A30243:781
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 29
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.
JAMES 2. 26. For as the Body without the Spirit is dead; so Faith without Works is dead also.
Howsoever the Apostle his scope in this Chapter be much controverted, yet vers. 14. doth manifestly evidence his purpose, which is to take off Titular Believers, who glory in the Name and Profession of Faith from all their confident boasting, if their Faith be not accompanied with an holy and godly life. Some think this dangerous mistake grew from a misunderstanding of many places in Pauls Epistles, where he seemeth only to set up Faith, and makes no matter of Sanctification. Whereupon the reconciliation of Paul and James, these two great Apostles, hath to all seemed very difficult; to others impossible, who therefore have expunged this Epistle out of the Canon.
HOwsoever the Apostle his scope in this Chapter be much controverted, yet vers. 14. doth manifestly evidence his purpose, which is to take off Titular Believers, who glory in the Name and Profession of Faith from all their confident boasting, if their Faith be not accompanied with an holy and godly life. Some think this dangerous mistake grew from a misunderstanding of many places in Pauls Epistles, where he seemeth only to set up Faith, and makes no matter of Sanctification. Whereupon the reconciliation of Paul and James, these two great Apostles, hath to all seemed very difficult; to others impossible, who therefore have expunged this Epistle out of the Canon.
I will not trouble you with the several ways of Reconciliation endeavoured by the learned; That which I shall pitch upon is this, That Paul speaks of Faith in it's relation to Justification, considering it only in that act, showing that Faith only, and no other grace justifieth. James demonstrateth what kind of Faith this is, viz. an actual operative one, which puts a man upon all holy duties. Paul proveth that Faith alone justifieth, and James, that this Faith which doth only justify, is not alone, but accompanied with other graces. Paul argueth against a Pharisee that sets up his own works against Faith, James argueth against a carnal Gospeller or Publican, that thinketh a bare profession will save. Nor is it any wonder that such an error spread, That a man by his Faith only should inherit heaven, seeing even in Augustine's time it was a general opinion, which that Father did with much fear and modesty gain-say, That every Christian, in that he was a Christian, though a drunkard, whoremonger, &c. would be saved?