A30243:2954
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.
That this Assurance would prove a dangerous temptation, men would grow secure, and carnally confident; therefore as God keeps the hour of death, and the day of judgement, to makes us always prepared; so by the same Reason, he should keep the knowledge of our condition from our eyes, that so we might always fear.
That this Assurance would prove a dangerous temptation, men would grow secure, and carnally confident; therefore as God keeps the hour of death, and the day of judgement, to maks us always prepared; so by the same Reason, he should keep the knowledge of our condition from our eyes, that so we might always fear.
First, If the truth of God and the Scripture is not to be maintained or asserted, because the corruption of men will abuse it, we must preach no divine truth at all; E vero non nisi verum, E bono non nisi bonum, No good or sound truth doth produce as its genuine effect, any other then what is good; but by accident, and by reason of the poisonous disposition in some men, they will turn the sweetest flowers into poison: Paul did frequently preach the grace of God in the Gospel, and some hearers turned this into wantonness, shall therefore no mention be made of this grace? if therefore some men, through Satan's delusions, think they have grace, when they have not, shall not he that hath true grace be persuaded of it? if a man in a dream do verily think he hath such riches, such honours; shall we conclude, that a man awake can have no certainty whether he be in a dream or no? And further, by this reason no man should contend earnestly for the true Doctrine of faith; no man should inseparably adhere to the truth of God even unto death, because an Heretic who pertinaciously maintaineth a damnable heresy, he may be as confident as the Orthodox man: Should not the Israelites make a good use of the Manna, because he that abused it, found it corrupted to worms.