Vol 16 - TO LADY BOYD

TO LADY BOYD
MADAM,
Grace, mercy, and peace, be to you! I wish I could speak or write what might do good to your Ladyship; especially now, when ye cannot but have deep thoughts of the ways of the LORD, in taking away, with a sudden and wonderful stroke, your brethren and friends. It is true, your brethren saw not many summers; but adore the sovereignty of the great Potter, who maketh and marreth his clay vessels when and how it pleases him. The under garden is absolutely his own, and all that groweth in it: the flowers are his own: if some be but summer apples, he may pluck them down before others. O what wisdom is it to believe, and not to dispute; to subject the thoughts to his court, and not to repine at any act of his justice! He has done it; all flesh be e silent! It is impossible to be submissive and religiously patient, if ye stay your thoughts among the confused rollings of second causes; as, " O the place! O the time! O, if that had been, this had not followed! O the linking of that accident with this time and place! " Look up to the mastermotion, and the first wheel; see and read the decree of heaven and of the Creator of men, who breweth death to his children, and the manner of it. They who have eyes to see through one side of a mountain to the other, who can take up his ways, see "how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! "His Providence halteth not, but go even; `yet they were not the greatest sinners, upon whom the tower of Siloa:n fell. Was not time's lease expired, and the sand of heaven's sandglass, set by our LORD, run out Is hot he an unjust debtor, who payeth due debt with chiding Yet; Madam, live upon faith in the love of Him, whose arrows are pointed with love to his own, and who knows how to take you and yours out of the roll and book of the dead. Read and spell aright all the words and syllables in the visitation, and miscall neither letter nor syllable in it. What is wrath to others, is mercy to you, and your house. It is faith's work to challenge lovingkindness out of all the roughest strokes of GOD. Do that for the LORD, which ye will do for time: time will calm your heart at that which God has done; and let our LORD have it now. ’What love ye did bear to friends now dead, seeing they stand now in no need of it, let it fall as a just legacy to CHRIST. O how sweet, to put out' many strange" lover's, and to put in CHRIST! It is much for our halfslain affections to part with that to which we believe we have a right: but a servant's will should be our will; and he is the best servant, who retaineth least of his own will, and most of his master's. Strokes upon his secret ones come from the soft and lieavenly1ha.nd of the MEDIATOR, and his rods are steeped to that; river of love which cometh from the GodMAN'S heart of our’ Redeemer, JESUS. Time's thread is short; ye' are upon the entry of heaven's harvest; and CHRIST, the field of heaven's glory, is white and ripelike. The losses that I write of to your Ladyship are but summershowers, that will only wet your garments for an hour or two; and the sun of the New Jerusalem shall quickly dry the "vet coat;' especially seeing that rains or afflictions cannot stain the image of God. Daylight is near, when such t a morning darkness is upon you; and this trial of your Christian mind towards Him, whom ye dare not leave, although he should slay you, shall close with a doubled mercy. It is time for faith to hold fast as much of CHRIST as ever ye had, and to cleave closer to him; seeing that CHRIST loves to be believed in, and trusted to. The glory of laying strength upon one that is mighty to save, it more than we can think. That piece of service, believing in a smiting REDEEMER, is a precious part of obedience. O what glory to him, to lay the burden of our heaven upon him, that purchased for us an eternal kingdom! Madam,
Your Ladyship's in CHRIST,
1640.
S. R.