John Livingstone

Grace and mercie be multiplied to you from the Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, and upon all the fainting, trembling-hearted sons and daughters of Zion, who have resolved to hang their harps upon the willowes, till the Lord bring back your caprtivitie as the streames of the South. Blessed are all those that wait upon him. He is bringing his people into a nonsuch strait, which will only make way for giving proof of his soveraignty over the hearts of his people, in the cureing of their distempers; for as he has evidences that he has seen his people’s way, and is displeased therewith, so also will he heal the same, and restore straight paths for his people to walk in, and will in his mercie and pitie hear  them, and redeem them as in the dayes of old, that so the enemie shall not alwayes have libertie to make their mouth wide in blaspheming. Our storm is like to be sharp, and swell so that it will try the footing of all; yet am I hopeufll in the Lord, that is but about the laying of a fair foundation for more presently making up the new building, and is but laying a fair pavement for the chariot-wheel of his gospel to run more swiftly and gloriously upon, with less difficulty than ever hertobefore; and I think I may apply that word in Numbers 23d, of Balaam’s time–it shall be said concerning the people of God in these lands, O what hath God wrought! It shall bring matter of admiration to all tha thear of the great works of God anent his truths, and the deliveries of his people, and blessed shall they be who shall come cleanly tGrace and mercie be multiplied to you from the Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, and upon all the fainting, trembling-hearted sons and daughters of Zion, who have resolved to hang their harps upon the willowes, till the Lord bring back your caprtivitie as the streames of the South. Blessed are all those that wait upon him. He is bringing his people into a nonesuch strait, which will only make way for giving proof of his soveraignty over the hearts of his people, in the cureing of their distempers; for as he has evidences that he has seen his people’s way, and is displeased therewith, so also will he heal the same, and restore straight paths for his people to walk in, and will in his mercie and pitie hear them, and redeem them as in the dayes of old, that so the enemie shall not alwayes have libertie to make their mouth wide in blaspheming. Our storm is like to be sharp, and swell so that it will try the footing of all; yet am I hopeful in the Lord, that is but about the laying of a fair foundation for more presently making up the new building, and is but laying a fair pavement for the chariot-wheel of his gospel to run more swiftly and gloriously upon, with less difficulty than ever heretobefore; and I think I may apply that word in Numbers 23d, of Balaam’s time–it shall be said concerning the people of God in these lands, O what hath God wrought! It shall bring matter of admiration to all that that hear of the great works of God anent his truths, and the deliveries of his people, and blessed shall they be who shall come cleanly through the present tryall. Our fathers has not seen such glorious dayes of life from the dead, as some of this generation shall see. OUr fathers digged the well by supplications and wrestling and their children shall drink of the sweet refreshing springs of bright clear running salvation. When I think upon the glorious lightsome dayes of the people of God shall have a little hence, the matter of astonishing admiration to me, I cannot word my thoughts of it. I think I see them altogether as ane amazed people, drunk with astonishment through the goodness of the Lord; I think the matter of joy shall be so ravishinglie astonishing, as many of the choice people of God, who have gotten grace formerly to believe that they have a right to the joyes of heaven, shall question whether they have a right to partake of such unspeakable consolation, wherewith the friends of Zion shall then be filled. So astonishing shall it be, it shall be a thing that hath not been told, and shall hardlie enough to be believed when seen; so that the people of God shall be as in the 126th Psalm—when the Lord turned their captiviitie, they wondered whether it could be true that they found, or if they were but laughing in their sleive.*

I add this, that the people of God shall meet with that, Isa. lxii. Howbeit, darkness shall cover the earth, yet the Lord will arise for his poor contemned covenanted partie in these lands, and their afflicters shall be made to acknowledge them to be the only godlie partie, whom now they call hypocrites and treasonable persons, when his people has bidden the furnace, as in Dan. iii. 28, that the heathen king must cry out, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God.” And as Daniel was delivered out of the Lyons [den], his God is magnified. Yea, I will adventure to say this, that the light shall goe out from Covenanted and married Zion, and shall shine on this kingdom now in darkness, as they shall gather themselves together, and come in bands and bragades, so that then the people of God shall [gather] together as I add this more, that our banished shall be brought back, and shall upon the Lord’s hand to say this also, that forraigne nations shall make diligent enquiry for Zion’s banished and scattered friends, to insinuate in Zion’s favour, so great esteem shall be had of Zion’s favour that day. I will further say, that many abroad shall be blyth to come and joyn with us in building of the Lord’s work of reformation. O Zion, wearie not of thy life, but desire to out outlive the storm, that thou mayst see that blessed peace upon Israel and blessed shall they that shall win cleanlie through this storm.
—John Livingstone.

