A30243:366
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 15
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, His Integrity and Sincerity, which is not to be limited unto the righteousness of his cause only, but the innocency also of his whole life, as the Psalm evidenceth. Secondly, His confidence and trust in God; for this is an engaging argument with God, as it is with men.
First, His Integrity and Sincerity, which is not to be limited unto the righteousness of his cause onely, but the innoceny also of his whole life, as the Psalm evidenceth. Secondly, His confidence and trust in God; for this is an ingaging argument with God, as it is with men.
Now as verse 3. He makes Gods Loving kindness the ground of his trust, so he manifesteth his sincerity,
First, By appealing unto God in my text. Examine me, and try me. And Secondly, By the several effects of it, verse 4, 5, 6.
I shall consider that sign of his sincerity, wherein he desireth God would Try him, and search him: So that if there were any Hypocrisy, any false way, any unsound or imperfect principles he walked in, it was his hearty desire to have all discovered. And certainly there cannot be a greater argument of the truth of Grace, then a willingness to come to the light, and a readiness to be weighed in the balance; as on the other side you have not a surer character of an hypocrite, and an unsound Christian, then fear of the light, and unwillingness to be ransacked and searched into the very bowls by the word of God: But Davids hearty willingness in this particular appeareth, 1. In the several words he heaps up together in his Petition, Examine me; as Artificers do, whether their gold be weight or no: try me by discovering whether I am inwardly sound or no: Prove me, (as the word signifieth) as when the Artificer melteth his silver in the fire, that separateth the dross. 2. This doth appear in the object matter which he would have thus proved, and that is, His heart, his reins, which are the most inward and secret motions of his soul, he would have a deeper searching into, and winnowing of him then the world can do. Certainly David in this Petition doth discover great honesty, and faithfulness of Spirit. Now, here may be two doubts. 1. How God can be said to tempt, or try any man, seeing