Spiritual Refining

Anthony Burgess — from the 1652 edition.

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.

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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