Anthony Burgess (d. 1664) served as a fellow (instructor) at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, before becoming the vicar at Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, in 1635. During the Civil War, he took refuge in Coventry and then was summoned to serve in the Westminster Assembly. After the war, in 1647, he returned to Sutton Coldfield where he served until being expelled in 1662 by the Act of Uniformity. A gifted and godly scholar, he wrote major treatises on Christ’s prayer in John 17, [1] original sin, justification by faith alone, and the goodness and functions of the law of God. [2] Burgess’s books were not reprinted in the nineteenth century; thus he is not as well known today as other Puritans such as John Owen. The following article is adapted from his masterpiece on assurance and conversion, Spiritual Refining. [3]
* * * * *
Paul commands us, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Cor. 13:5).
It is a responsibility of great importance for the people of God to be assured that there is a true and saving work of grace in them, so as to distinguish them from hypocrites. There are certain signs of grace by which a man may discern what he is.
This involves a practical and experiential knowledge, which is much more than mere head knowledge. There is a great difference between hearing that honey is sweet, and tasting it. This is what the Bible often means by “knowing” something—experiential knowledge, not mere knowledge in the brain.
We need a practical, experiential, and well-tested knowledge of our spiritual condition. That is clear for several reasons. First, Christ our Savior pressed this point upon those who heard His sermons. Consider His parables on the sower and the soils (Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23), the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13), and the two builders (Matt. 7:24-27). Second, it is easy to make a mistake on this matter, given our tendency to deceive ourselves and have false confidence (Rom. 2:17). Third, it is very dangerous to make a mistake here. Unless you go beyond mere outward morality and religion, you can never enter the kingdom of heaven. Fourth, it is difficult to see the difference between true grace and its counterfeits.
Furthermore, there are many advantages that experiential knowledge brings. It gives us an inward feeling and sense of holiness in your heart. It’s the difference between seeing a place on a map and going there to see it yourself. It makes our hearts a copy of the Bible, so that all God’s promises and warnings have their echo there. This knowledge of holiness makes us dead to all human greatness and worldly delights. It makes the Word and worship sweet to our souls, and helps us to leave behind empty controversies about religion. It gives us the kind of knowledge that produces godly action. It establishes the truth to us in a way that we will endure persecution rather than let it go.
However, this experiential testing of ourselves faces real obstacles. First, we might approach this question with sinful self-love and self- confidence. “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Prov. 28:26). Second, we might look at good actions but ignore the motives. Real godliness is inward, not outward (Rom. 2:28). Third, we might test ourselves by false standards. Instead of the Word of God, the Bible, we might take up what is old, or popular, or traditional for our guide. Fourth, we might confuse morality or good manners for godliness.
In general, there are three kinds of people who take the name of Christians. Some have only the name but no power so that they deny Christ by their works. Others have some influences and operations of the Spirit of God upon them. But they are like embryos that miscarry before the new birth. Their affections are somewhat moved by the truth (Matt. 13:20-22), but the Holy Spirit does not dwell in them as members of the body of Christ. However, some are part of Christ’s body, and receive a life-giving influence from Him, as branches do from the vine (John 15:5). The least of believers is far above the best of hypocrites, because he is born again into a true experiential knowledge of Christ’s sufferings and resurrection. Someone may have experienced something of the power of spiritual gifts for ministry, the bitterness of sin, a desire for spiritual benefits, an enjoyment of the Word, and a change in their lifestyle—but still be unsaved. The true believer has a different heart (Luke 8:15), for spiritual light dwells in him permanently to make him more holy and dependent on the Lord.
The Bible presents such clear signs of the state of grace that a godly man who faithfully applies them to himself may by the guidance and help of the Spirit of God become assured that he is in that state. There are two main matters to be discussed here: seeking certainty or assurance and using the signs of grace.
Assurance Or Certainty About Salvation
Assurance or certainty about a truth in general may come in various ways, such as seeing or hearing something with your eyes and ears, knowing a first principle and making logical deductions from it, or receiving a witness that has authority. No authority is higher than God’s revelation. What kind of certainty can the people of God have about their being in Christ? It is a mixed kind of certainty, partly based on faith in God’s Word, and partly by a spiritual sense and experience worked by the Holy Spirit.
