A92141:978
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.
2. They are refuted hence who say, The Lord bids us be of good courage, and he knows courage and strength is from himself; yea, but so as you are to go about acts of courage. He bids us pray, and he knows prayer is his own gift, and the work of his Spirit. It's so here; but he bids you pray, that you may pray; believe, that you may believe. So he commands heavenly dispositions, and he only can give them. So he commands heavenly habits, and heavenly dispositions; but yet so as ye act. When a Physician enjoins one for such a disease, strive to have your body and clothes to cast a good savour: does he not enjoin also that this sick man should carry about roses, precious ointments? Would we act more in God, and pray more, and haunt more in heaven, we should savour more of heaven: And when men complains of deadness, it is with reflection on God; he quickens me not, and therefore I am dead; his Son is the resurrection and the life, and he sends no influences of life on me. That is the physical cause, and the Lord is free of your sinful deadness and unsavouriness in so doing: Why? complain of the moral faulty cause, that is, complain of your self; complain that ye lie not among the roses; ye are not much meditating and drawing life out of the precious promises; ye are not often in wisdoms house; ye are not much with the King ⟨p. 289⟩at his banquet; ye draw not near to his house of wine: habits and heavenly dispositions grow from multiplied spiritual acts; and spiritual acts come kindly from heavenly dispositions.
2. They are refuted hence who say, The Lord bids us be of good courage, and he knows courage and strength is from himself; yea, but so as you are to goe about acts of courage. He bids us pray, and he knows prayer is his own gift, and the work of his Spirit. It's so here; but he bids you pray, that you may pray; believe, that you may believe. So he commands heavenly dispositions, and he only can give them. So he commands heavenly habits, and heavenly dispositions; but yet so as ye act. When a Physician enjoyns one for such a disease, strive to have your body and cloathes to cast a good savour: does he not enjoyn also that this sick man should carry about roses, precious oyntments? Would we act more in God, and pray more, and haunt more in heaven, we should savour more of heaven: And when men complaines of deadness, it is with reflection on God; he quickens me not, and therefore I am dead; his Son is the resurrection and the life, and he sends no inflnences of life on me. That is the physical cause, and the Lord is free of your sinful deadness and unsavouriness in so doing: Why? complain of the moral faulty cause, that is, complain of your self; complain that ye lie not among the roses; ye are not much meditating and drawing life out of the precious promises; ye are not often in wisedomes house; ye are not much with the King