Letters of Samuel Rutherford IX: Small Souls and a Boundless Christ

If this whole world were the beam of a balance,
it would not be able to bear the weight of Christ’s love.
Samuel Rutherford

Samuel Rutherford knew suffering, imprisonment, isolation, and loss. Yet from his prison cell came some of the richest descriptions of communion with Christ ever written.

In this episode of Dr. John Snyder continues exploring Rutherford’s letters by focusing on one central theme: the nearness of God. Drawing from Rutherford’s prison correspondence, Dr. Snyder examines the different ways Scripture speaks about God’s presence and how Rutherford experienced the sweetness of Christ in ways he once thought impossible on this side of heaven.

Rutherford writes of the believer’s regret over loving Christ so little, the overwhelming abundance of Christ’s love toward His people, the dangers of idolizing spiritual experiences, and the diligence required to pursue deeper fellowship with God. Again and again, his letters press us beyond merely knowing truths about Christ into delighting in Christ Himself.

What happens when a believer discovers that his soul is too small to contain the love of God? Rutherford’s answer is simple: stop standing on the shore and throw yourself into the ocean.