A30243:1578
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 60
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.
1 COR. 6. 11. And such were some of you, but ye are washed, &c.
WE are now to consider a second kind of Argument, the Apostle useth to dehort them from all gross wickedness, and that is the admirable and wonderful change that is now made upon them by converting Grace: They are not Swine any more, but sheep, and therefore must not wallow in the mire and filth of sin as formerly: So that the scope of the Apostle is, to compare their former black and foul life, with the present glorious light they are now translated into. And such were some of you. He had reckoned up beasts rather then men, monsters rather then men of reason; and yet, Such were some of you. He saith [Greek or Hebrew], Some of you, to show, that every one of them had not all those filthy sores: Every one was not guilty of all the enumerated sins (except idolatry, which all were guilty of) unless in the seed and root, which is original corruption; but it is to be understood distributively, some were fornicators, some effeminate, some drunkards, some extortioners. Corinth was wicked, even to a proverbial speech, It seemed an hospital of diseased sick men, in respect of their moralities. And further, the Apostle saith in the neuter gender, [Greek or Hebrew], not [Greek or Hebrew], not such persons, but such sins, emphatically demonstrating their wickedness, that they were not so much Peccatores, as ipsa peccata, sinners, as the very sins themselves: We may then stand and behold the wonderful work of Grace, that raiseth children up to Abraham out of stones; that maketh Blackamores to change their skins. The Corinthians, while Idolaters, changed the image of God, into the likeness of an Ox, or any other beast; but now God changeth these who were become like brute beasts, into the image of the holy and pure God.
WE are now to consider a second kinde of Argument, the Apostle useth to dehort them from all gross wickedness, and that is the admirable and wonderful change that is now made upon them by converting Grace: They are not Swine any more, but sheep, and therefore must not wallow in the mire and filth of sin as formerly: So that the scope of the Apostle is, to compare their former black and foul life, with the present glorious light they are now translated into. And such were some of you. He had reckoned up beasts rather then men, monsters rather then men of reason; and yet, Such were some of you. He saith , Some of you, to shew, that every one of them had not all those filthy sores: Every one was not guilty of all the enumerated sins (except idolatry, which all were guilty of) unless in the seed and root, which is original corruption; but it is to be understood distributively, some were fornicators, some effeminate, some drunkards, some extortioners. Corinth was wicked, even to a proverbial speech, It seemed an hospital of diseased sick men, in respect of their moralities. And further, the Apostle saith in the neuter gender, , not , not such persons, but such sins, emphatically demonstrating their wickedness, that they were not so much Peccatores, as ipsa peccata, sinners, as the very sins themselves: We may then stand and behold the wonderful work of Grace, that raiseth children up to Abraham out of stones; that maketh Blackamores to change their skins. The Corinthians, while Idolaters, changed the image of God, into the likeness of an Ox, or any other beast; but now God changeth these who were become like bruit beasts, into the image of the holy and pure God.