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A64642 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. Ussher, James, 1581-1656.; Gower, Stanley.; Crabb, Joseph, b. 1618 or 19. 1660 (1660) Wing U173; ESTC R217597 234,164 424

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will not be in good liking that eats but once a year but a man must eat once a day at least A Christian should feed on Christ every day make him his ordinary food renewing every day the acts of his faith receive Christ crucified by faith every day If a Christian would consider that God offers Christ unto him every day and thou renewest thy faith and claspest him every day it would be a special way whereby joy should be raised in the soul. It s said in Rom. 15.13 We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Thus when thou hast exercised the acts of faith in believing and then upon that rejoycest then its seasonable and true joy and not the counterfeit joy of the wicked when it arises and springs from believing when that procureth it it likewise distinguishes it from all false joys The Apostle tells us Phil. 1.24 Having this confidence I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith It is called the joy of faith because it springs from that principle of rejoycing from the mother grace that your rejoycing may be the more abundant The preaching of the Word whereby faith is wrought brings abundance of joy That place of St. Peter is remarkable 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory yet believing that is yet exercising the acts of faith which we too much neglect If we did exercise these acts every day we should have our Charter of joy renewed every day yet believing ye rejoyce 3. Pray and be thankful praise and thanksgiving are those fruits which fulfill all our joy when thou prayest thou conversest with God thou speakest with him face to face as Moses did He who can pray spiritually and pray hard unto God as Moses face shined when he talked with God so will thy soul thrive praying hard and being thankful there is no greater means then this to get this joy Psal. 37.1 Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright Upon this hangs all our comfort praise alwayes brings rejoycing the one begets the other In Isaiah The comfort there that Gods children receive is the changing of rayment Christ preaching the acceptable year of the Lord to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give to them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness The ground of praise is joy one follows the other Observe God will give us the oyle of joy Christ was anointed with this oyle above his fellows Christ hath fulnesse of joy this oyle doth not come on his Priesthood alone but it trickles down unto the lowermost hemme of his garment I will adde in the last place when a man considers the great things which are given to him by God and what an estate we get by Christ. I have forgivenesse of sins and blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven Christs blood is wine and my name is written in the book of life Do not rejoyce saith our Saviour because the Divels are subject unto you but because your names are written in the book of life When I consider that I am not in the black Roll and it is my faith which strengthens me which makes me reckon Christ my chiefest wealth this makes me rejoyce in mine inheritance and in hope of the glory of God When I consider the great reward in the world to come this is a great cause of rejoycing and therefore Gods children long for the coming of Christ it is made Tit. 2.13 a mark of those that shall be saved That they long for the appearance of Jesus Christ looking for and hastning unto the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. And in 2 Pet. 3.12 Looking for and hastning unto the coming of the day of God A longing expectation not only they but we also that have the first fruits of the Spirit groan and long for the coming of it and therefore the last breath of the Scripture is breathed in this Rev. 22.20 He that testifyeth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen even so be it come Lord Jesus there is a sweet Allegory to expresse this in Cant. ult 14. make haste my beloved and be like the Hinde and like the Roe Come Lord Jesus come quickly and come as the Hinde and as the Roe and as a Hart upon the Mountaine of spices Make hast and come quickly be swift and do not tarry and in a better place I cannot end FINIS A TABLE An Advertisement That the Printers mis-paging may be no hindrance to the use of this Table the Reader is to take notice that it refers to the pages as they are figured not as they should be and that whereas after page 431. the numbers take their rise back at 361. and from thence are repeated over again this Asterisk * placed before any figure notes the latter order of pages so figured A ACceptation and Affiance two acts of Faith page 424 Active Obedience See Obedience Aggravations of sin p. 90 A temporary Believer desires Christ only in Affliction p. * 388 389 Assurance no part of justifying faith p. 428. It is attainable p. * 457 Why so many Christians want it p. * 438 B. Baptism what it obliges to p. 54. It hath not its full effect till the day of our death ibid. To believe is a hard matter p. 53.426 To believe is our duty p. 408 Five words or Scripture-wayes that God uses to perswade sinners to Believe in Christ viz. General Proclamation p. 402. Special invitations p. 405. Entreaties p. 406. Commands p. 408. Threatnings p. 409 To Believe is to come to Christ p. * 350 It is exprest by Hungring and Thirsting p. * 372 A Believers case like the Beggars p. * 376 A true Believer distinguished from a Temporary 1. by the ground of his desires p. * 388. 2. by his desiring Grace as well as Mercy p. * 394 3. by his Love to God p. * 395 A Believers priviledge p. * 456 C. GOd Calls sinners to Christ by five words p. 402 Christ's equality with God p. 360. It renders his Humiliation the greater and more meritorious p. 361 Christ's Humiliation the extent degrees and particulars of it p. 363 371 372. Part of his Humiliation to be Gods Servant p. 365. He was a Serant on earth in respect of men p. 367. used and valued at the rate of a bond-man p 368 Christ's sufferings the more meritorious because voluntary p. 374. Christ's Active Obedience in the course of his life p. 375. his Humiliation and sufferings from his Conception to his death described p. 379. c. Christ's death described
