A30243:508
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 3 › Sermon 19
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.
4. They put confidence in them because they are ignorant of the righteousness by 1faith in Christ. There is no man but the godly that looks for any justification, but by the works he doth, and so they turn the Gospel into the Law, and make the duties and administrations under the Gospel, what the Jews did the legal administrations in the Law: You cannot have a clearer instance of this then in Paul, Phil. 3. he giveth in a catalogue of many privileges, and he saith, he thought them great gain to him once, but after he came to the knowledge of the righteousness by faith in Christ, he counted them dung and dross, and desired to be found in Christ only. The Apostle useth an excellent expression, Heb. 4. 18. speaking of the godly and their consolation in the Covenant of grace, he saith, they have fled for a refuge to lay hold on this hope. Every godly man is in as much fear of his sin, whose guilt by virtue of the Law pursueth him, as among the Jews the man was that had slain another: Now with what haste, trembling and desire he fled to the City of refuge, the same doth a godly man use in laying hold on Christs righteousness: Alas, his duties, his religious worship, it is not a City of refuge: If therefore thou knewest the necessity of Christ, and what righteousness by faith means, thou couldst not rest in these external duties.
4. They put confidence in them because they are ignorant of the righteousnesse by 1faith in Christ. There is no man but the godly that looks for any justification, but by the works he doth, and so they turn the Gospel into the Law, and make the duties and administrations under the Gospel, what the Jews did the legall administrations in the Law: You cannot have a clearer instance of this then in Paul, Phil. 3. he giveth in a catalogue of many priviledges, and he saith, he thought them great gain to him once, but after he came to the knowledge of the righteousnesse by faith in Christ, he counted them dung and drosse, and desired to be found in Christ only. The Apostle useth an excellent expression, Heb. 4. 18. speaking of the godly and their consolation in the Covenant of grace, he saith, they have fled for a refuge to lay hold on this hope. Every godly man is in as much fear of his sinne, whose guilt by vertue of the Law pursueth him, as among the Jews the man was that had slain another: Now with what haste, trembling and desire he fled to the City of refuge, the same doth a godly man use in laying hold on Christs righteousnesse: Alas, his duties, his religious worship, it is not a City of refuge: If therefore thou knewest the necessity of Christ, and what righteousnesse by faith means, thou couldst not rest in these externall duties.