Letters of Samuel Rutherford (Samuel Rutherford)

Description

These letters will ever be precious to all who are sensible of their own, and the Church’s decay and corruptions– The wound and the cure are therein so fully opened out: self is exposed, specially spiritual self. He will tell you, ‘There is as much need to watch over grace, as to watch over sin.’ He will show you God in Christ, to fill up the place usurped by self. The subtleties of sin, idols, snares, temptations, self-deceptions, are dragged into view from time to time. And what is better still, the cords of Christ are twined round the roots of these bitter plants, that they may be plucked up.

Nor is it otherwise in regard to corruption in public, and in the Church. We do not mean merely the open corruption of error, but also the secret ‘gray hairs’ of decay. Hear him cry, ‘There is universal deadness on that fear of God. O where are the sometime quickening breathings and influences from heaven that have refreshed His hidden ones!’ And then he laments, in the name of the saints, ‘We are half satisfied with out witherdness; nor have we as much of his strain who doth eight times breathe out that suit, Quicken me!’ ‘We live far from the well, and complain but dryly of our dryness.’ — Andrew Bonar

Endorsements

‘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.’

— C.H. SPURGEON

‘Surprising though it may seem in a world of large books, of all those owned by our family this may be the one we have most often lent or quoted to friends.’

— SINCLAIR B. FERGUSON

Apart from the Bible, ‘such a book as Mr. Rutherford’s Letters the world never saw the like.’

— RICHARD BAXTER

Table of Contents

No. of Letters    PEOPLE WITH MORE THAN ONE LETTER    

48    Lady Kenmure    

45    Marion M’Naught    

10    Lady Boyd    

8    Colonel Gilbert Ker    

6    Robert Gordon of Knockbreck    

5    Alexander Gordon of Earlston    

5    Lord Craighall    

5    Mr David Dickson    

4    Alexander Gordon of Knockgray    

4    John Fleming, Bailie of Leith    

4    John Gordon of Cardoness, Elder

4    John Stuart, Provost of Ayr    

4    Lady Culross    

4    Mr John Scot, at Oxnam    

4    William Glendinning, Bailie of Kirkcudbright    

3    Earlston, the Elder    

3    Earlston, the Younger    

3    John Gordon of Cardoness, Younger    

3    John Kennedy, Bailie of Ayr    

3    Lady Busbie    

3    Mr Thomas Garven    

3    The Laird of Carleton    

3    William Dalgleish, Minister of the Gospel    

3    William Rigge of Athernie

2    Alexander Colville of Blair    

2    Barbara Hamilton    

2    Grizzel Fullerton, daughter of Marion M'Naught    

2    Janet Kennedy    

2    Jean Brown    

2    John Gordon, at Rusco    

2    John Henderson, in Rusco    

2    John Nevay    

2    Lady Cardoness    

2    Lady Gaitgirth    

2    Lady Largirie    

2    Lord Boyd    

2    Lord Loudon    

2    Mr George Gillespie    

2    Mr Hugh Henderson, Minister of Dalry    

2    Mr Hugh M’Kail, Minister of Irvine

2    Mr James Guthrie, Minister at Stirling    

2    Mr John Fergushill    

2    Mr John Meine, Junior    

2    Mr John Murray, Minister at Methven    

2    Mr Matthew Mowat, Minister of Kilmarnock    

2    Mr Robert Blair    

2    Mr Thomas Wylie, Minister of Borgue    

2    Robert Gordon, Bailie of Ayr    

2    Robert Lennox of Disdove    

2    The Earl of Cassillis    

2    The Laird of Cally    

2    William Fullerton, Provost of Kirkcudbright

PEOPLE WITH ONE LETTER    Page

Sketch of Samuel Rutherford    1

To a Christian Gentlewoman, on the death of a Daughter    34

To John Kennedy - Deliverance from Shipwreck    74

To a Gentleman at Kirkcudbright, excusing himself from visiting    83

To Mr Robert Cunningham, at Holywood, in Ireland - Consolation to a Brother in Tribulation    140

