A30243:2520
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 100
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.
Secondly, The word preached doth call men objectively; the matter of it is so precious, good, excellent and necessary, as that it doth strongly invite every man. Some Grammarians say, That that which is good and excellent, is called [Greek or Hebrew], because it doth [Greek or Hebrew], it doth call and invite men to be in love with it: This is sure about the matter of Gods word; How Divine and Supernatural is it? what purity, what heavenly affections doth that require? insomuch, that no humane precepts concerning piety and honesty ever came near to the Bible: And than the good things promised, are wholly transcendent mans capacity; they are such as never entered into the heart of man to conceive: Justification, the light of Gods countenance, Eternal happiness and glory in heaven, were not men so brutishly earthly, would ravish them, and make them run after ⟨p. 588⟩them; as the Church said Cant 1. 2. Because of the savour of thy ointments, therefore do the virgins love thee: If therefore ye would consider, both how great that infinite majesty is, who doth call you; and what that bait is he doth invite you to, even great and admirable privileges, this would excite in you such vehement and impatient desires after them, that all the lusts and pleasures of sin, would be accounted as dross and noisome vomit: Oh then think more and more, and consider of this calling. Shall the Devil and lusts call, and thou runnest after them, though into hells mouth? but God calleth, and thou refusest him: Come unto me all ye that pass by, saith the whorish woman; and in the same manner, every kind of sin, and how many venture into her snares! But come unto me, saith Christ, all ye that labour, and you shall find rest unto your souls, Mat. 11. in this men are refractory.
Secondly, The word preached doth call men objectively; the matter of it is so precious, good, excellent and necessary, as that it doth strongly invite every man. Some Grammarians say, That that which is good and excellent, is called 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, because it doth 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, it doth call and invite men to be in love with it: This is sure about the matter of Gods word; How Divine and Supernatural is it? what purity, what heavenly affections doth that require? insomuch, that no humane precepts concerning piety and honesty ever came near to the Bible: And than the good things promised, are wholly transcendent mans capacity; they are such as never entered into the heart of man to conceive: Justification, the light of Gods countenance, Eternal happiness and glory in heaven, were not men so bruitishly earthly, would ravish them, and make them run after