A man who lives in the habit of serious sins should be assured that he is presently in a damnable condition, and will be so as long as he lives that way. The works of the flesh are manifest or plainly visible, and those who live that way have no inheritance in God’s kingdom (Gal. 5:19-21). If this is your life, do not flatter yourself but wake up. However, no one has warrant to be assured that he is eternally rejected by God, for the Bible does not tell the names of the reprobate and God does not reveal such things directly to anyone.
Paul’s command to examine ourselves is not merely a call to test whether your particular church is a true, visible church. It is easier for a particular church to know it is a true church than for a particular Christian to know he is a true believer, for a true church is any congregation where the Word is preached in its purity and there is an external submission to it, but a true Christian has the secret and powerful operation of God’s Spirit in his heart.
No one by his natural powers of understanding can come to an assurance of saving grace in his soul. No one can see the sun except by the light of the sun; no one can see Christ in his soul except by the Spirit of Christ. He is the Spirit of adoption who assures the believer. This is why God’s people have spiritual combat, not only between sin and holiness, but also between doubt and faith.
A Christian may be assured in this life of four special mercies: election by God, forgiveness of sins, sanctification of his nature, and perseverance in holiness unto future glory. However, the foundation of all the others is assurance of our sanctification. There can be no certainty that God predestined us, justified us, and will glorify us, unless there is certainty that God has made us new within and we see the fruit of sanctifying grace.
It is a very sad delusion when an ungodly man is persuaded that he is in a state of grace, when in fact he is in a state of sin and death. This is worse than being possessed by demons. It is like the condition of the church in Laodicea, who thought they were rich and full, when they were naked and empty (Rev. 3:17). It is like the condition of an insane man who thinks he is a prince with a large estate but in fact is locked in chains in a dungeon. Therefore beware lest your self-love blind your eyes and harden your heart, and pray for God to make you know yourself.
The soul of man has two kinds of acts. One kind is direct acts, as when I take Christ and cling to Him by faith. The other kind is reflective acts where a man perceives his own direct acts, as when I perceive that I cling to Christ and love God. Certainty or assurance is a reflective act, a feeling or perceiving of one’s own faith.
The assurance of a believer is within his own heart and cannot be made known to another person. Just as only those who have been a father or mother understand what it is like to have such a relationship, so this certainty is only for those who have experienced it. It is compared to a white stone that no one knows except the person who has it (Rev. 2:17). We can have a judgment of certainty towards ourselves, but only a judgment of charity towards others. As sweet as fellowship among brothers may be, many whom the godly admired like stars later have fallen out of the skies, and others of questionable hope have remained faithful.
The certainty of all acts of faith, whether direct or reflex, depends more upon the work of God’s Spirit than the evidence. Christians can have a firm faith in the Scriptures by the power of the Spirit even when they cannot answer all the arguments of their persecutors. In the same way, a believer’s confidence that he has real, saving grace depends more upon God’s Spirit releasing him from fear and bondage than it does upon the greatness and beauty of grace within him.
A human being in his natural life knows his natural motions to see, hear, touch, feel, taste, and think. In the same way, a Christian in his spiritual life knows his spiritual motions to love his brothers and God (1 John 3:14). However, natural motions are not opposed by temptations, but spiritual motions are and thus are more difficult.
The Bible speaks of this certainty with words such as persuaded (peithō), know (ginōskō), faith (pistis), confidence (pepoithêsis), boldness (parrêsia), and assurance (plêrophoria). We must be careful, however, not to confuse faith, confidence, and assurance—as some theologians have done. One may have justifying faith without assurance. Ephesians 3:12 teaches us that faith has three effects: confidence, boldness or assurance, and freedom to draw near to God in prayer as one welcomed by Him. Some say that faith, confidence, and assurance are the same thing in three different levels of maturity. Others say they are distinct graces. I will not argue about it. This is certain, that faith must apply Christ to us or it cannot justify us.
So do not let your heart despair if you have not attained to assurance. The God that has made you desire Christ, and who has supported you in your doubts and fears, can bring you to assurance one step at a time. In the end your doubts may produce a much stronger faith, as trees shaken by the wind will have stronger roots. In fact, the Christian’s assurance is not so high and full that it excludes all doubting. Nothing in this life is perfect, whether it be our obedience or comfort. Our certainty will be painfully assaulted by Satan and our own unbelief. We may even say that he who never doubted, never believed. There is some bitterness in all our honey.
