A57970:340
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
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 JOHN STUART Provest of Ayr. [52.]
Much honoured & Dearest in Christ.
Grace, mercy & peace from God our father & from our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you: I expected the comfort ⟨p. 120⟩of a letter to a prisoner from you ere now. I am here, Sir, putting off a part of my inch of time, & when I awake first in the morning [which is always with great heaviness & sadness] this question is brought to my mind, Am I serving God or not? Not that I doubt of the truth of this honourable cause wherein I am engaged, [I dare venture in to eternity & before my judge that I now suffer for the truth: because that I cannot endure that my Master who is a free-born King, should pay tribute to any of the shields or pot-shards of the earth: Oh that I could hold the crown upon my Princely King's head with my sinful arm, howbeit it should be stroke from me in that service from the shoulder blade] but my closed mouth, my dumb Sabbaths, the memory of my communion with Christ, in many fair, fair days in Anwoth [whereas now my master getteth no service of my tongue as then] hath almost broken my faith in two halves; yet in my deepest apprehensions of his anger, I see through a cloud that I am wrong, & he in love to my soul hath taken up the controversy betwixt faith & apprehensions, and a decret is past on Christ's side of it, & I subscribe the decret: The Lord is equal in his ways, but my guiltiness often overmastereth my believing, I have not been well known, for except as to open out-breakings I want nothing of what Judas & Cain had; only he hath been pleased to prevent me in mercy & to cast me into a fever of love for himself, & his absence maketh my fever most painful, & beside, he hath visited my soul & watered it with his comforts, but yet I have not what I would, the want of real and felt possession is my only death, I know Christ pitieth me in this. The great men my friends that did for me, are dried up like winter brooks of water: All say, no dealing for that man, is best will be, to be gone out of the Kingdom: so I see they tire of me, but believe me I am most gladly content that Christ breaketh all my idols in pieces: it hath put a new edge upon my blunted love to Christ, I see he is Jealous of my love, & will have all to himself. In a word these six things are my burden. 1. I am not in the vineyard as others are, it may be because Christ thinketh me a withered tree not worthy it's room, but God forbid. 2.