JOSHUA REDIVIVUS , OR MR RUTHERFOORD'S LETTERS , Divided in two Parts .

THE FIRST , Containing these which were written from Aberdeen , where he was confined by a sentence of the High Commission , drawn forth against him , partly upon the account of his declining them , partly upon the account of his Non-Conformitie .

THE SECOND , Containing , some which were written from Anwoth , before he was by the Prelats persecution thrust from his Ministery ; & others upon diverse occasions afterward , from St Andrews , London , &c.

Now published , for the use of all the people of God ; but more particularly , for those , who now are , or afterward may be put to suffering for Christ & his cause ; By A wellwisher to the work , & people of God .

JOH. 16. 2. They shall put you out of the synagogues : Yea , the time cometh that whosoever killeth you , will think that he doeth God service . V. 3. And these things will they doe unto you , because they have not known the Father , nor me .

2 THESS. 1 : 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God , to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you . V. 7. And to you who are troubled rest with us , when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels , &c.

Printed in the Yeer M DC LXIIII.

I Intended at first , to have given thee , the trouble of a larger Preface to these Epistles ; but I perceived upon second thoughts , that as thou shouldest be at a loss in being thereby kept up too long a● the entry , so I should gain but little by following my first look ; & therefore I have on purpose foreborn what I intended : Wherein as I have pleased my self no worse ; so I am sure I have pleased thee much better , then if I had followed forth a designe , whereby thou couldest have reaped so little advantage : And therefore leaving & laying it aside , I shall confine my self to what doth more peculiarly relat to this great , little book .

In the entry give me leave to tell thee , that as there are many of the Authors Papers , both polemick and practicall , which he intended for publike use & advantage , that will never see the light ; because ( being like Appelles picture which was either to be perfected by his own pencil or wholly laid aside ) he carried his pen away with himself , leaving few in the generation that would undertake to follow his notion and finish it , or if they should essay it , it would be in the issue ; humano capit● cervicem jungere equinam : upon which account the Church of God may lament the loss of such a Master in Israel : as the world ( I say ) is , at no small loss , by being robbed of so rich a treasure , which was intended for them ; so , these few , which the Author did not at all intend for publike use , are here sent abroad : he did violence to the desires of many in refusing to publish them ( howbeit he was known to consult the satisfaction and advantage of the truely godly , more then his own contentment or ease ) not because he thought them unworthy of a scholler , as not being stuffed with a great many sterril notions : If any alledge this , it 's non Causa pro Causa ; but the true reason why he endeavoured to suppress & conceal them from the world , was , lest any man should think of him above what was meet ; because ( if not of the abundance of revelation , which yet God did indeed give his suffering servant , as will be clear by comparing what he foresaw , both as to the work in generall , and as to some particular persons , with the event ; yet ) of the abundance of soul-refreshing manifestations that he had : This was the true reason which made him inexorable and kept him from listening to the most pressing & assiduous entreaties of his friends : he had many things which commended him to the people of God ; but his covering his great attainments as a Christian , and the pregnancie of his parts as a scholler , with the vail of humility ( which is the chief ornament of a gracious spirit ) as it did render him peculiarly & deservedly dear to them ; so it made both the one and the other shine more brightly , & did besids their native and intrinseck beauty , give an adventitious brightness and lustre to all that great stock of grace , and store of Parts , which were found ( rara avis interris ) joyntly in him . It was manifest to all who were but a little acquaint with him , that his modestie and humility was such , that in all his most eminent appearances for God , he studied to disappear , lest he should by standing up , be guilty of intercepting any part of that glory , which belongs to him alone ; of whom are all things , & for whom are all things : neither was he at any loss hereby ; for thus he became great in the Kingdom of God : his growing downward , in that high and Gospel-adorning grace of humility , made him grow upward in favour with God and all Good men ; and thus by denying himself , and seeking God alone ; he both found what he sought , and got what he was not willing to take , nor would owne as his due .

