A30243:763
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 28
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.
1. Those that are called Nicodemites, who think it enough to keep their heart for God, although they pollute their bodies with any corrupt worship. There have been some who have much pleaded for this, and it's very pleasing to flesh and blood, for hereby we shall always save our selves, and martyrdom will be a foolish and unlawful prodigality of a mans life: but that place doth wholly cut the sinews of such an opinion, With the heart we believe, and with the mouth confession ⟨p. 164⟩1is made unto salvation. The heart without the mouth is not enough for salvation.
1. Those that are called Nicodemites, who think it enough to keep their heart for God, although they pollute their bodies with any corrupt worship. There have been some who have much pleaded for this, and it's very pleasing to flesh and bloud, for hereby we shall alwaies save our selves, and martyrdome will be a foolish and unlawfull prodigality of a mans life: but that place doth wholly cut the sinews of such an opinion, With the heart we beleeve, and with the mouth confession ⟨p. 164⟩1is made unto salvation. The heart without the mouth is not enough for salvation.
- 1Rom. •0
The second sort of hypocrites discovered by external obedience, is professedly disputed against by James. There were some who thought it enough to believe the doctrine of Christ, although no good works flowed from this faith: Now the Apostle doth by many arguments demonstrate the absurdity of such a conceit, and makes this saith no better then that of devils. Show me thy faith by thy works: saith the Apostle. So that it's a a vain confidence in any man to presume of salvation without external obedience, and good works issuing from faith: for saith and holiness is inseparable, and faith hath a twofold operation, which can be no more disjoined then light and heat in the fire, the one relating [Greek or Hebrew], within, to Christ laying hold on him, the other [Greek or Hebrew], without, bringing forth godly fruits to eternal life. Though therefore you cannot by the presence of outward obedience necessarily conclude eternal life, yet by the absence of them you may infer eternal death. These things are considerable by way of exposition.