A30243:54
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 1 › Sermon 1
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.
Again Matth. 7. 24, 25, 26, By two kind of builders, one upon the sand, the other upon the rock; What is represented, but two kind of believers, one that hath the outward profession and way of Christianity, and he is also truly rooted upon Christ; but there is another who builds upon the sand, who diggeth not deep enough; and this is the greatest part of Christians: thy faith, thy repentance, thy joy are not deep enough, now mark the consequence, The fall thereof was great. Thy damnation will be so much the more terrible, when all thy religious duties, all thy external profession shall fall to the ground. And it is a fall by way of rending, as the word signifieth, Oh how woeful to be rent from God, and ⟨p. 4⟩those duties which thou trustedst in. Therefore our Saviour at ver. 22. saith, Many will call to him at that day, Have not we prophesied in thy Name, eat and drunk in thy presence? that is, offered Sacrifices and received Sacraments? but for all that Christ knoweth them not. By all this you see, how necessary it is we be not deceived about the work of grace, and that we ought to have both our eyes in our head, least we take an whole spiritual estate in counterfeit coin.
Again Matth. 7. 24, 25, 26, By two kinde of builders, one upon the sand, the other upon the rock; What is represented, but two kinde of believers, one that hath the outward profession and way of Christianity, and he is also truly rooted upon Christ; but there is another who builds upon the sand, who diggeth not deep enough; and this is the greatest part of Christians: thy faith, thy repentance, thy joy are not deep enough, now mark the consequence, The fall thereof was great. Thy damnation will be so much the more terrible, when all thy religious duties, all thy external profession shall fall to the ground. And it is a fall by way of rending, as the word signifieth, Oh how wofull to be rent from God, and ⟨p. 4⟩those duties which thou trustedst in. Therefore our Saviour at ver. 22. saith, Many will call to him at that day, Have not we prophesied in thy Name, eat and drunk in thy presence? that is, offered Sacrifices and received Sacraments? but for all that Christ knoweth them not. By all this you see, how necessary it is we be not deceived about the work of grace, and that we ought to have both our eyes in our head, least we take an whole spirituall estate in counterfeit coyn.