A30243:288
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 2 › Sermon 12
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.
So that in the words you have two Propositions,
First, That the knowledge of God makes us to keep Gods Commandments. Secondly, That this observation of Gods Commandments is a sign by way of an effect, to assure us that we know God, which is the cause.
In the first Proposition you have the Antecedent and the Consequent. The Antecedent is knowing of God; howsoever according to the Hebrew rule this ⟨p. 59⟩word Knowing signifieth Affectus & effectus consequents: the affections and effects flowing from it, and so includeth love of God, and the like; yet it doth more properly signify faith, according to that, This is eternal life, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent; for faith having several acts, knowledge, assent, fiducial application, the Scripture doth by a Synecdoche express the whole nature of faith by one act of it. Now because there is a three-fold knowledge, 1The first perfect, which is only in Heaven; The second imperfect, but true and saving, which the godly only have; Hence Regeneration, Jer. 31. is expressed by this, They shall all know God, and be mught of God: A third knowledge which is imperfect and insincere, is that common gift of Gods Spirit upon temporary believers, whereby though they know the sense and meaning of divine truths, yet have not the saving effect and power of them upon their hearts, in which sense our Saviour making that open confession, and celebrating Gods power and sovereignty, saith, The things of God were hidden from the wise and prudent,