A30243:978
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 35
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.
thou must look on thy self as undone, before thou canst be saved. Is not the vessel broken into pieces and melted, ere it can be new moulded? Must not the old house be pulled down, ere the new one be raised up? As the Apostle saith, In matter of resurrection, we are loth to put off this corruptible body; we would fain be clothed upon; we would have heaven without dying; so we would be new born without pangs or sorrow.
thou must look on thy self as undone, before thou canst be saved. Is not the vessel broken into pieces and melted, er'e it can be new moulded? Must not the old house be pulled down, er'e the new one be raised up? As the Apostle saith, In matter of resurrection, we are loth to put off this corruptible body; we would fain be clothed upon; we would have heaven without dying; so we would be new born without pangs or sorrow.
Thirdly, Another ground of ignorance in the work of regeneration, is not attending to the spiritual exactness and obligation of the law; for that doth not only require 1us to do those things that are good, but to do them from such an inward principle of rectitude, and a divine original, that our hearts and affections may be holy therein, as well as our conversation. Therefore the heart if good, is called the good treasure, out of which all good things are to proceed: God is not holy only in his providence, and outward administrations, but in his nature also: As when any sin is forbidden in the commandment, the root and cause of it is much more forbidden; so where an holy duty is required, the root and cause of it is much more commanded; God therefore commands thee to love him; but how? from a renewed heart; to be sorrowful for sin; but how? from a changed heart; to pray, to hear, but still from a regenerated heart. Now men do not attend to this; the law is spiritual, it reacheth to the root, as well as the branch, it looks more then to good fruit, it will also ⟨p. 214⟩have a good tree. Oh if men did drive the matter to this head, happily they would cry out, Ous, hitherto in a wrong way? We must begin all again; we have prayed in vain, heard in vain, professed in vain: we wanted a true foundation; we did not dig deep enough, and therefore our house will fall. You have Paul excellently discoursing upon this matter, experimentally in himself; and what wonderful alterations he then found, when once he began to understand the spiritual latitude of the Law,