Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters

It was manifest to all who were but a little acquaint with him, that his modesty and humility was such, that in all his most eminent appearances for God, he studied to disappear, lest he should by standing up, be guilty of intercepting any part of that glory, which belongs to him alone; of whom are all things, & for whom are all things: neither was he at any loss hereby; for thus he became great in the Kingdom of God: his growing downward, in that high and Gospel-adorning grace of humility, made him grow upward in favour with God and all Good men; and thus by denying himself, and seeking God alone; he both found what he ⟨image 3⟩sought, and got what he was not willing to take, nor would own as his due.

It was manifest to all who were but a little acquaint with him, that his modestie and humility was such, that in all his most eminent appearances for God, he studied to disappear, lest he should by standing up, be guilty of intercepting any part of that glory, which belongs to him alone; of whom are all things, & for whom are all things: neither was he at any loss hereby; for thus he became great in the Kingdom of God: his growing downward, in that high and Gospel-adorning grace of humility, made him grow upward in favour with God and all Good men; and thus by denying himself, and seeking God alone; he both found what he ⟨image 3⟩sought, and got what he was not willing to take, nor would owne as his due.

But, besides this true account I have given, why the world was deprived of so useful & edifying a piece to this day; I think it should not pass without a remark, that God in his good providence, hath reserved the publication thereof, for such a time as this, wherein it seems to promise a singular advantage, beyond & above, what was probably attainable at any other season: First as to the suffering people of God, who while they are deprived of these things in public, for the most part, which comforted them over all their sorrows, & while the songs of the Sanctuary (because the Philistines have stopped most of these wells out of which they used to draw & drink with joy, that, which was sweeter to the taste, then honey to the mouth; or they have thrown that into them, which hath not only made them lose their former relish & sweetness; but hath rendered them so bitter, that they are now become gall and wormwood) are turned into howling & bitter lamentation; while it is thus I say, with the people of God, that in stead of being made glad in his house of prayer as formerly, they are sighing for the ceasing of these solemn assemblies: they may in their sad hours commune with this sufferer, who not being willing to eat his morsel his alone, speaks to them good words and comfortable: he telleth you, beloved sufferers, what a heaven is to be had in Christ's company, even when ye are put to bear the cross, & to have shame & suffering for his sake, as your inseparable companion: Neither is his discourse upon this subject, an empty or idle speculation; nay, he speaks what he knoweth: the God for whose Cause he suffered, comforted him in the like tribulation, & so he is in case to comfort you, by the comforts, wherewith he himself was comforted of God. Next, as to these of the Ministers of the Gospel, who by the violence of their Adversaries are driven from their flocks [which to a godly Minister is the greatest of afflictions] such I say, may see for strengthening of their hands, while they are put to contend with these that are too strong for them; how this noble witness, who suffered for the same cause, carried, how he acquit himself, & overcame: