A57970:1154
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.
First, ye write that God's vows are lying on you, & security strong & ••b to nature, stealing on you who are weak. I answer, 1. Till we be in heaven the best have heavy heads, as is evident Cant. 5. 1. Psal. 30. 6. Job. 29. 18. Matth. 26. 33. Nature is a sluggard & loveth not the labour of religion: Therefore rest should not be taken till we know the disease be over & in the way of turning, & that it is like a fever past the cool: And the quietness & the calms of the faith of victory over corruption, would be entertained in place of security, so that if I sleep, I would desire to sleep faith's sleep in Christ's bosom. 2. Know also, none that sleep sound can ⟨p. 420⟩seriously complain of sleepiness, sorrow for a slumbering soul, is a token of some watchfulness of spirit: But this is soon turned into wantonness, [as grace in us too often is abused] therefore our waking must be watched over, else sleep will even grow out of watching, & there is as much need to watch over grace, as to watch over sin: full men will soon sleep & sooner then hungry men. 3. For your weakness to keep off security, that like a thief stealeth upon you, I would say two things. 1. To want complaints of weakness, is for heaven & Angels that never sinned, not for Christians in Christ's camp on earth: I think our weakness maketh us the Church of the redeemed ones & Christ's field that the Mediator should labour in: If there were no diseases on earth, there needed no Physicians on earth: If Christ had cried down weakness, he might have cried down his own calling; but weakness is our Mediator's world, Sin is Christ's only, only fa e & market; no man should rejoice at weakness & diseases, but I think we may have a sort of gladness at boils & sores, because without them, Christ's fingers as a slain Lord should never have touched our skin. I dare not thank my self, but I dare thank God's depth of wise Providence, that I have an errand in me, while I live, for Christ to come & visit me & bring with him his drugs & his balm. O how sweet is it, for a sinner to put his weakness in Christ's strengthening hand & to father a sick soul upon such a Physician & to lay weakness before him, to weep upon him & to plead & pray! weakness can speak & cry when we have not a tongue. Ezek 16. 6. And when I passed by thee & saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.