A92141:396
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. There is a difference betwixt a mere temptation and a threatening. The woman of Canaan strives not against Christ's not answering her one word, Matth. 15. what? he is master of his own Answers. When Christ says, I came not but for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, she strives not; he is Master of his own journey from Heaven to Earth; yet that Answer weakens her not in the duty of praying, and worshipping. But when she is reproached as to her interest in Christ, Its not meet to take the children's bread and to give it to dogs, she mildly, yet in the boldness of faith contradicts Christ: suppose Christ out of his own mouth should deny a child of God to be a child of God, there is place for a holy striving and contradicting of him.
2. There is a difference betwixt a meer temptation and a threatning. The woman of Canaan strives not against Christ's not answering her one word, Matth. 15. what? he is master of his own Answers. When Christ says, I came not but for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, she strives not; he is Master of his own journey from Heaven to Earth; yet that Answer weakens her not in the duetie of praying, and worshipping. But when she is reproached as to her interest in Christ, Its not meet to take the childrens bread and to give it to dogs, she mildly, yet in the boldness of faith contradicts Christ: suppose Christ out of his own mouth should deny a child of God to be a child of God, there is place for a holy striving and contradicting of him.
3. It is a gracious behaviour in the man Christ,1 that he is affected with grief for the Lord's forsaking, and expresseth it with tears and strong cries, Heb. 5. Should not the child weep, when the father is angry? 2. The privation of the greatest good, such as the overclouding of the Lord's favour, is a due cause of sadness; Woman, why weepest thou, saith the Angel to Magdalen? why weep I? they have taken away my Lord. 3. It wants not reason I weep, for my father is dead; there is my mothers grave, she is very new buried, therefore I weep; all my goods are taken away, and therefore I weep; yet the Lord hath forsaken me, and I weep not; that is dreadful. So Job, Jeremiah, David, Hezekiah, are sadly afflicted, when the Lord seems angry.