A57970:1333
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
Part 2 › Letter 33: To his very dear friend JOHN FENNICK. (33)
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.
It were heaven's honour & glory upon earth, to be his lackey to run at his horse-foot and hold up the train of his Marriage-robe royal, in the day of our high a•d royal Solomon's espousals. But O what glory to have a seat or •e• in King Jesus his chariot, that is bottomed with gold & paved and lined over and floored within with Love, f• the daughters of Jerusalem! Cant. 3. 10. To lie upon such a King's love, were a bed next to the flower of heaven's glory. I am sorry to hear you speak in your Letter, of a God angry at you, and of the sense of his indignation, which only ariseth from suffering for Jesus, all that is now come upon you: Indeed apprehended wrath flameth out of such ashes as apprehended sin; but not from suffering for Christ: But suppose ye were in hell for by-goings and for old debt, I hope ye owe Christ a great sum of charity to believe the sweetness of his love: I know what it is to sin in that kind, it is to sin our [if it were possible] the unchangeableness of a Godhead out of Christ, & to sin away a lovely & unchangeable God. Put more honest apprehensions ⟨p. 508⟩upon Christ, put on his own mask upon his face, and not your veil made of unbelief, which speaketh, as if he borrowed love to you, from you and your demerits & sinful deservings. Oh no! Christ is man, but he is not like man; he hath man's love in heaven, but it is lustered with God's love, & it is very God's love, ye have to do with: When your wheels go about, he standeth still: Let God be God and be ye a man, and have ye the deserving of man & the sin of one who hath suffered your Well beloved to slip away, nay hath refused him entrance, when he was knocking till his head and locks were frozen: Yet what is that to him? his book keepeth your name, and is not printed and reprinted and changed and corrected: And why but he should go to his place & hide himself? Howbeit his Departure be his own good work, yet the belief of it in that manner is your sin: But wait on till he return with Salvation and cause you rejoice in the latter end. It is not much to complain: but rather believe then complain, and sit in the dust and close your mouth, till he make your sown light grow again; for your afflictions are not eternal, Time will end them, & so shall ye at length see the Lord's salvation: