A64642:450
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.
The first seal is our faith. I have nothing but Gods Word, and indeed I have no feeling, yet I venture my salvation, and trust God upon his bare Word. I will pawn all upon it: He that believeth, saith John, hath set to his seal that God is true. If men doubt, and trust God no further then they see him, it is not faith. But ⟨p. 429⟩when God gives me a good word, though I am in as much distress as ever, yet I trust, though it be contrary to all sense, or outward seeming, yet I put to my seal, and trust him still.
The first seal is our faith. I have nothing but Gods VVord, and indeed I have no feeling, yet I venture my salvation, and trust God upon his bare VVord. I will pawn all upon it: He that believeth, saith John, hath set to his seal that God is true. If men doubt, and trust God no further then they see him, it is not faith. But ⟨p. 429⟩when God gives me a good word, though I am in as much distress as ever, yet I trust, though it be contrary to all sense, or outward seeming, yet I put to my seal, and trust him still.
Then comes Gods counter-part. God being thus honoured, that I believe his Word, though contrary to all sense and feeling, even his bare Word; then God sets to his seal, and now the Word comes to particularizing. Before it was in general, now it comes and singles out a man, Say thou unto my soul, that I am thy salvation, Psalm 35.3. that is, as I did apply the generality of Gods Word unto mine own case to bear me up against sense and feeling: then comes the Spirit of God, and not only delivers generalities, but saith unto my soul, I am thy salvation. This is called in Scripture a manifestation, when God manifests himself unto us; as in Isa. 60.16. Thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of Kings, and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, &c. that is, when we have made particular application by Faith, God will put to his seal, that I shall know that God is my strength and my salvation: I shall know it.