A64642:405
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.
When he holdeth out his golden Sceptre, if thou takest hold on it, thou art safe, otherwise thou art a dead man: thou canst not have a greater security, all the point is, Faith is a drawing near unto Christ, and Unbelief is a going from him. The Gospel is preached to those that are a far off, and to those that are near. Eph. 2.17. He came and preached peace to you that are a far off, and to them that are nigh. Who were they that were a far off? they were those that had uncircumcision in the flesh, without Christ, Aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel, [Greek or Hebrew], those that had no hope; to these Christ came, these that were a far off, by faith drew near: that expression is a singular one. Heb. 10.38. Now the just shall live by faith; What is that? but if any man draw back, that is, if any man be an Unbeliever, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Faith makes a man come, & draw near to Christ. Its a shamefast bashfulness that makes a man draw back; its unbelief, if any draw back, and to believe is to go on with boldness; We are not of them which draw back unto perdition, but of them, &c. What an excellent encouragement is this, to come with boldness unto the Throne of Grace▪ that we may find help in time of need? So that now let thy estate be what it will: if thou wilt not hold off, but dost entertain Christ, though thy sins be as red as scarlet, be not ⟨p. 401⟩discouraged, they shall be made as white as wool. The very sinner against the Holy Ghost is invited; and why is that unpardonable? Can any sin be so great as to over-top the value of Christs blood? there is not so much wretchedness in the heart of man, as there is Grace, Goodness and Merit in Christ; but then it is unpardonable, Why? because its the nature of the disease that will not suffer the plaster to stick on. It counts the blood of the Covenant, wherewith we should be sanctified, an unholy thing: if this sinner would not pluck off the plaster, and tread it under foot, he should be saved; but this is it when God is liberal, and Christ is free, we have not the heart to take him at his word, and come, to open this Word, this is the point of all, this is the free preaching of the Gospel indeed, when a man hath nothing desirable in him, but is stark naught, and stark dead, and is not worth the taking up; that yet he may challenge Christ, and be sure of all.