The Possibility, Necessity, Difficulty, And Excellency Of Assurance
It is possible for a Christian to have an assurance of his salvation. We see in Scripture that God’s people have enjoyed it. David called God his God and his portion, and thanked Him for forgiving his sins. Paul showed his assurance, and based it not on a special revelation from God but on grounds that belong to all the people of God (Rom. 8). If a man can confess that he believes in God and in other divine truths of the Word, surely he can also know he believes. God gave the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as signs and seals of His covenant. To throw away the possibility of assurance is to throw away God’s seals. If assurance is not possible, then there must be some problem with its object or the means by which we get it. But the object of assurance is the promises of God, which are yes and amen in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20), and the means of assurance is the Spirit of God, who renews the heart to sincerity and effectively works assurance.
We need assurance. The nature of faith is to establish and settle us. It is a pillar and anchor to the soul. Though one can have faith without assurance, doubting and fear are the opposite of believing. Trusting in God is compared in the Bible to rolling ourselves on Him, staying the mind on Him, and resting the heart on Him. Strong and regular exercises of faith in Christ will, over time, bring us to assurance. It is also needed so that we can praise God for His mercies, have more joy and peace in our hearts, and be stirred up to serve Him with greater holiness. Hope leads a Christian to purify himself (1 John 3:3), promises move him to cleanse himself (2 Cor. 7:1), belief motivates him to speak (2 Cor. 4:13), and knowledge of the Father’s love makes the child willing and ready to obey (Eph. 5:1; Col. 3:12).
The attaining of assurance faces many difficulties. When a person feels the guilt of his sins, he is quick to look upon God as an enemy and an avenger. Our hearts are deceitful. We are prone to neglect our walk with God and be spiritually careless, but assurance is preserved by a continual exercise of grace (2 Peter 1:10). Satan attacks us with his fiery darts, and if he cannot hurt us in our obedience, he will attack us in our comforts. Pirates wait for the ships most full of gold, and Satan leaves the wicked in peace while tempting the godly with many fears. Even God sometimes hides Himself so that we will not take assurance for granted and grow lazy.
How excellent though is this privilege! It keeps Christians in close fellowship with God, so that they can say, “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” (Song 6:3). The Spirit of adoption puts in their hearts the attitude of a humble child, motivated to serve the Father with pure motivation (Rom. 8:14-15). Assurance will support them when everything else in life is misery and trouble, so that they triumph over all difficulties (Rom. 8:37). It inflames them in prayer with burning desires, strong hopes, and boldness with God. It makes them walk with great sensitivity to sin, lest they lose their experience of heaven on earth. It makes them sincerely long for Christ’s coming so that they can be with Him (Phil. 1:23). Finding full rest and peace in God and Christ makes them content no matter what they lack, for He is sufficient (Ps. 73:25-26). Therefore, how blessed is he who has God for his God, and Christ for his Christ!
Assurance Versus Presumption
We must carefully distinguish between assurance and presumption. A false assurance is the worst delusion and insanity, but too many people bless themselves even while they are outside the door of the kingdom. Assurance and presumption come from different root causes. Assurance comes from the Spirit of God enlightening the heart and working childlike affections. Presumption comes from a lack of experiential knowledge of the depth and danger of one’s sin and the clinging presence of self-love and self-flattery (Prov. 16:2).
Assurance and presumption also differ in their motives and basis. Assurance comes from the Spirit of God working through the Word of God to produce spiritual comfort (Rom. 15:4). Presumption comes from a natural understanding of regeneration, which cannot be spiritually understood without the Spirit’s work (John 3:10). Presumption leans at least in part upon one’s own merits and worthiness, but assurance looks only for sincerity of grace mingled with many faults that Christ’s blood must wash away. People often presume that God loves them in a saving way because they have outward prosperity in riches, children, or honors—but they stand in slippery places and may be horribly surprised (Luke 16:25).
