A64642:563
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.
He whom God forgives is blessed; But, He to whom God imputeth righteousness without works, hath his sins forgiven him: Therefore he is blessed.
He whom God forgives is blessed; But, He to whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works, hath his sinnes forgiven him: Therefore he is blessed.
Now, how could this assumption hold, if imputation of righteousness, and remission of sins were two distinct acts? for not imputing righteousness is not to bring in light, which keeps out darkness; but observe, the Apostle to the Colossians and Ephesians, makes this forgiveness of sins, the whole work, way, foundation of our redemption. But here remember I deny not the imputation of righteousness; for that is the foundation of the other; here's the point. How is Christs righteousness imputed to me? that positive thing which expels the other? Not so as if Christs righteousness were in me subjectively; for it was wrought by his passion as well as his action; The Apostle calls it faith in his blood; by faith in Christ Christs passive obedience is imputed to me: What do you think the meaning is that God doth esteem me as if I had hanged on the Cross, and as if I had had my sides pierced? No, that would ⟨p. 402⟩not stead me, or do me any good; that which was meritorious and singular in him, did reach to us; so that the meaning is this, as it is in the Articles of the Church of England, That for the merits of Jesus Christ, God is well pleased with the obedience of his Son, both active and passive, as that he takes us to be in that state for his sake, as if we had fulfilled all his Laws, and never broken them at any time, and as if we owed him not a farthing; this is imputative righteousness, however the Papists may scoff at it. And this kind of justification must of necessity be by imputation: why? because when a man hath committed a sin, it cannot be undone again; God by his absolute power cannot make a thing done undone; for it implies a contradiction. The act past cannot be revoked, nor the nature thereof changed; murder will be murder still, &c. How then can I be justified, the sin being past, and the nature of it still remaining? I say, how can I be justified in the first sense any other way than by imputation? its said in