A30243:112
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 1 › Sermon 4
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, There are four special privileges and mercies that a Christian even in this 1life may be assured of, his Election, Remission of sin, Sanctification of his nature, and Perseverance in that state, with future glory at the end thereof. And the assurance of our Sanctification or present grace must be the foundation for the other certainties; so that there can be no certainty of Predestination, of Justification, of Glorification, if there be not a certainty of Renovation in us. We therefore ought the more diligently to attend to this; for he that hath a false persuasion about his grace in him, hath also a false persuasion of his pardon of sin, and of his Salvation, and so at last all his hopes will miserably fail him. Tell me therefore thou that hast such confidence that thy sins are forgiven, such boldness as to hope for salvation, what works or fruit is there of sanctifying grace; there you must begin, and you build in vain unless this foundation be laid. Not that we are to trust in our graces, but to gather Gods love by them as so many signs and testimonies, otherwise our certainty is in dignatione Dei, not in dignitate nostra, said Bernard; And Ambrose, Non gloriabor quia justus sum, sed quia redemptus sum; non gloriabor quia vacuus peccati sum, sed quia peccata mihi remissa sunt.
Fifthly, There are four special priviledges and mercies that a Christian even in this 1life may be assured of, his Election, Remission of sinne, Sanctification of his nature, and Perserverance in that state, with future glory at the end thereof. And the assurance of our Sanctification or present grace must be the foundation for the other certainties; so that there can be no certainty of Predestination, of Justification, of Glorification, if there be not a certainty of Renovation in us. We therefore ought the more diligently to attend to this; for he that hath a false perswasion about his grace in him, hath also a false perswasion of his pardon of sin, and of his Salvation, and so at last all his hopes will miserably fail him. Tell me therefore thou that hast such confidence that thy sins are forgiven, such boldnesse as to hope for salvation, what works or fruit is there of sanctifying grace; there you must begin, and you build in vain unlesse this foundation be laid. Not that we are to trust in our graces, but to gather Gods love by them as so many signs and testimonies, otherwise our certainty is in dignatione Dei, not in dignitate nostra, said Bernard; And Ambrose, Non gloriabor quia justus sum, sed quia redemptus sum; non gloriabor quia vacuus peccati sum, sed quia peccata mihi remissa sunt.