A30243:1105
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 5 › Sermon 40
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.
Dost thou pray? unless a new Creature God owneth it not. Dost thou hear? unless a new Creature God regardeth thee not: As Joseph said to his Brethren, Unless bring Benjamin come not in my presence; Unless you come to holy duties as new Creatures, God loveth not to see you. This Doctrine is so necessary, and so worthy of all acceptation, that the Apostle addeth, Whosoever walketh after this rule (that is) as some expound, according to this position, that no external duties are accepted without a new Creature) peace be on him and mercy. The receiving of this truth, is opening of the door for the peace of God to rest on you.
Dost thou pray? unlesse a new Creature God owneth it not. Dost thou hear? unlesse a new Creature God regardeth thee not: As Joseph said to his Brethren, Unlesse bring Benjamin come not in my presence; Unlesse you come to holy duties as new Creatures, God loveth not to see you. This Doctrine is so necessary, and so worthy of all acceptation, that the Apostle addeth, Whosoever walketh after this rule (that is) as some expound, according to this position, that no externall duties are accepted without a new Creature) peace be on him and mercy. The receiving of this truth, is opening of the door for the peace of God to rest on you.
To understand this better, know, That the Apostle doth not speak this, as if external duties were to be omitted or neglected; for he that saith here, Circumcision availeth 1nothing, doth in another place say, It profits much every way, Rom. 3. 2. and he calls it, The seal of the righteousness of faith, Rom. 4. 11. Thus the Ordinances of the New Testament, prayer, hearing, receiving of Sacraments, though they are nothing without Regeneration, yet they are duties commanded in their time and order. If a man should say, eyes, and ears, and a head are nothing without a soul; it doth not therefore follow, that they are not to be prized as mercies, when God gives us to enjoy both soul and body. Though the Chaff be worth nothing when the Wheat is not, yet it was a great defence and shelter to the Wheat when it covered it growing in the field. Outward duties are not to be opposed to the work of grace, but composed; you must not argue from one, to the destruction, but to the position of the other.