Letters of Samuel Rutherford: (Third Edition)Rutherford, Samuel
Religion
Letters of Samuel Rutherford: (Third Edition)
Rutherford, Samuel
Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661 -- Correspondence
I am confident your Ladyship is going forward in the begun journey to
your Lord and Father's home and kingdom. Howbeit ye want not
temptations within and without. And who among the saints hath ever
taken that castle without stroke of sword? the Chief of the house, our
Elder Brother, our Lord Jesus, not being excepted, who won His own
house and home, due to Him by birth, with much blood and many blows.
Your Ladyship hath the more need to look to yourself, because our Lord
hath placed you higher than the rest, and your way to heaven lieth
through a more wild and waste wilderness than the way of many of your
fellow-travellers,--not only through the midst of this wood of thorns,
the cumbersome world, but also through these dangerous paths, the
vain-glory of it; the consideration whereof hath often moved me to
pity your soul, and the soul of your worthy and noble husband. And it
is more to you to win heaven, being ships of greater burden, and in
the main sea, than for little vessels, that are not so much in the
mercy and reverence of the storms, because they may come quietly to
their port by launching alongst the coast. For the which cause ye do
much, if in the midst of such a tumult of business, and crowd of
temptations, ye shall give Christ Jesus His own court and His own due
place in your soul. I know and am persuaded, that that lovely One,
Jesus, is dearer to you than many kingdoms; and that ye esteem Him
your Well-beloved, and the Standard-bearer among ten thousand (Cant.
v. 10). And it becometh Him full well to take the place and the
board-head in your soul before all the world. I knew and saw Him with
you in the furnace of affliction; for there he wooed you to Himself,
and chose you to be His; and now He craveth no other hire of you but
your love, and that He get no cause to be jealous of you. And,
therefore, dear and worthy lady, be like to the fresh river, that
keepeth its own fresh taste in the salt sea. This world is not worthy
of your soul. Give it not a good-day when Christ cometh in competition
with it. Be like one of another country. Home! and stay not; for the
sun is fallen low, and nigh the tops of the mountains, and the shadows
are stretched out in great length. Linger not by the way. The world
and sin would train you on, and make you turn aside. Leave not the way
for them; and the Lord Jesus be at the voyage!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account