LETTERS OF SAMUEL RUTHERFORD WITH A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF HIS CORRESPONDENTS BY THE REV. ANDREW A. BONAR, D.D. AUTHOR OF “MEMOIR AND REMAINS OF ROBERT MURRAY M‘CHEYNE” PORTAGE PUBLICATIONS Portage Publications, Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado. www.PortagePub.com Copyright © 2006, 2009, 2011 Portage Publications, Inc. Portage Publications believes the underlying text in this document is in the public domain. Permission is hereby granted to copy and distribute this document and/or its contents in any medium for any non-commercial purpose without fee or royalty, provided that the document is not altered and that this copyright notice is included. Please visit www.Port- agePub.com/revenue.html if you would like to support this project with a voluntary contri- bution, or to obtain information about commercial licensing. The master for this document was created January 24, 2011, at 8:53 am (-07:00) by user victor on machine glass from content revision 3782 and configuration revision 147. Except for correction of minor typographical errors in the text and reformatting the docu- ment to better suit modern output media, this book is an unabridged republication of the version whose publication information follows on this page. This information is provided for historical reference purposes only: From the title page: 1891 Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson, & Ferrier. Some content from the 1783 Edition may be found in the Appendix: The Tenth Edition. Glasgow: Printed by John Bryce, and Sold at his Shop, opposite Gibson’s-Wynd, Saltmarket. M, DCC, LXXXIII. ISBN (e-book): 978-1-61501-014-1. ISBN (hardcover): 978-1-61501-015-8 RUTHERFORD’S WALK. PREFACE TO THE 1891 EDITION. Most justly does the old Preface to the earlier Editions begin by telling the Reader that “These Letters have no need of any man’s epistle com- mendatory, the great Master having given them one, written by His own hand on the hearts of all who favour the things of God.” Every one who knows these “Letters” at all, is aware of their most peculiar characteristic, namely, the discovery they present of the marvellous intercourse carried on between the writer’s soul and his God. This Edition will be found to be the most complete that has hitherto appeared. It is the same as that of 1863, in two vols., with two slight alter- ations, viz. the footnotes are for the most part removed to the Glossary, and a few of the notices are condensed, but nothing omitted of any import- ance. On the other hand, one or two slight additions have been made. Attending carefully to the chronological arrangement, the Editor has sought, by biographical, topographical, and historical notices, to put the Reader in possession of all that was needed to enable him to enter into the circumstances in which each Letter was written, so far as that could be done. The appended Glossary of Scottish words and expressions (many of them in reality old English), the Index of Places and Persons, the Index of Special Subjects, and the prefixed Contents of Each Letter, will, it is confidently believed, be found both interesting and useful. The Sketch of Rutherford’s Life may be thought too brief; but the limits within which such a Sketch must necessarily be confined, when occupying the place of a mere Introduction, rendered brevity inevitable. Every Letter hitherto published is to be found in this Edition. The ten additional Letters of the Edition 1848, along with two more, added since that time, are all inserted in their chronological place. The publishers have taken great pains with the typography. CONTENTS. Sketch of Samuel Rutherford, . xxii List of Rutherford’s Works, . li THE LETTERS. [There are exactly 365 letters. Dates in brackets are provided for those who wish to select one for each day of the year.] 1. To Marion M‘Naught.—Children to be Dedicated to God, [January 1] . 1 2. To a Christian Gentlewoman, on the death of a Daughter.—Christ’s Sympathy with, and Property in us—Reasons for Resignation, [January 2] . 2 3. To Lady Kenmure, on occasion of illness and spiritual depression.—Acquiescence in God’s Purpose—Faith in exercise—Encouragement in view of Sickness and Death—Public Affairs, [January 3] . 4 4. To Lady Kenmure, on death of her infant Daughter.—Tribulation the Portion of God’s People, and intended to wean them from the World, [January 4] . 8 5. To Lady Kenmure, when removing from Anwoth.—Changes—Loss of Friends —This World no abiding Place, [January 5] . 10 6. To Marion M‘Naught, telling of his Wife’s illness.—Inward Conflict, arising from Outward Trial, [January 6] . 12 7. To Lady Kenmure.—The Earnest of the Spirit—Communion with Christ— Faith in the Promises, [January 7] . 14 8. To Marion M‘Naught.—His Wife’s Illness—Wrestlings with God, [January 8] . 17 9. To Marion M‘Naught.—Recommending a Friend to her Care—Prayers asked, [January 9] . 18 10. To Marion M‘Naught.—Submission, Perseverance, and Zeal recommended, [January 10] . 18 11. To Lady Kenmure.—God’s Inexplicable Dealings with His People well ordered —Want of Ordinances—Conformity to Christ—Troubles of the Church— Mr. Rutherford’s Wife’s Death, [January 11] . 20 12. To Marion M‘Naught.—God Mixeth the Cup—The Reward of the Wicked —Faithfulness—Forbearance—Trials, [January 12] . 22 13. To Marion M‘Naught, when exposed to reproach for her principles.—Jesus a Pattern of Patience under Suffering, [January 13] . 25 vi RUTHERFORD’S LETTERS. 14. To Marion M‘Naught, in prospect of the Lord’s Supper.—Abundance in Jesus —The Restoration of the Jews—Enemies of God, [January 14] . 27 15. To Marion M‘Naught.—The threatened Introduction of the Service-Book— Troubles of the Church—Private Wrongs, [January 15] . 28 16. To Marion M‘Naught.—Proposal to Remove him from Anwoth—Babylon’s Destruction, and Christ’s Coming—The Young invited, [January 16] . 30 17. To Marion M‘Naught.—The Prospects of the Church—Arminianism—Call to Prayer—No Help but in Christ, [January 17] . 33 18. To Marion M‘Naught, in prospect of the Lord’s Supper.—Prayer Solicited— The Chitch’s Prospects, [January 18] . 34 19. To Lady Kenmure.—Encouragement to Abound in Faith from the Prospect of Glory—Christ’s Unchangeableness, [January 19] . 36 20. To Lady Kenmure.—Assurance of Christ’s Love under Trials—Fulness of Christ—Hope of Glory, [January 20] . 38 21. To Lady Kenmure.—Self-denial—Hope of Christ’s Coming—Loving God for Himself, [January 21] . 40 22. To John Kennedy.—Deliverance from Shipwreck—Recovery from threatened Death—Use of Trials—Remembrance of Friends, [January 22] . 43 23. To Lady Kenmure.—Exhorting to remember her Espousal to Christ—Tribu- lation a Preparation for the Kingdom—Glory in the End, [January 23] . 46 24. To Marion M‘Naught.—Christ and His Garden—Provision of Ordinances in the Church—Our Children, [January 24] . 48 25. To a Gentleman at Kirkcudbright, excusing himself from visiting, [January 25] . 51 26. To Marion M‘Naught, after her dangerous illness.—Use of Sickness—Re- proaches—Christ our Eternal Feast—Fasting, [January 26] . 51 27. To Lady Kenmure.—Love to Christ and Submission to His Cross—Believers kept—The Heavenly Paradise, [January 27] . 53 28. To Lady Kenmure, after the death of a child.—The State of the Church, Cause for God’s Displeasure—His Care of His Church—The Jews—Afflicted Saints, [January 28] . 55 29. To Marion M‘Naught.—Christ with His People in the Furnace of Affliction —Prayer, [January 29] . 57 30. To Lady Kenmure.—Rank and Prosperity hinder Progress—Watchfulness— Case of Relatives, [January 30] . 58 31. To Lady Kenmure.—A Union for Prayer Recommended, [January 31] . 60 32. To Marion M‘Naught.—State and Prospects of the Church—Satan, [February 1] . 62 33. To Marion M‘Naught.—In Prospect of Going to the Lord’s Table, [February 2] . 63 34. To Marion M‘Naught.—Prospects of the Church—Christ’s Care for the Children of Believers, [February 3] . 64 35. To Lady Kenmure, on the death of a child.—God Measures our Days—Be- reavements Ripen us for the Harvest, [February 4] . 65 36. To Marion M‘Naught.—Choice of a Commissioner for Parliament, [February 5] . 67 37. To Lady Kenmure.—On the Death of Lord Kenmure—Design of, and duties under, Affliction, [February 6] . 68 CONTENTS. vii 38. To Marion M‘Naught.—Christ’s Care of His Church, and His Judgments on her Enemies, [February 7] . 70 39. To Lady Kenmure.—Preparation for Death and Eternity, [February 8] . 71 40. To Lady Kenmure.—When Mr. Rutherford had the Prospect of being Removed from Anwoth, [February 9] . 73 41. To Marion M‘Naught.—The Church’s Trials—Comfort under Temptations —Deliverance—A Message to the Young, [February 10] . 74 42. To Lady Kenmure.—The World passeth away—Special Portions of the Word for the Afflicted—Call to Kirkcudbright, [February 11] . 76 43. To Marion M‘Naught.—When Mr.Rutherford was in difficulty as to accepting a Call to Kirkcudbright, and Cramond, [February 12] . 79 44. To Marion M‘Naught—Troubles threatening the Church, [February 13] . 80 45. To Marion M‘Naught.—In the Prospect of the Lord’s Supper, and of Trials to the Church, [February 14] . 81 46. To Marion M‘Naught.—Tossings of Spirit—Her Children and Husband, [February 15] . 82 47. To Marion M‘Naught.—Submission to God’s Arrangements, [February 16] . 84 48. To Marion M‘Naught.—Troubles from False Brethren—Occurrences—Christ’s Coming—Intercession, [February 17] . 85 49. To Marion M‘Naught.—Spoiling of Goods—Call to Kirkcudbright—The Lord Reigneth, [February 18] .