A64642:401
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.
We come now to the second thing, if Christ be offered for us, yet unless he offer himself to us: unless any man may have interest in him, its nothing worth. Here then stands the Mystery of the Gospel, Christ when he comes to offer himself to us, he finds not a whit in us that is to be respected; nothing. And that is the ground of all disturbance to ignorant consciences; for there is naturally in men pride and ignorance, they think they may not meddle with Christ, with Gods ⟨p. 397⟩Mercy; unless they bring something, unless they have something of their own to lay down. This is to buy Christ, to barter betwixt Christ and the soul: but salvation is a free gift of God. As the Apostle speaks, Christ is freely given unto thee, when thou hadst nothing of worth in thee. Faith when it comes, empties thee of all that is in thee: To whom be the Gospel preached? to the dead. Now before Christ quicken thee, thou art stark dead, rotting in thy sins. Here's the point then, when there is no manner of goodness in thee in the world. In me, saith St. Paul, that is, in my flesh there is no good thing. When I have been the most outrageous sinner, I may lay hold on Christ. Christ comes and offers himself to thee.
We come now to the second thing, if Christ be offered for us, yet unless he offer himself to us: unless any man may have interest in him, its nothing worth. Here then stands the Mystery of the Gospel, Christ when he comes to offer himself to us, he finds not a whit in us that is to be respected; nothing. And that is the ground of all disturbance to ignorant consciences; for there is naturally in men pride and ignorance, they think they may not meddle with Christ, with Gods ⟨p. 397⟩Mercy; unless they bring something, unless they have something of their own to lay down. This is to buy Christ, to barter betwixt Christ and the soul: but salvation is a free gift of God. As the Apostle speaks, Christ is freely given unto thee, when thou hadst nothing of worth in thee. Faith when it comes, empties thee of all that is in thee: To whom be the Gospel preached? to the dead. Now before Christ quicken thee, thou art stark dead, rotting in thy sins. Here's the point then, when there is no manner of goodness in thee in the world. In me, saith St. Paul, that is, in my flesh there is no good thing. When I have been the most outragious sinner, I may lay hold on Christ. Christ comes and offers himself to thee.