Page:Strange and remarkable prophecies and predictions of the holy, learned and excellent James Usher, late Archbishop of Armaugh (sic).pdf/4

( 4 ) greateſt Proſperity: Which the Event did moſt certainly verify.

From this Spirit he predicted the Diviſions and Confuſions in England in Matters of Religion, and the ſad Conſequences thereof; ſome of which we have ſeen fulfilled: And I pray God, the reſt which he feared may not alſo be accompliſhed upon us.

Laſtly, From this Spirit he foretold, That the greateſt Stroke upon the Reformed Churches was yet to come, and that the Time of the utter Ruin of the See of Rome ſhould be when the thought herſelf moſt ſecure. And as to this laſt, I ſhall add a brief Account from the Perſon's own Hand who was concerned therein; which followeth in theſe Words.

The Year before this learned and holy Primate Archbiſhop Uſher died, I went to him, and earneſtly deſired him to give me in Writing his Apprehenſions concerning Juſtification and Sanctification by Chriſt; becauſe I had formerly heard him preach upon theſe Points, wherein he ſeemed to make thoſe great Myſteries more intelligible to my mean Capacity, than any Thing which I had ever heard from any other. But, becauſe I had but an imperfect and confuſed Remembrance of the Particulars, I took the Boldneſs to importune him, That he would pleaſe to give a brief Account of them in Writing, whereby I might the better imprint them in my Memory: Of which he would willingly have excuſed himſelf, by declaring his Intentions of not writing any more; Adding, That, if he did write any Thing, it ſhould not exceed above a Sheet or two. But, upon my continued Importunity, I at laſt obtained his Promiſe.

He coming to Town ſome Time after, was pleaſed to give me a Viſit at my Houſe, where I failed not to challenge the Benefit of the Promiſe he had made me He replied, [That he had not writ; and yet he could not charge himſelf with any Breach of Promiſe: For (ſaid he) I did begin to write; but when I came to write of Sanctification, that is, of the New Creature which God formeth by his Spirit in every Soul which