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
becomes a Standard by which the full Value of the Satisfaction of Christ by his Sacrifice and Obedience unto Justification and the Infinite Grace of God in Pardon is tryed and made glorious by which the Duties of Humiliation Confession of Sin Application to Christ for Righteousness Repentance should be both understood and urged Here is the Rule for Holiness and new Obedience out of which all the Holy Precepts of the Gospel are drawn Hereby the Remainders of Sin are Discern'd and Humiliation under them wrought Hereby is the Infinite Grace of Christ towards his Legatees his Redeemed set at full Light in working an Inward Conformity to this Holy Law in all parts of it And hereby the Government of God committed to Christ is continued with Relation to all Mankind even to all not given to him For they who have the Gospel Preached to them are judged not only according to the Law of Righteousness first written in the Heart but according to this Divine Revelation and Grace which highly aggravates their Disobedience and makes it more Tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them Mat. 10. 24. They who have not the Gospel are judged according to that Law and Light of Nature They have concerning the Law and that Witness of an Intention of Grace God gives to them in giving Fruitful Times and Seasons and all the Discoveries of his Patience Leading them to Repentance even as the King of Nineveh who shall rise up in Judgment and condemn Heathens who have not by such a Light from the forbearance of God argued to Repentance as he did And thus are the Secrets of all Hearts judged according to the Apostles Gospel as he said Rom. 2. 16. Some Ombrage of which Heathens have Thus the Law is established and preserved in its full Authority and the Gospel is also establish'd as Divine Revelation and in its High purely promissory Part as a Ministration of the Spirit And if the Designation of the Gospel be particularly singled out for the most powerful Preaching of it by some and yet in the mean time the more large and universal Motion and Doctrin of the Gospel be Preach'd more universally by the most of the Preachers whom the Spirit of God according also to the general Stream of Scripture hath so Missiond Commission'd and Enabled I cannot see but here may be the Sweetest Union and as great a Conspiration as between the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James while one tells us a Man justifyed by Faith without Works and the Last tells us by what of Faith viz not by the Body of Faith or a Confession of Faith but by the Spirit of it the Vis Essectrix or Operatrix the working Efficacy of it which I take on great Reason to be the very true Expedient of Reconciliation between the two Apostles and yet in both by the Righteousness of Christ by Faith alone and that Faith given only by Christ So all is of Grace Ephes 2. For Faith and all its Works flow from the Blood and Righteousness of Christ drawing nigh to his Elect People to Regenerate and to justifie together Titus 3. 5. c. And surely by a close and universal Compare of Scripture The Day of Judgment must be according to this very same Grace For when the Spirits of Saints are immediately with Christ and He receives them who Dye and Sleep in him in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye made Perfect and when they are Raised Incorruptible he brings them with him and they together with Christ Judge Angels and the World And it is given to them to Appear in Robes wash'd white in the Blood of the Lamb and to be Cloathed in Linnen white and clean which is the Righteousness of the Saints and he presents them to himself without Spot Wrinckle or any such Thing It cannot be understood that the Day of Judgment in relation to the Saints is by way of Tryal of Judgment on particular Actions But their very Appearance is their Absolution and Adjudgment to Glory as Clad in the rich Robes Wash'd in the Blood of the Lamb All their Graces and Holy Duties fill'd up and their Sins perfectly blotted out and remainders of Corruption effaced by Grace perfected in Glory On the other side The wicked have Appearances in their Sins having found them out covering them as a Garment of Dishonour and as filthy Garments that expose them immediately to Condemnation And as if their particular Sins were written upon them and the Condemnation together with them And thus each appear visibly before the Throne Tribunal and Judgment Seat of Christ during the whole Thousand Years of his Kingdom One Crowned with Glory and Honour the other cover'd with Shame and Contempt If any should object Christs insisting on the particular Duty of Visiting Cloathing Feeding Mat. 25. either as perform'd or neglected It is to be observ'd each sort first were set one on the Right Hand the other on the Left one as Sheep the other as Goats So the Tryal was easie If it be further said God will bring every Work into Judgment whether it be Good or Evil. This I attribute to the mighty Power and Wisdom of God giving together with every Person before his Judgment all the Holy Actions of Saints wash'd and perfected in and by the Blood of Jesus and fill'd up with his Grace and by the Spirit as in a Moment an Atom of Time the Twinkling of an Eye and their Sins so taken away as not only not to be found but not to be Whereas the Talents of wicked Men that is any good Things they had here not being purged by his Blood perfected by his Obedience and fill'd up by his Spirit are taken from them and they appear All in their Sins And thus the Order of Things at that Day is according to the free Grace of Election Calling Justification and Sanctification covered under Justification in that Chain of Salvation Rom. 8. and Glorification springing from all Head 15. Holiness and good Works are