A30243:558
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 21
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.
Do you not think God like that Father in the Parable will presently kiss them, put robes upon them, prepare a fatted calf for them? No, vers. 36. marreth all. Nevertheless their hearts were not steadfast within him. Now it's remarkable, as the Scripture calls these actions, repentance, humiliation, returning and seeking after God, giving the name of grace to them, because they have the outward lineaments of grace, so also the Scripture attributeth pardon of sin and forgiveness unto them, vers. 38. he being full of compassion forgave their iniquities, Numb. 14. 20. God upon Moses his prayer, saith he had pardoned their iniquity: now this cannot be a true and proper pardon of sin. for Heb. 3. it is plain, All these perished because of their unbelief. Therefore when the Scripture saith, that upon such humiliation and repentance God doth pardon sin, especially speaking of an whole body of people, it's to be understood in a particular sense thus, for not punishing them at that time, but either quite taking away, or at least differing the temporal affliction, but is still abiding them, for no unconverted man, truly and properly ever hath any sin pardoned him: so that as to a godly man repenting, God taketh away eternal punishment, but lets a temporal chastisement sometime abide, so to the unconverted repenting, God doth sometimes take away the temporal, but causeth the eternal punishment to continue. By all this you see the Scripture speaking of some, as rejoicing in that which is good, and mourning for that which is evil, whereupon their sins are said to be forgiven, that yet all this while are men whose hearts are not right within them: and this is no wonder, seeing they are said to believe, Mat. 12. they believe for a season, yea, Joh. 2. 23. unconverted men are said [Greek or Hebrew], to believe in the name (which some make the highest expression of believing) now according to the collustration of their understandings by faith, suitable are the motions of their affections in their heart. As they believe, so they rejoice, mourn, desire, and delight in things believed.
Do you not think God like that Father in the Parable will presently kisse them, put robes upon them, prepare a fatted calf for them? No, vers. 36. marreth all. Neverthelesse their hearts were not stedfast within him. Now it's remarkable, as the Scripture cals these actions, repentance, humiliation, returning and seeking after God, giving the name of grace to them, because they have the outward lineaments of grace, so also the Scripture attributeth pardon of sin and forgivenesse unto them, vers. 38. he being full of compassion forgave their iniquities,