A92141:1014
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.
Hence 1. Try the disposition of the heart, see what hearts ye can bring out before the Lord; its true, the repenting thief could not, as Hezekiah, say, Lord, I have walked before thee with a perfect heart; or as Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; yet the crown is laid for love, and such as love his appearance, though all cannot wind up to be such fighting soldiers as Paul was:1 the repenting thieves flock was small, his race short, yet what he wanted of inherent grace that Hezekiah and Paul had, he had it of free righteousness, and Christ crucified was the gloriation of both. David brings not out his fixed heart in his extreme danger, as building his peace on it; the influence ⟨p. 297⟩of works on justification and peace is not causative, no more then the poor bride can say she hath put a debt upon the bride-groom to love her with marriage love because she wears his golden chains, his bracelets and jewels; its the bridegrooms comeliness that he puts upon her: nor can roses and lilies say, our Creator is our debtor, oweth us love because we are subjects bearing his colours, smell, virtue, and beauty of the Creator: What would the rose be if the Creator should take all from it he gave to it? We know such a rock to be covered with water, therefore its full sea; here is smoke, therefore here is fire: And ah! what a heart in death can the unrenewed man bring forth before the Lord? except he say, Lord, I was never in Christ; Lord, I never wept for sin; Lord, I never did a good work for Christ, but all for my self; Lord, I prophesied in thy name, but I was never born again, but hated all those that were born again.
Hence 1. Try the disposition of the heart, see what hearts ye can bring out before the Lord; its true, the repenting thief could not, as Hezekiah, say, Lord, I have walked before thee with a perfect heart; or as Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; yet the crown is laid for love, and such as love his appearance, though all cannot wind up to be such fighting souldiers as Paul was: