To Jonet Kennedy — Letter 48
Loving and dear sister.
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you. I received your letter. I know the savor of Christ in you — that the virgins love to follow — cannot be blown away with winds either from hell or the foul air of this polluted world. Stand far back from the walls of this plague-house, even the pollutions of this defiling world. Keep your taste, your love and hope in heaven; it is not good that your love and your Lord should be in two separate countries. Up, up after your lover, that you and he may be together. A King from heaven has sent for you; by faith he shows you the new Jerusalem, and takes you along in the Spirit through all the comfort-rooms and dwelling-houses in heaven, and says: all these are yours; this palace is for you and Christ. And if you alone had been the chosen of God, Christ would have built that one house for you and himself; now it is for you and many also. Take with you in your journey what you may carry — your conscience, faith, hope, patience, meekness, goodness, brotherly kindness — for such wares as these are of great price in the high and new country to which you go. As for other things that are but the world's vanity and trash, since they are but the sweepings of the house, you do best not to carry them with you; you found them here, leave them here, and let them keep the house. Your sun is well past noon, and low; be near your lodging before night. We go, one by one, out of this great market, until the town is empty and the two lodgings — heaven and hell — be filled. At length there will be nothing in the earth but bare walls and burnt ashes, and therefore it is best to be making away. Antichrist and his master are busy to furnish hell and to seduce many; and stars — great church-lights — are falling from heaven, and many are led astray and settle for a substitute faith and sell their birthright, in their hungry hunting for I know not what. Fasten your grip fast upon Christ; I truly esteem him the best possession that I have. He is my companion in prison; having him, though my cross were as heavy as ten mountains of iron, when he puts his sweet shoulder under me and it, my cross is but a feather. I please myself in the choice of Christ; he is my treasure in heaven and earth. I rejoice that he is in heaven before me; God send a joyful meeting. And in the meantime, the traveler's provisions for the way — I mean a burden of Christ's love to sweeten the journey and to encourage a breathless runner — for when I lose breath climbing the mountain, he makes new breath. Now, the very God of peace establish you to the day of his appearing.
Aberdeen, September 9, 1637. Yours in his only Lord Jesus, S. R.