But , besids this true account I have given , why the world was deprived of so usefull & edifying a peice to this day ; I think it should not pass without a remarke , that God in his good providence , hath reserved the publication thereof , for such a time as this , wherein it seems to promise a singular advantage , beyond & above , what was probably attainable at any other season : First as to the suffering people of God , who while they are deprived of these things in publike , for the most part , which comforted them over all their sorrowes , & while the songs of the Sanctuary ( because the Philistims have stopped most of these wells out of which they used to draw & drinke with joy , that , which was sweter to the taste , then honey to the mouth ; or they have thrown that into them , which hath not onely made them lose their former relish & sweetness ; but hath rendred them so bitter , that they are now become gall and wormewood ) are turned into howling & bitter lamentation ; while it is thus I say , with the people of God , that in stead of being made glad in his house of prayer as formerly , they are sighing for the ceasing of these solemne assemblies : they may in their sad hours commune with this sufferer , who not being willing to eat his morsell his alone , speaks to them good words and comfortable : he telleth you , beloved sufferers , what a heaven is to be had in Christ's company , even when ye are put to bear the cross , & to have shame & suffering for his sake , as your inseperable companion : Neither is his discourse upon this subject , an empty or idle speculation ; nay , he speaks what he knoweth : the God for whose Cause he suffered , comforted him in the like tribulation , & so he is in case to comfort you , by the comforts , wherewith he himself was comforted of God . Next , as to these of the Ministers of the Gospel , who by the violence of their Adversaries are driven from their flocks [ which to a godly Minister is the greatest of afflictions ] such I say , may see for strengthning of their hands , while they are put to contend with these that are too strong for them ; how this noble witness , who suffered for the same cause , carried , how he acquit himself , & overcame : the Archers shot sore at him , but his bow abod in it's strength●… The armes of his hands were made so strong , by the hand of the mighty God of Jacob , that he was too hard for all that entered the lists with him , & when they thought they had done sufficient , either to force him to a compliance , or to make him faint under the effects of their fury , by depriving him of his ministery , which was dearer to him then his life ; he was not by all this , so much put to suffering ( to speak properly ) as he was for a season , a little removed from the noise & distraction that is abroad in the world , to be alone with God . O blessed solitude ! O sweet societie ! ) he was taken out of the clamour & confusion that is here below , up to the mount , where he was admitted to a neer familiarity , & experienced the sweetness of that fellowship with God , which he had preached unto others : Though he was not taken from the earth ; yet he was not onely keeped from the evill that was then , and is now , in the world ; but he injoyed such a heaven under his heavy pressurs , that if the being about of his Master's business , had not been prized by him , as preferable to his own consolation , he would have been in hazard of forgetting the troubles of Zion , and of saying , it 's good for me to be here ; but he was such a servant , as made is his meat & drink to doe his Masters will , he had so learned Christ , as to prefer his concernments to his Chief joy : & therefore , ye will finde him often in these Epistles , feasting upon the consolations of God , with the tear in his eye , while he remembers Zion , & calls to mind the desolat condition of the flocks of Christ [ particularly his own ] for whom nothing was prepared . He found in his solitude such a measure of presence , as could hardly have been expected , out of the chamber of presence , where there is fulnesse of joy & pleasures for evermore : he know more in this happy retirement , of the excercise of them who are above ( who being made Kings unto God , have crowns upon their head , & being made priests also , sacrifice these to the giver ) then he could have learned , by revolving all the volumes that are written in many ages , amidst the greatest outward calme & tranquillity : This is the summer fruit which grew out of the hard tree of the cross of Christ that he was put to bear , which was so sweet to his taste , that it made him disdain the dainties of his Adversaries , & disrelish these sowre & unsavoury delights of the sons of men , which however they may at first seem to have some petty sweet in them ; yet they quickly set the teeth of the eater on edge , & are found bitter in the belly & of a bad digestion : These were the quiet fruits of ighteousness that his servant reaped by hi sufferings for Christ , & that in such plenty , that out of his