The Loveliness of Christ: Selections from the Letters of Samuel Rutherford

by Samuel Rutherford

The great Master Gardener, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in a wonderful providence,2 with His own hand, planted me here, where by His grace, in this part of His vineyard, I grow; and here I will abide till the great Master of the vineyard think fit to transplant me.

If your Lord call you to suffering, be not dismayed; there shall be a new allowance of the King for you when ye come to it. One of the softest pillows Christ hath is laid under His witnesses’ head, though often they must set down their bare feet among thorns.

There is no sweeter fellowship with Christ than to bring our wounds and our sores to Him.

Faith is the better of the free air, and of the sharp winter storm in its face.

I find crosses Christ’s carved work that He marketh out for us, and that with crosses He figureth and portrayeth us to His own image, cutting away pieces of our ill and corruption. Lord cut, Lord carve, Lord wound, Lord do anything that may perfect Thy Father’s image in us, and make us meet for glory.

Why should I start at10 the plough of my Lord, that maketh deep furrows on my soul? I know He is no idle husbandman; He purposeth a crop.

He is not lost to you who is found to Christ. If he hath casten24 his bloom and flower, the bloom is fallen in heaven in Christ’s lap; and as he was lent awhile to time, so is he given now to eternity, which will take yourself; and the difference of your shipping and his to heaven and Christ’s shore, the land of life, is only in some few years, which weareth every day shorter, and some short and soon reckoned summers will give you a meeting with him.

Glorify the Lord in your sufferings, and take His banner of love, and spread it over you. Others will follow you, if they see you strong in the Lord; their courage shall take life from your Christian carriage.

How little of the sea can a child carry in his hand; as little do I take away of my great sea, my boundless and running-over Christ Jesus.

The floods may swell and roar, but our ark shall swim above the waters; it cannot sink, because a Saviour is in it.

Let not salvation be your by-work,31 or your holiday’s task only, or a work by the way:

Let us be faithful and care for our own part, which is to do and suffer for Him, and lay Christ’s part on Himself, and leave it there; duties are ours, events are the Lord’s.

Christ and His cross together are sweet company, and a blessed couple. My prison is my palace, my losses are rich losses, my pain easy pain, my heavy days are holy and happy days. I may tell a new tale of Christ to my friends.

think not much of a storm upon the ship that Christ saileth in; there shall no passenger fall overboard; but the crazed43 ship and the sea-sick passenger shall come to land safe.

I am in as sweet communion with Christ as a poor sinner can be; and am only pained that He hath much beauty and fairness, and I little love; He great power and mercy, and I little faith; He much light, and I bleared eyes.

“For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,” ergo, shipwreck, losses, disappointments, ill tongues, loss of friends, houses or country, are God’s workmen, set on work, to work out good to you, out of everything that befalleth you.

When He was in the grave, He came out and brought the keys with Him: He is Lord-jailor: nay, what say I? He is Captain of the castle, and He hath the keys of death and hell: and what are our troubles but little deaths? and He, who commandeth the great castle, commandeth the little also.

Ye have God’s promise, that ye shall have His presence in fire, water, and in seven tribulations.

Be content to wade through the waters betwixt you and glory with Him, holding His hand fast; for He knoweth all the fords. Howbeit ye may be ducked, yet ye cannot drown, being in His company. Be not afraid, therefore, when ye come even to the black and swelling river of death to put in your foot and wade after Him; the current, how strongsoever, cannot carry you down; the Son of God, His death and resurrection, are stepping stones and a stay to you; set down your feet by faith upon these stones and go through as on dry land; if ye knew what He is preparing for you, ye would be too glad.

Reminds me of Bunyan's passage in "The Pilgrim's Progress" as Christian crosses the river.

I know no sweeter way to heaven, than through free grace and hard trials together, and one of these cannot well want another.

Christ should be our night song and our morning song.

Sinners can do nothing but make wounds that Christ may heal them; and make debts, that He may pay them; and make falls, that He may raise them; and make deaths, that He may quicken them; and spin out and dig hells to themselves, that He may ransom them.

Ye have only these two shallow brooks, sickness and death, to pass through; and ye have also a promise that Christ shall do more than meet you, even that He shall come Himself, and go with you, foot for foot, yea and bear you in His arms. O then! for the joy that is set before you, for the love of the Man (Who is also God over all, blessed forever) that is upon the shore to welcome you: run your race with patience.