A57970:780
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 JEAN BROWN. (142)
MISTRESS.
Grace, mercy and peace be to you: I long to hear how your soul prospereth: I earnestly desire your on-going toward your country: I know ye see your day melteth away by little & little, & that in short time ye will be put beyond Time's bounds; for life is a post that standeth not still, & our joys here are born weeping rather then laughing & they die weeping: Sin, Sin, this body of sin and corruption, embittereth & poisoneth all our enjoyments. O that I were where I shall sin no more! O to be freed of these chains & iron fetters that we carry about with us! Lord loose the sad prisoners. Who of the children of God have not cause to say, that they have their fill of this vain life, & like a full and sick stomach to wish at mid-supper, that the supper were ended & the table drawn, that the sick man might win to bed and enjoy rest? We have cause to tire at mid-supper of the ⟨p. 281⟩best messes that this world can dress up for us, and to cry to God that he would remove the table & put the sin-sick souls to rest with himself. O for a long play-day with Christ, and our long lasting vacance of rest! Glad may their souls be that are safe over the fi•th, Christ having payed the fraught: Happy are they who have past their hard and wearisome time of apprenticeship, and are now free-men and citizens in that joyful high city, the new Jerusalem. Alas that we should be glad of, and rejoice in our fetters & our prison-house & this dear Inns, a life of sin, where we are absent from our Lord and so far from our home. O that we could get bonds & law-suretyship of our love, that it fasten not it self on these clay-dreams, these clay shadows and worldly vanities! We might be oftener seeing what they are doing in heaven and our heart more frequently upon our sweet treasure above: We smell of the smoke of this lower house of the earth, because our heart and our thoughts are here: If we could haunt up with God, we should smell of heaven and of our country above, & we should look like our country and like strangers or people not born or brought up hereaway: Our crosses would not bite upon us, if we were heavenly minded. I know no obligation the saints have to this world, seeing we fare but upon the smoke of it, & if there be any smoke in the house, it bloweth upon our eyes: