Rutherford Revised (208)

208. To Mr Alevander Colville of Blair      From Aberdeen 23 Jun 1637

(See letter 98)

Much honoured sir, - Grace mercy and peace be to you. I want to know how my Lord received my letter I sent him and how he is. I want nothing but that he be close and honest to my royal master and King.
   I am well in every way with all praise to Him in whose books I must ever stand as a debtor! Only my silence gives me pain. Out of heaven I had no joy next to Christ my Lord, but to preach him to their faithless generation; and they have taken that from me. It was like the poor man's one eye to me and they have put out that eye. I know that the violence done to me and His poor deprived bride is come up before the Lord; and supposing I do not see the other side of my cross, or what the Lord will bring out of it, yet I believe that the vision will not delay, and Christ is on his way for my deliverance. He does not go slowly, but passes over ten mountains in one stride. In the meantime I have pains with His love, because I want real possession. When Christ comes, he does not stay long; but certainly His blowing breathe on a poor soul is heaven on earth; and when the wind turns to the north and He goes away, I die until the wind changes to the west and he visits His prisoner. But he does not often keep me at His door. I am richly repaid for suffering for Him. Oh, if all Scotland was like me except for my imprisonment! Oh, how I am in pain because I cannot get Him praised by my sufferings! Oh that heaven (inside and out) and the earth was paper, and all the rivers, fountains and seas were ink, and I was able to write on all the paper, front and back, full of His praises and love, and excellency, to be read by man and angel! No.this is little; I owe my heaven to Christ; and want, even if I never enter in at the gate of the New Jerusalem, to send my love and my praises over the wall to Christ. Alas, that time and days are between Him and me, and stop our meeting! It is my part to cry, 'Oh when will the night be over, and that day dawn that we will see one another!'
   Be pleased to remember to my Lord my service, to whom I wrote; and show him that because of his affection to me I must pray for him, and seriously want Christ not to miss him out of the record of those who are his witnesses, now when His kingly honoured is questioned. His honour is to hold up Christ's royal train, and to be an instrument to hold the crown on Christ's head. Because I love his true honour and position, show him that this is my sincere wish for him. 
   Now I bless you and the prayer's of Christ's prisoner come upon you; and His sweetest presence, whom you serve in the Spirit, be with you.
   Yours, at all deserved obedience in Christ,  S.R.