A57970:160
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 1 › Letter 18: To Mr. WILLIAM DALGLISH, Minister of the Gospel. (18)
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 Mr. WILLIAM DALGLISH, Minister of the Gospel. (18)
Reverend & Dear Brother,
Grace, mercy & peace be to you: I am well, my Lord Jesus is Kinder to me then ever he was, it pleaseth him to dine & sup with his afflicted prisoner, a King feasteth me, and his spikenard casteth a sweet smell. Put Christs love to the trial and put upon it burdens, & then it will appear love indeed: we employ not his love, & therefore we know it not. I verily count more of the sufferings of my Lord, then of this worlds lustred & overgilded glory: I dare not say but my Lord Jesus hath fully recompensed my sadness, with his joys: my losses, with his own presence: I find it a sweet & rich thing to exchange my sorrows with Christs joys, my afflictions with that sweet peace I have with himself. Brother this is his own truth I now suffer for, he hath sealed my sufferings with his own comforts; & I know he will not put his seal upon blank paper; his seals are not dumb, nor delusive, to confirm imaginations & lies. Go on my dear Brother in the strength of the Lord, not fearing man that is a worm, or the son of man that will die. Providence hath ⟨p. 48⟩a thousand keys to open a thousand sundry doors, for the deliverance of his own, when it is even come to a conclamatum est: Let us be faithful and care for our own part, which is to do & suffer for him, & lay Christs part on himself, & leave it there: duties are ours, events are the Lord's: when our faith goeth to meddle with events & to hold a court (if I may so speak) upon Gods providence (and begineth to say, how wilt Thou do this, & that?) we lose ground: we have nothing to do there, it is our part to, let the Almighty exercise his own office, and stir his own helm: there is nothing left to us but to see how we may be approved of him, and how we may roll the weight of our weak souls (in welldoing) upon him who is God Omnipotent: and when, what we thus essay, miscarrieth; it shall neither be our sin nor cross. Brother, remember the Lord's word to Peter, Simon, lovest thou me? Feed my sheep: no greater testimony of our love to Christ can be, then to feed painfully and faithfully his lambs. I am in no better neighbourhood with the Ministers here then before; they cannot endure that any speak of me, or to me: thus I am in the mean time silent, (which is my greatest grief.) Dr Barron hath often disputed with me, especially about Arminian-controversies, and for the Ceremonies: