Epift. 28. to avouch himself before men: if ye can lend fines of three thoufand pounds Sterling for Christ, let heaven's register and Christ's count-book keep in reckoning your depursements for him; it shall be engraven and printed in great letters upon heaven's throne, what you are willing to give for him: Christ's papers of that kind cannot be loft or fall by. Do not wonder to fee clay boast the great Potter, and to fee blinded men threaten the gofpel with death and burial and to raze out truth's name. But where will they make a grave for the gospel and the Lord's bride? earth and hell fhall be but little bounds for their burial; lay all the clay and rubbish of this inch of the whole earth above our Lord's fpoufe, yet it will not cover her, nor hold her down; fhe fhall live and not die, she fhall behold the falvation of God. Let your faith frist God a little, and be not afraid for a Imoking fire-brand; there is more fmoke in Babylon's furnace than there is fire: till dooms-day shall come, they shall never fee the kirk of Scotland and our covenant burnt to ashes; or if it should be thrown in the fire, yet it cannot be fo burnt or buried, as not to have a refurrection: angry, clay's wind shall shake none of Christ's corn; he will gather in all his wheat into his barn: only let your fellowship with Christ be renewed. Ye are fibber to Chrift now, when you are imprisoned for him, than before; for now the ftrokes laid on you do come in remembrance before our Lord, and he can own his own wounds : a drink of Chrift's love, which is better than wine, is the drink-filver which fuffering for his Majefty leaves behind it. It is not your fins which they perfecute in you, but God's grace and loyalty to King Jefus they fee no treafon in you to your prince the king of Britain, albeit they fay fo; but it is heaven in you that earth is fighting againft, and Christ is owning his own cause: grace is a party that fire will not burn, nor water drown; when they have eaten and drunken you, their stomach shall be sick, and they shall fpue you out alive. O what glory is it, to be fuffering abjects for the Lord's glory and royalty! Nay, though his fervants had a body to burn for ever for this gofpel, fo being that triumphing and exalted Jefus his high glory did rife out of these flames, and out of that burning body, Oh, what a fweet fire! Oh what foul-refreshing torment should that be! what if the pickles of dust and ashes of the burnt and diffolved body were muficians to fing his praises, and the highness of that never-enough exalted Prince of ages! what love is it in him, that he will have fuch musicians as we are, to tune that pfalm of his everlasting praises in heaven! Oh what shining and burning flames of love are thofe, that Christ will divide his share of life, of heaven and glory with you! Luke xxii, 29. John xvii. 24. Rev. iii. 21. A part of his throne, one draught of his wine (his wine of glory and life, that comes from under the throne of God, and of the Lamb) and one apple of the tree of life, will do more than make up all the expences and charges of clay, lent out for heaven. Oh! Oh! but we have fhort, and narrow, and creeping thoughts of Jefus, and do but shape Chrift in our conceptions, according to fome created portraiture! O angels, lend in your help to make love-books and fongs of our fair, and white, and ruddy Standard-bearer amongst ten thousand! O heavens! O heaven of heavens! O glorified tenants, and triumphing houfholders with the Lamb, put in new pfalms, and love fonnets of the excellency of our Bridegroom, and help us to fet him on high! O indwellers of earth and heaven, fea and air, and O all ye created beings, within the bofom of the outmoft circle of this great world, O come help to fet on high the praises of our Lord! O fairness of creatures, blush before his uncreated beauty! O created strength, be amazed to stand before your strong Lord of hofts! O created love, think shame of thyfelf before this unparallelled love of heaven! O angel of wisdom, hide thyself before our Lord, whose understanding paffeth finding out! O fun in thy fhining beauty, for fhame put on a web of darkness, and cover thyfef before thy brightest Master and Maker! Oh, who can add glory, by doing or fuffering to this never-enough admired and praised Lover! Oh, we can but bring our drop to this Sea, and our candle, dim and dark as it is, to this clear and lightfome Sun of heaven and earth! Oh, but we have caufe to drink ten deaths in one cup dry, tofwim through ten feas, to be at that land of praises, where we fhall fee that wonder of wonders, and enjoy this Jewel of heaven's jewels! O death, do thy utmost against us! O torments, O malice of men and devils, wafte thy strength on the witneffes of our Lord's teftament! O devils, bring hell to help you, in tormenting the followers of the Lamb! we will defy you to make us too foon