A30243:1159
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.
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, 1 Cor. 3. They are to become a new lump: but when the pure Doctrine and way of God is received and embraced, there still to affect new things, is as if a man should not be content with the Sun or Earth, but to desire a new Sun and a new Earth. Though this new creature is to grow in knowledge, faith, and other graces, yet they are not to look for new things above what is written. The Scripture is like the body of the Sun, into which God hath put all light: And saith Turtullian well, Hoc primu• credimus cum credimus, quod nihil ultra credere debemus, This we first believe, as soon as ever we believe, That the Scriptures are like Hercules his pillars with this Motto, Ne plus ultra.
Secondly, Is this new creature so to be understood, as if it should alwaies be suking 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 applyeth 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 prophaneness, spreading it self all over; then as the Apostle presseth, 1 Cor. 3. They are to become a new lump: but when the pure Doctrine and way of God is received and imbraced, there still to affect new things, is as if a man should not be content with the Sun or Earth, but to desire a new Sun and a new Earth. Though this new creature is to grow in knowledge, faith, and other graces, yet they are not to look for new things above what is written. The Scripture is like the body of the Sun, into which God hath put all light: And saith Turtullian well, Hoc primu credimus cum credimus, quod nihil ultra credere debemus, This we first believe, as soon as ever we beleeve, That the Scriptures are like Hercules his pillars with this Motto, Ne plus ultra.