A30243:799
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.
Lastly, It cannot be denied but that the Scripture doth attribute salvation in some places even to this historical faith, Mat. 9, 28. Christ required only of that 1blind man, a faith that he was able to help him; so Luke 7. 9. Mat. 8. 10. The faith of the Centurion so much commended, seemeth only to be of the historical truth of Christs Divinity and omnipotency. Peters faith which Christ so praised, was only, Thou art the Son of the living God: so Martha's faith, Joh. 11. 26. and that is remarkable, 1 John 5. 1. Every one that believeth that Jesus is Christ, is born of God. These and the like places make Papists conclude that all the justifying faith that is, is to believe these truths only: yea Arminius, and I wish not too many of late, hold this to be saving and justifying faith, when we believe that Jesus Christ is the Mediator, and will save all those that believe in him, and they are not a| ⟨p. 171⟩to say, that Abraham believed no more: I am not now to confute this unsound Tenet; only take notice, That the reason why the Scripture sometimes attributeth salvation to the mere believing of Jesus Christ to be God, was because the only question then was about the person of Christ, not the office of Christ; The godly doubted not whether if he were the Christ he would be a King and Priest to them, but whether he was the Christ or no; and because it was so great a matter to believe him to be the promised Messiah, who was outwardly •o mean and contemptible: Therefore doth the Scripture so much magnify this act. And 2. though the Scripture give salvation to such acts, yet it doth suppose the other, so that we must compare other places with these, and then we shall see, that it is not enough to give a bare assent to these things, but there also ought to be a powerful […] ence of this faith into our conversation, These things thus explained, let us consider why such a faith is not enough, that so you may not deceive your selves. Comfort not your selves merely in this, I have the true religion on my side: but rather enquire, whether all the concomitants and effects of it also be to be found in you.