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  XLVII. TO WILLIAM GORDON
  by Samuel Rutherford
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Summary: Samuel Rutherford emphasizes the importance of acknowledging
spiritual struggles and seeking Christ's healing grace amidst doubt and
pain.

Topics: "Spiritual Warfare", "Saving Grace"
Scripture References: Psalm 34:18, 1 Corinthians 15:57, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Ephesians 6:12, 1 John 3:14

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DESCRIPTION
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Samuel Rutherford addresses the struggles of feeling spiritually dead
and doubting one's faith, emphasizing that Christ is willing to take our
weaknesses and brokenness, as He is the Physician who heals and
restores. He encourages embracing the pain and challenges that come with
recognizing our sins and shortcomings, as they draw us closer to
Christ's saving grace. Rutherford highlights the importance of fighting
against spiritual battles, rather than expecting immediate victory, and
entrusting our faith to Christ to sustain us in the midst of struggles.

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CONTENT
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DEAR BROTHER, -- Ye complain that ye want a mark of the sound work of

grace and love in your soul. For answer, consider for your satisfaction

(till God send more) I John 3.14. And as for your complaint of

deadnes.~ and doubting. Christ will, I hope, take your deadness and you

together. They are bodies full of holes, running boils, and broken

bones which need mending, that Christ the Physician taketh up: whole

vessels are not for the Mediator Christ's art. Publicans, sinners,

whores, harlots, are ready market-wares for Christ. The only thing that

will bring sinners within a cast of Christ's drawing arm is that which

ye write of, some feeling of death and sin. That bringeth forth

complaints; and, therefore, out of sense complain more, and be more

acquaint with all the cramps, stitches, and soulswoonings that trouble

you. The more pain, and the more night-watching, and the more fevers,

the better. A soul bleeding to death, till Christ were sent for, and

cried for in all haste, to come and stem the blood, and close up the

hole in the wound with His own heart and balm, were a very good

disease, when many are dying of a whole heart. We have all too little

of hell-pain and terrors that way; nay, God send me such a hell as

Christ has promised to make a heaven of. Alas! I am not come that far

on the way, as to say in sad earnest, 'Lord Jesus, great and sovereign

Physician, here is a pained patient for Thee.' But the thing that we

mistake is the want of victory. We hold that to be the mark of one that

has no grace. Nay, say I, the want of fighting were a mark of no grace;

but I shall not say the want of victory is such a mark. If my fire and

the devil's water make crackling like thunder in the air, I am the less

feared; for where there is fire, it is Christ's part, which I lay and

bind upon Him, to keep in the coal, and to pray the Father that my

faith fail not, if I in the meantime be wrestling, and doing, and

fighting, and mourning.

Pray for me, that the Lord would give me house-room again, to hold a

candle to this dark world. -- Grace, grace be with you.

ABERDEEN, 1637

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/samuel-rutherford/xlvii-to-william-gordon/
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