A30243:1516
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 57
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.
ROM. 2. 15. Which declare the Law of God written in their hearts, &c.
This Text (as you heard) was fruitful in bringing forth twins, two practical observations. The first, That God hath implanted in mens hearts naturally some principles about a God, and the approbation of what is good, and also the rejection of what is evil., hath at large been handled. We come to the second, which is, That all the worth and excellency which men by these natural principles, though improved to the utmost, can attain unto, is not grace. The Scripture requiring Regeneration, and a new Creation, doth still intend a further, excellency than natural honesty, or natural devotion can carry us unto; for as we told you, though men are here said by nature to have Gods Law written in their hearts; yet that is far different from that gracious promise in Jeremiah, where God is said to write his Law, and put his fear into their hearts, Jer. 31. For that is a writing of the Law, after the natural stoniness is taken away, and a tender fleshly pliable heart given unto them; so that should God write no more graciously in us, than what is at first naturally engraven in us, it would argue no more that we had grace, than that the Devils and damned in hell have grace; for you must know these Dictates about God, and a Conscience about evil, is so inseparably engraven in our hearts, that it is not taken out, no not from the damned in hell; but the great cause of all their torment and misery is, because that work of conscience is so quick and sensible in them, that being the gnawing worm which never dyeth: so then howsoever the last day, you heard the Heathens described in their glory, and many admirable things done by them; yet now you shall hear their glory stained, their Sun in an Eclipse, many dead flies that do wholly mar their Box of ointments. Indeed as Austin observeth, A man that reads what excellent things they have done, cannot but have a kind of pity of them, and a secret desire that they might be saved, which (no question) were the grounds that made some positively assert their salvation; but in matters of Religion, not humane pity or affections, but divine Authority must be the star to guide us, and where we are unable to find out the justice, or mercy of God, there yet to adore them, it being as impossible for us to comprehend the wise and deep things of God, as a worm to understand the counsels, and wise purposes of men: