A30243:2428
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 96
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.
We come to the second particular; viz. Righteousness and Equity to man, contained in these words, Keep my judgements, and do them: It cannot be denied, but that the word Judgement in the Scripture, is of a vast and large signification, which I shall not enumerate at this time: Here I take it strictly and distinctly, as in other places, for obedience to those Laws of God, which contain righteousness and equity between man & man; in which sense the Prophets often call upon the Israelites, To do judgement, and justice, and to break off the ways of violence, oppression, wrong, and all unrighteousness. So that we may observe:
A Converted person is very conscientious and tender in all the duties of righteousness and equity to others.1
- 1Observ.
He dareth not pray, hear, make a strict profession of Religion to God; and yet lye, cozen, deal falsely, wrong or defraud any man in his dealings; He hath a respect to all Gods Commandments, Psal. 119. he knoweth the same God who commanded the Precepts of the first Table, containing duty to, and worship of God; doth also equally and indispensably require duties of faithfulness and righteousness to men. This point is of singular use, for wherein doth Religion get greater wounds, the Gospel more dishonour, then when men in repute for godliness, are found guilty and blame-worthy in the ways of dishonesty? To have wicked men lye, swear and forswear, to defraud and injure others, the world expects no better, looks for no other; but for thee, a professor of Religion, it expects all truth, fidelity, righteousness, else thou art a dead fly in the box of ointment, a scandal and reproach to the ways of God; and thou hadst better never to have been born, then to prove such a stumbling block in the ways of piety. Indeed, there are passive scandals, when men will maliciously and falsely raise slanders and false reports of the professors of Religion,