[401] Kilmalcolm is a rural parish in Renfrewshire, and one of the
most sequestered. It was once a favoured vineyard. Shortly after the
Reformation, Knox dispensed the communion there when on a visit to
Lord Glencairn, who resided within its bounds. In the days of the
Covenant, Porterfield of Duchal, another heritor, exposed himself to
much loss in maintaining the cause of truth. And, as is evident from
Rutherford's letter, the number of those who feared the Lord, and
thought upon His name, must have been considerable. There is nothing
in history about them. "Their life was hid," but their names are in
"the Lamb's Book of Life."
(_SPIRITUAL SLOTH--ADVICE TO BEGINNERS--A DEAD
MINISTRY--LANGUOR--OBEDIENCE--WANT OF CHRIST'S FELT
PRESENCE--ASSURANCE IMPORTANT--PRAYER-MEETINGS._)
WORTHY, AND WELL-BELOVED IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD,--Grace, mercy, and
peace be to you.--Your letters could not come to my hand in a greater
throng of business that I am now pressed with at this time, when our
kirk requireth the public help of us all. Yet I cannot but answer the
heads of both your letters, with provision that ye choose, after this,
a fitter time for writing. 1. I would not have you to pitch upon me,
as the man able by letters to answer doubts of this kind, while there
are in your bounds men of such great parts, most able for this work. I
know that the best are unable; yet it pleaseth that Spirit of Jesus to
blow His sweet wind through a piece of dry stick, that the empty reed
may keep no glory to itself. But a minister can make no such wind as
this to blow; he is scarce able to lend it a passage to blow through
Him. 2. Know that the wind of this Spirit hath a time when it bloweth
sharp, and pierceth so strongly, that it would blow through an iron
door; and this is commonly rather under suffering for Christ than at
any other time. Sick children get of Christ's pleasant things, to play
them withal, because Jesus is most tender of the sufferer, for He was
a sufferer Himself. Oh, if I had but the leavings and the drawing of
the bye-board of a sufferer's table! But I leave this to answer yours.
I. Ye write, that God's vows are lying on you; and security, strong
and sib to nature, stealing on you who are weak. I answer: 1. Till we
be in heaven, the best have heavy heads, as is evident. Cant. v. 1;
Ps. xxx. 6; Job xxix. 18; Matt. xxvi. 33. Nature is a sluggard, and
loveth not the labour of religion; therefore, rest should not be
taken, till we know that the disease is over, and in the way of
turning, and that it is like a fever past the cool. And the quietness
and the calms of the faith of victory over corruption should be
entertained, in place of security; so that if I sleep, I should desire
to sleep faith's sleep in Christ's bosom. 2. Know, also, that none who
sleep sound can seriously complain of sleepiness. Sorrow for a
slumbering soul is a token of some watchfulness of spirit. But this is
soon turned into wantonness, as grace in us too often is abused;
therefore, our waking must be watched over, else sleep will even grow
out of watching, and there is as much need to watch over grace as to
watch over sin. Full men will soon sleep, and sooner than hungry men.
3. For your weakness to keep off security, that like a thief stealeth
upon you, I would say two things:--(1.) To "want complaints of
weakness" is for heaven, and angels that never sinned, not for
Christians in Christ's camp on earth. I think that our weakness maketh
us the church of the redeemed ones, and Christ's field that the
Mediator should labour in. If there were no diseases on earth, there
need be no physicians on earth. If Christ had cried down weakness, He
might have cried down His own calling; but weakness is our Mediator's
world; sin is Christ's only, only fair and market. No man should
rejoice at weakness and diseases; but I think that we may have a sort
of gladness at boils and sores, because, without them, Christ's
fingers (as a slain Lord) would never have touched our skin. I dare
not thank myself, but I dare thank God's depth of wise providence,
that I have an errand in me while I live, for Christ to come and visit
me, and bring with Him His drugs and His balm. Oh, how sweet is it for
a sinner to put his weakness into Christ's strengthening hand, and to
father a sick soul upon such a Physician, and to lay weakness before
Him to weep upon Him, and to plead and pray! Weakness can speak and
cry, when we have not a tongue. "And when I passed by thee, and saw
thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee, when thou wast in
thy blood, Live" (Ezek. xvi. 6). The kirk could not speak one word to
Christ then: but blood and guiltiness out of measure spake, and drew
out of Christ pity, and a word of life and love. (2.) As for weakness,
we have it that we may employ Christ's strength because of our
weakness. Weakness is to make us the strongest things; that is, when,
having no strength of our own, we are carried upon Christ's shoulders,
and walk as it were upon His legs. If our sinful weakness swell up to
the clouds, Christ's strength will swell up to the sun, and far above
the heaven of heavens.
