A30243:1560
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 8 › Sermon 59
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 first words of the Text cause us to look back to the Verses before it. The Apostle in the beginning of the Chapter, reproveth a sinful and unwarrantable practice among the Corinthians of going to Law one with another. Not that it is absolutely a sin to demand our right before a Magistrate; as the Anabaptists would inset from hence; for then the Apostle would not have permitted them to use such judicial decisions among themselves, to which he directs them; but the grounds of this prohibition are, partly because they impleaded one another before Heathen Magistrates; and so Christianity was made a reproach; partly they wanted a preparation of mind to suffer wrong, rather than sinfully contest in inferior matters; partly because they did wrong, and were full of injurious carriages, and that to their brethren: from which wickedness he deterreth them by that threatening; Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of heaven? and to confirm this the more, he layeth down a more general proposition, enumerating several kinds of sins; and least they should think their Christian ⟨p. 364⟩faith would save them, though they had wicked lives, he adviseth them, not to err, or, be not deceived, either by false Teachers, broaching such Doctrines, or by their own corrupt hearts, suggesting such false delusions: He doth also dehort them from such wickedness, because that was their course of life formerly, while unconverted, but now they are washed and sanctified. Before I come to the main scope I intend out of these words, (which is to explain the nature of converting grace, under the notion of Washing and Sanctifying,) let me consider that Phrase, verse 9. Be not deceived, and the beginning of this verse 11. And such were some of you. For the former, although it was as plain as the Sun-shine at Noon-day, that all who live in gross sins should be damned, yet there were Corinthians who deceived their own souls, thinking they might be saved, although they lived in all profaneness. Therefore to prevent this the Apostle saith, Be not deceived. C[…] useth such a Preface, Luke 21. 8. and Paul, Gal. 6. 7. James also 1. 16. when they are to speak that thing, which unknown, or unobserved, would bring a man much evil; and truly there cannot be a greater cause to prefix such an Antidote than in this matter of the Text: