A30243:1295
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 47
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, Of a people wholly impotent and unable, God in this spiritual Renovation, he makes able and strong in some measure to do things pleasing to him. That womb of 1the soul which was so barren that no humane power could open it, God makes fruitful. Our impotency is supposed in that we are dead in sin, and not able of our selves to think one good thought; What can be less then this, we are not able of our selves to entertain the least good thought how we may be saved, how we may leave and forsake our sins. Neither doth this discovery of our impotency excuse us, and make us the less sinful, or to be the less pitied; for it with us, as with a man, who had a great stock given him, and he hath prodigally spent all. This voluntary inability of his doth not excuse him from paying his debts, but makes him more faulty, who might have done well and would not. Thus God gave us a rich and plentiful portion, and we quickly spent all; and now the Law of God calls upon us for good actions, as so many debts we owe, and we are not able to discharge any. But when this renewing grace of God is vouchsafed to us, then the lame can walk, the blind can see, the dead Lazarus can come out of the grave, and have the grave clothes untied, in which he was bound; So that we Ministers in preaching, and you people in hearing are to call upon God fervently and earnestly, that he would take away all our inability and insufficiency. Oh pray that he would give thee good thoughts, good affections, and so good operations! say, Oh that God who made so many Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, of weeds to become flowers, that he would vouchsafe the like gracious power to us! say, Oh Lord, thy arm is not shortened, our hearts are no more too strong for thee, then theirs were.
Secondly, Of a people wholly impotent and unable, God in this spiritual Renovatior, he makes able and strong in some measure to do things pleasing to him. That womb of 1the soul which was so barren that no humane power could open it, God makes fruitful. Our impotency is supposed in that we are dead in sinne, and not able of our selves to think one good thought; What can be lesse then this, we are not able of our selves to entertain the least good thought how we may be saved, how we may leave and forsake our sins. Neither doth this discovery of our impotency excuse us, and make us the lesse sinful, or to be the lesse pitied; for it with us, as with a man, who had a great stock given him, and he hath prodigally spent all. This voluntary inability of his doth not excuse him from paying his debts, but makes him more faulty, who might have done well and would not. Thus God gave us a rich and plentiful portion, and we quickly spent all; and now the Law of God cals upon us for good actions, as so many debts we owe, and we are not able to discharge any. But when this renewing grace of God is vouchsafed to us, then the lame can walk, the blinde can see, the dead Lazarus can come out of the grave, and have the grave cloaths untied, in which he was bound; So that we Ministers in preaching, and you people in hearing are to call upon God fervently and earnestly, that he would take away all our inability and insufficiency. Oh pray that he would give thee good thoughts, good affections, and so good operations! say, Oh that God who made so many Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, of weeds to become flowers, that he would vouchsafe the like gracious power to us! say, Oh Lord, thy arm is not shortened, our hearts are no more too strong for thee, then theirs were.