Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters

My very Honourable & dear Lady

Grace mercy & peace, be to you, I cannot forget your La: & that sweet child, I desire to hear what the Lord is doing to you, & him: to write to me were charity, I cannot but write to my friends, that Christ hath trysted me in Aberdeen, & my adversaries have sent me here, to be feasted with love-banquets with my royal, high, high, & princely King Jesus. Madam why should I smother Christs honesty, I dare not conceal his goodness to my soul, he looked fram'd and uncouth-like upon me, when I came first here; but I believe himself better then his looks: I shall not again quarrel Christ for a gloom, now he hath taken the mask off his face & saith kiss thy fill, & what can I have more, while I get great heaven in my little arms. O how sweet are the sufferings of Christ, for Christ! God forgive them that raise an ill report upon the sweet cross of Christ, it is but our weak & dim eyes, that look but to the black side that makes us mistake: these who can take that crabbed-tree hand-somely upon their back, & fasten it on cannily, shall find it such a burden, as wings unto a bird, or sails to ship. Madam rue not of your having chosen the better part: upon my salvation this is Christs truth I now suffer for, if I found but cold comfort in my sufferings, I would not beguile others, I would have told you plainly; but the truth is, Christs crown, his sceptre, and the freedom of his Kingdom, is that, which is now called in question: because we will not allow that Christ pay tribute and be a vassal to the shields of the earth, therefore the sons of our mother are angry at us: but it becometh not Christ to hold any mans stirrup: It were a sweet and honourable ⟨p. 22⟩death to die for the honour of that royal, & princely King Jesus: his love is a mystery to the world: I would not have believed that there was so much in Christ, as there is, Come & see maketh Christ to be known in his excellency & glory. I wish all this Nation knew how sweet his breath is, it is little to see Christ in a book, as men do the world in a card, they talk of Christ by the book & the tongue, & no more; but to come nigh Christ and hausse him, & embrace him, is another thing. Madam I write to your Honour for your encouragement in that honourable profession, Christ hath honoured you with: Ye have gotten the Sunny side of the brae, & the best of Christs good things;