A30243:947
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 4 › Sermon 34
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.
Sixthly, Being thus new born, he is carried out with a filial affection in his obedience to God: All his service is sweetened with a great deal of love, delight and joy. 1What he doth for God, he doth it not slavishly, servilely, as heretofore, enforced thereunto, but from an Evangelical and kindly principle within. Thus those that are new creatures are said not to be under the Law, but under Grace. The Law is a rule to them, so they are under it, but the Law is not only a whip and a scourge to them, so that they should pray; hear, do things out of constraint: yet this filial confidence and love is also accompanied with a reverential fear, and holy awe of God, so that from the one he is encouraged, from the other he walketh humbly. Now from this spirit of Adoption all our duties should arise. Prayer is but a bitter crab, or a wild grape, unless the Spirit of Adoption sweeten it, and so of all other duties; if then we be born of God, his presence, his favour is dear to us, our approaches unto the Throne of grace are with holy assurance, we call God Abba, Father, by ingemination, to show partly the efficacy and intention of this spirit upon us, and partly the opposition that is made by the guilt and blackness which is upon our own souls.
Sixthly, Being thus new born, he is carried out with afiliall affection in his obedience to God: All his service is sweetned with a great deal of love, delight and joy. 1What he doth for God, he doth it not slavishly, servilely, as heretofore, enforced thereunto, but from an Evangelicall and kindely principle within. Thus those that are new creatures are said not to be under the Law, but under Grace. The Law is a rule to them, so they are under it, but the Law is not only a whip and a scourge to them, so that they should pray; hear, do things out of constraint: yet this filiall confidence and love is also accompanyed with a reverentiall fear, and holy awe of God, so that from the one he is encouraged, from the other he walketh humbly. Now from this spirit of Adoption all our duties should arise. Praier is but a bitter crab, or a wilde grape, unlesse the Spirit of Adoption sweeten it, and so of all other duties; if then we be born of God, his presence, his favour is dear to us, our approaches unto the Throne of grace are with holy assurance, we call God Abba, Father, by ingemination, to shew partly the efficacy and intention of this spirit upon us, and partly the opposition that is made by the guilt and blacknesse which is upon our own souls.