A30243:1566
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.
Fourthly, That wherein they wilfully deceive themselves, is also about Christ, the Mediator and Saviour. This they build upon; Christ came to save sinners, he is a 1Mediator to make up our peace. Now they make no question, but this being true, they are sure to be saved: Thus they build upon a good foundation, hay and stubble; for Christ is not a Saviour to any, but those who receive him also as a Lord and a King, and so proffer subjection to all his laws: He is not only a Jesus, a Saviour, but he is also a Lord and a King, and he never communicates his benefits, where he doth not bestow his graces. It's true he came to save sinners, he dyed for this end, but he also dyed to ransom us from our lusts, and to make us a people zealous of good works, Tit. 2. 14. The grace of God (which is that of the Gospel in Christ) hath appeared, teaching us to deny all ungodliness: So then as Christs body was not laid any where but in a new Sepulchre, where no man else lay; so Christ the Mediator is not received into every mans heart, but where no lust, or other gross sin is suffered to abide: If Christ be a Saviour to thee from hell hereafter, he is also a Saviour from present lusts and transgressions; and indeed this is the greatest salvation of all, by how much the evil of sin is above the evil of the greatest punishment. Therefore the truly godly, and such as indeed have propriety in Christ, they look upon this as the principal and chief end of our redemption by Christ, to have our active evils subdued, rather than our passive. They thank God for sending Christ into the world, to take away proud hearts, earthly hearts, disobedient lives. In this they rejoice, that there is virtue and efficacy in Christs death, to kill those burdensome lusts and sins which they lye under. Know therefore, that if Christ purpose to do you any good hereafter, he will do some to thee in this life. It's as great a mercy, and thou needest it as much, that he should deliver thee from those present evil ways thou walkest in, as if thou wert in hell flames to be saved from them: And never did Dives more importunately desire a drop of Water in Hell to cool his scorched Tongue, than thou oughtest for the present to desire the blood of Christ, and the Spirit of God, which is like Water, to extinguish that immoderate thirst and desire after sin.
Fourthly, That wherein they wilfully deceive themselves, is also about Christ, the Mediator and Saviour. This they build upon; Christ came to save sinners, he is a