A30243:1408
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 52
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.
Only in the first place I must necessarily remove a false ground, or effect attributed to it, and that by all Papist Writers, who say, Therefore this inward holiness in us is called Grace, because it makes us perfectly accepted, and gracious with God. so that thereby we have a right to eternal happiness. Hereupon they speak most of Grace as that which doth Gratum facere, Make a man accepted unto God from the inward condignity and worth of it. This is to take away the true child, and to put a dead one in the room: to take away Gospel grace, evangelical grace, and to put something done by us in the room of it. For although it be true, that the godly actions we do are above humane strength, and we are enabled thereunto by the power of God only; and are therefore called Grace; Yet they are not done so perfectly and purely, as thereby to make us accepted with God. This is good to know, that so we might give all glory to Christ, and be debased in our selves. It is a great piece of wisdom in Christianity not to confound grace justifying, and grace sanctifying: Grace justifying is an action of God, grace sanctifying is a quality wrought in us: Grace justifying is perfect, grace sanctifying hath much imperfection cleaving to it. Now that no grace in any godly man doth make accepted to eternal life, appeareth
Onely in the first place I must necessarily remove a false ground, or effect attributed to it, and that by all Papist Writers, who say, Therefore this inward holinesse in us is called Grace, because it makes us perfectly accepted, and gracious with God. so that thereby we have a right to eternal happinesse. Hereupon they speak most of Grace as that which doth Gratum facere, Make a man accepted unto God from the inward condignity and worth of it. This is to take away the true child, and to put a dead one in the room: to take away Gospel grace, evangelical grace, and to put something done by us in the room of it. For although it be true, that the godly actions we do are above humane strength, and we are enabled thereunto by the power of God onely; and are therefore called Grace; Yet they are not done so perfectly and purely, as thereby to make us accepted with God. This is good to know, that so we might give all glory to Christ, and be debased in our selves. It is a great piece of wisdome in Christianity not to confound grace justifying, and grace sanctifying: Grace justifying is an action of God, grace sanctifying is a quality wrought in us: Grace justifying is perfect, grace sanctifying hath much imperfection cleaving to it. Now that no grace in any godly man doth make accepted to eternal life, appeareth