A92141:1095
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.
3. To infinite wisdom it is clear, that a creature and a sinful creature cannot so measure out sense and comfort as the only wise God; as it is not so fit all the members of the house, servants, children, strangers should be their own stewards of the bread, wine, and dainties of the house, spices, ointments, myrrh, aloes, and cassia, as that there should be one wise and faithful servant over the family, that all and every one hand over head run not to the heap.1 Therefore is the Lord to be adored in his wisdom, as much in withdrawing influences of sense and comforts, as in bestowing them: Judge if all the fatherless infants, and pupils, and minors of the earth were left to be fathers and tutors to themselves, how would it be with their inheritances? If all the sick on earth were their own only Physicians, whether old or young, should it not be ill with the health of many? Some cures are worse then the diseases: there is a sickly and unnatural thirst on some persons sick of a fever;2 it would be ill with them if either abundance of wine, or a fountain of water were at their bed-side: the choice and elective faculty of the sick mans mind, is often as sick as his body. Let me not then be my own comforter, but let the Spirit of infinite wisdom enjoy his own office, and be the other comforter, whom the Father sends in Christs name.
3. To infinite wisedom it is clear, that a creature and a sinful creature cannot so measure out sense and comfort as the only wise God; as it is not so fit all the members of the house, servants, children, strangers should be their own stewards of the bread, wine, and dainties of the house, spices, ointments, myrrhe, aloes, and cassia, as that there should be one wise and faithful servant over the family, that all and every one hand over head run not to the heap.1 Therefore is the Lord to be adored in his wisedome, as much in withdrawing influences of sense and comforts, as in bestowing them: Judge if all the fatherless infants, and pupils, and minors of the earth were left to be fathers and tutors to themselves, how would it be with their inheritances? If all the sick on earth were their own only Physicians, whether old or young, should it not be ill with the health of many? Some cures are worse then the diseases: there is a sickly and unnatural thirst on some persons sick of a feaver;