[MRS. PONT, whose maiden name was Isabel Stewart, was the wife of
Mr. Pont, minister of a parish in the diocese of Raphoe. Pont
declined to use the prescribed ceremonies of the church, and
condemned the increasing severities towards nonconformists,
together with the unscriptural jurisdiction of the prelates. It
appears that he had also held meetings for worship and public
preaching, contrary to the canons; and that his wife had in some
way signalized herself by her opposition to Prelacy, and her
frequenting these more private assemblies. John Leslie, Bishop of
Raphoe, reporting the matter to Wentworth, was recommended to
deprive Pont of his benefice, and "to proceed against his wife in
such way as her fault deserves, and the laws will bear." Pont
himself escaped to Scotland, but his wife was imprisoned in the
castle of Dublin. She lay in prison nearly three years, not being
liberated till 1641 by the Irish Parliament. In May 1641 she
presented a petition to the Irish House of Commons against the
Bishop of Raphoe, for committing her to prison, and charging her
with high treason, solely on his own authority. The House
resolved that the Bishop, by his illegal conduct, had involved
himself in the penalties of the statute of _præmunire_; but no
further proceedings appear to have been taken against him. "In
these proceedings," says Dr. Reid, "Mrs. Pont is styled, 'Mrs.
Isabel Pont _alias_ Stewart, widow;' whence it appears that her
husband must have died soon after he had fled to Scotland"
(Reid's "History of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland," vol.
i.). This lady afterwards came over to Scotland, and died on the
9th of November 1704. Wodrow visited her repeatedly under her
last illness. He calls her "this extraordinary person." On
visiting her the night preceding her death, she said to him, "I
never had so few temptations as now. I am only waiting God's time
of departure." Again calling upon her next morning, he says, "I
think her last breath went out just when I resigned her to God,
as far as I could notice, about seven in the morning"
("Analecta," vol. i. p. 55).]
(_SUPPORT UNDER TRIALS--THE MASTER'S REWARD._)
WORTHY AND DEAR MISTRESS,--Grace, mercy, and peace be to you.--The
cause which ye suffer for, and your willingness to suffer, is ground
enough of acquaintance for me to write to you; although I do confess
myself unable to speak for the encouragement of a prisoner of Christ.
I know that ye have advantage beyond us who are not under sufferings;
for your sighing (Ps. cii. 20) is a written bill for the ears of your
Head, the Lord Jesus; and your breathing (Lam. iii. 56), and your
looking up (Ps. v. 3, and lxix. 3). And, therefore, your meaning,
half-spoken, half-unspoken, will seek no jailor's leave, but will go
to heaven without leave of prelate or deputy, and be heartily welcome;
so that ye may sigh and groan out your mind to Him who hath all the
keys of the king's three kingdoms and dominions. I dare believe that
your hope shall not die. Your trouble is a part of Zion's burning; and
ye know who guideth Zion's furnace, and who loveth the ashes of His
burnt bride, because His servants love them (Ps. cii. 14). I believe
that your ashes, if ye were burnt for this cause, shall praise Him:
for the wrath of men and their malice shall make a psalm to praise the
Lord (Ps. lxxvi. 10). And, therefore, stand still, and behold and see
what the Lord is to do for this island. His work is perfect (Deut.
xxxii. 4). The nations have not seen the last end of His work; His end
is more fair and more glorious than the beginning.
Ye have more honour than ye can be able to guide well, in that your
bonds are made heavy for such an honourable cause. The seals of a
controlled[419] Gospel, and the seals by bonds, and blood, and
sufferings, are not committed to every ordinary professor. Some that
would back Christ honestly in summer-time, would but spill the beauty
of the Gospel if they were put to suffering. And, therefore, let us
believe that Wisdom dispenseth to every one here, as He thinketh good,
who beareth them up that bear the cross. And since our Lord hath put
you to that part which was the flower of His own sufferings, we all
expect that, as ye have in the strength of our Captain begun, so ye
will go on without fainting. Providence maketh use of men and devils
for the refining of all the vessels of God's house, small and great,
and for doing of two great works at once in you, both for smoothing a
stone to make it take band with Christ in Jerusalem's wall, and for
witnessing to the glory of this reproached and borne-down Gospel,
which cannot die though hell were made a grave about it. It shall be
timeous joy for you, to divide joy betwixt you and Christ's laughing
bride in these three kingdoms. And what if your mourning continue till
mystical Christ (in Ireland and in Great Britain) and ye laugh both
together? Your laughing and joy were the more blessed, that one sun
should shine upon Christ, the Gospel, and you, laughing altogether in
these three kingdoms. Your time is measured, and your days and hours
of suffering from eternity were, by infinite Wisdom, considered. If
heaven recompense not to your own mind inches of sorrow, then I must
say that infinite Mercy cannot get you pleased; but if the first kiss
of the white and ruddy cheek of the Standard-bearer and Chief among
ten thousand thousand (Cant. v. 10), shall overpay your prison at
Dublin, in Ireland, then ye shall have no counts unanswered to give in
to Christ. If your faith cannot see a nearer term-day, yet let me
charge your hope to give Christ a new day, till eternity and time meet
in one point. A paid sum, if ever paid, is paid if no day be broken to
the hungry creditor. Take heaven's bond and subscribed obligation for
the sum (John xiv. 3). If hope can trust Christ, I know that He can,
and will pay. But when all is done and suffered by you, ten hundred
deaths for lovely, lovely Jesus is but eternity's halfpenny; figures
and cyphers cannot lay the proportion. Oh, but the surplus of Christ's
glory is broad and large! Christ's items of eternal glory are hard and
cumbersome to tell; and if ye borrow, by faith and hope, ten days or
ten hundred years from that eternity of glory that abideth you, ye
are paid and more, in your own hand. Therefore, O prisoner of hope,
wait on; posting, hasting salvation sleepeth not. Antichrist is
bleeding, and in the way to death; and he biteth the sorest, when he
bleedeth the fastest. Keep your intelligence betwixt you and heaven,
and your court with Christ. He hath in heaven the keys of your prison,
and can set you at liberty when He pleaseth. His rich grace support
you. I pray you to help me with your prayers. Grace be with you.
[419] The Gospel, the preaching of which men are seeking to hinder.
Your brother, in the patience and kingdom of Jesus Christ,