A30243:1914
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 74
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.
First, Destructive calamities come violently and totally upon men; So that the wrath of God comes upon such to the extremity, to the uttermost: Thus Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown in a moment; and God threatens incurable Israel, That affliction shall not rise up the second time, Nahum 1. 9. he will strike them dead with the first blow; whereas Gods converting scourges, they come by degrees: As God removed his glory from the temple, being unwilling to stir up all his wrath, as the Psalmist expresseth it, Psal. 78 38. when therefore God doth first threaten before he smite, and when he doth smite, he doth it with moderation; when if he doth rebuke, yet it is not in his sore displeasure; then all these dispensations are to purge out thy dross; then thou art set on the fire, that thy scum may go over. Jeremiah makes an excellent difference between these two dispensations, Jer. 10. 24, 25. Correct me, O Lord, but with judgement, not in thine anger, l•st I be brought to nothing; so then, never repine or grud e under any sore hand of God upon thee, if it be with judgement, with measure, not in wrath; then it is but the shepherds crook, to bring the wandering sheep in: As the waters of the flood overflowed the mountains, and drowned all the Royal Palaces, and great buildings, that were extant at that time, but advanced the Ark higher to heaven; so do afflictions to incurable men, that mind earthly things only, and glory with greediness in them; but those that belong to God, will be advanced to heaven thereby.
First, Destructive calamities come violently and totally upon men; So that the wrath of God comes upon such to the extremity, to the uttermost: Thus Sod•m and Gomorrha were overthrown in a moment; and God thre•tens incurable Israel, That affliction shall not rise up the second time, Nahum 1. 9. he will strike them dead with the first blow; whereas Gods converting scourges, they come by degrees: As God removed his glory from the temple, being unwilling to stir up all his wrath, as the Psalmist expresseth it,