A30243:1549
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 58
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, This Moral life is not a gracious life, because here is nothing of Christ in it; who yet enableth only to what is godly, and makes that godliness acceptable: 1There is no other name to be saved by, but by Christ; and no other way, but by faith in that Name, Acts 4. 12. Therefore Christ calls himself The Way, the Truth and the Life, John 14. 6. The way, so that whatsoever glory and dignity any action may have, yet if it be not through him, its out of the way; and the faster a man runs, if it be out of the way, the greater loss it is. Then he is the Truth, all actions not done in his name, are but lies and vanities: Thy Religion is a lye, thy Righteousness is a lye, if it be not done in and through him. And then he is the Life, let thy conversation be never so resplendent, so glorious, yet it is but a dead glory; there is no supernatural life of grace, but where Christ is. Now a Moral man, if a Christian, though he may in profession acknowledge Christ, yet he doth not live as one that daily receiveth influence from him: Christ is not really in his thoughts, in his duties, in his affections; ⟨p. 362⟩he doth not pathetically and heartily, cry out, How vain are all these duties without Christ? How undone were I, if not for Christ?
Sixthly, This Moral life is not a gracious life, because here is nothing of Christ in it; who yet inableth onely to what is godly, and makes that godliness acceptable: 1There is no other name to be saved by, but by Christ; and no other way, but by faith in that Name, Acts 4. 12. Therefore Christ calls himself The Way, the Truth and the Life, John 14. 6. The way, so that whatsoever glory and dignity any action may have, yet if it be not through him, its out of the way; and the faster a man runs, if it be out of the way, the greater loss it is. Then he is the Truth, all actions not done in his name, are but lyes and vanities: Thy Religion is a lye, thy Righteonsness is a lye, if it be not done in and through him. And then he is the Life, let thy conversation be never so resplendent, so glorious, yet it is but a dead glory; there is no supernatural life of grace, but where Christ is. Now a Moral man, if a Christian, though he may in profession acknowledge Christ, yet he doth not live as one that daily receiveth influence from him: Christ is not really in his thoughts, in his duties, in his affections;