A30243:1370
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 7 › Sermon 50
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.
7. Grace doth establish and settle the heart, by the joy and heavenly […] which many times flow from it: That as bread is called the staff of a man, it nourisheth 1and maintaineth him in strength, and wine makes glad the heart of men, all which produce much natural strength; so grace accompanied with the sense of Gods love in the Gospel, and joy therein, doth very much confirm a man. Hence the joy of the Lord is said to be the godlies strength, […] 8 10 and where grief and a wounded spirit is, there are weak hands and […]'s a piece of timber while moist and full of sap, is not able to bear up […]; thus a godly man devoid of comfort and spiritual joy, is like fruit […] many worms, every blow will make it fall to the ground; but […] with the comforts attending it, do revive and keep up the spirits of men, […] that grace put strength into the Martyrs, and enabled them to conflict with all miseries; and it may justly be thought, that the want of the experience of this solid and unspeakable joy in the Holy Ghost, makes men seek out for comfort in other things, for all life is for some pleasure and joy, and if it hath it not one way, it will try another way: Now thou taketh so much delight in Disputing, in Questions, in Controversies, because, it may be, thou hast not the solid experience of the best joy, which is, in the spiritual exercise of godliness: So also another he takes no delight but in the increase of wealth and temporal greatness, because he cannot say with David, Lord, thou hast put more comfort in my heart, then they had when their wine and oil increaseth, Psal. 4. Oh then when a Christian can say to every temptation, that would draw him off from minding the savoury things of godliness, Why do ye tempt me to my loss? I cannot be better. ⟨p. 314⟩No exercise can equalize this, then is he excellently settled in Godliness.
7. Grace doth establish and settle the heart, by the joy and heavenly 〈…〉 which many times flow from it: That as bread is called the staff of a man, it nourisheth 1and maintaineth him in strength, and wine makes glad the heart of men, all which produce much natural strength; so grace accompanied with the sence of Gods love in the Gospel, and joy therein, doth very much confirm a man. Hence the joy of the Lord is said to be the godlies strength, 8 10 and where grief and a wounded spirit is, there are weak hands and 's a piece of timber while moist and full of sap, is not able to bear up ; thus a godly man devoid of comfort and spiritual joy, is like frut many worms, every blow will make it fall to the ground; but with the comforts attending it, do revive and keep up the spirits of men, that grace put strength into the Martyrs, and inabled them to conflict with all miseries; and it may justly be thought, that the want of the experience of this solid and unspeakable joy in the Holy Ghost, makes men seek out for comfort in other things, for all life is for some pleasure and joy, and if it hath it not one way, it will try another way: Now thou taketh so much delight in Disputing, in Questions, in Controversies, because, it may be, thou hast not the solid experience of the best joy, which is, in the spiritual exercise of godliness: So also another he takes no delight but in the encrease of wealth and temporal greatness, because he cannot say with David, Lord, thou hast put more comfort in my heart, then they had when their wine and oyl encreaseth,