LOVING BROTHER, -- Hold fast Christ without wavering and contend for the
faith, because Christ is not easily gotten nor kept. The lazy professor
has put heaven as it were at the next door, and thinketh to fly up to
heaven in his bed and in a night-dream; but, truly, that is not so easy
a thing as most men believe. Christ Himself did sweat ere He wan this
city, howbeit He was the freeborn heir. It is Christianity, my heart,
to be sincere, unfeigned, honest and upright hearted before God, and to
live and serve God, suppose there was not one man nor woman in all the
world dwelling beside you, to eye you. Any little grace that ye have,
see that it be sound and true.
Ye may put a difference betwixt you and reprobates, if ye have these
marks. -- 1. If ye prize Christ and His truth so as ye will sell all and
buy Him; and suffer for it. 2. If the love of Christ keepeth you back
from sinning, more than the law, or fear of hell. 3. If ye be humble,
and deny your own will, wit, credit, ease, honor, the world, and the
vanity and glory of it. 4. Your profession must not be barren and void
of good works. 5. Ye must in all things aim at God's honor; ye must
eat, drink, sleep, buy, sell, sit, stand, speak, pray, read, and hear
the word, with a heart-purpose that God may be honored. 6. Ye must show
yourself an enemy to sin, and reprove the works of darkness, such as
drunkenness, swearing, and lying, albeit the company should hate you
for so doing. 7. Keep in mind the truth of God, that ye heard me teach,
and have nothing to do with the corruptions and new guises entered into
the house of God. 8. Make conscience of your calling, in covenants, in
buying and selling. 9. Acquaint yourself with daily praying; commit all
your ways and actions to God, by prayer, supplication, and
thanksgiving; and count not much of being mocked; for Christ Jesus was
mocked before you.
Persuade yourself, that this is the way of peace and comfort which I
now suffer for. I dare go to death and into eternity with it, though
men may possibly see another way. Remember me in your prayers, and the
state of this oppressed church. Grace be with you.
Your soul's well-wisher.
ABERDEEN
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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.