Rutherford Revised (268)

268. To the Earl of Cassillis      From Aberdeen Sep 9 1637  

(See letter 128.)

My very honourable and noble Lord, - Grace, mercy and peace be to your Lordship,- Pardon me expressing my earnest desire to your Lordship, for Zion's sake, for whom we should not hold our peace. I know your Lordship will take my pleading on behalf of this well, because the needs of a falling and weak church are urgent. I believe your Lordship is one of Zion's friends, and this has been required of you. For when the Lord will count and write up the people, it will be written, 'This man was born there;' therefore, because your Lordship is a born son of the house, I hope your desire is, that he beauty and glory of the Lord should live in the middle of the city, where your Lordship is a son. It must be without all doubt, the greater honour of your place and family, to kiss the Son of God, and for His sake to be kind to His persecuted and wronged Bride, who now, in the day of her abandonment, begs your help, for you are the shields of he earth. I an sure many kings, princes and nobles, in the day of Chris's Second Coming, would be glad to run errands for Christ, even bare footed through the fire and water. But in that day he will have none of their service. Now He is asking if your Lordship will help Him against the mighty of the earth, when men are setting their shoulders to Christ's fair and beautiful tent in his land, to loose its poles and break it down. And certainly such as are not with Christ are against Him: and your Lordship will be blessed of the Lord, blessed will your family and offspring be, and blessed will your honour be, if you lend and lay in Chris's hand he Earldom of Cassillis (and it is only a shadow in comparison to the city made without hands! 0h and even lay it at the stake, rather than Christ and suppressed truth lack a witness from you against the apostasy of the land.You hold your lands from Christ; your charters have His seal; and He who has many crowns on His head, deals, cut and carves pieces of this clay heritage to men, at His pleasure. Your Lordship has little to give Him; He will not long sleep with you, but will surely repay your losses in His cause. It is only our mistaken eyes that look through a false glass to this idol god of clay, and think something of it. They who are past with their last penance to heaven or hell, have made their reckoning, and departed out of this smoky inn, have now no other concern about this world, but as a piece of captivating , well decorated clay. And how fast does time ( like a rushing flood) carry your Lordship out of it! And is not eternity coming on wings? Court in heaven is no like here. Our Lord (who has all of you, the nobles, lying in his balance) regards you as the Bridegroom's friends or foes. Your honourable ancestors, risking heir lives, brought Christ to our land; and it will be cruelty to your posterity if you lose Him to them. One of our tribes, Levi's sons, the watchmen, have fallen from the Lord, and have sold their mother and their father also, and the Lord's truth, for their new velvet world, and their satin church. If you, the nobles, give Christ the slip now, when His back is at the wall (if I may say so), then we may say the Lord has thrown water on Scotland's smoking fire. But we hope better things of you. It is not wise (though it be the state wisdom requested), to be silent, when they are casing lots for something better than Christ's coat. All this land, and every man's part of the game for Christ, and the tears of poor and friendless Zion (now going mourning in sackcloth), and are up in heaven before our Lord; and there is no question but our King and Lord,will be Master of the field in the end. And we would all be glad to divide the spoil with Christ, and to rise in triumph with Him; but oh how few will take a cold bed of straw in the camp with Him! How glad would men be to have a well thatched house above their  heads all he way to heaven! And many now would go to heaven by way of land (for they do not love to be seasick) ride up to Christ in riding habits, and rattling coaches, and rubbing their velvet with the princes of the land in the highest seats. If this is the way Christ called straight and narrow, I give up all my skill concerning the way of salvation. Are they not now selling Christ and the gospel? Have they not put our Lord Jesus on the market, and he who bids highest will get Him? Oh my dear and noble Lord, go on (though the wind is in your face) to back our princely Captain. Be courageous for Him. Do not fear those who have no fixed lease of days. The worms will eat kings. Let the Lord Jehovah be your fear, as then, as the Lord lives, the victory is yours. It is true many are starting in a new way to heaven; but my soul for theirs, if they find it, and if this is not the only way, whose end is Christ's Father's house. And my weak experience since the first day I was imprisoned has confirmed me in the truth and assurance of this. Let doctors and learned men cry the contrary, I am persuaded this is the way. The bottom has fallen out of both their cleverness and conscience at once; their book has confused them; for we have discovered the true Christ. I dare risk, if I alone had ten souls, my salvation on this Stone than many now break their bones on. Let them take this fat world. Oh, poor and hungry is their paradise! Therefore, let me beg your Lordship, on your appearnce before Christ, now while this piece of the afternoon of the day is before you (for you donor know when your sun will turn, and eternity will be the night), it your worldly honour, glory and hight, be for our Lord Jesus. And to His richest grace and tender mercy, and to he never dying comfort s of His gracious Spirit, I recommend your Lordship and noble family.
   Your Lordship's, at all obedience,  S.R.