A30243:2375
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, This causing grace, as it preserveth from decays in the degree of grace, so much more from gross and foul sins: Oh David and Peter wanted this 1help in the midst of their temptations, and therefore they were so dangerously overcome: This is the only Preservative and Antidote against sin; not the principles of grace, but the actings of grace: This is called by the Apostle, Grace to help in time of need, Heb. 4. 16. [Greek or Hebrew]. Oh this is admirable, when grace comes in the very need thou wert in! thou wert even falling into such a sin, thou wert even drowning, and this comes and lifts up thy head.
Secondly, This causing grace, as it preserveth from decays in the degree of grace, so much more from gross and foul sins: Oh David and Peter wanted this 1help in the midst of their temptations, and therefore they were so dangerously overcome: This is the onely Preservative and Antidote against sin; not the principles of grace, but the actings of grace: This is called by the Apostle, Grace to help in time of need, Heb. 4. 16. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Oh this is admirable, when grace comes in the very need thou wert in! thou wert even falling into such a sin, thou wert even drowning, and this comes and lifts up thy head.
- 12.
Thirdly, This actuating grace will make a man in a prepared frame for every duty; and to resist every kind of temptation; And what can be more desired then 1this? Ask this of God, and you beg the whole Kingdom of grace: He that is prepared to do every duty, and to resist every temptation, though he should drink any deadly thing of sin, though a Viper of lust should fasten on him, yet it would not hurt him: Thus the Scripture speaks often of being prepared, and ready for every good work: When God commands Faith, Patience, Zeal, to say, My heart is prepared or fixed, I come to do thy will, O God: The heart of it self is no ways fitted for any good action; and though the principles of grace be within, yet a man may be very indisposed to what is holy: Now this causing grace is the file to take off the rust, its the whetting of the edge, its the stirring up or blowing of the coals into a flame; and the excellency of this grace, is no less seen in the confirming and corroborating of the heart against temptations: We are taught to pray constantly, That God would not lead us into temptations. Temptations have discovered the rottenness, guile and falsehood of mens hearts: It was a temptation discovered the second kind of ground to have no root; who knoweth his heart in temptations? Peter in a temptation, differed much from himself when without it. Now there is nothing doth so fortify and