Samuel Rutherford (1600 - 1661) was a Scotch Puritan divine and Covenanter. He was banished from his parish for opposing the Arminian doctrine of free-will, but this did not stop or hinder his preaching, writing, and fruit-bearing in Christ Jesus by any stretch of the imagination. He later became a commissioner to that august body which produced the greatest Confession in the history of Christianity - the Westminster Assembly. Samuel Rutherford is noted principally for two works, The Trial And Triumph Of Faith, and for his Letters Of Samuel Rutherford.

The mighty Charles Spurgeon had this to say about this enlightened divine - "I will defy anyone to take Rutherford's Letters, and sit down, and after he has read them, to help saying, "Rutherford seems to have been like an angel of God; I am only a man, I never can stand where Rutherford stood."

Rutherford's available works can be obtained from The Banner Of Truth Trust.

"Chrit's love is liberal, but yet it must be sued; and Christ, though he sell not his love for the penny-worth of our sweating and pains, yet we must dig low, for such a gold mine as Christ." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Christ's love is wise: He holdeth us knocking, till our desire be love-sick for him, and knoweth that delays raise and heighten the market and rate of Christ. We under-rate anything that is at our elbow. Should Christ throw himself in our bosom and lap, while we are in a morning sleep, he should not have the marrow and flower of our esteem. It is good there be some fire in us meeting with water, while we seek after Christ." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"It standeth as no blemish in Christ's account book, who was your father, whether an Amorite, or an Hittite, so ye come to him: he asketh not whose you are, so you be his; nor who is our father, so you will be his brother, and be of his house." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Jesuits and false teachers are but God's snuffers, to occasion the clearing and snuffing of the lamps of the tabernacle, and make truth more naked and obvious." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"It is a sign of conformity with Christ, when we have a will so mortified, as it doth lie level with God's providence." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"The will of angels and of sinless Adam is not essentially good, for then, angels could never have turned devils; therefore, the constitution of the will needeth supervenient goodness, and confirming grace, even when will is at its best." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Christ hath taken the castle, both in-works and out-works, when he hath taken the will, the proudest enemy that Christ hath out of hell... This is mortification, when Christ runneth away with your will." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"There is no goodness in our will now, but what is hath from grace; and to turn the will from evil to good, is no more nature's work, than we can turn the wind from the east to the west... Christ must oil the wheels of mis-ordered will, and heal them, and remove the stone, and infuse grace (which is wings to the bird): if not, the motions of the will are all hell-ward." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Faith findeth Christ out when he is hid." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Sometimes grace maketh the heart as a hot iron; it is good then to smite with the hammer... As we are to take Christ at his word, so are we to take Christ's Spirit at his work. He knocketh; knock thou with him." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"It is no truth of God that some teach, that the justified in Christ are of duty always tied to one and the same constant act of rejoicing, without any mixture of sadness and sorrow... Christ, for mere trial sometimes, for sin at other times, doth cover himself with a cloud, and withdraw the sense of his favour; and it is a cursed joy that is on foot, when the Lord hideth his face." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Christ hath not the tithe of mankind... Christ taketh sinners, not by dozens, not by thousands, but by ones and twos... Common love scarce amounteth to grace, because grace is separative, and singleth out one of many; all graced persons are privileged persons; heaven is a house of chosen and privileged ones... Christ will often not have both husband and wife, both father and son; but the one brother, Jacob, not Esau. Of a whole house, Christ cometh to the devil's fireside, and chooseth one, and draweth him out, and leaveth all the family to the devil. Christ knoweth them well whom he chooseth: grace is a rare piece of the choice and the flower of the love of heaven: there be many common stones; not many pearls, not many diamonds and sapphires. The multitude be all Arminians from the womb; every heresy is a piece of the old Adam's wanton wit; thousands go to hell, black heretics and heterodox, as touching the doctrine of themselves; every man hath grace if you believe himself; every man taketh heaven for his home and heritage; dogs think to rest in Christ's bosom." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Mercy floweth not from God essentially, especially the mercy of conversion, remission of sins, eternal life, but of mere grace; for then God could not be God, and deny these favours to reprobates. Freedom of mercy and salvation is as infinitely sweet and admirable in God, as mercy and salvation itself." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"A quiet heart sleeping in a false peace is a bad heart; most of sinners give their souls to the devil by a theft; they think they are sailing to heaven, and know nothing till they shore, sleeping in the land of death... Few or none come to age, and none clothed in white and crowned, but they were jealous of their faith, and feared their own ways." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Christ, then, can make and frame a fair heaven out of an ugly hell, and out of the knottiest timber he can make vessels of mercy for service in the high palace of glory." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"The fairest face that standeth before the throne of redeemed ones, was once inked and blackened with sin." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"There was not greater ransom given by Christ to buy faith and free grace for Noah, Job, and Daniel, to Moses and Samuel, than to poor and sinful me: it is one cause, one ransom, one free love." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"As faith that is freely given us is the conquest of the new heir, Jesus Christ, so are all Christ's bracelets about our neck in heaven, and the garland of glory, the free grace of God." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Every apple of the tree of life is grace; every sip, every drop of the sea and river of life, is the purchase of the blood of the Lamb that is in the midst of them." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"As good angels do therefore not fall, because in Christ, the Head of angels, they are confirmed (and if they lacked this confirming grace, they might yet fall, and become apostate devils), so the glorified in heaven do therefore stand, and are confirmed in the inheritance, not by free-will there, more than here; but by immediate dependence of grace on the Lamb, whom they follow whithersoever he goeth." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"The hot furnace is the work-house of Christ; in that fire he taketh away the scum, the dross, the refuse of the true metal, that faith may be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearance of Jesus Christ." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Afflictions drive us to seek God, they being God's firemen; and his hired labourers, sent to break the clods, and to plough Christ's land, they may sow heaven there; but Christ must bring new earth to the soil." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Nothing is more evident, than that those who are in the covenant of grace, from whom God cannot remove the sure mercies of David, are visited for their iniquities, with temporal rods." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Grace maketh more solid wisdom than art or learning." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Wisdom and the law of God is an abiding and a living thing that endureth to eternity; whereas indeed human wisdom, and false opinions of God, are passing away things; the lie liveth not a long age." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Faith is not a flower that groweth out of such a sour and cold ground as nature; it is a stem and a birth of heaven." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"None can come to Christ, except they hear a good report of him... Many hear, but they have not the learned ear, nor the ear of such as have heard and learned from the Father... Many open their ears to Christ, but they hear not; they want a spiritual faculty of observing." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"If the oppressed be not delivered, Christ, and his Father, and heaven shall hear of it." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Faith doth sigh prayers to heaven; Christ receiveth sighs in his censer, for prayer. Words are but the body, the garment, the outside of prayer; sighs are nearer the heart-work." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"If Christ's eye but look on a hard heart, it will melt it." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Prayer is often in the bowels and womb of a sigh; though it come not out, yet God heareth it as a prayer." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Desires have no sound with men, so as they come to the ear; but with God, they have a sound, as prayers have." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"When others cannot know what a groan meaneth, God knoweth what is under the lap of a sigh, because his Spirit made the sigh: he first made the prayer, as an intercessor, and then, as God he heareth it; he is within praying, and without hearing." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Christ washeth sinners in his blood, but he washeth not sin: he advocateth for the man that prayeth to have him accepted, but not for the upstarts and boilings of corruption and the flesh that are mixed with our prayer, to have them made white. Christ rejecteth these things in prayer that are essentially ill; but he washeth the prayer, and causeth the Father to accept it." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"We receive all by believing, except the grace of faith, which cannot be received by faith, but by free favour and grace, without us, in God. Grace, first and last, was all our happiness." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Arminians take a condition for a free act, which we absolutely may perform or not perform by free will, not acted by the predeterminating grace of Christ, so jurists take the word, but this maketh men lords of heaven and hell, and putteth the keys of life and death over to absolute contingency." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Christ is surety for the believer, that he fall not away. Christ's honour is engaged, he shall not have shame of his tutory. It is his honour to raise me when I fall." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"If we see but little of Christ, we know not well the gospel spirit. We rest much on duties, to go civil saints to heaven; but the truth is, there be no moral men and civilians in heaven; they be all deep in Christ who are there." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Duties bottomed on Christ's love are spiritual. As the Father accepteth not duties, but in Christ, so cannot we perform them aright, when the principal and fountain-cause is not the love of Christ." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"It is not from God that we now receive mercy immediately, but from Christ, God in the Mediator... There is a difference between mercy and purchased mercy; it is paid-for mercy that we receive, and so, more excellent than angel mercy." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Parents make more account, all their life, to make gold, rather than grace, their children's patrimony and legacy." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"We are, with all silence and quietness of spirit, to submit to God's ways, and not to fret. Believing can ease us, disputing cannot. It is easier to see what is inflicted on us, than to see who inflicteth it. Evil cometh, and we look no higher than the creature, as if the world created itself. So is this, when we dream that the creature moveth, and is not moved of God." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"The evil of much mourning is that, first, it is rank papistry. God thinks not a penance of your tears good cheer. You see not that you give suck now to merits... When the water goes out of the bag, wind comes in. When many tears go out, a windy conceit comes in." The Spouse's Longing For Christ

"He that believeth shall not make haste. Faith will knock seven times at God's door and still wait on." The Spouse's Longing For Christ