abundance , he sends some baskets of these sweet fruits abroad amongst his friends , both to bring up a good report upon his liberall Lord & Master , who allowes on his followers , while they are pinched with penury of other comforts , full measure , heaped up , running over , & shaken together : And upon the cross of Christ also , to the end it might appear , that this burden is so far from imbittering the life of a suffering saint , that by the contrary , as the sufferings of Christ abound in him , so his consolation also aboundeth by Jesus Christ . The publication then , I say , of these Epistles , seems in providence to be trysted on purpose , with the sufferings of his servants at this time , that we may be encouraged by his example , to a Zealous faithfulnesse , & a cheerfull suffering , & may wax bold by his bonds , under , & in which , he did experience , much of the glorious liberty of the sons of God : How oft doe we finde him preferring his confinement , to all the sublunary contentments of his persecurers ? here did he feed upon these pure & unmixed delights , which put such gladness in the heart , as expells all the Latent & lurking griefs that are there , and causeth the soul , while surrounded with all outward trouble to sing ; while they feed upon ashes , & fill their belly with the east wind , who feast upon the tears of the people of God , and seem to have nothing else to interrupt their tranquillity , but how they may trouble the children of peace : It was under this restraint , & in this house of his bondage , when being shut up from , and spoiled of all creatur-comforts , that he found the surpassing sweetness of the consolations of God , which taste best , when they are most free of the mud , & mixture of other injoyments : there it was where he found the truth of that saying of Augustin , Tanta est dulcedo caelestis gaudii , ut si una guttula difflueret in infernum ; totam amaritudinem infer●…i absorberet : If one drop of heavenly joy should fall into hell , it would swallow up , or sweeten , all th● bitterness of that place of torment : The love of God and the joy of the Holy Ghost , was so abundantly shed abroad in his heart , while he was in the furnace , that his cross was not onely made there by light & easie , & his life pleasant ; but ye have him often saying ( because he found by these foretasts what inconceivable consolation must be , in the immediat vision and full fruition of God ) that if there were no other way , to come at the possession of that blessedness , he would , not onely chuse to swime through a sea of outward troubles ; but he would wade through the lake of fire & brimstone , to be possessed of God himself : and there is none , who knew the gracious sobriety of this holy man , that will judge he complemented in saying so : nay , there are none , who have found what a cool refreshing shade & aboundant consolation the soul finds , in the company of the son of man , while they walk with him amdist the flames of the most scorching fiery trials ; but they would think strange , if he spake otherwise . Let us then be ashamed , to scare at the cross , or at Christ's company , because of it ; since it bears the man , who bears it : Let us resolve to take joyfully the ●os of all things , life it self not being excepted , in the service of such a Master , who maks us gainers by our loses , and then in a speciall way maks up all our wants , according to his riches in glory , when we have forsaken all to follow him : Let us study to carry in the sight of Adversaries , as men who cannot be made miserable by affliction ; for if we be but indeed faithfull to him , we are more happy at our worst , then we know ; or rather we are onely in so far miserable , as we know not how happy we are : he who is admitted to know that he hath a place in the heart of God , needs but care little what he meet with from the hand of man : this may wipe all teares from his eyes , even while he sighes out that sad word , I am poor and needy , that he knoweth , and is in case to adde that other , yet the Lord thinketh upon me , & doth earnestly remember me still : And by the way ( though it 's neither far out of my way nor thine , nor eccentrick to my present purpose ) let me say , that if the question were moved , how it cometh to pass , that he found so much , and other worthy sufferers also before him , that these things seem almost dreams , & incredible to us ? truely ( without speaking any thing of the absolut soveraignty of God , who may doe with his own what he will , and dispense as he pleaseth , both as to measure & time ) the reason may seem to be very obvious : his , & their witness-bearing for Jesus Christ , did every way , & in all respects , exceed our's : They gave to God as Kings [ though it was of his own they served him ] their Testimonies , against the corruptions of their times , whither in King , or Parliament , or Churchmen , had so much of ministeriall faithfulness , so much of freedom , so much of grave & Gospel-becoming boldness in them , so much holy