A57970:684
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.
Dear Brother.
Grace, mercy & peace be unto you: upon the report I hear of you [without any further acquaintance except our straitest bonds in our Lord Jesus] I thought good to write unto you, hearing of your danger to be thrust out of the Lord's house for his name sake: Therefore my earnest & humble desire to God is, that ye may be strengthened in the grace of God, & by the power of his might to go on for Christ, not standing in aw of a worm that shall die. I hope ye will not put your hand to the ark to give it a wrong touch & to overturn it, as many now do, when the archers are shooting sore at Joseph, whose bow shall abide in it's strength: We owe to our royal King & Princely Master a testimony. O how blessed are they who can ward a blow off Christ & his born-down truth! Men think Christ a gone man now, & that he shall never get up his head again: And they believe his court is failed, because he suffereth men to break their spears & swords upon him, and the enemies to plough Zion, & make long & deep their furrows on her back: But it would not be so, if the Lord had not a sowing for his ploughing: What can he do, but melt an old drossy Kirk, that he may bring out a new bride out of the fire again […] ⟨p. 240⟩I think Christ is just now repairing his house, & exchanging his old vessels with new vessels, & is going through this land and taking up an inventure & a roll of so many of Levi's sons & good Professors, that he may make them new work for the second temple: And whatsoever shall be found, not to be for the work shall be cast over the wall: When the house shall be builded, he shall lay by his hammers as having no more to do with them: It is possible he do worse to them then lay them by: & I think the vengeance of the Lord & the vengeance of his temple shall be upon them: I desire no more but to keep weight when I am past the fire: & I can now in some weak measure give Christ a testimonial of a lovely & loving companion under suffering for him. I saw him before but afar off; his beauty to my eye's sight groweth: a fig, a straw for ten worlds plastered glory & for childish shadows: The idol of clay [this God, the world] that fools fight for. If I had a lease of Christ of my own dating [for whoever once cometh nigh hand & taketh a hearty look of Christ's inner side, shall never wring nor wrestle themselves out of his love-grips again] I would rest contented in my prison;