A64642:461
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.
3. These signs are for the strengthening of our faith, and therefore it is considered as a seal. Rom. 4.11. Abraham received the sign of Circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised. It helps our understanding by being a sign, and is a confirmation, as a seal: by virtue whereof Christ is passed, and made over to us, so that we have as true an interest and right to him, as to our meat and drink: yea, hereby he becomes as effectually ours for every purpose in our spiritual life, as our meat and drink doth for our corporal. To which end these Elements are changed spiritually in their natures; not in substance, but in use: so that ⟨p. 436⟩which was but now a common bread, becomes as far different as heaven is from earth, being altered in its use. For instance, the wax whereby the King passes over an inheritance to us, and by which conveyances of our estates are made, that wax is but as another piece of wax differing nothing from that which is in the shop, till the King hath stamped it with his Seal: but being once sealed, one would not give it for all the wax in the Kingdom, for now it serves to another use; so is it here in these elements; but still know the difference is not in the matter or substance, but in the use. And this is the reason why this blessed bread and wine is termed a communion, namely, because it is an instrument whereby Christ instates me into himself, and whereby I have fellowship and communion with him.
3. These signs are for the strengthning of our faith, and therefore it is considered as a seal. Rom. 4.11. Abraham received the sign of Circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised. It helps our understanding by being a sign, and is a confirmation, as a seal: by vertue whereof Christ is passed, and made over to us, so that we have as true an interest and right to him, as to our meat and drink: yea, hereby he becomes as effectually ours for every purpose in our spiritual life, as our meat and drink doth for our corporal. To which end these Elements are changed spiritually in their natures; not in substance, but in use: so that ⟨p. 436⟩