Tchula Presbyterian Church.

XXXIII. To JOHN CLARK, a parishioner

LOVING BROTHER, - Hold fast Christ without wavering and contend for
the faith, because Christ is not easily gotten nor kept. The lazy
professor has put heaven as it were at the next door, and thinketh to
fly up to heaven in his bed and in a night-dream; but, truly, that is
not so easy a thing as most men believe. Christ Himself did sweat ere
He wan this city, howbeit He was the freeborn heir. It is
Christianity, my heart, to be sincere, unfeigned, honest and upright
hearted before God, and to live and serve God, suppose there was not
one man nor woman in all the world dwelling beside you, to eye you.
Any little grace that ye have, see that it be sound and true.
Ye may put a difference betwixt you and reprobates, if ye have these
marks. -
1. If ye prize Christ and His truth so as ye will sell all and buy Him; and suffer for it.
2. If the love of Christ keepeth youback from sinning, more than the law, or fear of hell.
3. If ye be humble, and deny your own will, wit, credit, ease, honor, the world, and the vanity and glory of it.
4. Your profession must not be barren and void of good works.
5. Ye must in all things aim at God’s honor; ye must eat, drink, sleep, buy, sell, sit, stand, speak, pray, read,
and hear the word, with a heart-purpose that God may be honored.
6. Ye must show yourself an enemy to sin, and reprove the works of darkness, such as drunkenness, swearing, and lying, albeit the company should
hate you for so doing.
7. Keep in mind the truth of God, that ye heard me teach, and have nothing to do with the corruptions and new guises
entered into the house of God.
8. Make conscience of your calling, in covenants, in buying and selling.
9. Acquaint yourself with daily praying; commit all your ways and actions to God, by prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving; and count not much of being mocked; for Christ Jesus was mocked before you.

Persuade yourself, that this is the way of peace and comfort which I
now suffer for. I dare go to death and into eternity with it, though
men may possibly see another way. Remember me in your prayers, and the
state of this oppressed church. Grace be with you.

Your soul’s well-wisher.

From The Letters of Samuel Rutherford.

This is taken from the Dictionary of National Biography of Samuel Rutherford, which should remind us of how great our God is and maybe even Psalm 51:

“He entered the university of Edinburgh in 1617, graduated in 1621, and in 1623 was appointed regent of humanity, having been recommended by the professors for ‘his eminent abilities of mind and virtuous disposition.’ The records of the two council of Edinburgh under 3 Feb. 1626 contain the following: ‘Forasmuch as it being declared by the principal of the college that Mr. Samuel Rutherford, regent of humanity, has fallen in fornication with Eupham Hamilton, and has committed a great scandal in the college and…has since demitted his charge therein, therefore elects and nominates…commissioners…with power…to insist for depriving of the said Mr. Samuel, and being deprived for filling of the said place with a sufficient person.’ Rutherford married the said Eupham, and his whole subsequent life was a reparation for the wrong he had done. According to his own statement, he had ’suffered the sun to be high in heaven’ before he became seriously religious.”