ST. ANDREWS, _Aug. 4, 1660_.
CCCLXII.--_For my Reverend and dear Brother, Christ's Soldier in
bonds, MR. JAMES GUTHRIE, Minister of the Gospel at Stirling_.
(_STEDFAST THOUGH PERSECUTED--BLESSEDNESS OF MARTYRDOM._)
DEAR BROTHER,--We are very often comforted with the word of promise;
though we stumble not a little at the work of holy providence, some
earthly men flourishing as a green herb, and the people of God counted
as sheep for the slaughter, and killed all the day long. And yet both
word of promise, and work of providence, are from Him whose ways are
equal, straight, holy, and spotless.
As for me, when I think of God's dispensations, He might justly have
brought to the market-cross, and to the light, my unseen and secret
abominations; which would have been no small reproach to the holy name
and precious truths of Christ. But in mercy He hath covered these, and
shapen and carved out more honourable causes of suffering, of which we
are unworthy.
And now, dear brother, much dependeth upon the way and manner of
suffering, especially that His precious truths be owned with all
heavenly boldness, and a reason of our hope given in meekness and
fear; and the royal crown, and absolute supremacy of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Prince of the kings of the earth, avouched as becometh.
For certain it is that Christ will reign, the Father's King in Mount
Zion, and His sworn covenant will not be buried. It is not denied that
our practical breach of covenant first, and then, our legal breach
thereof by enacting the same mischief and framing it into a law, may
heavily provoke our sweetest Lord. Yet there are a few names in the
land that have not defiled their garments, and a holy seed on whom the
Lord will have mercy, like the four or five olive-berries on the top
of the shaken olive-tree (Isa. xvii. 6): and their eye shall be toward
the Lord their Maker. Think it not strange that men devise against
you; whether it be to exile, the earth is the Lord's; or perpetual
imprisonment, the Lord is your light and liberty; or a violent and
public death,[525] for the kingdom of heaven consisteth in a fair
company of glorified martyrs and witnesses; of whom Jesus Christ is
the chief witness, who for that cause was born, and came into the
world. Happy are ye if you give testimony to the world of your
preferring Jesus Christ to all powers. And the Lord will make the
innocency and Christian loyalty of His defamed and despised witnesses
in this land to shine to after-generations, and will take The
Man-Child up to God and to His throne, and prepare a hiding-place in
the wilderness for the mother, and cause the earth to help the Woman.
Be not terrified; fret not. Forgive your enemies; bless, and curse
not; for, though both you and I should be silent, sad and heavy is the
judgment and indignation of the Lord, that is abiding the unfaithful
watchmen of the Church of Scotland. The souls under the altar are
crying for justice, and there is an answer returned already. The
Lord's salvation will not tarry.
[525] Such, as is well known, was the fate of Mr. James Guthrie, a few
months after this was written. He was hanged at the cross of Edinburgh
on the 1st of June 1661, and his head thereafter cut off and fixed on
the Nether Bow.
Cast the burden of wife and children on the Lord Christ; He careth for
you and them. Your blood is precious in His sight. The everlasting
consolations of the Lord bear you up and give you hope; for your
salvation (if not deliverance) is concluded.
Your own brother,