A30243:206
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 1 › Sermon 8
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.
2. There are common Graces of Gods Spirit, and to this there are common effects 1and signs sufficient, such are, an historical belief, a visible profession, an outward acceptation of Christ and his Laws, when there may be no inward change of the heart at all: for as God doth call many by an outward call, whom he doth not inwardly call; so many do outwardly accept of, and profess the faith of Christ, which do it not inwardly; and by this means they have a visible holiness as opposite to the unconverted world, 1 Cor. 7. 14. There is holiness and believing opposed to Heathenism and Paganism; hence Heb. 10. 29. that Apostate who never had true sanctifying grace, is yet said to be sanctified by the blood of Christ. Hence also because of the outward Sacraments men are said to be in Christ, and to have put on Christ Jesus; and upon this ground the Apostle writeth to the Churches as a company of Saints, regarding the term from which they are called, viz. the ⟨p. 39⟩world, and the term to which, viz. Communion and fellowship with Christ. Now the notes and marks of this common grace are easy and plain, and it may fall out that a visible number of people may have these, so that they are to be accounted a visible Church, and the Ordinances not denied to them, yet be without those signs that do indeed accompany Salvation. But we intend not to speak of such notes and characters that are enough to make one a visible member of the Church, and so to qualify us that we may not have the Ordinances denied us, in which sense the Apostle, vers. 7. of this present 13th Chapter prayeth to God, that the Corinthians may do no evil, which is not meant of evil absolutely, but restrictedly, viz. such an evil for which the Apostle should punish with Church-censures, as the context doth abundantly witness. It is true, the greatest sort of Christians satisfy themselves with common characters and signs, such as Baptism, external profession, and outward abstinence from sin; hence from arguing for their Sanctification and Acceptation with God: But more of this hereafter. As we must not make the signs of grace higher then the Scripture makes them, so neither ought we to draw them down lower.