Required reading
The Letters of Samuel Rutherford (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Letters 13 to 17.
My summary
Today we read letters to:
(i) Gordon of Earlstone;
(ii) Kenmure;
(iii) M'Kail;
(iv) M'Naught;
(v) Gordon of Cardoness.
The subjects of the letters include:
(i) discussion of Rutherford's suffering;
(ii) discussion of the the suffering of others;
(iii) the comfort of Christ;
(iv) the joys of heaven.
What grabbed me
Today there was a marvelous description of Christ and heaven: 'I think His sweetness, since I was a prisoner, hath swelled upon me to the greatness of two heavens. 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. Oh 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 loath- some 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. Oh 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. '
Rutherford evidently craved Christ more than anything and left us a tremendous example to follow.
Next week's reading
Read Letters 18 to 21.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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