A30243:245
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 1 › Sermon 10
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.
But to answer, First, Signs do not argue an absolute weakness, but comparative only. In heaven, all Sacraments, which are signs and seals, shall cease. Whether 1Adam had any Sacrament in the state of perfection, is disputed. The Tree of life is judged so by some, but it could not be a Sacrament in that particular sense as ours are, which seal Remission of sin and Mortification of it, but in a more general way, for Sacraments have two things in them, 1. That which is general, to continue God to be our God, and we his children, its also our communion with ⟨p. 51⟩others. And in this sense Christ was baptized, and was made partaker of other Sacraments (for we may not say, Christ therefore used the Sacraments, that he might sanctify them, for they were sanctified by their institution.) 2. There is that which is special in the Sacraments, viz. Remission of sin, increase of grace, &c. and thus only the members of the militant Church do partake of them.
But to answer, First, Signs do not argue an absolute weaknesse, but comparative only. In heaven, all Sacraments, which are signes and seals, shall cease. Whether 1Adam had any Sacrament in the state of perfection, is disputed. The Tree of life is judged so by some, but it could not be a Sacrament in that particular sense as ours are, which seal Remission of sin and Mortification of it, but in a more general way, for Sacraments have two things in them, 1. That which is general, to continue God to be our God, and we his children, its also our communion with ⟨p. 51⟩others. And in this sense Christ was baptized, and was made partaker of other Sacraments (for we may not say, Christ therefore used the Sacraments, that he might sanctifie them, for they were sanctified by their institution.) 2. There is that which is special in the Sacraments, viz. Remission of sinne, encrease of grace, &c. and thus onely the members of the militant Church do partake of them.
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