A30243:1960
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 76
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.
But to make this point naked and open, consider, That Original sin, though it 1be the seed of all kind of wickedness, and there cannot be an instance given of any horrid crime in the world, but this would carry a man unto it, yet this poison in every man vents it self in one way, rather than another: Even as in every mans body there is a seed and principle of death; yet in some there is a proneness to one kind of disease more than to another; and this may be called that mans proper sin, his evil way. As Philosophy tells us, Though all the individuals of one kind agree in one common specific nature, yet every one hath a particular difference, whereby it is distinguished from another, which they call Haecceity; so its here, though there be many sins acted in common by all, yet several men have their particular corruptions, which are like the Prince of Devils, that commands all their other sins. Its true, there is no sin committed by any man, but thou hast cause to bless God, that thou art not as desperately entangled in it, as others. Therefore what the Psalmist speaks of the worst of wicked men, and highest enemies to the Church of God, the Apostle Romans 3. applieth to every man. Yet every man hath his inclination to one kind of sin rather than another: and this difference of darling beloved sins may arise from two grounds, the one internal, the other external.
But to make this point naked and open, consider, That Originall sin, though it 1be the seed of all kind of wickednesse, and there cannot be an instance given of any horrid crime in the world, but this would carry a man unto it, yet this poison in every man vents it self in one way, rather than another: Even as in every mans body there is a seed and principle of death; yet in some there is a pronenesse to one kind of disease more than to another; and this may be called that mans proper sin, his evill way. As Philosophy tels us, Though all the individuals of one kind agree in one common specifical nature, yet every one hath a particular difference, whereby it is distinguished from another, which they call Hecciety; so its here, though there be many sins acted in common by all, yet several men have their particular corruptions, which are like the Prince of Devils, that commands all their other sins. Its true, there is no sin committed by any man, but thou hast cause to blesse God, that thou art not as desperately intangled in it, as others. Therefore what the Psalmist speaks of the worst of wicked men, and highest enemies to the Church of God, the Apostle