A30243:1761
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 9 › Sermon 67
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.
Fifthly, Because by sin we are thus averse from God. The further we go on in sin, and the more progress we make in those ways, the farther off still we are from 1God, and our turning back to him will be a more difficult thing. The Prodigal went into a far Country, spiritually as well as corporally: He went far from God, and therefore his return would cost him dearer: so that this should make every man stop betimes in the way of his sinning; this should make him without any delay return to God: for every day thou goest farther, and still farther from him; whenever thou shalt return to him, thy task will be the harder. Oh it is seldom seen, that a man who hath all his life time been in motion and travel from God, should at last bethink himself, and resolve to go back to God, from whence he fell. As Austin said of the Heathens noble and admirable actions of morality, which he called glittering sins, That the faster they learn, the more they were out of the way; This is true of all wicked men, the greater haste they make in this world, and the more days they live, the farther off are they from God: thou art farther off from salvation, than thou wast many years ago. A sad thing it is to consider, that the longer thou livest, the less hope of thy Conversion; the more time thou hast spent in this world, the further off from happiness. Be not then worse than the Horse, or the Mule, for a Bridle in their mouth will stop them, and turn them out of the way: But though the Scripture put many Bridles in thy mouth, give thee many curbs to keep thee from sin, yet thou wilt violently rush on. The Apostle could say of some, Their salvation was nearer than at first, Rom. 18. but we may of many, Their damnation is nearer.
Fifthly, Because by sinne we are thus averse from God. The further we go on in sinne, and the more progresse we make in those wayes, the farther off still we are from 1God, and our turning back to him will be a more difficult thing. The Prodigal went into a far Countrey, spiritually as well as corporally: He went far from God, and therefore his return would cost him dearer: so that this should make every man stop betimes in the way of his sinning; this should make him without any delay return to God: for every day thou goest farther, and still farther from him; whenever thou shalt return to him, thy task will be the harder. Oh it is seldome seen, that a man who hath all his life time been in motion and travell from God, should at last bethink himself, and resolve to go back to God, from whence he fell. As Austin said of the Heathens noble and admirable actions of morality, which he called glittering sins, That the faster they learn, the more they were out of the way; This is true of all wicked men, the greater haste they make in this world, and the more dayes they live, the farther off are they from God: thou art farther off from salvation, than thou wast many years agoe. A sad thing it is to consider, that the longer thou livest, the lesse hope of thy Conversion; the more time thou hast spent in this world, the further off from happinesse. Be not then worse than the Horse, or the Mule, for a Bridle in their mouth will stop them, and turn them out of the way: But though the Scripture put many Bridles in thy mouth, give thee many curbs to keep thee from sin, yet thou wilt violently rush on. The Apostle could say of some, Their salvation was nearer than at first, Rom. 18. but we may of many, Their damnation is nearer.