suppresse while he was living so it was his fear to be injured in it after his death For First These are no sermon notes taken from him printed under his name but under the names of those that took them after him Secondly there is no fear he will be injured by this publication when the publishers are so Candid and ingenuous to give unto him that which is his viz. That he preached these sermons and to take to themselves that which is theirs viz. any thing that seems not to speak him in the publication Thirdly if in his life time when he endeavoured to his utmost to suppresse such publications there came out without his knowledge and against his mind That book entitled The sum and substance of Christian Religion some of the materials with the Method only his collected by him in his younger yeers for his own private use but the rest Transcribed out of Mr. Cartwrights Chatechisme and Mr. Crooks and some other English Divines dissonant in divers places from his own judgement he was yet very well content any industrious person that would cut off what is weak and superfluous therein and supply the wants thereof and cast it into a new Mould of his own framing should make what use he pleaseth of the materials therein and set out the whole in his own name Because he perceived it had done much good Then I say it may be supposed had he yet been alive as I hope his good name will never dye he would have been contented upon the same account to let these notes go forth The publishers were high honourers of him men of Learning and Judgment and though all be not taken which perhaps he spake and somthing perhaps also himself would have pared off as it is scarce possible for any man but himself to publish either sermon or any thing else came out of his mouth in that exactnesse himself would have done it yet is here nothing added of their own here is only as they say the body the bulk not the Glosse the spirit the energy of them These things considered it is hoped which they trust the publishing of these notes will not be interpreted by any in the least to reflect on the unparalleld worth of the preacher to whose very dust they professe to owe a sacred reverence I rather think it were a kind of sacriledge had they not done it if these three things be well and duely weighed First that much good hath been done to very many by such notes taken from other eminent Divines and otherwise published then the Authors themselves would have sent them abroad Witnesse the works of Dr. Preston Mr. Bolton and many others some of their sermons printed by themselves look not like those of their sermons printed by others yet Learned men and Godly have blest God that they were published Mr. Cotton wisheth that such sermons or Letters as happily have layen by many yeers might be brought to light such little things as the Author would hardly acknowledge under his own name might be of special use and esteem unto others And his reason is why should any talent be buryed in a napkin or candle lye hid under a bushel which being set on a Candlestick might give light to all that are in the house yea those divine discourses at Luthers table c. More loose than these sermons did much good in Germany as their translator testifyeth and being by strange providence preserved to posterity and made to speak English was judged by a great Prelate of Canterbury a work worthy of eternal memory and that he had never read a more excellent divine work and that the more he did read them the more desire he had to go on therewith and that he would make it known to the then King what an excellent peice of work was translated and that he would procure an order from his Maiesty to have the book printed and to be dispersed throughout the whole Kingdome as it was in Germanie Yet is that book censured by Polanus to be neither Luthers nor published by any approbation of his but a rapsody patched together without understanding or judgment and printed after his death None such will be found in these sermon notes something of Luthers spirit may be discerned in these Colloquies But much more of the Gracious and heavenly spirit of this unparalleld Bishop The Reader will misse in these notes indeed the exactness of his Immanuel or the incarnation of the son of God so accuratly couched that you cannot find a word defective or redundant nor will he find these notes like the two sermons published by himself but yet they may meet with acceptance by reason of the diligence of those that attest them Secondly That if God blesse the reading as he did the preaching of them none of his surviving friends but may rejoice that in them he being dead yet speaketh Indeed those worthy men do it upon an higher account then some others perhaps did like them from the Rhetorick Language or Learning Couched in them It was the heavenly Art the spiritual Efficacy and power the soul-searching soul-saving vertue that took with them they found them to peirce the heart and Conscience more then tickle the ear or fancy of their hearers The true praise of a sermon saith one of note is some evil left some good done upon the hearing of it one such fruit were a more ample commendation then many mouths full of good words spent and copies taken and printing c. and sure it is on whom a sermon works aright it leaves him no leisure to say much or use many words but makes