A64642:145
Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…
Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification, by Christ. By the Right Reverend James Usher, late Arch-bishop of Armagh in Ireland. Published by Jos: Crab. Will: Ball. Tho: Lye. ministers of the Gospel, who writ them from his mouth, and compared their copies together. With a preface concerning the life of the pious author, by the Reverend Stanley Gower, sometime chaplain to the said bishop.Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification, by Christ. By the Right Reverend James Usher, late Arch-bishop of Armagh in Ireland. Published by Jos: Crabb. Will: Ball. Tho: Lye. ministers of the Gospel, who writ them from his mouth, and compared their copies together. With a preface concerning the life of the pious author, by the Reverend Stanly Gower, sometime chaplain to the said bishop.
London: printed by S. Griffin for Will, 1660
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.
But this man goes farther: I not only compare my self with others, but my self too, and find good ground to conclude the safeness of my condition. I remember a time, when I was vain and ⟨p. 48⟩idle, when I ran in a way contrary to God. But now I have sowed my wild oats; and whereas before I was loose and dissolute, I have care to do my duty, to serve God, &c. I am not so profane as formerly, my estate must needs be good. This is a very dangerous thing to say, that because I am not as bad as I was, I am therefore good: It is as if a man had a debtor, a slack paymaster, to whom the Creditor calls earnestly to pay the debt, the best answer the debtor gives is this, I am sure there are many worse paymasters in the world then I am, and I my self have been a worse, and more flow paymaster heretofore then I am now. Well, because there are worse paymasters, and he himself hath been a worse, doth this make him a better now? And shall this serve to excuse thee, by comparing thy self with others that are worse? and with thy self, that because thou hast mended thy self in some particulars, therefore thou art in the way to Heaven? It is a false and foolish Conclusion.
But this man goes farther: I not onely compare my self with others, but my self too, and find good ground to conclude the safeness of my condition. I remember a time, when I was vain and ⟨p. 48⟩idle, when I ran in a way contrary to God. But now I have sowed my wilde oats; and whereas before I was loose and dissolute, I have care to do my duty, to serve God, &c. I am not so profane as formerly, my estate must needs be good. This is a very dangerous thing to say, that because I am not as bad as I was, I am therefore good: It is as if a man had a debter, a slack paymaster, to whom the Creditor calls earnestly to pay the debt, the best answer the debtor gives is this, I am sure there are many worse paymasters in the world then I am, and I my self have been a worse, and more flow paymaster heretofore then I am now. Well, because there are worse paymasters, and he himself hath been a worse, doth this make him a better now? And shall this serve to excuse thee, by comparing thy self with others that are worse? and with thy self, that because thou hast mended thy self in some particulars, therefore thou art in the way to Heaven? It is a false and foolish Conclusion.