A30243:2362
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 93
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.
Secondly, There is after this a quickening, preventing or exciting grace; whereby 1that former principle of grace is stirred up, and provoked to action. I shall not strictly attend to the School distinctions of grace, Prevenient, Concomitant, and Subsequent, of grace operant, and co-operant: I shall use the Scripture phrase, Quickening Grace; which is not only at first of men dead in sin, and giving life unto them, in which sense Paul useth it, Ephes. 2. but also for the exciting and stirring up those principles of grace in us, both to act, and also to increase; as David, Psal. 119. prayeth many times, especially verse 88. Quicken me after thy loving kindness, so shall I keep thy testimonies: This is a blessed temper, and happy are those who do not by negligence, or any other sin, provoke God to withdraw this exciting grace; for although a godly man loose not his principles of grace, yet if he loose this quickening, this acting of grace, he is for the present like a barren wilderness: So then you see, God hath a twofold grace, Initial and Converting, Exciting and Quickening, which we need every hour, every moment, and must pray for more earnestly, then we would for our daily bread.
Secondly, There is after this a quicking, preventing or exciting grace; whereby 1that former principle of grace is stirred up, and provoked to action. I shall not strictly attend to the School distinctions of grace, Prevenient, Concomitant, and Subsequent, of grace operant, and co-operant: I shall use the Scripture phrase, Quickning Grace; which is not onely at first of men dead in sin, and giving life unto them, in which sense Paul useth it, Ephes. 2. but also for the exciting and stirring up those principles of grace in us, both to act, and also to increase; as David, Psal. 119. prayeth many times, especially verse 88. Quicken me after thy loving kindeness, so shall I keep thy testimonies: This is a blessed temper, and happy are those who do not by negligence, or any other sin, provoke God to withdraw this exciting grace; for although a godly man loose not his principles of grace, yet if he loose this quickning, this acting of grace, he is for the present like a barren wilderness: So then you see, God hath a twofold grace, Initial and Converting, Exciting and Quickning, which we need every hour, every moment, and must pray for more earnestly, then we would for our daily bread.