A30243:621
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.
Lastly, The spirit of God doth foretell things that are to come: And this is properly to Prophesy: and this the Prophets did; Agabus and others in the New Testament. Now the Devil also may use his instruments to foretell something to come: not that of his own nature he can foretell things to come, for so it's Gods property; but by Revelation from God, God justly permitting this for to punish those that shall be seduced: thus the Devil told Saul what should befall him. And in the story ⟨p. 132⟩of the Anabaptists in Munster, when a Law was made, That all the Citizens should bring their goods into the common stock, there were maids that could tell certainly how much every man had hidden at home of his goods: Now this is like that of Ananias and Sapphira: and this Revelation (very probably) was by the just judgement of God made to the Devil; for seeing the Devil is an instrument to execute Gods justice and wrath, what should hinder him from knowing that which God on purpose employeth him about for the judgement of others. Aemulantur divinitatem dumb furantur divinationem. This is clearly confirmed, Deut. 13. 1, 2. Where a false Prophet is said, To give a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder is supposed to come to pass: So that false Prophets may by Gods permission and Revelation foretell some things to come: but mark the reason why God permits this, The Lord your God doth this to prove you. Oh therefore with what holiness, humility, and circumspection ought the children of God to walk in the midst of such Delusions: In so much that it is called, [Greek or Hebrew] The efficacy of deceiving.
Lastly, The spirit of God doth foretell things that are to come: And this is properly to Prophesie: and this the Prophets did; Agabus and others in the New Testament. Now the Divel also may use his instruments to foretel something to come: not that of his own nature he can foretel things to come, for so it's Gods property; but by Revelation from God, God justly permitting this for to punish those that shall be seduced: thus the Divel told Saul what should befall him. And in the story ⟨p. 132⟩of the Anabaptists in Munster, when a Law was made, That all the Citizens should bring their goods into the common stock, there were maids that could tell certainly how much every man had hidden at home of his goods: Now this is like that of Ananias and Saphira: and this Revelation (very probably) was by the just judgement of God made to the Divel; for seeing the Divel is an instrument to execute Gods justice and wrath, what should hinder him from knowing that which God on purpose imployeth him about for the judgement of others. Aemulantur divinitatem dum furantur divinationem. This is clearly confirmed,