A30243:2050
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 80
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.
Let us therefore consider, First what it is to turn to God with the whole heart, and then the consequents of such a total conversion.
And First, To turn to God with the whole heart, is when we do not reserve any part thereof for any sin, when we offer up our selves an whole burnt offering, and not like those Sacrifices where God had but part, and others they had part: such a conversion ⟨image 264⟩[…] ⟨p. 481⟩[…] ⟨p. 482⟩Herod's was, that did many things gladly, but not all things: such a Convert was Judas, Did it not seem a glorious thing in Judas to forsake all, and follow Christ? but yet still he kept part of his heart for a lodging to receive some Lusts. And such half hearted Conversions are frequent in the world: Experience teacheth us of many who turn from divers sins they once lived in; but there is one or two endeared sins, and those they would join with God. Thus they attempt a contradiction, to make light and darkness have communion, to cause an agreement betwixt Christ, and Belial. As the Idolatry of some is recorded, who feared God, and yet worshipped the Idol gods of the Heathens: They would have the Ark, and Dagon also; so these would turn to God, and to some beloved sin also, as if a man at the same time could turn one eye towards heaven, and the other downwards. Oh fear least it be said to thee, as it was to Ananias and Sapphira, Why hast thou detained part of the price? Thou hast not lied to man, but to God, Acts 5. 3. and so thou dealest deceitfully with God, who will not be mocked, as if thou hadst parted with all thy sins, destroyed all thy enemies, and yet hidest some, as Rahab did the spies, that they might not be discovered. Know then that he who turneth to God, with all his heart, doth not wittingly or willingly spare any one Agag, he doth not keep any one Isaac alive whom God would have sacrificed. Oh what a sad conviction is this of the insufficient, and imperfect conversion of thousands: If it be with thy whole heart, How comes sin and the world to have so great a share of it? Remember the first Commandment, Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. God is a jealous God, not only when his worship is given to other nuncupative Gods, but when thy heart and affections are given up to any Object besides him.