A30243:994
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 36
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.
WE have already observed the nature of Regeneration out of this famous Dialogue, as also the ignorance and mistake that the wisest have about it▪ the third thing observable in this History, is the ground and reason of the necessity of this new Birth, and that is contained in my Text. Nicodemus he dreamed of a carnal Birth a second time, whereas if he had been born an hundred times this way, it would not have advantaged him, yea he would have been an hundred times thereby the child of wrath: Our Saviour therefore would instruct Nicodemus by opening the fountain, and discovering the root of this necessity; as if he had said, The reason why thou art so grossly ignorant in this matter (O Nicodemus) is, because thou knowest not what corruption doth cleave to every man, how contrary this is to the Kingdom of Heaven; if thou wert rectified in this, thou wouldst quickly see the necessity of the other. Know therefore, That whatsoever is born of the flesh, is flesh, and so not capable of everlasting glory.
WE have already observed the nature of Regeneration out of this famous Dialogue, as also the ignorance and mistake that the wisest have about it▪ the third thing observable in this History, is the ground and reason of the necessity of this new Birth, and that is contained in my Text. Nicodemus he dreamed of a carnall Birth a second time, whereas if he had been born an hundred times this way, it would not have advantaged him, yea he would have been an hundred times thereby the child of wrath: Our Saviour therefore would instruct Nicodemus by opening the fountain, and discovering the root of this necessity; as if he had said, The reason why thou art so grosly ignorant in this matter (O Nicodemus) is, because thou knowest not what corruption doth cleave to every man, how contrary this is to the Kingdome of Heaven; if thou wert rectified in this, thou wouldst quickly see the necessity of the other. Know therefore, That whatsoever is born of the flesh, is flesh, and so not capable of everlasting glory.
The words then are a Proposition containing a Reason, why there must be a Regeneration before there can be any entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven; wherein you have the subject described, That which is born of the flesh. Flesh is sometimes used in Scripture for the bodily part of a man, as corruptible, in which sense it is said, All flesh is grass; sometime it is used for man as he is sinful and unregenerate, In my flesh dwelleth no good thing, saith Paul. The first sense denoteth our fragility and meanness, the second our guilt and sinfulness; both aggravate our misery and baseness; and this expression is universal, That which is born of the flesh, is flesh. This extendeth to wise men, to great men, noble men, Kings and Emperors; they are flesh of flesh. Secondly, there is the predicate, Is flesh. The expression is in the abstract, to show, how totally, deeply and universally he is fleshly. Thus the Apostle,