A30243:2746
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 110
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.
WE have described the characters and properties of those who are called and not chosen: And that which is most remarkable in them is, They are careful to do many things, but not the main necessary things. This Guest mentioned before, he was careful to come and sit down at the feast, but not as careful to prepare a Wedding-garment; whereas common reason and discretion would have taught him, if I go to this wedding, this Marriage-Feast, which is also of so Royal a person, I must prepare suitable garments, I shall dishonour them, and disgrace my self, if I do otherwise?
VVE have described the characters and properties of those who are called and not chosen: And that which is most remarkable in them is, They are careful to do many things, but not the main necessary things. This Guest mentioned before, he was careful to come and sit down at the feast, but not as careful to prepare a Wedding-garment; whereas common reason and discretion would have taught him, if I go to this wedding, this Marriage-Feast, which is also of so Royal a person, I must prepare sutable garments, I shall dishonor them, and disgrace my self, if I do otherwise?
Now the plain meaning of this Parable is thus much, I am called to be a 1Christian, I am invited to the precious feast and dainties of the Gospel; now if I go to them, and accept of them, my conscience tells me, I must live the life of a Christian, I must not dishonour that Christ, whose servant and Disciple I profess my self to be: But because men are so apt to divide these two, which God hath so necessarily conjoined together; and there is nothing more ordinary then to have the faith of a Christian, and the life of a Christian, as contrary as light and darkness whereby they are like those night Bats, look upon their wings, and you would judge them Birds, but look upon their body, you would judge them Vermin: So it is, look upon their faith, their profession, you would then judge them Christians; look upon their lives and ways, you ⟨p. 638⟩