A30243:707
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.
Let us instance in several ways whereby men may affect, and introduce an higher strictness, then the Scripture speaks of: And I shall not instance in false worship, which was a great part of Pharisaical strictness, busying themselves in those things God never required; for I shall speak of that (God willing) in the next sermon, because it is the greater sign by which many superstitious and ignorant people cousin their souls. I proceed therefore to other affectations of extraordinary strictness, such as these.
Let us instance in several waies whereby men may affect, and introduce an higher strictness, then the Scripture speaks of: And I shal not instance in false worship, which was a great part of Pharisaical strictness, busying themselves in those things God never required; for I shal speak of that (God willing) in the next sermon, because it is the greater sign by which many superstitious and ignorant people cousen their souls. I proceed therefore to other affectations of extraordinary strictness, such as these.
First, When the Scripture or word of God is accounted too low a thing to guide us, 1and therefore they expect an higher, and more extraordinary teaching by the spirit of God, and that for other matter then is contained therein. It is true indeed, the word of God as it is Scripture, without the Spirit of God, cannot enlighten or change the heart: therefore these two must never be opposed, or disjoined; but the word of God is the only adequate rule, to which we are tied, and the Spirit of God that worketh in and by that: so that as God will not produce any extraordinary new material light to direct us bodily, but in and through the Sun, so the Spirit of God will not vouchsafe any new spiritual light, but in and through the Scriptures Hence it is, that although God be not bound himself, yet he hath bound us to that only: To the law, and to the Testimony, and search the Scriptures: yea, Timothy must not look for infallible directions from Paul, but give himself to the study of the Scriptures, which were able to make him fully perfect for every good work. Now the Papist and Enthusiast they both agree in this, to debase the Scripture, not to make it a full and perfect rule; to expect higher, and more noble teachings then are from that. Hence the papist call it inky Divinity thus to walk and believe only by Scripture: who can think, say they, That God would have us tied to Paper and Parchment: and they apply that place of Paul, Ye are our Epistle, 2 Cor 3. 3. Not written with ink, but the spirit of God, &c. making all those that adhere to the Scripture as a rule to live by, the Letter, and not the Spirit: so on the other side, Enthusiasts they undervalue the Scripture; and its reported of them, that they called