Part 14 (2/2)
When he was drawing towards his departure in a great conflict and agony, finding some difficulty in his pa.s.sage, yet he sensibly, through the strength of G.o.d's grace, triumphantly overcame; he cried out in a rapture of holy joy some little time before he committed his soul to G.o.d, ”Is not the Lord good! Is he not infinitely good! See how he smiles! I do say it, and I do proclaim it.” He died on Friday the 25th of June 1658, in the thirty-sixth year of his age.
Thus died the eminently pious, learned and judicious Mr. James Durham, whose labours did always aim at the advancement of practical religion, and whose praise in the gospel is throughout all the churches both at home and abroad. He was a burning and a s.h.i.+ning light, a star of the first magnitude, and of whom it may be said (without derogating from the merit of any), that he attained unto the first three and had a name among the mighty. He was also one of great integrity and authority in the country where he lived, insomuch, that when any difference fell out, he was always chosen by both parties as their great referee or judge, unto whose sentence all parties submitted. Such was the quality of his calm and healing spirit.
His colleague Mr. John Carstairs, in his funeral sermon from Isa. lvii.
1, 2. _The righteous man perisheth, and no one layeth it to heart,_ &c.
gives him this character,--”Know ye not that there is a prince among pastors fallen to-day! a faithful and wise steward, that knew well how to give G.o.d's children their food in due season, a gentle and kind nurse, a faithful admonisher, reprover, &c. a skilful counsellor in all straits and difficulties; in dark matters he was eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, a burning and s.h.i.+ning light in the dark world, an interpreter of the word among a thousand, to him men gave ear, and after his words no man spake again.”
His learned and pious works, (wherein all the excellencies of the primitive and ancient fathers seem to concenter) are a commentary on the Revelation; seventy-two sermons on the fifty-third chapter of the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah; an exposition of the ten commandments; an exposition of the Song of Solomon; his sermons on death; on the unsearchable riches of Christ; his communion sermons, sermons on G.o.dliness and self-denial; a sermon on a good conscience. There are also a great many of his sermons in ma.n.u.script (never yet published), _viz._ three sermons upon resisting the Holy Ghost from Acts vii 51.; eight on quenching the Spirit; five upon giving the Spirit; thirteen upon trusting and delighting in G.o.d; two against immoderate anxiety; eight upon the one thing needful; with a discourse upon prayer, and several other sermons and discourses from Eph. v. 15. 1 Cor. xi. 24. Luke i. 6.
Gal. v. 16, Psal. cxix. 67. 1 Thess. v. 19. 1 Pet. iii. 14. Matth. viii.
7. There is also a treatise on scandal, and an exposition by way of lecture upon Job said to be his, but whether these, either as to style or strain, co-here with the other works of the laborious Mr. Durham, must be left to the impartial and unbiased reader.
_The Life of Mr. SAMUEL RUTHERFORD._
Mr. Samuel Rutherford a gentleman by extraction, having spent sometime at the grammar-school, went to the university of Edinburgh, where he was so much admired for his pregnancy of parts, and deservedly looked upon as one from whom some great things might be expected, that in a short time (though then but very young) he was made professor of philosophy in that university.
Sometime after this he was called to be minister at Anwoth, in the s.h.i.+re of Galloway, unto which charge he entered by means of the then viscount of Kenmuir, without any acknowledgment or engagement to the bishops.
There he laboured with great diligence and success, both night and day, rising usually by three o'clock in the morning, spending the whole time in reading, praying, writing, catechising, visiting, and other duties belonging to the ministerial profession and employment.
Here he wrote his _exercitationes de gratia_, &c. for which he was summoned (as early as June 1630) before the high commission court, but the weather was so tempestuous as to obstruct the pa.s.sage of the arch-bishop of St. Andrews. .h.i.ther, and Mr. Colvil one of the judges having befriended him, the diet was deserted. About the same time his first wife died after a sore sickness of thirteen months, and he himself being so ill of a tertian fever for thirteen weeks, that then he could not preach on the Sabbath day, without great difficulty.
