A30243:649
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 24
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.
Thirdly, It is very possible for a man to suffer much loss, and endure hardship for 1Christ, and yet have not his heart sound towards God. In the Apostles times, troubles were so great, and carnal discouragements so many, that we may wonder any hypocrites or unsound men should join to that way which was so opposed and persecuted, yet there were false Apostles and false Brethren; There were many that sought their own, and not the things of Christ, as Paul complaineth, Phil, 1. 22. and this was strange, for if they did seek their own, why did they not renounce Christ? why did they not abjure the Gospel, seeing that was the cause of all the violence brought upon them? All that professed Christ in those days were like Sheep among Wolves, Doves among Hawks; yet even among those acknowledging Christ in the midst of an adulterous generation, all were not upright. Judas left all as well as the other Apostles, and this was a kind of suffering, this was a taking up of the Cross and following him; We see when Christ required such things of others, though they seemed to proffer themselves, yet they presently revolted. Therefore Judas went further. And the Apostle Gal. 3. 4. supposeth men may suffer great and grievous troubles for Christ, yet all in vain, Have ye suffered [Greek or Hebrew] an aggravating word, so many things for number, so grievous for quality, and all this in vain? implying, that if they revolted to those Mosaical Ceremonies from Christ, all their former sufferings for the truth, would be wholly unprofitable, indeed he addeth a rhetorical correction [If so be in vain] as hoping better things of them. Take we heed then, that we do not only lose all our prayers, Sacraments, and such like Duties, but also our sufferings and troubles for a good cause. For sufferings for God are more then doings for God. Hence the Apostle speaketh by way of aggravation, We account these light afflictions, not comparable to that eternal weight of glory, and for an instance of losing our sufferings for God, we have a remarkable instance Act. 19. 33. of Alexander venturing his life in the multitude enraged at Paul and others for the cause of Christ, yet by most learned Interpreters, this is that Alexander Paul doth so complain of, 1 Tim. 1. 20. that did him so much wrong.