II. Ye tell me, that there is need of counsel for strengthening of new
beginners. I can say little to that, who am not well begun myself: but
I know that honest beginnings are nourished by Him, even by lovely
Jesus, who never yet put out a poor man's dim candle that is wrestling
betwixt light and darkness. I am sure, that if new beginners would
urge themselves upon Christ, and press their souls upon Him, and
importune Him for a draught of His sweet love, they could not come
wrong to Christ. Come once in upon the right nick and step of His
lovely love, and I defy you to get free of Him again. If any beginners
fall off Christ again, and miss Him, they never lighted upon Christ as
Christ: it was but an idol, like Jesus, which they took for Him.
III. Whereas ye complain of a dead ministry in your bounds; ye are to
remember that the Bible among you is the contract of marriage; and the
manner of Christ's conveying His love to your heart is not so
absolutely dependent upon even lively preaching, as that there is no
conversion at all, no life of God, but that which is tied to a man's
lips. The daughters of Jerusalem have done often that which the
watchman could not do. Make Christ your minister. He can woo a soul at
a dykeside in the field. He needeth not us, howbeit the flock be
obliged to seek Him in the shepherds' tents. Hunger, of Christ's
making, may thrive even under stewards who mind not the feeding of the
flock. O blessed soul, that can leap over a man, and look above a
pulpit up to Christ, who can preach home to the heart, howbeit we were
all dead and rotten.
IV. So to complain of yourselves, as to justify God, is right;
providing ye justify His Spirit in yourselves. For men seldom advocate
against Satan's work and sin in themselves, but against God's work in
themselves. Some of the people of God slander God's grace in their
souls; as some wretches used to do, who complain and murmur of want
("I have nothing," say they; "all is gone, the ground yieldeth but
weeds and windlestraws"), whenas their fat harvest, and their money in
bank, maketh them liars. But for myself, alas! I think it is not my
sin; I have scarce wit to sin this sin. But I advise you to speak good
of Christ, for His beauty and sweetness, and speak good of Him for His
grace to yourselves.
V. Light remaineth, ye say, but ye cannot attain to painfulness. See
if this complaint be not booked in the New Testament; and the place is
like this, "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which
is good I know not" (Rom. vii. 18). But every one hath not Paul's
spirit in complaining: for often, in us, complaining is but an humble
backbiting and traducing of Christ's new work in the soul. But for the
matter of the complaint; I would say, that the light of glory is
perfectly obeyed in loving, and praising, and rejoicing, and resting
in a seen and known Lord; but that light is not hereaway in any clay
body. For while we are here, light is (in the most) broader and longer
than our narrow and feckless obedience. But if there be light, with a
fair train and a great back (I mean, armies) of challenging thoughts,
and sorrow for coming short of performance in what we know and see
ought to be performed, then that sorrow for not doing is accepted of
our Lord for doing. Our honest sorrow and sincere aims, together with
Christ's intercession, pleading that God would welcome that which we
have, and forgive what we have not, must be our life, till we be over
the bound-road, and in the other country, where the law will get a
perfect soul.
VI. In Christ's absence, there is, as ye write, a willingness to use
means, but heaviness after the use of them, because of formal and
slight performance. In Christ's absence, I confess, the work lieth
behind. But if ye mean absence of comfort, and absence of sense of His
sweet presence, I think that absence is Christ's trying of us, not
simply our sin against Him. Therefore, howbeit our obedience be not
sugared and sweetened with joy (which is the sweetmeat bairns would
still be at), yet the less sense, and the more willingness in obeying,
the less formality in our obedience. Howbeit, we think not so; for I
believe that many think obedience formal and lifeless, except the wind
be fair in the west, and sails filled with joy and sense, till souls,
like a ship fair before the wind, can spread no more sail. But I am
not of their mind, who think so. But if ye mean, by absence of Christ,
the withdrawing of His working grace, I see not how willingness to use
means can be at all, under such an absence. Therefore, be humbled for
heaviness in that obedience, and thankful for willingness; for the
Bridegroom is busking His spouse oftentimes, while she is half
sleeping; and your Lord is working and helping more than ye see. Also,
I recommend to you heaviness for formality, and for lifeless deadness
in obedience. Be casten down, as much as ye will or can, for deadness;
and challenge that dull and slow carcase of sin, that will neither
lead nor drive, in your spiritual obedience. Oh, how sweet to lovely
Jesus are bills and grievances, given in against corruption and the
body of sin! I would have Christ, in such a case, fashed (if I may
speak so), and deaved with our cries, as ye see the Apostle doeth,
"Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of
this death?" (Rom. vii. 24). Protestations against the law of sin in
you are law-grounds why sin can have no law against you. Seek to have
your protestation discussed and judged, and then shall ye find Christ
on your side of it.
