A30243:1157
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 42
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.
This expression, A new creature, doth not imply
First, As if there never were such a work of God in the world, before the times of the gospel For although this phrase be used in the new Testament, yet Shem, Enoch, Adam, after repentance, all these were new creatures. So that this new creation was as soon as ever there was any godly man in the world: It is true, the Gospel-administrations have many prerogatives above that of the Law: hence it is called in a peculiar manner, The Kingdom of Heaven, but yet this work of God in regenerating and renewing, was in that former dispensation as well as now, though it may be not so many in number were begotten unto God. Here Rachel is more fruitful then Leah, as I may so allude. Though God ceased from this work of Creation on the seventh day in respect of temporal objects, yet not of spiritual. Nor
First, As if there never were such a work of God in the world, before the times of the gospel For although this phrase be used in the new Testament, yet Shem, Enoch, Adam, after repentance, all these were new creatures. So that this new creation was as soon as ever there was any godly man in the world: It is true, the Gospel-administrations have many prerogatives above that of the Law: hence it is called in a peculiar manner, The Kingdome of Heaven, but yet this work of God in regenerating and renewing, was in that former dispensation as well as now, though it may be not so many in number were begotten unto God. Here Rachel is more fruitfull then Leah, as I may so allude. Though God ceased from this work of Creation on the seventh day in respect of temporal objects, yet not of spiritual. Nor
Secondly, Is this new creature so to be understood, as if it should always be seeking 1after new religion, a new faith, new worship, and so should every day have some new thing. No, but the Doctrine, the pure worship of Christ, the holy life commanded in the word, this new creature applieth it self to, receiveth it without any further change or alteration, though the use and custom of it be never so old. Indeed when a Church is become like the Chaos at first, darkness of ignorance and profaneness, spreading it self all over; then as the Apostle presseth,