A30243:1832
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.
Fifthly, Never pretend profit, for all the while thou doest not turn to God, thou art in every thing a loser: Who can enumerate all thy losses which come through sin? 1There is the loss of all true joy and peace of conscience; there is the loss of eternity in happiness, of heaven, and all the glory therein, which is more then can enter into the heart of man to conceive; there is loss of thy immortal soul, which is more worth then all the world; and lastly, there is the loss of God, the fountain of all good and happiness, Bonum in quo omnia bona, That Ocean of good, in which all the several streams of goodness empty themselves: Oh then that ever thou shouldst be so seduced, as to say, Its better to live in my sins as I do, then to turn unto God! for what? is it better to have that present profit, then Heaven, Happiness, and God to all eternity? Oh say rather! These my sins will never make satisfaction for the loss •incur by them; these my corruptions will never get me as much, as I lose through them: I keep coals and dung; and part with gold and precious pearls. Its the great ignorance and pravity of our corrupt natures, that knoweth not how to put a right prize and esteem upon things.
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Sixthly, If thy profit keep thee from turning to God, and thou thinkest it a great part of wisdom and prudence to continue in this saving way, as thou callest 1it: Then how doth this condemn all the holy Martyrs and Confessors for the faith of Christ, of the greatest folly and madness that ever was; They may then lay aside those Robes of Glory they are adorned with; For what did not they lose? their wealth, their riches, their pleasures, their lives to follow God; they thought turning to Christ more profit, then turning to any carnal safe way in the world. Did not the Martyrs take the spoiling of their goods joyfully? Did not they as willingly lay down their bodies at the stake, as men do their clothes to sleep? Certainly, sin and the world did then tempt them to turn out of Gods way, but they would go forward; and thereby our Saviour had given them an excellent Antidote, He that will save his life, shall lose it; and he that will lose it, shall save it: And thus we have cast this mountain down, that exalted it self against our conversion.