A30243:1606
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.
Thirdly, That we might be fully convinced of our native filthiness, and the nature of Gods Spirit in renewing us, God appointed external Ordinances and Rites of bodily 1washing, hereby to make us understand spiritual things. Thus in the Old Testament, God commanded several washings of the body: The Priest was to wash himself before he sacrificed; and several other cleansings there were; by all which God did inform them of their vileness and loathsomeness; as also thereby ⟨p. 377⟩to look to Christs blood, of which these were Types: As the Apostle argueth at large to the Hebrews. In the New Testament also, although the external Rites are but few in number, which Christ appointed under the Gospel, his Church being now out of her Infancy, and so more enabled to discern spiritual things of themselves. Yet one of the two Sacraments, viz. Baptism, God hath appointed for this end, to signify our natural pollution, and the renewing operation of Gods Spirit: Thus Baptizing is as much as Washing. All that are made Christs Disciples he would have washed, to show that they had noisomeness upon them; and that the Spirit of God must cleanse their souls. John 3. 5. Unless a man be born of Water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven; He doth not speak of Baptism there; for Christ had not at that time appointed Baptism (though John Baptized) and to be sure it was not appointed then universally to all Nations, as appeareth by the Commission afterwards; Go, Baptize all Nations. This is confessed by Bellarmine himself: I rather therefore take water for the Spirit of God, as afterwards it is compared to fire; so that the sense is, Unless a Man be born of the Spirit of God, which is like water, cleansing, healing, quenching, Sanctifying, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. But though this place carry it not, yet many other places speak of this Baptism, and the signification thereof: so that the foulness of sin, and the nature of Regeneration is excellently deciphered by the Sacrament of Baptism. Do not thou then rest in thy Baptism, do not presume upon that; for unless thereby thou art taught to loath thy self for sin: unless thou art washed from filthy sins and lustful ways, this washing is no more to thee, than the washing of a Blackamoor, which leaves him as deformed as he was.