A57970:1022
Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters
Joshua redivivus, or, Mr. Rutherford's letters divided into two parts, the first, containing these which were written from Aberdeen, where he was confined by a sentence of the high commission ... partly on account of his non-conformance : the second, containing some which were written from Anwoth ... / now published for the use of all the people of God ... by a well-wisher to the work & people of God.Joshua redivivus, or, Mr. Rutherfoord's letters divided into two parts, the first, containing these which were written from Aberdeen, where he was confined by a sentence of the high commission ... partly on account of his non-conformance : the second, containing some which were written from Anwoth ... / now published for the use of all the people of God ... by a wellwisher to the work & people of God.
Rotterdam? : s.n., 1664
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
I long to hear how your soul prospereth: I wonder that ye write not to me, for the holy Ghost beareth me witness, I cannot, I dare not, I dow not forget you, nor the souls o these with you, who are redeemed by the blood of the great Shepherd: Ye are in my heart in the night watches, ye are my• joy & crown in the day of Christ: O Lord bear witness, if my soul thirsteth for any thing out of heaven, more then for your salvation: Let God lay me in an even balance & try me in this. Love heaven let your heart be on it: Up, up & visit the new land & view the fair city & the white throne & the Lamb, the bride's husband, in his bridegroom's clothes sitting on it: It were time your soul should cast it self & all your burdens upon Christ. I beseech you by the wounds of your Redeemer, & by your compearance before him & by the salvation of your ⟨p. 369⟩soul, lose no more time, run fast for it is late: God hath sworn by himself who made the world and time, that time shall be no more, Rev. 10 Ye are now upon the very border of the other life; your Lord cannot be blamed for not giving you warning: I have taught the truth of Christ to you & delivered unto you the whole counsel of God, & I have stood before the Lord for you, & I shall yet still stand: awake, awake to do righteously: Think not to be eased of the burdens & debts that are on your house, by oppressing any or being rigorous to these that are under you: remember how I endeavoured to walk before you in this matter as an example: behold here am I, witness against me, before the Lord & his Anointed, whose ox or whose ass have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Who knoweth how my soul feedeth upon a good conscience, when I remember how I spent this body in feeding the lambs of Christ? At my first entry hither, I grant, I took a stomach against my Lord, because he had cast me over the dike of the vineyard as a dry tree, & would have no more of my service: My dumb sabbaths broke my heart, and I would not be comforted: but now he whom my soul love this come again, and it pleaseth him to feast me with the kisses of his love: A King dineth with me and his spikenard casteth a sweet smell: The Lord my witness is above, that I write my heart to you, I never knew by my nine years preaching, so much of Christ's love, as he hath taught me in Aberdeen by six months imprisonment.