ANWOTH, _Sept. 14, 1634_.
XXXVIII.--_To_ MARION M'NAUGHT.
(_CHRIST'S CARE OF HIS CHURCH, AND HIS JUDGMENTS ON HER ENEMIES._)
MISTRESS,--My dearest love in Christ remembered. I entreat you charge
your soul to return to rest, and to glorify your dearest Lord in
believing; and know that for the good-will of Him that dwelleth in the
bush, the burning kirk shall not be consumed to ashes; but "Blessing
shall come on the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him
that was separate from his brethren" (Deut. xxxiii. 16). And are not
the saints separate from their brethren, and sold and hated? "For the
archers have sorely grieved Joseph, and shot at him and hated him; but
his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong
by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob" (Gen. xlix. 23, 24). From Him
is the Shepherd and the Stone of Israel. The Stone of Israel 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
see if we will believe, and not give over; and I am persuaded you must
of necessity stick by your work. The eye of Christ hath been upon all
this business; and He taketh good heed to 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 dinn 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
bosom, and dry their watery eyes. And this day is fast coming. "Yet a
little time, and the vision will speak, it will not tarry" (Hab. ii.
3). These questions betwixt us and our adversaries will all be decided
in yonder day, when the Son of God shall come, and redd all pleas; and
it will be seen whether we or they have been for Christ, and who have
been pleading for Baal. It is not known what we are now; but when our
life shall appear in glory, then we shall see who laughs fastest that
day. Therefore, we must possess our souls in patience, and go into our
chamber and rest, while the indignation be past. We shall not weep
long when our Lord shall take us up, in the day that He gathereth His
jewels. "They that feared the Lord spoke 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"
(Mal. iii. 16). I shall never be of another faith, but that our Lord
is heating a furnace for the enemies of His kirk in Scotland. It is
true the spouse of Christ hath played the harlot, and hath left her
first Husband, and the enemies think they offend not, for we have
sinned against the Lord; but they shall get the devil to their thanks.
The rod shall be cast into the fire, that we may sing 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 arise.
The sun is gone down upon the prophets, and our gold is become dim,
and the Lord feedeth His people with waters of gall and wormwood; yet
Christ standeth but behind the wall, His bowels are moved for
Scotland. He waiteth, as Isaiah saith, that He may show mercy. If we
could go home, and take our brethren with us, weeping with our face
towards Zion, asking the way thitherward, He would bring back our
captivity. We may not think that God has no care of His honour, while
men tread it under their feet; He will clothe Himself with vengeance,
as with a cloak, and appear against our enemies for our deliverance.
Ye were never yet beguiled, and God will not now begin with you.
Wrestle still with the angel of the covenant, and you shall get the
blessing. Fight! He delighteth to be overcome by wrestling.
Commend me to Grizel. Desire her to learn to know the adversaries of
the Lord, and to take them as her adversaries, and to learn to know
the right gate into the Son of God. O but acquaintance with the Son of
God, to say, "My Well-beloved is mine, and I am His," is a sweet and
glorious course of life, that none know but those who are sealed and
marked in the forehead with Christ's mark, and the new name, that
Christ writeth upon His own. Grace, grace, and mercy be with you.
Yours in Christ,