Me VERY WORTHY AND DEAR FRIEND, -- I cannot but most kindly thank you
for the expressions of your love. Your love and respect to me is a
great comfort to me.
I bless His high and glorious name, that the terrors of great men
have not affrighted me from openly avouching the Son of God. Nay, His
cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bare; it is such a burden as
wings are to a bird, or sails are to a ship, to carry me forward to my
harbor. I have not much cause to fall in love with the world; but
rather to wish that He who sitteth upon the floods would bring my
broken ship to land, and keep my conscience safe in these dangerous
times; for wrath from the Lord is coming on this sinful land.
It were good that we prisoners of hope know of our stronghold to run
to, before the storm come on; therefore, Sir, I beseech you by the
mercies of God and comforts of His spirit, by the blood of your Savior,
and by your compearance before the sin-revenging Judge of the world,
keep your garments clean, and stand for the truth of Christ, which ye
profess. When the time shall come that your eye strings shall break,
your face wax pale, your breath grow cold, and this house of clay shall
totter, and your one foot shall be over the march, in eternity, it will
be your comfort and joy that ye gave your name to Christ. The greatest
part of the world think heaven at the next door, and that Christianity
is an easy task; but they will be beguiled. Worthy sir, I beseech you,
make sure work of salvation. I have found my experience, that all I
could do has had much ado in the day of my trial; and, therefore, lay
up a sure foundation for the time to come.
I cannot requite you for your undeserved favors to me and my now
afflicted brother. But I trust to remember you to God. Remember me
heartily to your kind wife.
Yours, in his only Lord Jesus.
ABERDEEN, 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.