A92141:868
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.
But natural men for all their heat in the matters of God, can let out and let in, and stretch out the truth for all their heart-burnings, as if it were kid-leather; and they may take and give, and borrow and lend upon Christs matters, whereas the Saints are awed with that, Buy the truth and sell it not. Let indifferent and cold men, who never felt the influences of loves fiery coals, know this. Ah, the interests of Christ have been looked on in Scotland too indifferently and coldly; the coals of self-interest burn strongly.
But natural men for all their heat in the matters of God, can let out and let in, and stretch out the truth for all their heart-burnings, as if it were kid-leather; and they may take and give, and borrow and lend upon Christs matters, whereas the Saints are awed with that, Buy the truth and sell it not. Let indifferent and cold men, who never felt the influences of loves fiery coals, know this. Ah, the interests of Christ have been looked on in Scotland too indifferently and coldly; the coales of self-interest burn strongly.
2. The bare letter of the Gospel wins not in upon the heart, it warms the skin and not the heart; whereas Christs speaking and opening the Scriptures with his Spirit, and the key of David, 1casteth not fire upon the heart, the heat is all upon the letter and externals, and upon Sacrifices, New Moons, Solemn Assemblies, forms without taste: All Pauls heat is about Christ, and the hope of the resurrection; the Jews his adversaries heat could be nothing of this heart-burning, but for Moses Law in the letter, circumcision, and other ceremonies, now wanting their life Christ. For Christ had now 1. removed from the letter of the ceremonial law, and there is no life there as touching the observance thereof.
2. The bare letter of the Gospel wins not in upon the heart, it warmes the skin and not the heart; whereas Christs speaking and opening the Scriptures with his Spirit, and the key of David, 1