A30243:1532
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.
The second thing is their natural honesty and righteousness, which was indeed the chiefest flower in their Garden, wherein they seemed in their greatest glory. Severus 1the Emperor did most admire that rule, which he said he learned from Christians, That which thou wouldest not have done to thy self, do not to another. An excellent particular rule in all commerce between man and man: And although many of them did walk up to this rule, yet this natural righteousness was not grace, because the end of all their actions was not the glory of God, and the salvation of their souls, but either vain-glory, or at best only the public good, or comfort and ease in their Consciences, which unjust acts would disquiet: and therefore as the light of the Moon and the Stars is not able to dispel the night, but the light of the Sun only; so neither is the power of nature able to rectify that crookedness and perverseness which is in all our ways; its the proper work of Grace only to do that: And the like we may say of all their actions of frugality, temperance, and sobriety; these all, like their acts of righteousness, had but humane ends, the aim they shot at, was far lower than heaven; and therefore were not grace, because that doth lift us up to God, aiming at, and beholding his Glory in all that we do. But because the next thing I shall speak of, is, their moral virtues, a step higher than those natural Dictates remaining in us, and am there to show their insufficiency, I shall desist, and come to the Use, which is of Examination.
The second thing is their naturall honesty and righteousnesse, which was indeed the chiefest flower in their Garden, wherein they seemed in their greatest glory. Siverus 1the Emperor did most admire that rule, which he said he learned from Christians, That which thou wouldest not have done to thy self, doe not to another. An excellent particular rule in all commerce between man and man: And although many of them did walk up to this rule, yet this natural righteousness was not grace, because the end of all their actions was not the glory of God, and the salvation of their souls, but either vain-glory, or at best onely the publick good, or comfort and ease in their Consciences, which unjust acts would disquiet: and therefore as the light of the Moon and the Stars is not able to dispell the night, but the light of the Sun onely; so neither is the power of nature able to rectifie that crookednesse and perversenesse which is in all our wayes; its the proper work of Grace onely to doe that: And the like we may say of all their actions of frugality, temperance, and sobriety; these all, like their acts of righteousnesse, had but humane ends, the aim they shot at, was far lower than heaven; and therefore were not grace, because that doth lift us up to God, aiming at, and beholding his Glory in all that we doe. But because the next thing I shall speak of, is, their morall vertues, a step higher than those naturall Dictates remaining in us, and am there to shew their insufficiency, I shall desist, and come to the Use, which is of Examination.