A92141:1248
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.
he was a rational and moral agent in believing, and was not obliged in one and the same to hear and believe, but as a rational agent he was first to hear, and then to believe, after consideration of the Gospel now heard and received in the ear and mind. And the like may be said of Pagans at the first hearing of the Gospel, they must hear and literally consider the letter of the Gospel before they believe. As for the Lord's commanding to believe, to pray, to read, to praise, sure we are to begin our duty of natural stirring in these acts, though in another kind of cause, God must first act us thereunto: nor is the Lord's stir•ing of us by omnipotent grace, enjoined to us, but we are commanded to do our duty, and to pray for his drawing that we may run: but yet by order ⟨p. 360⟩of nature, we are to do our parts first in our physical way before we feel the stirring of divine influences.
he was a rational and moral agent in believing, and was not obliged in one and the same to hear and believe, but as a rational agent he was first to hear, and then to believe, after consideration of the Gospel now heard and received in the ear and mind. And the like may be said of Pagans at the first hearing of the Gospel, they must hear and literally consider the letter of the Gospel before they believe. As for the Lord's commanding to believe, to pray, to read, to praise, sure we are to begin our duty of natural stirring in these acts, though in another kind of cause, God must first act us thereunto: nor is the Lord's stir•ing of us by omnipotent grace, enjoyned to us, but we are commanded to doe our duty, and to pray for his drawing that we may run: but yet by order ⟨p. 360⟩of nature, we are to doe our parts first in our physical way before we feel the stirring of divine influences.
Obj. He cannot pray, he cannot believe, and yet God commands him to believe.