A64642:504
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.
And now to fit us for this, Gods blessed Spirit works by his Word, to open unto us the Law and our wants; to enlighten our understandings that we stand in great need; to win our affection, and open the Gospel and its comforts.
Therefore first for the time of need, the Law reveals unto us our woeful condition, to be born in sin, as the Pharisee said, and yet not able to see it. Every man may say in generalities, I am a sinner; yet to say and know himself to be such a sinner as indeed he is, to stand in such need, that he cannot do. This one would think to be a matter of sense, but unless ⟨p. 364⟩Gods Spirit open our eyes, we can never see our selves to be such sinners as we are; or else what is the reason that the child of God cries out more against his sin and the weight thereof, after his conversion than he did before? What, are his sins greater or more than they were formerly? No, but his Light is greater, his eyes are opened, and now he sees more clearly what sin is. When the Sun shines, and its rays come in, what a number of motes do we discover, which before we saw not? Not as if the Sun-beams made them, or the Sun raised the dust; no, there are here as many motes, and as much dust flying about as if the Sun shined here: What's the matter then? Why this: the Sun discovers them to us. So that here's the point, Our sins in our souls are as motes in the air, and are not more than they were before conversion, but we cannot see them till the glorious beams of Gods Spirit shine upon us. The sight of sin, and of the danger that comes by it, is the work of Gods Spirit. The Spirit discovers sin unto us, John 16.8. When the Spirit cometh, he shall convince the world of sin, the word is [Greek or Hebrew], the Spirit shall convince them; and the same word is used; Heb. 11.1. where Faith is said to be the evidence of things not seen, [Greek or Hebrew]· Heretofore we had a slight imagination of our sins, but to have our mouth stopped, and to be convinced, is not a work of flesh and blood, but of Gods Spirit,