To John Stuart, Provost of Ayr, Now in Ireland — Letter 51

Much honored sir.

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you. I long to hear from you, being now removed from my flock and the prisoner of Christ at Aberdeen. I would not have you think it strange that your journey to New England has received such a setback. It has indeed made my heart heavy, yet I know it is no silent providence but a speaking one, whereby our Lord speaks his mind to you — though for the present you do not well understand what he says. However it be, he who sits upon the floods has shown you his marvelous kindness in the great depths. I know your loss is great and your hope is gone far against you, but I entreat you, sir, to rightly interpret our Lord's placing a hindrance in the way. I persuade myself your heart aims at the footsteps of the flock, to feed beside the shepherds' tents and to dwell beside him whom your soul loves, and that it is your desire to remain in the wilderness where the woman is kept from the dragon. This being your desire, remember that a poor prisoner of Christ said it to you: that miscarried journey is pregnant with mercy and consolation for you, and shall bring forth a fair birth, and the Lord shall be midwife to the birth. Wait on; he that believes does not make haste — see Isaiah 28:16. I hope you have been asking what the Lord means and what further may be his will in reference to your return. My dear brother, let God make of you what he will; he will end all with consolation and shall make glory out of your sufferings. And would you wish better work? This water was in your way to heaven and written in your Lord's book; you had to cross it. And therefore kiss his wise and unerring providence. Let not the censures of men — who see but the outside of things, and scarcely that — diminish your courage and rejoicing in the Lord. Though your faith sees but the dark side of providence, yet it has a better side, and God shall let you see it. Learn to believe Christ better than his strokes, himself and his promises better than his frowns. Setbacks and disappointments are not canonical scripture; fighting for the promised land seemed to cry out against God's promise — that it lied. If our Lord rides upon a straw, his horse shall neither stumble nor fall. For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God — Romans 8:28. Therefore: shipwreck, losses, and the like work together for the good of them that love God. Hence I infer that losses, disappointments, ill tongues, loss of friends, houses, or country are God's workmen set to work, to work out good to you from everything that befalls you. Let not the Lord's dealing seem harsh, rough, or unfatherly because it is unpleasant. When the Lord's blessed will blows contrary to your desires, it is best in humility to strike sail to him and to be willing to be led any way our Lord pleases. It is a point of self-denial to be as if you had not a will of your own, but had made a free disposition of it to God and had handed it over to him. And to make use of his will as your own is both true holiness and your ease and peace. You know not what the Lord is working out of this, but you shall know it hereafter. What I write to you, I write to your wife; I feel compassion for her case. But entreat her not to fear or faint; this journey is a part of her wilderness road to heaven and the promised land, and there are fewer miles behind — it is nearer the dawning of the day for her than when she went out of Scotland. I would be glad to hear that you and she have comfort and courage in the Lord. Now, as concerning our church: our Service Book is ordained by open proclamation and sound of trumpet to be read in all the churches of this kingdom. Our prelates are to meet this month for it and our canons, and for a reconciliation between us and the Lutherans. The professors of Aberdeen University are charged to draw up the articles of a uniform confession. But reconciliation with Popery is intended. This is the day of Jacob's visitation; the ways of Zion mourn, our gold has grown dim, the sun has gone down upon our prophets. A dry wind, but neither to fan nor to cleanse, is coming upon this land, and all our ill comes from the multiplied transgressions of this land and from the friends and lovers of Babylon among us — see Jeremiah 31:35. 'The violence done to me and my flesh be upon you, Babylon,' shall the inhabitants of Zion say, 'and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,' shall Jerusalem say. Now for myself: I was three days before the High Commission, accused of treason preached against our king. A minister being a witness came very near to swear it; God has saved me from their malice. First, they have deprived me of my ministry. Second, they have silenced me, so that I exercise no part of the ministerial function within this kingdom, under pain of rebellion. Third, they have confined my person within the town of Aberdeen, where I find the ministers working for my confinement in Caithness or Orkney far from them, because some people here — willing to be edified — resort to me. At my first entry I had heavy challenges within me, and a court assembled, though I hope not in Christ's name, in which it was asserted that my Lord would have no more of my service and was tired of me. And like a fool I also summoned Christ for unkindness; my soul fainted and I refused comfort and said, what has Christ against me, for I desired to be faithful in his house? Thus in my wanderings and mistakes, my Lord Jesus bestowed mercy on me, who am less than the least of all saints. I lay upon the dust and bought a quarrel from Satan against Christ, and he was content to sell it. But at length Christ showed himself friends with me, and in mercy pardoned and set aside my complaint, and only observed that a court had been held in his territory without his own sanction. Now I withdraw my complaint, and as if Christ had done the fault, he has made the amends and returned to my soul. So now his poor prisoner feasts on the feast of love; my adversaries know not what a courtier I am now with my royal King, for whose crown I now suffer. It is but our soft and lazy flesh that has raised an ill report of the cross of Christ. Oh, sweet, sweet is his yoke! Christ's chains are of pure gold; sufferings for him are perfumed. I would not give my weeping for the laughing of all the fourteen prelates; I would not exchange my sadness for the world's joy. O lovely, lovely Jesus, how sweet must your kisses be when your cross smells so sweetly! Oh if all three kingdoms had part of my love-feasts and of the comforts of a cherished prisoner! Dear brother, I charge you to praise God on my behalf, and seek help from our acquaintances there to help me to praise. Why should I conceal Christ's faithfulness to me? My heart is taken up with this: that my silence and sufferings may preach. I beseech you in the tender mercies of Christ to help me to praise. Remember my love in Christ to your wife, to Mr. Blair, and Mr. Livingston, and Mr. Cunningham. Let me hear from you, for I am anxious about what to do; if I saw a calling to New England, I would follow it. Grace be with you.

Aberdeen, 1637. Yours in our Lord Jesus, S. R.