A30243:1271
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 6 › Sermon 46
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.
1. Damnation is the inflicting of an infinite evil upon a man, so far as he is capable of it, and the depriving him of an infinite good. Now to be, or to have a 1life, is but finite, limited good: If therefore thou art not Gods gracious workmanship, it had been better if thou hadst been a Toad, a Serpent, yea, nothing at all, then to be a man: And if men in the extremity of their bodily pain, have curled the day that ever they were born, as we read Job and Jeremiah, though it was their great sinful impatience to do so: How much rather must they cry out so in hell, where there is not one drop of honey in all the gall they have? Not the least drop of water can be had to cool so much as the top of their tongue. Why then do not your ears tingle while they hear this? Art thou not a New Creature? Hath not God made thee all over anew? Oh miserable man! Alas that ever thou wert born! How often wilt thou wish in the horror of thy conscience, thou hadst never been a man? Why dost thou rejoice in thy wealth, in thy greatness, in thy comforts, and hast no true godliness to rejoice in? If thou hadst all Solomons wealth, and Methuselah's days to enjoy it, yet if not Gods workmanship, woe be thee that ever thou wert born!
1. Damnation is the inflicting of an infinite evill upon a man, so far as he is capable of it, and the depriving him of an infinite good. Now to be, or to have a 1life, is but finite, limited good: If therefore thou art not Gods gracious workmanship, it had been better if thou hadst been a Toad, a Serpent, yea, nothing at all, then to be a man: And if men in the extremity of their bodily paio, have curled the day that ever they were born, as we read Job and Jeremiah, though it was their great sinful impatience to do so: How much rather must they cry out so in hell, where there is not one drop of hony in all the gall they have? Not the least drop of water can be had to cool so much as the top of their tongue. Why then do not your ears tingle while they hear this? Art thou not a New Creature? Hath not God made thee all over anew? Oh miserable man! Alas that ever thou wert born! How often wilt thou wish in the horror of thy conscience, thou hadst never been a man? Why dost thou rejoyce in thy wealth, in thy greatness, in thy comforts, and hast no true godliness to rejoyce in? If thou hadst all Solomons wealth, and Methusalems daies to enjoy it, yet if not Gods workmanship, wo be thee that ever thou wert born!