Rutherford Revised (224)

224. To Fulwood , the younger.   From Aberdeen 10 July 1637

(William Semple, Lord of Fulwood, Houston parish near Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire)

Much honoured sir, - Grace, mercy and peace be to you. Hearing the report of this worthy carrier about you I thought good to speak word to you. It is enough for friendship that we are one in Christ.
   My sincere desire for you, is that you would in the fear of God, compare your inch and hand breadth of time, with vast eternity, and your thoughts now of this fair, blooming and green world, with the thoughts you will have of it, when corruption and worms will make their house in your eye sockets, and eat your flesh, and make that body dry bones. It you do so, I know that your light of this world's vanity will be clearer than it now is, and I am sure you will then think man's works for this clay idol are to be laughed at. Therefore, come near and take a view of that transparent beauty that is in Christ, which would occupy the love of ten thousands of worlds and angels and hold therm all at work. Surely I am sad that men will not spend their whole love on that royal and princely Well-beloved, that high and lofty One; for is cursed love that runs another way than on Him. As for myself, if I had ten loves and ten souls, oh, how glad would I be, if he would break in on me and take possession of them all! Wo, wo is me that He and I are so far apart! I hope we will be in one country and one house together. Truly pain of love sickness for Jesus makes me to think it long, long, long to the dawning of that day. Oh that he would cut short months and years and hours and leap over time that we might meet!
   As for this truth Sir, that you profess, I affirm before the world men and angels, that it is the way, and the only way to our country,; the rest are by-paths,; and that for which I suffer is the apple of Christ's eye, even His honour as Lawgiver and King of His church. Before I could be induced to forsake what concerns His honour, I must be made to suffer something far more and far worse than death. 
   Do not Sir, I beg you in the Lord, make Christ's court thinner by drawing back from Him (it s already too thin); for I dare guarantee my heaven on it, that He will win His case; and the fools who bet against Him will lose their bet, which is their part of salvation, unless they pay better attention to their ways. Sir, free grace, for which we pay nothing, is a jewel that our Lord gives too few. Stand fast in the hope to which you are called. Our Master will part the clouds, and will quickly be on us, and clear our cause and bring us out in blacks and whites. In the Bridegroomm's eye, clean, clean clothes are of great worth. Step over this hand breadth of world's glory into our Lord's new world of grace, and you will laugh at the feathers that children are chasing in the air. I truly judge this inn, in which men are building their nest, is not worth a drink of cold water. It is a rainy and smoky house: best we come out of it, let we be choked by its smoke. Oh that my enemies knew how sweet my sighs for Christ are, and what it is for a sinner to lay his head between Christ's breasts, and to be over head and ears in Christ's love! Alas, I cannot make paper speak the height and breadth and depth of it! I do not have scales to weigh the worth of my Lord Jesus. Heaven, ten heavens, would not make the beam of scales in which to weigh Him. I must stop praising Him. Angels see only a little of Him. Oh, if that fair one would take the mask off His fair face, that I could see Him! A kiss from Him through His mask is half a heaven. Day dawn! O time run! O Bridegroom, come, come quickly, that we may see! O heavens, split into two, that that bright face and head migh set itself through the clouds! Oh that the corn was ripe, and his world prepared for His sickle! Sir, be pleased to remember a prisoner's chains. Grace be with you.
   Your in his sweet Lord Jesus,  S.R.