A30243:1819
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 70
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.
Secondly, Grant thy sins have pleasure and delight in them, yet they are pleasant only to the brutish and sensual part of a man; the eyes, the ears, the body, the 1imagination, these for the most part are pleased in the actings of sin: Now what an unworthy and irrational thing is it for thee, to pursue those pleasures, which are common to thee, with beasts? Sin haply may bring bodily pleasures, bodily delight; but how low should these things be to thee that hast a soul, whose true good and happiness lieth in godly actions, and enjoying of God? Did not the rich man in the Gospel, show himself like a beast, when speaking of his barns full, he said, Soul, take thy ease, for thou hast much good laid up for thee, Luke 12. 19. Soul! O brutish expression, what were these good things to his soul? he might have said, Body, take thy case, but Soul he could not: when therefore the pleasures of sin, have painted themselves, like Jezebel, to entice and deceive thee, reject them with disdain: These are not pleasures for an immaterial, immortal soul; these are not a proper delight, for the chief and most noble part of me; If I were only a body, and not a soul; then there might be greater reason to admit them.
Secondly, Grant thy sins have pleasure and delight in them, yet they are pleasant onely to the bruitish and sensual part of a man; the eyes, the ears, the body, the 1imagination, these for the most part are pleased in the actings of sin: Now what an unworthy and irrational thing is it for thee, to pursue those pleasures, which are common to thee, with beasts? Sin haply may bring bodily pleasures, bodily delight; but how low should these things be to thee that hast a soul, whose true good and happiness lyeth in godly actions, and enjoying of God? Did not the rich man in the Gospel, shew himself like a beast, when speaking of his barns full, he said, Soul, take thy ease, for thou hast much good laid up for thee, Luke 12. 19. Soul! O brutish expression, what were these good things to his soul? he might have said, Body, take thy case, but Soul he could not: when therefore the pleasures of sin, have painted themselves, like Jezebel, to intice and deceive thee, reject them with disdain: These are not pleasures for an immaterial, immortal soul; these are not a proper delight, for the chief and most noble part of me; If I were onely a body, and not a soul; then there might be greater reason to admit them.