A30243:305
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.
The Antinomian pleads, That this universal Obedience cannot be a sign of grace, because Paul while unregenerated performed it, as appeareth Act. 13. 1. Act. 24. 16. 1where Paul saith, He lived with a good conscience void of offence both towards God and man; Here (say they) Paul lived in an universal Obedience unblameably, and kept entirely to his conscience, yet was not in Christ.
- 1Object.
But to answer this, A good conscience may be called good in a two-fold respect, 1either when a man liveth not against the dictates of his conscience, or doth any thing against that as those Christians did, whom Paul compelled through fear of death to blaspheme: and thus Paul had a good conscience, because he verily thought he was bound to do as he did: in this sense a Papist, a Jew, any Heretic may be said to have a good conscience. Or else a conscience is said good, when renewed by Gods Spirit, and rightly informed and regulated by Gods word; and thus Paul had a very evil conscience, in which respect he called himself a Persecutor, and the greatest of all sinners, and so by the way you may see it's no argument of comfort for those who broach any damnable heresies, to excuse the matter, saying, Are they not conscientious men? Are they not to be pitied rather then punished? Is it not according to their light? All this might have been said for Paul, yet for all this his conscience was a very evil and wicked conscience, partly because it was not renewed, partly because it was not informed out of Gods word.
But to answer this, A good conscience may be called good in a two-fold respect, 1