A30243:883
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 32
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.
Let us in the next place consider, Why a mere forsaking of sin, or a reformation in externals, is not enough: and this will be manifest from several demonstrations.
Let us in the next place consider, Why a meer forsaking of sin, or a reformation in externals, is not enough: and this will be manifest from several demonstrations.
First, Because (as was intimated) sin may be left from forced principles without, 1not sanctified grace within. Forced principles are terrors of conscience, grievous judgements of God, whereby a man is taken off from his sins, as a mastiff is pulled off from worrying a sheep, and sucking its sweet blood, by putting red hot Iron in his mouth. Nothing but a flaming fiery sword can keep him off from sin, which he accounted paradise: But that which is comfortable reforming of a mans life, is when a supernatural principle is infused within, whereby we are made new creatures; and so from the love of God, and his holiness, ariseth all our hatred and loathing of sin. Thus the Apostle abhors that which is evil, cleaves to that which is good, Rom. 12. When our hating of sin like hell, ariseth from a sweet intimate cleaving to good as glue, (for so the word implies) this is matter of rejoicing. We see in nature, operations follow the nature and essence of a thing; therefore departing from evil is not kindly, till it come from a pure, and sanctified nature.
First, Because (as was intimated) sin may be left from forced principles without, 1not sanctified grace within. Forced principles are terrors of conscience, grievous judgements of God, whereby a man is taken off from his sins, as a mastive is pulled off from worrying a sheep, and sucking its sweet blood, by putting red hot Iron in his mouth. Nothing but a flaming fiery sword can keep him off from sin, which he accounted paradise: But that which is comfortable reforming of a mans life, is when a supernatural principle is infused within, whereby we are made new creatures; and so from the love of God, and his holiness, ariseth all our hatred and loathing of sin. Thus the Apostle abhors that which is evil, cleaves to that which is good,