A57970:1025
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.
To CARDONNESS Younger. (192.)
Much honoured Sir.
I Long to hear whether or not your soul be hand-fasted with Christ: Lose your time no longer: Flee the follies of youth: Gird up the loins of your mind, & make you ready for meeting the Lord. I have often summoned you, & now I summon you again, to compear before your Judge, to make a reckoning of your life: while ye have Time, look upon your papers & consider your ways: O that there were such an heart in you, as to think what an ill conscience will be to you, when year upon the border of eternity, & your one foot out of time! O then, ten thousand thousand floods of tears cannot extinguish these flames, or purchase to you one hour's release from that pain! O how sweet a day have ye had! But this is a fair day that runneth fast away, see how ye have spent it, & consider the necessity of salvation: & tell me [in the fear of God] if ye have made it sure: I am persuaded ye have a conscience that will be speaking somewhat to you: Why will ye die & destroy yourself? I charge you in Christ's name to rouse ⟨p. 372⟩up your conscience, & begin to indent & contract with Christ in time while salvation is in your offer: This is the accepted time, this is the day of salvation: play the merchant, for ye cannot expect another market-day when this is done; therefore let me again beseech you to consider in this your day, the things that belong to your peace, before they be hid from your eyes. Dear Brother, fulfil my joy, & begin to seek the Lord while he may be found: Forsake the follies of deceiving & vain youth: Lay hold upon eternal life: Whoring, night-drinking, & misspending of the sabbath, & neglecting of prayer in your house, & refusing of an offered salvation, will burn up your soul with the terrors of the Almighty, when your awakened conscience shall flee in your face. Be kind & loving to your wife, make conscience of cherishing her and not being rigidly austere. Sir, I have not a tongue to express the glory that is laid up for you in your father's house, if ye reform your doings and frame your heart to return to the Lord. Ye know this world is but a shadow, a short living creature, under the law of time; within less then fifty years, when ye look back to it, ye shall laugh at the evanishing vanities thereof, as feathers flying in the air, and at the houses of sand within the sea-mark, which the children of men are building: Give up with courting of this vain world: