SAMUEL RUTHERFORD
Letter 229. To Mr. Hugh Mackail of Irvine.
The Law, This World Under Christ's Control for the
Believer.
My Very Dear Brother,
You know that men may happily
withstand all the charges of the doleful Law if they stand upon Grace's ground,
and betwixt the Mediator's breasts. And this is the sinner's safest way; for
there is a bed for wearied sinners to rest in, in the New Covenant, though no
bed of Christ's making to sleep in. The Law shall never be my judge, by
Christ's grace. If I get no more good out of it (I shall find a severe enough
judgement in the Gospel to humble, and to cast me down), it is, I grant, a good
harsh friend to follow a traitor to the bar, and to chafe him till he come to
Christ . We may blame ourselves, who cause the Law to demand such an costly
debt, to scare us away from Jesus, and to dispute about a righteousness of our
own.) Such is a world in the moon, a chimera, and a night-dream that has pride
as its father and mother. There cannot be a more humble soul than a believer;
it requires no pride for a drowning man to catch hold of a rock.
I rejoice
that the wheels of this confused world roll, , mesh and are driven according to
our Lord's will. Out of whatever quarter the wind blows, it will blow us onto
our Lord. No wind can blow our sails overboard; because Christ's skill, and
honour of His wisdom, are given as our security and laid down at the stake for
the sea-passengers, that He shall put them safe off His hand on the shore, in
His Father's own land, our native home ground.
My dear brother, do not be
afraid at the cross of Christ. It is not seen yet what Christ will do for you,
when it comes to the worst: He will withhold His grace till you be in a strait,
and then bring forth the decreed birth for your salvation (Zeph. 9:9). You are
an arrow of His own making ; let Him shoot you against a wall of brass, your
point shall keep whole. I cannot, for multitude of letters and distraction of
friends, prepare what I would for the times: I have not one hour of spare time,
even if the day were forty hours long. Remember me in prayer.
Grace be with
you.
Yours, in his sweet Lord Jesus,
S.R. Aberdeen, Sept. 5, 1637.