Page:Strange and remarkable prophecies and predictions of the holy, learned and excellent James Usher, late Archbishop of Armaugh (sic).pdf/5

( 5 ) he doth truly regenerate, I found ſo little of it wrought in myſelf, that I could ſpeak of it only a Parrot by Rote, and without the Knowledge and Underſtanding of what I might have expreſt; and therefore I durſt not preſume to proceed any further upon it.]

And when I ſeemed to ſtand amaz'd to hear ſuch an humble Confeſſion from ſo great and experienced a Chriſtian, he added, [I must tell you, We do not well underſtand what Sanctification and the New Creature are: It is no leſs than for a Man to be brought to an intire Reſignation of his Will to the Will of God, and to live in the Offering up of his soul continually in the Flames of Love, a whole Burnt-offering to Chriſt; and how little (ſays he) are many of thoſe who profeſs Chriſtianity experimentally acquainted with this Work on their Souls?]

By this Diſcourſe, I conceived he had very excellently and clearly diſcovered to me that Part of Sanctification which he was unwilling to write.

I then preſumed to enquire of him what his preſent Apprehenſion were concerning a very great Perſecution which ſhould fall upon the Church of God in theſe Nations of England, Scotland and Ireland, of which this Reverend Primate had ſpoken with great Confidence, many years before, when we were in the higheſt and fulleſt State of outward Peace and Settlement. I asked him, Whether he did believe thoſe ſad Times to be paſt, or that they were yet to come? To which he anſwered, That they were yet to come; and that he did as confidently expect it as ever he had done: Adding, That this ſad Perſecution would fall upon all the Proteſtan Churches of Europe. I replied, That I did hope it might have been paſt as to theſe Nations of ours, ſince I thought that tho' we, who were the People thereof, have been punished much leſs than our Sins have deſerved; and that our late Wars had made far leſs Devaſtation, than War commonly brings upon theſe Countries where it pleaſeth God in Judgment to ſuffer it; yet we muſt needs acknowledge, that many great Houſes had been burnt, ruined, and left without