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.
Samuel Rutherford 1600?–1661London: printed by T.C. for Andrew Crook, 1659
[34], 438 p. · 181k words · Wing R2380 · ESTC R207742
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.
What,1 was David sleeping, or his tongue sleeping, or his harp sleeping? yea even when the heart is prepared and strongly fixed to praise, there is some sleepiness on the man. I insist not on this, that none run so swiftly for the price and wager of glory, but a cramp or a stitch may come on, so as they need a spur, and turn dull and slow.
What,1 was David sleeping, or his tongue sleeping, or his harp sleeping? yea even when the heart is prepared and strongly fixed to praise, there is some sleepinesse on the man. I insist not on this, that none run so swiftly for the price and wager of glory, but a cramp or a stitch may come on, so as they need a spur, and turn dull and slow.
But the 5th Property of a heavenly disposition is to cause the man reflect upon himself and his own sleepiness.1 8—my self will awake early. What if tongue and voice awake? ⟨p. 305⟩what if harp and the gift of music wake, if mans heart sleep? 1. Grace hath an immanent working, and a reflect acting on it self and the mans own heart as well as a transient, and a direct acting: the vessel of honour, or the chosen man purgeth himself,
. Jude exhorts so v. 10. Building up your selves on your most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost. Some think if the holy Ghost act, pray, sigh, believe, praise in them, they need to do nothing, the holy Ghost prays in me, and in my stead. Nay but Jude wills you to edify your self: the actings and influences of the holy Ghost are not given to this end, that we should sleep, and sport, and play. 21. Keep your selves in the love of God. Will not the love of God keep the man in the love of God? Shall not Christ in you the hope of glory keep Christ himself in you? nay what need were there then of watching? Watch thou in all things,
. Paul to the Elders of Ephesus, Take heed to your selves and to the flock. They shall not heedfully watch over the flock, who do not carefully watch over themselves. Is this right, that men should doubt of the influences of God, and fear that God forgets himself and his own begun work of grace, and never fear their own lazy back-drawing? Why but we should be on our wings, and waken our selves, and crow more loudly. It's a gracious complaint,
. My mothers children were angry with me, they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but mine own vineyard have I not kept. Ask hourly what your own heart does, how the husbandry at home thrives. The Spirit of the Lord was in Jehoshaphat without doubt; but
. When he heard of the host coming against him, he feared, and set himself to seek the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, but he was not idle, but prophesied and stirred up himself to believe. Often it's said the Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson, yet so as Sampson roused up himself, and shook himself,
But the 5th Property of a heavenly disposition is to cause the man reflect upon himself and his own sleepinesse.1 8—my self will awake early. What if tongue and voice awake? ⟨p. 305⟩what if harp and the gift of musick wake, if mans heart sleep? 1. Grace hath an immanent working, and a reflect acting on it self and the mans own heart as well as a transient, and a direct acting: the vessel of honour, or the chosen man purgeth himself, 2 Tim. 2. 21. And every man that hath this hope purifies himself, even as he also is pure. 1 John 3. 3. Jude exhorts so v. 10. Building up your selves on your most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost. Some think if the holy Ghost act, pray, sigh, believe, praise in them, they need to doe nothing, the holy Ghost prayes in me, and in my stead. Nay but Jude wills you to edifie your self: the actings and influences of the holy Ghost are not given to this end, that we should sleep, and sport, and play. 21. Keep your selves in the love of God. Will not the love of God keep the man in the love of God? Shall not Christ in you the hope of glory keep Christ himself in you? nay what need were there then of watching? Watch thou in all things, 1 Tim. 4. 16. Take heed to thy self and to thy doctrine. Then may one take heed to reading, and not take heed to himself, Acts 20. 28. Paul to the Elders of Ephesus, Take heed to your selves and to the flock. They shall not heedfully watch over the flock, who doe not carefully watch over themselves. Is this right, that men should doubt of the influences of God, and fear that God forgets himself and his own begun work of grace, and never fear their own lazy back-drawing? Why but we should be on our wings, and waken our selves, and crow more loudly. It's a gracious complaint, Cant. 1. 6. My mothers children were angry with me, they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but mine own vineyard have I not kept. Ask hourly what your own heart does, how the husbandry at home thrives. The Spirit of the Lord was in Jehoshaphat without doubt; but 2 Chro. 20. 3. When he heard of the host coming against him, he feared, and set himself to seek the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, but he was not idle, but prophesied and stirred up himself to believe. Often it's said the Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson, yet so as Sampson roused up himself, and shook himself, Judg. 16. 20.
1Heavenly dispositions cause a man act upon himself.Heavenly dispositions cause a man act upo• himself.
Spirit-raptures, wherein we lie from duties, are but delusions: ⟨p. 306⟩all the visions, raptures, and high actings of the Spirit set men on to duties of hearing, prophesying, praying. See all the Scripture for this.
