A92141:597
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.
And 5. Not unlike unto that touched before is a character of a spiritual man,1 when the man is spiritually bewildered, and doubts of all ways he walks in, except the way he is sure to be of God, Psal. 143. 10. Teach me to do thy will, thy spirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightness. Hence these three follow. 1. The spiritual man doubts of all ways, and knows that he is a bewildered and ignorant traveller of himself, and knows not by his own light, 1. The way. 2. The home and lodging. Or 3. The guide. It saith, the spiritual man judgeth the spirit of God a good leader and guide: it's no sophism à divisis, thy spirit is good, thou art a leader; therefore the spirit is a good leader and guide: it's much to have the faith fixed upon influences of daily guiding by God. 3. It says I am willing to commit my goings to thee; Take the guiding of me; be father, guide, leader, tutor, king to me. All these speak spiritual bewilderedness; And those two are well joined. ⟨p. 181⟩1. Sense of bewilderedness; and 2. Praying to the one only guide in heaven and earth: Psal. 119. 19. I am a stranger on earth: hide not thy Commandments from me. The Commandments are the way, and a hid and covered way is a misery to a stranger or pilgrim. A frequent sight of ignorance and errors, and a being in love with the spirits leading is good. Though a man could get the work through, be it praying, hearing, reading, warring, governing, eating and drinking, yet he is not satisfied with the bulk of the work, except the spirit be the doer. This gracious spirit looks not so much to praying as to praying in the Holy Ghost; nor to hearing as to hearing in the spirit of faith; nor to fighting, though David be stronger then the enemy, except the spirit of the Lord lead the army, Psal. 60. 1, 2, 9, 10. Psal. 140. 7, 8. Psal. 18. 29, 30, 31. Nay it's not enough to eat and drink except the spirit act the man to eat and drink for God. Men spend and waste away their actings, and call not for the spirit to get them compassed about. We are men abundance to build the Temple, and mighty Kings favour us, and work-men have strength in legs and arms to lay stones in the wall: O but that will not do it,