A57970:1032
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.
Much honoured Sir.
I Will not impute your not writing to me, to forgetfulness: how ever, I have one above who forgetteth me not, nay, he groweth in his kindness: It hath pleased his holy Majesty to take me from the pulpit & teach me many things in my exile & prison that were mysteries to me before: As, 1. I see his bottomless & boundless love & kindness, & my jealousies & ravings, which at my first entry into this furnace were so foolish & bold, as to say to Christ, who is truth it self, in his face, thou liest. I had well nigh lost my grips: I wondered if it was Christ or not, for the mist & smoke of my perturbed heart, made me mistake my Master Jesus: My faith was dim & hope frozen & cold, & my love which caused jealousies, it had some warmness & heat & smoke but no flame at all: yet I was looking for some good of Christ's old claim to me: I thought I had forfeited all my rights, but the tempter was too much upon my counsels & was still blowing the coal: Alas I knew not well before how good skill my Intercessor and advocate, Christ, hath of pleading, and pardoning me such follies: Now he is returned to my soul with healing under his wings, and I am nothing behind ⟨p. 374⟩with Christ now, for he hath overpaid me by his presence, the pain I was put to by on-waiting, and any little loss I sustained by my witnessing against the wrongs done to him. I trow it was a pain to my Lord to hide himself any longer: In a manner he was challenging his unkindness & repented him of his glooms, & now what want I on earth that Christ can give to a poor prisoner? O how sweet and lovely is he now! Alas that I can get none to help me to lift up my Lord Jesus upon his throne above all the earth! 2. I am now brought to some measure of submission, and I resolve to wait till I see what my Lord Jesus will do with me: I dare not now nick name or speak one word against the all-seeing & over-watching providence of my Lord: I see, providence runneth not on broken wheels; but I like a fool carved a providence for mine own ease, to die in my nest, & to sleep still till my grey hairs, and to lie on the sunny side of the mountain in my ministry at Anwoth: But now I have nothing to say against a borrowed fire-side & another man's house, nor Kedar's tents where I live, being removed far from my acquaintance, my lovers & my friends: