[JOHN GORDON of Cardoness, younger, like his father, previously
noticed (Letter LXXXII.), was naturally a man of strong passions.
Judging from this letter, he appears not only to have been
neglectful of religion, but to have freely indulged in the
follies and vices of youth. Rutherford warns him of his sin and
danger with much freedom and affectionate earnestness; and these
warnings, it is to be hoped, were not in vain. He was in the
Covenanters' army, in England, in 1644, as appears from a letter
of his preserved among the Wodrow MSS. It is dated "Sunderland,
28th March 1644," and is addressed to Mr. Thomas Wylie. It is
written in a religious strain. After referring to the success of
the army, and to the account of this drawn up by Mr. Robert
Douglas, it contains in the close the following passage:--"I
entreat you be kind to my wife, and deal with her neither to take
my absence, nor the form of coming from her, in evil part; for,
in God's presence, public duties and nothing else removed me, or
marred the form of my removal. Be earnest with her that she seek
a nearer acquaintance with Christ: and fail not to pray for her
and her family, and me." (Wodrow MSS., vol. xxix.)]
(_REASONS FOR BEING EARNEST ABOUT THE SOUL, AND FOR RESIGNATION._)
HONOURED AND DEAR BROTHER,--I wrote of late to you: multitudes of
letters burden me now. I am refreshed with your letter.
I exhort you in the bowels of Christ, set to work for your soul. And
let these bear weight with you, and ponder them seriously: _1st_,
Weeping and gnashing of teeth in utter darkness, or heaven's joy.
_2ndly_, Think what ye would give for an hour, when ye shall lie like
dead, cold, blackened clay. _3rdly_, There is sand in your glass yet,
and your sun is not gone down. _4thly_, Consider what joy and peace
are in Christ's service. _5thly_, Think what advantage it will be to
have angels, the world, life and death, crosses, yea, and devils, all
for you, as the King's serjeants and servants, to do your business.
_6thly_, To have mercy on your seed, and a blessing on your house.
_7thly_, To have true honour, and a name on earth that casteth a sweet
smell. _8thly_, How ye will rejoice when Christ layeth down your head
under His chin, and betwixt His breasts, and drieth your face, and
welcometh you to glory and happiness. _9thly_, Imagine what pain and
torture is a guilty conscience; what slavery to carry the devil's
dishonest loads. _10thly_, Sin's joys are but night-dreams, thoughts,
vapours, imaginations, and shadows. _11thly_, What dignity it is to be
a son of God. _12thly_, Dominion and mastery over temptations, over
the world and sin. _13thly_, That your enemies should be the tail, and
you the head.
For your bairns, now at rest (I speak to you and your wife, and cause
her read this). _1st_, I am a witness for Barbara's glory in heaven.
_2ndly_, For the rest, I write it under my hand, there are days coming
on Scotland when barren wombs, and dry breasts, and childless parents
shall be pronounced blessed. They are, then, in the lee of the harbour
ere the storm come on. 3_rdly_, They are not lost to you that are laid
up in Christ's treasury in heaven. _4thly_, At the Resurrection, ye
shall meet with them; thither they are sent before, but not sent
away.[225] _5thly_, Your Lord loveth you, who is homely to take and
give, borrow and lend. _6thly_, Let not bairns be your idols; for God
will be jealous, and take away the idol, because He is greedy of your
love wholly.
[225] He alludes to the almost classical saying, "Præmissi, non
amissi." See Letter IV.