Samuel Rutherford’s Directory

Challenges

1. For not referring all to God as the last end. That we do not eat, drink, sleep, journey, speak, and think for God but still are biased with our own selfish respects, putting them oftenest in God’s place.
2. That we have not benefited with good company, and have complied too much with the profanest sort; not re proving the blaspheming of God’s Name, but rather being silent witness of their loose carriage.
3. That the troubles of Zion now in her pangs of birth, have not affected us, but rather that days of humiliation in her behalf have been slighted, and have been rather matter of aggravation than of lightening of her burden. In not studying particular reformation: and in forgetting bypast experiences, mercies, deliverances.
4. That in reading the life of Paul, David, and such like, and the life of many holy professors hath not humbled us, nor convinced us of our shortcoming, nor have we laboured to imitate them, having that same stream of God’s free grace current to us, which maketh us the more guilty in refusing, or rather opposing it.
5. That unrepented sins of youth are not looked into, whereas if they were recent in our hearts it would be a means to make us more humble.
6. That sudden stirrings to pride, lust, revenge, and love to riches and honours were not resisted and mourned for: and that such thoughts as these got best room and entertainment in our corrupt hearts that no place is left for better.
7. That charity to God’s saints hath been both rigid and cold, and small hopes of enlargement as yet.
8. That experience of God’s mercies which after prayer He hath granted hath been forgotten. That in new troubles we have had so often our faith to seek, as if we were to begin at ABC, as if we had an idol god to deal withal.
9. That in great troubles we have cherished false reports of Christ’s love, and misbelieved Him in His chastising and when the event hath been mercy; and have not been so busy to vindicate God’s glory from the aspersions of the enemies of truth both in public and private.
10. Nothing should so weight our souls as that we have never so wrestled in prayer with God as it became His saints, but have easily contented us with the bare form without the power of His Spirit, still living to the world and dead unto Christ, cherishing the relics of Adam and quenching the light of God’s Spirit, easily succumbing to a temptation, and trampling upon the means of grace.
11. That the Lord’s dealings with thee upon body or mind have not wrought the effects, and have done nothing but extorted vows of new obedience which have blown away like chaff before the wind; and no sooner hast thou come out of the furnaces of God’s affliction but thou becomest like a deceitful bow, and turnest with the dog to his vomit again.
12. That the practice of my duty was so narrow and short, not answering the breadth and length of my light, and what I have weakly done was but to stop the mouth of a natural conscience, and have been contented only with mints* in place of real performances.
13. That we have not been so much taken up with the thought of death, and that before this cottage of clay be dissolved and the pins of this tabernacle be loosed, we may be sure of a place of habitation whither to go before our flitting, and before we go hence and be no more.
    *mints attempts
14. That the body and burden of sin hath not wearied us, the fear of hell affrighted us, the joys of heaven allured us to be with Christ which is best of all; and the profound and unsearchable thoughts of Eternity to prepare us to enter that strait gate.
15. That we have not made use of the grace, ability and opportunity to bring others home to Christ, neither have we ourselves walked in the light that the Lord hath enlightened us withal, neither hath the Lord’s grace brought forth thankfulness in us.
16. That we were not so ready to smother thoughts at their infancy as to cherish them, till they have broken out to scandalous vices, whereas in all exercises good thought may be attained unto.
17. That we have not tendered the growth of grace by daily trying wherein we have come short, and wherein we have made progress, but only contented ourselves to live among the means without profiting, yea even the means of Sabbath, ordinances, sacraments, fastings, humiliations, standing to the points of our covenant, have been perfunctoriously abused: and we have rested upon the outward duties of formality, as prayer morning and evening, without any heart-work within, but giving place for wandering thoughts in suchlike exercises.