A30243:817
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 30
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.
Secondly, As there is nothing but quietness within, so there are bold and confident persuasions about God, and his love towards them. Now a mans condition cannot be 1more desperate then when he is deluded with a resolute persuasion that God loveth him; even as some mad men have been persuaded that they were great Kings and Emperors, and had such great Kingdoms, when at the same time they were under cruel hardship. Oh such a madness is upon most men, that do not, with the Devil, look upon all the Glory of the world, and say falsely, all that is his, but upon all the Glory of heaven, and say presumptuously, all that is his: This was the Pharisees impudency, who were confidently persuaded that God was their Father, that he he loved them, when they were the miserable wretched Imps of Satan! This also was the grand cause of all those expostulations the Prophets had with the Jews; ⟨p. 176⟩they trusted in Gods love, though they did lye, steal, swear, yet they would come into his Temple, and call upon him, which the Prophet Jeremiah with much heavenly zeal expostulates with them for. Oh, this gross impudency is too visible in our days: have you not many profane sinners? many liars, cursers, opposers of what is good? Yet they will come here, and say, Our Father: nay, you cannot meet with any beastly sinner, but his heart is filled with this bold impudency, to think and hope that God is his Father; So that we may cry out, Oh that God would touch these mountains, that they might melt before him, Oh that God before whom the very earth did tremble and quake, would also make such mens hearts afraid before him.
Secondly, As there is nothing but quietness within, so there are bold and confident perswasions about God, and his love towards them. Now a mans condition cannot be 1more desperate then when he is deluded with a resolute perswasion that God loveth him; even as some mad men have been perswaded that they were great Kings and Emperors, and had such great Kingdomes, when at the same time they were under cruel hardship. Oh such a madness is upon most men, that do not, with the Divel, look upon all the Glory of the world, and say falsly, all that is his, but upon all the Glory of heaven, and say presumptuously, all that is his: This was the Pharisees impudencie, who were confidently perswaded that God was their Father, that he he loved them, when they were the miserable wretched Impps of Satan! This also was the grand cause of all those expostalations the Prophets had with the Jews;