A30243:1089
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.
Sixthly, The Sons of God they imitate God their Father in his love and goodness 1to all. Our Saviour amplifieth this excellent property of God, That he causeth the Sun to shine upon the good and bad, and hence concludeth, Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect, Mat. 5. 48. If we consider the matter precedent, we should ⟨p. 241⟩have judged the natural consequence to be, Be ye patient as your heavenly Father is patient; but because goodness even to bad men, to enemies, is the highest degree of graces, and as it were the perfection of all, and without which, let a man speak with the tongue of Angels, and work all kind of Miracles, yea be eminent in all matter of Godliness, yet be without this, he is not a perfect Christian. Therefore under all the injuries, oppressions, and desperate persecutions, although revenge, as the heathen said, be sweeter thou honey it self: yet consider what God thy Father doth: How do wicked men provoke him every day, yet for all that he doth not make the earth presently gape to devour them! He hath not put out the glorious light of the Sun: He doth not dissolve the work of the creation, and blast every thing into dust. What an excellent pattern is this for thee to write after? Especially considering vengeance is Gods, and doth properly belong to him: and as you have God, so Christ also for an admirable pattern. Father forgive them, they know not what they do: Though he could have prayed for legions of Angels to deliver him, and destroy his adversaries, yet he submitteth to Gods will. The Scripture giveth many signs of Grace, yet none is so remarkable and commended as this, Mat. 5. And howsoever some Papists think, to love our enemies is a mere counsel for perfect men, not a duty to all Christians, yet it is plain our Saviour presseth it upon all who would be the children of God: and howsoever this be not so much pressed and preached, we Christians do not among other symptoms of Grace look after this, yet it is plain the Scripture makes this one of the chiefest, and is a sign Grace hath great dominion over thee when thou art enabled to do this. Some malicious heathens once met with a Christian, and beat him even unto death almost, asking him, What great matter ever Christ did? Even this great thing, replieth the Christian, That I can for give you, though you use me thus cruelly.