end, in rememberance of you in my prayer to God. Grace, grace Miftrefs, M Y love in Chrift remembered. Please you understand, to my grief our communion is delayed till fabbath come eight days; for the Laird and Lady have earnestly defired me to delay it, because the Laird is fick, and he fears he be not able to travel, becaufe he has lately taken phyfic. The Lord bless that work: commend it to God, as you love me. For I love not Satan's thorns caft in the Lord's way; The Lord rebuke him. I truft in God's mercy, Satan has gotten but a delay, but no free discharge, that his kingdom fhall not be hurt. Commend the Laird to your God. I pray you advertise your people, that they be not difappointed in coming here. Shew fuch of them as you love in Chrift from me, that Jefus Chrift will be welcomer when he comes in, that he has fharpened their defires for eight days fpace. Your daughter is well, I hope, every way. Forget not God's kirk; they are but baftards, and not fons and daughters, that mourn not for Zion: Lord hear No further, Jefus Chrift be with your spirit. I shall remember you and your new house. Lord Jefus, go from the one house to the other. us. Anroth. Yours at all power in the Lord, S. R. 30 For MARION MACKNAUGHT. Well-beloved mistress, Y love in Chrift remembered. I hear this day, your town is to choose a commiffioner for the parliament, and I was written to from Edinburgh, to see that good men fhould be chofen in your bounds; and I have heard this day, that Robert Glendoning or John Ewart look to be chofen. I beseech you fee this be not; the Lord's caufe craveth other witnesses to fpeak for him than fuch men; and therefore let it not be faid, that Kirkcudbright, which is fpoken of in this kingdom for their religion, hath fent a man to be their mouth, that will speak against Christ. Such a time as this will not fall out once in half an age. I would intreat your hufband, to take it upon him; it is an honourable and neceffary service for Chrift; and fhew him that I wrote unto you for that effect. I fear William Glendoning hath not skill and authority. I am in great. heaviness: pray for me; for we must take our life in our hand in this ill time. Let us fir up ourselves to lay our Lord's bride, and her her wrongs, before our Husband and Lord. Lord Jefus be with your spirit. Anwoth, May 20. Yours in his fweet Lord Jefus, S. R. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanavaravananananan 31. For MARION MACKNAUGHT. Well-beloved fifter, Y old and dearest love in Chrift remembered. Know that MI have been vifiting my Lady Kenmure; her child is with the Lord: I intreat you visit her; and defire the good-wife of Barcaple to vifit her, and Knockbrex, if you fee him in the town. My Lord her husband is abfent, and I think she will be heavy : you know what Mr. W. Dalgleish and I defired you to deal for, at my Lord Kirkcudbright's hand. Send me word, if you obtained any thing at my Lord's hands, anent the giving up of our names to the high commiffion; for I hear it is not for nothing that the Bishop hath taken that courfe: our Lord knows best what is good for an old kirk, that is fallen from her first love, and hath forgotten her Hufband, days without number: a trial is like to come on; but I am fure, our Husbandman Christ shall lose chaff, but no corn at all. Yet there is a dry wind coming, but neither to fan nor to purge. Happy are they, who are not blown away with the chaff; for we will but fuffer tentation for ten days: but thofe, who are faithful to the death, fhall receive the crown of life. I hear daily what hath been spoken of myself most unjust and falfly; and no marvel, the dragon with the fwing of his tail, hath made the third part of the ftars to fall from heaven, and the fallen would have many to fall with them. If ever Satan was bufy, now when he knoweth his time is fhort, he is bufy; yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. I know, ere it be long, the Lord fhall come, and rid all pleas betwixt us and his enemies: Now welcome, Lord Jefus, go faft. Send me word about Griffel your daughter, who I remember in Chrift; and defire her to caft herself in his arms who was born of a woman, and, being the Ancient of days, was made a young weeping Child. It was not for nothing that our brother Jefus was an infant; it was, that he might pity infants of believers, who were to come out of the womb into the world: I believe our Lord Jefus fhall be waiting on with mercy, mercy, mercy to the end of that battle, and bring her through with life and peace, and a fign of God's favour. I will expect advertisement from you, and efpecially if you fear her. Mistress, you remember that I faid to you, anent your love to me and my brother begun in Chrift, you know, we are here but ftrangers, and you have not yet found us a dry well, as others have been be not overcome of any fufpicion; I trust in God, the 히 Lord, 463 Lord, who knit us together, fhall keep us together. It is time now, that the lambs of Jefus fhould all run together, when the wolf is barking at them; yet I know, ere God's bairns want a crofs, their love amongst themselves fhall be a crofs; but our Lord giveth love for another end. I know you will with love cover infirmities; and our Lord give you wisdom in all things: I think love hath broad shoulders, and will bear many things, and yet neither faint, nor fweat, nor fall under the burden. Commend me to your husband, and dear Griffel; I think on her: Lord Jefus be in the furnace with her, and then fhe will but fmoke, and not burn. Defire Mr. Robert to excufe my not feeing of him at his houfe; I have my own reafons therefore. Grace, mercy and peace be with Miftrefs, 6 Y deareft love in Chrift remembered: I intreat you, charge M your foul to return to reft, and to glorify your dearest Lord in believing and know, that, for the good-will of him that dwel leth in the bush, the burning kirk fhall not be confumed to ashes: but, Deut. xxxiii. 