A30243:2969
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 118
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.
Thirdly, This certainty and assurance of grace, would exceedingly keep up the heart under all afflictions and outward miseries. Had not Paul been assured of that 1eternal weight of glory, he could not have judged these worldly miseries light and easy. When David was in all that misery, all outward hopes gone, He encouraged himself in his God, 1 Sam. 30. 6. His God, He knew God was his God, though he had lost all things else. And thus Paul is more then a conqueror; and doth so highly challenge all troubles to hurt him if they can, because he knoweth by Gods Spirit, that he is one called and chosen; and shall not this prevail with you? Is it not a miserable thing to fear to be killed by men, and to be damned by God at the same time: To be imprisoned by men, and imprisoned in thy own conscience, Oh what will provoke thee if not this? Alas! I am sure of nothing, not of my life, not of my outward comforts, not of any outward enjoyment, and wilt not thou then be sure of grace within thee? Oh our vanity! when will we be wise? We labour for those earthly things, which when we have, we cannot be sure off, but not at all for grace. Is it not with many men, as with the bees, when all the summer they have laboured to fill their combs with honey, then comes the husbandman and burneth them, and takes their honey. So thou hast a long while laboured to get up so much wealth, such an estate, and then comes death, or some sudden public judgement, the sword and war, and that takes all thy honey from thee. Oh when we can be sure of no outward thing we have, let us be sure of inward grace.
Thirdly, This certainty and assurance of grace, would exceedingly keep up the heart under all afflictions and outward miseries. Had not Paul been assured of that 1eternall weight of glory, he could not have judged these worldly miseries light and easie. When David was in all that misery, all outward hopes gone, He incouraged himself in his God, 1 Sam. 30. 6. His God, He knew God was his God, though he had lost all things else. And thus Paul is more then a conquerour; and doth so highly challenge all troubles to hurt him if they can, because he knoweth by Gods Spirit, that he is one called and chosen; and shall not this prevail with you? Is it not a miserable thing to fear to be killed by men, and to be damned by God at the same time: To be imprisoned by men, and imprisoned in thy own conscience, Oh what will provoke thee if not this? Alas! I am sure of nothing, not of my life, not of my outward comforts, not of any outward injoyment, and wilt not thou then be sure of grace within thee? Oh our vanity! when will we be wise? We labour for those earthly things, which when we have, we cannot be sure off, but not at all for grace. Is it not with many men, as with the bees, when all the summer they have laboured to fill their combs with hony, then comes the husbandman and burneth them, and takes their hony. So thou hast a long while laboured to get up so much wealth, such an estate, and then comes death, or some sudden publique judgement, the sword and warre, and that takes all thy hony from thee. Oh when we can be sure of no outward thing we have, let us be sure of inward grace.