“Dashes and disappointments are not canonical Scripture.”
“Madam, when you are come to the other side of the water, and set down your foot on the shore of glorious eternity, and look back to the water and to your wearisome journey, and shall see in that clear glass of endless glory nearer to the bottom of God's wisdom, you shall then be forced to say, "If God had done otherwise with me than He hath done, I had never come to the enjoying of this crown of glory.”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford
“The worst things of Christ, His reproaches, His cross, are better than Egypt's treasures.”
Source: The Letters of Samuel Rutherford
“[S]how yourself a Christian, by suffering without murmuring; - in patience possess your soul: they lose nothing who gain Christ.”
Source: A Selection from His Letters
“The good husbandman may pluck His roses and gather in His liles at midsummer, and, for ought I dare say, in the beginning of the first summer month; and He may transplant young trees out of the lower ground to the higher, where they have more of the sun, and a more free air, at any season of the year. What is that to you or me? The goods are his own.”
Source: The Loveliness of Christ
“The saints are little pieces of mystical Christ, sick of love for union. The wife of youth, that wants her husband some years, and expects he shall return to her from oversea lands, is often on the shore; every ship coming near shore is her new joy; her heart loves the wind that shall bring him home. She asks at every passenger news: "Oh! saw ye my husband? What is he doing? When shall he come? Is he shipped for a return?" Every ship that carrieth not her husband, is the breaking of her heart. What desires hath the Spirit and Bride to hear, when the husband Christ shall say to the mighty angels, "Make you ready for the journey; let us go down and divide the skies, and bow the heaven: I will gather my prisoners of hope unto me; I can want my Rachel and her weeping children no longer. Behold, I come quickly to judge the nations." The bride, the Lamb's wife, blesseth the feet of the messengers that preach such tidings, "Rejoice, O Zion, put on thy beautiful garments; thy King is coming." Yea, she loveth that quarter of the sky, that being rent asunder and cloven, shall yield to her Husband, when he shall put through his glorious hand, and shall come riding on the rainbow and clouds to receive her to himself.”
Source: The Trial and Triumph of Faith
“This water was in your way to heaven, and written in your Lord's book; ye behoved to cross it: and therefore, kiss His wise and unerring providence. Let not the censures of men, who see but the outside of things (and scarce well that), abate your courage and rejoicing in the Lord; howbeit, your faith seeth the black side of providence, yet it hath a better side, and God shall let you see it.”
Source: The Loveliness of Christ
“When either grace is turned into painted, but rotten nature, as Arminians do, or into wantonness, as others do, the error to me is of a far other and higher elevation, than opinions touching church government. Tenacious adhering to Antinomian errors, with an obstinate and final persistence in them, both as touching faith to, and suitable practice of them, I shall think, cannot be fathered upon any of the regenerated; for it is an opinion not in the margin and borders, but in the page and body, and too near the centre and vital parts of the gospel.”
Source: The Trial and Triumph of Faith
“The figure of the passing-away world, 1 Cor. vii. 31. is like an old man's face, full of wrinkles, and foul with weeping: we are waiting when Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, and shall come and wipe the old man's face.”
Source: Christ dying and drawing sinners to himself, or, A survey of our Saviour in his soule-suffering, his lovelynesse in his death, and the efficacie ... in weeke beleevers are opened
“What is warranted by the direction of nature’s light is warranted by the law of nature, and consequently by a divine law; for who can deny the law of nature to be a divine law?”
Source: Lex, Rex: The Law and the Prince, a Dispute for the Just Prerogative of King and People, Containing the Reasons and Causes of the Defensive Wars of ... Help of Their Brethren of England. in Whic
“Arbitrary governing hath no alliance with God.”
Source: Lex, Rex, or the Law and the Prince: A Dispute for the Just Prerogative of King and People
“I desire now to make no more pleas with Christ; verily, he hath not put me to a loss by what I suffer; he oweth me nothing; for in my bonds, how sweet and comfortable have the thoughts of him been to me, wherein I find a sufficient recompense of reward!.”
Source: Letters
“I hang by a thread, but it is (if I may so speak) of Christ's spinning”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life
“I had but one joy, the apple of the eye of my delights , to preach Christ my Lord”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life
“The bloom fell off my branches and joy did cast off its flower”
“The good Husbandman may pluck His rose & gather in His lily.”
“The night will close the door & fasten my anchor within the veil and I shall go away to sleep.”
“My desire is that my Lord would give me broader and deeper thoughts, to feed myself with wondering at His love.”
Source: Letters of the Rev. Samuel Rutherford
“I find my Lord Jesus cometh not in the precise way that I lay wait for Him. He hath a manner of His own. Oh, how high are His ways above my ways”
Source: Letters of ... Samuel Rutherford, whith biogr. notices of his correspondents, by J. Anderson, and a sketch of his life, &c., by A.A. Bonar
“Take Christ in with you under your yoke, and let patience have her perfect work.”
Source: Joshua redivivus, or Mr Rutherford's letters
“There is nothing that will make you a Christian indeed, but a taste of the sweetness of Christ.”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life
“Christ seeketh your help in your place; give Him your hand.”
Source: Joshua redivivus, or Mr Rutherford's letters
“You must take a house beside the Physician. It will be a miracle if ye be the first sick that Christ hath put away uncured.”
