A64642:592
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.
I answer, there is difference between an act done, and an act continued; when the World was made by God, God had finished that work. And when Christ took our flesh upon him, the act was done; but the forgiveness of sin is a continued act, which holds to day and to morrow, and world without end. God is pleased not to impute thy sins, but cover them; Now this covering is no constant act. I may cover a thing now, and uncover it again; now forgiveness of sin being an act not complete, but continued, and continued world without end (and therefore we say the Saints in heaven are justified by imputative righteousness, Gods continuance of his act of mercy.) The point then is this; As long as we continue in the world, and by contrary acts of disobedience continue to provoke God to discontinue his former acts of mercy, and our sins being but covered, therefore so long must we pray for forgiveness. When the servant had humbled himself before his Lord, it is said, The Lord of that servant loosed him, and forgave him the debt; but though he forgave him, yet he did another act that caused his Lord to discontinue his pardon, Matth. 18.33. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, as I had pity on thee? He had pity on him; yet since he doth another act, which turns his Lords heart against him, therefore he is now cast into prison, and he must not come out thence till he hath paid the utmost farthing. He had forgave him to day and to morrow, and would have continued his forgiveness if he had not thus provoked him; we must pray to God to continue his ⟨p. 415⟩acts of mercy, because we continually provoke him by new acts of rebellion. Add to this, The King grants a pardon to a man; In all Patents of pardon there is a clause that the man must renew his Patent. If forgiveness may be renewed, then those things are to be renewed again, by which the renovation of my remission may be wrought. God would have me renew my acts of faith; and if of faith, why not of repentance, and of prayer? There is a singular place in Ezek. 36.29, 35, 37. that makes it plain, That though God intends to do the thing, yet he appoints this to be the means. Thus saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; (i. e.) though I have done it, and intend to do it, yet will I do it by the means of prayer.