A30243:574
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 22
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.
SERMON XXII.
Showing that from Judgements, Opinions and Disputes, arguments of the truth of Grace cannot be drawn.
Shewing that from Judgements, Opinions and Disputes, arguments of the truth of Grace cannot be drawn.
ROM. 14. 17. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost.
The Apostle is a Casuist in this Chapter, and handleth that case of Conscience, which did much trouble the Church at that time with much prudence and moderation. The dispute was about the observation of some legal rites, Whether this was abrogated by evangelical liberty, some were for the affirmative, some for the negative, and the contest groweth so high, that they make the sum and substance of Religion to lie in these things. Now the Apostle his scope is to rectify them by several excellent rules, some whereof are to use our liberty always with respect to our weak brother, To judge charitably of one another in these differences, not unseasonably to trouble the Church with our particular opinions, but to keep our faith to our selves; in which respect Cyprian said, God would have us confiteri fidem, rather then profiteri, He confesseth it that is demanded and called thereunto, he professeth that doth it ultroneously, without any invitation at all. And in my Text the Apostle giveth an excellent rule. The marrow and essence of godliness lieth not in these things, though ye are apt to make these the pillars and foundations of Religion, yet they be not.