A30243:2970
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.
Fourthly, This certainty of grace is a strong and mighty buckler against all those violent assaults and temptations, that the devil useth to exercise the godly with. His 1temptations are, That they are hypocrites, that all the calamities which fall upon them are because God is not reconciled with them, that they seek themselves and not the glory of God. Now there is no such brazen wall to repel all his darts, as the testimony and knowledge of the truth of grace in our hearts. This was the aqua vitae, that kept up Job. You know what fiery temptations he had, God seemed to be against him; godly friends judged him an hypocrite: The devil he assaults him; he saith, Doth Job serve God for nought? God hedgeth him in, and giveth him outward prosperity; no wonder then if Job serve God, Job 1. These are strong tempestuous winds, able to tear up the root of the ⟨p. 683⟩strongest oak; but yet he stands like an immovable root; and all because of that integrity and sincerity which he knew to be in himself; he knew his aims and ends to be pure, he knew he served God for Gods sake. As this is of great consequence to defend against the devils accusations, so also against the calumnies and false clamours of the devils instruments. As the devil is [Greek or Hebrew], The accuser, so all wicked men do diabolize; they charge the generation of the godly for hypocrites, for dissemblers, for painted sepulchres; but the knowledge of their own uprightness, and the graces of God in their soul, do abundantly fortify them; whereas this is terrible to have other men condemning us, and God also, and our own consciences condemning us.
Fourthly, This certainty of grace is a strong and mighty buckler against all those violent assaules and temptations, that the devil useth to exercise the godly with. His 1temptations are, That they are hypocrites, that all the calamities which fall upon them are because God is not reconciled with them, that they seek themselves and not the glory of God. Now there is no such brazen wall to repell all his darts, as the testimony and knowledge of the truth of grace in our hearts. This was the aqua vitae, that kept up Job. You know what fiery temptations he had, God seemed to be against him; godly friends judged him an hypocrite: The devil he assaults him; he saith, Doth Job serve God for nought? God hedgeth him in, and giveth him outward prosperity; no wonder then if Job serve God,