A30243:2105
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 82
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.
Secondly, It implieth, violence offered to the heart: Even as a garment rent, or 1our flesh rent, it is even by a violent motion; and so it is here, in conversion there is an holy and mighty violence offered unto our unregenerate part: To take that off from the sinful objects, it hath been fixed upon, is like keeping the greedy dog off from the sweet blood he hath begun to suck: Thus the Scripture expresseth the work of godliness, by such words as implieth great violence and pain offered to the carnal part in a man: Hence its called Crucifying the flesh, Gal. 5. 24. Rom. 8. 13. Gal. 3. 5. There was great violence and lingering misery the party crucified was put unto; and so we are called to mortify the sinful lusts of the soul; so that although there were no external tribulations in the way to heaven, though there were no persecutions, no troubles, yet that which is done upon thy heart, upon thy sinful lusts, will make the way to heaven a straight and narrow way. There is a soul-Martyrdom, as well as a body-Martyrdom; and which is more terrible for flesh and blood to undergo, is hard to tell. No wonder then, if you see men stick so at conversion; O its an hell, its a torment to them; Why? the reason is plain, conversion is a real Purgatory; they go through fire and water to be made clean; they give themselves to be sacrificed by grace: Grace will not spare any one dear sin or lust they have been accustomed unto. Its also no wonder if Gods children find it so difficult, so contrary to nature, to do any thing graciously; for how can it be but painful to hang crucified upon the cross, as it were? for thus, as Christ dyed for sin, so they dye to sin.
Secondly, It implyeth, violence offered to the heart: Even as a garment rent, or 1our flesh rent, it is even by a violent motion; and so it is here, in conversion there is an holy and mighty violence offered unto our unregenerate part: To take that off from the sinful objects, it hath been fixed upon, is like keeping the greedy dog off from the sweet blood he hath begun to suck: Thus the Scripture expresseth the work of godliness, by such words as implyeth great violence and pain offered to the carnal part in a man: Hence its called Crucifying the flesh,