Again in April 1634, he was threatened with another prosecution at the instance of the bishop of Galloway, before the high commission court, and neither were these threatenings all the reasons Mr. Rutherford had to lay his account with suffering, and as the Lord would not hide from his faithful servant Abraham the things he was about to do, neither would he conceal from this son of Abraham what his purposes were concerning him; for in a letter to the provost's wife of Kirkcudbright, dated April 20, 1633, he says, ”That upon the 17th and 18th of August he got a full answer of his Lord to be a graced minister, and a chosen arrow hid in his quiver[83].” Accordingly the thing he looked for came upon him, for he was again summoned before the high commission court for his non-conformity, his preaching against the five articles of Perth, and the forementioned book of _exercitationes apologetica pro divina gratia_, which book they alledged did reflect upon the church of Scotland, but the truth was, says a late historian[84], The argument of that book did cut the sinews of Arminianism, and galled the Episcopal clergy to the very quick, and so bishop Sydresert could endure him no longer. When he came before the commission court he altogether declined them as a lawful judicatory, and would not give the chancellor (being a clergyman) and the bishops their t.i.tles by lording of them, yet some had the courage to befriend him, particularly, the lord Lorn (afterwards the famous marquis of Argyle), who did as much for him as was within his power to do; but the bishop of Galloway, threatening that if he got not his will of him, he would write to the king; it was carried against him, and upon the 27th of July 1636, he was discharged to exercise any part of his ministry within the kingdom of Scotland, under pain of rebellion, and ordered within six months to confine himself within the city of Aberdeen, &c. during the king's pleasure, which sentence he obeyed, and forthwith went toward the place of his confinement.
From Aberdeen he wrote many of his famous letters, from which it is evident that the consolation of the Holy Spirit did greatly abound with him in his sufferings, yea, in one of these letters, he expresses it in the strongest terms, when he says, ”I never knew before, that his love was in such a measure. If he leave me, he leaves me in pain, and sick of love, and yet my sickness is my life and health. I have a fire within me, I defy all the devils in h.e.l.l and all the prelates in Scotland to cast water on it.” Here he remained upwards of a year and a half, by which time he made the doctors of Aberdeen know that the puritans (as they called them) were clergymen as well as they. But upon notice that the privy council had received in a declinature against the high commission court in the year 1638, he adventured to return back again to his flock at Anwoth, where he again took great pains, both in public and private, amongst that people, who from all quarters resorted to his ministry, so that the whole country side might account themselves as his particular flock, and it being then in the dawning of the reformation, found no small benefit by the gospel, that part of the ancient prophecy being farther accomplished, _for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert_, Isa. x.x.xv. 6.
He was before that venerable a.s.sembly held at Glasgow in 1638, and gave an account of all these his former proceedings with respect to his confinement, and the causes thereof. By them he was appointed to be professor of divinity at St. Andrews, and colleague in the ministry with the worthy Mr. Blair, who was translated hither about the same time. And here G.o.d did again so second this his eminent and faithful servant, that by his indefatigable pains both in teaching in the schools and preaching in the congregation, St. Andrews the seat of the arch-bishop (and by that means the nursery of all superst.i.tion, error and profaneness) soon became forthwith a Lebanon out of which were taken cedars, for building the house of the Lord, almost through the whole land, many of whom he guided to heaven before himself (who received the spiritual life by his ministry), and many others did walk in that light after him.
And as he was mighty in the public parts of religion, so he was a great practiser and encourager of the private duties thereof. Thus in the year 1640, when a charge was foisted in before the general a.s.sembly at the instance of Mr. Henry Guthrie minister at Stirling (afterward bishop of Dunkeld), against private society meetings (which were then abounding in the land), on which ensued much reasoning, the one side yielding that a paper before drawn up by Mr. Henderson should be agreed unto concerning the order to be kept in these meetings, &c. but Guthrie and his adherents opposing this, Mr. Rutherford, who was never much disposed to speak in judicatories, threw in this syllogism, ”What the scriptures do warrant no a.s.sembly may discharge; but private meetings for religious exercises the scriptures do warrant, Mal. v. 16. _Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another_, &c. James v. 16. _Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another_, &c. These things could not be done in public meetings, &c.” And although the earl of Seaforth there present, and those of Guthrie's faction upbraided this good man for this, yet it had influence upon the majority of the members, so that all the opposite party got done, was an act anent the ordering of family-wors.h.i.+p.
He was also one of the Scots commissioners appointed _anno_ 1643, to the Westminster a.s.sembly, and was very much beloved there for his unparalleled faithfulness and zeal in going about his Master's business.
It was during this time that he published _lex rex_, and several other learned pieces against the Erastians, Anabaptists, Independents, and other sectaries that began to prevail and increase at that time, and none ever had the courage to take up the gauntlet of defiance thrown down by this champion[85].
When the princ.i.p.al business of this a.s.sembly was pretty well settled, Mr. Rutherford, on October 24, 1647, moved that it might be recorded in the scribe's book, that the a.s.sembly had enjoyed the a.s.sistance of the commissioners of the church of Scotland, all the time they had been debating and perfecting these four things mentioned in the solemn league, _viz._ Their composing a directory for wors.h.i.+p, an uniform confession of faith, a form of church-government and discipline, and the public catechism, which was done in about a week after he and the rest returned home.
Upon the death of the learned Dematius _anno_ 1651, the magistrates of Utrecht in Holland, being abundantly satisfied as to the learning, piety, and true zeal of the great Mr. Rutherford, invited him to the divinity chair there, but he could not be persuaded. His reasons elsewhere (when dissuading another gentleman from going abroad) seem to be expressed in these words:--”Let me intreat you to be far from the thoughts of leaving this land. I see it and find it, that the Lord hath covered the whole land with a cloud in his anger, but though I have been tempted to the like, I had rather be in Scotland beside angry Jesus Christ (knowing he mindeth no evil to us), than in any Eden or garden on the earth[86].” From which it is evident that he chose rather to suffer affliction in his own native country, than to leave his charge and flock in time of danger. He continued with them till the day of his death in the free and faithful discharge of his duty.
When the unhappy difference fell out between those called the protesters and the public resolutioners, _anno_ 1650, and 1651, he espoused the protestors quarrel, and gave faithful warning against these public resolutions, and likewise during the time of Cromwel's usurpation he contended against all the prevailing sectaries that then ushered in with the sectaries by virtue of his toleration[87]. And such was his unwearied a.s.siduity and diligence, that he seemed to pray constantly, to preach constantly, to catechise constantly, and to visit the sick exhorting them from house to house, to teach as much in the schools, and spend as much time with the students and young men in fitting them for the ministry, as if he had been sequestrate from all the world besides, and yet withal to write as much as if he had been constantly shut up in his study.
But no sooner did the restoration of Charles II. take place, than the face of affairs began to change, and after his forementioned book _lex rex_ was burnt at the cross of Edinburgh, and at the gates of the new college of St. Andrews, where he was professor of divinity, the parliament in 1661, were to have an indictment laid before them against him, and such was their humanity (when every body knew he was a-dying) that they caused summon him to appear before them at Edinburgh, to answer to a charge of high treason[88]: But he had a higher tribunal to appear before, where his judge was his friend, and was dead before that time came, being taken away from the evil to come.
When on his death-bed, he lamented much that he was with-held from bearing witness to the work of reformation since the year 1638, and upon the 28th of February he gave a large and faithful testimony[89]
against the sinful courses of that time, which testimony he subscribed twelve days before his death, being full of joy and peace in believing.
During the time of his last sickness, he uttered many savoury speeches and often broke out in a kind of sacred rapture, exalting and commending the Lord Jesus, especially when his end drew near. He often called his blessed Master his kingly King. Some days before his death he said, ”I shall s.h.i.+ne, I shall see him as he is, I shall see him reign and all his fair company with him, and I shall have my large share. Mine eyes shall see my Redeemer, these very eyes of mine, and none other for me. This may seem a wide word, but it is no fancy or delusion.--It is true.--Let my Lord's name be exalted, and, if he will, let my name be grinded to pieces, that he may be all in all. If he should slay me ten thousand times, I will trust.”--He often repeated Jer. xv. 16. _Thy words were found and I did eat them_, &c.
When exhorting one to diligence, he said, ”It is no easy thing to be a Christian. For me I have got the victory, and Christ is holding out both his arms to embrace me.” At another time to some friends present he said, ”At the beginning of my sufferings I had mine own fears like other sinful men, lest I should faint and not be carried creditably through, and I laid this before the Lord, and as sure as ever he spoke to me in his word, as sure as his Spirit witnesseth to my heart, he hath accepted my sufferings. He said to me, Fear not, the outgate shall not be simply matter of prayer, but matter of praise. I said to the Lord, If he should slay me five thousand times five thousand I would trust in him, and I speak it with much trembling, fearing I should not make my part good, but as really as ever he spoke to me by his Spirit, he witnessed to my heart that his grace should be sufficient.” The Thursday night before his death, being much grieved with the state of the public, he had this expression, ”Horror hath taken hold on me.” And afterwards, falling on his own condition, he said, ”I renounce all that ever he made me will and do, as defiled and imperfect, as coming from me; I betake myself to Christ for sanctification as well as justification:”--Repeating these words, ”_He is made of G.o.d to me wisdom, righteousness_, &c.”--adding, ”I close with it, let him be so, he is my all in all.”
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