hrough the present tryall. Our fathers has not seen such glorious dayes of life from the dead, as some of this generation shall see. OUr fathers diged the well by supplications and wresteleings and their children shall drink of the sweet refreshing springs of bright clear running salvation. When I think upon the glorious lightsome dayes of the people of God shall have a little hence, the matter  of astonishing admiration to me, I canot word my thoughts of it. I think I see them altogether as ane amazed people, drunk with astonishment through the goodness of the Lord; I think the matter of joy shall be so ravishinglie astonishing, as many of the choice people of God, who have gotten grace formerly to believe that they have a righ tt othe joyes of heaven, shall question whether they have a righ tto partake of such unspeakable consolation, wherewith the friends of Zion shall then be filled. So astonishing shall it be, it shall be a thing that hath not been told, and shall hardlie enough to be believed when seen; so that the people of God shall be as in the 126th Psalm—when the Lord turned their captiviitie, they wondered whether it could be true that they found, or if they wre but laughing in their sleive.*

I add this, that the people of God shall meet with that, Isa. lxii.  Howbeit, darkness shall cover the earth, yet the Lord will arise for his poor contemned covenanted partie in these lands, and their afflicters shall be made to acknowledge them to be th eonly godlie partie, whom now they call hypocrites and treasonable persons, when his people has bidden the furance, as in Dan. iii. 28, that the heathen king must cry out, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach,  Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies,  that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own God.” And as Daniel was delivered out of the Lyons [den], his God is magnified. Yea, I will adventure to say this, that the light shall goe out from Covenanted and married Zion, and shall shine on this kingdom now in dakrness, as they shall gather themselves together, and come in bands and bragagdes, so that then the people of God shall [gather] together as I add this more, than oru banished shall be brought b ack, and shall upon the Lord’s hand to say this also, that forraigne nations shall make diligent enquiry for Zion’s bansiehd and scattered friends, to insinuate in Zion’s favour, so great esteem shall be had of Zions’s favour tha tday. I will further say, that many abroad shall be blyth to come and joyn with us in building of the Lord’s work of reformation. O Zion, wearie not of thy life, but desire to out outlive the storm, that thou mayst see that blessed peace upn Israel and blessed shall they that shall win cleanlie through the storm.
—John Livingstone.
*The word sleep is written over the word slieve

It is most probable that no gift, no pains a man takes to fit himself for preaching, shall ever doe good to the people or himself, except a man labour to have and keep his heart in a spiritual condition before God, depending on him allwayes for furniture and the blessing. Earnest faith and prayer, a single aime at the glory of God, and good of people, a sanctified heart and carriage, shall availl much for right preaching. There is sometime somewhat in preaching that cannot be ascribed to either the matter of expression, and cannot be described what it is, or from whence it cometh, but with a sweet violence, it pierceth into the heart and into the affections, and comes immediately from the Lord. But if there be any way to attaine to any such thing, it is by a heavenly disposition of the speaker.

A man would [should] especially read the writings, and labour to follow the gifts, of those whom God hath, in the most eminent manner, blessed with the converting and confirming of their hearers, rather than those who seem to have rare gifts for learning and delectaton without such successe.

It is very needful that a man prudently discerne what is the nature and extent of the gift that God hath given him, that in offering to imitat others, he doe not stretch beyond his own line, but onely correct the defects of his owne gift, and what is good therein, labour to improve and exalt that.

It is very fitting, that a man have plentie and choice of words, that as need requires he may vary his expression; and sometime the inforceing of the same thing with diverse words to the same purpose hath its owne use, especially to a dull auditory; and so we finde, that often in the prophets and psalms, and poetick Scriptures, the same thing will be twice expressed onely in different words.. But a custome of multiplying synonimous words and epithets and sentences, to the same purpose, is very unsavourie to ane understanding hearer, that seeks matter and not words, and would feign to proceed from scarcitie of matter, and a desire to fill the hour any way.

The light of nature, which is a spark of the will of God, hath taught many useful rules even to Pagans anent the right way of making solemne speeches before others, the most of which are to be applied to preaching with due discretion; so that what is thought unseemly in the one is to be avoided in the other. But the best rules are taken from the preachings of Christ, of the Apostles and Prophets.
—John Livingstone