zeal , even for the least of these concernments of the Kingdom of Christ [ upon which we are loath to state our sufferings , or for the keeping whereof , we are unwilling to hazard the loss of any thing ] that it was apparent , they loved him so well , that they loved not their lives unto the death , and that Christ could require nothing of them , as a signification of their zeal for his interests , which they were not at a point to part with , & were not ready to give away : And he upon the other hand , to make it appear , that they could not serve the Lord for nothing , and to evidence his speciall complacency in such a zealous frame of spirit , did , not onely extraordinarily support them under their trouble , so that they did not sink , even when they seemed to others , to be pressed out of measure , & beyond strength ; but did manifest himself in a most familiar manner unto them , so that when they were almost at this , that they had not whereupon to lay their head , they had then free accesse , to lean it & lay it on his bosome : in a word , God did declare , that he thought nothing too great , nor too good for them , who gave themselves away so intirely to him : so that if the question were asked at God , whence is it , that there is so vaste a difference , betwixt his dealing with his former witnesses , & these who now give some kinde of testimony to his name ? He could quickly silence & put to shame the movers of that question , by sending us back , to see what a difference there is , betwixt what these worthies did & suffered for him , & what we have done ; though under moe obligations , at least subjective , under moe oaths , Covenants , ingagements , protestations , & these often reiterat , then many of them were : He met them , as men whose hearts wer listed up in the wayes of the Lord , as men who rejoyced & wrought righteousnesse , & could neither be flattered nor frowned out of their fidelitie & freedom ; & he hids himself from us , as it were ashamed of such witnesses , whose very testimony , is so unworthy of such a Master , & so far short of what it ought to be , as if indeed we were ashamed of him & his truth , or thought the torne & the lame , a sufficient sacrifice for him . It was not the maine question of these men , in a suffering time , how much they might let goe , & yet keep the substantialls of religion , or how long they should be silent , out of fear , lest while they endeavoured to acquit themselves faithfully , they should both be reput rash & imp●udent , & provoke the Magistrat , by venting their needless jealousies , to doe what he intended not : They did not think it enough to give some oblique intimation of their dislike , or half signification of their detestation of these courses , whereby they conceived their Master's interests wronged , his prerogative incroched upon , & the whole indangered : Nay , nay , these men of God who knew the times & what Israel had to doe , thought such a carriage unworthy of the Ambassadours of Christ , who are set for the defence of the Gospel , & upon the matter but as a couching of Asses under the burden : they would sooner have parted with their lives , then with one hoof of what belonged to their Master : They thought it more worthy of a watchman , to put all on their guard , upon the Least appearance of the approach of an enemy , then suffer themselves to be shamefully surprised in their security : And they thought it more like the good souldiers of Jesus Christ , to cover the ground where they stood with their dead bodies ; then , as afraid or terrified by their adversaries in any thing , to make a dishonourable retreat : He who would have put them from witnessing a good confession , when the danger of the work of God , called them to cry aloud & not to spare ; behov●d , not onely to have threatned them ( for that would not have done the businesse , they being men of such mettall , as could have looked death out of countenance in it's most formidable shape , & carryed in the face of all opposition , as these whom no affliction could make miserable ) but to silence them perfectly , he behoved to have sent them into the other world ; whith could not be terrible to them , who had the certain expectation , that if so dismissed , they should take up their place amongst the soul under the Altar , slain for the word of God , & their testimony that they held : And I may say particularly , to the commendation of the grace of God , in this his faithfull servant ( who having served his generation according to the will of God , is now fallen asleep ) that to the observation of all , he never was afraid of the face of man , in appearing for the interests of Christ ; neither knew he what it was to be silent , when he saw these in hazard ; nay , he was such a son of Levi , as knew neither friend nor brother in the matters of God : Which blessed disposition did accompany him to his grave ; for though such was the indulgence of his Master to so faithfull a servant , that he would have him to die in peace ( though he denied him not