A30243:1088
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 39
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.
Fifthly, The Son of God manifests himself in his hatred and opposition unto all sin; For 1every creature acteth according to its kind; the Lamb according to the nature of a Lamb: and thus because he is born of God, he acteth according to a Divine principle, That as God is a God of purer eyes then to behold iniquity, Hab. 1. so he is of a purer heart then to love and delight in sin. He that is born of God sineth not, neither indeed can he, because the seed abideth in him, 1 John 5. 18. All men are divided into these two ranks (saith Austin) they are either Filii Dei, or Filii Diaboli, The Sons of God, or the Sons of the Devil: Now their works will manifest them. Art thou a man afraid of sin, carefully studying to avoid it in thy whole life? Hast thou no more accord with it, then light hath with darkness? And so for wicked men; Thou hast no love to their company or counsel; thou hatest them with a perfect hatred; thou canst with no more love and delight be with them, then the Dove among Jays, or the Lamb among the Wolves, then thou hast a sure sign of a Son of God: But if on the contrary, thou art profane in thy life; thou lovest those that live dissolutely; men that damn, swear, and profane the Sabbath; thou art so fat from having thy righteous soul tormented with hearing and seeing such things, as Lots was, as that rather thou rejoicest in them, and makest much of such: What can be a greater demonstration that thou art of the Devil then this? If the Devil were to act visibly in the world, would he not live such a life as this is? Men therefore need not think it such an hard matter to know what they are: They need not say, Who will ascend into heaven to let us know how it is with us? For thy out ward life and way doth proclaim to all the world that thou art of the Devil: And although it would make thy heart swell with rage to be called a child of the Devil, yet know assuredly by the Scripture rules, we can give thee no other name. Oh that a multitude of those who call themselves Christians, should not be astonished at these things: What to be children of the Devil, to be limbs of Satan? Yet by their works they demonstrate themselves to be so.
Fifthly, The Son of God manifests himself in his hatred and opposition unto all sin; For 1