Vol 16 - TO JOHN GORDON, OF CARDONESS, YOUNGER.

TO JOHN GORDON, OF CARDONESS, YOUNGER.
Dearly beloved in our Lord,
GRACE, mercy, and peace, be to you! I long exceedingly to hear the case of your soul, which has a large share both of my prayers and careful thoughts. Remember that a precious treasure and prize depends upon this short play that ye are now upon; eternity standeth upon the little point of your well or ill employed, short, and swiftposting sandglass. Seek the LORD while he may be found; the LORD) waiteth upon you. Your soul is of no little price; gold or silver, of as much bounds as would cover the highest heavens round about, cannot buy it. To live as others do, and to be free from open sins, will not bring you to heaven: as much civility and discretion as would he between you and heaven will not lead you one inch above nature; and therefore take pains for salvation, and give your will, wit, humor, desires, and pleasures to CHRIST. It is not possible for you to know, till experience teach you, how dangerous a time youth is: it is like green and wet timber; when CHRIST casteth fire upon it, it taketh not fire. There is need here of more than ordinary pains; for corrupt nature has a good friend in youth. Sinning against light will put out your candle, and stupify your conscience; and, when that is done, the Devil is like a mad horse, that has broken the bridle, and runneth away with his rider whither he listeth. Learn to know that which the Apostle knew,—the deceitfulness of sin. Strive to make prayer, and reading, and holy company, and holy conference, your delight: when delight cometh in, ye shall smell the sweetness of CHRIST, till at length your soul be swallowed up in CHRIST'S sweetness: then shall ye be taken up to the top of the mountain with the LORD, to know the ravishments of spiritual love, and the glory and excellency of a seen, revealed, felt, and embraced CHRIST; and then ye need never to loose yourself from CHRIST, and bind your soul to old lovers: then, and never till then, are all the paces, motions, and wheels of your soul in a right tune. But if this world, and the lusts thereof, be your delight, ye cannot be a vessel of glory. As the LORD liveth, thousands, thousands are beguiled with security, because GOD, and wrath, and judgment, are not terrible to them. Stand in awe of GOD, and of the warnings of conscience. Make others to see CHRIST in you, moving, doing, speaking, and thinking; your actions will smell of him, if he be in you. There is an instinct in the newborn babes of CHRIST, like the instinct of nature that leads birds to build their nests, and bring up their young, and love such and such places, as woods, forests, and wildernesses, better than other places. The instinct of nature maketh a man love his mother country above. all countries: the instinct of renewed nature will lead you to such and such works, as to love your country above, and. sigh to be clothed with your house not made with hands. Sleep' hot soundly, till you find yourself in that case, that ye dare look death in the face, and hazard your soul upon eternity. I am sure, many ells of the short thread of your life are by hand, since I saw you; and that thread has an end, and ye have no hands to add one day, or a fingerbreadth, to the end of it. When hearing, and seeing, and the outward walls of the clayhouse, shall fall down, and life shall surrender the besieged castle of clay to death and judgment, and ye find your time run out, what thoughts will ye then have of idol pleasures What would ye then give for the LORD's favor And what a price would ye then give for his pardon O dear Sir, for the LORD'S sake, awake to live righteously, and love your poor soul, and, after ye have seen this my letter, say with yourself, a The LORD will seek an account of this warning' I have received." Lodge CHRIST in your family. I bless your children. Grace be with you!
Your lawful and loving Pastor,
S. R.
Aberdeen, 1637.