A30243:600
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.
Secondly, Seeing that corruption is in every part, not only blindness in the mind, 1but contumacy and rebellion in will and affections, thou hast no full cure upon thee, unless grace hath healed thy affectionate part as well as thy intellectual. If thy spiritual eyes be open, yet hast no legs to walk in Gods Commandments, thou canst never attain to the end of the way which is eternal happiness; so then think with thy self, if I would ever have any true comfort about my spiritual estate, I must have a plaster as broad as my sore, now not only my understanding was darkened with ignorance, errors, foolishness, &c. but my heart also with sinful and corrupt affections. Therefore if the grace of God do not give me a good heart, as well as a good head, I am still undone. Hence the promise of Regeneration is not only expressed in words relating to the understanding, They shall all know God, and be taught of God, but in phrases concerning the affectionate part, I will take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh, and I will write my Law in their inward parts. Examine then thy self, whether the grace of God converting, is as universal and extensive as sin infecting? For as an hand of a man, or an head of a man, is not a man; so neither is any particular revelation or illumination of the mind with faith, the whole image of God.
Secondly, Seeing that corruption is in every part, not only blindnesse in the minde, 1but contumacy and rebellion in will and affections, thou hast no full cure upon thee, unlesse grace hath healed thy affectionate part as well as thy intellectual. If thy spiritual eyes be open, yet hast no legs to walk in Gods Commandments, thou canst never attain to the end of the way which is eternal happinesse; so then think with thy self, if I would ever have any true comfort about my spiritual estate, I must have a plaister as broad as my sore, now not only my understanding was darkned with ignorance, errors, foolishnesse, &c. but my heart also with sinfull and corrupt affections. Therefore if the grace of God do not give me a good heart, as well as a good head, I am still undone. Hence the promise of Regeneration is not only expressed in words relating to the understanding, They shall all know God, and be taught of God, but in phrases concerning the affectionate part, I will take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh, and I will write my Law in their inward parts. Examine then thy self, whether the grace of God converting, is as universal and extensive as sinne infecting? For as an hand of a man, or an head of a man, is not a man; so neither is any particular revelation or illumination of the minde with faith, the whole image of God.