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Copy of a Letter from Mr. Alexander Peden, to the Prisoners in Dunnotar Castle.
July, 1685.
Dear Friends,
I long to hear from you, how you spend your time: and how the grace of God grows in your hearts. I know ye, and others of the Lord's people, by reason of the present trial, have got up a fashion of complaining upon Christ; but I defy you to speak an ill word of him. unless ye wrong him. Speak as you can and spare not; only I request that your expressions of Christ suitable to your experience of him. If ye think Christ's house be bare and ill-provided, and harder than ye looked for, assure yoursclves Christ means only to diet you, and not to starve you: Our Steward kens when to spend and when to spare. Christ knows well whether heaping or straking agrees best with our narrow vessels, for both are alike to him: Sparing will not enrich him, nor will spending Improverish him. He thinks it ill won that is holden off his people. Grace and glory comes our of Christ's lucky hand. Our vessels are but feckless and contain little: His fulness is most straitened when it wants a vent. It is easy for Christ to be holden busy in dividing the fulness of his father's house to his poor friends: He delights not to keep mercy over night. Every day brings new mercies to the people of God: He is the easiest merchant ever the people of God yoked with: If ye be pleased with the wares, what of his graces makes best for your he and you will soon sort on the price, he will
