A92141:901
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.
Assert. 1. There is an undertaking, as if the child of God had influences at his hand. Of this nature in Scripture, Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit. 13. Then will I teach sinners thy ways. So v. 15. O Lord open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. Psal. 119. 27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts, so shall I talk of thy wondrous works. 88. Quicken me after thy loving kindness, so shall I keep the testimonies of thy mouth. In which he lays it for a ground,1 if God graciously give a new heart, he will graciously give influences of grace to teach sinners. If the Lord of free grace open the lips, he will also give influences to make him show forth the praises of God; not that dispositions of grace do necessarily determine us to gracious acts, or can determine the Lord to bestow influences of grace, but the Lords free promise determines him. Where he opens one door, he opens a second, and then a third, until his child be in his bosom: when he gives one ⟨p. 266⟩grace, he gives another; yea because he gives grace, he lays holy bands on himself to give more grace; the Lord of grace chooses some to salvation, and gives them to his son; and because he chooses them, he gives his Son to death for them; and because the Lord redeems them by his Son, therefore he gives to them strong faith; and because he gives to them saving faith, therefore he gives to them perseverance and glory, and so gives influences of graces in a golden link and chain, Rom. 8. 29, 30. 2 Thess. 2. 13. Acts 13. 48. Eph. 1. 4, 5. 1 Pet. 1. 2, 3.