Three hundred and fifty years ago Samuel Rutherford took up his pen and wrote a series of letters, mainly from the place of his banishment in Aberdeen Scotland. These were principally written to his scattered parishioners of Anworth although some were written to his fellow sufferers for the truth’s sake. His letters were published, even during his life-time and C.H. Spurgeon described them as ‘the nearest thing to inspiration which can be found in all the writings of mere men”. This particular book has a short chapter on the life of Rutherford and then follows a series of thirteen chapters each written concerning at least one of those to whom Rutherford wrote. Of necessity these short biographies give profound insight to the man Rutherford, also to his life and times in Scotland during the upheavals the Church of Scotland faced under various kings of England and during the Commonwealth of Cromwell. These were days when ‘a man must either sin or suffer’ and most of Rutherford’s friends chose the latter. Two were martyred, two exiled and all paid a high price for allegiance to the truth. As with all books written about this period of Christians in Scotland, we breathe an atmosphere rarified with holiness and commitment to God. Here is no superficial church, the subjects of this book looked upon the face of Christ, their dearest love and were fully prepared to resist the government of the day where that government, be it King or Lord Protector, over stepped the bounds of God given responsibility in their realm. They held that loyal obedience to Christ took all priority over that to King and Country. The letters of Rutherford remain in print today, they are not an easy read, the language is unusual to the reader of today. His love for Christ shines through and the pastoral heart from which flowed caring counsels and exhortations of every type, they are fragrant, picturesque and powerfully challenging in these days of much shallowness. Some of them were on their way to suffering even unto death, some to exile, all, to sufferings of various kinds. So, come and drink of this spirit of true faith as manifest in those days in these men and women and be stirred to follow in their train.
