A30243:841
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 31
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.
Fourthly, It is no wonder, that particular persons may conclude of their good 1estate by the outward felicity God bestoweth upon them, seeing it's the professed and maintained doctrine of the learned men in the Church of Rome, that temporal felicity is a mark of the true Church: Would ye know (say they) what Church to join to? join to that Church which aboundeth in outward prosperity and wealth (say they,) and it cannot be (think they) that the Pope is Antichrist, and Rome Babylon, for if it were, the Lord would have plagued it with sor• destructions, and not so wonderfully have blessed them for many ages together. But this is a weak ⟨p. 183⟩argument, and it hath no strength, but with carnal hearts that account nothing great and good, but what is earthly. Paul was discovered a faithful Apostle by his iron chains on his legs, not his golden ones about his neck. By this doctrine we may see how inbred a thing it is in a man to be high minded, and secure in his spirit, as if God loved him more then others, because he hath bestowed more of these earthly blessings upon him then others. They think that as God giveth them a higher place here on earth, so he will also in heaven: Especially this sin is committed by you of the City, many whereof have been blessed by a bountiful increase from little or nothing: you say with Jacob, With a staff came I over Jordan up to London, and now I am become two bands: You are above him in the Parable, his five pound gained ten, yours one penny a thousand, and do you not take this great providence of God to you as an argument of your righteousness? Do not you speak in your heart, as the Text saith, though not with your mouth, that this makes you have hopes, that God who hath done so much for you here, will do much more for you hereafter? Here is little true comfort in all these thoughts, as is to be showed.
Fourthly, It is no wonder, that particular persons may conclude of their good 1estate by the outward felicity God bestoweth upon them, seeing it's the professed and maintained doctrine of the learned men in the Church of Rome, that temporall felicity is a mark of the true Church: Would ye know (say they) what Church to joyn to? joyn to that Church which aboundeth in outward prosperity and wealth (say they,) and it cannot be (think they) that the Pope is Antichrist, and Rome Babylon, for if it were, the Lord would have plagued it with sor destructions, and not so wonderfully have blessed them for many ages together. But this is a weak