A30243:1500
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 56
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.
4. They declare this Law written in them, by the work of conscience terrifying them upon any evil actions: What fear and horror hath been upon heathens consciences, 1though they have had no Scripture to accuse them! Histories declare, upon unjust, unclean and injurious acts, they have not been able to rest or sleep, and eat: Why is all this? but because of their judge within; which hath made even Heathens, so much admire a good conscience, and set out the misery of an evil one. Alas, we would think such things should be spoken of only among Christians, and where the word that is preached, is the discerner and discoverer of the thoughts and actions of all men; but even among them that never saw this Sun, there are divers sayings, commending and admiring the blessedness of living so, as not being conscious to our selves of any gross sinful ways: Nil conscire sibi, &c. To be conscious unto a mans self of no evil, or unjust action, is that only thing which may make a man happy: Hic murus aheneus esto; that is a brazen wall to beat back all darts; As the sweet nurse in old age, as Pindar calls it. Oh that Christians should do so many things, that raise up conscience like a Lyon and Bear, to roar within them; when even Heathens have been afraid to make their conscience their enemy and adversary. If the fire hath so quickly burned the green tree, how will the dry tree endure? Oh think not these phrases of Conscience, and trouble for sin, unquietness and terror in a mans breast, to be fictions and vain scare-Crows: No, men have had them, that have lived only in a wilderness, that had no other Book to read then that of the Creature; they have feared a terrible just God, ready to be revenged on them whithersoever they went: And doest thou lye, and steal, and commit whoredom, and thinkest not that God beholdeth thee, with a sparkling eye, full of vengeance?
4. They declare this Law written in them, by the work of conscience terrifying them upon any evil actions: What fear and horror hath been upon heathens consciences, 1though they have had no Scripture to accuse them! Histories declare, upon unjust, unclean and injurious acts, they have not been able to rest or sleep, and eat: Why is all this? but because of their judge within; which hath made even Heathens, so much admire a good conscience, and set out the misery of an evil one. Alas, we would think such things should be spoken of onely among Christians, and where the word that is preached, is the discerner and discoverer of the thoughts and actions of all men; but even among them that never saw this Sun, there are divers sayings, commending and admiring the blessedness of living so, as not being conscious to our selves of any gross sinful ways: Nil conscire sibi, &c. To be conscious unto a mans self of no evil, or unjust action, is that onely thing which may make a man happy: Hic murus aheneus esto; that is a brazen wall to beat back all darts; As the sweet nurse in old age, as Pindar calls it. Oh that Christians should do so many things, that raise up conscience like a Lyon and Bear, to roar within them; when even Heathens have been afraid to make their conscience their enemy and adversary. If the fire hath so quickly burned the green tree, how will the dry tree indure? Oh think not these phrases of Conscience, and trouble for sin, unquietness and terror in a mans breast, to be fictions and vain scare-Crows: No, men have had them, that have lived onely in a wilderness, that had no other Book to read then that of the Creature; they have feared a terrible just God, ready to be revenged on them whithersoever they went: And doest thou lye, and steal, and commit whoredom, and thinkest not that God beholdeth thee, with a sparkling eye, full of vengeance?