Spiritual Refining

Anthony Burgess — from the Text Creation Partnership’s transcription of the 1652 edition, keyed by hand from the page images.

Spiritual Refining, or A Treatise of Grace and Assurance is a hundred and twenty sermons, and the fullest treatment of assurance the Puritans produced. Burgess sets out the true signs of grace, spends fifteen sermons on the false ones, and then works through the nature of grace itself under each of the names Scripture gives it — the new birth, the new creature, God’s workmanship, sanctification, conversion, the heart of flesh, the indwelling Spirit, and effectual calling. Burgess sat in the Westminster Assembly; this is the divinity of the Confession preached.

Spelling and punctuation are as printed in 1652. A few words the transcribers could not read, and the Greek and Hebrew their transcription does not carry, are marked […].

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Contents (121)

1. To the Reader

Section I — The Doctrine of Assurance and Signs

2. How necessary and advantagious the Assurance of our being in the state of Grace is
3. Holding forth more advantages to Assurance
4. Resolving, Whether Hypocrites may not attain to some measure of practical Knowledge in matters of Religion?
5. Shewing that Assurance may be had
6. Handling the Adjuncts of Assurance, viz. The Possibility, Excellency, Difficulty and Necessity of having it
7. Shewing the Difference between true Assurance and Presumption
8. Containing Remedies against carnal Confidence with Directions to the Godly that mourns under the sense of Gods favour
9. Holding forth divers Propositions and Distinctions about Marks and Assurance
10. Shewing the Lawfulness and Duty of proceeding by way of Signs, and proving that inherent gracious Qualifications within a man evidence his Justification
11. Further proving the Lawfulness and Obligation of proceeding by way of Signs, and Answering many Doubts about them
12. Shewing how many wayes men may miscarry in the work of Self-examination by Signs

Section II — Containing Many True Signs of Grace

13. Handling Obedience as a Sign of Grace
14. Handling Sincerity as a Sign of Grace
15. That Opposition against and Abstinence from sin is a Sign of Grace
16. That for a man to be willing to have his Soul searched by God, is a sign of Grace
17. Growth in Grace a Sign of Grace
18. Spiritual Performance of Duties a Sign of Grace
19. Love to the Godly is a Sign of Grace

Section III — A Discovery of Many False or Insufficient Signs of Grace

20. Church-priviledges no Sign of Grace
21. Gifts and Parts in matters of Religion, no sign of Grace
22. Fully clearing that there may be affections and sweet motions of Heart in holy things, which yet evidence not Grace, nor accompany Salvation
23. Shewing that from Judgements, Opinions and Disputes, arguments of the truth of Grace cannot be drawn
24. Declaring what deceipts men lye open to in judging those things to be works of the Spirit, which indeed are not
25. Manifesting that the greatest Sufferings for Christ are not infallible Evidences of Grace
26. Shewing that, and whence men have such strong Perswasions of their exact keeping of Gods Law
27. Declaring that many rest upon a strict way of Religion, which yet cometh not up to, but often is besides the appointment of the word
28. Zeal and Diligence in false Worship no ground of Comfort
29. Externall Obedience to the Law of God no sure evidence for Heaven
30. That a Divine Faith or Perswasion of the Truths in Religion, is not Evidence sure enough of our being in the state of Grace
31. That every peaceable frame of heart, and perswasion of Gods love, is not a sure Testimony of saving Grace
32. That outward Successe, Prosperity, and Greatnesse in the world is no true Evidence of Grace
33. That a mans leaving those gross sins he hath lived in is no Sign of Grace
34. The Difficulty, and in some sense impossibility of Salvation notwithstanding the easiness which men fancy to themselves thereof

Section IV — The Nature of Sanctifying Grace, under the Notion of the New Birth

35. Shewing what the New-Birth or Regeneration is
36. Shewing how ignorant men of great Learning and outward Righteousness in the world, may be of Regeneration
37. The ground of the necessity of Regeneration is the corruption of mens Nature
38. Of the unexpressibleness of this new life
39. Laying open the Counterfeits of a new Birth
40. Declaring what both by Duty and Priviledge a Son of God is, which he becometh by the New Birth

