A30243:350
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 14
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.
Thirdly, This is a sign, As hereby it works in a man a difficulty, yea a kind of an impossibility to sin with wilfulness and purposed continuance. He doth not sin, 1neither can he sin, saith the Text. There being a root of grace in him, it's impossible he should sin with such an universal content of soul, as wicked men do. There is a two-fold cannot, one moral, and is no more then that which difficultly is not so. Thus 2 Cor. 13. 8 We cannot do any thing against the truth but for the truth. Act. 4. 10. We cannot but speak the things we have heard and seen. And in this sense, the children of God may be said, They cannot sin, because they have an averseness of heart to it. Secondly, There is a cannot, absolutely, so that the thing can never be, whether easily or difficultly, and in this sense the godly man cannot sin totally and finally, so as to be wholly deserted of God. As for the instance of Peter, David, and others, and whether the sins of the godly may be called reigning sins, I have already spoken to that matter. This is certain, it's impossible for a godly man so to delight and live in sin, as that the seed of grace should be quite extinct. Although the grace that is in Gods children may for a time make no actual resistance, yet the principle of it by reason of Gods promise will never be fully removed out of the heart. The Apostle Peter, 1 Pet. 1. makes that new nature opposite to all earthly glory and greatness, because that is corruptible and fading, but this abideth for ever. If therefore thou wouldst have any comfort from this sign, see how the seed of grace within thee, doth so affect and overpower thy heart, that thou canst not sin with willingness, content, no nor commit the acts of gross sins, How can I do this and sin against God? How can I? and by this means you have a palpable discovery of many amongst us, not yet to be in the state of grace; How can I lie, swear, deal unjustly, neglect Family-duties? Thou wouldst find such a constraining and overruling power of grace, that thou couldst not do it: and mark if this impossibility ⟨p. 75⟩to sin ariseth wholly from a kindly work of grace within, otherwise a wicked man cannot sin sometimes, because God puts a terrible restraint upon his conscience;