Most justly does the old Preface to the earlier Editions begin by
telling the Reader that "These Letters have no need of any man's
epistle commendatory, the great Master having given them one, written
by His own hand on the hearts of all who favour the things of God."
Every one who knows these "Letters" at all, is aware of their most
peculiar characteristic, namely, the discovery they present of the
marvellous intercourse carried on between the writer's soul and his
God.
This Edition will be found to be the most complete that has hitherto
appeared. It is the same as that of 1863, in two vols., with two
slight alterations, viz. the footnotes are for the most part removed
to the Glossary, and a few of the notices are condensed, but nothing
omitted of any importance. On the other hand, one or two slight
additions have been made. Attending carefully to the chronological
arrangement, the Editor has sought, by biographical, topographical,
and historical notices, to put the Reader in possession of all that
was needed to enable him to enter into the circumstances in which each
Letter was written, so far as that could be done. The appended
Glossary of Scottish words and expressions (many of them in reality
old English), the Index of Places and Persons, the Index of Special
Subjects, and the prefixed Contents of Each Letter, will, it is
confidently believed, be found both interesting and useful. The Sketch
of Rutherford's Life may be thought too brief; but the limits within
which such a Sketch must necessarily be confined, when occupying the
place of a mere Introduction, rendered brevity inevitable.
Every Letter hitherto published is to be found in this Edition. The
ten additional Letters of the Edition 1848, along with two more, added
since that time, are all inserted in their chronological place. The
publishers have taken great pains with the typography.