MADAM, -- Impute it not to a disrespective forgetfulness of your
Ladyship, who ministered to me in my bonds, that I write not to you. I
wish that I could speak or write what might do good to your Ladyship;
especially now when I think we cannot but have deep thoughts of the
deep and bottomless ways of our Lord, in taking away, with a sudden and
wonderful stroke, your brethren and friends. Ye may know, that all who
die for sin die not in sin; and that 'none can teach the Almighty
knowledge.' No man can say 'What does Thou?' It is true that your
brethren saw not many summers; but adore and fear the sovereignty of
the great Potter, who maketh and marreth His clay-vessels when and how
it pleaseth Him.
The under-garden is absolutely His own, and all that growth in it.
His absolute liberty is law-abiding. The flowers are His own. If some
be but summer apples, He may pluck them down before others. Oh what
wisdom is it to believe, and not to dispute; to subject the thoughts to
His court, and not to repine at any act of His justice? He has done it:
all flesh be silent! It is impossible to be submissive and religiously
patient, if ye stay your thoughts down among the confused rollings and
wheels of second causes; as, 'Oh the place!' 'Oh the time!' 'Oh if this
had been, this had not followed!' Oh the linking of this accident with
this time and place! Look up to the master motion and the first wheel.
'How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!'
His providence halteth not, but goeth with even and equal legs. Yet are
they not the greatest sinners upon whom the tower of Siloam fell. Was
not time's lease expired? and the sand of heaven's sand-glass, set by
our Lord, run out?
And who can tell what thoughts of love and peace our Lord has to your
children? I trust He will make them famous in executing the written
judgments upon the enemies of the Lord, and that they shall bear stones
upon their shoulders for building that fair city that is called 'The
Lord is there' (Ezek. 48.35). Therefore, Madam, let the Lord make out
of your father's house any work, even of judgment, that He pleaseth.
What is wrath to others is mercy to you and your house. It is faith's
work to claim and challenge loving-kindness out of all the roughest
strokes of God. Do that for the Lord which ye will do for time: time
will calm your heart at that which God has done, and let our Lord have
it now. What love ye did bear to friends now dead, seeing they stand
now in no need of it, let it fall as just legacy to Christ.
And, since ye will not alter upon Him who will not change upon you, I
durst, in my weakness, think myself no spiritual seer if I should not
prophesy that daylight is near, when such a morning-darkness is upon
you; and that this trial of your Christian mind towards Him (whom you
dare not leave, howbeit He should slay you) shall close with a doubled
mercy. It is time for faith to hold fast as much of Christ as ever ye
had, and to make the grip stronger, and to cleave closer to Him, seeing
Christ loveth to be believed in and trusted to. The glory of laying
strength upon one that is mighty to save is more than we can think.
That piece of service, believing in a smiting Redeemer, is a precious
part of obedience. Oh what glory to Him to lay over the burden of our
heaven upon Him that purchased for us an eternal kingdom! O blessed
soul, who can adore and kiss His lovely free grace!
The rich grace of Christ be with your spirit.
ST ANDREW, Oct. 15, 1640
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Rutherford was also known for his spiritual and devotional works, such as Christ Dying and drawing Sinners to Himself and his Letters. Concerning his Letters, Charles Spurgeon wrote: "When we are dead and gone let the world know that Spurgeon held Rutherford's Letters to be the nearest thing to inspiration which can be found in all the writings of mere men". Published versions of the Letters contain 365 letters and fit well with reading one per day.
Rutherford was a strong supporter of the divine right of Presbytery, the principle that the Bible calls for Presbyterian church government. Among his polemical works are Due Right of Presbyteries (1644), Lex, Rex (1644), and Free Disputation against Pretended Liberty of Conscience.
Samuel Rutherford was a Scottish Presbyterian theologian and author. He was one of the Scottish Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly.
Born in the village of Nisbet, Roxburghshire, Rutherford was educated at Edinburgh University, where he became in 1623 Regent of Humanity (Professor of Latin). In 1627 he was settled as minister of Anwoth in Galloway, from where he was banished to Aberdeen for nonconformity. His patron in Galloway was John Gordon, 1st Viscount of Kenmure. On the re-establishment of Presbytery in 1638 he was made Professor of Divinity at St. Andrews, and in 1651 Rector of St. Mary's College there. At the Restoration he was deprived of all his offices.
Rutherford's political book Lex, Rex (meaning "the law [and] the king" or "the law [is] king") presented a theory of limited government and constitutionalism. It was an explicit refutation of the doctrine of "Rex Lex" or "the king is the law." Rutherford was also known for his spiritual and devotional works, such as Christ Dying and drawing Sinners to Himself and his Letters.