Rutherford Revised (133)

133. To the Lady Busbie         From Aberdeen 1637

(Probably the mother in  law of Rutherford's friend Robert Blair)

Mistress, - Grace, mercy and peace be to you. I am pleased to hear that you are one with Christ, and you have made Him your 'one thing' while many work hard seeking many things, and their many things are as nothings. It is best you set yourself apart, like something put aside and out of the way, for Christ alone, for you are good for nothing except Christ, and He has these many years been surrounding you with troubles, to join you to Himself. It would be a pity and a loss to say no to Him. I truly could wish to swim through hell and all the bad weather in the world, with Christ in my arms. But it is my evil and foolishness, that unless Christ comes to me unbidden, I am not able to go and seek Him: when He and I draw up our accounts we are both behind, He in paying and I in counting: and so its are still not fixed and accounts not settled between us. O that He would take His own blood for settlement, so I might be a free man, and no-one had any claim on me. but only, only Jesus. I would not count it slavery to be auctioned, seized and possessed by Christ as His slave.
   Think highly of your Lord's visits; for I find one thing which I did not see well before, that when the saints are under trials, and well humbled, little sins produce great cries and war shouts in the conscience; and in prosperity conscience is a pope giving dispensations, letting out and in, and giving our heart latitude and elbow room. Oh how little we care for pardon from Christ when we receive dispensations. And all is only child's play until an external cross breeds a heavier internal cross, and then we no longer play with our idols. It is good to still be severe with ourselves; for we only transform God's mercy into an idol, and an idol that has a dispensation to give, in order to turn God's grace into  license. Those are happy who take up God, wrath, justice, and sin, as they are in themselves, for we have misdirecting light the goes from the child when we only have good intentions. But thank God that salvation does not move on our wheels.
   Oh, but Christ has a saving eye! Salvation is in His eyelids! I was saved when He first looked on me; it only cost Him a look to make hell leave me! Oh, but merits, free merits, and the dear blood of God were to best door we ever could have to get out of hell! Oh, what a sweet, oh, what a safe and sure way it is, to come out of hell leaning on a Saviour.! That Christ and a sinner could be one, and have heaven between them, and share salvation, is the wonder of salvation. How could love be so humble? And what an excellent scent does Christ shed on His lower garden, where only wild flowers grow, if we speak comparatively. But there is nothing except perfect garden flowers in heaven, and the best possession there is Christ. We are all required to love heaven for Christ's sake. He graces heaven and all His Father's house with His presence. He is a Rose which beatifies all of God's upper garden; the scent of a leaf of that Rose of God is worth a world. O that He would blow His scent on a withered and dead soul! Let us then, go on to meet with Him,and to be filled with the sweetness of His love. Nothing will hold Him from us. He has decreed to put time, sin, hell, devils, men, and death out of the way  and clear the rough way between us and Him, so we may enjoy one anther. It is strange and wonderful that he thinks long in heaven without us; and that He would have the company of sinners comfort and delight Himself in heaven. And how the supper awaits us. Christ, the Bridegroom, waits with desire until the bride, the Lamb's wife be adorned for the marriage, and the great hall be ready for the meeting of that joyful couple. Oh folks, what are we doing here? Why do we sit still? Why are we asleep in prison? Is it not best for us to make wings, to fly up to our blessed Match, our Peerless One and our fellow Friend.
   I think Mistress, that you are looking there, and this is your second to third thought. Go on; your Guide waits for you.
   I can only bless you for your care and kindness to the saints. God give you mercy in that day of our Lord Jesus., to whose saving grace I commend you'
   Yours, in our Lord Jesus,  S.R.