happy, and to waft us too foon over the water, to the land where the noble Plant, the Plant of renown, groweth. O cruel time, that torments us, and fufpends our dearest enjoyments, that we wait for, when we thall be bathed and steeped, foul and body, down to the depths of this love of loves! O time, I fay, run faft! O motions, mend your pace! O Well-beloved, be like a young roe upon the mountains of feparation! Poft, poft, and haften our defired and hungered-fore meeting; love is fick to hear tell of to-morrow: and what then can come wrong to you, O honourable witneffes of his kingly truth? Men have no more of you to work upon, but fome few inches and fpan-lengths of fick, coughing and phlegmatic clay: your spirite are above their benches, courts, or high commiffions; your fouls, your love to Christ, your faith cannot be fummoned, nor fentenced, nor accused, nor condemned by pope, deputy-prelate, ruler or ty rant; your faith is a free Lord, and cannot be a captive: all the malice of hell and earth can but hurt the fcabbard of a believer; and death at the worft can get but a clay pawn in keeping, till your Lord make the king's keys, and open your graves. Thereyour fore upon luck's head, (as we ufe to fay) take your fill of his love, and let a post-way or caufeway be laid, betwixt your prison and heaven, and go up and vifit your treasure. Enjoy your Beloved, and dwell upon his love, till eternity come in time's room, and poffefs you of your eternal happiness. Keep your love to Chrift, lay up your faith in heaven's keeping, and follow the chief of the houfe of the martyrs, that witnessed a fair confeffion before Pontius Pilate; your cause and his is all one. The oppofers of his caufe are like drunken judges and tranfported, who in their cups would make acts and laws in their drunken courts, that the fun fhould not rife and shine on the earth; and send their officers and purfeivants, to charge the fun and moon to give no more light to the world; and would enact in their court books, that the fea, after once ebbing, fhould never flow again: but would not the fun, moon, and fea break these acts, and keep their Creator's directions? The devil, the great fool, and father of thofe under-fools, is older, and more malicious than wife, that fets the fpirits in earth on work, to contend and clash with heaven's wisdom, and to give mandates and law-fummons to our Sun, to our great Star of heaven, Jesus, not to shine, in the beauty of his gofpel, to the chofen and bought ones. O thou fair and fairest Sun of righteousness, arise and shine in thy ftrength, whether earth or hell will or not: O victorious, O`royal, O ftout, princely Soul-conqueror, ride profperously upon truth; ftretch out thy fceptre, as far as the fun fhines, and the moon waxeth and waineth. Put on thy glittering crown, O thou Maker of kings, and make but one ftride, or one ftep of the whole earth, and travel in the greatnefs of thy ftrength, Ifa. lxiii. 1, 2. And let ́thy apparel be red, and all dyed with the blood of thy enemies: thou art fallen righteous Heir by line to the kingdoms of the world.' Laugh ye at the giddy-headed clay pots, and ftout brain-fick worms, that dare fay in good earnest, This Man fhall not reign over us; as though they were cafting the dice for Chrift's crown, who of them should have it. I know, ye believe the coming of Chrift's kingdom; and that there is a hole out of your prifon, through which ye fee day-light; let not faith be dazzled with the temptations from a dying deputy, and from a fick prelate; believe under a cloud, and wait for him, when there is no moon-light nor ftarlight let faith live and breathe, and lay hold on the fure falvation of God, when clouds and darkness are about you, and appearance of rotting in the prifon before you. Take heed of unbelieving hearts, which can father lies upon Chrift; beware of, doth his promise fail for evermore? Pfal. lxxvii. 8. For it was a man and not God, that faid it, who dreamed that a promise of God could fail, falla-fwoon or die. We can make God fick, or his promifes weak, when we are pleased to seek a plea with Christ. Ofweet, O : ftout 1 ftout word of faith, Job xiii. ver. 15. Though he flay me, yet will I truft in him! O fweet epitaph, written upon the graveftone of a dying believer, viz. I died hoping, and my duft and ashes believe life! Faith's eyes, that can fee through a mill-ftone, can fee through a gloom of God, and under it read God's thoughts of love and peace. Hold faft Chrift in the dark; furely ye shall fee the falvation of God. Your adversaries are ripe and dry for the fire; yet a little while, and they fhall go up in a flame; the breath of the Lord, like a river of brimftone, fhall kindle about them, Ifa. xxx. 33. What I write to one, I write to you all, that are found-hearted in that kingdom, whom, in the bowels of Christ, I would exhort, not to touch that oath: albeit