A30243:2492
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 12 › Sermon 99
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.
1. By their Duty or Grace, They love God.
2. By Gods mercy vouchsafed to them, They are called according to his purpose. Whereupon the Apostle makes a golden chain of all the causes of Salvation, inseparably linked together, that none may be taken away one from another. It was a saying that A man might sooner wrest Hercules his Club out of his hand, then divide one of Homers verses from another, the matter was so dependant and connected together; but certainly all these causes are so divinely joined together, that none can part them. And the first Round in this Chain is Gods fore-knowledge, or rather Gods fore-acknowledging; For by fore-knowledge is not meant any prescience or prevision of such as would use their free-will and natural power well. No, that to repugneth the whole currant of the Scripture, which makes all good works the fruit and effect of Predestination, not the motive or cause of it, otherwise it would be Postdestination, rather then Predestination; but to fore-know is as much as to approve of, and to love, according to that rule, Words signifying acts of the understanding, are many times put for the concomitant and subsequent affections and effects thereof. Thus the simple word To know, is many times put for approbation, care and love. Thus Psal. 1. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. John 10. I know my Sheep; and the compound to fore-know also is used in this sense, Rom. 11. God hath not cast away the people whom he for•-knew, i. e. did approve and love. So 1 Pet. 1. 2. Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God; And so it is applied to Christ vers. 20. in that Chapter. Upon this fore-knowledge succeeds Predestination, and these are acts of God from all eternity; and from these as the fountain, streams the first effect in time, and that is Calling, Whom he hath predestinated he hath called.