A30243:2433
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.
Though some in this point are very rigid, to make all Obligatory, that are not expressly repealed by Christ; and some again are very remiss and lax; yet all conclude, That the Moral Equity and Reason that was in every Judicial Law, doth bind Christians as well as Jews; and with that we shall conclude this particular, whatsoever Law God made about Justice, Restitution or Punishment to the Jews, the Equity and reason of that Law, doth still bind us, though not the particular manner. As for the New Testament, Christs Kingdoms was not ⟨p. 566⟩temporal, or of this world; and therefore he only commands Righteousness in the general, and commands that excellent Maxim, which an Heathen Emperor did so much admire, saying, He received it from Christians, What ye would have men do to you, do ye to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets, Mat. 7. 12. that is, All the duties commanded by the Law, or required by the Prophets, are comprised in this Maxim, Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: Oh the world would not be full of such wickedness, unrighteousness as it is, if this were observed: And further mark, when our Saviour had pressed them to earnest prayer, and encouraged them therein, he addeth this as a necessary condition to their prayers: So that let men be never such Angels in duties and expressions, let them pretend never so much Piety and Religion, if they walk not by this rule, they follow not Christs directions: Christ therefore he hath only given us general rules of Righteousness, and for the particulars, he doth command Christians to obey and submit to the wholesome Laws of that place where they are; as Rom. 13. Pay tribute to whom tribute, custom to whom custom: And this the Scripture doth often press, that none might think that the freedom they had by Christ, did take them off from Humane Obligations and Relations: This was a great temptation, they thought because they were 1Christians, and made free by Christ, that this also did take them off from obedience to Civil Magistrates, and from the Laws they lived under: No, the Scripture is diligent to teach this, That Christianity and the Gospel doth not abolish Political and civil Government, but rather greatly advanceth it as an institution of God, pressing obedience thereunto for conscience sake.