A30243:2259
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 88
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, When it hinders a man from those other gracious duties that God doth require: All grace is consonant, and one grace is to be added to another, and they ⟨p. 525⟩are to cooperate one with another, even those that seem to be at the greatest distance; thus Joy and trembling, faith and fear, are to accompany one another: Now there are some graces, that it is very hard to have co operate with this heart of flesh; and therefore we must take heed that our gold become not dross, that we do not take even sin for grace: This is worse then to take John Baptist for Christ, this is to take a false Christ for the true one: And this is done first, when they cast both their eyes upon their sins only, not at all eying Christ; as if the Israelite wounded by a Serpent, should always have cried out of his pain and roasting, but never look up to the exalted Serpent: This the incestuous person was blamed for, he was ready to be swallowed up with sorrow: When thy soul is so dejected, that it refuseth the comfort of the Gospel, will suffer no oil to be poured in its wounds, this is a sinful softness; this is as wetted paper, the moisture of it hinders any writing upon it; and so the softness of thy heart makes the glorious promise of the Gospel not to be writ on thy soul; for as God writes the Law of obedience in the hearts of the godly, so also the Gospel of comfort in their souls: And as hardness of heart hinders the former writing, so too much softness and moisture the latter: Know then, that all tenderness and softness, which keeps off from Christ, which rejects the promise of grace, is sinful, and is not of God.
First, When it hinders a man from those other gracious duties that God doth require: All grace is consonant, and one grace is to be added to another, and they ⟨p. 525⟩are to cooperate one with another, even those that seem to be at the greatest distance; thus Joy and trembling, faith and fear, are to accompany one another: Now there are some graces, that it is very hard to have co operate with this heart of flesh; and therefore we must take heed that our gold become not dross, that we do not take even sin for grace: This is worse then to take Iohn Baptist for Christ, this is to take a false Christ for the true one: And this is done first, when they cast both their eyes upon their sins onely, not at all eying Christ; as if the Israelite wounded by a Serpent, should always have cryed out of his pain and rosting, but never look up to the exalted Serpent: This the incestuous person was blamed for, he was ready to be swallowed up with sorrow: When thy soul is so dejected, that it refuseth the comfort of the Gospel, will suffer no oil to be poured in its wounds, this is a sinful softness; this is as wetted paper, the moisture of it hinders any writing upon it; and so the softness of thy heart makes the glorious promise of the Gospel not to be writ on thy soul; for as God writes the Law of obedience in the hearts of the godly, so also the Gospel of comfort in their souls: And as hardness of heart hinders the former writing, so too much softness and moisture the latter: Know then, that all tenderness and softness, which keeps off from Christ, which rejects the promise of grace, is sinful, and is not of God.