“Welcome, welcome, cross of Christ, if Christ be with it.”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life
“How soon would faith freeze without a cross!”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life
“It is no small comfort that God hath written some Scriptures to you which He hath not to others. Read these, and think God is like a friend who sendeth a letter to a whole house and family, but who speaketh in His letter to some by name that are dearest to Him in the house.”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life
“There is nothing left to us but to see how we may be approved of Him, and how we may roll the weight of our weak souls in well-doing upon Him, who is God omnipotent.”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life
“It is certain that this is not only good which the Almighty has done, but that it is best; He hath reckoned all your steps to heaven.”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life
“Grow as a palm-tree on God's Mount Zion; howbeit shaken with winds, yet the root is fast.”
Source: Joshua redivivus: or, three hundred and fifty two religious letters ... To which is added, the Author's testimony to the covenanted work of reformation, between 1638 and 1649 ... As also, a large preface and postscript ... by the Rev. Mr. McWard. The tenth edition
“I pray God that I may never find my will again. Oh, that Christ would subject my will to His, and trample it under His feet.”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life
“It is in some respect greater love in Jesus to sanctify than to justify, for He maketh us most like Himself, in His own essential portraiture and image in sanctifying us.”
Source: Joshua redivivus: or, three hundred and fifty two religious letters ... To which is added, the Author's testimony to the covenanted work of reformation, between 1638 and 1649 ... As also, a large preface and postscript ... by the Rev. Mr. McWard. The tenth edition
“If ye never had a sick night and a pained soul for sin, ye have not yet lighted upon Christ.”
Source: Joshua redivivus, or Mr Rutherford's letters
“I seldom made an errand to God for another but I got something for myself.”
“Ye have lost a child--nay, she is not lost to you, who is found to Christ; she is not sent away, but only sent before; like unto a star, which going out of our sight, doth not die and vanish, but shineth in another hemisphere.”
Source: Joshua redivivus: or, three hundred and fifty two religious letters ... To which is added, the Author's testimony to the covenanted work of reformation, between 1638 and 1649 ... As also, a large preface and postscript ... by the Rev. Mr. McWard. The tenth edition
“Christ and His cross are not separable in this life, howbeit Christ and His cross part at heaven's door, for there is no house-room for crosses in heaven. One tear, one sigh, one sad heart, one fear, one loss, one thought of trouble cannot find lodging there.”
Source: Joshua redivivus: or, three hundred and fifty two religious letters ... To which is added, the Author's testimony to the covenanted work of reformation, between 1638 and 1649 ... As also, a large preface and postscript ... by the Rev. Mr. McWard. The tenth edition
“Set not your heart upon the world, since God hath not made it your portion.”
Source: Joshua redivivus, or Mr Rutherford's letters
“You shall by faith sustain yourself and comfort yourself in your Lord, and be strong in His power; for you are in the beaten and common way to heaven, when you are under our Lord's crosses. You have reason to rejoice in it, more than in a crown of gold; and rejoice and be glad to bear the reproaches of Christ.”
Source: Joshua redivivus: or, three hundred and fifty two religious letters ... To which is added, the Author's testimony to the covenanted work of reformation, between 1638 and 1649 ... As also, a large preface and postscript ... by the Rev. Mr. McWard. The tenth edition
“No created powers can mar our Lord Jesus' music, nor spill our song of joy. Let us then be glad and rejoice in the salvation of our Lord”
Source: Letters of the Rev. Samuel Rutherford
“Faith's speculations to the worst and hardest, in point of resolution, are sweet.”
Source: The Trial and Triumph of Faith
“It is comfort to the believer that all things are possible.”
Source: The Trial and Triumph of Faith
“Heaven is a house full of miracles; yea, of spectacles and images of free grace.”
Source: The Trial and Triumph of Faith
“Desires going before conversion are not such as can calm a storming conscience.”
“My dear brother, let God make of you what He will, He will end all with consolation, and shall make glory out of your suffering.”
“It is impossible to be submissive and religiously patient, if ye stay your thoughts down among the confused rollings and wheels of second causes, as, O, the place! O, the time! O, if this had been, this had not followed! O, the linking of this accident with this time and place! Look up to the master motion and the first wheel.”
Source: Letters of ... Samuel Rutherford, whith biogr. notices of his correspondents, by J. Anderson, and a sketch of his life, &c., by A.A. Bonar
“I think it is possible on earth to build a young, new Jerusalem, a little, new heaven of this surpassing love. God, either send me more of this love, or take me quickly over the water, where I may be filled with his love.”
Source: Joshua redivivus, or Mr Rutherford's letters
“He who duly esteemeth Christ, is a noble bidder, and so a noble and liberal buyer.”
Source: The Trial and Triumph of Faith
“I see Christ's love is so kingly, that it will not abide a marrow it must have a throne all alone in the soul.”
Source: Letters of Samuel Rutherford: With a Sketch of His Life
“I bless the Lord that all our troubles come through Christ's fingers, and that He casteth sugar among them and casteth in some ounce withts of heaven and of the spirit of glory in our cup.”
Source: Joshua redivivus: or, three hundred and fifty two religious letters ... To which is added, the Author's testimony to the covenanted work of reformation, between 1638 and 1649 ... As also, a large preface and postscript ... by the Rev. Mr. McWard. The tenth edition
“The weightiest end of the cross of Christ that is laid upon you, lieth upon your strong Savior.”
Source: Letters
“If Christ Jesus be the periode, the end and the lodging-home at the end of your journey, there is no fear ye go to a friend . . . ye may look death in the face with joy.”
Source: Letters of ... Samuel Rutherford, whith biogr. notices of his correspondents, by J. Anderson, and a sketch of his life, &c., by A.A. Bonar
