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thority, though our enemies falfly state the question, as if Chrift and authority could not abide under one roof; the question only is betwixt Chrift and men in authority. Authority is for and from Chrift, and fib to him; how then can he make a plea with it? Nay, the truth is, worms and gods of clay are rifen up against Christ. If the fruit of your Ladyship's womb be helpers of Chrift ye have good ground to rejoice in God. All your Ladyship can expect for your good-will to me and my brother (a wronged tranger for Chrift) is the prayers of a prifoner of Jefus, to whom I recommend your Ladyship, and house and children, and in whom I am, Madam,

Aberd. Sept. 8, 1637.

Madam,

Your Ladyfhip's in Christ, S. R.

41. To the Lady CULROS S.

der that ye have never written to me in my bonds, because I am not ignorant of the caufe; yet I could not but write to you. I know not whether joy or heavinefs in my foul carrieth it away: forrow, without any mixture of sweetness, hath not often lovethoughts of Chrift; but I fee the devil can infinuate himself, and ride his errands upon the thoughts of a poor diftreffed prifoner. I am wo that I am making Chrift my unfriend, by seeking pleas against him, because I am the firft in the kingdom put to utter filence, and because I cannot preach my Lord's righteousness in the great congregation. I am, notwithstanding, the lefs folicitous how it go, if there be not wrath in my cup. But I know, I but claw my wounds when my Physician hath forbidden me: I would believe in the dark upon luck's head, and take my hazard of Christ's good will, and rest on this, that in my fever my Physician is at my bed-fide, and that he fympathifeth with me when I figh. My borrowed houfe, and another man's bed and fire-fide, and other loffes, have no room in my forrow: a greater heat to eat out a lefs fire, is a good remedy for fome burning, I believe, when Chrift draweth blood he hath skill to cut the right vein: and that he hath taken the whole ordering and difpofing of my fufferings. Let him tutor me, and tutor my croffes, as he thinketh good; there is no danger nor hazard in following fuch a guide, howbeit he should lead me through hell, if I could put faith foremost, and fill the field with a quiet on waiting, and believing to fee the falvation of God. I know Chrift is not obliged to let me fee both the fides of my cross, and turn it over and over that I may fee all my faith is richer to live upon credit, and Chrift's borrowed moBey, than to have much in my hand. Alas! I have forgotten that faith in times paft hath stopped a lake in my crazed bark, and

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Epift. 41. hath filled my fails with a fair wind. I fee it a work of God that experiences are all loft, when fummons of improbation, to prove our charters of Chrift to be counterfeit, are raifed against poor fouls in their heavy trials; but let me be a finner, and worse than the chief of finners, yea, a guilty devil, I am fure my Wellbeloved is God; and when I fay Chrift is God, and my Chrift is God, I have faid all things, I can say no more. I would I could build as much on this, my Chrift is God, as it would bear; I might lay all the world upon it. I am fure, Chrift untried, and untaken-up in the power of his love, kindness, mercies, goodness,. wisdom, long fuffering and greatnefs, is the rock that dimsighted. travellers dath their foot against, and fo ftumble fearfully. But my wounds are foreft, and pain me most, when I fin against his love and mercy and if he would fet me and my conscience by the ears together, and refolve not to rid the plea, but let us deal it betwixt us, my fpitting upon the fair face of Christ's love and mercies, by my jealoufies, unbelief and doubting, would be enough to fink me. Oh, I am convinced, O Lord, I stand dumb before thee for this: let me be mine own judge in this, and I take a dreadful doom upon me for it; for I ftill misbelieve, though I have feen that my Lord hath made my crofs as if it were all chryftal, fo as I can fee thorough it Chrift's fair face and heaven, and that God hath honoured a lump of finful flesh and blood, the like of me, to be Chrift's honourable Lord prifoner. I ought to efteem the walls of the Thieves-hole, (if I were shut up in it) or any ftinking dungeon, all hung with tapestry, and moft beautiful, for my Lord Jefus: and yet I am not fo fhut up but that the fun fhineth upon my prifon, and the fair wide heaven is the covering of it. But my Lord in his fweet vifits hath done more; for he makes me find that he will be a confined prifoner with me; he lieth down and rifeth up with me; when I figh he figheth: when I weep he fuffereth with me: and I confefs here is the bleffed-iffue of my fufferings already begun, that my heart is filled with hunger and defire to have him glorified in my fufferings. Bleffed ye of the Lord, Madam, if ye would help a poor dyvour, and caufe others of your acquaintance in Chrift help me to pay my debt of love, even real praifes of Chrift my Lord. Madam, let me charge you in the Lord, as ye will answer to him, help me in this duty (which he hath tied about my neck with a chain of fuch fingular expreffions of his loving-kindness) to fet on high Christ, to hold in my honefty at his hands: for I have nothing to give him. O that he would arreft and comprife my love and my heart for all! I am a dyvour, who have no more free goods in the world for Chrift, fave that: it is both the whole heritage I have, and all my moveables befides. Lord, give the thirsty man a drink.