him rather full of thoughts Thus did these sermons the hearers if you read the epistle prefixed so that were it but for this to let the world see how much this Master of all learning condiscended and sought to profit rather then please it were reason enough for their publication Some testimonies are left behind him under his own hand how he could both speak and write and preach let these notes taken after him be testimonies how much he condiscended and let them serve for patterns to such as think it below them especially in such Auditories to preach as he did a Crucifyed Christ in a Crucifyed style I have heard Dr. Hoyle my learned Tutor who dyed professor of Divinity in Oxford after he had many years been the like in Dublin say when this Famous Bishop proceeded Doctor of Divinity He thought Tully himself could not have excelled him had he been alive in eloquence at that time which appeared not only in his set speeches but those which occasionally fell from him upon the By and he was one that could well judge But now that he preacheth ad populum though in Oxford you have this Eagle stooping as low to prey upon souls to win them to God proclaiming all along I am not the bridegroom but the friend
out his own sins in their weight and number Psal. 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me The continual multiplying of them adds to their heap both in number and weight Thus I have shew'd you what the Law does in respect of sin the benefit of being under the Law that it makes sin appear in its own colours and sets it forth to be as indeed it is exceeding sinful But the Law does not yet leave sin nor let it scape thus But as the Law discovers our sinfulnesse and accursednesse by sin its wretchednesse and mans misery by it till his blessednesse comes from the hands of his Jesus so it layes down the miserable estate befalls him for it If he will not spare God with his sins God will not spare him with his plagues Let us consider of this accursednesse sin brings on us God will not let us go so but as long as we are under the Law we are under the curse and till we are in Christ we can expect nothing but that which should come from the hand of a provoked God Assure thy self thou th●t pleasest thy self in thy abominations that God will not take this at thine hands that by so base a creature as thou art so vile a thing as sin is should be committed against him But of the woful eff●cts of sin which is Gods wrath we will speak the next time LAM 5.16 Woe unto us that we have sinned I Declared unto you heretofore what we are to consider in the state of a natural man a man that is not new fashioned new moulded a man that is not cut off from his own stock a man that is not ingrafted into Christ he is the son of sin he is the son of death First I shew'd you his sinfulnesse and now Secondly I shall shew you his accursednesse that which follows necessarily upon sin unrepented of I declared before what the nature of sin is And now I come to shew what the dreadful effects of sin are the cause the consequence that follows upon sin and that is woe and misery Woe unto us that we have sinned A woe is a short word but there lieth much in it Doct. Woe and anguish must follow him that continueth sinning against God And when we hear this from the Ministers of God it is as if we heard that Angel Rev. 8.13 flying through the midst of heaven denouncing Woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth The Ministers of God are his Angels and the same that I now deliver to you if an Angel should now come from Heaven he would deliver no other thing Therefore consider that it is a voice from Heaven that this woe woe woe shall rest upon the heads upon the bodies and soules of all them that will not yeild unto God that will not stoop to him that will be their own masters and stand it out against him woe woe woe unto them all Woe unto us It 's the voice of the Church in general not of one man but woe unto us that we have sinned That I may now declare unto you what these woes are note by the way that I speak not to any particular man but to every man in general It is not for me to make particular application doe you doe that your selves We are all children of wrath by nature In our natural condition we are all alike we are all of one kind and every kind generates its own kind 'T is an hereditary condition and till the Son make us free we are all subject to this woe By nature we are all children of wrath as well as others Eph. 2.3 Now that I may not speak of these woes in general I have shew'd how two woes are past and a third woe is coming God proceeds punctually with us And are not our proceedings in Judiciary Courts after this manner The Judge when he pronounceth sentence doth particularize the matter Thou shalt return to the place from whence thou camest thou shalt have thy bolts knockt off thou shalt be drawn to the place of execution thou shalt be hanged thou shalt be cut down and quartered and so he goes on And this is that which is the witnesse of Justice Thus is it here the Spirit of God thinks it not enough to say barely the state of a sinner is a woful estate but the woes are punctually number'd and this shall be my practice Now 1. The first thing that followeth after sin is this After the committing of sin there cometh such a condition into the soul that it is defiled polluted and becometh abominable And this is the first woe 2. The soul being thus defiled and abominable God loaths it for God cannot endure to dwell in a filthy and stinking carrion-soul he startles as it were and seems afraid to come near it he forsakes it and cannot endure it And that 's the second woe First sin defiles it then God departs from it there must be a divorce 3. When God is departed from the soul then the Devil enters in he presently comes in and takes up the room there will be no emptinesse or vacuum And this is a fearful woe indeed for as soon as God is departed from a man he is left to the guidance of the Devil his own flesh and the world There will be no emptinesse in the heart no sooner God departs but these step in and take Gods place 4. Then in the fourth place after all this is done comes sin and cries for its w●ges which is death That terrible death which comprehends in it all that beadroll of curses which are written in the Book of God and not onely those but the curses also which are not written Deut. 28. which are so many that they cannot be written Though the Book of God be a compleat Book and the Law of God a perfect Law yet here they come short and are imperfect For the curses not written shall light upon him which are so many as pen and ink cannot set down nay the very pen of God cannot expresse them so many are the calamities and sorrows that shall light upon the soul of every sinful man Now let us take these woes in pieces one after another 1. The first woe is the polluting and defiling of the soul by sin A thing it may be that we little think of but if God once open our eyes and shew us what a black soul we have within us and that every sin every lustful thought every covetous act every sin sets a new spot and stain upon the soul and tumbles it into a new puddle of filth then we shall see it and not till then for our eyes are carnal and we cannot see this If once we did but see our hateful abominable spots that every sin tumbles us afresh into the mire did we see what a black Devil we have within us we would hate and abhor our selves as Job did It would be
the variety of the curses belonging unto a man unreconciled are so many that the ample book of God cannot contain them Deut. 28.61 All the curses which are not written c. We read v. 27. The Lord shall smite thee with the botch of Egypt and with Emralds and with a scab and with itch See the diversities of plagues All these are made parts of the curse The very itch and scab is a part of the payment of Gods wrath in hell Lev. 26.26 I will send a sword amongst you which shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant the sword which shall destroy you that when you shall hear of war of the coming of the sword which the children of God need not fear all is alike unto them it shall be to avenge the quarrel of Gods Covenant The Book of God comprehends not all the curses that are to light on the wicked And therefore we find in Zachary a Book a great Folio-book every side whereof was full of curses Cap. 5.2 He said unto me what seest thou And I said I see a flying roll the length whereof is 20 cubits and the breadth thereof is 10 cubits Here 's a big Book indeed but mark what is in it Sure it is not for nought that the Holy Ghost sets down the dimensions of it there is something questionlesse in it the length thereof is 20 cubits and the breadth 10 cubits a huge volume Nor is it a Book but a Roll so that the crassitude goeth into the compasse and this is written thick within and without and is full of curses against sin Now for the dimensions of it compare this place with 1 Kings 6.3 and you shall find them the very dimensions of Solomons Porch A great place where the people were wont to come for the hearing of the Word and not onely in that time but it was continued to the time of Christ and the Apostles For we read how our Saviour walked in Solomons Porch and the Apostles were in Solomons Porch Acts 5. So large then was this Roll that it agreed in length and breadth with Solomons Porch and so many curses were written in it as were able to come in at the Church door It is as if we should see a huge book now coming in at the Church-door that should fill it up Such a thing was presented unto him and it was a Roll full of curses and all these curses shall come on those that obey not all the Commandements all shall come upon them and overtake them Cursed shalt thou be in the City and cursed shalt thou be in the field cursed in thy basket and in thy store cursed when thou comest in and when thou goest forth Deut. 28. Till a man come to receive the Promises till he come to be a son of blessing till he be in Christ he is beset so with curses that if he lie down to sleep there is a curse on his pillow if he put his money in his cofer he lays up a curse with it which as rust eats it out and cankers it if he beget a child he is accursed there 's a curse against his person and his goods and all that belongs unto him there 's still a curse over his head The creditor in this world by the Laws of the Realm may choose whether he will have his debtors person se●zed on or his goods and chattels But not so here this writ is executed against his person and goods and all that belongs unto him So that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God If this be the condition of a wicked man that his very blessings be curses what a woful case is it There 's nothing till he be reconciled to Christ but hath a curse at the end of it Consider that one place in the Prophesie of Malachy where the very blessings are accurs'd not onely when God sends on him the itch or botch or scab or sword but in blessings cap. 2.2 he 's accursed If you will not hear and if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord I will even send a curse upon you But how See how this curse is threatned I will curse your very blessings yea I have cursed them already because you doe not lay it to heart Mark is it not a great blessing that God yet affords the Word that we yet enjoy it but if we come to hear but formally to hear it onely and lay it not to heart God curseth this blessing yea I have cursed it already saith the Lord. When thou prayest in hypocrisie thy prayer is a curse to thee If thou receive the Sacrament unworthily the cup of blessing is a cup of poyson a cup of cursing to thee Stay not therefore one hour longer quietly in this cursed condition but fly unto Christ for life blessing run to this City of refuge for