Letters of Samuel Rutherford: (Third Edition)Rutherford, Samuel
Religion
Letters of Samuel Rutherford: (Third Edition)
Rutherford, Samuel
Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661 -- Correspondence
present get little or nothing but the heavy cross of Christ, troubles
without and terrors within; but they live upon hope; and when it
cometh to the parting of the inheritance, they remain in the house as
heirs. It is better to be so than to get present payment, and a
portion in this life, an inheritance in this world (God forgive me,
that I should honour it with the name of an inheritance, it is rather
a farm-room!), and then in the end to be casten out of God's house,
with this word, "Ye have received your consolation, ye will get no
more." Alas! what get they? The rich glutton's heaven (Luke xvi. 25).
O but our Lord maketh it a silly heaven! "He fared well," saith our
Lord, "and delicately every day." O no more? a silly heaven! Truly no
more, except that he was clothed in purple, and that is all. I
persuade myself, Madam, ye have joy when ye think that your Lord hath
dealt more graciously with your soul. Ye have gotten little in this
life, it is true indeed: ye have then the more to crave, yea, ye have
all to crave; for, except some tastings of the first fruits, and some
kisses of His mouth whom your soul loveth, ye get no more. But I
cannot tell you what is to come. Yet I may speak as our Lord doth of
it. The foundation of the city is pure gold, clear as crystal; the
twelve ports are set with precious stones; if orchards and rivers
commend a soil upon earth, there is a paradise there, wherein groweth
the tree of life that beareth twelve manner of fruits every month,
which is seven score and four harvests in the year; and there is there
a pure river of water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God and
of the Lamb; and the city hath no need of the light of the sun or
moon, or of a candle, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is the
light thereof. Madam, believe and hope for this, till ye see and
enjoy. Jesus is saying in the Gospel, Come and see; and He is come
down in the chariot of truth, wherein He rideth through the world, to
conquer men's souls (Ps. xlv. 4), and is now in the world saying, "Who
will go with Me? will ye go? My Father will make you welcome, and give
you house-room; for in My Father's house are many dwelling-places."[123]
Madam, consent to go with Him. Thus I rest, commending you to God's
dearest mercy.
Yours in the Lord Jesus,
S. R.
ANWOTH.
[123] Μόνας.
XXVIII.--_To my_ LADY KENMURE, _after the death of a child_.
(_THE STATE OF THE CHURCH, CAUSE FOR GOD'S DISPLEASURE--HIS CARE OF
HIS CHURCH--THE JEWS--AFFLICTED SAINTS._)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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