A92141:257
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. How unsavoury shall this be? a man falls over a Bridge and is a drowning, another is going to the place of Execution to die, another is sick to death, all of them may by this shift say, we must not pray lest we take the Name of God in vain, until the Spirit breath upon us heavenly impressions, of speaking in the Spirit to God.
3. How unsavoury shall this be? a man falls over a Bridge and is a drowning, another is going to the place of Execution to die, another is sick to death, all of them may by this shift say, we must not pray lest we take the Name of God in vain, untill the Spirit breath upon us heavenly impressions, of speaking in the Spirit to God.
4. This shift cannot stand to suspend praying, until the Spirit breath from on high; for we are to pray for the spirit's breathing, and for teaching, quickening, enlarging of heart that we may pray and praise, Psal. 51. 15. Psal. 119. 36, 37, 40, 48. Wind fetches wind here, and fire begets fire, as cold flint creates hot fire: so the Atheists, let them pray that can pray; I'm no Minister; But it hath this, I am ready to pray, but the blame of my not praying, is to be laid on the Spirit, for the wind blows not; but this is but witty laziness, as when the Sea-man will sleep and attempt no Sea-voyage, and lay the blame, which is his fall, upon the wind which blows not after his mind; it appears he is but a sleeper; not a Husband-man who for bears ploughing and sowing upon the account only that he finds not a season so desirable as he craves, and that he is indisposed to plough spiritually as a Christian; He who observes the wind shall not sow: and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap, Eccl. 11. 4. So are we to refer to his holy Sovereignty the flowings of the Spirit, and to set about holy duties, as if these flowings were in our power;1