The Loveliness of Christ

Pastor Fred mentioned this little book by Samuel Rutherford, the 17th century Scotsman, in his recent sermon. The book is actually a collection of extracts from the letters of Rutherford that was compiled in 1909 by Ellen S. Lister. Many of the extracts deal with the sweetness of Christ in the midst of Christian suffering and the purpose of the Lord in bringing about His fruit in His children (See the quotes below). His language is beautiful. You can almost hear his Scottish accent. The book itself is quite nice. It is small (almost breast pocket small) and the cover is imitation leather, very similar to the little ESV covers. There should be a current bunch on the stand for $10.60 per.

"Why should I start at the plough of my Lord, that maketh deep furrows on my soul? I know he is no idle husbandmen, he purposeth a crop." Page 8

"'In all their afflictions he was afflicted.' Then Christ bore the first stroke of this cross: it rebounded off him upon you, and ye got it at the second hand, and he and ye are halvers in it. And I shall believe for my part, he mindeth to distil heaven out of this loss, and all others the like; for wisdom devised it, and love laid it on, and Christ owneth it as his own, and putteth your shoulder only beneath a piece of it." Page 77-78

"This soul of ours hath love, and cannot but love some fair one; and O, what a fair One, what an only One, what an excellent, lovely ravishing One is Jesus." Page 53