Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters

Grace, mercy & peace be to you: I have heard with grief, that Newcastle hath taken one more, in a bloody account, then before; even your Son in Law, & my friend. But I hope ye have learned that much of Christ, as not to look to wheels rolled round about on earth: Earthen vessels are not to dispute with their Former: pieces of sinning-clay may by reasoning & contending with the Potter, mar the work of him, who hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem, as bullocks sweating & wrestling in the furrow make their yoke more heavy: In quietness & rest ye shall be saved: If men do any thing contrary to our heart, we may ask both who did it? And what is done? And why? When God hath done any such thing we are to enquire who hath done it? And to know that this cometh from the Lord, who is wonderful in counsel: but we are not to ask what? or why? If it be from the Lord [as certainly their is no evil in the city without him Amos. 3. 6.] it is enough the fairest face of his spotless way is but coming, & ye are to believe his works aswell as his word. Violent death is a sharer with Christ in his death, which was violent: it maketh not much what way we go to heaven: the happy home is all, where the roughness of the way shall be forgotten: He is gone home to a friend's house and made welcome, and the race is ended: Time is recompensed with eternity, and copper with gold: God's order is in wisdom, the husband goes home before the wife, and the throng of the marker shall be over ere it be