A30243:1602
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 61
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.
Then the second degree is Sanctified, which is a further grace of God, not only regenerating, but making us holy unto the Lord, and causing us to walk as those that are set apart for God, from all common and profane use. Lastly, they are Justified. Now although it be seriously disputed, whether Justification or Sanctification go before one another; and generally it is asserted, that in priority of nature a man is justified before he be sanctified, though they be both together in time; yet withal they acknowledge, that according to our sense and feeling, and the Method we must take for comfort, we apprehend our Sanctification before our Justification; and no man may persuade himself, that he is justified, who doth not discover in himself the fruits of Sanctification. The one is the fruit, the other is the tree: so that the Apostle may very well put sanctification first, because to our sense and apprehension it is so. As for that interpretation of Papists and others, that make justified, to be the obtaining of a further degree of righteousness, and increasing in holiness, we reject as erroneous. Now this threefold mercy is amplified by the meritorious cause, In the Name of the Lord Jesus. That is by Jesus Christ known and believed on; as also by the efficient cause, the Spirit of our God, which is therefore called the holy Spirit, as being in an appropriated manner, the ⟨p. 376⟩Author of our Sanctification. Thus the Text is opened. I begin with the first, Ye are washed; and observe,
Then the second degree is Sanctified, which is a further grace of God, not only regenerating, but making us holy unto the Lord, and causing us to walk as those that are set apart for God, from all common and prophane use. Lastly, they are Justified. Now although it be seriously disputed, whether Justification or Sanctification goe before one another; and generally it is asserted, that in priority of nature a man is justified before he be sanctified, though they be both together in time; yet withall they acknowledge, that according to our sense and feeling, and the Method we must take for comfort, we apprehend our Sanctification before our Justification; and no man may perswade himself, that he is justified, who doth not discover in himself the fruits of Sanctification. The one is the fruit, the other is the tree: so that the Apostle may very well put sanctification first, because to our sense and apprehension it is so. As for that interpretation of Papists and others, that make justified, to be the obtaining of a further degree of righteousnesse, and increasing in holinesse, we reject as erroneous. Now this threefold mercy is amplified by the meritorious cause, In the Name of the Lord Jesus. That is by Jesus Christ known and beleeved on; as also by the efficient cause, the Spirit of our God, which is therefore called the holy Spirit, as being in an appropriated manner, the