A30243:324
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.
First, When we take sincerity for quietness of conscience, that it doth not accuse. 1Thus civill and formal men not being enlightened out of Gods Word, clear themselves, think their hearts and intentions good, when if they did throughly know themselves, they would be amazed. Thus Paul also, who said he walked with a good conscience, his conscience was good in that it was quiet, it did not check him, whenas if truly informed out of Gods Word, it would have given him as sad buffetings as those of Satan's: In this sense some of late have excused an heretic, that is willing to lose all temporal advantages for his conscience sake, yea, to die in the most exquisite way of •••ments rather then to forsake their judgement: how can these be judged any other (say they) then sincere upright men? But it is good to observe that then only may our hearts be said to be upright in a g[…] manner, when they are according to Gods Word, which is the rule of uprightness. Therefore if a man be now so fully persuaded of an heresy, that it is the truth of God, and take up his cross and follow this error, yet his heart cannot be called upright, for that is right which is according to the rule, to the measure which is the Scriptures. We grant therefore, that a Papist, a Socinian, or Arminian, may for his conscience sake endure joyfully the spoiling of his goods, refuse all earthly advantages that would thrust him against this, and thereupon find incredible joy and peace in his soul, yet for all this, this man cannot be said to have an upright heart, because there wants true light within, and if the eye be dark, the whole body is dark also. In these times therefore it is good to have it pressed again and again, that in matters of opinions and doctrines a man may have a great deal of ease and comfort, and yet be in a very false way, and though such a man be not an hypocrite in a gross sense, he doth not walk against the checks of his conscience, yet he is an hypocrite in a more refined sense, as hypocrisy is opposite to that which is true, and unfeigned: As we say a man doth many times lye, mendacium dicere, tell that which is false (a sin prohibited) when yet he doth not mentiri, go against his mind, or the light thereof. Therefore the conscience of every heretic, while under the saddest calamities for his opinion, is polluted and unclean.
First, When we take sincerity for quietnesse of conscience, that it doth not accuse. 1