Oh to be over the ears in the well! Oh to be fwatter

ing, and fwimming over head and ears in Chrift's love! I would not have Christ's love entering in me, but I would enter into it, and be swallowed up of that love. But I fee not myself here; for I fear I make more of his love than of himself; whereas himself is far beyond and much better than his love. Oh if I had my finful arms filled with that lovely One, Christ! Bleffed be my rich Lord Jefus, who fendeth not away beggars from his houfe with a toom difh; he filleth the veffels of fuch as will come and feek: we might beg ourselves rich, (if we were wife) if we could but hold out our withered hands to Christ, and learn to fuit and feek, afk and knock. I owe my falvation to Christ's glory, I owe it to Chrift; and defire that my hell, yea, a new hell, feven times hotter by far than the old hell, might buy praifes before men and angels to my Lord Jefus; providing always I were free of Chrift's hatred and difpleasure. What am I, to be forefeited and fold in foul and body, to have my great and royal King fet on high and extolled above all? O if I knew how high to have him fet, and all the world far, far beneath the foles of his feet! Nay, I deferve not to be the matter of his praises far lefs to be an agent in praising of him: but he can win his own glory out of me, and out of one worse than I, (if any fuch be) if it please his holy majesty so to do: he knoweth that I am not now flattering him. Madam, let me have your prayers, as ye have the prayers and bleffing of him that is feparated from his brethren. Grace, grace be with you,

Aberdeen, June 15. 1637.

Your own in his fweet Lord

42. To the Earl of CASSILS. My very noble and honourable Lord.

Jefus, S. R.

make bold (out of the honourable and Christian report I hear of your Lordship, having no other thing to fay, but that which concerneth the honourable cause which the Lord hath enabled your Lordship's to profefs) to write this, that it is your Lordship's crown, your glory, and your honour, to fet your shoulder under the Lord's glory, now falling to the ground, and to back Christ now, when fo many think it wifdom to let him fend for himself. The fhields of the earth ever did, and do ftill believe that Chrift is a cumbersome neighbour, and that it is a pain to hold up his yeas and nays: they fear he takes their chariots, and their crowns, and their honour from them; but my Lord ftandeth in need of none of them all: but it is your glory to own Chrift and his buried truth; for let men fay what they please, the plea with Zion's enemies, in this day of Jacob's trouble, is, If Chrift fhould be King, and no mouth speak laws but his? It concerneth the apple of Chrift's eye, and his royal privi

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Epift. 45. leges, what now is debated: and Chrift's kingly honour is come to yea and nay. But let me be pardoned, my dear and noble Lord, to befeech you by the mercies of God, by the comfort of the fpirit, by the wounds of your dear Saviour, by your compea. rance before the Judge of quick and dead, to ftand for Christ, and to back him. Oh, if the nobles had done their part, and been zealous for the Lord! it had not been as it is now; but men think it wisdom to stand befide Chrift till his head be broken, and fing dumb. There is a time coming when Christ will have a thick court, and he will be the glory of Scotland; and he fhall make a diadem, a garland, a feal upon his heart, and a ring upon his finger, of thefe who have avouched him before this faithlefs generation; howbeit, ere that come, wrath from the Lord is ordained for this land. My Lord, I have cause to write this to your Lordship, for I dare not conceal his kindness to the foul of an afflicted, exiled prifoner: who hath more cause to boaft in the Lord, than fuch a finner as I, who am feasted with the confolations of Chrift, and have no pain in my fufferings, but the pain of foul-fickness of love for Christ, and forrow that I cannot help to found aloud the high praises of him who hath heard the fighing of the prifoner, and is content to lay the head of his oppreffed fervant in his bofom, under his chin, and let him feel the smell of his garments? This I behoved to write, that your Lordihip might know Chrift is as good as he is called; and to testify to your Lordship the caufe, your Lordship now profeffeth before this faithlefs world, is Chrift's, and your Lordship shall have no fhame of it. Grace be with you.

Aberdeen, March 13. 1637.

Your Lordship's obliged fervant, SR.

43. To the much honoured JOHN OSBURN, Provost of Air. Much honoured Sir

Grace, mercy and peace be to you. Upon our fmall acquaint

and the good report I hear of you, I could not but write to you: I have nothing to fay, but Chrift, in that honourable place he hath put you in, hath intrusted you with a dear pledge, which is his own glory; and hath armed you with his fword, to keep the pledge, and make a good account of it to God. Be not afraid of men: your master can mow down his enemies, and make withered hay of fair flowers: your time will not be long; after your afternoon will come your evening, and after evening, night. Serve Chrift, back him, let his caufe be your caufe; give not an hair-breadth of truth away; for it is not yours, but God's. Then, fince ye are going, take Christ's tefificate with you out of this life, Well done, good and faithful

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75 fervant. His well-done is worth a fhipfull of good-days and earthly honours. I have caufe to fay this, because I find him Truth itfelf. In my fad days Chrift laugheth cheerfully, and faith, All will be well. Would to God, all this kingdom, and all that know God, knew what is betwixt me and Chrift in this prifon; what kiffes, embracements, and love communings: I take his cross in my arms with joy, I blefs it, I rejoice in it: fuffering for Chrift is my garland; I would not exchange Chrift for ten thousand worlds! nay (if the comparifon could ftand) I would not exchange Chrift with heaven. Sir, pray for me; aud the prayers and bleffing of a prifoner of Chrift meet you in all your ftraits. Grace be with you.

Aberdeen, March 14. 1637.

Yours in Chrift Jefus his

Lord, S. R

44. To ROBERT GORDON Baillie of Air.

Worthy Sir,

Race, mercy and peace be to you: I long to hear from you in paper. Remember your chief's fpeeches on his death-bed: I pray you, Sir, fell all, and buy the pearl: time will cut you from this world's glory; look what will do you good, when your glass fhall be run out; and let Chrift's love bear moft court in your foul, and that court will bear down the love of other things; Christ feeketh your help in your place, give him your hand. Who hath more caufe to encourage others to own Christ than have? for he hath made me fick of love, and left me in pain to wrestle with his love, and love is like to fall a fwoon through his abfence: I mean not that he deferreth me, or that I am ebb of comforts; but this is an uncouth pain. Oh that I had an heart and a love to render to him back again! O if principalities and powers, thrones and dominions, and all the world, would help me to praise. Praise him in my behalf. Remember my love to your wife. I thank you most kindly for your love to my brother. Grace be with you.

Aberdeen, March 13, 1637.

Yours in his fweet Lord

Jefus, S. R.

45. To JOHN KENNEDY Baillie of Air. Worthy Sir.

GR Race, mercy and peace be unto you. Your not writing to me cannot bind me up from remembring you now and then, that at least ye may be a witnefs and a third man to behold paper what is betwixt Christ and me. I was in his eyes like a young orphan, wanting known parents, caften out in the open

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