A30243:252
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, It may justly be questioned, Whether out of the Scripture there can be proved any such immediate voice spoken by God's Spirit to a man, that his 1sins are forgiven him, and he is in the state of grace? So that although they take this for granted, that God doth immediately come into the soul, and witness unto it, yet we see by the Texts opened before, that its more consonant to Scripture, to make the Scriptures testimony active in respect of the effects and fruits thereof: Some Divines do not indeed deny the possibility of such an immediate Testimony, but yet they conclude the ordinary and safe way, is, to look for that Testimony, which is by the effects, and fruits of Gods Spirit. Therefore when we speak of the Spirit of God revealing, which is often mentioned in the Scripture, we may either conceive of it, as it did reveal in an Enthusiastical manner by an immediate influence, or else that the Spirit of God doth enlighten the understanding to see grounds and reasons, why it should be persuaded so. And here is a vast difference between these two; we may explain this about the Scripture, A believer is fully persuaded of the Divine Authority of the Scripture, through the Spirit of God revealing this to him; now this may be understood two ways, either by immediate Dictates of the Spirit, telling the soul it is so, or else by enlightening the understanding to see those implanted arguments in it, and by them to persuade of the Authority thereof. As it is thus for the Word, so for the work of Gods Spirit in us, we come to be persuaded of Gods love to us, and assured of it, not because of an Authority testifying this immediately, but because Gods Spirit doth so efficiently enlighten the heart, that seeing such gracious operations there, we come confidently persuaded of Gods love to us: Thus the Sun manifesteth it self to be the Sun by the light that cometh from it. A learned man proveth himself to be learned by the learning he discovers, and thus the Spirit of God by and with the holy operations thereof, manifests it self to be the Spirit of God dwelling in us, Argumento insito, non extrinsecus assumpto; but of this more in time.
But to answer first, It may justly be questioned, Whether out of the Scripture there can be proved any such immediate voice spoken by Goas Spirit to a man, that his 1sins are forgiven him, and he is in the state of grace? So that although they take this for granted, that God doth immediately come into the soul, and witnesse unto it, yet we see by the Texts opened before, that its more consonant to Scripture, to make the Scriptures testimony active in respect of the effects and fruits thereof: Some Divines do not indeed deny the possibility of such an immediate Testimony, but yet they conclude the ordinary and safe way, is, to look for that Testimony, which is by the effects, and fruits of Gods Spirit. Therefore when we speak of the Spirit of God revealing, which is often mentioned in the Scripture, we may either conceive of it, as it did reveal in an Enthusiastical manner by an immediate influence, or else that the Spirit of God doth enlighten the understanding to see grounds and reasons, why it should be perswaded so. And here is a vast difference between these two; we may explain this about the Scripture, A believer is fully perswaded of the Divine Authority of the Scripture, through the Spirit of God revealing this to him; now this may be understood two waies, either by immediate Dictates of the Spirit, telling the soul it is so, or else by enlightning the understanding to see those implanted arguments in it, and by them to perswade of the Authority thereof. As it is thus for the Word, so for the work of Gods Spirit in us, we come to be perswaded of Gods love to us, and assured of it, not because of an Authority testifying this immediately, but because Gods Spirit doth so efficiently enlighten the heart, that seeing such gracious operations there, we come confidently perswaded of Gods love to us: Thus the Sunne manifesteth it self to be the Sunne by the light that cometh from it. A learned man proveth himself to be learned by the learning he discovers, and thus the Spirit of God by and with the holy operations thereof, manifests it self to be the Spirit of God dwelling in us, Argumento insito, non extrinsecus assumpto; but of this more in time.