A92141:526
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.
5. He must have had strong and mighty influences in the course of a holy and sinless conversation, in a mortified walk, refusing a Kingdom when it was offered to him, John 6. though he could have born it out; in being poor for us; in having no hole nor lodging to hide his head; in meek and patient forgiving of his enemies; in being much in prayer, spending whole nights in praying; in praying and fasting forty days; in obeying all laws, fulfilling all righteousness, ceremonial, moral, natural; in all works of mercy, obedience to Caesar, to Parents, Brethren, to souls of men; in his virtues of faith, lowliness, meekness, patience, love, zeal, hope, delighting in God.
5. He must have had strong and mighty influences in the course of a holy and sinlesse conversation, in a mortified walk, refusing a Kingdom when it was offered to him, John 6. though he could have born it out; in being poor for us; in having no hole nor lodging to hide his head; in meek and patient forgiving of his enemies; in being much in prayer, spending whole nights in praying; in praying and fasting forty dayes; in obeying all lawes, fulfilling all righteousnesse, ceremonial, moral, natural; in all works of mercie, obedience to Caesar, to Parents, Brethren, to soules of men; in his vertues of faith, lowlinesse, meeknesse, patience, love, zeal, hope, delighting in God.
Now though none can be so near to God as the man Christ, who in one person was not near to God only, but was God-man and Emanuel; yet learn we hence, the nearer we are to God, the more are we under the showers of influences of grace. It's good to be holy, and keep close communion with God, and dwell hard by the Fountain, and we shall be watered. The tree planted by the rivers side hath most influences; and the man that lies in a bed of roses, and is near to spikenard, to myrrh, aloes, and Cassia, and is daily among the herbs, and haunts in the garden of all fragrant smells, will carry some sweet savour away. The Lord Jesus his out-lettings of free love and grace, must run much upon these who are daily near to him. Keep a distance from God, and be much at cups, at chambering and wantonness, in the company of the whore, of the profane, of the swearer, what hope of showers and waterings of influences of grace upon such a cursed soil?