To William Gordon of Roberton - How Trials are Misimproved    153

To Margaret Ballantine - Value of the Soul, and Urgency of Salvation    166

To the Earl of Lothian - Advice as to Public Conduct    174

To Jean Blown - The Joys of this Life embittered by Sin    177

To Elizabeth Kennedy - Danger of Formality    183

To the Rev John Livingstone  -  Resignation    190

To Mr Ephraim Melvin  -  Kneeling at the Lord's Supper a species of Idolatry    192

To Janet Macculloch  -  Christ's Sufficiency    210

To Lady Cardoness, Elder  -  Christ and His Cause Recommended    213

To a Gentlewoman, upon the death of her Husband    217

To Lady Kaskiberry    -   Gratitude for Kindness    222

To Lady Earlston  -  Following Christ not Easy    223

To Mr Robert Douglas  -  Greatness of Christ's Love revealed to those who suffer for Him    229

To Mr Alexander Henderson  -  Sadness because of Christ's Headship not set forth    232

To Mr Matthew Moncat, Minister at Kilmarnock  -  Plenitude of Christ's Love    242

To William Halliday  -  Diligence in securing Salvation    245

To a Gentlewoman after the death of her Husband    245

To Lady Forret - Sickness a Kindness    249

To John Carsen - Nothing worth the Finding but Christ    251

To Jean Macmillan  - Strive to enter In    259

To John Ewart, Bailie of Kirkcudbright - The Cross no Burden    262

To Robert Glendinning, Minister of Kirkcudbright  -  Prepare to meet thy God    264

To Lord Balmerinoch - His happy Obligations to Christ    267

To Lady Mar, Younger - No Exchange for Christ    269

To James Macadam - The Kingdom taken by Force    270

To William Livingstone - Counsel to a Youth    271

To William Gordon of Whitepark - Nothing lost by Trials    272

To Mr Georqe Gillespie, Minister of Kirkcaldy - Suspicions of Christ's Love Removed    273

To Jean Gordon - God the Satisfying Portion    275

To Mr Tames Bruce, Minister of the Gospel - Misjudging of Christ's Ways    276

To Lady Hallhill - Christ's Crosses better than Egypt's Treasures    278

To John Osburn, Provost of Ayr - Adherence to Christ    280

To John Meine, Senior - Enjoyment of God's Love    281

To Bethaia Aird - Unbelief under Trials    284

To Patrick Carsen - Early Devotedness to Christ    287

To Ninian Mure, one of the family of Cassincarrie - A Youth Admonished    307

To the Laird of Moncrieff - Concert in Prayer    321

To John Clark  - Marks of Difference betwixt Christians and Reprobates    323

To John Laurie - Christ's Love    330

To Earleton, the Younger - Dangers of Youth    348

To Mr J-R - Christ the Purifier of His Church    355

To Robert Stuart - Christ chooses His own in the Furnace    363

Mr John Fergushill of Ochiltree - Desponding Views of his own State    368

To the Laird of Carsluth - Necessity of making sure of Salvation    373

To the Laird of Cassincarrie - Earnestness about Salvation    376

To Sibylla Macadam - Christ's Beauty and Excellence    380

To William Gordon, at Kenmure  - Testimony to Christ's Worth    399

To Margaret Fulterton - Christ, not Creatures, worthy of all Love    401

To a Christian Gentlewoman - God's Skill to bless by Affliction    412

To Mr James Harnilum, Minister of the Gospel - Suffering for Christ's Headship    418

To Mistress Stuart - Personal Unworthiness    421

To Alexander Gordon of Garloch - Free Grace finding its Materials in us    425

To John Bell, Elder - Danger of Trusting to a Name to Live    427

To Mr John Row, Minister of the Gospel - Christ's Crosses better than the World's Joys    429

To Fulwood, the Younger - Vanity of the World in the light of Death and Christ    436

To his Parishoners - Protestation of Care for their Souls, and for the Glory of God    438

To Lady Kilconquhar - The Interests of the Soul and Urgent    445

To Mr James Fleming, Minister of the Gospel - Glory Gained to Christ    451

To Lord Lindsay of Byres - The Church's Desolations    457

To Fulk Ellis - Friends in Ireland    463

To James Lindsay - Desertions, their Use    466

To Mr James Hamilton, Minister of the Gospel - Christ's Glory not affected by His People's Weakness    471

