An allusion to Psalm 45:14 "She shall be brought to the
King in robes of many colors; The
virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; They shall enter the King's palace."
Rutherford is saying that she is a special object of Christ's love, and will be robed with heavenly
blessings.
Affections or emotional desires.
Rutherford's favourite term for Jesus Christ. Compare Song
of Songs 1:4 "Take me away with
you- let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers."
The Puritans interpreted the Song
of Songs (or Song of Solomon) as a allegory of Christ and His
Church.
A quote from John Owen:
"No man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight hereafter,
who does not in some
measure behold it by faith here in this world."
To Heaven.
In death.
"That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens
by fire, and the elements will melt in
the heat." -- 2 Pet 3:12 (NIV)
The Pope and the Devil. Rutherford saw the changes in the Church
of Scotland imposed by
the English King Charles I as a prelude to re-imposing Catholicism
in England and Scotland. It
was for speaking out against these changes that he was exiled
to Aberdeen.
That is, they will gain money and property. But what is that
worth, in view of eternity?
At this time he was not locked up in prison. His exile away
from his church, family, and friends
felt to him like a prison.
That is, the pain of being separated from his beloved congregation.
"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I
am going away. Unless I go away, the
Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to
you." -- John 16:7 (NIV)
Perhaps Rutherford feared that one of them would die before
his release from exile, in which
case they would be joyfully reunited, pastor and church member,
in heaven.