otherwise there is a curse at the end of every outward thing that thou enjoyest I have cursed these blessings already It is as sure as if already pass't on thee What a woful thing then is it think you to be liable to the curse of God! 2. But what 's become of the soul now why if thou didst but see the cursed soul that thou carriest in thy body it would amaze thee These outward curses are but flea bitings to the blow that is given to the soul of an unregenerate man that deadnesse of spirit that is within didst thou but see the curse of God that rests upon the soul of this man even while he is above ground it would even astonish thee 1. Consider there are two kinds of blows that God gives unto the soul of an unregenerate man The one is a terrible blow The other which is the worst of the two is an insensible blow The sensible blow is when God lets the conscience out and makes it fly into the face of a man when the conscience shall come and terribly accuse a man for wh●t he hath done This blow is not so usual as the insensible blow but this insensible is f●r more heavy But as it falls out that as in this world sometimes before the glory in heaven the Saints of God have here a glimpse of heaven and certain communion with God and Christ certain love tokens a white stone a new name in graven which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it And this is the t●stimony of a good conscience which is hidden joyes Privy intercourse is between Christ and them secret kisses And as Gods children doe as it were meet with a heaven upon earth sometimes and are as we read of Paul caught up into the third heaven which to them is more then all the things in the world besides So the wicked have sometimes flashes of hell in their consciences If you had but seen men in the case that I have seen them in you would say they had an hell within them they would desire
is Heb. 10.5 Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body thou hast prepared me then said I Io I come in the volumn of thy book it is written of me to do thy Will O God As if he should have said Lord I am not able to accomplish thy Will or to be subject to thee in thy nature therefore thou hast made me a man that in the form of a servant I might shew obedience which I could not while I was in nature equal unto thee Now consider how great this person is that hath suffered all for thee Rev. 1.5 Jesus Christ who is the faithfull witness the first begotten of the Dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth to have a great Prince bound like a thief araigned and executed the consideration of this state of the person would move a stony heart Rev. 17.14 He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Amongst men the Father is more honourable then the Son and the Son is but a servant untill he be emancipated but it is not so in the Divinity but the Father and the Son are both alike honourable Among men the Son hath the same specifical nature with the Father but not the same individual but it is not so in the Divinity the Father and the Son there have the self same individual nature I and my Father are one therefore there must be an equality The Pharisees themselves could draw this conclusion that if he were the Son of God he was equal with God John 5.18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him because he said God was his Father making himself equal with God A man would think how could that follow He was but Gods Son but Gods Son must be equal to the Father In making himself Gods Son he made himself equal with God and therefore know upon this and by this stands the point of our Redemption If a pure and holy Angel had suffered never so much it would not have availed for our Redemption It is a price no man nor Angel must meddle with all It will require a greater Price It was God himself that suffered in his assumed nature He and no other person for we must understand though Christ took on him the nature of a man yet not the person of a man here stands the point the second person in the Trinity is the Suppositum of all this humiliation and therefore observe when the point of suffering comes there 's a remarkable speech Zach. 13.7 Saith the Son to the Father it was against his heart to smite him the expression is a lively one it went to his heart to smite one that was his equal that did him no wrong Awake O sword against my Shepherd and against the man who is my fellow You know of whom it is spoken by M●thew Mat. 26.31 I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered The Lord is ready to break him Isa. 53. The sword was as it were unwilling to smite The man that is my fellow A blow lighting on Gods fellow equal with God of what value is it Consider the difference betwixt a man and a man The State of a Prince makes great odds between that is done to him and that is done to another man When David would adventure himself into the battel Thou shalt say they go no more with us least they quench the light of Israel 2 Sam. 21.17 and more fully 2 Sam. 18.3 Thou art worth ten thousand of us they would not hazzard the person of the King in the battel Why because thou art worth ten thousand of us The dignity of a Prince is so great that ten thousand will not countervail the loss of him If this be the esteem and worth of David what is the worth of Davids Prince If thus with a King what with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords This is a great ground of the sufficiency of Christs suffering Heb. 9.13 If the blood of Buls and Goates sanctifie to the purifying of the flesh how much more verse 14. shall the blood of Christ who through his eternal Spirit offered himself to purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God It is not the offering of the body only but he did it through his eternal Spirit When the Martyrs and Saints offered themselves a sacrifice they offered it through the flames of their love and