A30243:2324
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.
Fourthly, Therefore God begins here before the outward man be sanctified, because 1the greatest power and strength of corruption lieth in the inward parts. As the Law of God is in the inward parts of the godly; so the Law of sin, as the Apostle calleth it, is reigning in the members of every wicked man; so that the godly have a good Law in their inward parts, and the wicked, the Law of sin. If therefore God should only enable us to outward Obedience without this new spirit, his greatest work of Grace would be left undone; for its not the body so much as the soul that the Devil possesseth, and taketh for his own. The greatest part of wickedness lieth there, where most men do neither perceive or feel it. Though sickness when it come to the heart be presently felt, yet sin when it cometh to the heart, and lieth at the heart, is not felt as a burden till Gods Spirit convince a man; seeing therefore that this converting Grace is vouchsafed as an healing, and a medicinal cure, it is necessary that the greatest operation of it should be upon the vital parts within. So that as in unregenerate men, the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts are only evil, and that continually; so the imagination of their thoughts should be godly and heavenly. As the wicked swallow down iniquity like water, so rivers of living water should flow out of their bowels. As in the wicked no man can bring the clean out of an ⟨p. 542⟩unclean, so it should be hard to bring an unclean from a clean. In these things lieth the marrow and quintessence of Religion, men are but in the porch, and never enter into the Holy of Holies till they be experimentally acquainted with these things: O that all our Congregations were understanding of these things. If Ministers preach against outward gross impieties, such as the light of nature condemneth, with that you can go along; but concerning this new spirit and new heart, or the old heart and old man; which the Scripture so much speaks of, you know nothing of it.
Fourthly, Therefore God begins here before the outward man be sanctified, because 1the greatest power and strength of corruption lieth in the inward parts. As the Law of God is in the inward parts of the godly; so the Law of sinne, as the Apostle calleth it, is reigning in the members of every wicked man; so that the godly have a good Law in their inward parts, and the wicked, the Law of sinne. If therefore God should only inable us to outward Obedience without this new spirit, his greatest work of Grace would be left undone; for its not the body so much as the soul that the Devil possesseth, and taketh for his own. The greatest part of wickedness lieth there, where most men do neither perceive or feel it. Though sickness when it come to the heart be presently felt, yet sinne when it cometh to the heart, and lieth at the heart, is not felt as a burden till Gods Spirit convince a man; seeing therefore that this converting Grace is vouchsafed as an healing, and a medicinal cure, it is necessary that the greatest operation of it should be upon the vital parts within. So that as in unregenerate men, the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts are only evil, and that continually; so the imagination of their thoughts should be godly and heavenly. As the wicked swallow down iniquity like water, so rivers of living water should flow out of their bowels. As in the wicked no man can bring the clean out of an