Xliii. to Robert Brown of Carsluth
Samuel Rutherford urges Robert Brown to prioritize assurance in Christ over earthly wealth and to recognize the fleeting nature of life.
Samuel Rutherford preaches a heartfelt message urging Robert Brown to seek true assurance in Christ, emphasizing the fleeting nature of worldly possessions and the urgent need to secure salvation. Rutherford paints a vivid picture of the brevity of life and the importance of prioritizing eternity over temporary pleasures, highlighting the incomparable worth of gaining Christ above all else. He lovingly encourages Brown to anchor his soul in Christ's love and mercy, underscoring the critical significance of having a personal relationship with Jesus for true fulfillment and eternal security.
Text
Robert Brown of Carsluth owned considerable property in Galloway.
WORTHY SIR, -- I beseech you in the Lord to give your soul no rest till
ye have real assurance, and Christ's rights confirmed and sealed to
your soul. Take pains for your salvation; for in that day when ye shall
see many men's labours and conquests and idol-riches lying in ashes,
when the earth and all the works thereof shall be burnt with fire, oh
how dear a price would your soul give for God's favor in Christ! It
will not be time to cry for a lamp when the Bridegroom is entered into
His chamber and the door shut. Look into those depths (without a
bottom) of loveliness, sweetness, beauty, excellency, glory, goodness,
grace, and mercy, that are in Christ; and ye shall then cry down the
whole world, and all the glory of it, even when it is come to the
summer-bloom; and ye shall cry, 'Up with Christ, up with Christ's
Father, up with eternity of glory!' Sir, there is a great deal less
sand in your glass than when I saw you, and your afternoon is nearer
even-tide now than it was. As a flood carried back to the sea, so does
the Lord's swift post, Time, carry you and your life with wings to the
grave. Ye eat and drink, but time standeth not still; ye laugh, but
your day fleeth away; ye sleep, but your hours are reckoned and put by
hand. Oh how soon will time shut you out of the poor, and cold, and
hungry inn of this life! And then what will yesterday's short-born
pleasures do to you, but be as a snow-ball melted away many years
since? O blessed conquest, to lose all things, and to gain Christ! I
know not what ye have, if ye want Christ! Alas! How poor is your gain,
if the earth were all yours in free heritage, holding it of no man of
clay, if Christ be not yours!
I recommend Christ and His love to your seeking; and yourself to the
tender mercy and rich grace of our Lord. Remember my love in Christ to
your wife. I desire her to learn to make her soul's anchor fast upon
Christ Himself. Few are saved.
Your soul's eternal well-wisher.
ABERDEEN, 1637
Sermon Outline
- I points: - The importance of assurance in salvation - The fleeting nature of earthly possessions - The urgency of seeking Christ
- II points: - The contrast between worldly glory and Christ's glory - The inevitability of time's passage - The consequences of neglecting spiritual matters
- III points: - The value of gaining Christ over worldly wealth - The call to seek Christ's love and grace - The reminder of mortality and the need for preparedness
Key Quotes
“Oh how soon will time shut you out of the poor, and cold, and hungry inn of this life!” — Samuel Rutherford
“O blessed conquest, to lose all things, and to gain Christ!” — Samuel Rutherford
“I recommend Christ and His love to your seeking.” — Samuel Rutherford
Application Points
- Seek assurance in your relationship with Christ daily.
- Recognize the temporary nature of worldly possessions and focus on eternal values.
- Prepare your soul for eternity by anchoring it in Christ's love and grace.