A30243:1434
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 53
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.
Fifthly, Grace doth there especially enable a man to do those duties, where flesh and blood would soonest contradict. When we are commanded to deny our selves, and 1take up the Cross to follow him, when commanded to cut off our right hand, and to pull out our right eye; these things are paradoxical to flesh and blood; they cry out, These are hard speeches, who can bear them? But grace, that is seen especially in curing and healing such weaknesses; for where Nature is stopped, and can go no further, there grace doth properly discover it self; Where nature suggests this to be done as safe and good: Grace adviseth, But this is a sin, this is against Gods glory. When Joseph was in that enticing temptation, had he attended to the allurements of the flesh, he had been over-whelmed: but grace suggesting the fear of God, and his presence, and how great a sin it would be against him, that preserved him as admirably as the three Worthies in the fiery Furnace, who were not so much as scorched. We may see an excellent instance of nature and grace in Abraham's obedience, and his faith; his obedience, when God commanded him to take ⟨p. 331⟩his only Son Isaac, and offer him a Sacrifice: Every word was enough to make Nature resist and gain-say; His Son, only Son, Isaac, whom thou lovest, to offer a Sacrifice. Oh what violence is here to nature! but see how potent grace is, which no doubt checked all the reasonings of nature, as Job did his wife for speaking foolishly. Again, in matter of faith in the promise of God, there its said, He considered not the dead womb of Sarah, Rom. 4. nor his own body, as good as dead, but rested on the Promise, and therefore had hope against hope, hope in the Promise, against hope in Nature. Thus when as nature hath its fear, grace hath its fear above that; where nature hath its hope, grace hath hope above it: and how prevalent grace is above nature, is apparent in that necessary qualification in every Disciple; He that loveth not Father or Mother more than me, cannot be my Disciple; and thereupon when one desired to bury his Father, before he followed Christ; which seemed to be a request of Civility, and natural affection; should he suffer his Father to stink, and rot above ground? is it not against nature to leave him unburied? yet our Saviour rejecteth him with this, Let the dead bury the dead,