Joshua Redivivus, or Mr. Rutherford's Letters

but I think, Christ seemeth to leave heaven [to say so] & his court, & come down to laugh & play & sport with a daft bairn. I am not this plain with many I write to: It is possible I be misconstructed & deemed to seek a name; but my witness above knoweth, I seek to have a good name raised upon Christ. I observe it to be our folly, to seek little from Christ; because our four-hours may not be our supper: nor our propine sent by the Bridegroom our tocher-good; nor our earnest our principal sum: But I trow few of us know how much may be had of Christ for a four-hours & a propine & earnest: We are like the young heir who knoweth not the whole bounds of his own Lordship. Certainly it is more then my part to say, O sweetest Lord Jesus, what ho• be it I were split & broken in five thousand shards or bits of clay, so being every shard •ad a heart to love thee, & every one as many tongues as there are stars in heaven to sing praises to thee, before man & angel for evermore? Therefore if my sufferings cry goodness, & praise, & honour upon Christ, my stipend is well payed. Each one knoweth not what a life Christ's love is: Scar not at suffering for Christ, for Christ hath a chair & a ⟨p. 231⟩cushion & sweet peace for a sufferer: Christ's trencher from the first mess of the high-table is for a sinful witness. O then Brother, who but Christ! Who but Christ? Hold your tongue of lovers where he cometh out! O all flesh, O dust & ashes, O Angels, O glorified spirits, O all the shields of the world, be silent before him, come hither & behold our Bridegroom, stand still & wonder for evermore at him! Why cease we to love & wonder, to kiss & adore him? It is a hard matter that days lie betwixt me & him & hold us asunder. O how long, how long! O how many miles are there to my Bridegroom's dwelling house! It is a pain to first Christ's love any longer: But it may be a drunken man lose his feet & miss a step. Ye write to me, hall bilks are slippery: I do not think my dawting world will still last, & that feasts will be my ordinary food: I would have humility, patience & faith, to set down both my feet when I come to the north-side of the cold & thorny hill. It is ill my common to be swier to go an errand for Christ, & to take the wind upon my face for him. Lord, let me never be a false witness to deny that I saw Christ take the pen in his hand & subscribe my writes.

but I think, Christ seemeth to leave heaven [to say so] & his court, & come down to laugh & play & sport with a daft bairn. I am not this plain with many I write to: It is possible I be misconstructed & deemed to seek a name; but my witness above knoweth, I seek to have a good name raised upon Christ. I observe it to be our folly, to seek little from Christ; because our four-hours may not be our supper: nor our propine sent by the Bridegroom our tocher-good; nor our earnest our principal summe: But I trow few of us know how much may be had of Christ for a four-hours & a propine & earnest: We are like the young heir who knoweth not the whole bounds of his own Lordship. Certainly it is more then my part to say, O sweetest Lord Iesus, what ho beit I were split & broken in five thousand sheards or bits of clay, so being every sheard ad a heart to love thee, & every one as many tongues as there are stars in heaven to sing praises to thee, before man & angel for evermore? Therefore if my sufferings cry goodness, & praise, & honour upon Christ, my stipend is well payed. Each one knoweth not what a life Christ's love is: Scar not at suffering for Christ, for Christ hath a chair & a