A30243:2609
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 104
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.
Fourthly, True wisdom lieth in propounding a good and happy end to a mans 1self, the enjoyment whereof will make a man indeed happy: The ultimate end of a man, is that wherein his happiness doth consist; now we read, even among wise men, how much this hath been disputed; some placed it in riches, some in honours, some in pleasures; and certainly, there are many men, who propound the same happiness with beasts, even an earthly, sensual pleasure: The Apostle describeth such, Whose belly is their God, who mind earthly things, Phil. 3. 19. and David on the other side, describeth his utmost end, when he saith, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and whom in earth in comparison of thee? And often he makes God his Portion, his Shepherd, his all in all: So then, consider with thy self, its the great part of wisdom, to propound some end to our selves in all our actions, otherwise we act irrationally: Its the first question in good Catechisms, What ought to be the chiefest and highest end of every man in this life: Hence, as Aristotle in his Moral Philosophy, doth first treat of the end of all humane actions as the chiefest thing, and if that be not first determined, we shoot at rovers: So some Divines say, because Divinity is wholly practical, we must first inform, what is the chief end of all our duties, why we live and move, why we eat and drink, why we have a being in this world, and at what mark we ⟨p. 621⟩are to shoot: Is it then the glory of God, the enjoyment of him, and salvation of thy own soul, that thou aimest at? If from morning to evening, and again, from evening to morning, thou art set upon this; then art thou a wise man: But O the folly and simplicity of most men, who have no greater ends, then to be happy and glorious in this world! and although experience teacheth them the vanity of riches, the uncertainty of honours, and the Tragical ends of all earthly greatness, yet they are resolved for no other course: Oh that you who read the Bible, profess your selves Christians, acknowledge a day of judgement, believe a resurrection of the dead, should yet be bowed down to these earthly things! O boast not any longer, in that thou art wise for to get great things in this world! for that should not be the utmost end; and nothing is happy, but in proportion to its ultimate felicity: Show thy self a rational man; To what end do I labour and weary my self all day?