the honour of a martyr , dying under a sentence of confinement to his own house ] plucking him out of the jaws of a bloody death , wherewith he was threatned , & which was intended for him , by them whose indignation had almost come to that hight , as to say upon the matter , bring him hither upon the bed that we may kill ●im : for not being satisfied with the testimony of the Physicans , nor the Magistrats , nor the Ministers of the place , certifying , that he was not able to travell to Edinburgh [ as by the s●quel was too sadly confirmed ] he was confined in his own house , when he was not able to goe a broad , & put to shame in that place , where he had deservedly gained the reput of one of the most learned & succesfully laborious Doctors , that ever had filled that chair , & of one of the most faithfull & diligent Minister that ever watched over , or laboured amongst a people . Ah Scotland , Scotland whither hast thou caused thy shame to goe ? If it had been an enemy who had sought to deal thus with thy Secrs & faithfull Prophets , it had become thee better , to have hide these by fifties in caves , from the fury of their enemi●s , or if thou couldest not have preserved the lives of such worthies ; either to have died with them , or to have made it appear , thou onely lived , to lament the loss of a greater treasure , then if thou hadst lost all the gold of Indie and Ophir ; but for thy own sword to devour thy own Prophets , & that under the colour of law , what canst thou say for this that will satisfie ? what Apology canst thou make to God , for misusing his Prophets & shedding the blood of the just in the midst of thee ? What canst thou say for satisfying the Nations , who have heard of the renown of these men , these precious sons of Zion , comparable to fine gold , who have been dashed in pieces in the midst of thee , & delt with , as earthen pitchers , the work of the hands of the potter ? wilt thou not be speechlesse , & not have wherewith to Answer him that reproveth & reprocheth thee ? Canst thou look fordward , & not blush to think , what succeeding generations will say of thee ? What wilt thou say , when it shall be asked , by one whom thou must Answer , what manner of men were these whose blood thou didst had ? ( however thou hast represented them now as malefactors , that thou mightest deal so with them ; yet then must thou say ) all of them were as the sons of Kings . Ah Scotland , Scotland , the most solemnly ingaged to God , & the most guilty & ungrate of all the nations under the heaven : Doest thou not fear after all this , the cry of the souls under the Altar ? Saying with a loud voice , how long O Lord , holy and true , doest thou not judge & avenge our blood , on them that dwel on the earth ? Thou was once made use of as a Carpenter , to f●ay the hornes of them , who did push the in heritance of the Lord ; but now the spirit of the hornes hath entered into the Carpenters : & doest thou think thy self secure after all this ? It 's true their is no visible power or party upon earth , of whom thou hast much reason to be a afraid ; but remember that he who is higher then the highest regardeth , who will mak inquisition for the blood of his saints which thou hast shed & his interests : If thou wilt feare nothing else , let me recommend the Scythian fear unto thee , of whom it is reported , that they fear nothing , but that the heavens should fall upon them : Alas ▪ if thy enemy be above thee , how wilt thou guard thy head , o● secure thy heart , when he gives the blow , & recompences thy way upon thine own head ? but if thou wilt still goe on , & in stead of smiting on thy thigh , & saying what have I done ? harden thy self , & think to prosper , I shall desire Grace to have such a frame of soul , as to weep for thee in secret : But to returne to my purpose from which this sad meditation hath a little withdrawn me : though such I say , was the tenderness of his master to this servant ; yet when he had nothing else to complain of ( being for many dayes together before his death , filled with as much joy of the Holy Ghost as he could hold ) he went away regrating this ( though with a sweet submission to his Master's will ) that he died not in that bed of honour , and was not brought forth , to breath out his life & last upon a scaffold ; since his Master was dealing such favours amongst his followers ( for to some ( and blessed be he eternally who carried them honourably through ) it was given , not onely to beleeve ; but also to suffer , and to the conviction of their enemies , as men who seemed rather to triumph over that King of terrours , then to de daunted by it's dreadfull aspect ) & since he was taking such proofs of the fidelitie & affection of some of his followers . It will not be amiss , for this purpose , to insert his own words , which were taken from his mouth , not once but often reiterat : Now [ said that faithfull servant , even when he was upon the threshold of glory , ready to receive the immortall crown ] my tabernacle is weak , & I would think it