therefore embraced the stake and love is described as strong as death but Christ did not offer his sacrifice with the flames of his love though love was in him the greatest that ever was but with the everlasting flames of his God-head and Deity with that fire from heaven which is a consuming fire He did the deed that will purge our Consciences from dead works Act. 20.28 Take heed unto your selves and to the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you oversee●s to feed the Church of G●d which he hath purchased with his precious blood God hath purchased the Church with his own blood Who 's blood Gods blood The blood of God must be shed He who thought it no robbery to be equal with God must shed his own blood As Zippora saith to Moses A bloody husband hast thou been to me Exod. 4.25 So may Christ say to his Church a bloody Spouse hast thou been to me that my blood must be shed for thee 1 Cor. 2.8 Had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory that is they would not have crucified God He that was crucified was the glorious Lord God Acts 3.15 You denyed the holy one and killed the Prince of life Here 's the matter unless the Prince of life had been killed thou couldst not have life This the Apostle sets down as the ground of all before he comes to the particularities of his humiliation and sets down who it was who was thus humbled He whom the Heaven of Heavens could not contain he must descend unto the lower-most parts of the earth that 's a descent indeed His Humiliation appears in this that he who was thus high became a man and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross. In this humiliation consider I say these two Points 1. The person who was humbled 2. The point of his humiliation Some things hath regard to the whole course of his life others to the conclusion or period of his life All his life from his incarnation to his passion was a continual thred of humiliation from his Cradle to his Cross from his womb to his Tomb so here is set down the humbled life of our blessed Saviour For I would not have you think his humiliation consisted only in coming to the Cross when they so mercilesly handled him it cost him more then so as sinners have the curse of God on them in their life as well as in their death so Christ must have a
Saviour did according to the external Passion but they led him whether he would not Our Saviour was an Actor in it Humbled himself A bare suffering God regards not so much but when it is done willingly and in obedience to God And as he was obedient in his death so also in his other passions In the Gospel according to St. John whereas the Text reads he was troubled the marginal note hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he troubled himself he was the Author of his own sufferings John 10.17 He was not humbled as a meer patient but he humbled himself and so it is said in Scripture oft He gave himself for us and in all his passive obedience he had an eye to do the Will of God The merit of his passive obedience ariseth from a mixture with his active This was a great part of his Priest-hood his humbling And how doth he take his Priest-hood upon him it was by his Fathers call He was cal'd unto it as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 No man saith the Apostle taketh this honor upon him but he that is called Now Christ being called to it he did it to follow his call And thus he did it actively it was not a bare suffering as those in hell suffer but according to his Fathers call Observe Heb. 10.9 That place taken out of the Psalm I am come to do thy Will O God c. What was it only in his active obedience No it was thy Will that he should suffer as the words following in the tenth verse import By the which Will we are sanctified and by the body of Jesus Christ once offered so that Christ offered up himself to do his Fathers Will so that his passive obedience was in his active So John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it up again no man taketh it from me but I lay it down Our Saviour when he laid down his life put it off as a man that puts off his cloak and layes it from him They wondred that he was dead so soon it was because himself laid down his life His soul then was not drag'd or forced out of his body It was not only passive but active obedience No man taketh it from me I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up This had I from my Father They are grosly deceived then that say Christs active obedience was not free and voluntary because he was commanded for as well may they say his passive is not voluntary and so not meritorious because it likewise was commanded which none can deny Thus Christs offering was a free-will offering though it was a most bitter one yet this being a part of his Fathers Will he went as voluntarily to the pains of the Cross as thou dost to thy dinner when thou art throughly hungry For his meat and his drink was to do his Fathers Will Jo. 4.34 And this makes it of such worth and efficacy that he did it willingly See it in the type that went before him in Isaac Isaac was grown up he was no Babe he was able to carry wood enough to burn himself when he went to be sacrificed and therefore sure he had strength if Isaac had pleased he might have ran away from the old man his Father yet he suffers himself to be bound and to be laid upon the wood a true type of our Saviour his also was a free-will offering and so a sweet smelling sacrifice unto God It being the highest active obedience it presently pacifieth the wrath of his Father He humbled himself and became obedient This obedience of our Saviour is the matter and ground of our Justification Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one Judgement came on all unto condemnation so by the righteousness of one the free-gift came on all to Justification of life By the obedience of this blessed Saviour many are made righteous so