Monergism Books

Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Banner of Truth
ISBN#: 9780851511634

Availability: Usually Ships the Same Business Day

Description: Like John Bunyan in Bedford jail, Samuel Ruthford did his best work while suffering imprisonment for the gospel. His opponents had meant to silence him but instead they perpetuated his ministry through the centuries for it was out or this period that most of his famous Letters came. Addressed to high and low they ere so prized by the recipients that the first collection by Robert McWard appeared in 1664 just three years after Ruthford’s death. The successive editions contained more letters until they grew to the 365 in Andrew Bonar’s classic edition.

From this, ‘the most remarkable series of devotional letters that the literature of the Reformed churches can show,’ the great leaders in the Church as well as the humblest Christians have drawn strength. It is said of Robert Murray M’Cheyne that ‘the Letters of Samuel Rutherford were often in his hand.’ Richard Baxtar’s view was that, apart from the Bible, ‘such a book as Mr. Rutherford’s letters the world never saw the like,’ while to C.H. Spurgeon they were ‘the nearest thing to inspiration which can be found in all the writings of mere men.’ This abridged edition contains sixty-nine of these letters.