A57970:438
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.
Reverend & Dearly beloved in the Lord.
Grace, mercy & peace be to you: Because your words have strengthened many, I was silent expecting some lines from you in my bonds, & this is the cause why I wrote not to you: but now I am forced to break off and speak. I never believed till now, that there was so much to be found in Christ in this side of death and of heaven. O the ravishments of heavenly joy that may be had here, in the small gleanings of comforts that fall from Christ! what fools are we who know not and consider not the weight and the telling that is in the very earnest-penny & the first fruits of our hoped for harvest! How sweet, how sweet is our infeftment? O what then must personal possession be? I find that my Lord Jesus hath not miscooked or spilt this sweet cross, he hath an eye on the fire and the melting gold, to separate the metal and the dross. O how much time would it take me, to read my obligations to Jesus my Lord, who will neither have the faith of his own to be burnt to ashes; nor yet will have a poor believer in the fire to be half raw, ⟨p. 155⟩like Ephraim's unturned cake• this is the wisdom of him who hath his fi•el• Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem. I need not either bud or flatter temptations, cr•sses, nor strive to buy the Devil or this malicious world by, or redeem their kindness with half a hand-breadth of truth: He who is surety for his servant for good doeth power fully over-rule all that. I s•e my prison hath neither lock nor door; I am free in my bonds, and my chains are made of rotten straw, they shall not bide one pull of faith. I am sure they are in hell who would exchange their torments with our crosses, suppose they should never be delivered, & give twenty thousand years torment to boot, to be in our bonds for ever: & therefore we wrong Christ who si•h & fear & doubt & despond in them. Our sufferings are washen in Christ's blood as well as our souls; for Christ's merits bought a blessing to the crosses of the sons of God; and Jesus hath a backbond of all our temptations, that the free warders shall come out by law and justice, in respect of the infinite and great sum that the Redeemer paid. Our troubles owe us a free passage through them: devils and men and crosses are our debtors, and death and all storms are our debtors, to blow our poor tossed bark over the water fraught-fre, & to set the travellers in their own known ground: