A57970:68
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 Mr ROBERT CUNYNGAME, Minister of the Gospel at Holywood in Ireland. (Epist. 1.)
Well beloved and reverend Brother, grace mercy and peace be to you; upon acquaintance in Christ, I thought good to take the opportunity of writing to you; seeing it hath seemed good to the Lord of the harvest, to take the hooks out of our hands for a time, and to lay upon us a more honourable service, even to suffer for his name. It were good to comfort one another in writing: I have had a Desire to see you in the face, yet now being the prisoner of Christ it is taken away: I am greatly comforted to hear of your soldiers stately spirit, for your princely and royal Captain Jesus our Lord, and for the grace of god in the rest of our dear brethren with you; you have heard of my trouble I suppose, It hath pleased our sweet Lord Jesus, to let loose the malice of these interdicted Lords in his house to deprive me of my Ministry at Anwoth ⟨p. 2⟩and to confine me, eight score miles from thence to Aberdeen; and also (which was not done to any before) to inhibit me to speak at all in Jesus his name, within this Kingdom, under the pain of rebellion: The cause that ripened their hatred was my book against the Arminians, whereof they accused me, these three Days I appeared before them; But let our crowned king in Zion reign, by his grace the loss is theirs, the advantage is Christs and truths; albeit this honest cross gained some ground on me; by my heaviness, and inward Challenges of conscience for a time were sharp, yet now for the encouragement of you all, I dare say it, and write it under my hand, welcome, welcome, sweet, sweet, Cross, of Christ: I verily think the Chains of my Lord Jesus are all overlaid with pure gold, & that his cross is perfumed, and that it smelleth of Christ, & that the Victory, shall be by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of his truth, and that Christ laying on his back, in his weak servants, and oppressed truth, shall ride over his enemies bellies, and shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath: It is time we laugh when he laugheth, and seeing he is now pleased to sit with wrongs for a time, it becometh us to be silent, until the Lord hath let the enemies enjoy their hungry, lean, and feckless paradise: Blessed are they who are content to take strokes with weeping Christ, faith will trust the Lord, and is not hasty, nor head strong;