A92141:1010
Influences of the life of grace
Influences of the life of grace. Or, A practical treatise concerning the way, manner, and means of having and improving of spiritual dispositions, and quickening influences from Christ the resurrection and the life. By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.Influences of the life of grace. Or, A practical treatise concerning the way, manner, and means of having and improving of spiritual dispositions, and quickning influences from Christ the resurrection and the life. By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of St. Andrews in Scotland.
London: printed by T.C. for Andrew Crook, 1659
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
A. 1. Because neither David nor any of the Saints can order their own hearts under heavenly dispositions, therefore the telling of this to God is a seeking help from him to improve these dispositions. Peter cannot make use of the glory of Christs transfiguration which he saw, except grace help (in a manner) glory, and the Lord enable Peter to make the right use of it, as he doth 2 Pet. 1. 16, 17. and not as he doth Mark 9. 5, 6, 7.1 The Spouse banqueting with Christ in his garden, eating honey and the honeycomb, is in greater danger to miscarry, and turn sleepy and carnally secure, as it fell out Cant. 1. 2, 3. then when ⟨p. 295⟩she wants his presence Cant. 3. 1, 2, 3. Its not easy to guide a new heart, or to guide and use well the heaven of a fixed heart and such heavenly disposition at the Kings banquet of wine, when he gives the hidden manna and the white stone; when Christs banner over you is love, and his left hand under the head, and the right embracing you, there is then, if ever, need to pray; and Christ is our precedent in this when he was transfigured, and in that heaven, so as he seemed to be beyond praying, in a state of praising, yet he prays Luke 9. 29. and then there is need of watching; yea, a believer is to pray, in a good sense, to be delivered from the evil of our prayers, and from the sinful abusing of spiritual acts of a renewed heart from the evil of the flowings of free grace and heavenly dispositions, so to speak, and therefore should we tremble for fear that our sinful abuse of the impressions of the Spirit and heavenly dispositions move not the Lord to hide his face from his own shinings of grace, and darken his own Sun, and overcloud his noon-day beams, and rays of light and love; and who knows that God may mar his own feast, and remove the table before the believer eat, because he was sinfully wanton at the sight of dainties, and prayed not humbly that Christ would bless his coming down to his garden, and his banqueting with his Spouse.