A30243:1762
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.
Sixthly, This Conversion, and turning unto God, is in Scripture spoken sometimes as 1our work, and sometimes as Gods work. Thus in the Text, Turn ye, turn ye. And again, Make ye a new heart, and a new spirit: But in other places, its made the peculiar gift of God alone. Thus God saith, He will take away the heart of stone, and give an heart of flesh, Jer. 31. Ezek. 32. So, He will circumcise their hearts, He will give them a new heart, &c. Now how can these be reconciled? If God do it, how can man? If man, how can God? Can it be Gods gift and our work too? Now there is returned this answer by erroneous Teachers, that (say they) from those places its plain, our Conversion is partly from Free-will, and partly from Free grace, though Gods grace be acknowledged to be the principal: The one teacheth Gods operation, the other our co-operation. Thus they do not exclude God totally, yet they make him only a co-partner with us in this work of conversion: But this is quickly dispelled, by those places that describe man dead in sin; and so can be no synergist with God: as also by those Texts which give the praise and glory of Conversion totally and solely to God, not dividing this glory between him and the Creature, no more than divine worship, of which God is so jealous, that he will have it alone.
Sixtly, This Conversion, and turning unto God, is in Scripture spoken sometimes as 1our work, and sometimes as Gods work. Thus in the Text, Turn ye, turn ye. And again, Make ye a new heart, and a new spirit: But in other places, its made the peculiar gift of God alone. Thus God saith, He will take away the heart of stone, and give an heart of flesh, Jer. 31. Ezek. 32. So, He will circumcise their hearts, He will give them a new heart, &c. Now how can these be reconciled? If God doe it, how can man? If man, how can God? Can it be Gods gift and our work too? Now there is returned this answer by erroneous Teachers, that (say they) from those places its plain, our Conversion is partly from Free-will, and partly from Free grace, though Gods grace be acknowledged to be the principall: The one teacheth Gods operation, the other our co-operation. Thus they do not exclude God totally, yet they make him onely a co-partner with us in this work of conversion: But this is quickly dispelled, by those places that describe man dead in sinne; and so can be no synergist with God: as also by those Texts which give the praise and glory of Conversion totally and solely to God, not dividing this glory between him and the Creature, no more than divine worship, of which God is so jealous, that he will have it alone.