JOwen
Puritan Board Junior
DEAR ones in Christ, I know the way to heaven is a harsh way, a dreary, sad, and melancholy way, full of tears and mourning. It is known to all believers, that in every regenerated man there is, as it were, two men, the new and the old, the spirit and the flesh. And these two have contrary ways, contrary hearts, and contrary judgments. When the children of God thinks of the way to heaven unpleasant and full of sorrow, it is the opinion of your carnal man.
But ask the new man within you, what he thinks of the way to heaven. O, he will say God is dearer to him than thousands of gold and silver, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. "Whom have I in heaven but Thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee." If you then ask what is the reason of my mourning, tears, wrestling, agonies, and terrors of a guilty conscience, I answer; we must not think that on his way to heaven, the child of God will never get a shower. No, you have seen that sometimes in the middle of summer, there will fall a blast of hail. But it will soon dry it up, and clear in the west, and the birds will renew their songs, and the roses will spread their pedals again when the sun shines.
So, even while it is summer, the Sun of Righteousness will hide His face from the poor believer. Christ will seem to withdraw Himself and the conscience will quake and tremble. For these withdrawings, look upon them like fields left dormant for a time. Unploughed, until they gather strength for a better crop.
Yet, a soul may be in as thriving a state when thirsting, seeking, and mourning after the Lord, as when he is actually rejoicing in Him. He may be as much in earnest when fighting in the valley as when singing on the mountain. It should be enough for us, if we are wise, that Christ will have joy and sorrow divide the saint here on earth. And if sorrow be the greater portion of our days here, I know that joy's day will dawn, and will more than make up for all our sad hours.
Let my Lord Jesus, since He wills so to do, weave my time here with white and black, weal and woe, with the Bridegroom's coming and His sad departure. And let the rose be close to the thorn. I do not desire to go on the sheltered or sunny side of religion, or to put truth between me and the storm. No, my Savior did not do so for me, who in His suffering took the windy side of the hill. We must wait. For when we are finally over the water, Christ shall cry down crosses and up heaven for evermore. Then He will down hell, and down earth, and down sin, and down sorrow, and up glory, up life, and up joy for evermore.
In this hope I rest quietly in Christ's bosom, until He come. Amen.
Adapted from the 31 Days with Samuel Rutherford
But ask the new man within you, what he thinks of the way to heaven. O, he will say God is dearer to him than thousands of gold and silver, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. "Whom have I in heaven but Thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee." If you then ask what is the reason of my mourning, tears, wrestling, agonies, and terrors of a guilty conscience, I answer; we must not think that on his way to heaven, the child of God will never get a shower. No, you have seen that sometimes in the middle of summer, there will fall a blast of hail. But it will soon dry it up, and clear in the west, and the birds will renew their songs, and the roses will spread their pedals again when the sun shines.
So, even while it is summer, the Sun of Righteousness will hide His face from the poor believer. Christ will seem to withdraw Himself and the conscience will quake and tremble. For these withdrawings, look upon them like fields left dormant for a time. Unploughed, until they gather strength for a better crop.
Yet, a soul may be in as thriving a state when thirsting, seeking, and mourning after the Lord, as when he is actually rejoicing in Him. He may be as much in earnest when fighting in the valley as when singing on the mountain. It should be enough for us, if we are wise, that Christ will have joy and sorrow divide the saint here on earth. And if sorrow be the greater portion of our days here, I know that joy's day will dawn, and will more than make up for all our sad hours.
Let my Lord Jesus, since He wills so to do, weave my time here with white and black, weal and woe, with the Bridegroom's coming and His sad departure. And let the rose be close to the thorn. I do not desire to go on the sheltered or sunny side of religion, or to put truth between me and the storm. No, my Savior did not do so for me, who in His suffering took the windy side of the hill. We must wait. For when we are finally over the water, Christ shall cry down crosses and up heaven for evermore. Then He will down hell, and down earth, and down sin, and down sorrow, and up glory, up life, and up joy for evermore.
In this hope I rest quietly in Christ's bosom, until He come. Amen.
Adapted from the 31 Days with Samuel Rutherford
