A30243:656
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.
Fourthly, In the fourth general place, As sufferings for Christ, do not 1argue necessarily a state of Grace, so much less do sufferings for those things a misguided conscience thinketh the truths of God, but are indeed damnable Heresies, and dangerous Opinions. Yet how often do we find this in Books to prove Heresies great innocency, because they go with a good conscience, they deny all carnal emoluments, patiently suffer the utmost dangers! but (alas) here is no solidity in this: For first, A false misled conscience may put a man upon all outward dangers. A deluded conscience in matters of Religion, will throw a man, as that Devil did the party possessed, Sometimes in the fire, and sometimes in the water: So that as our Saviour said, Some men thought they did God good service in putting others to death: So again, They may think they do God great service in suffering themselves to be put to death. Do not Socinians die? Do not Papists die for their Religion? A false Religion, especially if received upon conscientious, not political Principles, will make a man think his blood not dear enough to lose for that. The Pharisees by what reason they compassed Sea and Land to make proselytes, by the same they would have lost their lives to defend their superstitious worship. Do not then hereafter admire that specious Argument for Heretics? Do they seek themselves? Do they not deny all worldly hopes? Do they not give their bodies to be destroyed? for this is no more then Heathens do for their Idols. Nor is it any wonder, if men die thus for a false Religion, seeing we read of Atheists who have died because they held there was no God. Vaninus who once wrote a Book to prove God and his Providence, yet afterwards revolted to Atheism, holding no God, and was put to death for it at Paris: And being commanded by the Judge, that he should ask forgiveness of God, and the King, and his Judges: He answered, Of God he would not, because he did not believe there was any: Of the King he would not because he had not wronged him; Of his Judges he would not, but rather if there were a Hell, as he believed there was none, he would curse them all thither. Thus Voetius de Atheismo. You see here a miserable wretch, dying for this professedly, because he thought there was no God. So that all sufferings even to death, are not presently to move us.
Fourthly, In the fourth general place, As sufferings for Christ, doe not 1