VII. Ye hold, that Christ must either have hearty service, or no
service at all. If ye mean that He will not have half a heart, or have
feigned service, such as the hypocrites give Him, I grant you that;
Christ must have honesty or nothing. But if ye mean, He will have no
service at all where the heart draweth back in any measure, I would
not that were true for my part of heaven, and all that I am worth in
the world. If ye mind to walk to heaven without a cramp or a
crook,[402] I fear that ye must go your lone. He knoweth our dross and
defects; and sweet Jesus pitieth us, when weakness and deadness in our
obedience is our cross, and not our darling.
[402] Halting of any kind.
VIII. The Liar (John viii. 44), as ye write, challengeth the work as
formal; yet ye bless your Cautioner for the ground-work He hath laid,
and dare not say but ye have assurance in some measure. To this I say:
1. It shall be no fault to save Satan's labour, and challenge it
yourselves,[403] or at least examine and censure; but beware of
Satan's ends in challenging, for he mindeth to put Christ and you at
odds. 2. Welcome home faith in Jesus, who washeth still, when we have
defiled our souls and made ourselves loathsome; and seek still the
blood of atonement for faults little or meikle. Know the gate to the
well, and lie about it. 3. Make meikle of assurance, for it keepeth
your anchor fixed.
[403] To anticipate Satan by jealously searching into it yourselves.
IX. Outbreakings, ye say, discourage you, so that ye know not if ever
ye shall win again to such overjoying consolations of the Spirit in
this life, as formerly ye had; and, therefore, a question may be, If,
after assurance and mortification, the children of God be ordinarily
fed with sense and joy? I answer: I see no inconvenience to think it
is enough, in a race, to see the goal at the starting-place, howbeit
the runners never get a view of it till they come to the rink's end;
and that our wise Lord thinketh it fittest that we should not always
be fingering and playing with Christ's apples. Our Well-beloved, I
know, will sport and play with His bride, as much as He thinketh will
allure her to the rink's end. Yet I judge it not unlawful to seek
renewed consolations, providing, 1. The heart be submissive, and
content to leave the measure and timing of them to Him. 2. Providing
they be sought to excite us to praise, and strengthen our assurance,
and sharpen our desires after Himself. 3. Let them be sought, not for
our humours or swellings of nature, but as the earnest of heaven. And
I think many do attain to greater consolations after mortification,
than ever they had formerly. But I know that our Lord walketh here
still by a sovereign latitude, and keepeth not the same way, as to one
hair-breadth, without a miss, toward all His children. As for the
Lord's people with you, I am not the man fit to speak to them. I
rejoice exceedingly that Christ is engaging souls amongst you; but I
know that, in conversion, all the winning is in the first buying, as
we used to say. For many lay false and bastard foundations, and take
up conversion at their foot, and get Christ for as good as
half-nothing, and had never a sick night for sin; and this maketh
loose work. I pray you to dig deep. Christ's palace-work, and His new
dwelling, laid upon hell felt and feared, is most firm: and heaven,
grounded and laid upon such a hell, is surest work, and will not wash
away with winter storms. It were good that professors were not like
young heirs, that come to their rich estate long ere they come to
their wit; and so is seen on it. The tavern, and the cards, and the
harlots steal their riches[404] from them, ere ever they be aware what
they are doing. I know that a Christ bought with strokes is sweetest.
4. I recommend to you conference and prayer at private meetings; for
warrant whereof, see Isa. ii. 3; Jer. l. 4, 5; Hos. ii. 1, 2; Zech.
viii. 20-23; Mal. iii. 16; Luke xxiv. 13-17; John xx. 19; Acts xii.
12; Col. iii. 16, and iv. 6; Ephes. iv. 29; 1 Pet. iv. 10; 1 Thess. v.
14; Heb. iii. 13, and x. 25. Many coals make a good fire, and that is
a part of the communion of saints.
[404] Some read "ridges," _q.d._, their acres of land.
I must entreat you, and your Christian acquaintance in the parish, to
remember me to God in your prayers, and my flock and ministry, and my
transportation[405] and removal from this place, which I fear at this
Assembly,[406] and be earnest with God for our mother-kirk. For want
of time, I have put you all in one letter. The rich grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you all.
Yours, in his sweet Lord Jesus,