Vol 16 - TO MR. HENRY STEWART, HIS WIFE, AND TWO DAUGHTERS

TO MR. HENRY STEWART, HIS WIFE, AND TWO DAUGHTERS
ALL Prisoners of CHRIST at Dublin.
Truly honored, and dearly beloved,
GRACE, mercy, and peace, be to you from God our FATHER, and our LORD JESUS CHRIST! Think it not strange, beloved in. our LORD, JESUS, that SATAN can command keys of prisons, and bolts, and chains; this is a piece of the Devil's princedom that he has over the world. Understand our Lord well in this; be not jealous of his love, though he make devils and men his under servants to scour the rust off your faith, and purge you from your dross. And let me charge you, O prisoners of hope, to open your window, and to look out by faith; behold heaven's post, that speedy and swift salvation of GOD, that is coming to you. It is a broad river that faith will not look over it is abroad sea, of which they of a lively hope cannot behold the other shore. Look over the water; your anchor is fixed within the veil: the one end of the cable is about the prisoner of CHRIST, and the other is "entered within the veil, whither the Forerunner is entered for you." {Hebrews 6:19; Hebrews 6:20.) It can go straight through the fire of the wrath of men, devils, losses; tortures, death, without a thread of it being singed. Men and devils have no teeth to bite it in two. Hold fast till He come. Your cross is of the color of heaven and CHRIST; and that dye can abide the foul weather, and neither be stained nor cast the color. When your lovely JESUS had no better than the thief's doom, it is no wonder that your process should be lawless; for he was taken, buffeted, whipped, and spit upon, before he was convicted of any fault. O such a pair of sufferers as JESUS, and a piece of guilty clay, under one yoke! O how lovely is the cross, with such a second! I believe that your prison is enacted, in GOD’s court, not to keep you till your hope breathe out its last; your cross is under law to restore you safe to your brethren and sisters in CHRIST. Take heaven and CHRIST'S bond for a fair door out of your suffering. It were good to be armed beforehand for death, or bodily tortures for CHRIST; and think what a crown of honor it is, that GOD has given you pieces of living clay, to be tortured witnesses for saving truth; and that ye are so happy, as to have some blood to give out for that royal Lora', who has caused you to avouch Himself before men. Do not wonder to see blinded men threaten you with death and burial,’ and to raze, out truth's name but where will they snake a grave for the Gospel and the Lord's church Earth and hell shall be but little bounds for their burial in all the clay and rubbish of the whole earth above our LORD’s church, yet' it will not cover her, nor hold her down; she shall live, and not die; she shall behold the salvation of GOD. O what glory is it, to, suffer for the Lord's glory! Tay, though his servants had a body to burn for ever for this Gospel, so that the glory of JESUS did but rise out of these flames, and out of that burning body, O what a sweet fire! What if the ashes of the burned body were musicians to sing his praises, and the highness of that Prince of Ages! O what love is it in him, that he will have such musicians as we are, to tune that psalm of his everlasting praises heaven. O what shining and burning flames of love are those, that lead Him to divide his share of life, of heaven, and glory, with you! Apart of his throne, one draught of his wine, his wine of glory and life, that comes from under the throne of God and the LAMB)) and one apple of the Tree of Life, will more than make up all the` expenses of clay lent out for heaven We have short, narrow and creeping thoughts of JESUS, and do but shape CHRIST, in our conceptions, according to', some created portraiture! O Angels, lend your help to make songs of him who is the fairest amongst thousand! O heavens, O, heaven of heavens, ’O glorified tenants and triumphant householders with the Lama, pit in new `psalms of the excellency of our Lord, and help us to set him on high! `O indwellers, of earth and heaven, sea and. air, O all ye created beings within the bosom of this great' world, come and help to set on high the praises of our LORD!’O fairness of Creatures, blush before his uncreated beauty! 