Rutherford Revised (136)

136. To Robert Glendinning, Minister of Kirkcudbright             From Aberdeen  13 Mar 1637

My dear friend, - Grace, mercy and peace be to you. I most kindly thank you for your care for me, and your love and kindness to my brother in his trouble. I pray to the Lord that you find mercy in the day of Christ; and I beg you Sir, to consider the times in which you live, that your soul is worth more to you than the whole world, which on the day when the Last Trumpet blows, will lie as white ashes like an old castle burned to nothing. Remember that judgement and eternity are before you. My dear and worthy friend, let me beg you in Christ's name. and by the salvation of your soul, and by your appearance before the dreadful and sin avenging Judge of the world, to make your accounts ready. Settle them before you come to the waterside; for your afternoon will grow short, and your sun fall low and set; and you know your Lord has waited a long time for you. Oh, how comfortable it will be for you when time is no more, and your soul will leave this house of clay, for vast and endless eternity, that your soul be dressed and prepared for your Bridegroom! There is no loss like the loss of the soul; there is no hope of regaining that loss. Oh, how joyful my soul would be to hear that you would start for the gate, and fight for the crown, and leave all trifles and make Christ your prize.! Let your soul put away old loves and let Christ have your whole love.
   I have some experience in writing to you about this. My witness is in heaven that I would not exchange my chains and fetters for Christ, and my sighs for the glory of ten worlds. My judgement is that this clay idol, for which Adam's sons are auctioning and selling their souls, is not worth a drink of cold water. Oh, if your soul was in my soul's place, how sick would you be with love for that Fairest among the sons of men! Mayflowers and morning and summer mists do not depart as fast as these worm eaten pleasures which we follow. We build castles in the air, and dreams in the night are the idols we think about. Salvation, salvation is our only necessary thing. Sir, attend your thoughts to the work, to enquire after your Well-beloved. This earth is the bastard's share; seek the Son's inheritance, and let Christs truth be precious to you.
   I stake my salvation on it, that I now suffer for the honour of Christ's kingdom (and I hope this world will not come between me and my reward); and that is the way to life. When you and I will lie as lumps of pale clay on the ground, our pleasures which we now naturally love, will be less than nothing on that day. Dear brother, complete my joy, and take yourself to Christ with no more delay. You will be glad at length to seek Him, or do infinitely worse. Remember my love to your wife. Grace be with you.
   Yours, in his sweet Lord Jesus,   S.R.