A30243:1126
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 41
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.
That the work of grace in mans heart, whereby he is born again, is a creature wrought 1merely by Gods glorious power.
That the work of grace in mans heart, whereby he is born again, is a creature wrought 1meerly by Gods glorious power.
- 1Observ. It is the alone power of God that produceth the New-creature.
No Angels, no men are able to work this in a mans heart, but as a man though he beget the body of his son, yet not the soul, for that is infused by the Father of spirits. So though men come to Church, and-outwardly hear, and though the Ministers of God they labour faithfully in preaching, yet it is God only that makes this light shine in the heart. Paul plants and Apollo watereth, but God giveth the increase, 1 Cor. 3. The Gardener doth only use his outward means, ⟨p. 252⟩he doth not make the tree, nor can he make any one apple that groweth upon it. I shall not at this time insist upon the nature and operations of this new creature, that will be proper when we speak of the Adjunct; but of the efficient cause of this, that so we may know where to have it. As God only created the world, and all the things therein, so he only doth this new world of grace. Thus Austin defined grace, Bona qualitas facta in nobis, sine nobis, Wrought in us without our help and power: Now that this work of grace is wrought in us by God merely, appeareth:
No Angels, no men are able to work this in a mans heart, but as a man though he beget the body of his sonne, yet not the soul, for that is infused by the Father of spirits. So though men come to Church, and-outwardly hear, and though the Ministers of God they labour faithfully in preaching, yet it is God only that makes this light shine in the heart. Paul plants and Apollo watereth, but God giveth the increase,