A30243:1932
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 75
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.
From whence Observe, That Conversion or turning unto God, is a duty required at the present time. Thus in other places parallel in the margin, where this duty is often commanded; still the time is prefixed now, Return ye now.
From whence Observe, That Conversion or turning unto God, is a duty required at the present time. Thus in other places parallel in the margent, where this duty is often commanded; still the time is prefixed now, Return ye now.
For opening of this necessary practical point, Consider1
- 1Man is prone to put of the day of repentance.
First, That it is a very prone inbred thing in a man to procrastinate, and still to put off the day of repentance, and conversion to God. He resolveth, and he purposeth, and he hopes in God to do it, and God gives him grace to do it, but he never sets upon the work. Do but commune with your own hearts, and see if there be not something or other ready always to stifle and kill those purposes to return and so thou art always delaying, and delaying, hoping for a time at last, till it may be thou fallest into the grave, and so all thy hopes cut off. Now the causes of this delay to turn to God, may be several: Sometimes it may come from sluggishness and 1idleness: Even as the sluggard hath a desire to eat, but he tolleth himself on the bed, and saith, Yet a little sleep, and a little slumber, and so he refuseth to set his hand to work. Thus it is here, he desireth to part with his corruptions, to sin no more, but then he crieth a little more ease; so much praying, so much hearing, so much humiliation, so much fervency and violence is very tedious to him: The kingdom of heaven is to be got by violence,