Madam, To LADY KENMURE. (19.) GRACE, mercy, and peace be to you. forget your Ladyship, and that sweet child. with his love. Christ's love? done for my soul. I I cannot I desire to hear what the Lord is doing to you and him -to write to me were charity. I cannot but write to my friends, that Christ hath met me in Aberdeen; and my adversaries have sent me here, to be feasted Madam, why should I conceal dare not conceal what he hath Madam, rue not of your having chosen the better part. Upon my salvation, this is Christ's truth I now suffer for. If I found but cold comfort in my sufferings, I would not beguile others; I would speak plainly. But this love is a mystery to the world. I would not have believed that there was so much in Christ as there is. "Come and · see," maketh Christ to be known in his excellency and glory. It is little to see him in a book. Men talk of Christ by the book and tongue, and no more; but to come nigh Christ is another thing. Madam, I write to you, for your encouragement in that honourable profession Christ hath honoured you with. You have gotten the best of Christ's good things: he hath given you a Benjamin's portion. And howbeit you get strokes from your Lord, yet believe his love more than your own feeling; for this world can take nothing from you that is truly yours, and death can do you no wrong. Your Rock doth not ebb and flow, though your sea doth. That which Christ hath said he will abide by. Blessed be your guide, when your Head shall appear. Your day shall then dawn, and it shall never have an afternoon, nor an evening shadow. Let your child be Christ's; let him stay beside you, as the Lord's pledge, that you will willingly render back again if God will. Let me hear from your Ladyship, and your dear child. Remember my obliged obedience to my good Lady Marr. Grace, grace be with you. I write and pray blessings to your sweet child. Yours, in all dutiful obedience, Aberdeen, Nov. 22, 1636. S. R. Madam, To LADY KENMURE. (20.) GRACE, mercy, and peace be to you. I received you Ladyship's letter: it refreshed me in my heavi- ! ness. The blessings and prayers of a prisoner of Christ come upon you. Since my coming here I received not a line from Galloway, except what my brother Earlstoun and his son did write. I cannot get my papers transported: but Madam, I want not the kindness of One, who, if he had never done more for me since I was born, hath engaged my heart, and gained my blessing, in this house of my pilgrimage. I would not exchange my cross with any. I am persuaded, that it is Christ's truth I now suffer for. I know his comforts are no dreams: he would not put his seal upon blank paper, nor deceive his afflicted ones, that trust in him. Your Ladyship wrote to me that you are yet a poor scholar. Madam, you must go in at heaven's gates, your book in your hand, still learning. You have had your own large share of troubles, and a double portion; but remember that word, Heb. xii. 28. Madam, it is not long since I did write to you, that Christ is keeping mercy for you; and I abide by it still, and now I write it under my hand-Love him dearly; strive to get nearer to him. There is in him that which you never saw; he is ever nigh; he is a tree of life, green and blossoming, both summer and winter. There is a point in Christianity to which whosoever cometh will see and feel more than others can do;I invite you anew to come to him. "Come and see," will speak better things of him than I can do. Come nearer will say much. God never thought this world a portion worthy of you: he will not give you Esau's portion, but reserves the inheritance of Jacob for you. I long to hear of the child: I write the blessings of Christ's prisoner, and the mercies of God to him. Let him be Christ's and yours betwixt you; but let Christ be the lender, and you the borrower-not an owner. Now the blessing of our dearest Lord Jesus, and the blessing of him that is separate from his brethren, come upon you. Yours in the Lord, S. R. Aberdeen. Madam, To LADY KENMURE. (21.) NOTWITHSTANDING the great haste of the bearer, I would bless your Ladyship on paper, desiring that since Christ hath ever envied that the world should. have your love, that you give yourself out for Christ, and that you may be for no other-I know none worthy of you but Christ. I write my blessing to that sweet child, that you have borrowed from God; he is no heritage to you, but a loan-love him as folks do borrowed things. My heart is heavy for you. If my Lord would be pleased, I would desire some were dealt with for my return to Anwoth. But, if that never be, I thank God, Anwoth is not heaven; preaching is not Christ. I hope to wait Let me hear how the child is, and your Ladyship's mind and hopes of him; for it would ease my heart to know that he is well. be with your Ladyship. Grace for evermore GRACE, mercy, and peace to you. I am refreshed with your letters: the right hand of Him, to whom belong the issues from death, hath been gracious to that sweet child. I do not, I cannot forget him and your Ladyship, in my prayers. Madam, for your own case, I love careful, and withal, doing complaints of want of practice; because I observe many who think it holiness enough to complain, and set themselves at nothing, as if to say, "I am sick,' would cure them; they think complaints a good charm for guiltiness. I hope you are wrestling and struggling. I urge upon you, Madam, a nearer communion with Christ, and a growing communion. There are depths of love in Christ, beyond what we have seen; therefore dig deep, and labour, and take pains for him; and set by so much time in the day for him as you can-he will be won with labour. Now, Madam, I assure you, the greatest part but play with Christianity; they put it aside easily. I thought it had been an easy thing to be a Christian, and that to seek God had been at the next door; but O, the windings and turnings that he hath led me through! and I see yet much way to the ford. He speaks with my reins in the night season, and in the morning, when I awake, I find his arrows that he shot at me sticking in my heart. Who will help me to praise? who will raise the song with me, and set on high his great love! As for friends, I shall not think the world to be the world, if that well go not dry. I trust in God to use the world, as a pru dent master doth a knavish servant, (at least, God give me grace to do so!) he giveth him no charge or credit; only intrusteth him with common errands, wherein he cannot play the knave. I pray God I may not look to the world for my joys, and comforts, and confidence that were to put Christ out of his |