my Jewish as I may call them Effects but even whatever else may come into Computation even All he accounted Loss of no Value On what Recompence or Reparation did the Apostle thus cast out every thing On this alone That he might be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is the Righteousness of Christ the Righteousness of God which is by Faith To clear the Apostle's Doctrine These two great Doubts must be decided Query I. Whether the Apostle thus far as we have gone is upon the Point of Justification or of Sanctification or so much as on Sanctification join'd with Justification or on Justification purely and alone when he speaks thus Quer. II. Whether the Apostle puts into this Account of Loss and Dung the Inherent Holiness he had as a Christian looking upon it as Inherent and in Himself whether I say he accounted this as Loss and Dung or only the Ceremonial Ritual Righteousness of the Law together with his Pretentions to the Moral Righteousness of it as without Christ and separated from him The clear Decision of these two Questions will much contribute to our distinct Judgment in the Points we are upon Answer to Query I. I assert therefore thus far as I have gone upon this Context or till the Apostle comes to those words That I may know Him and the Power of his Resurrection he is wholly and solely upon the Point of Justification and not of Sanctification Argument 1. The Apostles does in all his Solemn Discourses most distinctly handle the Point and Doctrine of Justification by it self and of Sanctification by it self so Rom. c. 3. c. 4. c. 5. he begins with Justification and so goes on to Sanctification c. 6. so Gal. c. 3. he discourses of Justification and the consequences of it c. 4. and so enters into that of Sanctification c. 5. c. 6. Even in all the Apostolick Epistles we may find the Lines of Justification and Sanctification are kept distinct and clear one from the other So therefore here it is to be expected he should do for the Gospel-Notions are most distinct Arg. 2. The Righteousness of God without the Law Rom. 3. 21 22 c. is the Righteousness of Justification Arg. 3. Righteousness by Faith is a peculiar manner of Speaking in the Point of Justification Justified by Faith and Righteousness of Faith is several times mention'd in the Discourse of Justification Rom. c. 3. c. 4. in those great and most distinct Treaties of Justification Rom. 10. Gal. 3. Arg. 4. The Expression of being Found in Christ being so plain an Allusion to the Cities of Refuge the Security from the Avengers of Blood plainly shews The Apostle was upon the Point of Justification our great Security against Guilt Wrath and Condemnation at the Times when the Pursuits will be closest upon us Arg. 5. The First and Fundamental Riches of every Man is that Righteousness by which we stand before God Arg. 6. That which is oppos'd to the Righteousness of the Law which was according to the Covenant of Works to justifie is the Righteousness of Christ for Justification so no other can be meant Arg. 7. The Apostle goes on to so solemn a Discourse of Sanctification in the most proper Expressions of it Source and Springs of it and to the utmost Heighths of it and so consequent and dependent upon his being Found in Christ for Justification that it is an Injury to his Discourse to Confound the Foregoing so proper to Justification with those so proper to Sanctification as shall be presently made further out Ans to Quer. II. I assert in answer to Query II. There is great reason to believe the Apostle put into the Account or Bill of his Effects the Holiness he had as a Christian considered as inherent in himself but not as in Christ so that even this he accounted but as Loss and of vile Account in the Point of Justification Argument 1. Because by way of Elevation and Surmount above all he had be-before said of Ritual or Moral Legal Righteousness the Apostle says Yea doubtless I count all Things Now what All or Any could there be in Relation to God between God and the Soul beyond what he had Named but what he had as a Christian as in Himself but not as in Christ And hereunto agrees that venerable Person Dr. Tuckney in his Sermons on Philip. 3. p. 42. Arg. 2. That Expression of being Found in Christ viz. Christ himself shews a Christian cannot rest in what he hath though from Christ in himself as a Christian except he be found in Christ himself Arg. 3. Because all the Holiness of a Christian as it is in himself and not in Christ comes under the denomination of his own Righteousness and even of the Righteousness of the Law For it can be no other than the Righteousness of that Law which is Spiritual Holy Just and Good And to assert any other Righteousness of Sanctification as to the Matter is a greater Antinomianism or Elevation of the Law of God than any other thing call'd so loudly Antinomianism Arg. 4. The Holiness Majesty Purity of God is infinitely great we cannot stand before him but in the increated Righteousness of Christ alone Angelical Righteousness is call'd Folly and is unclean before Him What wonder is it then our Holiness however receiv'd from Christ is as in us in the midst of remaining Sin call'd Dung even as Filthy Rags Isa 64. 6. Object But can the Righteousness of Holiness and Sanctification from Christ be stiled Dross or Dung of which the Apostle just after desir'd so high Attainments Answ We ought to distinguish between the Holiness of Sanctification as it is in a perpetual Emanation from Christ from his Righteousness from his Death from his Resurrection and as it is in us mixed and allayed with the remaining Corruption in the best of Saints in the 〈…〉 be called Loss or Dung for it is consider'd in Christ the Fountain and so as from him to us where it is pure and unmix'd under his Sacrifice the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant the Power of the endless Life streaming out always upon it But as in us if considered as separate from Christ It is as a Beam clip'd off from the Sun that would presently vanish and come to nothing or sink into our Darkness and Impurity It is the great Admonition therefore of the Apostle to Timothy 2 Tim. 2. 1. My Son be strong in the Grace that is in Jesus Christ. And to shew how earnestly Christians should press to the height of these Emanations from the Death and Resurrection of Christ he lays down that great Canon never Calculated for any Poor Base Ritual Conformity never in the Apostles Thoughts But it is fitted to that great end viz. To Attain if it were possible the Holiness of the Resurrection of the Dead And for this to forget All that is behind And to press according to the
A Conciliatory DISCOURSE UPON Dr. Crisp's Sermons ON THE Observation of Mr. Williams 's Dissatisfactions in Them In which the Unsearcheable Riches of Christ IN THE Covenant of Grace passing Knowledge is yet Aspired to to be made Known Humbly Presented To the Preachers of the Merchants Lecture at Pinners-Hall To the Sustainers of it And the Congregation usually Assembled there By T. BEVERLEY LONDON Printed for William Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-street 1692. Where you may be furnished with Dr. Crisp's Works And likewise his Son's Book Samuel Crisp Esq Entitul'd Christ made Sin You may also be supplied 〈…〉 The PREFACE I Have not long ago endeavour'd to Write as a Reconciler between Two Persons of Estimable Memory Dr. Crisp and Mr. Baxter Now Both in their Spirits with Christ where They have Fully Concerted their seeming various Apprehensions or Representations in so Great Points not only by Receiving those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those Vn-utterable Explanations of them but in their Highest Enjoyments and Mutual Congratulations in those Fundamental Truths and Graces wherein they were even here notwithstanding a seeeming Discord and much more there One in Christ. But we that are on this side their Line still See through a Glass Darkly Perceive Know and Speak as Children and so Express our selves Diversly one from another as we look to this or that side of Truth Not being able to Comprehend the perfect Physiognomy or Representation of it at once And indeed in the Great Points that are nearest allied to the Coveant of Grace we are most unable to pronounce clearly That first Engraving upon our Hearts and the Divine Revelation of Christ From Faith Rom. 1. 17. having not yet Attain'd To Faith in Perfection are ready in this our Imperfect State to enter a Centest in our Minds and we cannot decide as we ought between the Eternal Law of Righteousness and the Everlasting Gospel of Righteousness and while we have Great Discourses in Scripture upon Both we very hardly keep the Ballance of the Sanctuary even in our Vnderstandings as it is in it self While therefore the Servants of Christ are some in their Ministry inclining the Beam one way and some another though according to the manifold Distributions of one and the same Spirit to both in the main yet they are ready to find fault mutually at their so doing It may be no Injury then for a Third to endeavour to set Both even though great Infirmity may appear in that also For who is sufficient for these Things Especially it is to be consider'd The Gospel-Righteousness or of Faith hath ever since the Apostles Preaching and Writing suffer'd an Eclipse by the Mystery of Iniquity early working and by degrees from that very time the Apâ—stle dates 2 Thess 2. it was cover'd more and more Till the very State of the Christian Church fell into the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Dark and Foul Place of the Apostacy 2 Pet. 1. 