A57970:805
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.
Grace, mercy & peace be to you: I long for the time when I shall see the beauty of the Lord in his house, & would be as glad of it, as of any sight on earth, to see the halt, the blind & the lame, come back to Zion with supplications, Jer. 31, 8, 9. going & weeping & seeking the Lord, asking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward Jer. 50. 5, 6. & to see the woman travelling in birth, delivered of the man child, of a blessed Reformation. ⟨p. 290⟩If this land were humbled, I would look that our sky should clear & our day dawn again, & ye should then bless Christ who is content to save your travel, & to give himself to you in pure ordinances on this side of the sea. I know, the mercy of Christ is engaged by promise to Scotland, notwithstanding he bring wrath, as I fear he shall, upon this land. I am waiting on for enlargement, & half content that my faith bow, if Christ while he bow it, keep it unbroken; for who goeth through a fire without a mark or a scald. I see the Lord making use of this fire to scour his vessels from their rust. Oh that my will were silent & as a child weaned from the breasts! Psal. 130. But alas, who hath a heart that will give Christ the last word in flitting, & will hear & not speak again? Oh contestations & quarrelous replies [as a soon saddled spirit, I do well to be angry, even to the death, Jon. 4: 9.] Smell of the stink of strong corruption! O blessed soul that could sacrifice his will & go to heaven having lost his will & made resignation of it to Christ! I would seek no more but that Christ were absolute King over my will, & that my will were a sufferer in all crosses, without meeting Christ with such a word, why is it thus? I wish still that my love had but leave to stand beside beautiful Jesus, & to get the mercy of looking to him & burning for him, suppose possession of him were suspended & fristed, till my Lord fold together the leaves & two sides of the little shepherds tents of clay. Oh what pain is in longing for Christ under an overclouded and eclipsed assurance! What is harder then to burn and dwine with longings and deaths of love, & then to have blanks & uninked paper for assurance of Christ in real fruition or possession? O how sweet were one line or half a letter of a written assurance under Christ's own hand! But this is our exercise daily, that guiltiness shall overmist and darken assurance: