A30243:1053
Spiritual refining
Spiritual refining: or A treatise of grace and assurance Wherein are handled, the doctrine of assurance. The use of signs in self-examination. How true graces may be distinguished from counterfeit. Several true signs of grace, and many false ones. The nature of grace under divers Scripture notions or titles, as regeneration, the new-creature, the heart of flesh, vocation, sanctification, &c. Many chief questions (occasionally) controverted between the orthodox and the Arminians. As also many cases of conscience. Tending to comfort and confirm saints. Undeceive and convert sinners. Being CXX sermons preached and now published by Anthony Burgess sometime fellow of Emanuel College in Cambridge, and now pastor of the church of Sutton-Coldfield in Warwickshire.Spiritual refining: or A treatise of grace and assurance Wherein are handled, the doctrine of assurance. The use of signs in self-examination. How true graces may be distinguished from counterfeit. Several true signs of grace, and many false ones. The nature of grace under divers Scripture notions or titles, as regeneration, the new-creature, the heart of flesh, vocation, sanctification, &c. Many chief questions (occasionally) controverted between the orthodox and the Arminians. As also many cases of conscience. Tending to comfort and confirm saints. Undeceive and convert sinners. Being CXX sermons preached and now published by Anthony Burgess sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and now pastor of the church of Sutton-Coldfield in Warwickshire.
London: printed by A. Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1652
Title page typeset from the transcription.
A TREATISE OF GRACE and ASSURANCE; Being CXX. SERMONS. › Section 4 › Sermon 38
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.
4. Men may be in trouble for sin, yet miscarry, Because of inordinate dejection 1and black despair. This is not so ordinary, men being for the most part presumptuous, and there are few such sinners as the incestuous person, whom the Ministers and people of God must comfort, lest they be overwhelmed with despair; yet Judas was thus undone. As Rachel died in bringing forth of children; so these are damned in those very sorrows and fears they have about sin. God therefore who commands a soul to grieve for sin, and to come out of the pit of iniquity, doth also command the same soul to believe and seek for ease in Christ. We must indeed despair utterly in our selves, but not of Christ, and the ignorance of the acceptableness of faith unto God, and how well-pleasing it is for the humbled soul to rely on Christ, keeps many of Gods children longer in the dark womb then they would. Insomuch that it is a mercy of mercies in those spiritual agonies, to be directed into the way of believing. Thus you see that all pain and trouble wrought in the womb of the soul, doth not necessarily infer, that there ought to be joy, because a man-child of Grace is born in the heart.
4. Men may be in trouble for sinne, yet miscarry, Because of inordinate dejection 1and black despair. This is not so ordinary, men being for the most part presumptuous, and there are few such sinners as the incestuous person, whom the Ministers and people of God must comfort, lest they be overwhelmed with despair; yet Judas was thus undone. As Rachel died in bringing forth of children; so these are damned in those very sorrows and fears they have about sinne. God therefore who commands a soul to grieve for sinne, and to come out of the pit of iniquity, doth also command the same soul to believe and seek for ease in Christ. We must indeed despair utterly in our selves, but not of Christ, and the ignorance of the acceptablenesse of faith unto God, and how wel-pleasing it is for the humbled soul to rely on Christ, keeps many of Gods children longer in the dark womb then they would. Insomuch that it is a mercy of mercies in those spiritual agonies, to be directed into the way of believing. Thus you see that all pain and trouble wrought in the womb of the soul, doth not necessarily inferre, that there ought to be joy, because a man-childe of Grace is born in the heart.