Note 58 — SKETCH OF SAMUEL RUTHERFORD.

Even in his controversial works, sparks of the same poetic fire fly out when opportunity occurs. In his Treatise "De Divina Providentiâ," the following paragraph occurs, extolling the glory of Godhead wisdom. "Comparentur cum illa increata sapientia Dei Patris umbratiles scintillulæ creatæ gloriolæ quotquot nominis celebritate inclaruerunt. Delirat Plato. Mentitur Aristoteles. Cicero balbutit, hæsitat, nescit Latine loqui. Demosthenes mutus et elinguis obstupescit; virtutis viam ignorat Seneca; nihil canit Homerus; male canit Virgilius! Accedant ad Christum qui virtutis gloria fulgent! Aristides virtutem mentitur. Fabius cespitat, a via justitiæ deviat. Socrates ne hoc quidem scit, se nihil scire. Cato levis et futilis est; Solon est mundi et voluptatum servus et mancipium, non legislator. Pythagoras nec sophos, nec philosophus est. Bias nec mundi nec inanis gloriæ contemptor. Alexander Macedo ignavus est," &c. Another work bears this title: "Exercitationes Apologeticæ pro Divinâ Gratiâ, studio et industria Samuelis Rhætorfortis, Anwetensis, in Gallovidiâ, Scotiæ provinciâ Pastoris." The preface, or dedication, to Gordon of Kenmure, is very characteristic, ending thus: "Non enim ignoras in hac valle miseriarum minime sistendum, neque tentorium figendum; ad æternitatem ipsam (quod vere magnum nomen est & ineffabile) te vocari; crescere iter, decrescere diem, omnia alia aliena, tempus tantum nostrum esse, si modo nostrum est." In this preface he calls himself "Pastor Anwetensis," the old spelling of Anwoth being Anweth.