A30243:2455
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 97
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.
Let us discover the grounds of this truth: And First, All those places of Scripture which do describe the total, and universal pollution of man, making him not 1so much a sinner, as even sin it self; doth plainly argue, that Gods converting grace is all in all; that man is a mere patient, and cannot actively consent to the least good thing. Thus Gen. 6. The imagination of the thoughts of a mans heart are only evil, and that continually: What can be said more, Every imagination or thought that stirreth in a man, its evil, and only evil, and that continually! How then can this consent, or be active to God? so Ephes. 2. You hath he quickened that were dead in sins: What doth a dead man do to get life again? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. That is, no man, God only doth: Our Saviour saith, A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit; especially Rom. 8. A natural man perceiveth not the things of God, Neither can he; he doth not, and he cannot. See what pregnant places of Scripture here are; Mark them because that unsavoury error doth so much spread. If these Texts be true, all our thoughts and affections are only evil; we are dead in sin, we do not, we cannot so much as perceive the things of God: how then dare any think of the power of nature, and her ability to what is holy?
Let us discover the grounds of this truth: And First, All those places of Scripture which doe describe the totall, and universall pollution of man, making him not 1so much a sinner, as even sin it self; doth plainly argue, that Gods converting grace is all in all; that man is a meer patient, and cannot actively consent to the least good thing. Thus Gen. 6. The imagination of the thoughts of a mans heart are only evil, and that continually: What can be said more, Every imagination or thought that stirreth in a man, its evil, and only evill, and that continually! How then can this consent, or be active to God? so