Gillespie died in 1648, at the age of 36. In spite of his youth he
had been sent as one of the four ministerial Commissioners of the
Church of Scotland to the Westminster Assembly in 1643, where his
learning and effective speaking made a great impression. At the time of
this letter he had been quite recently ordained.
REVEREND AND DEAR BROTHER, -- I received your letter. As for my case,
brother, I bless His glorious name, that my losses are my gain, my
prison a palace, and my sadness joyfulness. At my first entry, my
apprehensions so wrought upon my cross, that I became jealous of the
love of Christ, as being by Him thrust out of the vineyard, and I was
under great challenges, as ordinarily melted gold casteth forth a
drossy scum, and Satan and our corruption form the first words that the
heavy cross speaketh, and say, 'God is angry, He loveth you not.' But
our apprehensions are not canonical, they indite lies of God and
Christ's love. But since my spirit was settled, and the clay has fallen
to the bottom of the well, I see better what Christ was doing. And now
my Lord is returned with salvation under His wings. I see not how to be
thankful, or how to get help to praise that Royal King, who raiseth up
those that are bowed down. And, therefore, let no man scant at Christ's
cross, or raise an ill report upon Him or it; for He beareth the
sufferer and it both.
Brother, remember our old covenant and pray for me, and write to me
your case. The Lord Jesus be with your spirit.
ABRDEEN, March 13, 1637
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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.