A30243:1922
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.
Fourthly, In this afflictions may also prepare for conversion, because they are apt 1to dead a mans heart, and all his delights that he took in the creatures: Sin is an aversion from God, and conversion to the creature; now grace is an aversion from sin, and conversion to God; and there is nothing doth so prepare and take off the heart from the creature, as when God afflicts us in them, and by them. As then the breast is made bitter, to wean the child; so God puts bitterness in every comfort, in every condition, makes affliction to grow up with every mercy, a thorn with every flower; that so thou mayest say, Its not good to be here, we must seek a better good then these things are: In their afflictions they will seek me early, saith God, Hosea 5. 15. Oh when God shall make every thing briars and thorns to thee! when thou lookest for good, and behold nothing but bitterness, now is the time to allure thy soul to God; say, What wilt thou do? whether wilt thou go? Hath not that Star wormwood fallen into every state thou art in? Hath not God bid thee be called no more Naomi, but Marah: Why then doest thou any longer seek for grapes on thorns; for true happiness in the way of sin? God took the Church into the wilderness, and then he spake to her, Hosea 2. 14. Oh when God hath brought thee into a wilderness, all comforts are kept from thee, then take the advantage, then pray, then mourn; now, if ever, that iron of thy heart is in the fire, and it may be beaten into a good frame; and therefore the more universal thy affliction is, if it takes thee off from all refuges, leaveth thee not one drop of comfort, the likelier it is to do thee good, for thy spiritual disease and corruption is contumelious, that it must be strong physic, else it will not work on thee: As long as thou canst catch upon any twig, any branch to save thy self, thou wilt not throw thy self into the arms of Christ: Therefore God hedged the Churches way with thorns, Hosea 2. 6. that she might not any way break through for her sins; and when she was thus stopped, then she resolveth to go back to her former husband again. Thus afflictions in these particulars may help on our turning to God, not but that the word is the proper ⟨p. 452⟩