A30243:295
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.
The Doctrine is to be opened in many particulars:
First, There are some considerations in which it is impossible to keep the Commandments 1of God, not absolutely and inse, as it is for a man to fly, for so it would be blasphemy to say, He commands impossible things, to do so cannot stand with his Justice, Wisdom and holiness: but only it's impossible by accident through our corruption, who as the Saints in heaven have Felix necessitas, as Augustin called it an happy necessity of obeying God alway, so have we infelix necessitas an unhappy necessity of disobedience continually. Now this impossibility is two ways.
First, There are some considerations in which it is impossible to keep the Commandments 1of God, not absolutely and inse, as it is for a man to flie, for so it would be blasphemy to say, He commands impossible things, to do so cannot stand with his Justice, Wisdom and holinesse: but only it's impossible by accident through our corruption, who as the Saints in heaven have Felix necessitas, as Augustin called it an happy necessity of obeying God alway, so have we infelix necessitas an unhappy necessity of disobedience continually. Now this impossibility is two wayes.
- 1Wherein it is impossible to keep Gods Commandments.
First, In respect of every unregenerate man, who is dead in sin, not sick or diseased, but dead in sin, and God justly doth require of us under pain of condemnation ⟨p. 63⟩