A92141:1214
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. There is no promise of a rich harvest made to all who plough painfully, but often the contrary; the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, Eccles. 9. 10. nor have they ever riches who rise early and go late to bed, and eat the bread of sorrow, Psal. 127. and for that shall the husbandman hang up the plough, and till none? there is not a promise made that all that sail shall bring home rich ships full of gold; what then? are all the Merchants in the earth loosed from the duty of trading, and sailing cried down? then all shipping must be laid aside.
3. There is no promise of a rich harvest made to all who plow painfully, but often the contrary; the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, Eccles. 9. 10. nor have they ever riches who rise early and go late to bed, and eat the bread of sorrow, Psal. 127. and for that shall the husbandman hang up the plow, and till none? there is not a promise made that all that sail shall bring home rich ships full of gold; what then? are all the Merchants in the earth loosed from the duty of trading, and sailing cried down? then all shipping must be laid aside.
4.1 There is not a promise made to using of means, but there is a sad threatening of wrath to such as use no means; he that ploughs none, but sleeps in Summer, shall be clothed with rags: but there is no word that all who plough painfully shall be rich men, and clothed in scarlet, Prov. 28. 7. He that turns away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer shall be abomination; but all that hear the Law are not converted; this shows that the Lord is provoked by the not using of means in natural men, as both the Lords plea with the wicked cleareth, and their sinful neglect of not putting God to it, to see if God will not do more, when they have done but a little of their duty; the Lord is at the pains to charm them, and doth it wisely, they will be deaf as the adder; well then,