a more glorions way of going hence , to lay down my life for the cause , at the Cross of Edinburgh or St Andrews ; but I submit to my Master's will . Is it any wonder then I say , since he , & these other worthy mens way in witnessing for God , was so unlike ours & so far beyond what is to be found in our faint appearances for him , as the one keeps no proportion with the other ; that there should be so remarkable a difference , betwixt his bearing witness to ; & testifying his complacencie in what they did , & what we doe : if there be , for the most part ; some proportion , betwixt the dispensation of God , & the disposition of men ; What wonder ; that he who admitted them to the nearest familiarity with himself , deal thus with us , & so let us know his breach of promise● nay , if there be any thing strange , & to be wondered at in this ? It is rather , that he hath not been more terrible to us , by writting his displeasure against our lukwarmness in greater Characters ; then that we have not been more indulgently dealt with . It is exceedingly of all our concernments , to lay this to heart , & seriously to consider , whether this be not the very thing that maks him keep a distance from us ? I suppose , upon a very overly search , & survey of our way , it will be found , that by our unworthy carriage in his matters , we have rewarded this evil to our own souls : Our suffering [ if it deserve that name ] is with less edification & advantage to the Church , and less comfort to our own souls ; because of our testimony be weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary , it will be found light , and to want many pounds , not onely of what it ought to have , but what theirs had , whose work was found perfect , before God . But if we be really desireous , to be dealt with as they were [ & what is so desirable , next to heaven , & the coming of the Kingdom of the son of God upon the earth ] let us endeavour to carry as they did : were they not men of the like passions & infirmities with us ? why then , should not we aime , to be men of the like faithfullness & zeal with them : then is it , that we may hope to have sweet and halcyon dayes in his service ; such as will make us the envy of our enemyes , a comfort to our friends , & an ornament to our profession : hereby shall a good report be brought up upon the wayes of God , & we shall be living witnesses , that Godliness with all disadvantages , & when accompanied with the fiery trial , is great gain , & hath it's hundred fold in this life , even with persecution . Let us study to be like them in going about our Master's work , and then we have rationall ground to hope , that he who shewed by his dealing with the cloud of witnesses that went before us [ & doe still compass us about , & call us to follow on ] that he was not unrighteous , to forget their zeal in doing , their patience in suffering , their work & labour of love ; will also remember us , with the favour that he bore to these who went before us : then may we expect that he will say to our soul in secret , when we have faithfully acquit our selves for him in publike , goe your way now , & eat your bread , though it be brown , with joy , & drinke your drink , though it be not wine , with a merry heart ; for I have accepted your works , & these are come up in remembrance with me . O but one of these hours , which 〈◊〉 Rutherfoord had in God's company , were worth many years suffering , & sweating in the heat of the day ! I know the Pre●●us & their Party , will think themselves at a loss , to heare of it , or have it said , that God did admit to such familiarity with himself , his faithfull witness against the wickedness of their way [ 〈◊〉 grant indeed , it is a special prejudice to them , for though it b●●●range , yet they who persecut his favourits & followers , would even he thought to doe God good service ] but lest I should seem to say , that there was some singularity in God's dealing with him [ which I know would grat the eare of some of them , who pretend to be chief amongst the rest , that had a particular splen againe this eminent servant of Jesus Christ , I need not trouble the world in telling them who he is , that being no secret , though I know not , whether he would blush to have it said , he hated & persecuted a man , so greatly beloved of God , & dear to all his people , or if he would not rather boast of it , I owe him the charity that the latter of the two will be his choice , and that for fear of being charmed he will stop his eare from hearing that , why persecutest thou me ? & will essay to justifie himself , & satisfie others , by saying ( according to his accustomed candor & conscience ) that he was a ring-leader amongst the Phanaticks : it will sound harsh also I know , in the ears of them , who , in joyning with him , have served themselves heirs , to these , who went before them , in persecuting him , & such faith full men as he was : For as they have come in their places , so they persist in ther practices , onely with this difference , that in