Aberdeen, 1637.
Mistress, I beseech you in the Lord Jesus, make every day more and more of Christ; and try your growth in the grace of God, and what new grounds you win daily on corruption; for travellers are day by day either advancing farther on, and nearer home; or else they go not right about to compass their journey. I think still the better and better of Christ. Alas, I know not where to set Him, I would fain have Him so high! I cannot see heavens above heavens, till I were tired with numbering, and set Him upon the highest step and story of the highest of them all; but I wish I could make Him great through the world, suppose my loss, and pain, and shame were set under the soles of His feet, that He might stand upon me.
I request you to faint not, because this world and you are at yea and nay, and because this is not a home that laugheth upon you; the wise Lord, who knoweth you, will have it so, because He casteth a net for your love, to catch it and gather it in to Himself; therefore bear patiently the loss of children, and burdens, and other discontentments, either within or without the house; your Lord in them is seeking you, and you seek Him. Let none be your love and choice, and the flower of your delights, but your Lord Jesus. Set not your heart upon the world, since God hath not made it your portion; for it will not fall to you to get two portions, and to laugh twice, and to be happy twice, and to have an upper heaven and under heaven too; Christ Our Lord and His Saints were not so; and therefore let go your grip of this life, and of the good things of it. I hope your heaven groweth not here.
Learn daily both to possess and miss Christ, in His secret bridegroom-smiles; He must go and come, because His infinite wisdom thinketh it best for you we shall be together one day; we
shall not need to borrow light from sun, moon, or candle; there shall be no complaints on either side in heaven; there shall be none there but He and we, the bridegroom and the bride. Devils, temptations, trials, desertions, losses, sad hearts, pain and death shall be all put out of play; and the devil must give up his office of tempting. O blessed is the soul whose hope hath a face looking straight out to that day! It is not our part to make a treasure here; anything under the covering of heaven we can build upon is but ill ground and a sandy foundation. Every good thing, except God, wanteth a bottom, and cannot stand alone; how then can it bear the weight of us? Let us not lay a load upon a straw: there shall nothing find my weight or found my happiness, but God. I know all created power should sink under me, if I should lean down upon it; and therefore it is better to rest on God, than sink or fall. And we weak souls must have a foundation and a being-place, for we cannot stand alone; let us then be wise in our choice, and choose our own blessedness, which is to trust in the Lord.
Each one of us hath an idol, besides our husband, Christ: but it is our folly to divide our narrow and little love; I will not serve two; it is best then to hold it whole and together, and give it to Christ, for then we get double interest for our love, when we lend it to, and lay it out upon Christ; and we are sure besides that the stock cannot perish. Now I can say no more; remember me. I have God’s right to that people; although by the violence of men, stronger than I, I am banished from you, and chased away. The Lord give mercy in the day of Christ. It may be God will clear my sky again; although there is small appearance of my deliverance: “But let Him do with me what seemeth good in His own eyes.” I am His clay, let my Potter frame and fashion me as He pleaseth. Grace be with you.
Your lawful and loving Pastor,
SAMUEL RUTHERFORD.