CXXXI.--_To_ JEAN BROWN.
(_HIS WISDOM IN OUR TRIALS--REJOICE IN TRIBULATION._)
MISTRESS,--Grace, mercy, and peace be to you. I am glad that ye go on
at Christ's back, in this dark and cloudy time. It were good to sell
other things for Him; for when all these days are over, we shall find
it our advantage that we have taken part with Christ. I confidently
believe that His enemies shall be His footstool, and that He will make
green flowers dead, withered hay, when the honour and glory shall fall
off them, like the bloom or flower of a green herb shaken with the
wind. It were not wisdom for us to think that Christ and the Gospel
would come and sit down at our fireside; nay, but we must go out of
our own warm houses, and seek Christ and His Gospel. It is not the
sunny side of Christ that we must look to, and we must not forsake
Him for want of that; but must set our face against what may befall us
in following on, till He and we be through the briers and bushes, on
the dry ground. Our soft nature would be borne through the troubles of
this miserable life in Christ's arms; and it is His wisdom, who
knoweth our mould, that His bairns go wet-shod and cold-footed to
heaven. Oh, how sweet a thing were it for us to learn to make our
burdens light, by framing our hearts to the burden, and making our
Lord's will a law!
I find Christ and His cross not so ill to please, nor yet such
troublesome guests, as men call them; nay, I think patience should
make the water which Christ giveth us good wine, and His dross good
metal. And we have cause to wait on; for, ere it be long, our Master
will be at us, and bring this whole world out, before the sun and
daylight, in their blacks and whites. Happy are they who are found
watching. Our sand-glass is not so long as we need to weary; time will
eat away and root out our woes and sorrow. Our heaven is in the bud,
and growing up to an harvest. Why then should we not follow on, seeing
our span-length of time will come to an inch? Therefore I commend
Christ to you, as your last-living, and longest-living Husband, and
the staff of your old age. Let Him now have the rest of your days. And
think not much of a storm upon the ship that Christ saileth in: there
shall no passenger fall overboard, but the crazed ship and the
sea-sick passenger shall come to land safe.
I am in as sweet communion with Christ as a poor sinner can be; and am
only pained that He hath much beauty and fairness, and _I_ little
love; He great power and mercy, and _I_ little faith; He much light,
and _I_ bleared eyes. O that I saw Him in the sweetness of His love,
and in His marriage-clothes, and were over head and ears in love with
that princely one, Christ Jesus my Lord! Alas, my riven dish, and the
running-out vessel, can hold little of Christ Jesus!
I have joy in this, that I would not refuse death before[227] I put
Christ's lawful heritage in men's trysting; and what know I, if they
would have pleased both Christ and me? Alas, that this land hath put
Christ to open rouping, and to an "Any man bids more?" Blessed are
they who would hold the crown on His head, and buy Christ's honour
with their own losses.
[227] I would die, ere ever I would put Christ's property at the
disposal of men who may choose to appoint their own times.
I rejoice to hear that your son John[228] is coming to visit Christ,
and taste of His love. I hope that he will not lose his pains, nor rue
of that choice. I had always (as I said often to you) a great love to
dear Mr. John Brown, because I thought I saw Christ in him more than
in his brethren. Fain would I write to him, to stand by my sweet
Master; and I wish ye would let him read my letter, and the joy I
shall have if he will appear for, and side with, my Lord Jesus. Grace
be with you.
Yours, in his sweet Jesus,