19. And though the Eclipse be much less than it was by the Light returning in the Reformation yet it remains in part and oh that it were not in Great part Now it is very observable That grand Prophecy of the Revelation knowing upon what side of Evangelical Truth that Black Shade would most dreadfully fall gives its Divine Symbols or most Exquisite Figures for prevention for preservation of the Witnesses of Christ for Condemnation of the Apostacy for Recovery out of it in this Supreme Article of Gospel-Truth the Blood of Christ Hence there are so often mentions of the Lamb of his Blood of Robes wash'd white in his Blood The pure and perfect Song of the Lamb as it was sung in the Apostles Days is given chap. 5. as the Great Standard The Witnesses are within the measur'd Temple during the whole Apostacy Which Temple is the known Type of Christ in his Redemption They are at the Golden Altar of Incense the pure Intercession of Christ in the deep of the Apostacy Along the entire space of which that New Song of the Lamb chap. 5. is almost wholly lost The Apostacy is thus condemn'd ch 13. 8. All the Earth Worshipp'd the Antichristian Beast whose Names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life slain from the Foundation of the World The difference is not very great whether we apply the last words to the Lamb slain or Names written I prefer the first shewing the Eviternity of the Sacrifice of Christ above the Vpstarts of Antichristianism At the end of the Apostacy when the Witnesses Seal'd on their Foreheads appear'd with the Name written there as I have further intimated in the following Discourse The Song as it were new because so much Lost is Sung again with the Voice of Thunder and to be Learnt chap. 14. and is perfectly Learnt chap. 15. after the Preaching of the Everlasting Gospel There the Kingdom of Redemption in its fully Glory follows wherein the Saints are Priests not only of God but of Christ a 1000 Years chap. 20. 6. Have the Name not only of God but of the Lamb written on their Foreheads And the Throne of God and the Lamb is in that City of Redemption c. 22. 3 4. And it is most notorious Matter of Fact that the most Glorious Ray of the Reformation was the Restoration of the Doctrine of Justification by Free Grace and Faith in Jesus wherein Luther and Calvin with other Reformers however in other things they differ'd yet concurr'd herein as under the Spirit and Zeal of Elijah All in it How much any under the Profession of the Reformation have declin'd from this Ipsi Viderint Let them well look to it I am far from esteeming the Reverend Persons I have to do with Dead or Living among that sort But this Great Fall of the Christian Church as from Heaven in this Point would tempt any considering Person to be most on the side of those who ascribe most to Free Grace and the Righteousness of God in Christ Except they hold the Doctrine or Deeds of the Nicolaitans the Turning the Grace of God into Lasciviousness which Thing Christ hates ch 2. 6 15. being the other part of Antichristianism Indulgences to Sin And this I never heard Dr. Crisp charg'd with and he is particularly acquitted by his Reverend Opposite I dare not pretend to justifie all my own much less anothers Expressions who knew his own Grounds and Reasons of so expressing and it is most probable thought some unusual ones necessary to alarm the Thoughts and Minds of Men into the Observation of the Truths he design'd to exalt as not enough exalted I do not pretend to enter as they say the Lists with so Judicious and Worthy a Person as Mr. Williams nor with the Things he hath spoken giving a Cordial Assent to much the most nor shall I I hope appear Contentious wherein I dissent but have only consider'd what Truth lies on each hand more than what he himself hath so excellently observ'd and have therefore made his
sense before either Justification or Pardon but that mighty Rays and Beams of each must be broken out to the Soul before it enters into the Beginnings of Eternal Life by Faith and Repentance is very hard to understand except Faith and Repentance are ascrib'd to Man as the Products of his own Power and Will If they are from God his Justifying Righteousness and Pardon are come near when-ever where-ever he gives Faith and Repentance And as it may be most necessary in some regards to Preach Faith and Repentance as in order to Pardon and Justification so is it no less necessary to be as Free and Large that without graciousest Approaches of the Righteousness of God and Christ brought near Faith and Repentance lye for ever dead that every unconverted Person may gasp up to God and Christ for that Grace that is abundant in Him The intention is not that Pardon or Justification can be without Faith or Repentance but whether Justification doth not draw and excite its own Faith and Pardon it s own Repentance So that they are rather before Faith and Repentance than Faith and Repentance before them And which Preaching is most to be preferr'd in the Nature of Things without respect to the Present Necessity and for the Time Being That which is most abundant in ascribing to the Principal or in pressing the Less Principal and Subordinate I make no doubt the Singing the new Song before spoken of Rev. 14. will in a short time determine And yet I defer all that ought to be deferr'd to those whose Spirits are both enlarg'd and enabled to offer to the Souls of Men the things wherein God appears as the Rector of the World offering Faith and Repentance