Brother, this is His own truth I now suffer for. He hath sealed my sufferings with His own comforts, and I know that He will not put His seal upon blank paper. His seals are not dumb nor delusive, to confirm imaginations and lies. Go on, my dear brother, in the strength of the Lord, not fearing man who is a worm, nor the son of man that shall die. Providence hath a thousand keys, to open a thousand sundry doors for the deliverance of His own, when it is even come to a _conclamatum est_.[214] Let us be faithful, and care for our own part, which is to do and suffer for Him, and lay Christ's part on Himself, and leave it there. Duties are ours, events are the Lord's. When our faith goeth to meddle with events, and to hold a court (if I may so speak) upon God's providence, and beginneth to say, "How wilt Thou do this and that?" we lose ground. We have nothing to do there. It is our part to let the Almighty exercise His own office, and steer His own helm. There is nothing left to us, but to see how we may be approved of Him, and how we may roll the weight of our weak souls in well-doing upon Him who is God Omnipotent: and when that we thus essay miscarrieth, it will be neither our sin nor cross. [214] "All is over." Brother, remember the Lord's word to Peter; "Simon, lovest thou me?--Feed my sheep." No greater testimony of our love to Christ can be, than to feed carefully and faithfully His lambs. I am in no better neighbourhood with the ministers here than before: they cannot endure that any speak of me, or to me. Thus I am, in the mean time, silent, which is my greatest grief. Dr. Barron[215] hath often disputed with me, especially about Arminian controversies, and for the ceremonies. Three yokings laid him by; and I have not been troubled with him since. Now he hath appointed a dispute before witnesses; I trust that Christ and truth will do for themselves. [215] Barron was of the family of Kinnaird in Fifeshire. He became minister of the parish of Keith; in 1624 was appointed to a charge in Aberdeen. In 1625 he was nominated Professor of Divinity in Marischal College there. He was a determined opponent of such men as Rutherford and Dickson, and at length resigned his chair and retired to Berwick, where he died in 1639. I hope, brother, that ye will help my people; and write to me what ye hear the Bishop is to do with them. Grace be with you. Your brother in bonds, S. R. ABERDEEN. CXVIII.--_To MR. HUGH MACKAIL, Minister of the Gospel at Irvine._ (_CHRIST'S BOUNTIFUL DEALINGS--JOY IN CHRIST THROUGH THE CROSS._)