A30243:2817
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 112
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, Lay this down assuredly, that all those thoughts and suggestions, as 1if thou wert not chosen, come only from the Devil, and are his poisoned arrows that he darts into thee: He is the Prince of darkness, and loveth to keep the soul in darkness; he is the Accuser of the Brethren, not only to God, but accuseth God to them, as an hard master, as one that did watch to damn and destroy: Now that they come from Satan, is plain, because they are contrary to the scripture: All spirits must be tried by the Scripture, and so thou must try thy spirit by the Scripture: Well then, thy spirit saith, God hath not chosen thee, God hath not ordained thee to eternal glory; now say, Where doth the Scripture reveal any such thing? where doth Gods word manifest any such thing? If then the Scripture discover no such thing, it comes but from that lying spirit, and thy lying heart together; say therefore in all such temptations, Get thee behind me Satan, these things savour not of the Scripture, these things come not from Gods spirit; therefore Gods spirit is called The Comforter, because he inclineth the soul to believe in Gods gracious promises; Gods spirit, is the spirit of Adoption, which enableth us to cry, Abba Father; thus the spirit of God, where that is, dispels all tormenting fears, all sinful dejections, carrieth on the heart to Evangelical considerations: Now this should exceedingly prevail with the tender heart, when it feels all those sad and heavy pressures: All these things are contrary to Gods spirit, they grieve the spirit of God, as well as my own spirit.
Secondly, Lay this down assuredly, that all those thoughts and suggestions, as 1if thou wert not chosen, come onely from the Devil, and are his poysoned arrows that he darts into thee: He is the Prince of darkness, and loveth to keep the soul in darkness; he is the Accuser of the Brethren, not onely to God, but accuseth God to them, as an hard master, as one that did watch to damn and destroy: Now that they come from Satan, is plain, because they are contrary to the scripture: All spirits must be tryed by the Scripture, and so thou must try thy spirit by the Scripture: Well then, thy spirit saith, God hath not chosen thee, God hath not ordained thee to eternal glory; now say, Where doth the Scripture reveal any such thing? where doth Gods word manifest any such thing? If then the Scripture discover no such thing, it comes but from that lying spirit, and thy lying heart together; say therefore in all such temptations, Get thee behinde me Satan, these things savour not of the Scripture, these things come not from Gods spirit; therefore Gods spirit is called The Comforter, because he inclineth the soul to believe in Gods gracious promises; Gods spirit, is the spirit of Adoption, which inableth us to cry, Abba Father; thus the spirit of God, where that is, dispels all tormenting fears, all sinful dejections, carrieth on the heart to Evangelical considerations: Now this should exceedingly prevail with the tender heart, when it feels all those sad and heavy pressures: All these things are contrary to Gods spirit, they grieve the spirit of God, as well as my own spirit.