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LETTER to the SYNOD of DUNBLANE

Reverend Brethren, Glasgow, April 6. 1671. THE fuperadded burden that I have here fits fo hard upon me, that I cannot escape from under it, to be with you at this time; but my heart and defires shall be with you, for a bleffing from above upon your meeting. I have nothing to recommend to you, but (if you pleafe) to take a review of things formerly agreed upon; and fuch as you judge moft ufeful, to renew the appointment of putting them in practice; and to add whatfoever further fhall occur to your thoughts, that may promote the happy difcharge of your miniftry, and the good of your peoples fouls. I know I need not remind you, for I am confident you daily think of it, that the great principle of fidelity and diligence, and good fuccess, in that great work, is love; and the great spring of love to fouls, is love to Him that bought them. He knew it well himself; and gave us to know it, when he faid, Simon, loveft thou me? Feed my fheep, feed my lambs. Deep impreffion of his bleffed name upon our hearts, will not fail to produce lively expreffion of it, not only in our words and difcourfes in private and public, but will make the whole tract of our lives to be a true copy and transcript of his holy life: And, if there be within us any fparks of that divine love, you know the best way, not only to preserve them, but to excite them, and blow them up into a flame, is by the breath of prayer. Oh prayer! the converse of the foul with God, the breath of God in man returning to its original, frequent and fervent prayer, the better half of our whole work, and that which makes the other half lively and effectual; as that holy company tells us, when defigning deacons to ferve the tables, they add, But we will give ourfelves continually to prayer, and the miniftry of the

word.

word. And is it not, brethren, our unfpeakable advantage, beyond all the gainful and honourable employments of the world, that the whole work of our particular calling is a kind of living in heaven, and befides its tendency to the saving of the fouls of others, is all along fo proper and adapted to the purifying and faving of our own? But you will poffibly fay, what does he himself that speaks these things unto us? Alas! I am ashamed to tell you. All I dare fay is this, I think I fee the beauty of holiness, and am enamoured with it, though I attain it not; and how little foever I attain, would rather live and die in the pursuit of it, than in the pursuit, yea, or in the poffeffion and enjoyment, though unpursued, of all the advantages that this world affords. And I trust, dear Brethren, you are of the fame opinion, and have the fame defire and defign, and follow it both more diligently, and with better fuccefs. But I will stop here, left I fhould forget myself, and poffibly run on till I have wearied you, if I have not done that already; and yet if it be fo, I will hope for eafy pardon at your hands, as of a fault I have not been accustomed heretofore, nor am likely hereafter often to commit. To the all-powerful grace of our great Lord and Master, I recommend you and your flocks, and your whole work amongst them; and do earnestly entreat your prayers for

Your unworthieft, but most affectionate,
Brother and Servant,
R. LEIGHTON.

SEVEN

SEVEN LETTERS,

Written by Bifhop LEIGHTON on different Occafions: the first, taken from an Authentic Copy; the reft, from the Author's Originals. [Edit. 1748.]

LETTER to the Synod of GLASGOW, convened
April 1673.

Reverend Brethren,

Ir is neither a matter of much importance, nor can I yet give you a particular and fatisfying account of the reafons of my abfence from your meeting, which I truft, with the help of a little time, will clear itself: But I can affure you, I am present with you in my most affectionate wishes of the gracious prefence of that Holy Spirit amongst you, and within you all, who alone can make this and all your meetings, and the whole work of your miniftry, happy and fuccessful, to the good of fouls, and His glo ry that bought them with his own blood. And I doubt not, that your own great defire, each for yourfelf, and all for one another, is the fame; and that your daily and great employment is, by inceffant and fervent prayer, to draw down from above large fupplies and increases of that bleffed Spirit, which our Lord

and

and Mafter hath affured us that our heavenly Father will not fail to give to them that afk it. And how extreme a negligence and folly were it to want fo rich a gift for want of afking, efpecially in those devoted to fo high and holy a fervice, that requires fo great degrees of that spirit of holiness and divine love to purify their minds, and to raise them above their fenfes and this prefent world! Oh! my dear Brethren, what are we doing, that fuffer our fouls to creep and grovel on this earth, and do fo little aspire to the heavenly life of Chriftians, and more eminently of the meffengers and minifters of God, as stars, yea, as angels, which he bath made fpirits, and bis minifters a flame of fire! Oh! where are fouls to be found amongst us, that represent their own original, that are poffeffed with pure and fublime apprehenfions of God, the Father of fpirits, and are often raised to the aftonishing contemplation of his eternal and bleffed being, and his infinite holiness, and greatness, and goodness; and are accordingly burnt up with ardent love! And where that holy fire is wanting, there can be no facrifice, whatsoever qur invention, or utterance, or gifts may be, and how blameless foever the externals of our life may be, and even our hearts free from grofs pollutions; for it is fcarce to be fufpected, that any of us will fuffer any of those strange, yea, infernal fires of ambition, or avarice, or malice, or impure lufts and fenfualities, to burn within us, which would render us priests of idols, of airy nothings, and of dunghil gods, yea, of the very god of this world, the prince of darkness. Let men judge us and revile us as they please, that imports nothing at all; but God forbid any thing fhould poffefs our hearts but He that loved us, and gave himfelf for us; for we know we cannot be vefels of honour meet for the Mafter's use, unless we purge ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and fpirit, and empty our hearts of all things befide him, and even of ourfelves and our own will, and have no

more

more any defires nor delights, but his will alone, and his glory, who is our peace, and our life, and our all. And, truly, I think it were our beft and wifeft reflection, upon the many difficulties and difcouragements without us, to be driven by them to live more within; as they observe of the bees, that when it is foul weather abroad, they are busy in their hives. If the power of external difcipline be enervated in our hands, yet, who can hinder us to try, and judge, and censure ourselves; and to purge the inner temples, our own hearts, with the more feverity and exactnefs? And if we be dafhed and befpattered with reproaches abroad, to study to be the cleaner at home: And the lefs we find of meeknefs and charity in the world about us, to preserve fo much the more of that fweet temper within our own hearts; bleffing them that curfe us, and praying for them that perfecute us; fo fhall we most effectually prove ourselves to be the children of our heavenly Father, even to their conviction, that will scarce allow us, in any sense, to be called his fervants.

As for the confufions and contentions that ftillabound and increase in this Church, and threaten to undo it, I think our wifdom fhall be, to cease from man, and look for no help till we look more upwards, and difpute and difcourfe lefs, and faft and pray more; and fo draw down our relief from the God of order and peace, who made the heavens and the earth.

Concerning myself, I have nothing to fay, but humbly to entreat you to pass by the many failings and weakneffes you may have perceived in me during my. abode amongst you; and if in any thing I have injured or offended you, or any of you, in the management of my public charge, or in private converse, I do fincerely beg your pardon: Though, I confefs, I cannot make any requittal in that kind; for I do not know of any thing towards me, from any of you, that needs a pardon in the leaft; having generally

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