Heavenly Mansions--The Earth a Shadow
The Letter 247
to Janet Kennedy,
Greetings - Our
Heavenly Dwelling Loving and Dear Sister, Grace, mercy, and peace be to you. I
received your letter. I know that the favour of Christ which is in you (whom
the virgins love to follow) cannot be blown away with winds, either from hell,
or the foul-smelling air of this defiled world. Sit far aback from the walls of
this house of disease, even the pollutions of this defiled world. Keep your
taste, your love, and hope in heaven; it is not good that your love and your
Lord should 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 is
showing you the New Jerusalem, and is taking you along in the Spirit, and
showing you all the rooms for rest and dwelling in heaven. He says, "All these
are yours, this palace is for you and Christ."
Indeed, if you alone were
the only person chosen by God for salvation, Christ would have built that one
house for you and Himself: now it is for you and many others also. Our Journey
to Heaven Take with you on your journey what you may carry with you. You can
take your conscience, faith, hope, patience, meekness, goodness, and brotherly
kindness, for these products are valuable in the high and new country you are
travelling to. But the other things, which are the world's vanity and trash,
since they are the house-sweepings, you would do best not to carry them with
you. You found them here, so leave them here in the house. Your sun is
well-turned and low; be sure you are close to the lodging-place before night
comes. We go one at a time out of this great market, until the whole town will
be empty, and the two lodging-places will be filled, heaven and Hell. At length
there will be nothing in the earth except empty walls and burnt ashes;
therefore it is better to leave.
The Struggle with the Powers of this World
Antichrist and his master are working hard to fill up Hell and to seduce
many. Many stars, great lights in the church are falling from heaven, causing
many to be misled and seduced. They leave their faith, and sell their
birthright by their hungry rooting for I know not what. Hold onto Christ hard!
Truly I esteem Christ is the best property I have. He is my companion in
prison. Having Him, even though my cross might be as heavy as ten mountains of
iron, when He puts His sweet shoulder under me and it, my cross is but a
feather. I please myself in the choice of Christ; He is all my desire in heaven
and earth. I rejoice that He is in heaven before me. Our Assurance in Christ
God send a joyful meeting In the meantime God is sending the price of our
tickets, by which I mean the taste of Christ's love, to sweeten the journey and
to encourage a breathless runner. When I lose my breath, climbing up the
mountain, He makes new breath.
Farewell
Now the very God of peace
establish you to the day of His appearing,
Yours, in the only Lord Jesus,
Samuel Rutherford.
from Aberdeen, Sept. 9, 1637