dry wells fend us to the fountain. My life is not dear to me, fo being I may fulfil my courfe with joy. I fear you must remove, if new hireling will not bear your discountenancing of him; for the prelate is afraid Chrift get you, and that he hath no will of. Grace be with you.

Aberd. 1647.

your

Yours in his fweet Lord and Mafter, S. R.

119. To JOHN FLEMING, Bailie of Leith. Worthy and dearly beloved in our Lord,

Grace, Yould fatisfy your defires, in drawing up, and framing for you a Chriftian direction: but the learned have done it before me, more judiciously than I can; efpecially Mr. Rodg ers, Greenham, and Perkins: notwithftanding, I fhall fhew you

Race, mercy and peace be unto you. I received your letter:

Y

what

Epift. 119. what I would have been at myself (howbeit I came always short of my purpose.) 1. That hours of the day, lefs or more time, for the word and prayer, be given to God, not fparing the twelfth hour or mid-day, howbeit it fhould then be the fhorter time.

2.

In the midst of worldly employments, there would be fome thoughts of fin, judgment, death and eternity, with a word or two of ejaculatory prayer (at least) to God. 3. To beware of wandering of heart, in private prayers. 4. Not to grudge, howbeit ye. come from prayer without fenfe of joy: down-cafting, fense of guiltinefs, and hunger is often beft for us. 5. That the Lord's day, from morning to night, be spent always, either in private or publick worship. 6. That words be obferved, wandering and idle thoughts be avoided, fudden anger and defire of revenge, even of fuch as perfecute the truth, be guarded againft; for we often mix our zeal with our wild fire. 7. That known, difcovered and revealed fins, that are against the confcience be iffued, as moft dangerous preparatives to hardness of heart. 8. That in dealing with men, faith and truth in covenants and trafficking be regarded, that we deal with all men in fincerity, that confcience be made of idle and lying words; and that our carriage be fuch, as that they who fee it may fpeak honourably of our fweet Mafter and profeffion. 9. I have been much challenged, 1. For not referring all to God, as the laft end; that I do not eat, drink, fleep, journey, fpeak and think for God. 2. That I have not benefited by good company; and that I left not fome word of conviction, even upon natural and wicked men, as by reproving fwearing in them, or because of being a filent witnefs to their loose carriage, and because I intended not in all companies to do good. 3. That the woes and calamities of the kirk, and particular profeffors, have not moved me. 4.That at the reading of the life of David, Paul, and the like, when it humbled me, I (coming fo far fhort of their holiness) laboured not to imitate them, afar off at least, àccording to the measure of God's grace. 5. That unrepented fins of youth were not looked to, and lamented for. 6. That fudden ftirrings of pride, luft, revenge, love of honours, were not refifted and mourned for. 7. That my charity was cold. 8. That the experiences I had, of God's hearing me in this and the other particular, being gathered, yet in a new trouble I had always (once at leaft) my faith to feek, as if I were to begin at A, B, C. again. 9, That I have not more boldly contradicted the enemies, fpeaking against the truth, either in public church-meetings, or at tables, or ordinary confer 10. That in great troubles, I have received falfe reports of Chrift's love, and misbelieved him in his chaftening; whereas the event hath faid, All was in mercy. II. Nothing more

ence.

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