A30243:298
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.
A second impossibility of keeping the Commandments is, In respect of the Regenerate, 1to whom God giveth not such a measure of grace, as that they are able to keep them according to the perfect obligation of it. Rom. 8. 3, 4. We keep Gods Commandments in truth, not in perfection, not but that God is able to give us perfect grace, but he hath thought good to exalt imputed righteousness, rather then inherent in this life.
A second impossibility of keeping the Commandments is, In respect of the Regenerate, 1to whom God giveth not such a measure of grace, as that they are able to keep them according to the perfect obligation of it. Rom. 8. 3, 4. We keep Gods Commandments in truth, not in perfection, not but that God is able to give us perfect grace, but he hath thought good to exalt imputed righteousnesse, rather then inherent in this life.
- 12.
A third impossibility of keeping the Commandments of God, is not only Collectively, 1that we are not able to keep them all, but fail in some, but distributively, there being not one Commandment we are at any time able to keep in any duty perfectly. And although it be easier to bring Arguments to prove we sin sometimes, and do not keep all the Commandments we should, then to prove we sin in every good duty, yet Rom. 7. 19. Gal. 5. 17. do strongly confirm, that because of the innate corruption still abiding in us, we are not able to do any thing so perfectly as the Law requireth: in the most holy men there are both Defectus privantes, and Affectus obstantes, defects depriving us of the inward purity that ought to be in us, and affections contrarily withstanding the obligation of the Law.