Section V — The Nature of Grace under the Name of the New Creature

41. Shewing the Necessity of the New Creature
42. Shewing that the Production of the New-Creature is from God alone; and what Attributes are conspicuous in the Work
43. Shewing what the New Creature doth not imply, and to what it is opposed
44. Concerning the Supernaturality and Excellent Qualities of the New Creature
45. Answering those Carnall Objections men are apt to make against such a change in themselves
46. Shewing the Counterfeit of the New-Creature

Section VI — Grace as God’s Workmanship, and Good Works

47. The New Creature is Gods Workmanship, also its necessity and dignity
48. That God gives Graces to the most indisposed
49. Of good works; What to be created unto good works implies, and what works are good
50. Setting forth divers distinctions, and Axioms to clear the Doctrine of good works

Section VII — The Sanctifying Work of the Spirit

51. Of the Hearts being established with Grace, and in what sense it is so
52. Shewing why Grace in the heart, is better then unnecessary Disputes in the head; together with Rules how to manage Disputes and Controversies, without prejudice to Grace
53. That there is a Work of God upon a mans heart which is called Grace, and why inward holiness is called Grace
54. Characters and Properties of a Gracious Man
55. Of the counterfeit of inherent Grace, viz. Natural honesty; and why God hath continued in wicked men the use of Conscience
56. Shewing more Causes of the Senselesness, Silence and Stupidity of the Consciences of most Men
57. Shewing how prevalent Natural Conscience hath been in Heathens, in reference to good Laws, Books, Affections, Lives; And how it should stir up Christians to jealousie
58. Demonstrating That Natural Piety, Honesty and Sobriety in Heathens Is Not Grace
59. Of Ethicks or Moral Philosophy, that it leads not to Salvation; And that the Moral Vertues of Temperance, Fortitude, Justice, Liberality, &c. are not Grace

Section VIII — The Nature of Converting Grace

60. To undeceive Men that think, Though they live Wickedly, yet they shall dye Happily. And how it comes to pass that men are so prone to Deceive themselves
61. That Gods Grace of Conversion, is sometimes vouchsafed to the worst of men
62. Of the washing and cleansing of a Sinner
63. Of the Grace of God sanctifying a Sinner
64. Signes and Characters of Sanctified ones
65. The counterfeits of Sanctification. That Devotion, in superstitious Customes, or Gods own Ordinances, or being externally in Covenant with God, do not really sanctifie a man
66. Comfortable Directions to poor Doubting Christians

Section IX — The Work of Grace under the Notion of Conversion

67. Shewing that the Damnation of Wicked Men is unpleasing to God, and that which he delights not in
68. Divers Propositions or Considerations introductory to the Doctrine of Conversion
69. The Impediments and Obstructions of Conversion; And what kinde of persons are most unlikely ever to be converted, not to drive them to despair, but to awaken them out of their Security
70. The Motives and Grounds, of our turning unto God
71. Answering some Prejudices and Cavils of ungodly men, against Conversion, or turning unto God
72. That ungodly Friends and Relations are great Hinderances of ones Conversion, with some helps or Directions to those that are thereby kept in their Sinnes
73. Some Helps and Encouragements to those that are discouraged, because of the fruitlesness of their Resolutions to Repent, or the hainousness of their Sinnes
74. Of Gods framing and devising evill of Calamities
75. Of Afflictions; The difference between Penal-Destructive Calamities, and those that are Medicinal; And how Afflictions are operative to the Conversion of men
76. Of the time of turning unto God (viz.) presently
77. That Conversion puts a Man upon leaving his Beloved Sin; The reason of the difference of Darling Sins in men, and the Signs by which a Man may know his beloved Sin
78. Sheweth that all Persons have need to turn unto God, and sets forth the true acceptable Motives to Repentance
79. Of the wilful obstinacy that is in some men, with the causes thereof; and that ignorance of ones duty is no excuse
80. Of turning not onely from sin, but to God; And how many wayes men may do the former, and not the latter; Also, what it is to turn to God
81. That our turning to God must be with the whole Heart; Wherein Hearty Conversion consists, with the effects of it
82. Of Tears and Sorrow for Sin; And that they must accompany Conversion
83. The Nature and Necessity of Godly Sorrow and Weeping for Sinne, as accompanying Conversion
84. Of the Ministry of the Word as the Means of Conversion, with the other Ends thereof, &c
85. Why Gods power unto Conversion doth not alwaies go along with his Word though dispensed by a faithful Ministry; and whether corrupt or prophane Ministers may be a means of Conversion

