A92141:1343
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.
2. By Reason, as moral Atheists; or by Nature, as many Philosophers and some Physicians; such are dead and dry rocks, never rained on by influences, seldom while the skaddings of the river and streams of brimstone waken them are they out of a sleep; for influences on the creature in all its operations, especially in these of grace, are most proper actings of holy providence: he who denies there is such a thing in the world as fire, or a Sun, must deny that there is heat and light in the world. But the other sort of Atheists, without Christ, God Immanuel, are more inexcusable; as a Gospel-Atheist is farther from influences of grace then a Pagan-Atheist, as is clear from Matth. 10. 15. Matth. 11. 22, 23, 24. Matth. 12. 41, 42. because farther from salvation; how few have been converted who were first temporary hypocrites, and long despisers of the Gospel? 2. who have been long moral naturalists; and 3. long bitter and virulent enemies to the Gospel and the godly, though otherways grave and civil? Be much in believing that God is, Heb. 11. that leads the way to the noble actings of faith in Abel, v. 4. Enoch, v. 5. Noah, v. 7. Abraham, v. 8. &c. and the faith that God is, and rules, and is good to Israel, and that he punisheth wicked men though he make them rich, leads the Prophet to the faith of God, his gracious providence in guiding the godly by his counsel, in holding them by the right hand, Psam 73. 1, 2, 3, &c. 23, 24, 25.
2. By Reason, as moral Atheists; or by Nature, as many Philosophers and some Physitians; such are dead and dry rocks, never rained on by influences, seldome while the skaddings of the river and streams of brimstone waken them are they out of a sleep; for influences on the creature in all its operations, especially in these of grace, are most proper actings of holy providence: he who denies there is such a thing in the world as fire, or a Sun, must deny that there is heat and light in the world. But the other sort of Atheists, without Christ, God Immanuel, are more inexcusable; as a Gospel-Atheist is farther from influences of grace then a Pagan-Atheist, as is clear from