Spirit-raptures, wherein we lie from duties, are but delusions: ⟨p. 306⟩all the visions, raptures, and high actings of the Spirit set men on to duties of hearing, prophecying, praying. See all the Scripture for this.
Of the fourth disposition, which is Love-sickness. 1. Parts of the Text. 2. The meeting of Believers for godly conference is owned by the Lord. 3. Smaller means of grace, and short visits of Christ, are to be highly esteemed, especially when flowings are neglected. 4. Sense is prouder then Faith. 5. Withdrawings of Christ teach us profitably. 6. Except we find Christ, we cannot pray as becomes. 7. The real withdrawings of Christ make no real change in moral or legal interests; four great interests stand entire and safe under desertion. 8. What love-sickness is. 9. The wisdom of God in suspended influences of grace. 10. The wisdom of Sovereignty therein, and how dependence on the Lords guiding is best. 11. How we may deprecate the pain of love-sickness, and pray for comforts and influences, and 12. may contradict the Lords permissive will. 13. We are to have peace as touching the satisfied for guilt of sin, when we have not peace with the inherent blot. 14. How Love-sickness rightly pains. 15. Pain of Love-sickness. 16. Sense above faith. 17. The Idol of moderation. 18. Of spiritual savouriness.
Of the fourth disposition, which is Love-sickness. 1. Parts of the Text. 2. The meeting of Believers for godly conference is owned by the Lord. 3. Smaller means of grace, and short visits of Christ, are to be highly esteemed, especially when flowings are neglected. 4. Sense is prouder then Faith. 5. Withdrawings of Christ teach us profitably. 6. Except we find Christ, we cannot pray as becomes. 7. The real withdrawings of Christ make no real change in moral or legal interests; four great interests stand entire and safe under desertion. 8. What lovesickness is. 9. The wisedome of God in suspended influences of grace. 10. The wisedome of Soveraignty therein, and how dependance on the Lords guiding is best. 11. How we may deprecate the pain of love-sickness, and pray for comforts and influences, and 12. may contradict the Lords permissive will. 13. We are to have peace as touching the satisfied for guilt of sin, when we have not peace with the inherent blot. 14. How Love-sickness rightly pains. 15. Pain of Love-sickness. 16. Sense above faith. 17. The Idol of moderation. 18. Of spirtual savouriness.
Cant. 5. v. 8. I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him that I am sick of love. 9. What is thy beloved more then another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more then another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
The charge by an oath is given to the daughters of Jerusalem, of whom the Holy Ghost, Cant. 2. 7. Cant. 1. 5. If you find my beloved in the Ordinances by hearing or prayer, tell him: what shall you tell him? a passionate kind of speech, that I am sick of love. Greek, wounded with love, pained for the want of Christ in his comfortable presence, who was now to her feeling absent. Here is a comfortable dialogue between the Spouse and her companions, who are less experienced with the way of Christ then she; there was a more comfortable dialogue betwixt Christ and the Spouse, but she slighted that, and therefore now is glad to speak with the servant when the Master is away.
THe charge by an oath is given to the daughters of Jerusalem, of whom the Holy Ghost, Cant. 2. 7. Cant. 1. 5. If you find my beloved in the Ordinances by hearing or prayer, tell him: what shall you tell him? a passionate kind of speech, that I am sick of love. Greek, wounded with love, pained for the want of Christ in his comfortable presence, who was now to her feeling absent. Here is a comfortable dialogue between the Spouse and her companions, who are less experienced with the way of Christ then she; there was a more comfortable dialogue betwixt Christ and the Spouse, but she slighted that, and therefore now is glad to speak with the servant when the Master is away.
3. The daughters of Jerusalem their reply and carnal disposition is noted, bewraying their ignorance of Christ, and finding fault with vehemency of words doubled, What is thy beloved? what is thy beloved more then another beloved?
The Church did formerly of late confer with Christ, and refused to open to him when he was knocking and showering down influences of grace; now she is glad to confer,
The Church did formerly of late confer with Christ, and refused to open to him when he was knocking and showring down influences of grace; now she is glad to confer,
2. Next with private Christians in Assemblies. This is a mean of the Lords showering down of influences in the public and domestic, or less public meetings of his Saints; for ordinances of all sorts that are appointed of Christ, they drop down savoury and seasonable dews. The Lord writes in his book the savoury conferences of such as fear the Lords name, Mal. 3. 16. and three things follow.
2. Next with private Christians in Assemblies. This is a mean of the Lords showring down of influences in the publick and domestick, or less publick meetings of his Saints; for ordinances of all sorts that are appointed of Christ, they drop down savoury and seasonable dews. The Lord writes in his book the savoury conferences of such as fear the Lords name, Mal. 3. 16. and three things follow.
