A30243:451
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 18
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.
The Apostle John in this Epistle doth much press the Grace and Duty of Love, as the fire that ought to be on the Altar of our hearts, for every Sacrifice towards God or man; not only the Holy of Holies, and the most inward parts of the Temple were covered with gold, but the Pavements and Outworks also. Thus all our actions whether towards God or man ought to be done in love.
THe Apostle John in this Epistle doth much presse the Grace and Duty of Love, as the fire that ought to be on the Altar of our hearts, for every Sacrifice towards God or man; not onely the Holy of Holies, and the most inward parts of the Temple were covered with gold, but the Pavements and Outworks also. Thus all our actions whether towards God or man ought to be done in love.
At the 11th verse of this Chapter, he commends this duty from the Antiquity of it, it's the Commandment they heard from the beginning; which is illustrated from a contrary example of Cain, described from his original, He was of that wicked one; and from his actuals, He slew his brother; and this is amplified from the impulsive cause or motive of this his horrid wickedness, He slew him, because his own works were evil, and his brothers righteous. Semper aliena virtus formidolosa est, said Tacitus. In Gen. 4. we have the occasion of Cains envy, God had respect to Abel and not to Cain, which as most judge, was by some extraordinary testimony that God gave to Abel's Sacrifice, as the Apostle emphatically expresseth it with an Article Heb. 11. 4. [Greek or Hebrew], it's generally judged by fire suddenly falling from heaven (as God did at other times) therefore the word to have respect is translated by Theodotion, [Greek or Hebrew], Inflammavit Deus super Abel; but why Abel's Sacrifice was better then Cains is also questioned; Paul Heb. 11. saith, Abel offered by faith, [Greek or Hebrew] a better Sacrifice, which some refer to the Quantity, as if Cain took the refuse, and Abel offered the best. Some to the Quality, He offered in faith, and the other not. A learned man Clop. de Sacrific. thinks that Cain offered only an Eucharistical Sacrifice of fruit of the ground, and so did not beg for pardon of sin; but Abel offered an Hilastical Sacrifice by way of expiation, whereby through Christ he prayed for pardon, and therefore was accepted, so that he resembleth Cain to the Pharisee, that only gave thanks to God, and Abel to the Publican, who humbled himself, supplicating for pardon, And so went away justified rather then the other.