A30243:2053
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.
Thirdly, To turn to God with the whole heart, is to do it sincerely and uprightly. Oh this God hath complained of in the Israelites, that in their seeming conversions, 1their hearts were not upright, and unfeigned in them: they did but dissemble with their tongues, and as it is said of faith, may we not also say of uprightness, When the Son of man shall come, shall he find uprightness on the earth? He may find the Christian faith, he may find praying and hearing, but shall he find sincerity? Thus the whole heart is very often used in the Scripture for a sincere and upright heart, as on the contrary a false hypocritical heart is excellently called an heart and an heart. Oh this is too ordinary to pray with an heart and an heart; to confess sin with an ⟨p. 481⟩heart, and an heart: An heart seemingly for God, and yet an heart for sin also: an heart apparently for Christ, and yet closely for the world also. This is commonly made the difference between the good Kings, and those that had a glorious show of goodness, but wanted the power of it. The one is said to seek to God, or cleave to God with the whole heart; the other had an heart and an heart. As therefore the time was once when thou wert afraid of profaneness, and gross impieties: so now take as much heed of hypocrisy, and falsehood of spirit.
Thirdly, To turn to God with the whole heart, is to do it sincerely and uprightly. Oh this God hath complained of in the Israelites, that in their seeming conversions, 1their hearts were not upright, and unfeigned in them: they did but dissemble with their tongues, and as it is said of faith, may we not also say of uprightnesse, When the Son of man shall come, shall he find uprightnesse on the earth? He may find the Christian faith, he may find praying and hearing, but shall he find sincerity? Thus the whole heart is very often used in the Scripture for a sincere and upright heart, as on the contrary a false hypocritical heart is excellenty called an heart and an heart. Oh this is too ordinary to pray with an heart and an heart; to confesse sin with an ⟨p. 481⟩heart, and an heart: An heart seemingly for God, and yet an heart for sin also: an heart apparently for Christ, and yet closely for the world also. This is commonly made the difference between the good Kings, and those that had a glorious shew of goodnesse, but wanted the power of it. The one is said to seek to God, or cleave to God with the whole heart; the other had an heart and an heart. As therefore the time was once when thou wert afraid of prophannesse, and grosse impieties: so now take as much heed of hypocrisie, and falshood of spirit.