Letters of Samuel Rutherford X: Entertain Christ Well

Keep Christ and entertain him well.
Samuel Rutherford

Samuel Rutherford’s letters are often remembered for their soaring descriptions of the beauty and loveliness of Christ. But Rutherford was not content merely to comfort sleepy Christians. He also knew how to awaken them.

In this final episode on Samuel Rutherford, Dr. John Snyder examines a series of Rutherford’s letters written to stir believers out of spiritual lethargy and call them to earnestness, holiness, and wholehearted pursuit of Christ. Whether addressing young converts, careless professors, or discouraged saints, Rutherford repeatedly presses the same point: Christ is too precious to be followed lazily.

These letters confront the danger of spiritual drift, warn against assuming salvation without evidence of perseverance, and urge believers to cultivate prayer, holiness, watchfulness, and delight in Christ. Yet Rutherford’s exhortations are never cold or merely moralistic. Again and again, he reminds us that true obedience flows from hearts captivated by the sweetness of Christ himself.

This episode also includes one of Rutherford’s most beloved warnings to dry and wandering believers: “We are rather dry than thirsty.” His counsel is simple and searching — stop dwelling far from the well and return to Christ.

As this series on Rutherford concludes, Dr. Snyder reflects on the enduring value of these prison letters and the way they continue to call believers to sincerity, diligence, and deeper communion with Christ.