A92141:684
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. If we consider the Lords intention, this is clear; Did ever the Lord decree or promise to bring any to heaven by the gift of prophecy, of wisdom, of learning and arts, whether the men believe or not? or does the husbandman so labour the ground for the growing of the bramble, as for the growing and flourishing of the vine-tree, or for the thistle and the briar as for the wheat? What can Christ make out of a preaching Judas never given to him of the Father? nothing, he never believing, but to send him to his place.
3. If we consider the Lords intention, this is clear; Did ever the Lord decree or promise to bring any to heaven by the gift of prophecie, of wisedome, of learning and arts, whether the men believe or not? or does the husbandman so labour the ground for the growing of the bramble, as for the growing and flourishing of the vine-tree, or for the thistle and the briar as for the wheat? What can Christ make out of a preaching Judas never given to him of the Father? nothing, he never believing, but to send him to his place.
Assert. 6. In one and the same spiritual acting of praying and believing the spirit and the flesh may concur, not as formal principles, for the flesh and corrupt nature is no formal principle of praying in the spirit, and of believing; the holy Ghost useth no such tools, but the flesh concurs by way of retarding and weakening of the acts of praying; for it is of the flesh only that our praying is not with that ⟨p. 214⟩deepness of humble sense of want, with that strong desire with that fervour of believing that becomes.
Assert. 6. In one and the same spiritual acting of praying and believing the spirit and the flesh may concurre, not as formal principles, for the flesh and corrupt nature is no formal principle of praying in the spirit, and of believing; the holy Ghost useth no such tooles, but the flesh concurres by way of retarding and weakening of the acts of praying; for it is of the flesh onely that our praying is not with that ⟨p. 214⟩