A57970:509
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 88: To my welbeloved & reverend brother Mr ROBERT BLAIR. [88]
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.
Grace, mercy & peace from God our father & from our Lord Jesus Christ be to you: It is no great wonder, my Dear Brother, that ye be in heaviness for a season, & that God's will in crossing your design & desires to dwell amongst a people whose God is the Lord, should move you: I deny not, but ye have cause to enquire what his providence speaketh in this to you; but God's directing & commanding will, can by no good logic, be concluded from events of providence. The Lord ⟨p. 179⟩sent Paul many errands for the spreading of his Gospel, where he found lions in his way: a promise was made to his people of the holy land & yet many nations in the way fighting against, & ready to kill them who had the promise, or keep them from possessing that good land which the Lord their God had given them. I know ye have most to do with submission of spirit; but I persuade my self, ye have learned in every condition wherein ye are cast, therein to be content, & to say, good is the will of the Lord, let it be done. I believe, the Lord tackleth his ship often to fetch the wind, & that he purposeth to bring mercy out of your sufferings & silence, which [I know from mine own experience] is grievous to you: s•eing he knoweth our willing mind to serve him, our wages & stipend is running to the fore with our God; even as some tick soldiers get their pay when then they are bed-•ast & not able to go to the fields with others. Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord & my God shall be my strength, Isa. 49: 3. & we are to believe it shall be thus ere all the play be played, Jer. 51: 35. The violence done to me & my flesh, be upon Babylon, & the great whore's lovers, shall the inhabitants of Zion say, and my blood be upon Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say & Zech. 12: 2. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cap of trembling to all the people about, where they shall be in the siege bosh against Judah and Jerus them v. 3. And is that day, I will make Jerusalem a burden so[…] stone for all people, they that burden themselves with it, shall be broken in pieces: though all the people of the earth be gathered against it. When they have eaten & swallowed us up, they shall be sick & vomit us out living men again: the devil's stomach cannot digest the Church of God. Suffering is the other half of our ministry, howbeit the hardest: