LAST WORDS (6)

[456] Passage.

[457] Diet, used for fixed time.

[458] None shall be longer missed than just till the time when ye shall see them again.

[459] Will require all your power, and that of angels too, to unfold.

[460] In a sermon preached at Kircudbright, in 1634, on Heb. xii. 1-3, he says, "This condemns those who will not run one foot in the race except the gold be in their hand."

[461] Perhaps Mr. James Guthrie, minister of Stirling; afterwards beheaded in 1661, at the Cross of Edinburgh, and his head fixed on the Nether Bow.

[462] "To put one to it," is a phrase equivalent to, "Cause him to be at a loss how to act."

[463] Gillespie was lying on his deathbed when this letter was written to him by Rutherford, who had heard of the dangerous illness of his friend. He died on the 17th of December following.

[464] Your believing now is your last believing; closing the whole course.

[465] See Letter CCCXVIII.

[466] In this matter Gillespie complied with Rutherford's advice, having left behind him a testimony against both Malignants and Sectaries, subscribed by his own hand, on the 15th of December, only two days before he died.

[467] As an accurate facsimile of this letter from the original, among the papers of the Town Council of Edinburgh, is inserted here, it has been thought proper, in this instance, to retain Rutherford's orthography.

[468] Din, noise. The superfluous "e," at the end of several of these words, may possibly have been a dash in the writing. "Dine," for "din"; "whoe," for "who"; "humblee," for "humble." Compare "honorable," on the address of the letter with the same word in the commencement. (A kind friend, reading this letter carefully over, maintains that "dine," or "din," is not the word in the autograph, but that it is "drane," which would mean that he did not wish to be a drain on the time of the Assembly, who had greater business to attend to than this personal affair of his. But, so far as we are aware, that phrase, "to be a drain," never occurs elsewhere in Rutherford's writings. What if the writer, in the agitation of the moment, allowed his pen to write "drane," though he meant it to be "dine"?)

[469] From French, "habile," in which we see the etymology of "able."

[470] Rutherford was married a second time on 24th March 1649, about five months previous to the date of this Letter, to Jean M'Math.

[471] Mr. David Forret, or Forrest, was minister of Kilconquhar. He had formerly been minister of Deninno, where he appears in 1639. He was translated thence to Forgan in 1640; and to Kilconquhar, May 27, 1646. He refused to conform to Prelacy in 1662, but was not ejected, and died February 26, 1672.

[472] Free from malignants. See note, Letter CCCXXX.

[473] The Independents.

[474] The Cavaliers.

[475] The battle was fought between Cromwell and the Scots, and the latter were completely defeated, with great loss. It was fought on the 3rd September 1650.

[476] After the battle of Dunbar, it was proposed that the restraints by which such as had, by various Acts of Parliament, been excluded from places of power and trust in the army and state, on account of their Malignancy, or opposition to the Covenant and liberties of the nation, should be removed. This was at first refused; but after the defeat at Hamilton, the Commission agreed to certain resolutions, for admitting into places of power and trust in the Army and State such as had been excluded by the Acts of Parliament referred to. These were called "Public Resolutions," and they became a source of much dissension in the church. At last they were formally approved of by the General Assembly held in July 1651, at St. Andrews, and adjourned to Dundee. At the last sederunt at St. Andrews, Rutherford, who was strongly opposed to the Resolutions, gave in a protestation against the lawfulness of that Assembly. It was subscribed by twenty-one besides himself. Hence those opposed to the Public Resolutions were called "Protesters," and those friendly to them, "Resolutioners."

[477] Once for all; completely.

[478] Supposing that this controversy remains undecided.

[479] The Hebrew of Isa. lxiii. 1 is alluded to (צֹעֶה): "marching on in the greatness of His strength." Rutherford, in the latter part of his life, studied Isaiah very closely. See Sketch of his Life.

[480] England and Ireland.

[481] The blow, Zachary Boyd ("Last Battle") speaks of "the dint of God's judgment-stroke."

[482] On the 1st of December 1650, being Sabbath, the west country forces of the Covenanters were scattered at Hamilton by a party of English, under the conduct of Lambert. Several of them were killed, and Colonel Ker was wounded and taken. (Lamont's "Diary," p. 24.)

[483] The Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem.

[484] Isa. xxii. 25 is alluded to, where the Hebrew word means either "broken," or cut down. See note, p. 655.

[485] Rutherford here refers to a call which he had received (on the death of De Maets, or Dematius) to fill the Chair of Divinity in the University of Utrecht, to which he was elected without being consulted. He, however, declined to accept the invitation. The call was conveyed to him first verbally, by his brother James, then an officer in a regiment lying at Grave in Brabant; and next formally in writing.

[486] Wodrow MSS. vol. xlv. 8vo, No. 13. "This letter," says Wodrow, "is taken from a copy; but is certainly Mr. Rutherford's to Lady Ralston of that ilk, which I have from her grandchild, and, as far as I can see, is not printed."

[487] Too?

[488] Come to know how much we are changed.

[489] Rutherford alludes to the opposition made by the Protesters to the Public Resolutions.

[490] Nevertheless.

[491] From a copy among the Wodrow MSS. vol. xlv. 8vo, No. 14. "I had it," says Wodrow, "from the Laird of Ralston. It's a double, only written on the same sheet with the former to Lady Ralston, perhaps about the same time."

[492] Enjoy?

[493] Marion M'Naught, her mother, died 1643.

[494] The differences on account of the Public Resolutions. Letter CCCXXIX., note.

[495] The Government of Cromwell.

[496] Refers probably to J. M'Lellan, who had come from Ireland, and been admitted minister in Kirkcudbright in 1638, where he continued to live and labour till his death in 1650. He was a man early acquainted with God and His ways, a most upright and zealous Protestant, and one who knew not what it was to be afraid in the cause of God. Livingstone says that he was thought by many to have had somewhat of the spirit of prophecy; he foretold many sad events that would come on England. A little before his death he composed the following epitaph on himself:—

[497] From the original, among the Wodrow MSS. vol. xxix. 4to, No. 66. This letter is addressed on the back, "For his Reverend and dear Brother, Mr. Thomas Wylie, Minister of the Gospel at Kirkcudbright, and Moderator of the Presbytery there."

[498] From a copy among the Wodrow MSS. vol. lix. folio, No. 5. There is probably an error as to the date of this letter. From an allusion in it to a vacancy in one of the professorships of St. Mary's or the New College of St. Andrews, explained in the following note, it appears to have been written in or subsequent to the year 1657.

[499] Rutherford was now Principal of St. Mary's or the New College of St. Andrews, a situation to which he was elevated about the close of the year 1647; and a vacancy having occurred in the Professorship of Ecclesiastical History, by the translation of Mr. James Wood to be Principal of St. Salvator's or the Old College of St. Andrews, in 1657, Rutherford was very desirous of seeing that situation filled by a suitable person.

[500] Dr. Alexander Colville, who had been Professor of Divinity in the Protestant University of Sedan, was inducted one of the masters in the New College of St. Andrews in 1642. He conformed to Prelacy in 1662; became Principal of that College upon Rutherford's death; and died in 1666.

[501] Afterwards Archbishop of St. Andrews.

[502] Rutherford was strenuous in his exertions to secure the appointment of Mr. Rait, but without success. His colleague, Dr. Colville, succeeded in obtaining the appointment of Sharp to the vacant office, into which he was inducted on the 22nd of February 1661, about a month before Rutherford's death. Mr. Rait afterwards became minister of Dundee.

[503] This seems to refer to Nisbet, formerly a separate parish, but now annexed to Crailing, in the Presbytery of Jedburgh, and shire of Roxburgh. It is within two miles of the parish of Oxnam; and some thirty years ago a house there used to be pointed out, by an old villager, as that in which, according to tradition, Rutherford was born.

[504] It shall do nothing but free you from evil.

[505] Mr. James Simpson was minister of Airth. He subscribed the protestation which Rutherford gave in against the lawfulness of the Assembly held at St. Andrews in July 1651; for which he was deposed from the ministry by the adjourned meeting at Dundee. After the Restoration he was accused in Parliament, by the King's advocate, of seditious practices, and banished by Parliament, without being heard. He removed to Holland, where he died. Simpson at this time had been sent up to London by the Protesters, to represent their cause to Cromwell and the ministers of the city, in opposition to the notorious James Sharp, afterwards Archbishop of St. Andrews, who had been sent up by the Resolutioners.

[506] This seems to mean, the place assigned to the respective offices of elder and deacon.

[507] Perhaps, "I desire to pray for."

[508] Pass over.

[509] Reading the Letters chronologically, we are now within two years of his death, but Lady Kenmure survived many years.

[510] How interesting is this notice of Revival, prefacing and preparing the church for the days of sore trial that soon burst over Scotland!

[511] From the original among the Wodrow MSS. vol. xxix. 4to, No. 88. The letter is addressed on the back, "For the very Reverend and honoured of the Lord, the Moderator and Remanent Brethren of the Presbytery of Kirkcudbright." That Presbytery particularly distinguished itself by its earnest endeavours to restore harmony between the Resolutioners and Protesters; to which they were stirred up chiefly by Mr. Thomas Wylie. But their laudable efforts, though partially successful in allaying animosity, failed to heal the breach. On this subject, Mr. George Hutchison, in a letter to Mr. Thomas Wylie, dated March 12, 1660, says: "That little essay towards union hath been followed with the blessing of much less animosity than was wont to be before, in actings and walkings one with another; though, as yet, it is to be regretted that little can be got done for healing particular ruptures of parishes and presbyteries, even upon seeming equal overtures; and, it fears me, some elsewhere are more stiff than needful in such an exigent. But I apprehend that either our trials or God's appearing, among others, may press the necessity of union more upon us" (Wodrow's MSS. vol. xxix.).

[512] Solicit.

[513] At St. Andrews.

[514] From the original among the Wodrow MSS. vol. xxvii. fol. No. 42.

[515] Determined finally.

[516] Murray, and the other Protesters in the Synod of Perth, acted upon a similar principle. As an instance of this, we may adduce the following extracts from a paper entitled, "The desires of the brethren of the Protesting judgment in the Synod of Perth under-subscribing, unto the Moderator and remanent members of the Synod." They desire, "1st, That the Synod will declare and enact, that none of the Acts made by the two controverted Assemblies at St. Andrews, Dundee, and at Edinburgh, in the years 1651 and 1652, appointing censure upon such as will not acknowledge the constitution of these Assemblies, and will not submit unto the Acts thereof, shall hereafter be of force within the bounds of this Synod.... 3. That the Synod will declare and enact, that notwithstanding of the supposed censures inflicted upon Mr. James Guthrie, minister at Stirling, and Mr. James Simpson, minister at Airth, by the pretended Assembly at St. Andrews and Dundee, and of the approbation or intimation thereof by the Synod, that the said Mr. James Guthrie and Mr. James Simpson are lawful standing ministers of the Gospel in the respective charges of Stirling and Airth, and capable to sit and vote in the Synod and in their own Presbytery, and of every other ministerial privilege and employment" (Wodrow's MSS. vol. xxvii.).

[517] A minister who is mentioned again in Letter CCCLXV.

[518] A proverb: "They need a long spoon who sup with the devil."

[519] That is, the ministers mentioned in the note prefixed to the preceding letter, who were arrested and imprisoned by the Committee of Estates.

[520] See notice of Colonel Gilbert Ker, p. 649.

[521] See note prefixed to Letter CCCLVII., p. 692.