A64642:628
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 third thing I noted besides faith and justification, was, That we must observe what relation one hath to the other; and how it comes to pass that justification is attributed to faith, there being more noble graces in us than faith.
The third thing I noted besides faith and justification, was, That we must observe what relation one hath to the other; and how it comes to passe that justification is attributed to faith, there being more noble graces in us than faith.
I answer; the reason is because faith is brought as the only instrument whereby we receive our justification, purchased by the merits of Christs death. When we say faith is an instrument, we must understand it right well; we say not faith is an instrument to work my justification, Christ alone must do that; it's no act of ours, nothing is in us; faith is said to be an instrument whereby we get our justification in respect of the object, it is a nearing us to Christ; it is the instrument of application, the only instrument whereby we apply the medicine, and the plaster of Christs blood; whereby we that were strangers and afar off, are made near; faith is the only hand which receiveth Christ; when the hand layeth hold on a thing, it layeth hold on a thing without it self; so is faith a naked hand, not as a hand that gets a mans living, but like a beggars hand that receives a free alms given by the donor; as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 5.17. For if by one mans offence death reigned over all by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one Jes•• Christ. There ⟨p. 435⟩is abundance of grace, and a gift of righteousness; faith is the only means whereby we receive this gift; whereupon I inferred this which was of great consequence; seeing faith did justify not as an active instrument, but as it did receive the gift of grace, it did follow that the weakest faith that was did get as much justification as the strongest faith of any whatsoever; because faith justifieth not only as a work, but as it did receive a gift; therefore our Saviour saith, O ye of little faith! yet as little as it was, it was builded upon the Rock; and though Satan desired to winnow them, and sift them as wheat, yet they remained firm; as our Saviour saith of the faith of miracles, If ye had faith as much as a grain of mustard-seed, ye should say to this Mountain be removed, and it would obey you: So for common faith, which the Apostle calleth so, because it is common to all the Elect, if thou hast so much faith, thou shalt be able to remove Mountains of corruptions; suppose thou hast a trembling hand scarce able to hold, yet have the persuasion of the woman in the Gospel, If I may but touch him I shall be whole: I shall be saved, healed, if I can but touch him;