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A27592
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A conciliatory discourse upon Dr. Crisp's sermons on the observation of Mr. William's dissatisfactions in them : in which the unsearchable riches of Christ ... / by T. Beverley.
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Beverley, Thomas.
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1692
(1692)
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Wing B2134; ESTC R34407
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34,697
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34
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Mark for the Prize but not by the way of any thing we can do but from God above alone viz. by the High Calling of God in Christ and not by our own Strength but as apprehended of Christ for it By this Canon all the Perfect Perfect in regard of Sincerity Walk though they count not themselves Perfect otherwise This Apostle and therefore no Apostle did so Count For he was not behind the chiefest They all then walk'd by this Canon If any Perfect or Sincere be never so little otherwise minded God reveals even this great Pursuit and End to them That so far as they have attained whatever it be they should Forget what is behind and press Forward Mind that Point the Holiness of the Resurrection To raise the Spirits of his Saints to which though they had not attain'd to it at the going out of the Body yet in a Moment in the Twinckling of an Eye in an Indivisible Point of Time Christ apprehends them Even then and with a greater Ease in the Nature of the Thing then he raises their Bodies Incorruptible having hold of them for that very thing even by the mighty Power of his own Death and Resurrection whereby he is able to Subdue all Things unto himself This Canon had never been so depretiated as to be applyed to any Outward Form or Church-Order as it is call'd if the greatness of the Apostles Point had been considered and for which there is not any Ombrage here except that the Word Canon which has been so Debauched by the working of the Mystery of Iniquity puts any one in Mind of it For only according to the present occasion it s taken by the Apostle from the Olympick Races to the great purpose of the New Creation Gal. 6. 16. and here to shew the Christian's Rule or Line is up to the highest Holiness even that of the Resurrection Thus large have I been on this Head because it is of so great Moment Head 20. Christ does not Repent and Believe for us Conciliation Christ hath yet laid the Foundation of all our State in Grace and Glory in himself and in his own Action wherein we are to be made like him as from the Archetype and Life He took part of Flesh and Blood because the Children were Partakers He was Circumcised Baptized Dyed Rose 〈…〉 Justifieth me who will contend with me That Agony wherein He sweat Drops of Blood standing under the Sense of the Sins of All for whom he Dyed and made Supplication with strong Crys and Tears unto him that was able to save him from Death and was Heard in that he Fear'd was as it were the great Penitential of the Redeemer in the Behalf and as in the Person of his Redeemed And as for Faith It is written Heb. 2. 13. I will put my Trust in him Thus all our Springs are in him and from him and the Efficacies that Work all our Works in us and for us They are so vested in our Faculties and Action that they are in us and yet by so Supreme a Vertue from him residing in him and given us as in a Line of Communication from him to us That they are wrought by him for us And in this rightly understood Sense he may be said to Repent and Believe for us though also in us and by us The three last Heads concerning Gospel Preaching have been all along aimed to be thus determin'd That it is certain Both Conditional Preaching and Absolute Preaching have each their respective Foundations in Scripture And both tend to the same end to shew the Absolute Necessity of Christ and Grace from him As also the Absolute Necessity of Holiness as indeed the Thing is flowing from the Grace of Election through the Efficacies of the Mediator by his Spirit as the greatest Scriptures concerning our Salvation witness Yet for Wise and Holy Purposes so Administred that our Action is all manner of ways insisted upon by the general Course of Scripture as hath been declar'd So that none are to be blamed in the Abundance of their Ministry in that part who do more continually in their Preaching and sometimes in most solemn Discourses set out Christ The only VVay the Truth and the Life flowing from the Eternal Fountain of Electing Love and Grace But if we compare one part of Preaching with another seeing the Life of all Conditional Preaching depends on the Absolute Grace of the Covenant That must needs be the most excellent part of Preaching wherein the Life of the other is laid up and to which the other is but subordinated But as we find Scripture gives Example of the Conditional Preaching as the more general So it seems most adapted and suited to this low State of the Administration of the Redemption of Christ and we find the Divine Spirit who Divides to All his Servants as he will does more generally and universally move the Preachers of the Gospel more abundantly into this Conditional Preaching But when that better State that higher Administration of the Redemption of Christ in his Kingdom shall come on as it is now very near That as it were a new Song which hath been so much out of use it is as it were a new Song at least in its high Mount Zion Senses even I say notwithstanding so much of it recovered into use by the Reformation This Song of the Redemption of Christ in more lofty Ayrs shall be Heard and Learnt as hath been already said by all the Illustrious Assistants or By-Standers and Followers of the Lamb on Mount Zion In the mean time God does raise up some who aspire to these Truths of the highest Excellency and as we say of the first Magnitude and highest Elevation and such was Dr. Crisp in my Account But because we are yet in this dark and low State there are many Infirmities much Rudeness of Speech want of Mightiness in Word and Deed in such Aspirings an Universal want of the Glory and Holiness flowing from these great Truths because these Truths are not come into their proper Time of Glory This Song cannot be Sung while the Babel State yet continues because it was the Lord's Song and cannot be Sung in a strange Land to Perfection by reason of which these great Doctrines are under a Veil and not only so but under great Prejudice Let us therefore earnestly prary these Mists these Shades and Clouds may fly away and yet even the unwarinesses of Expression in such as Dr. Crisp are over-ruled by God like the speaking of Stones to make the main Preaching more notable and to excite our Research of them These things are written for Reconciliation not Exasperation and that we may be all stir'd up earnestly to pray That the Day may break and the Shadows fly away and our Beloved come on his Mount of Spices SOME General HEADS OF Mr. Williams 's Conciliated in this Discourse THE Elect are Children of Wrath till effectually called The Filth of Sin not transacted on Christ The Act of laying Sins on Christ is not the Discharge of the Elect. Mens Sins their own and not Christ's Sins Our Sins laid on Christ before he was nailed to the Cross Christ not abhorred by the Father No change of Person between Christ and the Elect. Christ's Mediatorial Righteousness not subjectively in us and how imputed Believers not as Holy as Christ The Covenant of Grace explained and what a Condition is The Covenant of Grace Conditional Faith not a Perswasion that my Sins are pardoned c. Prevailing Enmity a Hindrance to our present Interest in Christ The Elect not united to Christ without Faith What Vnion with Christ is Justification not before Faith Repentance necessary to Pardon Sinners have much to do to be Saved The Gospel hath Threats and Promises Happiness and Good Works necessary to Salvation They are profitable and God pleased c. Our own Good should be intended Assurance by Gospel-Marks and not by an Inward Voice God Chargeth Sin on Men and they should repent for repeated Pardon Sin may hurt Believers God afflicts for Sin Sincere Holiness not Dung. Christ doth not repent c. for us Conditional Proposals of Benefits on Terms of Duty Gospel-Preaching To excite Fear in sense of Danger not Legal Preaching Christ more Exalted by the former Truths than Dr. Crisp's Opinions The Free Grace of God not honoured by Dr. Crisp though more Freeness be asserted by him than by these Truths The END
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