A57970:1180
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 my Lady KENMURE. (7)
MADAM.
I Have longed exceedingly to hear of your life & health, & growth in the grace of God. I lacked the opportunity of a bearer, in respect I did not understand of the hasty departure of the last, by whom I might have saluted your La: & therefore I could not write before this time. I entreat you, Madam let me have two lines from you concerning your present condition: I know ye are in grief & heaviness, & if it were not so, ye might be afraid, because then your way should not be so like the way that our Lord saith, leadeth to the new Jerusalem: Sure I am, if ye knew what were before you or if ye saw but some glances of it, ye would with gladness swim through the present floods of sorrow, spreading forth your arms out of desire to be at land: If God have given you the earnest of the Spirit as part of payment of God's principal sum, ye have to rejoice, for our Lord will not lose his earnest, neither will he go back or repent him of the bargain. If ye find at some time a longing to see God, joy in the assurance of that sight [howbeit that feast be but like the Passover that cometh about only once a year] peace of conscience, liberty of prayer, the doors of God's treasure cast up to the soul; & a clear sight of himself looking out & saying with a smiling countenance, Welcome in to me, afflicted soul; this is the earnest that he giveth sometimes, & which maketh glad the heart, & is an evidence that the bargain will hold: But to the end ye may get this earnest, it were good to come oft in terms of speech with God, both in prayer & hearing of the word: For this is the house of wine, where ye meet with your Well beloved, here it is where he kisseth you with the kisses of his mouth, and where ye feel the smell of his garments, and they have indeed a most fragrant & glorious smell: Ye must, I say, wait upon him, & be often communing with him whose lips are as lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh, & by the moving thereof he will assuage your grief: for the Christ that saveth you is a speaking Christ, the Church knoweth him,