A30243:1391
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 51
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.
I shall therefore handle this case only, and so make application: And first, It 1cannot be denied, but that its a duty not only upon Ministers and learned men, but all Christians, men and women, to read and search the Scriptures, and not to take any Doctrine upon the Authority of men, & because the State is of that Religion, or because our Ancestors & Forefathers did so, and believed so, Qui descrit […]mpropter authoritatum humanum, inciditin insipientiam bestialem. said Durand: this must be acknowledged, & the ignorance, lesiness and sottishness of most people is to be sharply reproved, who see with other mens eyes, believe with mens faith, and do not rest assured in matters of Religion, because God saith so, the word delivers so, but because men say so. Are not those Bereans said to be more notable then others, Acts 17. 11. because they examined the Apostles Doctrine, and looked whether it was consonant to the Scripture or not, and yet this is the general ignorance and stupidity of the whole body of Christianity; If they should be required to give an account of their faith, or their Worship of God, they could give no better answer, then that ignorant woman did to Christ, Our fathers worshipped here, and art thou better then they […] John 4. Our fathers believed thus, and are we wiser and holier then they: This is not faith, for-faith is a gift of God, wrought by his spirit in our bearts, whereby we believe matters of Religion, for a Divine Motive and Authority, even because God hath revealed it in his word; But woe be to us, because of that supine and damnable ignorance which is in most men: This therefore must be granted, that its our duty to grow more in knowledge, and not to rest as babes in the principles of Religion, as the Apostle presseth, but to grow and be strong men, and to have our senses exercised to discern between good and evil, Heb. 6. but here is the difficulty, and the great wisdom required, how to use our parts in finding out truth, so as not to prejudice Grace in our hearts; for the Apostle, when he saith in the Text, Its good or better to have the heart established with Grace, then with Doctrines about meats; he doth not absolutely forbid the Disputes about them, for we know this controversy was much disputed about, and even in the Council at Jerusalem, after there was much dispute, there was a determination of it for all Churches: