Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Rutherford Revised (247)

247.  To Janet Kennedy   From Aberdeen Sept 9 1637
(See letter 88)

Loving and dear sister, - Grace, mercy and peace be to you. I received your letter. I know that the favour of Christ is in you.(whom the virgins love to follow) cannot be blown away by winds, either from hell, or the evil smelling air of this defiled world. Sit far back from the walls of this pest housethe pollutions of this defiling world. Tighten your grips on Christ. I truly think He is the best property I have. Keep your taste, your love, your hope in heaven; it is not good that your love and your Lord be in two different countries. Up, up after your lover, that you and He may be together. A King from heaven has sent for you: by faith He showed you the New Jerusalem, and takes you along in the Spirit, through all the rooms and houses in heaven, and says, ‘All these are yours; this palace is for you and Christ.’ And if you were the only one chosen by God, Christ would have built that one house for you and Himself: now it is for you and many others also. Take with you on your journey what you may carry with you, your conscience, faith, hope, patience, meekness, goodness, brotherly kindness; for such goods as these are very expensive in the high and new country to which you go. As for other things, which are merely the world’s vanity and trash, since they are only the house sweepings, it will be best not to carry them with you. You found them here; leave them here, and let them keep the house. Your sun is going down and low; be near your lodging at night. One day we go out of this great market, until the town is empty, and the two lodgings, heaven and hell, are filled. Eventually there will be nothing in the earth but empty walls, and burnt ashes; and therefore, it is best to get away. Antichrist and his master are busy filling hell, and seducing many; and stars, great church lights are falling from heaven, and many are deceived and seduced, and give up with their faith, and sell their birthrights, by their hungry hunting for I know not what. I truly think He is the best property I have. He is my supporter in prison. Though my cross is heavy as ten mountains of iron, having Him when he puts His sweet shoulder under me and it, my cross is only a feather. I please myself in choosing Christ; He is my choice in heaven and earth. God send a joyfull meeting; and in the meantime, the traveler’s expenses for the journey, I mean a burden of Christ’s to sweeten the journey, and encourage a breathless runner, for then I lose breath climbing up the mountain; He makes new breath
   Now the very God of peace establish you to the day of His appearance,

      Yours, in his only Lord Jesus,  S.R.

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