'O Created, strength, be amazed before the strong LORD of Hosts O created love, think shame of thyself before this unparalleled love of heaven. O Angel of wisdom, hide thyself. before our Lord, ’whose’ understanding passes finding out! O Sun, in thy shining beauty, put on a web of darkness, and cover thyself before thy bright Master and Maker! O who can add glory, by doing or suffering, to his Great Being! We can but bring our drop to this sea, and our "candle, dim and dark as it is, to this clear Such of heaven and earth! We have cause to drink ten deaths, or to swim through ten seas,:. in order to be at that land of praises, where we shall see that wonder, and enjoy this jewel of heaven's jewels! O death, do thy utmost against us! O torments, O malice of men and devils, waste your strength. on the witnesses of our LORD'S testament! O devils, bring all hell to help you, in tormenting the followers of the LAMB! We will defy you to make us too soon happy, and to waft us too soon over the water, to the land where the noble Plant, " the Plant of Renown," groweth. O cruel time, that suspends those dearest enjoyments, in which we shall be hased, soul and body, in the depths of this love! O time, run fast! O motions, mend your pace! " O Wellbeloved, be like a young roe upon the mountains of separation!" Hasten our desired meeting! Love is sick to hear tell of " tomorrow." And what then can come wrong to you, O honorable witnesses of his. truth Men have no more of you to work upon, but some few inches of sick clay: your spirits are above their courts; your souls, your love to CHRIST, your faith, cannot be summoned, nor sentenced, nor accused, nor condemned, by Pope, deputy, ruler, or tyrant; your faith is a free lord, and cannot be a captive. All the malice of hell and earth can but hurt the scabbard of a believer; and death, at the worst, can get but a claypawn in keeping, till your Lord take the King's keys, and open your graves. Therefore let a postway be laid between your prison and heaven, and go up and visit your treasure. Enjoy your Beloved, and dwell upon his love, till eternity come in time's room, and put you into possession of your eternal happiness. Keep your love to CHRIST; lay up your faith in heaven's keeping; and follow the Prince of martyrs, who witnessed a fair confession before PONTIUS DILATE; your cause and his is all one. The opposers of his cause are like drunken judges, who in their cups would make laws that the sun should not rise and shine on the earth; and send their officers and pursuivants to charge the sun, and moon to give no more light to the world; or who would enact in their courtbooks, that the sea, after once ebbing, should never flow again: but would not the sun, and moon, and sea, break those acts, and keep their Creator's directions The Devil, the' great fool, and the father of these underfools, is more malicious than wise, that sets the spirits on earth at work, to contend with heaven's wisdom, and to give mandates and summons to our sun, our great star of heaven, JESUS, not to shine, in the beauty of his Gospel, to the chosen and bought ones. O you fair Sun of Righteousness, arise and shine in thy strength, whether earth or hell will or not! O victorious Conqueror, ride prosperously upon truth; stretch out thy sceptre as far as the sun shines, and the moon waxed' and waneth! Put on thy glittering crown, O you Maker of Kings, and make but one step of the whole earth, and travel in the greatness of thy strength, (Isaiah 63:1,) and let thy apparel be red, and all dyed with the blood of thy enemies! Thon art righteous heir to the kingdoms of the world.,Laugh ye at the brainsick worms, that dare say in good earnest, " This man shall not reign over us," as though they were casting the dice for CHRIST'S crown, which of them should have it. I know that ye believe the coming of CHRIST'S kingdom: believe under a cloud, and wait for him, when there is no moonlight nor starlight. Let faith live and breathe, and lay hold on the sure salvation of GOD, when clouds and darkness are about you. Take heed of unbelieving hearts, which can father lies upon CHRIST: beware, of,—" Does his promise fail for evermore". (Psalms 77:8,)for it was a man (and not Gone) that said it, who dreamed that a promise of GOD could fail. O sweet word of faith, (Job 13:15,) " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him!" Faith's eyes can see through a gloom of GOD, and under it read God's thoughts of love and peace. Hold fast CHRIST in the dark; surely ye shall see the salvation of Go). I profess, it should beseem men of great parts, rather than me, to write to you; but I love your cause, and must entreat the help of your prayers, in this my weighty charge here, for the University and pulpit, and that ye would entreat your acquaintance also to help _ me. Grace be with you all! Amen.
Your Brother and Companion
In the patience and kingdom of JESUS CHRIST,
St. Andrew's, 1640.
S. R.