Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters

To Mistress GILLESPIE. (56)

I have heard how the Lord hath visited you in removing the child Archibald. I hope ye see the setting down of the weight of your confidence & affection upon any created thing, whether ⟨p. 550⟩husband or child, is a deceiving thing, & that the Creature is not able to bear your weight, but sinketh down to very nothing under your confidence: and therefore ye are Christ's debtor for all providences of this kind, even in that he buildeth an hedge of thorns in your way, for so ye see, his gracious intention is to save you [If I may say so] whether ye will or not. It is a rich mercy that the Lord Christ will be Master of your will and of all your delights, and that his way is so fair for the landing of husband & children before-hand in the country whereto ye are journeying. No matter, how little ye be engaged to the world, since ye have such experience of cross-dealing in it: had ye been a child of the house, the world would have dealt more warmly with it's own: there is less of you out of heaven that the child is there and the husband is there, but much more that your Head and Kinsman & Redeemer doeth fetch home such as are in danger to be lost: & from this time forward, fetch not your comforts from such broken cisterns & dry wells: if the Lord pull at the rest, ye must not be the creature that shall hold when he draweth. Truly to me your case is more comfortable, then if the fire-side were well plenished with ten children: the Lord saw ye was able by his grace to bear the loss of husband and child, & that ye are that weak and tender as not to be able to stand under the mercy of a gracious husband living, & flourishing in esteem with Authority, and in reputation for Godliness and Learning: for he knoweth the weight of these mercies would crush you and break you: and a there is no searching out of his understanding, so he hath skill to know what providence will make Christ dearest to you: and let not your heart say, it is an ill waled dispensation: sure Christ who hath seven eyes, had before him, the good of a living husband and children for Margaret Murray, & the good of a removed husband and children translated to gloy; now he hath opened his decree to you: say, Christ hath made for me a wise and gracious choice, and I have not one word to say on the contrary. Let not your heart charge any thing, or Unbelief libel injuries upon Christ;