A30243:661
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.
Now two grounds among others there are, Why we may not judge the firmness 1of our spiritual estate by these sufferings.
Now two grounds among others there are, Why we may not judge the firmnesse 1of our spiritual estate by these sufferings.
- 1Why we may not judge of our spiritual estates by these sufferings. 1. Because inward life only maketh all externals good.Why we may not judge of our spiritual estates by these sufferings. 1. Because inward life onely maketh all externals good.
First, Because no externals, whether in actions or passions, are any further good, then as they are animated from a spiritual life within. These outwards may be informed from a corrupt principle, as well as a spiritual one. We cannot judge of the Tree by this fruit, because it will grow both upon good and bad. Now herein we daily delude our selves, because we judge our estate good, by external Actions, when yet reprobates may do the like. It is not here as it was with Moses, and Jannes and Jambres, Moses doth many miracles, and they do the like, but at last Moses doth such things which they could not imitate. If you speak of externals merely as abstracted from inwards, we cannot judge. Do the godly pray, hear? so do the reprobates: May the godly suffer, be imprisoned, die for the truth? so may reprobates. It is true our Saviour saith, Greater love then this can no man show, then to lay down ones life for another. So one would think, to give ones body to be burnt, and yet have no Charity, were to speak a contradiction. But when we consider how strong and potent corruption and a false Religion is, then we may no more admire. We read in the Old Testament of some superstitious parents, that would make their children pass through the fire to Moloch, that is, they offered them as a Sacrifice in the fire to Moloch: who would not wonder, how the tender bowels of a father or mother could ever become thus senseless like a stone? But superstition made them thus