Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters

for I believe many think obedience formal & lif less, except the wind be fair in the West, and sails filled with joy and sense, till souls like a ship fair before the wind can spread no more sail; but I am not of their mind who think so. But if ye mean by absence of Christ, the withdrawing of his working grace, I see not how willingness to use means can be at all under such an absence: Therefore be humbled for heaviness in that obedience, & thankful for willingness: for the Bridegroom is busking his Spouse often times while she is ⟨p. 423⟩half sleeping, & your Lord is working & helping more then ye see. Also I recommend to you Heaviness for formality & lifeless deadness in obedience: Be cast down as much as ye will or can, for deadness, and challenge that slow & dull carcass of sin that will neither lead nor drive in your spiritual obedience. O how sweet to lovely Jesus are bills and grievances given in against corruption & the body of fin! I would have Christ, in such a case, fashed [if I may speak so] & deaved with our cries, as ye see the Apostle doeth, Rom. 7, 24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death! Protestations against the law of sin in you, are law-grounds why sin can have no law against you: Seek to have your Protestation discussed & judged, & then shall ye find Christ on your side of it. 7. Ye hold that Christ must either have hearty service or no service at all: If ye mean he will not half a heart or have feigned service, such as the hypocrites give him, I grant you that: Christ must have honesty or nothing: But if ye mean, he will have no service at all where the heart draweth aback in any measure, I would not that were true, for my part of heaven and all that I am worth in the world: If ye mind to walk to heaven without a cramp or a crook, I fear ye must go your alone: He knoweth our dross & defects, & sweet Jesus pitieth us when weakness & deadness in our obedience is our cross & not our darling. 8. The liar [as ye write] challengeth the work as formal, yet ye bless your cautioner for the ground-work he hath laid & dare not say but ye have assurance in some measure. To this I say. 1. It shall be no fault to say Satan's labour, & challenge it your self, or at least examine & censure; but beware of Satan's ends in challenging, for he mindeth to put Christ & you at odds. 2.

for I beleeve many think obedience formal & lif les, except the wind be fair in the West, and sails filled with joy and sense, till souls like a ship fair before the wind can spread no more sail; but I am not of their minde who think so. But if ye mean by absence of Christ, the withdrawing of his working grace, I see not how willingness to use means can be at all under such an absence: Therefore be humbled for heaviness in that obedience, & thankfull for willingness: for the Bridegroom is busking his Spouse often times while she is