A30243:2820
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.
Fifthly, Consider, The unprofitableness, and sinfulness of all such fears: They 1come to no good at all, they are thorns in thy side, and hinder thee in all that liveliness and power of godliness that ought to be; they hinder thy praying, thy obedience, thy comfortable discharge of thy relation, duties: The joy of the Lord is your strength, said Nehemiah, Nehem. 8. 10. and fear, that makes feeble hands, and feeble knees: so that as that timber which is eaten into by worms, cannot serve for strong building; so neither can those who are devoured by these temptations, be for that while serviceable unto God: Know then, if thou wilt fear, thou hast cause to fear these fears, thou hast cause to take heed thou doest not run into sin, while thou art afraid of sin.
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Sixthly, Examine thy self, whether thou doest not live in some known secret sin unrepented 1of; and that puts thee upon the question of all; or whether thou hast not grossly fallen from thy former love, and power of godliness: These things many times raise a dark and gloomy mist upon the soul. Psal. 32. when David kept close his sin, and did not confess it, that made great trouble and perplexity in his soul. As vapours got in the bowels of the earth, and finding no vent, make a terrible earthquake.
Sixthly, Examine thy self, whether thou doest not live in some known secret sin unrepented 1of; and that puts thee upon the question of all; or whether thou hast not grosly fallen from thy former love, and power of godliness: These things many times raise a dark and gloomy mist upon the soul.