A30243:797
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.
6. This historical faith though in some respects it be like that of the devils, especially because of the barrenness and unfruitfulness of it: yet it is in other respects 1far different: for this faith is an habit infused into the believer, and so wrought by God, but in the devils it's from evident experience, so that it's not a voluntary but a necessary faith, for they being already in torments, and finding part of their torments already inflicted upon them, they are forced to believe there is a God. Now although this be so, yet we may with the Apostle make a comparison of both of them together, and thus far argue, that if the mere acknowledging and believing of the matters of religion were enough, then the devils might be saved as well as such believers.
6. This historicall faith though in some respects it be like that of the devils, especially because of the barrennesse and unfruitfullnesse of it: yet it is in other respects 1farre different: for this faith is an habit infused into the beleever, and so wrought by God, but in the devils it's from evident experience, so that it's not a voluntary but a necessary faith, for they being already in torments, and finding part of their torments already inflicted upon them, they are forced to believe there is a God. Now although this be so, yet we may with the Apostle make a comparison of both of them together, and thus farre argue, that if the meer acknowledging and beleeving of the matters of religion were enough, then the devils might be saved as well as such beleevers.
- 16. Difference between this faith and that of the devils.
7. Although faith hath knowledge (for a man cannot believe that which he hath not either evidentiam rei, or evidentiam testimonij at least. The Trinity though