A30243:226
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 9
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.
The first sort of Arguments shall be from those places of Scripture, which are descriptive 1and characteristical of true grace from counterfeit; For therefore are those differences so diligently pressed, that every man may take heed, and discern the one from the other: Matth. 13. how copious is our Saviour in that Parable to give exact differences between the several grounds that received the seed, that is, the several workings upon mens hearts by the preaching of the Word, wherein some go very far beyond others, yet only the good and honest heart was indeed accepted. Now upon this our Saviour saith, He that hath ears to hear let him hear, as if he should say, This matter doth deeply concern you, Examine your selves in what rank you are, how far the word of God hath prevailed over you. If therefore the auditor could not have told when he was good ground, and when thorny, such descriptions had been to no purpose; so John 10. 4, 5. there you have a description of Christs sheep, They hear his voice, a stranger they will not follow, but flee from him; where it is good to observe, that as in other places it is ⟨p. 45⟩made a mark of grace to take heed of sin, and to love holiness; so here it is made a sign of Christs sheep, to take heed of errors and false teachers; They are afraid of false doctrines, as well as wicked ways: Oh how necessary is this sign of grace to be pressed in these times, to a people afraid of being led aside from the true faith by any deceitful pretexts whatsoever. Col. 3. 12. there you have a catalogue of several graces, which flow from Election; Put on (as the elect of God) bowels of mercies, &c. and generally wheresoever you find descriptions of the properties of godliness, there ought we to parallel our lives with those precedents, and see whether we express them or no.
The first sort of Arguments shall be from those places of Scripture, which are descriptive 1and characteristical of true grace from counterfeit; For therefore are those differences so diligently pressed, that every man may take heed, and discern the one from the other: