A92141:473
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.
Now the eternal Law of God requires that mans soul should be, by creation, endued with the image of God; and Adam and Eve by that image said Amen to that Law for a time, Eat not, lest ye die. They knew the Law was just, and they knew it was their natural obligation to obey; and how can it be denied but this knowledge was a part of the mans natural goodness and holiness, and so agreeable to the eternal Law of God; and that the contrary of this, to doubt of the truth of this, as Satan induced them to do, Gen. 3. was a blacking of that fair image, and contrary to the law of nature?
Now the eternal Law of God requires that mans soul should be, by creation, indued with the image of God; and Adam and Evah by that image said Amen to that Law for a time, Eat not, lest ye die. They knew the Law was just, and they knew it was their natural obligation to obey; and how can it be denied but this knowledge was a part of the mans natural goodnesse and holinesse, and so agreeable to the eternal Law of God; and that the contrary of this, to doubt of the truth of this, as Satan induced them to doe, Gen. 3. was a blacking of that fair image, and contrary to the law of nature?
2. The more of this image that is left in the souls of men by nature, as the more knowledge, natural justice, and virtue remain in Aristides, Regulus, Seneca, Tullius, &c. the more lovely they are, and so must their [souls have a more natural conformity with the law of nature then other Heathens, who killed their aged Fathers, sacrificed their sons to Devils,1 used wives promiscuously. Then, what God condemns in us, that we should condemn in our selves, and therefore are to be humbled for our state we are in by nature. For we are dead in sins and trespasses, by nature the children of wrath, as well as others, Eph. 2. 1, 4, We our selves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.