A92141:241
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.
For 1. A gracious heart seeks no other out-lettings of grace to this or that duty, but according to the promise; Now the promise is not contrary to the Sovereign dispensation; and there is no such Sovereignty, but that there are many withdrawings of God, whence follows deadness and the souls melting for heaviness; Nor is there either promise or dispensation, that the believer shall, in every moment of time, be lively and vigorous, and have the heart lifted up in the ways of God; except we would say, Earth is Heaven, and we are not for a time in heaviness, if need be.
For 1. A gracious heart seeks no other out-lettings of grace to this or that duty, but according to the promise; Now the promise is not contrary to the Soveraign dispensation; and there is no such Soveraignty, but that there are many withdrawings of God, whence follows deadness and the souls melting for heaviness; Nor is there either promise or dispensation, that the belever shall, in every moment of time, be lively and vigorous, and have the heart lifted up in the ways of God; except we would say, Earth is Heaven, and we are not for a time in heaviness, if need be.
2. There is a bastard literal heat and vigour of going about duties that comes not from the Word; no bastard heat comes from the Word, but by accident; for the Spirit that speaks in the Word, speaks his own spiritual and lively comforts and actings; not that which may flow from a letter, which is common to Seneca and other humane Writers, and the Prophets, though even the style, liveliness, majesty and divinity that may be seen in the letter of the Scripture are eminently above the like in other Writers; The Spirit immediately inspiring, and the Spirit quickening in the Word, are both the same Spirit that Christ promised to send, John 16. of which Christ, ver. 14. He shall glorify me, he shall receive of mine (a word most mysterious) and shall show it unto you; and believers are afraid that their hearts receive some other quickening between the sound of the Word, and the actings of the Lord upon their hearts, which causeth them to pray for no quickening, but according to the Word.