A30243:616
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 23
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.
We may think indeed we have revelations, raptures, spiritual consolations from the Holy Ghost, when we are all the while in great delusions: this point deserveth many things introductory for Explication.
First, The spirit of God doth in and by the word, comfort, assure, or instruct the soul so certainly, that the true believer is not, or cannot be deceived. Therefore the Scripture calls it, The testimony of the spirit, and the sealing of the spirit: and it would be horrid blasphemy to make the spirit of Truth, the spirit of Falsehood: Hence Faith, which is the work of Gods spirit, is called [Greek or Hebrew], and [Greek or Hebrew], words that signify a sure and certain establishment: we must not therefore with the Papist, who commendeth doubting for humility, profanely make such scoffing interrogations as these: one man thinketh he hath the spirit, another thinketh he hath the spirit, and yet anathematize one another's spirit: therefore there is no certainty about our knowledge of having the spirit in us: For howsoever hypocrites may be deluded, and heretics deceived about the spirit, yet those that indeed partake of the Holy Ghost, they are not deceived. It is true, this evidence and persuasion cannot be made clear to another: and no wonder, for God giveth not this persuasion to assure others, but that heart in whom it is. Take we heed therefore, that because there have been miserable and sad instances of horrible delusions by men boasting of Revelations, and spiritual raptures, that we fall not into Atheistical, or Sceptical thoughts about the true works of Gods spirit.
First, The spirit of God doth in and by the word, comfort, assure, or instruct the soul so certainly, that the true believer is not, or cannot be deceived. Therefore the Scripture calls it, The testimony of the spirit, and the sealing of the spirit: and it would be horrid blasphemy to make the spirit of Truth, the spirit of Falshood: Hence Faith, which is the work of Gods spirit, is called 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, words that signifie a sure and certain establishment: we must not therefore with the Papist, who commendeth doubting for humility, prophanely make such scoffing interrogations as these: one man thinketh he hath the spirit, another thinketh he hath the spirit, and yet anathematize one anothers spirit: therefore there is no certainty about our knowledge of having the spirit in us: For howsoever hypocrites may be deluded, and hereticks deceived about the spirit, yet those that indeed partake of the Holy Ghost, they are not deceived. It is true, this evidence and perswasion cannot be made clear to another: and no wonder, for God giveth not this perswasion to assure others, but that heart in whom it is. Take we heed therefore, that because there have been miserable and sad instances of horrible delusions by men boasting of Revelations, and spiritual raptures, that we fall not into Atheistical, or Sceptical thoughts about the true works of Gods spirit.