LONDON, _Oct. 16, 1645_.
CCCXIV.--_To BARBARA HAMILTON, on her Son-in-law slain in battle._
[Letter CCCXII.]
(_GOD DOES ALL THINGS WELL, AND WITH DESIGN._)
LOVING SISTER,--Grace, mercy, and peace be to you.--I have heard with
grief that Newcastle hath taken one more in a bloody account than
before, even your son-in-law and my friend. But I hope you have
learned that much of Christ as not to look to wheels rolled round
about on earth. Earthen vessels are not to dispute with their Former.
Pieces of shining clay may, by reasoning and contending with the
potter, mar the work of Him "who hath His fire in Zion, and His
furnace in Jerusalem;" as bullocks sweating and wrestling in the
furrow make their yoke more heavy. In quietness and rest ye shall be
saved. If men do anything contrary to your heart, we may ask both,
"Who did it?" and "What is done?" and "Why?" When God hath done any
such thing, we are to inquire, "Who hath done it?" and to know that
this cometh from the Lord, who is "wonderful in counsel;" but we are
not to ask, "What?" or "Why?" If it be from the Lord as certainly
there is no evil in the city without Him (Amos iii. 6), it is enough;
the fairest face of His spotless way is but coming, and ye are to
believe His works as well as His word. Violent death is a sharer with
Christ in His death, which was violent. It maketh not much what way we
go to heaven: the happy home is all, where the roughness of the way
shall be forgotten. He is gone home to a Friend's house, and made
welcome, and the race is ended: time is recompensed with eternity, and
copper with gold. God's order is in wisdom; the husband goeth home
before the wife. And the throng of the market shall be over ere it be
long, and another generation be where we now are, and at length an
empty house, and not one of mankind shall be upon the earth, within
the sixth part of an hour after the earth and works that are therein
shall be burnt up with fire. I fear more that Christ is about to
remove, when He carrieth home so much of His plenishing beforehand.
We cannot teach the Almighty knowledge. When He was directing the
bullet against His servant to fetch out the soul, no wise man could
cry to God, "Wrong, wrong, Lord, for he is Thine own!" There is no
mist over His eyes who is "wonderful in counsel." If Zion be builded
with your son-in-law's blood, the Lord (deep in counsel) can glue
together the stones of Zion with blood, and with that blood which is
precious in His eyes. Christ hath fewer labourers in His vineyard than
He had, but more witnesses for His cause and the Lord's covenant with
the three nations. What is Christ's gain is not your loss. Let not
that, which is His holy and wise will, be your unbelieving sorrow.
Though I really judge that I had interest in His dead servant, yet,
because he now liveth to Christ, I quit the hopes which I had of his
successful labouring in the ministry. I know he now praiseth the grace
that he was to preach; and if there were a better thing on his head
now in heaven than a crown, or anything more excellent than heaven, he
would cast it down before His feet who sitteth on the throne. Give
glory, therefore, to Christ, as he now doeth, and say, "Thy will be
done."
The grace and consolation of Christ be with you.
Yours, in his sweet Lord Jesus,