A57970:868
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 ROBERT GORDON. Of Knockbrex. (159]
Dear Brother.
Grace, mercy & peace be to you: I am by God's mercy come now to Aberdeen, the place of my confinement, & settled in an honest man's house: I find the town's-men cold & general & dry in their kindness, yet I find a lodging in the heart of many strangers: My challenges are revived again, & I find old sores bleeding of new; so dangerous & painful is an undercotted conscience; yet I have an eye to the blood that is physic for such sores: But verily I see Christianity is conceived to be more easy & lighter then it is; so that I sometimes think I never knew any thing, but the letters of that name; for our nature contenteth it self with little in godliness. Our Lord, Lord, seemeth to us ten Lord Lords: little holiness in our balance is much because it is our own holiness, & we love to lay small burdens upon our soft natures, & to make a fair court way to heaven: And I know it were necessary to take more pains then we do, & not to make heaven a city more easily taken then God hath made it: I persuade my self many runners shall come short & get a disappointment. Oh how easy is it to deceive our selves, & to sleep & wish that heaven may fall ⟨p. 316⟩down in our laps! Yet for all my Lord's glooms I find him sweet, gracious, loving, kind, & I want both pen & words to set forth the fairness, beauty & sweetness of Christ's love, & the honour of this cross of Christ, which is glorious to me, though the world thinketh shame thereof: I verily think that the cross of Christ would blush & think shame of these thin-skinned worldlings, who are so married to their credit that they are ashamed of the sufferings of Christ. O the honour to be scourged, stoned with Christ, & to go through a furious-faced death to life eternal! But men would have Lawborrows against Christ's cross. Now, My dear Brother forget not the prisoner of Christ; for I see very few here who kindly fear God. Grace be with you. Let my love in Christ & hearty affection be remembered to your kind wife, to your Brother John & to all friends. The Lord Jesus be with your Spirit.