and hold from coming nigh the figns of a confpiracy with thofe that are now come out againft Chrift; that ye may be one kept for Chrift only. I know your Ladyship thinketh upon this, and how you may be humbled for yourself and this backfliding land; for I avouch, that wrath from the Lord is gone out against Scotland. I think ay the longer the better of my royal and worthy Mafter he is become a new welbeloved to me now, in renewed confolations, by the prefence of the Spirit of grace and glory. Chrift's garments fmell of the powder of the merchant, when he cometh out of his ivory chambers: O his perfumed face, his fair face, his lovely and kindly kiffes, have made me a poor prifoner fee, there is more to be had of Chrift in this life, than I believed. We think all is but a little earnest, a four-hours, a fmall tasting, we have, or is to be had in this life; (which is true, compared with the inheritance) but yet I know, it is more, it is the kingdom of God within us. Wo, wo is me, that I have not ten loves for that one Lord Jefus; and that love faileth, and driveth up in loving him; and that I find no way to fpend my love defires, and the yolk of my heart, upon that fairest and dearest one: I am far behind with my narrow heart. O how ebb a foul have I to take in Chrift's love! for, let worlds be multiplied according to angels understanding, in millions, while they weary themselves; thefe worlds would not contain the thousandth part of his love. O if I could yoke in amongst the thick of angels, and feraphims, and now glorified faints, and could rife a new love-fong of Chrift, before all the world! I am pained with wondering at new-opened treasures in Chrift: if every finger, member, bone, and joint, were a torch burning in the hottest fire in hell, I would they could all fend out love praifes, high fongs of praife for evermore, to that plant of renown, to that royal and high Prince, Jefus my Lord: but alas! his love fwelleth in me, and findeth no vent; alas! what can a dumb prifoner do or fay for him? O for an engine to write a book of Chrift and his love! nay, I am left of him bound, and chained with his love; I cannot find a loofed foul to lift up his praises, and give them out to others. But oh my day-light bath thick clouds; I cannot fhine in his praifes. I am often like a fhip plying about to feek the wind; I fail at great leifure, and cannot be blown upon that loveliest Lord: oh if I could turn my fails to Chrift's right airth; and that I had my heart's wishes of his love! But, I but marr his praises; nay, I know no comparison of what Christ is, and what his worth is: all the angels, and all the glorified, praise him not so much as in halves; who can advance him, or utter all his praises? I want nothing; unknown faces favour me; enemies muft fpeak good of the truth; my Mafter's caufe purchafeth commendations. The hopes of my enlargement, from appearances, are cold: my faith hath no bed to N to fleep upon, but omnipotency. The good will of the Lord, and his sweetest presence, be with you and that child. Grace and peace be yours. Aberdeen, 1637. Your Ladyfbip's in all duty, in his fweet Lord Jefus, S. R. 9. To the Right Honourable and Chriftian Lady, The VISCOUNTESS of KENMURE Madam, GRace, mercy and peace be to your Ladyship. I would not omit to write a line with the Christian bearer, one in your Ladyfhip's own cafe, driven near to Christ, in and by her afRiction. I wish that my friends in Galloway forget me not; however it be, Chrift is fo good, that I will have no other tutor, fuppofe I could have wail and choice of ten thousand befide. I think now five hundred heavy hearts for him too little. I wish Christ, now weeping, suffering, and contemned of men, were more dear and defirable to many fouls than he is: I am fure, if the faints wanted Chrift's cross, so profitable and fo fweet, they might, for the gain and glory of it, wifh it were lawful, either to buy or borrow his crofs; but it is a mercy that the faints have it laid to their hand for nothing; for I know no fweeter way to heaven, than through free grace, and hard trials together; and one of thefe cannot well want another. O that time would post faster, and haften our looked for communion with that faireft, fairest among the fons of men! O that the day would favour us, and come, and put Christ and us in other's arms? I am fure a few years will do our turn, and the foldier's hour glafs will foon run out. Madam, look to your lamp, and look for your Lord's coming, and let your heart dwell aloof from that child. Christ's jeaJoufy will not admit two equal loves in your Ladyship's heart; he must have one, and that the greateft; a little one to a creature may, and must fuffice a foul married to him. 'Your Maker is your Husband,' Ifa. liv. I would wish you well, and my obligations these many years bygone fpeak no less to me; but more I can neither with, nor pray, nor defire for to your Ladyship, than Chrift fingled and wailed out from all created good things; or Chrift, howbeit wet in his own blood, and wearing a crown of thorns. I am fure, the faints, at their beft, are but ftrangers to the weight and worth of the incomparable sweetness of Christ. He is fo new, fo fresh in excellency, every day of new, to thofe that fearch more and more in him, as if heaven could furnish us as many new Chrifts (if I may fpeak fo) as there are days betwixt him and us, and yet he is one and the fame. Oh we love an unknown lover, when we love Chrift! Let me hear how the child is every way; the prayers of a prifoner of Christ be upon him. Yours in his fweet Lord Jefus, S. R. 10. To the Noble and Chriftian Lady, The VISCOUNTESS of KENMURE. N TOtwithstanding the great hafte of the bearer, I would bless your Ladyfhip in paper, defiring, that fince Chrift hath ever envied, that the world should have your love by him, that ye give yourself out for Christ, and that ye may be for no other. I know none worthy of you but Christ. Madam, I am either fuffering for Chrift, and this is either the fure and good way, or I have done with heaven, and will never see God's face (which, I blefs him, cannot be.) I write my bleffing to that fweet child, that ye have borrowed from God; he is no heritage to you, but a loan; love him as folks do borrowed things. My heart is heavy for you. They fay the kirk of Chrift hath neither fon, nor heir; and therefore her enemies fhall possess her; but I know fhe is not that ill friended, her Hufband is her heir, and fhe his heritage. If my Lord would be pleafed, I would defire fome were dealt with, for my return to Anwoth; but if that never be, I thank God, Anwoth is not heaven, preaching is not Chrift, I hope to wait on. Let me hear how the child is, and your Ladyfhip's mind and hopes of him; for it would eafe my heart to know that he is well. I am in good terms with Chrift; but oh my guiltinefs! yet he bringeth not pleas betwixt him and me to the Atreets, and before the fun. Grace, grace, for evermore be with your Ladyhip. Aberdeen, 1637 Your Ladyfbip's at all obedience in 11. To the Right Honourable and Chriftian Lady, My Lady VISCOUNTESS of KENMURE. Madam, GRACE, mercy and peace to you: 1 am refreshed with your letters. The right hand of him, to whom belong the iffues from death, hath been gracious to that fweet child: I do not, I do not forget him and your Ladyfhip in my prayers. Madam, for your own cafe, I love careful, and withal doing complaints of want of practice; because I obferve many, who think, it holiness enough to complain and fet themfelves at nothing, as if to fay, I am fick, would cure them; they think complaints a good charm for guiltinefs. I hope you are wrestling and struggling on, in this dead age, wherein folks have loft tongue, and legs, and arms, for Chrift. I urge upon you, Madam, a nearer communion with Chrift, and a growing communion. There are curtains to be drawn by, in Chrift, that we never faw, and new foldings of love in him. I defpair that ever I fhall win to the far end of that love, there are so many plies in it. Therefore dig deep; and fweat, and labour, and take pains for him; and fet by fo much time in the day for him as you can: he will be won with labour. I, his exiled prifoner, fought him, and he hath rued upon me, and hath made a moan for me, as he doth for his own, Jer. xxxi. 20. Ifa. xlv. 11. and I know not what to do with Chrift, his love furroundeth and furchargeth me. "I am burdened with it, but O how fweet and lovely is that burden! I do not keep it within me: I am fo in love with his love, that if his love were not in hea ven, I would be unwilling to go there. O what weighing and what telling is in Chrift's love! I fear nothing now fo much as the laughing of Chrift's crofs, and the love-fhowers that accompany it. I wonder what he meaneth to put fuch a flave at the board-head, at his own elbow. O that I should lack my black mouth to such a fair, fair, fair face as Chrift! but dare not refuse to be loved; the caufe is not in me why he hath looked upon me, and loved me, for he got neither budd nor hire of me, it cost me nothing, it is good cheap love. O the many pound weights of his love, under which I am fweetly preffed! Now, Madam, I perfuade you, the greatest part but play with Christianity, they put it by hand easily. I thought it had been an easy thing to be a Chriftian, and that to feek God had been at the next door; but oh the windings, the turnings, the ups and the downs, that he hath led me through; and I see yet much way to the foord: he fpeaketh with my reins in the night season; and in the morn ing, when I awake, I find his love-arrows, that he shot at me, fticking in my heart: who will help me to praife? who will come lift with me, and fet on high his great love? and yet I find, that a fire-flaught of challenges will come in at midfummer, and ques tion me; but it is only to keep a finner in order. As for friends, I fhall not think the world to be the world, if that well go not dry. I trust in God to use the world, as a canny or cunning mafter doth a knave-fervant (at least God give me grace to do fo) he giveth him no handling or credit, only he inftructeth him with common errands, wherein he cannot play the knave. I pray God, I may not give this world credit of my joys, and comforts, and confidence that were to put Chriff out of his office: nay, I counfel you, Madam, from a little experience, let Chrift keep the great feal, and entrust him fo, as to hang your veffels great and finall, fmall, and pin your burdens upon the nail faftened in David's house, Ifa. xxii. 23. Let me not be well, if ever they get the tutoring of my comforts: away, away with irrefponfal tutors, that would play me a flip, and then Chrift would laugh at me, and fay, Well-wared, try again e'er ye truft. Now wo is me, for my whorish mother, the church of Scotland; oh who will bewail her! Now the prefence of the great angel of the covenant be with you and that sweet child. Aberdeen, March 7, 1637. Yours in his fweet Lord Jefus, S. R. 12. To the Right Honourable and Chriftian Lady, my Lady KEN Madam, UP MURE. Pon the offered opportunity of this worthy bearer, I could not omit to answer the heads of your letter. 1ft, I think not much to fet down in paper fome good things anent Christ, that fealed and holy thing; and to feed my foul with raw wishes to be one with Chrift; for a wifh is but broken and half love; but verily to obey this, Come and fee, is a harder matter! But oh I have rather (moke than fire, and gueffings rather than real afsurances of him: I have little or nothing to say, but that I am as one who hath found favour in his eyes; but there is fome pining and mifmannered hunger, that maketh me miscall and nickname Christ, as a changed Lord: but alas! it is ill flitten. I cannot believe with. out a pledge, I cannot take God's word without a caution, as if Chrift had loft and fold his credit, and were not in my books refponfal and law-biding: but this is my way; for his way is, Eph. i. 13. 'After that ye believed, ye were fealed with the Holy Spirit of promite.' 2d, Ye write that I am filled with knowledge, and ftand not in need of thefe warnings; but certainly my light is dim, when it cometh to handy-grips; and how many have full coffers, and yet empty bellies! light, and the faving ufe of light, are far different. O what need then have I to have the ashes blown away from my dying-out fire! I may be a book man, and be an idiot and stark fool in Chrift's way; learning will not beguile Chrift; the Bible beguiled the Pharifees, and fo may I be misled. Therefore, as night watches hold one another waking, by speaking to one another, fo have we need to hold one another on foot : fleep stealeth away the light of watching, even the light that reproveth fleeping. I doubt not but more should fetch heaven, if they believed not heaven to be at the next door : the world's negative holinefs, no adulterer, no murderer, no thief, nor cozener, maketh men believe they are already glorified faints: but the 6th chapter to the Hebrews may affright us all, when we hear that men may take of D the |