A30243:843
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.
Lastly, Some go into another extremity, and conclude of their good estate and holy condition, because they are in a poor, needy, miserable estate, and destitute of all earthly comforts; They read in the Scripture, that the poor receive the Gospel, Christ invited the lame and blind, That persecutions and afflictions are the way to heaven; They hear Christ said, Blessed are those that mourn and weep, and Woe be to those that laugh; They hear God hath not chosen many rich, many noble, and therefore because they are in great extremities here, they do not think God will make them have an hell here and an hell hereafter. But every poor man is not a Lazarus, nay, there are many times none more wicked, cursed, profane, and enemies to all goodness, then those that are in a low and miserable condition; A woeful thing it is indeed to have nothing but misery here, and nothing but torments hereafter. If thy poverty indeed were sanctified, thou wast more holy; humble, heavenly, then that estate would not be contemned by God: he doth not disdain the prayer, of the poor, humble and lowly ones; but then be sure thou art such a poor man as the Scripture speaks of, otherwise as thou many times here on earth wantest a crumb of bread, so thou wilt in hell a drop of water.
Lastly, Some go into another extremity, and conclude of their good estate and holy condition, because they are in a poor, needy, miserable estate, and destitute of all earthly comforts; They reade in the Scripture, that the poor receive the Gospel, Christ invited the lame and blinde, That persecutions and afflictions are the way to heaven; They hear Christ said, Blessed are those that mourn and weep, and Wo be to those that laugh; They hear God hath not chosen many rich, many noble, and therefore because they are in great extremities here, they do not think God will make them have an hell here and an hell hereafter. But every poor man is not a Lazarus, nay, there are many times none more wicked, cursed, prophane, and enemies to all goodnesse, then those that are in a low and miserable condition; A wofull thing it is indeed to have nothing but misery here, and nothing but torments hereafter. If thy poverty indeed were sanctified, thou wast more holy; humble, heavenly, then that estate would not be contemned by God: he doth not disdain the praier, of the poor, humble and lowly ones; but then be sure thou art such a poor man as the Scripture speaks of, otherwise as thou many times here on earth wantest a crum of bread, so thou wilt in hell a drop of water.