A64642:433
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.
Now that we may come unto the point, without any more going backwards. In the words read, there is the point of faith, and a thing God confirms it withal, a seal: In whom also after that you believed, you were sealed. Faith is of it self a thing unsealed: the sealing with the holy Spirit of Promise is a point beyond faith; its a point of feeling, and not only of believing of Gods Word, but a sensible feeling of the Spirit: a believing in my soul, accompanied with joy unspeakable, and full of glory: of which sealing ⟨p. 418⟩we shall speak more hereafter. Observe for the first.
1. The Object of it, In whom you trusted. We speak of Faith now as it justifies, as it apprehends Christ for its Object: for otherwise Faith hath as large an Extent as all Gods Word. Faith hath a hand to receive, whatsoever God hath a mouth to speak. What is the Object? He in whom you trusted. It is a wonder to see how many are deceived, who make the forgiveness of sins to be the proper Object of faith. A man may call as long as he lives for forgiveness of sins, yet unless there be the first Act to lay hold on Christ, in vain doth he expect forgiveness of sins. Until thou dost accept Christ for thy King and Saviour, thou hast no promise. We are never Children of the Promise till we are found in him. The proper and immediate Object of Faith is, first Christ, and then God the Father by him: for Faith must have Christ for its Object. I must believe in none else but God, in, and through Christ. Now that this is so, we may see in that famous place. 1 Pet. 1.21. When he had spoken of the precious blood of Christ, the Lamb without blemish, he goes on, and shows, that he was manifested in those last times, for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised up Christ from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. There is no true believing in God the Father, but by the Son. The proper Object of Hope and Faith is God, and he that doth believe, or hope, or trust in any thing else, there is Idolatry in it; we believe in God by him: so that the primary Object of Faith is Christ.