A30243:910
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 33
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, Therefore men make it easy to go to Heaven, They may seek that in 1the last place, Live in all jollity, and then to cry, Lord have mercy on me at the last gasp is enough, because they wholly mistake what true Godliness and Repentance is. What godliness is they understand not, they think not of being borne again, of the pangs and travail the soul commonly is in, before it is thus formed; They consider not the way to Heaven is a strait way, and few that enter therein; if they did, could they be so silly, as to think such vicious lives as they live, such formality and morality they continue in, were the way to Heaven? Certainly if this be so, then the Scripture speaks falsely, Strait is the way, Mat. 7. 13, 14. No, broad is the way, large are the paths, and few miss them; You therefore think it easy to be saved, because you take copper for gold, counterfeits for pearls; and thus a man may think himself very rich, when he is indeed very poor. Again, they mistake about repentance, for they think all kind of sorrow for sin, every Lord have mercy upon them, especially if this be with tears, a true Repentance; but if this be so we may cry out contrary to the Disciples, Who will not be saved? Then blessed Ahab, godly Pharaoh, holy Judas, for all these more or less acknowledged their sin, and begged for pardon; But if thou examine Scripture, and see how much goeth to godly sorrow, what principle it must come from, what motives must produce it, what effects flow from it; Thou wilt be amazed, and say, O Lord, I doubt I never truly repented, my tears are too salt to come from a contrite heart in a gracious manner. Now do but observe all those men who are secure and confident about their salvation, you may as soon persuade them a Blackmore is white, as they begin to have the least doubt and suspicion about themselves; and you shall see its one of these pillars they lean upon, if this their foundation were razed all their hopes were gone. Could you drive them out of this refuge then they would cry out, Men and brethren. What shall we do to be saved?
Lastly, Therefore men make it easie to goe to Heaven, They may seek that in 1the last place, Live in all jollity, and then to cry, Lord have mercy on me at the last gasp is enough, because they wholly mistake what true Godlinesse and Repentance is. What godlinesse is they understand not, they think not of being borne again, of the pangs and travail the soul commonly is in, before it is thus formed; They consider not the way to Heaven is a strait way, and few that enter therein; if they did, could they be so silly, as to think such vicious lives as they live, such formality and morality they continue in, were the way to Heaven? Certainly if this be so, then the Scripture speaks falsly, Strait is the way,