Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters

Grace, mercy & peace be to you: I dare not say I wonder that ye have never written to me in my bonds, because I am not ignorant of the cause; yet I could not but write to you: I know not whether joy or heaviness in my soul carrieth it away; sorrow without any mixture of sweetness, hath not often love-thoughts of Christ, but I see the devil can insinuate himself & ride his errands upon the thoughts of a poor oppressed prisoner. I am woe that I am making Christ my unfriend by seeking pleas against him, because I am the first in the Kingdom put to utter silence, & because I cannot preach my Lord's righteousness in the great congregation: I am notwithstanding the less solicitous how it go, if there be not wrath in my cup. But I know, I but claw my wounds when my physician hath forbidden me: I would believe in the dark upon luck's head, & take my hazard of Christ's goodwill & rest on this, that in my fever my Physician is at my bed-side, & that he sympathizeth with me when I sigh. My borrowed house, & another man's bed & fire-side & other losses have to room in my sorrow, a greater heat to eat out a less fire, is a good remedy for some burning. I believe when Christ draweth blood he hath skill to cut the right vein & that he hath taken the whole ordering and disposing of my sufferings. Let him tutor me, & tutor my crosses as he thinketh good, there is no danger nor hazard in following such a guide; howbeit he should lead me through hell, if I could put faith foremost, & fill the field with a quiet on-waiting, & believing to see the salvation of God. I know Christ is not obliged to let me see both ⟨p. 96⟩the sides of my cross, & turn it over & over, that I may see all, My faith is richer to live upon credit, & Christ's borrowed money, then to have much in my hand. Alas I have forgotten that faith in times past hath stopped a leak in my crazed bark, & hath filled my sails with a fair wind: I see it a work of God that experiences are all lost, when summons of improbation, to prove our Charters of Christ to be counterfeit, are raised against poor souls in their heavy trials: but let me be a sinner, & worse then the chief of sinners, yea a guilty devil, I am sure my well beloved is God, & when I say Christ is God, & my Christ is God, I have said all things, I can say no more:

GRace, mercy & peace be to you: I dare not say I wonder that ye have never written to me in my bonds, because I am not ignorant of the cause; yet I could not but write to you: I know not whether joy or heaviness in my soul carrieth it away; sorrow without any mixture of sweetness, hath not often love-thoughts of Christ, but I see the devil can insinuat himself & ride his errands upon the thoughts of a poor oppressed prisoner. I am woe that I am making Christ my unfriend by seeking pleas against him, because I am the first in the Kingdom put to utter silence, & because I cannot preach my Lord's righteousness in the great congregation: I am notwithstanding the less solicitous how it goe, if there be not wrath in my cup. But I know, I but claw my wounds when my physician hath forbidden me: I would beleeve in the dark upon luck's head, & take my hazard of Christ's goodwill & rest on this, that in my fever my Physician is at my bed-side, & that he sympathizeth with me when I sigh. My borrowed house, & another man's bed & fire-side & other losses have to room in my sorrow, a greater heat to eat out a less fire, is a good remedie for some burning. I beleeve when Christ draweth blood he hath skill to cut the right veine & that he hath taken the whole ordering and disposing of my sufferings. Let him tutour me, & tutour my crosses as he thinketh good, there is no danger nor hazard in following such a guide; howbeit he should lead me through hell, if I could put faith foremost, & fill the fieldwith a quiet on-waiting, & beleeving to see the salvation of God. I know Christ is not obliged to let me see both