A30243:2756
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.
Now these latter duties are not so much known, because indeed men have not attained to the practice of the former: The sum of this head is, That in the things of Christ, whether Doctrinal or Practical, some things are obscure, and some things are evident and plain: Now the meaning of the assertion is, That by what ground we receive or do any thing Christ hath required, by the same reason we are to do all the rest that are of evident and plain knowledge. And I shall especially follow this in practicals, viz. That what reason thou hast to profess a faith in Christ, to come to Church, to pray to him; there is the same to lay aside all thy ungodliness and profaneness; insomuch, that it is a wonder, that any man should think he is no good Christian, if he do not come to Church and pray, and doth not also say, I am no good Christian as long as I lye, swear, curse, live in riotings and drunkenness: Oh! how hath sin and Satan bewitched you, and blinded your eyes, that you should not see these plain things? this matter should so easily convince your conscience, that it needs not much enforcing; but yet men are more senseless then the earth, in Divine and Heavenly ⟨p. 640⟩things. Bring we then the grounds forth, that, if possible, this day thy soul and thy sins may be divorced from one another: And1
Now these latter duties are not so much known, because indeed men have not attained to the practice of the former: The sum of this head is, That in the things of Christ, whether Doctrinal or Practical, some things are obscure, and some things are evident and plain: Now the meaning of the assertion is, That by what ground we receive or do any thing Christ hath required, by the same reason we are to do all the rest that are of evident and plain knowledge. And I shall especially follow this in practicals, viz. That what reason thou hast to profess a faith in Christ, to come to Church, to pray to him; there is the same to lay aside all thy ungodliness and prophaneness; insomuch, that it is a wonder, that any man should think he is no good Christian, if he do not come to Church and pray, and doth not also say, I am no good Christian as long as I lye, swear, curse, live in riotings and drunkenness: Oh! how hath sin and Satan bewitched you, and blinded your eyes, that you should not see these plain things? this matter should so easily convince your conscience, that it needs not much inforcing; but yet men are more senseless then the earth, in Divine and Heavenly