A92141:329
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.
2.1 As the Objection is against the Sovereignty of God, so it is against the infinite wisdom of God: Why should the infinitely wise Lord, knowing, if Judas, and all the disobedient refusers of Christ, had the same grace, and influences of grace bestowed upon them, which he freely bestowed on his own, they would have obeyed; deny that grace, and ⟨p. 89⟩these influences, he knowingly denies them? After the Apostle in three Chapters hath discussed this, Rom. 11. 33. he acknowledges there is a deep in it; O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! No wonder it be a depth to me; but there is no more deep in it, if all have universal sufficient grace, and if all have the influences of grace in their power, then this is no depth: He that believes shall be saved; he that believes not shall be condemned, and God rewards those who seek him: I deny not there is a depth in all God's ways, in the industry of a Pismire, of a Coney, of a Locust; yea how the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child: But because the Apostle having discoursed of Election and Reprobation, and of the Righteousness of Faith, and of the Law, Rom. cap. 9. c. 10. and of the casting off the Jews for a time, and the incoming of the Gentiles, Rom. 11. and then concludes, ver. 33. O the depth, both of the riches and knowledge of God, &c. there must be another sort of profundity in the words, to humane reason, then that wisdom of God shining in the works of Creation and providence, Rom. 1. 19, 20. Psal. 92. 5, 6, 7. Psal. 107. 43. Psal. 58. 10, 11, &c. Now the Doctors of universal grace, and such as submit election and reprobation, obedience to the call of God, and disobedience, and all the influences of grace to the determination of free will, arise no higher then the depths of mans willing, and nilling. As also the Objector in this saith, God might have more honour and service of me, if so it had pleased him; and what is this? but God would be wiser, should he bestow grace and the influences of grace on me, and all mankind; for even such Arminians who cannot deny but God foresees, what motions and influences shall prevail with free will, what not, are burdened with this doubt; as we are, if mans carnal wisdom be judge.