A64642:686
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.
1. The first thing that goeth before true joy, and produceth it, is an opening unto Christ when he knocks at the door of thy heart. As in that famous place, in Rev. 3.20. Behold I stand at the door and knock; If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me. There is if thou open, a sweet and familiar communication between Christ and thee; he communicates himself at dinner and supper. A man comes not melancholy to meals; Christ will come and make merry with thee, he will sup with thee familiarly. But how is it with thee? Hath Christ knocked, and thou hast given him a sleeveless answer, and hast thou joy? it is a false joy. But when Christ knocks at the door of thy heart, there must be an opening the door on thy part, when he knocks by his Word and Spirit: And dost thou give such an answer as the Spouse in the Canticles, Cant. 5. I am come into ⟨p. 461⟩my Garden, my Sister, my Spouse, I have gathered my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey: Now Christ coming to Supper knocks at the door, and would bring in a great deal of joy: I sleep, saith the Spouse, but my heart waketh; it is the voice of my well-beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me my Sister, my Love, my Dove, my Undefiled: when God comes and woos us, and desires to communicate himself unto us, and desires us to put off our clothes, dost thou look for comfort if thou openest not? At last I opened to my Beloved; ver. 6. But he had with-drawn himself, and was gone, my soul failed when he spake; I sought him, but I could not find him, I called him, but he gave me no answer: When thou givest not Christ entertainment when he comes, thou mayst seek and not meet with him. It is observed that the Keepers of the Wall are the greatest strikers: Those whom God hath set to be Watchmen, instead of comforting they smite, ver. 7. The Watchmen that went about the City, they found me, they smote me, they wounded me, they took away my veil from me; she gets raps from them who should protect her, because she did not entertain Christ; if thou findest any comfort after Christ hath knocked, and thou hast opened unto him, then it is true joy, and thou mayst make much of it.
1. The first thing that goeth before true joy, and produceth it, is an opening unto Christ when he knocks at the door of thy heart. As in that famous place, in