A30243:2861
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 114
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.
Fourthly, Holiness lieth in bearing up the heart in all kind of duties, with such 1heavenly and sublime motives, that flesh and blood can no ways attain unto: Holiness is a power above all refined natural abilities: Thus faith is an holy grace, because it beareth up the heart with a promise, with the word of God, when all natural reason and hopes are against it; and so he can rebuke those strong winds and tempests of unbelief and discouragement, which natural strength could never do: So to love God in adversities, not to mutter or repine at him, though his hand be heavy on thee, yet thou hast no hard thoughts about him, but he is as good and as gracious a God in thy apprehension as ever: Here is iron swimming, here are the rivers of Jordan running back, here is holiness exalted above nature; so likewise to rejoice in tribulations, to triumph over all troubles; to find honey in the dead carcass of the Lyon, to get bread out of stones; this is the work of holiness. And lastly, patience and forbearance to men that hate us, love and pity to those that cruelly persecute us: Thus holiness teacheth, but the nature of man kicketh against all these things.
Fourthly, Holiness lieth in bearing up the heart in all kinde of duties, with such 1heavenly and sublime motives, that flesh and blood can no ways attain unto: Holiness is a power above all refined natural abilities: Thus faith is an holy grace, because it beareth up the heart with a promise, with the word of God, when all natural reason and hopes are against it; and so he can rebuke those strong winds and tempests of unbelief and discouragement, which natural strength could never do: So to love God in adversities, not to mutter or repine at him, though his hand be heavy on thee, yet thou hast no hard thoughts about him, but he is as good and as gracious a God in thy apprehension as ever: Here is iron swimming, here are the rivers of Jordan running back, here is holiness exalted above nature; so likewise to rejoyce in tribulations, to triumph over all troubles; to finde honey in the dead carkass of the Lyon, to get bread out of stones; this is the work of holiness. And lastly, patience and forbearance to men that hate us, love and pitty to those that cruelly persecute us: Thus holiness teacheth, but the nature of man kicketh against all these things.