A30243:2232
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 10 › Sermon 87
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.
Fifthly, This fleshy heart implieth, An obediential resignation of our selves up into Gods hands. That now we stand at nothing, we refuse nothing, we object 1nothing, we do not pick and choose in our obedience, This (O Lord) I could do, but excuse me in the other thing. No, a fleshy heart is that which is all over yielding and submitting: He doth not say, I will give them an heart partly of stone, and partly of flesh; for although stoniness be in the regenerate heart, yet because it is not there by constant prevalency and universality, therefore it is still an heart of flesh, so that nothing will discover this work upon thy soul, sooner then an obediential resignation to all duties. He that breaks one is guilty of all, in this sense, because he breaks vinculum obedientiae, the bond of obedience, which is the authority of the law-giver: For to be fleshy supposeth a capacity and easiness to receive any impression: wheresoever it finds a command, there it crieth out, Lo here am I to do thy will, O God: Thy law is written in my heart. We shall not enlarge this particular more, because the explication of a stony heart, doth by way of contrariety illustrate this fleshy heart. Let us therefore take notice of the several effects and consequents of a fleshy heart, and they are remarkable.2
Fifthly, This fleshy heart implieth, An obediential resignation of our selves up into Gods hands. That now we stand at nothing, we refuse nothing, we object 1nothing, we do not pick and chuse in our obedience, This (O Lord) I could do, but excuse me in the other thing. No, a fleshy heart is that which is all over yielding and submitting: He doth not say, I will give them an heart partly of stone, and partly of flesh; for although stoninesse be in the regenerate heart, yet because it is not there by constant prevalency and universality, therefore it is still an heart of flesh, so that nothing will discover this work upon thy soul, sooner then an obediential resignation to all duties. He that breaks one is guilty of all, in this sense, because he breaks vinculum obedientiae, the bond of obedience, which is the authority of the law-giver: For to be fleshy supposeth a capacity and easinesse to receive any impression: wheresoever it findes a command, there it crieth out, Lo here am I to do thy will, O God: Thy law is written in my heart. We shall not inlarge this particular more, because the explication of a stony heart, doth by way of contrariety illustrate this fleshy heart. Let us therefore take notice of the severall effects and consequents of a fleshy heart, and they are remarkable.