A30243:1994
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 77
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, There are inferior or less principal motives, which do lawfully work upon a man, to make him turn from sin, so long as they are in the second place; And that is the 1Argument in the Text, Gods framing and bringing evil upon men for their sins: When God complaineth that he had thus and thus scourged them, yet they did not return unto him; this argueth, That its lawful to turn from sin, because of the fear of punishment, and Gods judgements accompanying it: And commonly this is the first motive in place, though the last in dignity and worth: Let then all the threatenings, all the wrath of God denounced against sin, make thee speedily turn from it, for God (as the Magistrate) doth not bear his sword in vain, ⟨p. 467⟩neither doth the Scripture threaten in vain; but if there be no more reason then this, if this be the principal and the only, then thou lovest sin still in thy heart; thou art kept from it, as the Dog by a clog on him, from doing his mischief. The godly, though they may be first awakened to turn from sin by these thorns in their sides, and yokes on their necks, yet they stay not in these; but they have more Noble and Divine grounds why they turn from sin; And they are:
First, There are inferior or lesse principal motives, which do lawfully work upon a man, to make him turn from sin, so long as they are in the second place; And that is the 1Argument in the Text, Gods framing and bringing evil upon men for their sins: When God complaineth that he had thus and thus scourged them, yet they did not return unto him; this argueth, That its lawful to turn from sin, because of the fear of punishment, and Gods judgements accempanying it: And commonly this is the first motive in place, though the last in dignity and worth: Let then all the threatnings, all the wrath of God denounced against sin, make thee speedily turn from it, for God (as the Magistrate) doth not bear his sword in vain, ⟨p. 467⟩neither doth the Scripture threaten in vain; but if there be no more reason then this, if this be the principal and the onely, then thou lovest sin still in thy heart; thou art kept from it, as the Dog by a clog on him, from doing his mischief. The godly, though they may be first awakened to turn from sin by these thorns in their sides, and yokes on their necks, yet they stay not in these; but they have more Noble and Divine grounds why they turn from sin; And they are: