A57970:1211
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. (12)
MADAM.
Your La: will not [I know] weary nor offend, though I trouble you with many letters; the memory of what obligations I am under to your La: is the cause of it. I am possibly impertinent in what I write, because of my ignorance of your present estate: But for all that is said, I have learned of M: W. D. that ye have not changed upon, nor wearied of your sweet Master, Christ, & his service; neither were it your part to change upon him, who resteth in his love. Ye are among honourable company & such as affect grandeur & court. But, Madam, thinking upon your estate, I think I see an improvident wooer coming too late to seek a Bride, because she is contracted already & promised away to another, & so the wooer's busking & bravery [who cometh to you as who but he] is in vain: the outward pomp of this busy wooer, a beguiling world, is ⟨p. 449⟩now coming in to suit your soul too late, when ye have promised away your soul to Christ many years ago: And I know, Madam, what answer ye may now justly make to the late suitor, even this, Ye are to long of coming: my soul, the Bride, is away already, & the contract with Christ subscribed, & I cannot cause, but I must be honest & faithful to him. Honourable-Lady, keep your first love, & hold the first match with that soul-delighting lovely Bridegroom, our sweet, sweet Jesus, fairer then all the children of men, the Rose of Sharon, & the fairest & sweetest smelled Rose in all his father's garden, there is none like him: I would not exchange one smile of his lovely face, with Kingdoms. Madam, let others take their silly feckless heaven in this life, envy them not, but let your soul, like a tarrowing & misleared child take the dorts [as we use to speak] or cast at all things & disdain them, except one only, either Christ or nothing: your well beloved, Jesus, will be content that ye be here devoutly proud & ill to please, as one that contemneth all husbands but himself: Either the King's son or no husband at all, this is humble & worthy ambition: What have ye to do to dally with a whorish & foolish world? Your jealous husband will not be content that ye look by him to another, he will be jealous indeed & offend, if ye kiss another but himself. What weights do burden you, Madam, I know not;