A30243:2320
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 11 › Sermon 91
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.
These things premised, let us consider the Reasons why God takes this 1order, first giving a new heart and spirit, then causing us to walk in his ways, and
These things premised, let us consider the Reasons why God takes this 1order, first giving a new heart and spirit, then causing us to walk in his wayes, and
- 1Reasons of the point.
First, Otherwise our Duties would be dead Duties, there would be no Life in 1them. If a Ball or Wheel move, this Motion is not a vital Action, because its not from a Principle within, it comes wholly from without; so all thy Obedience to Gods Commandments is but a dead Obedience, a dead Work, if this new Heart be not first in thee. God in the Old Testament accepted of dead Sacrifices to be offered to him, but now we must give up our selves, as living Sacrifices, Rom. 12. 1. The Scripture delights to call the Work of Grace, a Life, and the Graces of Gods Spirit are compared to living Waters. And thus indeed it is, Every Prayer must be a living Prayer, thy Obedience living, or lively Obedience, but this cannot be till God begin in the inward man first. As therefore thou canst not delight in a dead Wife, dead Children; so neither doth God in thy dead Religion. We Ministers while preaching of these things, may say our Hearts are inditing of good things, and our Mouths drop like the Honey-comb; for how glad shouldst thou be to hear of a way that may put life into all thy dead Duties. If those that lived in Christs time, did so exceedingly rejoice to receive their Friends from the dead; what joy should it be to have all thy Duties arise as it were from the dead? How necessary is this for such who live in a mere formal customary way of Duties! We read of the Egyptian Plague, that the first-born in every Family was dead; and thereupon in the Morning there were great out-cries in every Family for a dead son. Oh how should this truth make many Families mourn for their dead Duties, their dead Religion! There is no life in any thing thou dost, till God begin within and so cure thee outwardly.