A30243:2937
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 117
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.
The Hypocrisy and the deceitfulness of the heart.
The Hypocrisie and the deceitfulness of the heart.
For thus commonly the Christian that is tender about his condition towards God Objecteth:
I know the promises are true and good, it is without all question, He that believeth and repenteth, he shall be saved; he that is born of God, and effectually 1called, he may conclude, I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine; but whether I do so or no, there is my perplexity: The heart is full of guile, and we read of Ahab's humiliation, of the foolish Virgins, of the stony and thorny ground, such who had some affections and delight in holy things, some sorrow and humiliation about sin; yet for all that, their own hearts deceived them, their gold proved dross, they took John Baptist for Christ, some imperfect dispositions, for the complete and effectual workings of grace; and why may not I delude my self? and the rather, because every one is apt to flatter himself: We see all people, that are indeed far enough from the Kingdom of heaven, between whom and godliness there is a great gulf; yet peremptorily conclude, All is well with them: So true is that of Solomon, Every mans way is pure in his own eyes; but then that which followeth should make all tremble, But God pondereth the heart, Prov. 21. 2.
I know the promises are true and good, it is without all question, He that believeth and repenteth, he shall be saved; he that is born of God, and effectually 1