"God hath promised to answer your faith, but not your humour; your patient request, but not your hasty command; your submissive desire, but not your wild, fiery passion." The Spouse's Longing For Christ

"Looking up to heaven, lifting up of the eyes, goeth for prayer also in God's books... Because, first, prayer is a pouring out of the soul to God, and faith will come out at the eye, in lieu of another door: often affections break out at the window, when the door is closed; as smoke vents at the window, when the chimney refuses passage... There be many love looks of the saints, lying up before the throne, in the bosom of Christ. The twinkling of thy eyes in prayer are not lost to Christ; else Stephen's look, David's look, should not be registered so many hundred years in Christ's written Testament." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"Words are but the body, the garment, the outside of prayer; sighs are nearer the heart work. A dumb beggar getteth an alms at Christ's gates, even by making signs, when his tongue cannot plead for him; and the rather, because he is dumb. Objection. I have not so much as a voice to utter to God; and Christ saith, "Cause me to hear thy voice" (Song of Solomon 2:14). Answer. Yea, but some other thing hath a voice beside the tongue: "The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping" (Psalm 6:8). Tears have a tongue, and grammar, and language, that our Father knoweth. Babes have no prayer for the breast, but weeping: the mother can read hunger in weeping." Treasury Of David, Psalm LXXVII

"The substantial power of God is in the Holy Ghost; the personal rise and fountain of all the excellencies of God, was in the Father; and so, though there was no unfitness in either to be our King, Priest and Prophet, yet the love, grace, mercy, righteousness of God, and his infinite wisdom, dwelleth in the Son." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"The gospel is not a yesterday's fable; it is an old counsel of infinite wisdom." The Trial And Triumph Of Faith

"For indeed it is self-love in us that maketh us mourn for them that die in the Lord. Why? Because for them we cannot mourn, since they are never happy till they be dead; therefore we mourn for our own private respect." Letters

"Faith is exceedingly charitable, and believeth no evil of God." Letters

"If the work be of God, He can make a stepping-stone of the devil himself for setting forward the work." Letters

"Take as many to heaven with you as ye are able to draw. The more ye draw with you, ye shall be the welcomer yourself." Letters

"I have many a grieved heart daily in my calling. I would be undone, if I had not access to the King’s chamber of presence, to show Him all the business. The devil rages, and is mad to see the water drawn from his own mill; but would to God we could be the Lord’s instruments to build the Son of God’s house." Letters

"Ye cannot, ye must not, have a more pleasant or more easy condition here, than He had, who “through afflictions was made perfect” (Heb. ii. 10). We may indeed think, Cannot God bring us to heaven with ease and prosperity? Who doubteth but He can? But His infinite wisdom thinketh and decreeth the contrary; and we cannot see a reason of it, yet He hath a most just reason. We never with our eyes saw our own soul; yet we have a soul. We see many rivers, but we know not their first spring and original fountain; yet they have a beginning." Letters

"I protest, in the presence of that all-discerning eye, who knoweth what I write and what I think, that I would not want the sweet experience of the consolations of God for all the bitterness of affliction. Nay, whether God come to His children with a rod or a crown, if He come Himself with it, it is well. Welcome, welcome, Jesus, what way soever Thou come, if we can get a sight of Thee!" Letters

"The spouse of Jesus will ever be in the fire; but I trust in my God she shall not consume, because of the goodwill of Him who dwelleth in the Bush; for He dwelleth in it with goodwill." Letters

"The Lord make fair candlesticks in His house, and remove the blind lights." Letters

"It proves you to be your Lord’s wheat. Be patient; Christ went to heaven with many a wrong. His visage and countenance was all marred more than the sons of men. You may not be above your Master; many a black stroke received innocent Jesus, and He received no mends, but referred them all to the great court-day, when all things shall be righted." Letters

"What ye do amiss in your life to-day, ye may amend it to-morrow; for as many suns as God maketh to arise upon you, ye have as many new lives; but ye can die but once, and if ye mar or spill that business, ye cannot come back to mend that piece of work again. No man sinneth twice in dying ill; as we die but once, so we die but ill or well once." Letters

"We take nothing to the grave with us, but a good or evil conscience." Letters

"It is true, terrors of conscience cast us down; and yet without terrors of conscience we cannot be raised up again: fears and doubtings shake us; and yet without fears and doubtings we would soon sleep, and lose our grips of Christ. Tribulation and temptations will almost loosen us to the root; and yet, without tribulations and temptations, we can now no more grow than herbs or corn without rain. Sin, and Satan, and the world will say, and cry in our ear, that we have a hard reckoning to make in judgment; and yet none of these three, except they lie, dare say in our face that our sin can change the tenor of the new covenant." Letters

"When authority, king, court, and churchmen oppose the truth, what other armour have we but prayer and faith?" Letters