The King in His Beauty: The Piety of Samuel Rutherford - Profiles in Reformed Spirituality (Vogan, ed.)

“The King in His Beauty” introduces readers to the life and writings of Samuel Rutherford (1600–1661). Matthew Vogan’s biographical introduction traces the significant events of this Scottish theologian’s life and guides readers through his writings, focusing on his distinctive insight into Christian experience. In forty-three excerpts drawn from Rutherford’s letters, major treatises, catechism, and sermons, readers will discover the depth of Rutherford’s compassion, piety, and theological wisdom, all rooted in his unwavering love for Christ.

Table of Contents:

1. Believing the Scriptures
2. The Messenger of the Covenant
3. Lost Sheep
4. Sorrow for Sin
5. Unsearchable Grace
6. The Soul Trouble of the Redeemer
7. The Mystery of Christ’s Soul Trouble
8. The Beloved Withdraws
9. Confession of Sin
10. The Hand of the Beloved at the Door of the Heart
11. Spiritual Lethargy
12. The Rose of Sharon
13. Sorrowing for an Absent Christ
14. Looking toward Zion
15. Impression of Grace May be Stronger Afterwards
16. The Fragrance of Grace
17. The God-Man
18. Christ the Son of David
19. Numbering Our Days
20. Wondering at Christ
21. The Signs of a New Heart
22. The Prince of Life Lays Down His Own Life
23. Christ’s Dove
24. The Ways and Dealings of the King of Kings to a Soul
25. Christ’s Joy
26. Mysteries in Christ
27. The Danger of Seeking Material Things
28. Testing Ourselves
29. Covenant Love Between God and His People
30. Christ Cannot be Hid
31. Hearing of the Lord Jesus Christ
32. Return to Your First Husband
33. Zion’s Lament
34. Life Which Cannot Be Lost
35. Christ’s Goodwill for the Suffering Church
36. The False Glory of the World
37. I Have Overcome the World
38. The Hope of Glory
39. All Things for Good
40. Christ and His People in the Wilderness
41. Altogether Lovely
42. Suffering with Christ
43. Christian Directions

Reading Rutherford  

Series Description 

Seeking, then, both to honor the past and yet not idolize it, we are issuing these books in the series Profiles in Reformed Spirituality. The design is to introduce the spirituality and piety of the Reformed Profiles in Reformed Spirituality tradition by presenting descriptions of the lives of notable Christians with select passages from their works. This combination of biographical sketches and collected portions from primary sources gives a taste of the subjects’ contributions to our spiritual heritage and some direction as to how the reader can find further edification through their works. It is the hope of the publishers that this series will provide riches for those areas where we are poor and light of day where we are stumbling in the deepening twilight.

Author 

Matthew Vogan lives in Inverness, Scotland, with his wife, Janet, and son, Joseph. He is a ruling elder in the Inverness congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland and author of various articles for a number of periodicals. He works in local government as a project manager.

Endorsements 

“Samuel Rutherford is the most significant devotional writer in the British Reformed tradition, and in Matthew Vogan he has found the ideal editor. This book gathers together the most important passages in Rutherford’s writing, to preserve for us his unique appreciation of the glories of Immanuel’s land.” — Crawford Gribben, senior lecturer, Trinity College Dublin, and director of Texts, Contexts, Cultures

"Ever heard a foreign language and thought, 'That's beautiful. I'd love to understand that, or even speak like that'? You may have a similiar sensation as you read Samuel Rutherford's moving descriptions of Jesus Christ and His loving interactions with needy sinners. While the heavenly language and passionate experiences may initally seem strange to our shallow minds and cold hearts, Christians will find themselves enraptured and enticed to a deeper, higher, and wider knowledge and experience of Jesus Christ as they read these beatiful words." - David P. Murray, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary