A57970:1094
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 the Baird of CARLETOUN. (207)
To the •aird of CARLETOUN. (207)
Worthy Six.
Grace, mercy and peace be to you: I received your letter & am heartily glad that our Lord hath begun to work for the apparent delivery of this poor oppressed ⟨p. 398⟩Kirk: O that salvation would come for Zion! I am for the present hanging by hope, waiting what my Lord will do with me, & if it will please my sweet Master to send me amongst you again, & keep out a hireling from my poor people & flock: It were my heaven till I come home, even to spend this li•e in gathering in some to Christ. I have still great heaviness for my silence & my forced standing idle in the market, when this land hath such a plentiful thick harvest; but I know, his judgements who hath done it, pass finding out: I have no nowledge to take up the Lord in all his strange ways […] passages of deep & unsearchable providences, for the Lord is before me & I am so be-misted that I cannot follow him: He is behind me and following at the heels and I am not aware of him, he is above me, but his glory so […] my twilight of short knowledge▪ that I cannot look up to him: He is upon my right hand, and I see him no: He is upon my left hand and within me and goeth and cometh, & his going & coming are a dr•a to me: He is round about me & compth l my going ad still I have him to eke: He is every way higher & deeper & broader then the shallow & ebb hand-breadth of my shot & d light can take up, & therefore I would my heart could be silent & sit down in the learnedly-ignorant wondering at that Lord, whom m n & Angels cannot comprehend. I know, the noon-day-light of the highest Angels, who see him face to face, seeth not the borders of his infiniteness: They apprehend God near hand, but they cannot comprehend him: And therefore it is my happiness to look afar off and to come near to the Lord's back parts, & to light my dark candle at his brightness, & to have leave to sit & content my self with a traveller's light, without the clear vision of an enjoyer. I would seek no more till I were in my country, but a little watering & sprinkling of a withered soul, with some half out breakings & half-outlookings of the beam and small ravishing smiles of the fairest face of a revealed & believed on Godhead: A little of God would make my soul bank-full.