A30243:2141
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 83
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, That which is to be done before all other things, is to reform their own lives; That the world may say, they believe that to be true which they preach to others. Thus 1they are to be an example of all purity, chastity, meekness, faith, temperance, heavenly-mindedness. Not but that wicked men will cavil and find spots in the Sun. You see Christ and the Apostles were much traduced, and they walked through good report and bad; but let them approve their works to the Lord, and then they shall have comfort. Thus the Apostle to Timothy; Attend to thy self, and to thy Doctrine, 1 Tim. 4. 13. so shalt thou save others: To himself first, and then his Doctrine; the life of a man preacheth; Aaron's Bells hung at his feet. What an uncomely thing is it to see a foul deformed Painter to draw a curious lovely Image? No less is it to hear a profane Minister pressing his people to purity; a dissolute Minister to urge his people to strictness: and therefore God threatened in Malachi, To make the Priests contemptible, and as Dung, because they had not kept his Word, Mal. 2. 3. This is woeful: But when the Ministry, for their faithfulness and opposition to the wickedness in the world, are then as the Apostles were, made the off-scouring of the World; this is glorious.
First, That which is to be done before all other things, is to reform their own lives; That the world may say, they believe that to be true which they preach to others. Thus 1they are to be an example of all purity, chastity, meeknesse, faith, temperance, heavenly-mindednesse. Not but that wicked men will cavill and find spots in the Sun. You see Christ and the Apostles were much traduced, and they walked through good report and bad; but let them approve their works to the Lord, and then they shall have comfort. Thus the Apostle to Timothy; Attend to thy self, and to thy Doctrine, 1 Tim. 4. 13. so shalt thou save others: To himself first, and then his Doctrine; the life of a man preacheth; Aarons Bels hung at his feet. What an uncomely thing is it to see a foul deformed Painter to draw a curious lovely Image? No lesse is it to hear a prophane Minister pressing his people to purity; a dissolute Minister to urge his people to strictnes: and therefore God threatned in Malachy, To make the Priests contemptible, and as Dung, because they had not kept his Word,