A57970:1099
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 ROBERT GORDON. Of Knockbrex. (208)
Dear Brother.
Grace, mercy & peace be to you: I received your letter from Edinburgh. I would not wish to see another heaven wh••e I get mine own heaven, but a new moon like the light of the sun, & a new sun like the light of seven days shining upon my poor self & the Church of Jews & Gentiles, & upon my withered & sun-burnt mother, the Church of Scotland, & upon her sister Churches, England & Ireland; & to have this done to to the setting on high our great King: it maketh not, howbeit I were separate from Christ & had a sense of ten thousand years pain in hell, if this were. O blessed Nobility, O glorious renowned Gentry, O blessed were the tribes in this land to wipe my Lord Jesus's weeping face, & to take the sackcloth off Christ's loins & to put his kingly robes upon him! O if the Almighty would take no less wager of me then my heaven, to have it done! But my fears are still for wrath once upon Scotland: But I know her day shall clear up & glory shall be upon the top of the mountains and joy at the noise of the married wife once again. O that our Lord would make us to contend & plead & wrestle by prayers & tears for our husband's restoring of his forfeited heritage in Scotland. Dear Brother, I am for the present in no small battle betwixt felt guiltiness and pining longings & high fevers for my well beloved's love. Alas! I think Christ's love playeth the niggard to me, & I know, it is not for scarcity of love, there is enough in him; but my hunger prophesieth of in-holding and sparingness in Christ, for I have but little of him and little of his sweetness: It is a dear summer with me, yet there is such joy in the eagerness & working of hunger for Christ, that I am often at this, that if I had no other heaven but a continual hunger for Christ, such a heaven of ever-working hunger, were still a heaven to me. I am sure, Christ's love cannot be cruel, it must be a rueing,