that now our Saviours obedience followeth next Now this obedience is double Active or Passive 1. Active And this was that whereby he did all the Will of his Father The reason why he came into the world if we look the place before alledged will appear Heb. 10.5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and burnt-offering thou wouldst not have but a body hast thou prepared me In burnt offerings and Sacrifice for sin thou hast no pleasure then said I Behold I come in the volum● of thy book it is written of me that I should do thy Will O God When he cometh into the world saith he Lo I come For what to do thy Will O God The reason why he came into the world was that he might be obedient unto his Father Thus it behoveth us saith he to John to fulfill all Righteousness John wondred that he that was pure and spotless should come to him to be baptized He knew Baptism presupposed some sin or blot some stain or corruption to be washed off and therefore it s said Mark 1.5 That there came unto him all the Land of Judea to be baptized confessing their sins And sure if one should come to John and say he had no sin and yet desired to have been baptized by him he had no right to Baptism yet our Saviour saith Let alone let it be so that we may fulfill all Righteousness I have no need indeed in regard of my self but I have taken upon me the form of a servant and therefore what the lowest of them must do that must I do therefore was I circumcised and therefore am I baptized I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it And he fulfilled it to the utmost both in his active and passive obedience Now for his active Obedience it had a double 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or consummatum est First For his active Obedience in the whole course of his life I have glorified thy name and finished the work that thou gavest me to do Would you know what it is to glorifie God in this world It is to finish the work which he giveth us to do Art thou a Minister if thou wouldst glorifie God finish the work he gave thee to do then mayst thou say Glorifie thou me with thy Glory c. But now Christs work was not ●ll ended when he said he had finished it the greatest part was behind to wit his Passive obedience All the works of his life were done of which actions there Christ is to be understood but then cometh his Passion and that being finished there is something to do yet after that for he was to rise again to our Justification but for the oblation of the sacrifice it was fully finished If we look upon our blessed Saviour in the whole course of his life For 1. Though he lived in a whole world of sin yet he was free from all manner of sin 2. He was inriched with all manner of good works graces and
preached before the Gospel p. 80 * 366 Men are under the Law till they come to Christ p. 84 how fearfull a thing it is to be under the Law p. 84 85. the difference between the Law and the Gospel in three particulars p. 86. Love of God twofold p 415. No temporary beleever loves God p. * 396. To be given up to our own Lusts a more fearfull thing then to be given up to Satan p. 108 109 M WAnt of Meditation one cause why most beleevers have so little joy in God p. 430 431. Mistakes in judging our spiritual estates See Judging Morality too much trusted to p. 49. It 's insufficient to bring men to heaven ibid. N NAtural reason not to be trusted to p. 49 Too short to convince of sin thorowly p. 51 Mans condition by Nature described p. 59. The Natural man dead in sin p. 67. His best works cannot please God and why p. 68 69 The Curses attending a Natural man in this World p. 120 c. Two blowes that God gives a Natural mans soul in this life the one sensible p. 127 the other insensible p. 128. The Curses attending him at Death p. 130 c. O CHrists active Obedience mixed with his passive p. 372. Wherein his active Obedience consisted p. 375. c. Wherein his passive p. 378 Partial Obedience a false glasse to judge our estates by p· 48 To designe only our Old age for God is dishonourable to him p. 22 23. Old age most unfit for Repentance p. 25 27 Men apt to have too good Opinion of themselves p. 41. The causes of it p. 43 c. Men deceived in judging of their estates by the good Opinions of others p. 44 P PArtial Obedience see Obedience Passive Obedience see Obedience Peace a fruit of faith p. * 441 * 447. Why many Christians want the sense of it p. * 442 443. * 450 451 The differences between a true and a false Peace p. * 448 c. The Causes of a Carnal Peace p. * 449. * 452 Christ is our Peace p. * 454 Spirit of Prayer what p. * 377 378 1. The Importunity and efficacie of it p. * 379 380 Why a person already justified may and must Pray for the forgivnesse of sins past p. * 413 414 R NAtural Reason see Natural To Receive Christ what p. 399. What Reformation may be in a natural man p. * 390 392 Repentance prevents ruine p. 7 Repentance not in our own power but in gods gift p. 13 14. The sinfulnesse of deferring it p. 11 c. Death-bed Repentance the hindrances of it p. 30 Not to be trusted to p 31. Hard to prove it sound p. 32 Superficial Repentance is vain p. 57 Repentance in what respects necessary to justification p. * 417 Remission of sin See Forgiveness Resting or Relying upon God a proper Act of Faith p. 425 Righteousnesse two fold p. * 397. * 409 Imputative Righteousnesse what it is p. * 402 * 410. Impossible to be justified without it and why p. * 410 411 S. Sanctification a distinct thing from Justification p. * 423. p. * 429 Satan See Devil A difficult thing to be Saved p. 53 Sealing a distinct thing from Faith p. * 428 The Causes of Security p. * 449 Self-Examination necessary to Conversion p. 39.57 a mark of a sound believer p. * 407 Self-flattery See flattery Self-Love how it deceives men in judging their estates p. 43. Sin continued in hastens Gods judgements p. 3 4 5. Sin compared to a weight p. 26. to Cords p. 27. Sin gets strength