in order to Justification and Pardon while the Secret Springs of his Justifying and Pardoning Grace give the very Faith and Repentance required But surely great respect may be had to what is to be without violating what is even as Sacrifices are debas'd Esa 1. in foresight of their final removal by Christ Head 13. Sinners have much to do to be saved Conciliation Even the Righteous arc scarcely saved For with Men it 's impossible but with God all things are possible I can do all things through Christ strengthening me My Yoke saith Christ is easie my Burden is light I will run the way of thy Commandments when Thou shall enlarge my Heart The Joy of the Lord is Strength His Delight is in the Law of the Lord Faithful is he that hath Promised and will Perform it to the Day of Jesus Christ Great and Precious Promises are given whereby we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature We can do nothing againstst the Truth but for the Truth All these with innumerable more of the like shew the Certainty and the Easiness of the Salvation of God's Elect. And yet as we look to Man and his Motion and Action these Things are impossible For there is no doubt Holiness and New Obedience are the Paths wherein though with many Imperfections Falls and weaknesses in the present state God carries his Elect to Life and Salvation And the Way is narrow and the Gate strait and require striving to Enter But God is their strength who keeps their Foot from being taken that they walk in their way safely and their Steps are not straitned He makes their Feet as Hinds Feet and sets them on High Places They that wait on the Lord run and are not weary They walk and faint not He girdeth them with strength By him they leap over a Wall Head 14 15. I joyn these Two together The Gospel hath Threats and Promises Holiness and Good Works are necessary to Salvation Conciliation As upon the gracious Councels of God before All Worlds Began so upon this very Point among all the Disposes of God in time the Hinge of these Points turns For if the Gospel be a Law full of all Holy and Righteous Precepts to which Faith and Repentance introduce us arm'd with its Promises and Threats and so setled as a Covenant that who of himself accepts the Terms of it by Faith and Repentance under the Assurance of the Assistances of the Divine Spirit are accepted and shall have All the Benefits of it and whoever will not shall be Damn'd and his Judgment shall be more intollerable because he refuses such gracious Terms offerr'd This doth I confess perfectly overthrow Dr. Crisp's Scheme For then Christ comes in as a Law-giver and having all Judgment committed to him and there is a Mediatorian Law and Covenant in the Hand of the Mediator of more gracious condescention than that of the Covenant of Works but the last result of all is into the free Will of Man and his Action in compliance with this Covenant Thus of the Law and the Covonant of Works as the First Law there is a Perfect Abrogation as a Law but as the Holiness and Righteousness of it are transplanted into this New Law so here is as to that Law a perfect Antinomianism and all Mankind are only under this Law and Justification Salvation or Death and Condemnation are according to Obedience or Disobedience to this Law or Gospel-Covenant of which the Conditions are Faith and Repentance But if the Gospel in the Supreme Intention of it and in the Propriety of its Nature be a Covenant of Grace wherein God is pleas'd to be from his own free purpose of Grace the Soveraign Covenantee and his Elect bear the Analogy or part of Covenantees as at the other Extreme and Jesus Christ the Mediator Surety and Testator pass between both that all may be perform'd Mediating with God for his efficacious Grace in giving the Divine Dispositions promised in this Covenant as if perform'd by the Covenantees So bringing every thing in effect from God to us and from us to God and by his Death having right as a Testator to bestow the very things upon All given to him by God to give Eternal Life to them John 17. 2. Then shall the Gospel or New Testament be supremely a Ministration of the Spirit of Righteousness of Life according to 2 Cor. 3. And in its Subordinate Nature it shall be a Publication of the Divine Grace and Love to Mankind in general upon the Terms of Faith and Repentance The Law all this time stands in its own place as the Eternal Sanction of Holiness and Righteousness and can never be abrogated because it is Eternal Righteousness but it is as a Covenant so far mitigated as to accept the Satisfaction it requires from a Mediator and so it is in the Hand of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19. Towards whom it commands Faith and Repentance or return to God by him even as it is a Law of Eternal Righteousness Requiring Faith and Obedience to all Manifestations from God sufficiently testified to be from him and as these Manifestations of Grace are the only possibility left to a fallen Nature to return into a State of Agreement with God Hereupon the Law