A30243:2642
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 106
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, God will hereby teach us; that he doth more regard the least degree of a 1true humble and saving knowledge of him, then he doth all the humane wisdom in the world. That as the Scripture calls that tongue, Isa. 50. 4. The tongue of the learned in the Preacher, who is able to speak a word of comfort in due season to a contrite broken heart for sin; So that man is a wise knowing man, who hath the fear of God in his heart, and thereby departs from all evil; and indeed as in beasts, that is their proper wise instinct they have; whereby they are able to avoid that which is evil and hurtful to them; so in man, that is his proper wisdom to avoid that which is his greatest evil. Now the greatest evil of a man, as a man, is sin. For he being made rational and after the image of God, and for that glorious end of eternal happiness, that is his proper evil which depriveth him of this, and only sin doth that: Oh consider then thou art wise, when thou canst refuse all those sins that do so easily beset thee! Thou canst cry out, as they did of the deadly herb in the pot; This is death, yea this is damnation. Observe what is that which makes a man approved of by God, it is not his great wisdom, his great learning, but a practical knowledge of himself and of Christ. Aristotle said concerning the natural knowledge of the heavens in their nature and motions, that a little knowledge that way is greater then much knowledge of the sublunary things, but certainly the practical knowledge of heavenly things is far more necessary then the speculative knowledge of all Arts and Sciences. Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he knoweth God. Do not then boast thy self either of outward greatness or inward excellencies of the mind, for thou art not to be compared to the meanest person in the world, how contemptible soever, that doth in a saving manner know God: This is eternal life to know God, Joh. 17. 3. You cannot say, wisdom, honour, riches are eternal life.
Secondly, God will hereby teach us; that he doth more regard the least degree of a 1true humble and saving knowledge of him, then he doth all the humane wisdom in the world. That as the Scripture cals that tongue,