Rutherford Revised (301)

301. To Mr Matthew Mowat   From St. Andrews 1640

(See letters 120 and 239)

Reverend and dear brother,-What am I to answer you? All my books are all bare and show me little of God. I would rather go beyond books into His house of love to Himself. Dear brother, neither you nor I are parties worthy of His love or knowledge. And how has sin misted and blinded us so we cannot see Him. But for my poor self; I am pained and likely to burst, because He will no take down the wall, and fetch His increased beauty, and bring His matchless, white and ruddy face. out of heaven for once. So I may have heaven meeting me before I go to it, in such a wonderful sight. You know majesty and love do humble; for holy love to sinners lives in Him with majesty. You should give Him all His own court styles, His high and heaven names. Who am I to shape conceptions of my highest Lord? How broad and how high and how deep He is above and beyond what these conceptions are, I cannot tell; but for my own weak practice (which alas can be no rule to one so deep in love sickness with Chris as you are) I would rather add to my thoughts and esteem of Him, and make Him more high, and would wish a heart and love ten thousand times wider  than he utmost circle and curtain that goes around the heaven of heavens, to entertain Him in that heart, and with that love. But that which is your pain my dear Brother, is also mine. I am confounded with the thought of Him. I know that God is thrown (if I may so so) in a sweet mould, and lovely image, in the person of that Heaven's Jewel, the Man Christ; and the steps of the steep ascent and stairs to the Godhead is in the flesh of Christ, the New and Living Way; and here is footing for faith in that curious Ark of the humanly, in which he Godhead lives, married on our humanity. I would be in heaven, if I had another work than to see that dainty golden Ark, and God personally looking out on ears and eyes and a body such as sinners have, so I might wear my sinful mouth on kisses on Him for evermore. And I know all the Three blessed Persons would be well pleased my piece of faint and created love should first coast on the Man Christ. I would see them all through Him.
   I am called from writing by my great work in this town, and have sad nothing. But what can I say of Him? Let us go and see.
   Yours, in his sweet Lord Jesus,  S.R.