God generally works assurance in a manner quite differently than presumption springs up. Though the Spirit is free to save as He pleases (John 3:8), God’s ordinary way is to bring a person to sincere humiliation under the burden of his sins (Matt. 11:28). Assurance is often attained after a conflict with doubts and unbelief, for it is the work of the Spirit, and the flesh wars against the Spirit (Gal. 5:17). Assurance with never a doubt is too much like the man who said, “All these have I kept from my youth” (Luke 18:21). It is a good sign when a sense of God’s grace in us comes with a feeling of our imperfections, so that we cry, “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).
Assurance also produces effects that go far beyond anything presumption can do. Godly assurance makes a person diligent to use the means of grace and careful to obey God’s commands, but the neglect of them weakens assurance (2 Peter 1:10). Sinful self-confidence swells all the bigger even while neglecting prayer and living in sin. Godly assurance ignites the heart with love to God, like a magnifying glass focuses the light of the sun to start a fire. Presumption works more lust for this created world and a proud abuse of God. Assurance has the power to support the heart when discouragements and disruptions abound and sinful confidence fails. True metal proves itself on the anvil.
We may also see the difference in the spiritual companions and enemies of assurance and presumption. Assurance comes with holy fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), and humility and low self-appraisal (Luke 1:46-48). Presumption keeps out godly fear, and comes with a flattering self-comparison to other sinners (Luke 18:11). The only enemies of assurance are sin and coolness of zeal, for it is produced by God’s Spirit and sin grieves the Spirit (Eph. 4:30). Presumption may be shaken by outward troubles or psychological depression, but not by sin’s offense against God.
God has powerful weapons to destroy the fortresses of sinful self- confidence. This is a mercy, for no one has higher obstacles against coming to Christ than the falsely assured Christian. God can, however, destroy these strongholds by a powerful, soul-searching preacher (2 Cor. 10:4-5). Another weapon is an explanation and application of God’s laws to the motives of the soul, as Christ did in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5). God might also show people from the Bible how complete and necessary a Savior Jesus Christ is, for if He is everything, then we have nothing in ourselves. God may also accompany the thunder of the Word with the afflictions of earthly grief to awaken sinners. He can use the frightening examples of people who seemed so spiritual (and thought so highly of themselves) but then fell horribly. Indeed, God can use stupid decisions people make in other areas of life to show them that they may be fooling themselves about their spiritual state too.
The Lack Of Assurance
What should a person do if he has true saving grace in him, but lacks assurance? This is agonizing, more painful than broken bones. Let him consider whether he is living in some sin, that he knows is sin yet has not repented (Ps. 32:3-5; 51:8; Eph. 4:30). Let him also ask whether he is neglecting the means of grace. Assurance comes through diligent pursuit of godliness (2 Peter 1:5-10) and prayer (Phil. 4:6-7).
If he still lacks assurance, let him remember that it is a gift of God’s sovereign grace, not a natural consequence of what we do (Rom. 8:15-16; 2 Cor. 1:3-4). Even if you lack assurance, keep exercising love, faith, and obedience toward God. Though God often gives new converts a sense of His love because they need it most, solid assurance generally belongs to those who know God over a long time and endure in His ways.
Someone might ask, “Why doesn’t God always give us assurance when He works saving grace in our souls?” A prophet told David that his sins were forgiven (2 Sam. 12:18), but David still prayed earnestly for forgiveness and joy (Ps. 51). This implies that God caused the promise to be declared to him outwardly, but he had not yet by His almighty power persuaded his heart.
God has reasons why He may not speak peace to our consciences even after He puts grace in our hearts. This causes us to taste how bitter sin is. It keeps us low and humble. It makes us prize assurance and take more care not to lose it. It gives the Christian the opportunity to show his obedience to God and honor him by faith even when lacking joy and peace. Lastly, it produces a mature Christian who can use his experience to comfort others in their distresses.
Using Signs Of Saving Grace
There are signs of grace by which a man may know whether he is in a state of grace or not. I need to discuss this more because many today criticize ministers that preach signs of grace. Furthermore, this subject takes wisdom to handle so as to avoid doing yourself spiritual harm.
God’s sanctifying grace produces a supernatural life within us. It is the infused principle of a holy life, a new creation produced by regeneration (2 Peter 1:4; 2 Cor. 5:17). Our essence does not change, but the Spirit of God works gracious habits and qualities in us. It is a spiritual resurrection from the dead. We do not have God’s essence, but we do have God’s image. This supernatural, permanent principle becomes part of the Christian’s inner constitution and produces effects and signs that people can see. We are not talking about the gifts of miracles such as those performed by the apostles. Nor are we talking about the common graces of God’s Spirit that produce bare belief in the historical facts of the gospel and an outward change of religion and lifestyle. We are talking about holiness in the heart that produces holy actions.
The Bible speaks of some marks of grace that others may see and know that we belong to God, and some marks that we may see in our own hearts. For an example of the first, consider John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Thus the work of the Spirit in Christians is said to make them into “an epistle of Christ” (2 Cor. 3:3), for people around them can see evidences that they are saved. But the reality of salvation is in the hidden things of the heart that a man may know only about himself.
The signs of grace given in Scripture belong only to the godly. It is not that the godly have more of them than the wicked, but that hypocrites do not have them at all. There are positive signs and negative signs, and the positive signs are more important. It is deceitful and futile to argue that you are saved just because of what you do not do (Luke 18:11). The positive signs appear in the Bible’s descriptions of the properties of true believers (Gal. 5:25). For them to function as signs, a Christian must see them and see past them to their causes in God’s election, justification, adoption, and regeneration. In other words, the signs point beyond themselves to Christ and the Spirit in the soul. The presence of these signs in a person’s life does not automatically give him assurance. The Spirit of God must remove his darkness.
Signs of grace must not be abused:
- We must be careful that when we look into ourselves to find graces in our hearts, we do not forget to keep relying upon Christ alone for our justification. This is one reason why some people oppose using the signs of grace. Christ is better than all the graces within us.
- The Bible attributes salvation to several signs, and if a godly man sees any one of these signs in himself, he may conclude that he is saved and justified. Temptation may hinder us from seeing all the signs in ourselves.
- Do not let the dreams of hypocrites discourage you from using the signs. The fact that they have a false confidence does not mean that we cannot have a true confidence based upon the Scriptures.
- Do not demand perfection in the signs. The graces of a truly saved Christian are not perfect, and neither are the signs of grace perfect. Do not doubt your salvation just because you find some hypocrisy, wrong motives, or coolness of zeal in the signs of your graces. Comfort comes from seeing that grace is real in your soul, not from trying to make it the cause or merit of your justification before God.
This is not legalism. The duty of Christians to look for evidence of their salvation in the signs of their sanctification should never be an attempt to live up to the perfect standard of the law. Nor should it be done apart from God’s Spirit, for the Spirit seals the believer (Eph. 1:13). Nor should it be a quest after finding the cause or merit of our justification in ourselves. It is rather finding certainty about our regeneration by the fruits of holiness flowing from it.
The Bible commends this method of seeking assurance when it gives us descriptions of the characteristics of true saving grace in distinction from counterfeits. For example, Christ does this in the parable of the soils (Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23), or the parable of the sheep (John 10:4-5). Other Scriptures command us to examine ourselves and our works (2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 6:4) and to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10). We have examples of godly believers who used their graces as comforting signs of God’s love to them (2 Kings 20:3; Neh. 13:14, 22; 2 Cor. 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:7-8).
Our Savior lays down this principle, “the tree is known by his fruit” (Matt. 12:33). If this is true of knowing each other, how much more can a man’s spirit know himself (1 Cor. 2:11)? So also the Bible contains many promises to those who have particular graces (Matt. 5:3-10), which would be for nothing if a man could not recognize those graces in himself and by logical deduction apply the promises to himself by the help of the Holy Spirit.
John’s first epistle is full of this method of assurance, saying, for example:
- “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” (1 John 2:3-5).
- “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (1 John 3:10).
- “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death” (1 John 3:14).
The Holy Spirit bears witness with the spirit of the children of God so that they may know they are children of God (Rom. 8:16).
God seals them with His Spirit (Eph. 1:13), impressing upon them His image to show they are His just as a seal impresses its image upon the wax to ratify a document. Thus the Spirit witnesses to believers even now on earth (1 John 5:8). His testimony through the graces within believers does not replace faith in God’s promises, but assists them in their weakness to believe those promises. This is not hearing an immediate voice from God’s Spirit. Just as the Spirit convinces people that the Bible is God’s Word by enabling to see its divine qualities, so the Spirit assures Christians that they are saved by enabling them to see the fruits of grace in themselves.