Section X — Grace under the Expression of Taking Away the Heart of Stone

86. Displayeth Gods Soveraignty and Dominion over the hearts of men
87. Of the Heart of stone, and what wickednesse that name implies
88. Of Gods making a true Converts heart tender and flexible for every duty. Also what Heart of flesh implies, with the effects and consequents of it
89. Holding forth Inducements to get this promised Heart of Flesh; Also shewing the Counterfeit of it

Section XI — Grace under the Notion of God Putting His Spirit Within Us

90. Of Gods giving his Spirit to a Man, and what that Promise implyes. Also of the Operations and Effects of the Spirit of God where it so comes
91. That the Work of Grace Is a Deep, Powerful and Inward Affecting of the Whole Man
92. Of the Order and Method that God takes in our Conversion
93. That true Principles of Grace within must needs Demonstrate themselves by an Outward Godly Life
94. God’s Quickening and Assisting Grace, Maintained against Pelagians, Arminians and Papists
95. Shewing that true Converts make Godlinesse their ordinary Practice; And what to walk in Gods Statutes implies
96. That Converted Persons are very Carefull and Tender of the Worship of God, observing that and only that which he hath commanded
97. Of Righteousness and Equity between man and man: And how tender and conscientious a true Convert is therein
98. The Hammer of Arminianism
99. The Freenesse of Gods Grace in Conversion displayed and maintained against Arminians and others

Section XII — The Work of Grace under the Title of Vocation

100. The Nature of Vocation opened in respect of the Efficient and Instrumental Causes of it
101. Holding forth the Nature of Vocation, or Divine Calling
102. A further Explanation of the Nature of Effectual calling, by shewing from what, and to what God calls us. As also, the Epithets the Scripture gives it
103. Contains some choice Properties or Effects that accompany Effectuall Vocation, whereby men may examine and try themselves whether they be so called or no
104. Stirring up to serious and fixed Meditations upon this Calling, in respect of the manner and time of it, and the persons called
105. Of true spiritual Wisdom, the Nature and Properties of it, discovering who are the real wise men in the world
106. Wise men after the flesh characteriz’d, and (by God for the most part) rejected
107. Reasons why God passeth by Humane VVisdom, with the Difference between it and true spiritual Wisdom; Also the Commendation of Humane Learning, and how necessary it is for a Minister
108. Of the Consistency of Earthly Greatness and Nobility with Godliness; And yet notwithstanding, how rare it is for such Men to be called and saved
109. The Gospel Feast, and who are welcome Guests, and who not
110. That most of those that are called, come short of what is absolutely necessary; And who they be
111. A Plea for strictness in Religion
112. Of Election and Reprobation, and of the Fewness and Properties of those that are chosen; Answering the Objections of men, and clearing the Justice of God
113. More Signs and Effects of Election. And Directions to those that are overwhelmed with Thoughts and Fears whether they are Elected or no
114. Of Christians walking worthy of their Calling; what to walk worthy implies, and what are the Properties and Actions that will become and grace our holy Calling
115. Of the Nature, Extent and Example of that Holiness to which God calls a man
116. Of the Glorious Estate of the Saints in Heaven to which God cals all sinners repenting and believing
117. The Nature, Possibility, Duty and Means of the Assurance of ones Effectual Calling
118. The Possibility and Duty of Assurance of our Calling demonstrated: And the Reasons why some thinke a certain Assurance impossible; with Answers to the Objections brought against it
119. The Advantages the Godly have by Assurance: How it may be known from Presumption; with Directions to the godly that want it
120. Sheweth in how many respects wicked men (before their effectual Calling) are afar off from God, and consequently miserable
121. That not all mankinde are called with a saving call