A30243:794
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.
3. To Faith or believing, there are three acts required, Knowledge, Assent 1and fiducial Application; Hence its usual with the Scripture to describe faith by one of these acts, not excluding but supposing the other, as, This is eternal life, to know thee, &c. Joh. 17. 3. by knowledge is meant the powerful receiving of Christ into our hearts, and herein doth this historical faith come short, because its not so fiducial, and so receptive of Christ, the fountain of life, as it should be; and in this act its said to justify, compared therefore by Divines to the hand, to the eye, to the glass-window in the house that only lets in light; to the navel by which the child in the mothers belly liveth and obtaineth all its nourishment; but we at this time speak of faith in the second act as it is assensitive, and giveth credence to the truths of God.
3. To Faith or believing, there are three acts required, Knowledge, Assent 1and fiducial Application; Hence its usual with the Scripture to describe faith by one of these acts, not excluding but supposing the other, as, This is eternal life, to know thee, &c. Joh. 17. 3. by knowledge is meant the powerfull receiving of Christ into our hearts, and herein doth this historical faith come short, because its not so fiducial, and so receptive of Christ, the fountain of life, as it should be; and in this act its said to justifie, compared therefore by Divines to the hand, to the eye, to the glasse-window in the house that only lets in light; to the navel by which the childe in the mothers belly liveth and obtaineth all its nourishment; but we at this time speak of faith in the second act as it is assensitive, and giveth credence to the truths of God.
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