To the Laird of Gaitgirth - Truth worth Suffering for    471

To Lady Rowallan - Jesus the Best Choice, and to be made sure of    478

To Margaret Reid - Benefits of the Cross, if we are Christ's    487

To James Bautie - Spiritual Difficulties Solved    489

To Lady Dumqueich  - Jesus or the World    495

To Janet Mcculloch - Cares to be cast on Christ    496

To Lady Carleton - Submission to God's Will    500

To Lady Craighall - The Comforts of Christ's Cross    503

To Lady Kilconquhair - The Kingdom to be taken by Violence    510

To Thomas Corbet - Godly Counsels    514

To Mr George Dunbar, Minister of the Gospel - Christ's Love in Affliction    515

To his Parishioners at Anwoth - Exhortation to abide in the Truth, in prospect of Christ's Coming    521

To John Gordon - Christ all Worthy    527

To James Murray - The Christian Life a Mystery to the World    530

To the Earl of Cassilis - Ambition    538

To Lord Loudoun - True Honour in maintaining Christ's cause    543

To Lady Robertland - Afflictions purify    545

To a Person unknown - Anent Private Worship    578

To Henry Stuart, and Family, Prisoners of Christ at Dublin - Faith's preparation for Trial    579

To Mrs Pont, Prisoner at Dublin - Support under Trials    585

To Mr James Wilson - Advices to a Doubting Soul    588

To John Fenwick - Christ the Fountain    593

To Peter Stirling - Believers' Graces all from Christ    599

To Lady Fingask - Faith's Misgivings    600

To Agnes Macmath, on the Death of a Child - Reason for Resignation    607

To Thomas Macculloch of Nether Ardwell - Earnest Call to Diligence    548

To the Professors of Christ and His Truth in Ireland - The Way to Heaven ofttimes through Persecution    549

To the Parishioners of Kilmalcolm - Spiritual Sloth    559

To the Persecuted Church in Ireland - Christ's Legacy of Trouble    568

To Dr Alexander Leighton - Public Blessings alleviate Private Suffer­ings    575

To James Murray’s Wife - Heaven a Reality    612

To a Young Man in Anwoth - Necessity of Godliness in its Power    615

To Mistress Taylor, on her Son's Death - Suggestions for Comfort under Sorrow    620

To Mistress Hume, on her Husband's Death    625

To a Christian Friend, on the Death of his Wife    629

To a Christian Brother, on the Death of his Daughter    630

To a Christian Gentlewoman - Views of Death and Heaven    632

To Lady Ardross, in Fife, on her Mother's Death    639

To M O - Gloomy Prospects for the Backsliding Church    640

To Sir James Stewart, Lord Provost of Edinburgh - Declining Chair in Edinburgh    645

To Mistress Gillespie, Widow of George Gillespie - On the Death of a Child    646

To the Earl of Balcarras - Regarding some Misunderstanding    648

To William Guthrie - Depression under Dark Trials    652

To Lady Ralston, Ursula Mure - Duty of Preferring to Live rather than Die    665

To a Minister of Glasgow - Encouraging Words to a Suffering Brother    668

To Simeon Ashe - Views of the Presbyterians as to Allegiance to the Protector    681

To Mr James Durham, Minister of Glasgow, some few days before his Death    685

To the Presbytery of Kirkcudbright - Union    689

To Mr Guthrie, Mr Trail, and the rest of their Brethren imprisoned in the Castle of Edinburgh - On Suffering for Christ    692

To Several Brethren - Reasons for Petitioning his Majesty after his return, and for owning such as were censured while about so necessary a Duty    694

To a Brother Minister - Judgment of a Draught of a Petition, to have been presented to the Committee of Estates    696

To Mistress Craig, upon the Death of her hopeful Son - Nine Reasons for Resignation    699

To Mr Robert Campbell - Stedfastness to Protest against Prelacy and Popery    703

To Believers at Aberdeen - Sinful Conformity and Schismatic Designs reproved    704

Index of the Chief Places and Individuals referred to in the Letters    711

Index of Special Subjects    715

Glossary    718

Editions of Rutherford's Letters    736

Product Details

Title: Letters of Samuel Rutherford 

Author: Samuel Rutherford

Publisher: Banner of Truth

Pages: 744

Binding: Cloth-bound

Size: 22.3 x 14.6 x 4.5 cm

ISBN: 9780851513881