Rutherford Revised - (27)

27. To Lady Kenmure                  From Anwoth Undated

Madam, -  having greeted you with grace and mercy from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ,  I long both to see your Ladyship and to hear how it goes with you.

   I do remember you and present you in your needs to him who is able to keep you and  present you blameless before his face with joy; and my prayer to our Lord is that you may be sick with love for Him who died of love for you, -  I mean your Saviour Jesus. And O it is a sweet sickness to be soul sick for Him, who died of love for you, - I mean your Saviour Jesus. If you love him you will keep his commandments; and this is not one of the least; to lay your neck cheerfully and willingly under the yoke of Jesus Christ. For I trust your Ladyship did contract and bargain with the Son of God to follow him on these terms; that} you would endure hardship and suffer trials as the soldier of Christ. They are not worthy of Jesus who will not take blow for their Master's sake. As for our glorious Peacemaker; when He came to make the friendship between God and and us, God bruised him and struck him; the sinful world also did beat him and crucified Him; yes, he took the blows from both parties (and honour to our Lord Jesus) he would not leave the field for all that until he had made a peace between the parties. I persuade myself your sufferings are like your Saviour's (Yet incomparably less and lighter); which are called only a 'bruising of His heel' (Gen 3:15); a wound far from the heart. Your life is hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3), and therefore you cannot be robbed of it. Our Lord handles as as fathers do their young children; they store up jewels in a place above the reach of the short arm of children or children would put up their hands and take them down and soon lose them. So has our Lord done with our spiritual life. Jesus Christ is the high store in which our Lord has hidden our life; we children are not able to reach up our arm so high as to take down that life and lose it; it is in our Christ's hand. O long. long may Jesus be Lord Keeper of our life! And happy are they that can say with the Apostle (2 Tim1 :12), lay their soul in the keeping of the hand of Jesus for he is able to keep that which is committed  to him you against that day. Then Madam,  so long as this life is not hurt, all of the troubles are but bruises in the heel. I trust you will soon be cured. You know Madam,  kings have some servants in their courts,  and they do not receive wages in their hands; but live on  their hopes; the King of kings also has servants in his court; and that at present they get little or nothing except the heavy cross of Christ; troubles without and trials within; but they live upon hope; and when it comes to the dividing of the inheritance; they remain in the house as heirs. It is better to be so than to get present payment and a portion in this life, an inheritance in this world, (God forgive me that I should honour it with the name of an inheritance; it is rather a place to work) and then in the end to be thrown out with this word, 'You have received your reward. You will get no more'. Alas ,what do they get? The rich glutton's heaven (Luk 16:25): "He did well' says our Lord 'and delicately every day.' Oh no more? A silly heaven! Truly no more except that he was dressed in purple; and that is all. I persuade myself Madam, you have more joy when you think that your Lord has dealt more graciously with your soul. You have got little in this life, it is indeed true; and then you have more to want, yes you have all to want, for apart from some tastes of the first fruits and some kisses of his mouth whom your soul loves, also you get no more. But I cannot tell you what is to come. Yet I may speak as our Lord does of it. The foundation of the city is pure gold,  clear as crystal;  the 12 gates are set with precious stones,;if orchards and rivers commend our gardens on earth, there is a paradise there, where is the tree of life grows, that bears 12 kinds of fruit every month which is 144 harvests in the year, and there is a pure river of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb; and the city has no need of the light of the sun or moon or of a candle; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is its light. Madam, believe and hope for this until you see and enjoy. Jesus is saying in the gospel, 'Come and see'; and he has come down to us in the chariot of truth in which he rides through the world to conquer men's souls (Ps 44:4), and is now in the world saying, 'Who will go with me? Will you go? My Father will make you welcome, and give you you house room. For in my Father's house are many dwelling places. Madam, consent to go with Him. So I rest commending you to God's dearest mercy.

     Yours in the lord Jesus,    S.R.