A30243:1296
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.
Thirdly, In this spiritual change, God of a froward, contrary and irreconcilable 1people, makes a loving and willing people to what is good. Take all men till fashioned by grace, they are enemies to God and godliness. The wisdom of the flesh is not subject to God, neither can it be. As the Wolf cannot love the Lamb, nor the Hawk the Dove; so neither can wicked men love those things that are holy. What a woeful experience have all the wicked men in the world in their several ages, given of their cursed venom, and cankered malice against godliness, in all the oppositions they have raised against the faithful Messengers of God, reproving them for sin, and informing them of duty! Oh but when God makes these waters to go back, when he toucheth these mountains and they melt like wax, then what embracing and loving is there of that which once ⟨p. 292⟩they could not endure. Thus Psal. 110. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power; Oh then that we could see God making such a wonderful change upon us. The time hath been, thou wast an enemy to all godly ways, a professed opposer and scorner of them. No Toad so odious in thy eyes as one who lived strictly and laboured to fear God in all his ways; but now God hath made such a change that they are only thy delight upon the earth. Thy righteous soul is now like Lots, grieved and tormented to see and hear the evil doings of wicked men: if thus, thou art then one created to good works.
Thirdly, In this spiritual change, God of a froward, contrary and irreconcilable 1people, makes a loving and willing people to what is good. Take all men till fashioned by grace, they are enemies to God and godlinesse. The wisdome of the flesh is not subject to God, neither can it be. As the Wolf cannot love the Lamb, nor the Hawk the Dove; so neither can wicked men love those things that are holy. What a wofull experience have all the wicked men in the world in their several ages, given of their cursed venom, and cankered malice against godlinesse, in all the oppositions they have raised against the faithful Messengers of God, reproving them for sinne, and informing them of duty! Oh but when God makes these waters to go back, when he toucheth these mountains and they melt like wax, then what imbracing and loving is there of that which once