A30243:720
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 27
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.
MARK 7. 7. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for Doctrines the traditions of men.
The Text is part of an historical Narration, wherein is manifestly deciphered the envious and malicious disposition of superstitious persons and hypocrites against the pure and upright, for here we have the Scribes and Pharisees, that were reputed the only Saints of the world, because of their outward devotion, quarrelling and contesting with Christ, about the neglect of a superstitious custom. So that you have their impeachment in the 5th verse, Why walk not thy Disciples according to the tradition of the Elders, that eat bread with unwashen hands? They do not say, Why is Gods Law, or Moses his Law transgressed? but the tradition of the Elders. The Elders among the Jews had brought in under a specious pretext of piety and religion, many devout customs and religious usages, which they called Sepimenta legis, hedges to the Law of God, but they were indeed Impedimenta, for hereby Gods commands were frustrated. Now among other traditions, this was introduced by them, that they did before they went to meals, or when they came home from business abroad, wash themselves. The ground was, lest they should touch any thing unclean, and so be defiled unawares; hereupon also it was, that they used frequent washings, as of themselves; so also of Cups, Pots, Vessels and Tables: where by the way we may observe [Greek or Hebrew] and [Greek or Hebrew], to signify in the general any washing, and not dipping only, as some contend. If you ask, Why our Saviour would not conform to such a tradition, seeing there was no visible appearance of evil in it, neither was it a sin to do so? Chrysostom giveth this reason, because those that are intent to the most necessary and serious matters of Religion, use to neglect, what is superfluous: but we may say, This tradition was used not upon civil respects, for so to wash their hands was comely and decent before they eat bread, but upon religious considerations, hereby worshipping God, and thinking thereby to approve themselves more acceptably to him.
THe Text is part of an historical Narration, wherein is manifestly deciphered the envious and malicious disposition of superstitious persons and hypocrites against the pure and upright, for here we have the Scribes and Pharisees, that were reputed the only Saints of the world, because of their outward devotion, quarrelling and contesting with Christ, about the neglect of a superstitious custome. So that you have their impeachment in the 5th verse, Why walk not thy Disciples according to the tradition of the Elders, that eat bread with unwashen hands? They do not say, Why is Gods Law, or Moses his Law transgressed? but the tradition of the Elders. The Elders among the Jews had brought in under a specious pretext of piety and religion, many devout customs and religious usages, which they called Sepimenta legis, hedges to the Law of God, but they were indeed Impedimenta, for hereby Gods commands were frustrated. Now among other traditions, this was introduced by them, that they did before they went to meals, or when they came home from businesse abroad, wash themselves. The ground was, lest they should touch any thing unclean, and so be defiled unawares; hereupon also it was, that they used frequent washings, as of themselves; so also of Cups, Pots, Vessels and Tables: where by the way we may observe and , to signifie in the general any washing, and not dipping onely, as some contend. If you ask, Why our Saviour would not conform to such a tradition, seeing there was no visible appearance of evil in it, neither was it a sinne to do so? Chrysostom giveth this reason, because those that are intent to the most necessary and serious matters of Religion, use to neglect, what is supersluous: but we may say, This tradition was used not upon civil respects, for so to wash their hands was comely and decent before they eat bread, but upon religious considerations, hereby worshipping God, and thinking thereby to approve themselves more acceptably to him.