A92141:641
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 Division. 1Some influences are moral, some physical and real. The moral influences are the persuading actings of God from the word of precept, of promise, of threatening,2 from the Law, from the Gospel; such are common to all within the visible Church. Hence from these flow warnings, inspirations, holy motions, strong convictions, that Christ is to be followed, all are to be forgone and cast over-board that we may gain him, in regard of these. Christ stands at the door and knocks, Revel. 3. 20. Thousands refuse to open to him; as howbeit the word carries along with it the high and glorious authority of the Law-giver, the promise of a Kingdom, the threatening of everlasting chains; yet it works but morally, and the robber in the woods laughs at the paper-laws, and at the far-off general justice that is in cities, which cannot reach the ⟨p. 198⟩robbers that are in woods; so moral influences from the word bear in upon the thought afar off a letter-heaven, or a literal hell, with a suspicion of lying unbelief; these are but fables. But when the Lord in real influences lays hands on the sinner, the man is then as if he were at the bar; the robber on whose legs and arms the law hath laid bolts and iron fetters, and is really wrought upon by more then literal influences, as Saul for three days speaks supplications: And when the influences physical of God are upon the soul of the spouse, then love it self and love-sickness speak with sense, His love is better then wine. O he is the chief among ten thousand. Many thousand professors live and die under letter-influences, and a paper-New-Testament; they hear, read, know the word, are baptized, and deceive their own souls, and have but seen (as James saith) their image in the glass, and forget themselves. Such never knew heart-sickness, nor the terrors of God, nor any real work on the conscience: then seek heart-drawing, and heart-divinity.
3 Division. 1Some influences are moral, some physical and real. The moral influences are the perswading actings of God from the word of precept, of promise, of threatning,