Download Free Samuel Rutherford And His Friends Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Samuel Rutherford And His Friends and write the review.

The primary aim of these short biographies is to cast light on Rutherford's genius as a faithful counsellor and spiritual guide. We are introduced to the depth and beauty of his Letters and brought to share in the wisdom and consolation of his pastoral ministry.
"The Loveliness of Christ," contains the essay by the title name plus several letters Rutherford wrote. Since his death in 1661, the writings and letters of Rutherford have been an inspiration to many--including the highly esteemed evangelist, Charles Spurgeon. In Spurgeon's words, "when we are dead and gone let the world know that Spurgeon held Rutherford's letters to be the nearest thing to inspiration that can be found in the writings of mere men." Rutherford, like all humans, grappled with sin and faced tribulations. Even in the midst of his own struggles, however, Rutherford became a beacon, revealing the loveliness of Jesus Christ. An old English merchant and contemporary of Rutherford explained the transformative impact of encountering Rutherford this way: "I came to Irvine, and heard a well-favored, proper old man [David Dickson] with a long beard, and that man showed me all my heart. Then I went to St. Andrews, where I heard a sweet, majestic-looking man [Robert Blair], and he showed me the majesty of God. After him I heard a little, fair man [Rutherford], and he showed me the loveliness of Christ." Rutherford's personality was a blend of godliness, humility, and strong emotions, leading to occasional outbursts and challenges in his interactions. Acknowledging his own temperament, he once confessed to David Dickson, "I am made of extremes." Despite bouts of depression, Rutherford's experiences became a divine tool, shaping him into a source of comfort for fellow believers in times of suffering. "The Loveliness of Christ" is a testament to the transformative power of a flawed yet deeply devoted soul. Rutherford's letters not only offer profound insights into the Christian journey but also showcase the loveliness of Christ that transcends human imperfections.
Iain Murray believes that Edwards cannot be understood apart from his faith. Only when seen first and foremost as a Christian do his life and writings make sense. The integrity of this interpretation is confirmed in this study as Edwards is allowed on point after point to speak for himself.
Reverend Samuel Rutherford wrote Lex, Rex to defend and advance the Presbytarian ideals in government and political life, and oppose the notion of a monarch's Divine Right to rule. Writing in the 1640s, Rutherford lived in a time of political tumult and upheaval. The notion of Divine Right - whether a monarch ruled with the authority of God - was under increasing question. The steadily waning power of the monarch, increasing rates of literacy and education, and enfranchisement of classes that followed the Renaissance bore fruit in demands for governmental reform. No greater were these trends felt than in England, whose Parliament had over centuries gained power. Shaken to its foundations by the aftermath of religious Reformation in the 1500s, the authority of the monarch was under great scrutiny. The follies of absolute power, whereby one ruler had capacity to take decisions affecting the lives of millions, were now an active source of agitation and discontentment in both the halls of power and amid the wider populace. The luxuries and excesses of King Charles I, and the resultant taxes, were likewise cause for agitation. Lex, Rex would prove a forerunner to the Enlightenment era theories of democratic government and the notion of a government for the people. It demolishes the notion of divine right by referring to the actual tenets of the Biblical Old Testament. Most poignantly of all, Rutherford proposes a series of radical reforms such as the establishment of a Constitution, and the delegation of rights to the population to rule themselves; a measure foretelling 'small government' philosophies that followed. The book is organized into forty-four questions, each of whom considers and answers common arguments of the author's fractious era. Rutherford's ideas were in direct contravention to the monarchic societies in Europe at the time. They undoubtedly gave the Parliamentarian movement, and educated Republicans in general, a sound scholarly ground with which to begin the English Civil War and enact long-lasting reforms. The questions answered in Lex, Rex - persuasively, convincingly and explosively as they were - would lead England on the road to enshrining its own Parliamentary democracy.
For twenty years in the mid-eighteenth century a scarcely-known village on the Yorkshire moors became one of the strongest centres of Christian influence in England. George Whitfield and John Wesley were often drawn there, along with many others. The explanation lay in the life and ministry of William Grimshaw, curate of Haworth from 1742 until his death in 1763. 'A few such as him would make a nation tremble', wrote Wesley, 'he carries fire wherever he goes.' Under Grimshaw's ministry the church's empty pews filled and non-attenders were startled to hear, 'If you will not come to church, you shall hear me at home'. Revival followed and persecution. But not even Grimshaw's opponents could deny that Haworth people now worked, and cared for their families, as they had never done before. What Charles Wesley called his 'triumphant love' was Grimshaw's supreme motivation. It led him to break through ecclesiastical rules and to preach far and wide: 'The most indefatigable minister of Christ that ever was in England' (William Romaine). It led also to his eagerness to help all -- Church of England or Dissenter, Moravian or Methodist, Arminian or Calvinist: 'I love Christians, true Christians of all parties. I do love them; I will love them; and none shall make me do otherwise.' - from dust jacket.