Cautions About Signs Of Grace
Let me close with some cautions about using signs of grace to gain assurance.
First, be careful how you define the marks of grace. On the one hand, do not require such signs of yourself as no Christian has in this life. A true Christian keeps God’s commandments (1 John 3:24), but no Christian ever comes to the point where he may say he has no sin (1 John 1:8). Although he does not hunger and thirst for God as much as he should, he does sincerely hunger and thirst for God.
On the other hand, do not make signs of saving grace out of qualities that unbelievers can have. Taking the sacraments, having right doctrinal beliefs, and exercising great ability in Christian service may all appear in a person who is not born again.
Second, only test your graces by the true standard, the Word of God. Scripture alone is the light to guide our feet (Ps. 119:105), God’s wisdom to make us wise for salvation (2 Tim. 3:15).
Third, never use the signs in a way that hinders you from receiving and applying Christ for your souls. Rest on Christ alone for reconciliation with God and atonement of your sins. Your graces are but signs of Christ; they are not Christ Himself.
Fourth, do not make signs of salvation into grounds and causes of salvation. We wrong our souls when we take pride in the evidences of God’s grace in our lives and place sinful confidence in the signs. Find comfort in signs but rest in Christ.
Fifth, test yourself with signs only while simultaneously casting out your self-love and self-flattery. Many lie to themselves like the ancient Jews who cried, “the temple of the Lord!” We can only know ourselves by the supernatural teaching of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, however, you must cast out your unbelief which refuses to acknowledge the work of God in your heart. How can you thank God for His grace to you if you will not acknowledge it?
Sixth, do not examine yourself for signs of grace when your soul is full of darkness, doubts, and temptations. You cannot see clearly then.
Seventh, do not think that no sign will be sufficient unless you first persevere to the end. Arminians insist that no one can be sure of his election by God until he has persevered in faith and obedience. Thus no man can be happy until he dies. Perseverance is a promise to the godly (Phil. 1:6), but it is not the only distinctive sign of true godliness.
Eighth, when you examine yourself, pray to God for His Spirit to enlighten your eyes. The Spirit of God is the effective cause of assurance. Just as only the Spirit can bring biblical truth home to the soul, so you can have all kinds of evidence of grace but your heart will not be persuaded until the Spirit establishes you in certainty.
Ninth, never think that a person may not take hold of Christ until he has this certainty by signs of grace within himself. Do not look for spiritual qualifications before trusting Christ for your justification. Though it is popular to say that faith is a strong persuasion that my sins are forgiven, in reality justifying faith is not assurance. Assurance is a fruit of faith.
Lastly, do not resist God’s Spirit with unbelief when He comes to assure you with evidences of your salvation. It is a great sin to rebel against the Spirit when He convinces a person of sin, but it is a greater sin to rebel against Him when He moves us to claim God as our Father, for His greatest glory lies in being the Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6).
Conclusion
Therefore, test yourself by the signs of grace laid in Scripture: obedience to God’s commandments (1 John 2:3), sincerity before God (2 Cor. 1:12), turning from sin (1 John 3:9), willingness to be searched by God (Ps. 26:2), growth in grace ( John 15:2), serving God out of inner motives of Spirit-worked faith and love (1 John 4:13), and love for other Christians (1 John 3:18). And where such things are present, may the Spirit of adoption work assurance.
Notes
- See Joel R. Beeke, “Anthony Burgess on Christ’s Prayer for Us,” in Taking Hold of God: Reformed and Puritan Perspectives on Prayer, ed. Joel R. Beeke and Brian G. Najapfour (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2011), 83-108.
- The last of these was recently reprinted as Anthony Burgess, Vindiciae Legis, Westminster Assembly Facimile Series (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2011).
- Anthony Burgess, Spiritual Refining: Or a Treatise of Grace and Assurance (London: by A. Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1652), 1-59. A second edition of the book was published in 1658 with an additional section on sin. International Outreach reprinted it in the 1990s.
No comments:
Post a Comment