making havock of the Church of God , they out doe all that ever made Apostasie to that way , & run at that rate , in endeavouring the ruine of the work of Reformation , as if they were afraid to be out-run by any who should come after them , or have it said , that there had ever been men , who with more malice did persecut , & stretch forth their hands , not against certain of the disciples , but against the whole Church of God : Reader Pardon I pray thee , that I now and then digress in a parenthesis , while these men come my way , for thou knowest very well according to the proverb , that the devil should have his due & I desire to doe them justice , & here I close it ) If they should take it ill I say , to have so much said to the advantage of this worthy man , If it will be acceptable to them to heare it , I have a mind to gratifie them so far , as to say , that Mr Rutherfoord was not alone in this ; as his practice in that opposition , was not peculiar to himself ( for he but wakled in the way of them who left him an example , to continue with Christ in his temptations ) so , his priviledges wer not so peculiar to himself , that he had none to share with him : And therefore I say [ if they can reap any satisfaction by having it said , or if they have a mind still to quarrel , see if there be any of them in case to convince me of a falshood ] that God mad it known , not onely to themselves but to the world , how highly he esteemed the fidelity of others also before him , who were his constant witnesses against introducing & est bl●●hing of Prelacy in Scotland , he not onely made themselves finde what favourits they , were by putting them ( if I may say so ) upon his secrets : ( for Mr Davidson , Mr Welsh , Mr Bruce & many others of the valiant souldiers of Christ & worthy witnesses in their time , were known to have been Prophets ( which I could evince by many particular passages , but they deserve a more honourable mention , & it may be some will undertake it , then to be shut up within the limits of a parenthesis ) particularly renowned Mr Welsh , who at home , & a broad in France , was taken notice of , as an extraordinary man , as a servant from whom his ! Master did not conceal what he was about to doe : not one word hath fallen to the ground , of all that , which by that Seer was foretold , concerning the trouble of Scotland : Hath not the sword of strangers , according to his prediction , been made drunk with the blood of the slain ? Is not Christ crucified this day in Scotland , which he foresaw would follow ? Yea , & buried too ; & for fear that he should ●ise again , there is by the procurment of the chief Priests , a watch set , the great stone rolled to the mouth of the s●pulchre is sealed , & all made as sure as they can : because if he rise upon them again , this last errour will prove worse then the first by far : the Lord I say hath fullfilled in every circumstance the word of his servant hithe●to ; onely the last part of it is not vet accomplished , wherein he foretelleth of the glorious resurrection of Christ crucified & buried in Scotland ; but the exact accomplishment of the former , puts us in expectation of the latter , not●ithstanding that the great stone of an Act res●●ssary , & many subsequent Acts suitable to that sad One , is rolled to the mouth of the s●pulehre , & not withstanding that the Priests ( the Prelats I should say ) have by their importunity , procured an order from the Magistrate to make it as sure as they can , & being now clothed with the for mality of that law whereby he was crucified ( for alas we have a law now , by which law he must die ! ) they are most diligent in setting their watches & making all fast : This is the thing I say , that his sad hearted disciples are in expectation of ; notwithstanding of all the endeavours of his enemies to the contrary , & then Prelacy in Scotland will breath out it's life & last togither : for between Christ's rising & reigning , & their falling , there hath ever been seen amongst us , a certain connection : And truely for as great an enemie as they may think me , I would make a very friendly overture unto them ( I grant I come to counsel uncalled , & I hope also , that my soul shall never enter into their secrets ) & this is the advice I have to give them , that they would even look so far before their nose , as to make their Testament , so long as they are in case to goe to Kirk & market ; but I fear I lose my labour ; for ere ever Iudas will part with his pieces , he is in the next door to hang himself , & who can help it ) God not onely dealt thus with them , I say , as to put them upon his secrets ; but he made their very enemies take notice of them oftimes , as men that had been with Jesus . Hath it not been a heart-staying , & hand-strengthening , remarke amongst the servants & people of God in our native Land , especially in a declining time , that God did singularly shine from heaven upon , & shew his satisfaction in the way , & towards the persons of these of his servants , who stood firme in their opposition to Prelacy ; and that he did as signally , one way or other , either sooner or latter , give significations of his dislike of the way & persons of them who turned aside to these crooked courses : And was it ever more visible ( as to the latter part ) then at this day : It may be that they will think it sufficent to convince me of a●ly , that their greatness & grandure is such , as if they had monopolized to themselves all the riches & honour of the Nation ; but if they will have patience to heare me to Amen , I may possibly convince them of a truth they , are not willing to hear ; for I not onely grant , that they have forgotten their Master's directions , inhibiting them , to to lift up themselves above their brethren ; but I will grant them this also [ for they most have much given them ] that they have carryed away the primacy , & precedency from the Nobility , on whose necks they now trample ; but when all this is granted them , yet they have not convinced me of telling an untruth : they must have leave to put out mine & other mens eyes besids , ( which we are not willing to give them ; though if any man would gratifie his Grace , & their Lordships , he must part with these in the first place ; for an implicit faith is the basis & foundation of their Kingdom of darkness , without which , it would fall about their cars , & but overwhelme them in the rubbish , & that would be very sad to them , for I suspect they have no great minde to die ) before this come so much as under debat , almost with indifferent men , whither God be angry at their way ? His very giving of them up , to persecute his people & servants , sayes nothing , if it say not this ; that what ever be their outward prosperity , he hath classed them with Pharaoh , in pouring out his plagues upon their heart : Is not this seen , that so soon as a man becoms serious in seeking of God ; he becoms the butt of their malice , & the mark against which they bend their bow , & shoot the arrowes of their indignation ? And so soon as any begins to mind seriously the concernments of his soul , then , sine monitore , he falls in a dislike with them , & their way : I doe not say , that all who hate the Prelats are Saints , for their is sufficient in their way to make them odious to others ; but is not this known , that these who once begin to set their face towards God , turn their back upon them : I am sure this observation does seldome fail , or can be proved false in our native Land : And then on the other hand , since these men were exalted , doe not the wicked walk on every side ? Is there not a profane spirit ( the constant attendant of Episcopacy in Scotland ) broken loose in the land ? Is there not such a flood of impiety running through the land , that carryes most men down the current , as hath hardly been seen ? hath not this leprousie spread it self over the whole land ? So , that we are an abomination & talk to all about us : And if any would endeavour to accomplish a diligent search , to finde out the fountain that casts forth this mire & dirt , to the defiling of the Land , & defacing of congregations , he would it may befind it , where it ought lest to be expected : These streams of impety & impurity run from the sanctuary , hence is it , that profanity goes forth through the whole land ; & can it be otherwise when so many faithfull Ministers are driven away , & men put in their places to handle the law , of most of whom without breach of Charitie , it may be said , that they know not God , & care not for the souls of his people : It 's under the shaddow of this plant ( which because it is not of our heavenly father's planting , we live under the expectation , & , though our eyes should be shut before we see it , we hope to die in the faith of it's being pluckt up ) that these weeds have grown up , so that alas ! The vineyard of the Lord of hosts , is now no more like his inclosure , it bringeth forth briers & thorns in stead of good fruit : He planted the church of Scotland a noble vine ; Wholly a right seed , but since it became a seminary for Prelats , the conversation of the generalitie proclaims this , that we are turned into the degenerat plant of a strange vine unto him : This is the Prelaticall reformation , which is sutable to it self all along ; for having purged out of the church , the faithfull Ministers of Christ [ & the few who are yet remaining , being in expectation of the same lot ) what can follow among the people ; but , that the Land should be drowned with a deluge of profanity : And are we not for the most part [ Oh if with a suitable measure of sorrow I could make mention of it ] as the children of the Ethiopians to him ? Are not our spots , unlike the spots of his people ? This observation I say , as it was a very heart-staying consideration in former times , & was in stead of many arguments amongst them who where no great disputants ; so I hope : [ since it was never more evident ) it will still prove a heart-establishing consideration in the faith once delivered to the saints .