A30243:1809
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 69
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.
Tenthly, Turn unto God from the way thou walkest in, because it is a way of death and damnation. We may truly say, Lyons are in the way, even those roaring Lyons that seek to destroy, And wilt not thou turn out of it? What passenger doth not take it for a great kindness, if travelling out of his way to be informed, he is going a clean contrary way? and besides it is a dangerous way, many Robberies and Murders use to be committed in that way, Will not he with much joy thank you, and speedily turn out of it? This is your case who live in gross and profane courses: Thou art going the clean contrary way to heaven; men go not to heaven through such miry paths; and besides, there is Hell and damnation, and all the curses of God in the way, Why then should you not say, Blessed be God, and blessed be those Watchmen that have given me this warning? Consider then, these are not ways to live in, to dye in: The life that I live is not a life to have any comfort, any hope in. Oh therefore return unto God.
Tenthly, Turn unto God from the way thou walkest in, because it is a way of death and damnation. We may truely say, Lyons are in the way, even those roaring Lyons that seek to destroy, And wilt not thou turn out of it? What passenger doth not take it for a great kindenesse, if travelling out of his way to be informed, he is going a clean contrarie way? and besides it is a dangerous way, many Roberies and Murthers use to be committed in that way, Will not he with much joy thank you, and speedily turn out of it? This is your case who live in grosse and prophane courses: Thou art going the clean contrarie way to heaven; men go not to heaven through such miry paths; and besides, there is Hell and damnation, and all the curses of God in the way, Why then should you not say, Blessed be God, and blessed be those Watchmen that have given me this warning? Consider then, these are not waies to live in, to dye in: The life that I live is not a life to have any comfort, any hope in. Oh therefore return unto God.
Eleventhly, Therefore turn from thy sins to God, because these are thy enemies, thy deadly Adversaries, they are sugared poison and venom. Thy sins do as Jael to Sisera, bid thee come in, come in, and it provides pleasant sweetness for thee, and puts thee in a secure sleep, and then it kills thee. Now is it not the highest madness in the world for a man wilfully to stay under his enemies power that seeks his blood, that plots his death, and no friend can persuade him to come away? This is thy madness; so many sins thou livest in, they are so many bloody enemies to thy soul. They are called lusts which war against thy soul,