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.

Title: 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.

Author: Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.

Collection: Early English Books Online

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In the Third place you have the reason of this Examination, Because many false Prophets are gone out into the world; Many who shall boast of the Spirit, and say, It lodgeth with them: And that we may be the better guided in this Examina∣tion, he layeth down one rule as it concerneth Doctrine, verse 2. Hereby we know the spirit of God, if it confesseth that Jesus Christ is come into the flesh: which may be understood either largely, as acknowledgeing all matters that pertain ei∣ther to the person and office of Christ; so that although we may acknowledge Christs incarnation; yet if we deny his offices, we offend against this rule, and so have the Spirit of Antichristianism, as in Popery; or else more strictly, for that de∣terminate particular point of Christs incarnation; for though a man be heretical in other points, and so have the spirit of Antichrist, yet so far as it acknowledgeth this truth, it is of God. And thus Austin said, Hereticks and Schismaticks are of the Church, so far as they hold any thing that is true and good: but wherein they are divi∣ded from truth, they are divided from the Church, and wherein they are united in truth, they are united to the Church.Obs. That a man may much delude, and deceive his own soul, about his spiritual estate, by judgeing those things to come from the spirit of God, which indeedObs. There is much of self-deceit in judgeing those things to come from the spirit which do not. Introductory Explications. 1. There are such comforts, &c. of the Spirit, in which a Belie∣ver cannot be deceived.do not.We may think indeed we have revelations, raptures, spiritual consolations from the Holy Ghost, when we are all the while in great delusions: this point deserveth many things introductory for Explication.First, The spirit of God doth in and by the word, comfort, assure, or instruct the soul so certainly, that the true believer is not, or cannot be deceived. Therefore the Scripture calls it, The testimony of the spirit, and the sealing of the spirit: and it would be horrid blasphemy to make the spirit of Truth, the spirit of Falshood: Hence Faith, which is the work of Gods spirit, is called , and , words that signifie a sure and certain establishment: we must not there∣fore with the Papist, who commendeth doubting for humility, prophanely make such scoffing interrogations as these: one man thinketh he hath the spirit, another thinketh he hath the spirit, and yet anathematize one anothers spirit: therefore there is no certainty about our knowledge of having the spirit in us: For howso∣ever hypocrites may be deluded, and hereticks deceived about the spirit, yet those that indeed partake of the Holy Ghost, they are not deceived. It is true, this evi∣dence and perswasion cannot be made clear to another: and no wonder, for God giveth not this perswasion to assure others, but that heart in whom it is. Take we heed therefore, that because there have been miserable and sad instances of hor∣rible delusions by men boasting of Revelations, and spiritual raptures, that we fall not into Atheistical, or Sceptical thoughts about the true works of Gods spirit.Secondly, Therefore to make you afraid herein, it is an high sin to attribute those2. To call works of Spirit Dia∣bolical delusi∣ons is a great sin.works which are done by the spirit of God, to impostures and diabolical delusions. Al∣though we are to Examine the spirits, whether they be of God, whether in our selves, or others: yet to make that coming from the Divel, which is indeed of God, is a sin of the greatest magnitude. Therefore take heed least that which thou sayest is hypocrisie, and dissimulation in the Godly, be not indeed true Godliness in them, and so thou do despight to the spirit of Grace. It is a great dispute, What is the sin against the holy Ghost? Austin said, Forte in omnibus Sanctis Scripturis nulla ma∣jor quaestio, nulla difficilior invenitur, it may be there is no more difficult question in all the Scripture: Yet Math. 12. 32. It seemeth to lie much in this, when a man doth wilfully, and maliciously attribute those works that are done by Gods spirit, to the Divel, as they said, Christ cast out Divels, by the Prince of Divels. Hence Mark, 3. 30. giveth the reason why Christ spake of this sin to the Pharisees, because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. It would be like boldness, said Atha∣nasius, if we should attribute the Creation of the world to Beelzebub. And howso∣ever 0