A30243:1866
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 72
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, As these purposes are but weak and faint, so it may be they are slavish in thee, extorted only from outward considerations of danger and punishment, in fear 1of death, and of public judgements: Now if so, its no wonder if these thorns do not bear grapes: This is often in the Scripture exemplified, Ahab, Pharaoh, the Israelites; while the stroke of Gods judgements was upon them, then they would turn to God: Thus the Israelites turned and turned very often, but they turned from God again, as often as they turned unto him: Now the ground of this miscarriage was, because these purposes were violently wrung from them, they dared not to do otherwise; and so when the cause was removed, the effect presently ceased. Look then, what it is that is the rise of thy resolutions; thou resolvest and resolvest sometimes, even with sad and bitter tears, but thou art after wards where thou wert before; Is not this that which marreth all? These resolutions never are, but when thou art in some fears, in some terrors, and these violent things therefore will never hold long: They will hold as long as the principle of their violence holdeth; but when that ceaseth, all thy purposes fall to the ground again. Never then wonder to see the Israelites commit those idolatries, and that injustice, which sometimes they cried out off, and confessed to God; for all this was squeezed from them, not willingly done by them: O then! if thou wouldst at last see a sweet harmony, between thy resolution and conversation, begin to mend thy purposes; let them not be resolves out of fear, but out of love: O Lord (say) not only in time of danger, but in the midst of all mercies and comforts, my soul breathes after thee: Its not fear of hell and death makes me take up these conclusions, but love to thee, and what is holy: Thou mayest be sure, this will hold, thou wilt be the same, if this move thee first. Thou wilt be no longer, as the man that purgeth his ship, which leaketh, and water comes in at one place, as fast as it is emptied at another; but thou hast laid a good and sure foundation to build upon.
Secondly, As these purposes are but weak and faint, so it may be they are slavish in thee, extorted onely from outward considerations of danger and punishment, in fear 1of death, and of publique judgements: Now if so, its no wonder if these thorns do not bear grapes: This is often in the Scripture exemplified, Ahab, Pharaoh, the Israelites; while the strok of Gods judgements was upon them, then they would turn to God: Thus the Israelites turned and turned very often, but they turned from God again, as often as they turned unto him: Now the ground of this miscarriage was, because these purposes were violently wrung from them, they dared not to do otherwise; and so when the cause was removed, the effect presently ceased. Look then, what it is that is the rise of thy resolutions; thou resolvest and resolvest sometimes, even with sad and bitter tears, but thou art after wards where thou wert before; Is not this that which marreth all? These resolutions never are, but when thou art in some fears, in some terrors, and these violent things therefore will never hold long: They will hold as long as the principle of their violence holdeth; but when that ceaseth, all thy purposes fall to the ground again. Never then wonder to see the Israelites commit those idolatryes, and that injustice, which sometimes they cryed out off, and confessed to God; for all this was squeezed from them, not willingly done by them: O then! if thou wouldst at last see a sweet harmony, between thy resolution and conversation, begin to mend thy purposes; let them not be resolves out of fear, but out of love: O Lord (say) not onely in time of danger, but in the midst of all mercies and comforts, my soul breathes after thee: Its not fear of hell and death makes me take up these conclusions, but love to thee, and what is holy: Thou mayest be sure, this will hold, thou wilt be the same, if this move thee first. Thou wilt be no longer, as the man that purgeth his ship, which leaketh, and water comes in at one place, as fast as it is emptied at another; but thou hast laid a good and sure foundation to build upon.