A30243:314
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 13
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.
Handling Sincerity as a Sign of Grace.
2 COR. 1. 12. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in godly simplicity and sincerity, &c.
2 COR. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in godly simplicity and sincerity, &c.
AT the eighth verse in this Chapter, the Apostle beginneth a Narrative of his troubles, which he describeth from the place where (in Asia:) Some think this relates to the tumult raised by Demetrius against him, Act. 19. but it may refer to the many troubles he had severally in Asia. In the next place, these are amplified by the quality of them, it was a pressure above measure, above strength, it was not [Greek or Hebrew], an humane temptation; It was above the strength of nature, though not of grace. The heaviness of it is expressed in that it made despair of life, to be altogether anxious not knowing any way to escape, insomuch that he had received the sentence of death in himself [Greek or Hebrew], Though some understand it of some answer to be given immediately by God, yet Beza doth most probably understand it as an expression from Malefactors who are sentenced to die: Further the Apostle illustrateth this from the final cause, which was two-fold, first, not to trust in our selves; secondly, but in God which raiseth the dead. This is a comfortable consideration in all times of calamities, God who raiseth the dead. In the next place he declareth his deliverance amplified partly by their prayers for him, and partly by his sincerity towards them, so that in the words you have a twofold proposition: the first expresseth Pauls carriage in the world, especially in respect of his ministry, and that positively, then negatively; Positively in two emphatical words, 1. [Greek or Hebrew], simplicity, an heart that is not guileful, double, opposed to [Greek or Hebrew], and [Greek or Hebrew]; 2.