A92141:1391
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.
CHAP. IIII.
Of other impediments of influences in particular coming from the mind, will, and some other considerable affections, and their cures. 1. False and heretical light. 2. A corrupt will. 3 From hatred of Christ.
1. The corrupt wisdom and the wicked learning of men, who are carnal and destitute of the truth, can produce nothing, but doting about questions, and strife of words; whereof cometh envy, strife, railing, or blasphemies, evil-surmisings, [Greek or Hebrew] perverse disputing: these are the genuine fruits of the heretical spirit, 1 Tim. 6. 3, 4, 5. and of the wisdom of men,1 which neither is subject to the law of God and his truth, [Greek or Hebrew], neither can be subject, Rom. 8. 7, &c. of the carnal man, who neither receives the things of the Spirit of God, [Greek or Hebrew], neither can he know them: and observe that the Holy Ghost in both places denies both the act and the possibility of the minds subjection to the truth where the judgement is rotten. Now as we may well say, the rock hath no natural power to receive an influence from God, for the growing of wheat on it; nor a thorn-tree to bring forth wine grapes, as our Saviour speaks, Matth. 7. 16. so neither can the corrupt, and heretical mind produce sound truths; nor can the Lord give influences, in a natural way, to a thistle to bring forth figs: indeed by a miracle, the Lord caused Aaron's dead withered rod to blossom and bring forth almonds: And Caiaphas (I say not by a miracle) but in an extraordinary way, [Greek or Hebrew],