the adversaries put a fair meaning on it, yet the fwearer muft fwear according to the profeffed intent and godlefs practice of the oath-makers, which is known to the world, other wife I might fwear that the creed is falfe, according to this private meaning and fenfe put upon it. Oh let them not be beguiled, to wash perjury, and the denial of Chrift and the gospel, with ink-water, fome foul and rotten distinctions. Wash, and wash again and again the devil and the lie, it fhall be long ere their skin be white. I profefs, it should befeem men of great parts, rather than me, to write to you; but I love your caufe, and defire to be excufed; and muft entreat for the help of your prayers, in this my weighty charge here for the univerfity and pulpit, and that ye would entreat your acquaintance alfo to help me. Grace be with you all. Amen. St. Andrews, 1640. Your brother and companion 29. To Mrs. PONT, prifoner at Dublin. Worthy and dear Mistress, Gand your Willing nefs to fuffer, is ground enough of acquaint Race, mercy and peace be to you. The caufe ye fuffer for, ance for me to write to you; although I do confefs myself unable to speak for a prifoner of Chrift's encouragement. I know, ye have advantage beyond us, who are not under fufferings: for your fighing (Pfal. cxx. 20.) it is a written. bill, for the ears of your head, the Lord Jesus; and your breathing, Lam. iii. 51, and your -looking up, Pfal. v. 3 and Ixix. 3. And therefore your meaning half-fpoken, half-unfpoken, will feek no jaylor's leave, but will go to heaven without leave of prelate or deputy, and be heartily welcome; fo that ye may figh and groan out your mind, to him, who hath all the keys of the king's three kingdoms and dominions. I dare believe your hopes fhall not die; your trouble is a part of Zion's burning, and ye know who guides Zion's furnace, and who A a a loves Epift. 29. loves the afhes of his burnt bride, because his fervants love them, Pfal. cii. 14. I believe your afhes, if ye were burnt for this caufe, fhall praife him for the wrath of men and their malice fhall make a pfalm to praise the Lord, Pfal. lxxvi. 10. And therefore ftand :: ftill, and behold, and fee what the Lord is to do for this island; his work is perfect, Deut. xxxii. 4. The nations have not seen the last end of his work, his end is more fair and more glorious than the beginning. Ye have more honour than ye can be able to guide well, in that your bonds are made heavy for fuch an honourable caufe. The feals of a controled gofpel, and the feals by bonds, and blood and fufferings, are not committed to every ordinary profeffor. Some that would back Chrift honeftly in fummer time, would but fpill the beauty of the gofpel, if they were put to fuffering. And therefore let us believe, that Wisdom difpenfeth to every one here, as he thinks good, who bears them up that bear the cross and fince our Lord hath put you to that part, which was the flower of his own fufferings, we all expect, that as ye have in the ftrength of our Captain begun, fo ye will go on without fainting. Providence maketh ufe of men and devils, for the refining of all the vessels of God's house, fmall and great; and for doing of two great works at once in you, both for fmoothing a ftone, to make it take bond with Chrift, in Jerufalem's wall; and for witneffing to the glory of this reproached and borne-down gofpel, which cannot die, though hell were made a grave about it, It fhall be timeous joy for you, to divide joy betwixt you and Christ's laughing bride, in these three kingdoms: and what if your mouraing continue till myftical Chrift in Ireland and in Britain, and ye, laugh both together? Your laughing and joy were the more blefed, that one fun fhould fhine upon Chrift, the gofpel, and you, laughing altogether, in thefe three kingdoms. Your time is meafured, and your days and hours of fuffering from eternity were by infinite Wisdom confidered: if heaven recompenfe not to your own mind inches of forrow, then I must fay, that infinite Mercy cannot get you pleased; but if the first kifs of the white and ruddy cheek of the Standard-bearer and Chief among ten thousand, Cant. v. 10, fhall over pay your prifon at Dublin in Ireland, then ye fhall have no counts unanswered, to give into Chrift: if your faith cannot fee a nearer term day, yet let me charge your hope to give Christ a new day, till eternity and time meet in one point. A paid fum, if ever paid, is paid, if no day be broken to the hungry creditake heaven's bond and fubfcribed obligation for the fum, John xiv. 3. If hope can truft Chrift, I know he can, and will pay but when all is done and suffered by you, ten hundred deaths for lovely, lovely Jefus, is but eternity's half penny; figures and cyphers cannot lay the proportion. Oh but the fupperlus of Chrift's glory is broad and large! Chrift's items of eternal glory are hard and cumbersome tor; |