A30243:699
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 26
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.
To discover this false sign, several things are considerable, as
First, The way to heaven is a strict and exact way, and all our duties are to be done 1with a curious circumspection: Our prayers are to be exact prayers; our obedience exact obedience: so Ephes. 3. Walk [Greek or Hebrew], exactly: Hence the Gate that leads to happiness is straight and narrow, as the way to hell is broad and easy. I shall not therefore speak against a true and Scripture-exactness: the people of God may, and ought to take comfort, in that they walk in a more singular and exact way then the world doth, and a man living and dying in the common rode and practices of men, having nothing more extraordinary in him then they; hath no symptom of grace upon him: Math. 5. Our saviour speaking to his Disciples, That they should love their enemies; For saith he, If ye love your friends, what singular thing do ye? do not the Publicans the same? Therefore from hence it followeth, That the people of God ought to do singular things to men of the world: There is a good singularity and preciseness: and howsoever the profane world make a taunt, and reproach of this, that you are so singular and precise, yet none are Godly that are not so: Do not even the Publicans the same? He that goeth no further, and doth no more then Publicans, hath no evidence for salvation: Therefore lay down this for a foundation, The way of Godliness, is a strict, precise, singular way. The Scripture makes it an exact course; and therefore my dissolute, careless, negligent walking, can no more claim a Title to heaven, then darkness to light. Attend to this, you whose lives are as most of the world are; proud as they, profane as they, contemning of Religion as they.
First, The way to heaven is a strict and exact way, and all our duties are to be done 1with a curious circumspection: Our prayers are to be exact prayers; our obedience exact obedience: so