A30243:409
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 16
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.
Now see if thou mayest not in all thy graces be more fervent, more delighting, how often art thou languishing, dull, and unwilling? how often are good things even irksome and tedious to thee? Oh dost thou not need purging to bring forth more fruit.
Now see if thou maist not in all thy graces be more fervent, more delighting, how often art thou languishing, dull, and unwilling? how often are good things even irksome and tedious to thee? Oh dost thou not need purging to bring forth more fruit.
2. Our graces may increase by a deeper rooting of them in our hearts; The more they root downwards, the more they bear fruit upward. The Schoolmen dispute whether habits do increase by addition of new degrees, or deeper radication in the subject: But I take it for granted, that in supernatural habits both these are different; If therefore thou wouldest take any comfort from thy grace, see whether holy things •e now ingrafted in thee, do cleave closer to thy heart; for certainly true grace brings such sweetness with it, that it makes the soul have more ⟨p. 89⟩plenty and fullness of it, 1 Pet. 2. 3. and would be transformed into it, I no longer live, saith Paul, but Christ in me. As therefore original corruption is seated in thee and soaked into thy very bones, so do thou desire grace may be incorporated into thee: you see meat while it is in the mouth, it may be taken away, but when it's once turned to nourishment, turned into our flesh and blood, then it's impossible to take it out of our body. The unhappy builder therefore suffered that loss, because he did not dig deep enough.
2. Our graces may encrease by a deeper rooting of them in our hearts; The more they root downwards, the more they bear fruit upward. The Schoolmen dispute whether habits do encrease by addition of new degrees, or deeper radication in the subject: But I take it for granted, that in supernaturall habits both these are different; If therefore thou wouldest take any comfort from thy grace, see whether holy things e now ingrafted in thee, do cleave closer to thy heart; for certainly true grace brings such sweetnesse with it, that it makes the soul have more