A30243:2468
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 98
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.
To open this Doctrine, Consider
First, That a promise is a far more comfortable thing then a mere prediction. God doth many times merely fore-tell what he will do, but at other times he doth also promise what he will do: a prophecy of what will be, and a promise differ very much. This Text is not a mere prediction, or a mere prophecy, but it is a gracious ⟨p. 575⟩promise: Now a Promise is only of that which is good, either temporal or spiritual, but a Prophecy or Prediction may be of that which is evil, as well as what is good: All the desolations and calamities that came upon Jerusalem, were prophesied of; but we cannot say they were promised, for Promises are to be embraced, as Paul excellently expresseth it, Heb. 11. 13. to show how hearty, joyful, glad and ready the heart should be, to receive them: Oh remember, thou that art exercised with diffidence and discouragement, a promise is to be embraced, as thou wouldest the dearest, welcomest friend in the world! Again a Promise doth induce some tie and obligation in him that promiseth, but so doth not a mere Prediction; and because God promising cannot properly be said to be bound to us, or tied to us; Therefore he is by his Promise a debtor to his own fidelity; he cannot deny himself or his own word, Reddis debita nulli debens, so that the soul urging God with a promise, may say, O Lord, it was in thy choice whether thou wouldst do such a thing or no, but since thou hast promised it, and the word is gone out of thy mouth; Thy truth, thy constancy, thy fidelity must needs make good thy Promise.
First, That a promise is a farre more comfortable thing then a meer prediction. God doth many times meerly fore-tell what he will do, but at other times he doth also promise what he will do: a prophecie of what will be, and a promise differ very much. This Text is not a meer prediction, or a meer prophecie, but it is a gracious ⟨p. 575⟩