Letters of Samuel Rutherford: (Third Edition)Rutherford, Samuel
Religion
Letters of Samuel Rutherford: (Third Edition)
Rutherford, Samuel
Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661 -- Correspondence
Oh for a soul as wide as the
utmost circle of the highest heaven that containeth all, to contain
His love! And yet I could hold little of it. O world's wonder! Oh, if
my soul might but lie within the smell of His love, suppose I could
get no more but the smell of it! Oh, but it is long to that day when I
shall have a free world of Christ's love! Oh, what a sight to be up in
heaven, in that fair orchard of the new paradise; and to see, and
smell, and touch, and kiss that fair field-flower, that ever-green
Tree of life! His bare shadow were enough for me; a sight of Him would
be the earnest of heaven to me. Fy, fy upon us! that we have love
lying rusting beside us, or, which is worse, wasting upon some
loathsome objects, and that Christ should lie His lone. Wo, wo is me!
that sin hath made so many madmen, seeking the fool's paradise, fire
under ice, and some good and desirable things, without and apart from
Christ. Christ, Christ, nothing but Christ, can cool our love's
burning languor. O thirsty love! wilt thou set Christ, the well of
life, to thy head, and drink thy fill? Drink, and spare not; drink
love, and be drunken with Christ! Nay, alas! the distance betwixt us
and Christ is a death. Oh, if we were clasped in other's arms! We
should never twin again, except heaven twinned and sundered us; and
that cannot be.
I desire your children to seek this Lord. Desire them from me, to be
requested, for Christ's sake, to be blessed and happy, and to come and
take Christ, and all things with Him. Let them beware of glassy and
slippery youth, of foolish young notions, of worldly lusts, of
deceivable gain, of wicked company, of cursing, lying, blaspheming,
and foolish talking. Let them be filled with the Spirit; acquaint
themselves with daily praying; and with the storehouse of wisdom and
comfort, the good word of God. Help the souls of the poor people. O
that my Lord would bring me again among them, that I might tell unco
and great tales of Christ to them! Receive not a stranger to preach
any other doctrine to them.
Pray for me, His prisoner of hope. I pray for you without ceasing. I
write my blessing, earnest prayers, the love of God, and the sweet
presence of Christ to you, and yours, and them. Grace, grace, grace be
with you.
Your lawful and loving pastor,
S. R.
ABERDEEN, 1637.
LXXXIII.--_To the_ EARL OF LOTHIAN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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