Rutherford Revised - (18)

18. To Marion M'Naught  From Anwoth Undated

Mistress, - my love in Christ remembered. Our Communion is on the Sabbath in eight days' time. I will ask you to pray to God for it, and to pray for me in that work. I am more sinful than the last time. So I ask you in Christ, ask God, that the Lord will give me grace to promise and do new obedience. I have reason to ask this of you; and to show it to Thomas Carson, Fergus and Jean Brown, for I have been and am very depressed, and am fighting against a malicious devil, from whom I can win little ground. I would think a plunder taken from him, and his trusted servant sin, a lawful and just victory. Ant it is no sin to take from him , in the name of the Goodman of our house, our King Jesus. I invite you to the feast. He says, you will be dearly welcomed by Him. And I want to believe (though not without great fear) He will be as hearty in His own house as He has been before. It is only a small matter for me; but I would rather our Father and Lord to break the great fair loaf, Christ, and to distribute his slain Son among the children of his house, and that if any are step-children, concerning comfort and feelings, it was rather me than His poor children. So ask our Well-beloved to come to His garden and feed among the lilies.
   And as for the church, I hope our Lord, who sent His angel, (Zec 2:1-2) with measuring line in his hand to measure the length and breadth of Jerusalem, so he would not lose a foot or inch of His own free inheritance, will contest with those who have taken away from Him many acres of His own land. And God will build Jerusalem instead in the place it was before. Rejoice and be glad in this hope. Christ's robe was not dipped in blood for nothing, but for His Bride, whom he bought with blows. I want you to remember my old prayers before God, God's glory and the increase of light so that I do not dry up. Hope for your town that the Lord will gather in His loose sheaves among you, into His barn, and send someone with a well-toothed sharp hook, to reap His harvest.And the Lord Jesus be the farmer, and oversee the growth. Remember my love to your husband and to Samuel.Grace to you and your children. Lord, make them corner-stones in Jerusalem, and give them grace in their youth to be fixed to the fair Chief Corner-stone, who was hewed from the mountain without hands, and was knocked many times by His Father's hammer, enduring all, and the stone did not split or break. Lie your soul on that stone. King Jesus be with your spirit.
   Your friend in his well-beloved Lord Jesus,   S.R.