A30243:2923
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 116
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; Neither yet is this assurance the Apostle presseth us unto, such as admits of no doubts, no temptations or oppositions by Satan. No, as he cried out, Lord 1I believe, help my unbelief, so, Lord I am assured, yet give me more certainty. When Nathan told David his sins were done away, yet he still prayeth for pardon, Psal. 51. because guilt and doubts in his soul were ready to obscure and darken his faith: And therefore the Apostle John, 1 John 3. calls this assurance, persuading of the heart: That doth excellently imply the heart sensible of sin, is full of arguments and cavils, bringeth many strong contradictions against the promise. Hence the great word that is used often to comfort, [Greek or Hebrew], is also for exhortation, because to the grieved and troubled heart for sin, comfort will not be received but by frequent exhortation. That opinion therefore of having such an assurance as to have no doubt, is much to be suspected, as not being of the Spirit of God. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, in all the actions of it. And the devil doth diligently assault our comfort and assurance. If therefore it be of God, if it be spiritual and heavenly, it cannot be but that the heart of a man, and the devil will oppose it; presumption indeed being a sin of a mans self-flattering heart meets with no contradiction; so true is that saying of a solid Divine, Nulli sunt magis desperati, quam qui minus sunt desperantes, None are more desperate, then those that are least despairing, viz. in their own selves, though not of the grace of God.
Fourthly; Neither yet is this assurance the Apostle presseth us unto, such as admits of no doubts, no temptations or oppositions by Satan. No, as he cried out, Lord 1I believe, help my unbelief, so, Lord I am assured, yet give me more certainty. When Nathan told David his sins were done away, yet he still praieth for pardon, Psal. 51. because guilt and doubts in his soul were ready to obscure and darken his faith: And therefore the Apostle