“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.

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.

Endorsement:
“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