A30243:2832
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 113
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.
That it is the earnest and hearty desire of the faithful Ministers of the Gospel, that 1all Christians should live such a life, that is worthy and beseeming so excellent a Calling.
- 1Observ.
There are no sadder objects, then to see a profane, a debauched, an ungodly Christian; to see men profess Christ in words, and in works to deny him; For these things their souls mourn in secret. Because of this, they entreat, beseech and exhort without ceasing: See the like hot affection burning out in Paul to the Thessalonians, 2 Thess. 1. 11. We pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of his calling. We pray always for you; This we never forget; This is always in our heart, that ye may be a people becoming this glorious calling. And indeed its a most absurd and even loathsome sight, to see a man with the same mouth pray to God, yet to curse, swear and blaspheme; with the same body, to worship God in the Congregations, and to fulfil the lusts of the flesh. Solomon hath two excellent sayings together, Prov. 26. v. 7. and v. 9. The first is, The legs of the lame are not equal, so is the parable in a fools mouth. A fool is the wicked man, and a parable is a grave, holy sentence: Now, saith he, as those that are lame and halt, they show an uncomely inequality in their going, such a deformity there is in a wicked man, that yet hath holy truths in his mouth. The second is, As a thorn goeth up in the hand of a drunkard; so is a parable in the mouth of a fool. The drunkard he feeleth no smart, though a thorn run into his hand. Thus a wicked man, though the obligations of Christianity, and his Baptism be never so piercing and powerful to godliness, yet he feels no efficacy in them.
There are no sadder objects, then to see a prophane, a debaucht, an ungodly Christian; to see men professe Christ in words, and in works to deny him; For these things their souls mourn in secret. Because of this, they intreat, beseech and exhort without ceasing: See the like hot affection burning out in Paul to the Thessalonians,