A30243:1486
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 55
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.
Sixthly, Another cause that will dull, if not extinguish those principles of conscience, is a wilful turning away our thoughts and considerations from what they speak within 1us. Men study diversions, and for fear of such sad melancholy thoughts as they term them, they will go into merry company, take great employments upon them, that will busy their heads so much, that they never hear what Conscience speaks within, because of the crowd of employments without. Thus Cain full of trembling, to shake this off, he travaileth, and buildeth Cities, and all to have a quiet mind. Thus as when the Prophets of God called to mourning and sackcloth, there was gladness, and making of all melody: so when Conscience accuseth, condemneth, calls for repentance and reformation, they labour to make a greater noise that may drown this. It's true the acts and dictates of Conscience are not subject to our wills, Quoad specificationem, as they say. A man cannot think that to be good which he desireth, nor that to be evil which he would not; but against and contrary to mens wills and affections they say, This is good, and this evil: but quoad exercitium, in respect of the exercise of it; So they may wilfully turn away their thoughts from considering what is said to them. Thus as the thief hareth the light, because his deeds are discovered thereby; so a wicked man dares not give heed to what conscience saith, he runneth from it as much as he can, because it is wholly against the course of his life; so that if you never mind or consider, what that law of God in thy heart speaks to thee: it's no wonder if thou art never reformed: But if thou wouldst commune with thy own heart, and search it, bid all other things stand aloof off, thou and conscience will consider together, thou and conscience will examine together; if this were done, thy sins should not lodge a night longer with thee.
Sixtly, Another cause that will dull, if not extinguish those principles of conscience, is a wilfull turning away our thoughts and considerations from what they speak within 1us. Men study diversions, and for fear of such sad melancholy thoughts as they term them, they will goe into merry company, take great imployments upon them, that will busie their heads so much, that they never hear what Conscience speaks within, because of the crowd of imployments without. Thus Cain full of trembling, to shake this off, he travaileth, and buildeth Cities, and all to have a quiet mind. Thus as when the Prophets of God called to mourning and sackcloth, there was gladnesse, and making of all melody: so when Conscience accuseth, condemneth, calls for repentance and reformation, they labour to make a greater noise that may drown this. It's true the acts and dictates of Conscience are not subject to our wills, Quoad specificationem, as they say. A man cannot think that to be good which he desireth, nor that to be evill which he would not; but against and contrary to mens wills and affections they say, This is good, and this evil: but quoad exercitium, in respect of the exercise of it; So they may wilfully turn away their thoughts from considering what is said to them. Thus as the thief hareth the light, because his deeds are discovered thereby; so a wicked man dares not give heed to what conscience saith, he runneth from it as much as he can, because it is wholly against the course of his life; so that if you never minde or consider, what that law of God in thy heart speaks to thee: it's no wonder if thou art never reformed: But if thou wouldst commune with thy own heart, and search it, bid all other things stand aloof off, thou and conscience will consider together, thou and conscience will examine together; if this were done, thy sins should not lodge a night longer with thee.