To Jean Brown — Letter 57
Mistress.
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you. I am glad that you go on following Christ in this dark and cloudy time. It were good to sell other things for him, for when all these days are over, we shall find it to our advantage that we have taken part with Christ. I confidently believe his enemies shall be his footstool, and that he shall make proud green flowers into dead withered hay, when honor and glory shall fall off them like the bloom of a green herb shaken with the wind. It were not wisdom for us to think that Christ and the gospel will come and sit down at our fireside; no, we must go out of our warm houses and seek Christ and his gospel. It is not the sunny side of Christ that we must look to, and we must not forsake him for want of that, but must set our face against whatever may befall us in following on until he and we are through the briers and bushes onto dry ground. Our soft nature would be carried through the troubles of this miserable life in Christ's arms, and it is his wisdom — who knows our makeup — that his children go wet-footed and cold-footed to heaven. Oh, how sweet a thing it were for us to learn to make our burdens light, by fitting our hearts to the burden and making our Lord's will a law! I find Christ and his cross not so difficult to please, nor yet such troublesome guests as men call them. No, I think patience should make Christ's water into good wine and this dross into good metal. And we have cause to wait on, for before long our Master will be upon us and bring this whole world out before the sun and daylight in their blacks and whites. Happy are they who are found watching. Our hourglass is not so long that we need to grow weary; time will eat away and root out our woes and sorrows. Our heaven is in the bud and growing up to a harvest; why then should we not follow on, seeing our span of time will come to an inch? Therefore I commend Christ to you as your last, and longest-lasting husband, and the staff of your old age. Let him have now the rest of your days, and do not think it much if a storm comes upon the ship that Christ sails in; no passenger shall fall overboard, but the battered ship and the sea-sick passenger shall come to land safe. I am in as sweet communion with Christ as a poor sinner can be, and am only pained that he has much beauty and fairness, and I little love; he great power and mercy, and I little faith; he much light, and I bleared eyes. Oh that I saw him in the sweetness of his love and in his wedding clothes, and were over head and ears in love with that princely one, Christ Jesus my Lord! Alas, my broken dish and leaking vessel can hold little of Christ Jesus. I have joy in this: that I would not refuse death before I put Christ's lawful heritage up for negotiation. And what do I know? — it might have pleased both Christ and me. Alas, that this land has put Christ to open auction and to an 'any man more?' Blessed are they who would hold the crown on his head and buy Christ's honor with their own losses. I rejoice to hear your son John is coming to visit Christ and taste of his love; I hope he shall not lose his pains or regret that choice. I always had — as I often said to you — a great love to dear Mr. John Brown, because I thought I saw Christ in him more than in his brethren. Eagerly would I write to him to stand by my sweet Master, and I wish you would let him read my letter, and the joy I have, if he will appear for and side with my Lord Jesus. Grace, grace be with you.
Aberdeen, March 13, 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Jesus, S. R.
