A92141:537
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. The promises of a seed given to Christ, and that he should see of the travels of his soul; and that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand, Isa. 53. prove that influences of grace must be promised, by which people should be made the seed of Christ, and willing followers of him, which is Christ's soul-travel, and the good-will and pleasure of God prospering in his hand, Isa. 59. 20, 21, 22. Isa. 49. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Psal. 89. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37.
4. The promises of the covenant between the Father and the Son prove the same; for if God give many children to Christ, and if Christ undertake for these many children, to bring them to glory, to cast none of them forth, but to raise them up at the last day, and to lose none of them; Then must ⟨p. 163⟩Christ be Master of their free will, and he must have a bar of strong influences on their heart, that it shall not be in the power of Satan, the world or sinful flesh to pluck them out of his hand. Hence against all trepidation of mind, this is removed; what warrant have we, that we can make use of the influences of grace that are in the hands of the Son? these are a fowl flying in the wood, which we cannot command; take these answers.
1.1 What ever Mediatory grace is in the Son they are gracious influences laid by for our good; as what sums of money a rich man is to give out for the profit of Minors, he mixes it not with his own, but looks on it as none of his, but to be expended for the good of others; and the Minors having assurance of the faithfulness and care of their Tutors, look upon it as their own: we are by faith to look upon the treasury of Christ that is begun to be bestowed on us; and that Christ shall not withdraw, (being a most faithful Tutor) what is necessary for our best life.