by continuance p. 28. The Sinfulnesse of Sin set forth in 6. considerations p. 90 c The dreadfull fruits and consequences of Sin It pollutes the Soul p. 100. It makes men loathsom to God p. 104. It brings the Devill into the heart p. 106. It calls for wages p. 110 The greatness of Sin should be no barr against believing in Christ p. 401 406. No Sin overtops the value of Christ's blood ibid. Encouragemets for Sinners to come to Christ page 401 c. Sin not discovered thorowly but by the spirit p. * 364. Sin may be cast away and yet no true Conversion p. * 392 Sin is only a Privation and no positive being p. * 399 * 400 Sins not pardoned before they be committed p. * 403. The guilt and punishment of Sin taken away in Justification p. * 418 c. Spirit of Bondage what p. * 365 Spirit of Prayer see Prayer T A Temporary Faith how far it may go p. * 388 c. How to know it from true faith p. ibid Temporary beleevers desire Christ only in affliction p. * 388 389 They do but only tast of Christ p. * 393. They desire mercy but not grace p. * 394. They do nothing out of love to God p. * 395 The sinfulness of thoughts p. 102 103. The end of Gods Threatnings p. 7. U UNregenerate Men See Natural Our unworthiness should not keep us from coming unto Christ p. 397. W THe Will wrought by God as well as the deed p. * 371 The Will more then the Deed 372. How God takes the Will for the Deed p. * 374 He that hath a Will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him p. 404. God alone inclines the Will to receive Christ ibid. A wofull thing to be suffered by God to have our own Wills in this world p. 355. Our Wills must be crossed here or for ever hereafter ibid. The Willingness of Christs sufferings rendred them the more meritorious p. 374 The Word presented to our faith under a double respect viz. 1 as a true Word p. 403 2 as a good Word p. 424 Works spiritually good cannot be performed by an unregenerate man and why p. 67 68 71. In what sense we are said by James to be justified by Works p. * 398 Wrath a Consequence of sin p. 98 Y YOuth the fittest time to Repent and break off sin in p 25 22 29. FINIS Male dum recitas c. * Lord in special forgive my sins of omission see Dr. Ber. Life and death of the Arch. Bp. of Armagh p. 110 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Sheffeild in Yorkshire· James Meath Anagram I am the same See Dr. Bernard page 52. See Dr. Ber. Epist. to the Reader in his life and death c. * See the Reduction of Episcopacy to the form of Synodical Government Received in the Antient Church published by Doctor Bernard in a Book entituled The Judgement of the Late Arch Bishop of Armagh c. * 2 Sam. 1.22 * Isa. 50.4 * 2 Cor. 3.2 * Acts 11.21 * Dan 12.3 * Heb. 2.13 * Tim. 4.12 * Mark 6.20 * Acts 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Mat 7.29 * 1 Cor. 2.4 5. 1 Cor 14.24 25. * Acts 18.24 Collatis scripturae locis Probans nempe sicuti solent artifices aliquid Compacturi singulas partes inter se comparare ut inter se alia aliis ad amussim quadrent Bez. In Act. 9.22 Efficere condescensionem ut sic dicam id est argumentis propositis efficere ut aliquis tecum in eandem sententiam descendat Mr. Leigh Critic sacr In verb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Ser. before K. James Wansted June 20. 1629 page 34 35. * Ecl. 12.10 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * John 16.5 * Psal. 16.3 * Acts 13.12 * Psal. 119.63 * Math. 11 29. * Mal. 2.4.5 6 7 8 9. * Esay 43.27.28 * 1 Sam. 2 30. * Deut. 33 11. * Math. 5.12 and 10.25 * Math 21.44 * Rev. 11.11 * 2 Sam 6.22 * Calvino illustri viro nec unquam sine summi honoris prefatione nominando non assentior Bp Andrews De Vsuris * 3 John 12. * Declarat what books are his what not Dr. Ber. page 20 l 21. * See Dr. Ber. Loc. Citat * See their Epist to the Reader Ibidem * See Mr. Cottons Epist. to Mr. Hildersams Book on John 4. * See Capt. Bell. Narat before Luth. Mensal Colloq * Liber ille ●onvivalium sermonum non est Lutheri nec Luthero approbante aut etiam vivente editus sed est Rapsodia sine Judicio Intellectu consarcinata Polan syntag de canonic Authorit script page fol. 45. * Heb 11.4 * Bp. Andrews serm 7. of Rep. and Fast. * John 3.10.19 Obs. Obs. Obs. Obj. Sol. Obj. Sol. 1. Order of outward things 2. The nature of sin Sin is compared to cords To defer repentance hardens the more The folly of those that defer their repentance till death Obj. Sol. Impediments to repentance on our death-bed Trust not to death-bed repentance It will be hard to prove death-bed repentance to be ound Gen. 6.3 What use to make of Election and Reprobation It 's our wisdom to arm against Satans fallacy and hearken to God in his accepted time 1 Glass Self-love 2 Glass Others good opinion 3 Glass When a man compares himself with others 4 Glasse Partial Obedience· Obj. Sol. Another false Glasse The Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light Superficial repentance will not change the nature of man No morality nor external change of life will do without quickning grace and a new life wrought Quest. Ans. Obj. Sol. Doct. Obj. No natural man doth judge himself so bad as he is The best works of a natural man cannot please God Look to the oginal of duties Look to the end of duty It 's necessary to preach the Law before the Gospel This is the 1 Instance 2 Instance 3 Instance No●e Well Our Remedy or our Redemp●ion by Christ. Christs humiliation in life and death The second degree of his humiliation that he might become a servant Christ accounted as a b●ndman Exam. Joseph for the calcu 14400000. drachms (x) Which were 120000. (z) Have the quotient 120 Drachms Four Drachms went to a Shekel so divide 120. by 4. your quotient is 30. shekels for each man which was the ordinary rate c. Gen. 9.25 John 13.21 Now this Obedience is two fold 1. Active 2. Passiv● 1. For his active obedience in the whole course of his life 2. For his active Obedience after his Death