( John Lindsay, 1596-1676, from 1644 Lord High Teasurer of Scotland. Lost office in 1648 for supporting Charles I until his restoration with Charles II in 1650. when he was also a Lord of Session. Rutherford dedicated to him in 1642, 'A Peaceable and Temperate Plea for Paul's Presbytery in Scotland'.)
Right honourable and my very good Lord, - Grace, mercy and peace be o your Lordship.. Pardon my boldness in expressing myself to your Lordship at this so needful a time, when your wearied and friendless mother church is looking around her to see if any of her sons do really bemoan her desolation. Therefore my dear and worthy Lord, I beg you in the feelings of Christ, pity he widow-like sister and spouse of Christ.I know that her Husband is no dead, but He seems to be in another country, and sees well, and observes who are His tender hearted and true friends, who dare go underwater to bring out to dry land sinking truth; and who of the nobles will put up their arms to ward off a blow from the crowned head of our royal Lawgiver who reigns in Zion, who will plead and fight for Jacob in the day of his controversy.
It is now time , my noble and worthy Lord, for you who are the little nurse fathers, under our sovereign prince, to put on courage for the Lord Jesus, and to take up a fallen orphan, speaking out of the dust, and to embrace in your arms Christ's bride. He has no more in Scotland that is the delight of His eyes than the one little sister whose breasts were once well fashioned. She once ravished her Well-beloved with her eyes , and she overcame Him with her beauty: '“Who is this who looks down like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?” 7Your stature is like a palm tree,and your breasts are like its clusters.(Son 4:9, 6:10,7:5,7) But now the crown is fallen from her head, and her gold waxed dim, and our white Nazirites become black as coal. Blessed are the who will come out and help Christ against the mighty! The shields of the earth and the nobles are debtors to Christ for their honour, and should bring their glory and honour to the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:24). Alas that great man should be so far from subjecting themselves to the sweetest yoke of Christ, that they burst His chains apart, and they think that they are not able to go on foot when Christ is on horseback, and that every nod of Christ, commanding as King, is a load like a mountaint of iron. And therefore, they say, 'This man will not reign over us, we must have a king other than Christ in His own house,'Therefore, kneel to Christ, and kiss the Son, and let Him have your Lordship's vote, as your only Lawgiver. I am sure that when you leave that old waste inn of this perishing life, and will reckon with your host, and leave here, and take ship and make over for eternity, which is the far side of time (and an hourglass of threescore short years is running out), to look over your shoulder then to that which you have done, spoken and suffered for Christ, His dear Bride who He ransomed with that blood which is more precious than gold, and for truth and the freedom of Christ's kingdom, your accounts will more sweetly smile and laugh on you than if you had two worlds of gold to leave to your posterity. O my dearest Lord, consider that our Master, eternity,
y an judgement, and the last Reckoning, will be on us in the twinkling of an eye. The blast of the last trump near at hand, will cry down all Acts of Parliament all the determinations of pretended assemblies against Christ our Lawgiver. There will shortly be a proclamation by One standing in the clouds. 'that time will be no more', and that courts with kings of clay will be no more; prisons, confinement, foreitures, of noble, wrath of kings, loss of lands, houses and name for Christ will be no more. The world's span length of time is drawn now to less than half an inch, and to the point of the evening of the day, of this gray haired world. And therefore, be fixed and fast for Christ,and His truth for a time; and do not fear him whose life goes out at the nostrils, who will die as a man. I am sure that Christ is able to pay and law abiding, to repay anything that is lost or given our for Him.Losses for Christ are only our goods given out banked in Christ's hands.. Earthly kings are well favoured little clay gods, time's idols,; but a sight of our invisible King will denounce and darken all the glory of this world. At the day of Christ, truth will be truth, and not treason. Alas, it is pitiful that silence, when the thatch of our Lord's house is on fire, is now the flower and bloom of court and safe wisdom; and to throw a covering over a good profession (as if it blushed at the light) is thought a canny and sure way through this life. But I am sure the safes way is to lose and win Christ, and to risk fairly for Him; for heaven is only a company of noble venturers for Christ. I dare risk my soul, that Christ will grow green and blossom like the Rose of Sharon yet in Scotland, though now His leaf seems to wither and His root to dry up.
Your noble ancestors have been enrolled among the worthies of this nation, as the sure friends of the Bridegroom and valiant for Christ: I hope that you will follow on to come to the streets for the same Lord.The world is still at yes and no with Christ. It will be your glory and the sure foundation of your house (now when houses are tumbling down, and birds building their nests, and thorns and briers are growing up, where nobles did spread a table), if you engage your estate and nobility for the noble King Jesus, with whom the created powers of this world are still in opposition. All the world will fall before Him, and (as God lives!) ever arm lifted up to take the crown off his royal head, or that refuses to hold it on His head will be broken from the shoulder blade. The eyes that see Christ weep in sackcloth, and wallow in His blood, and will not help, even these eyes will rot away in their eye sockets. Oh, if you and the nobles of the land, saw the beauty of that world's wonder, Jesus our King, and the glory of Him who is angels' wonder, and heavens wonder for excellency! Oh, what would men count of clay estates, of of time eaten life, of worm eaten and moth eaten worldly glory, in comparison with that fairest, fairest of God's creation, the Son of the Father's delights! I only have small experience of suffering for Him; but let my judge and witness in heaven lay my soul in the scales of justice, if I do not find a young heaven, and a little paradise of glorious comforts and soul delighting love kisses of Christ, here beneath the moon, in suffering for Him and His truth; and that the glory, joy, peace and fire of love whicth I thought had been kept until supper time, when we will get leisure to feast our fill on Christ, I have felt in glorious beginnings, in my imprisonment for this princely Lord Jesus. Oh, it is my sorrow, my daily pain, what men will not come and see. I would now be ashamed to believe that it would be possible for any soul to think that he could be a loser for Christ, supposing he should lend Christ the Lordship of Lindsay, of some such great worldly estate. Therefore, my worthy and dear Lord, now set your face agains the opposers of Jesus, and let your soul take courage to come under His banner, to appear as His soldier, for Him; and the blessings of a a falling church, the praye rs of the prisoners of hope, who was for Zion's joy, and the goodwill of Him who lives in The Bush, and it did not burn, will be with you.
T To His saving grace I recommend your Lordship,and your family; and am still Christ's prisoner, and your Lordship's obliged servant, in his sweet Lord Jesus, S.R.
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