A30243:329
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.
2. Uprightness is a sign and then acknowledged to be sincerity, when we do any good duty because God commands. As in matters of faith, then we properly produce 1a divine act, when we beleeve quia ipse dixit, because God hath commanded it: so then is it properly upright obedience when it is quia ipse voluit, because he willeth and commands it. A man may obey a command because those actions may consist with some carnal ends, but to do it because of Gods sovereignty, this is acceptable. Hence Saul for that act of disobedience, though he pleaded carnal pretences, yet was judged to commit a sin as heinous as witchcraft. Adams sin was to be aggravated from this, in that it was expressly disobedience; for there being no other ground of the command, then Gods will to command, it was bonum quia mandatum, not mandatum quia bonum; hence his sin was in a high manner disobedience. Do not therefore this or that, because this will agree with thy ends, this will stand with thy lust, but do it because God hath required it.
2. Uprightnesse is a sign and then acknowledged to be sincerity, when we do any good duty because God commands. As in matters of faith, then we properly produce 1a divine act, when we beleeve quia ipse dixit, because God hath commanded it: so then is it properly upright obedience when it is quia ipse voluit, because he willeth and commands it. A man may obey a command because those actions may consist with some carnall ends, but to do it because of Gods soveraignty, this is acceptable. Hence Saul for that act of disobedience, though he pleaded carnall pretences, yet was judged to commit a sinne as hainous as witchcraft. Adams sin was to be aggravated from this, in that it was expresly disobedience; for there being no other ground of the command, then Gods will to command, it was bonum quia mandatum, not mandatum quia bonum; hence his sinne was in a high manner disobedience. Do not therefore this or that, because this will agree with thy ends, this will stand with thy lust, but do it because God hath required it.
- 12. Uprightness is a sign when we do any good duty because God commands.2. Uprightnesse is a sign when we do any good duty because God commands.