(_SEARCH INTO CHRIST'S LOVELINESS--WHAT HE WOULD SUFFER TO SEE
IT--CHRIST'S COMING TO DELIVER._)
DEAR BROTHER,--Ye are heartily welcome to that honour that Christ hath
made common to us both, which is to suffer for His name. Verily I
think it my garland and crown; and if the Lord should ask of me my
blood and life for this cause, I would gladly, in His strength, pay
due debt to Christ's honour and glory, in that kind. Acquaint yourself
with Christ's love, and ye shall not miss to find new golden mines and
treasures in Christ. Nay, truly, we but stand beside Christ, we go not
in to Him to take our fill of Him. But if He would do two things,--(1)
Draw the curtains, and make bare His holy face; and then (2) Clear our
dim and bleared eyes, to see His beauty and glory. He should find many
lovers. I would seek no more happiness than a sight of Him so
near-hand, as to see, hear, smell, and touch, and embrace Him. But oh
closed doors, and vails, and curtains, and thick clouds hold me in
pain, while I find the sweet burning of His love, that many waters
cannot quench! Oh, what sad hours have I, when I think that the love
of Christ scaureth at me, and bloweth by me! If my Lord Jesus would
come to bargaining for His love, I think He might make the price
Himself. I should not refuse ten thousand years in hell, to have a
wide soul enlarged and made wider, that I might be exceedingly, even
to the running-over, filled with His love. Oh, what am I, to love such
a One, or to be loved by that high and lofty One! I think the angels
may blush to look upon Him; and what am I, to fyle such infinite
brightness with my sinful eyes! Oh that Christ would come near, and
stand still, and give me leave to look upon Him! for to look seemeth
the poor man's privilege, since he may, for nothing and without hire,
behold the sun. I should have a king's life, if I had no other thing
to do, than for evermore to behold and eye my fair Lord Jesus: nay,
suppose I were holden out at heaven's fair entry, I should be happy
for evermore, to look through a hole in the door, and see my dearest
and fairest Lord's face. O great King, why standest Thou aloof? Why
remainest Thou beyond the mountains? O Well-beloved, why dost Thou
pain a poor soul with delays? A long time out of Thy glorious presence
is two deaths and two hells to me. We must meet, I must see Him, I dow
not want Him. Hunger and longing for Christ hath brought on such a
necessity of enjoying Christ, that, cost me what it will, I cannot but
assure Christ that I will not, I dow not want Him; for I cannot master
nor command Christ's love. Nay, hell (as I now think), and all the
pains in it, laid on me alone, would not put me from loving. Yea,
suppose that my Lord Jesus would not love me, it is above my strength
or power to keep back or imprison the weak love which I have, but it
must be out to Christ. I would set heaven's joy aside, and live upon
Christ's love its lone. Let me have no joy but the warmness and fire
of Christ's love; I seek no other, God knoweth. If this love be taken
from me, the bottom is fallen out of all my happiness and joy; and,
therefore, I believe that Christ will never do me that much harm, as
to bereave a poor prisoner of His love. It were cruelty to take it
from me; and He, who is kindness itself, cannot be cruel.
Dear brother, weary not of my sweet Master's chains; we are so much
the sibber to Christ that we suffer. Lodge not a hard thought of my
royal King. Rejoice in His cross. Your deliverance sleepeth not. He
that will come is not slack of His promise. Wait on for God's timeous
salvation; ask not when, or how long? I hope He shall lose nothing of
you in the furnace, but dross. Commit your cause in meekness
(forgiving your oppressors) to God, and your sentence shall come back
from Him laughing. Our Bridegroom's day is posting fast on; and this
world, that seemeth to go with a long and a short foot, shall be put
into two ranks. Wait till your ten days (Rev. ii. 10) be ended, and
hope for the crown. Christ will not give you a blind in the end.
Commend me to your wife and father, and to Bailie M. A.; and send this
letter to him.
The prayers of Christ's prisoner be upon you, and the Lord's presence
accompany you.
Yours, in his sweet Lord Jesus,