A30243:3004
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 119
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.
First, That all men till called by God, are afar off from him.1
- 1Observ.
This expression doth contain the dreadful and woeful estate of all men by nature, They are afar off from God. As Abraham said to Dives, There was a great gulf between them two; so there is a remote distance between God and all men till called, Ephes. 2. 13. Ye who were sometimes afar off, saith the Apostle speaking of the Gentiles; and so vers. 17. Thus the Prodigal that took his stock to spend it upon sin, and the lusts of the flesh, he is said To go into a far country. Now when we say, All men till God call are afar off, you will easily understand that we speak not of Gods omnipresence, for that is impossible, none can be far off God in that sense. Whether can I go from thy presence, saith David; If I would take the wings of the morning, or go into the depths, or dig into hell, I cannot go from thee, Psal. 139. 7. Now in this sense, God is near even every wicked man, but we speak of Gods gracious presence and demonstration of his loving favour, in which sense its said, That Cain was cast out of Gods presence.
This expression doth contain the dreadful and woful estate of all men by nature, They are afar off from God. As Abraham said to Dives, There was a great gulf between them two; so there is a remote distance between God and all men till called, Ephes. 2. 13. Ye who were sometimes afar off, saith the Apostle speaking of the Gentiles; and so vers. 17. Thus the Prodigal that took his stock to spend it upon sinne, and the lusts of the flesh, he is said To go into a far countrey. Now when we say, All men till God call are afar off, you will easily understand that we speak not of Gods omnipresence, for that is impossible, none can be far off God in that sense. Whether can I go from thy presence, saith David; If I would take the wings of the morning, or go into the depths, or dig into hell, I cannot go from thee,