A30243:2629
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 105
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.
Fifthly, Wise men after the flesh they are conceited and puffed up with this wisdom, 1They are swoln bladders puffed up with the empty wind that is in them. He that thinketh he knoweth any thing, knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know, 1 Cor. 8. 2. Oh it is a great matter to know as we ought to know; now the carnal wise man knoweth nothing as he ought to know; He knoweth not the matter as he ought to know, nor the manner; Not the matter; for Paul desired to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified, 1 Cor. 2. And again, He accounted all things dung and dross, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, Phil. 3. And the Apostle would not have men glory in their riches, or in their might and power, yet in this, that they know God; now the wisdom of the flesh doth not enable us to know God or Christ, not God as revealed in his Word, therefore such wise men do so often dishonour him and break his Commandments, and are refractory under his judgements, not Christ; for none can know him, but such as Paul that account their own righteousness dung, that go out of themselves, as poor, naked and miserable: But alas, wise men after the flesh cannot do any of these. And then for the manner, they ought to know all things two ways: First, Humbly, with sense of their great ignorance, as Hagar though so wise, saith, He had not the knowledge of a man, Prov. 30. 23. that he was a beast and no man; Now the carnally wise are proud and arrogant, deserving that Motto which the Romans gave to their god Terminus that bounded their goods, Nulli cede, I give place to none. And secondly, we must know truths practically, to do them, to find the power of them upon our hearts: •f ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them; and without this, knowledge and wisdom is but oil to make the flames of hell hotter. The Apostle speaks of knowing Truths as they are in Jesus, Ephes. 4. 1. and that is, when they make us put off the old man, and put on the new; And again, there is the acknowledging of truth after godliness,