16. Bleffing fhall come on the head of Jofeph, and upon the top of the head of him that was feparate from his brethren:' and are not the faints feparate from their brethren, and fold, and hated? for, Gen. xliv. 23. The archers have forely grieved Joseph, and shot at him, and hated him.' Ver. 24. ‘But his bow abode in ftrength, and the arms of his hands were made ftrong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.' From him is the Shepherd and the stone of Ifrael; the ftone of Ifrael shall not be broken in pieces: it is hammered upon by the children of this world, and we shall live, and not die. Our Lord hath done all this, to fee if we will believe, and not give over; and I am perfuaded, you must of neceffity stick by your work: the eye of Christ hath been upon all this business; and he taketh good heed too, who is for him, and who is against him;, let us do our part, as we would be approved of Christ. The Son of God is near to his enemies; if they were not deaf, they may hear the din of his feet: and he will come with a start, upon his weeping bairns, and take them on his knee, and lay their head in his bofom, and dry their watery eyes; and this day is faft coming; yet a little time, and the vifion will speak, it will not taray, Hab. ii. These questions betwixt us and our adverfaries will all be decided in yonder day, when the Son of God fhall come, and rid all pleas; and it will be feen whether we or they have been for Chrift, and who have been pleading Epift. 32. pleading for Baal. It is not known what we are now; but when our life fhall appear in glory, then we fhall fee who laughs fastest that day; therefore we muft poffefs our fouls in patience, and go in to our chamber, and reft while the indignation be paft: we shall not weep long, when our Lord shall take us up in the day that he gathereth his jewels: and, Mal. ii. 16. They that feared the Lord fpoke often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name.' And I fhall never be of another faith, but our Lord is heating a furnace for the enemies of his kirk in Scotland. It is true the fpoufe of Christ hath played the harlot, and hath left her first Husband; and the enemies think they offend not, for we have finned against the Lord but they shall get the devil to their thanks, the rod shall be caft into the fire, that we may fing as in the days of our youth. My dear friend, therefore lay down your head upon Christ's breast: weep not, the Lion of the tribe of Judah will arife. The fun is gone down upon the prophets, and our gold is become dim; and the Lord feedeth his people with waters of gall and worm wood; yet Chrift ftandeth but behind the wall, his bowels are moved for Scotland; he waiteth (as Isaiah faith) that he may fhew mercy. If we would go home, and take our brethren with us, weeping with our faces toward Zion, afking the way thitherward, he would bring back our captivity: we may not think, that God has no care of his own honour, while men tread it under their feet; he will clothe himself with vengeance, as with a cloke, and appear against our enemies for our deliverance. Ye were never yet beguiled, and God will not now begin with you; wrestle ftill with the Angel of the covenant, and you fhall get the bleffing: fight, he delighteth to be overcome by wrestling. Commend me to Griffel; defire her to learn to know the adverfaries of the Lord, and to take them as her adverfaries; and to learn to know the right gate in to the Son of God: O but acquaintance with the Son of God, to lay, My Wellbeloved is mine, and I am his, is a fweet and glorious course of life, that nonelknow, but thofe who are fealed, and marked in the fore-head with Chrift's mark, and the new name that Chrift writeth upon his ●wn! Grace, grace and be with you. mercy Anwoth, Sept. 25. 1634. Yours in Chrift, S. R. 33. For I 33. TO MARION MACKŇAUGHT. Well-beloved miftrefs, Charge you, in the name of the Son of God, to reft upon your Rock, that is higher than yourself; be not afraid of a man who is a worm, nor for the fon of man who fhall die; let God be your fear. Encourage your hufband. I would counsel you to write to Edinburgh to fome advised lawyers, to understand what your hufband, as the head magiftrate, may do in oppofing any intruded minifter, and his carriage toward the new prelate, if he command him to imprifon or lay hands upon any; and in a word, how far he may in his office disobey a prelate, without danger of law for if the Bishop come to your town, and find not obedience to his heart, it is like he will command the provost to affist him, against God and the truth. Ye will have more courage under the perfecution; fear not, take Chrift caution, who faid, Luke xxi. 18. There fhall not one hair of you head perish.' Chrift will not be in your common, to have you giving out any thing for him, and not give you all incomes with advantage: it is his honour, his fervant fhould not be herried and undone in his fervice; you were never honoured till now: and if your husband be the firft magiftrate who shall suffer for Chrift's name in this perfecution, he may rejoice that Chrift hath put the first garland upon his head, and upon yours. Truth will yet keep the crown of the causeway in Scotland; Chrift and truth are ftrong enough. They judge us now, we shall one day judge them, and fit on twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes: believe, believe; for they dare not pray, they dare not look Chrift in the face; they have been falfe to Chrift, and he will not fit with the wrong: ye know, it is not our caufe; for if we would quit our Lord, we might fleep for the prefent in a found skin, and keep our place, means and honour, and be dear to them alfo. But let us once put all we have over in Chrift's hand: fear not for my papers, I fhall difpatch them; but ye will be examined for them: the Spirit of Jefus give you inward peace. Defire your husband from me to prove honest to Chrift; he fhall not be a lofer at Chrift's hand. Anwith, July 8. 1635. Yours ever in his fweet Lord Jefus, S. R vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasiona 34. To MARION MACNAUGHT. Well-beloved fifter, M Y love in Chrift remembered. I hear of good news anent our kirk; but I fear that our king will not be refifted, and therefore let us not be fecure and careless. I do wonder if this N'n.n kirk |