A30243:431
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 17
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.
For the opening of this point, which is necessary (and the want of which Paul did so greatly bewail in the Corinthians, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as carnal) take notice of these things by way of a foundation.
First, As in natural things there is a sensitive soul above the vegetative, and a rational above the sensitive, so (with more disproportion) there is a spiritual life vouchsafed by the holy Ghost above a rational. Insomuch that take the most rational man, that is endued with all intellectual abilities and moral perfections; so that he be Ultimus conatus naturae, as one said of Aristotle, yet he is no more able to do any thing spiritually, or to apprehend what are those spiritual operations, then a worm can comprehend the reason of the most wise men. Thus Paul saith, The natural man perceiveth not the things of God, [Greek or Hebrew], that is, one who doth excolere animam, mind the polishing and dressing of his soul, such as Plato and Seneca. Now howsoever profane men mock at the word Spirit, and the works thereof, yet that there is such an immediate participation of the holy Ghost in the operations thereof, the Scripture doth abundantly testify, John 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit, where our Saviour makes such a spiritual birth absolutely necessary to salvation, and showeth two contrary kinds of sin, one carnal, abiding in the condition they were born in, the other spiritual, made so by God; and the Apostle in both places useth the abstract for the concrete, for more efficacy. This afterwards he calls, Being born of the Spirit. So that as a man born of a man, hath indolem humanam, is and doth more then a beast: so he that is born of the Spirit, hath indolem divinam, and doth more then a man. Indeed our Saviour makes the original of this spiritual being unknown to us, which he expresseth by a comparison from the wind, or as Maldonat will have it from the soul of a man, which we do not perceive infused into us, or how we come by it; so in this great work of Gods Spirit, Motum sentimus, modum nescimus; God breathed into Adam a natural life, and a soul, but this is a great mercy which God doth for his people. And because the spiritual being and working is of such important consequence, you may observe the Scripture in other places diligently inculcating of it.