necessary to Salvation Conciliatiion Good Works are so as they are the Provision and Preparation of God even of his Eternal free Grace in furnishing us with them and as we are his Workmanship in Christ Jesus Created to them But the Number Measure Elevation of them in higher or lower Degrees of Excellency so diverse in Saints shew the Foundation of our Salvation as well as Justification rests elsewhere Head 16. Good Works are profitable and please God Conciliation They do so as they are the Fruits of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Disposalls of his free Grace in us and to us and so by us And as God is pleas'd to shew himself as the Supreme Rector and Governor according to his Holy Law but yet so that the Poles on which Salvation moves are the Grace of God in our Election and his Acceptation of us to Righteousness in Christ and if he leave any of his Servants in their Service and
as Assurance Yet these Thunders being scal'd now near again to be unseal'd It flatted again as now we see And this is the Reason the Discourses of Assurance as so essential to Faith are almost as Portentous as the Doctrin of the Kingdom of Christ in such a near appearing Glory and any Aspiring to it as presumptuous Head 10. Prevailing Enmity is no hindrance to our Interest in Christ Conciliation This may be apprehended three ways and be very great truth 1. The Elect Sinner in the midst of the most prevailing Enmity hath such Interest in Christ that his Rescue from Sin Hell and Death is so secur'd and deposited by the Divine Decree for him in Christ that the very height of Enmity shall not disinterest him but Christ will break through that Enmity and seize upon him even when it is most Boiling up and Raging Thus Paul Acts 9. being a chosen Vessel even while he had a Knife in his hand to murther Christ had yet such an Interest in Christ by that Electing Grace that his Conversion Faith Repentance and Apostleship lay treasur'd up in Christ and Christ had such an Interest in him That an Everlasting Arm was about him and he was Appreprehended by Chrst for that very Thing that in Due Time he might by Faith Apprehend Christ. And surely this is an Interest of no mean account 2. At the very height of Enmity the chiefest Sinner hath that Interest in Christ that he may come and apprehend Christ by Faith and receive all the Benefits of Christ and the very first of those Benefits shall be the Healing him of that Enmity He hath a Right to come If it be said Enmity and Coming connot consist it is true But his present Enmity does not disinterest him in a Right to come if he would But it hinders his being willing to come Yet in the moment the Grace of Christ Abounds to the Elect Person at the Appointed Time with Faith and Love which are in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 1. 14. Present Enmity is no more hindrance to an Interest in Christ but that as in Paul it falls flat in what moment that Grace pleases 3. To win upon Sinners to come to Christ it may be said to them while in the Preaching of the Gospel there is a Probing or Endeavouring to Find out the Elect and Bring them to Christ It may be I say said to them Come though you have the highest Enmity That is no hindrance to your Interest in Christ supposed you come For in that very moment you turn to come to Christ your Enmity shall drop off from you It is a Hindrance to the present Application of Interest not to the Interest it self that is secur'd in Electing Grace and the Free Promises of the Gospel intended and design'd for all the Elect. And this the Gospel gives right to the Preachers of it to declare But the doubt whether this or that particular Person belongs to that Election while he is in Enmity and the certainty of Enmity ceasing in the very coming is as a drawn Sword between a claim of Interest in Chrisâ— and perservering Enmity If it be said There must be Humiliation Wearinâ—ss Sight of Sin and Sorrow for it The Methods of Electing Grace that it hath prescribed to it self will take care for all and so that all such Affections and Acts shall be rais'd up excited and carried on in the Sinner himself and even by himself under the Efficacy of that Grace And thus understood as it must be except he that speaks so be a person void of all Holy Sense or so much as Sober and such Dr Crisp was not in the Judgment of Mr. Williams as appears in the last Lines of the Preface They must therefore be understood to be spoken by way of earnest perswasion to come to Christ and to Essay upon Men by proposing the Largest and Freest Terms So the Ministers of Christ as Fishers spread the Net to Catch Men As Scripture says he hath received Gifts for the Rebellious also that the Lord God may dwell among them Psal 68. 18. And as Abraham is said to Believe on Him that Justifies the Vngodly Why may not the most expatiating Expressions be used in so good a Sense and with so good a Design seeing Scripture hath us'd such And why may not as good an Effect be hop'd for from this way of Speaking seeing Scripture hath us'd it as from the severer ways Scripture hath also us'd according to the variety of Gifts and Motions of the same Spirit and both be blessed by God giving effect through Christ Head 11. The Elect are not united to Christ without Faith Upon Believing only we are related to Christ as all the Metaphors of Union import Conciliation The being chosen in Christ before the World began being predestinated to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself cannot be without Union The first Powers of Regeneration Conversion Softness of Heart Contriteness of Spirit Faith Repentance which the Apostle expresses by Wisdom or Calling in Christ Jesus cannot be without Union And yet it is true that setled Union of Communion or Union of Communion cannot be till Christ be received by the Faith of God's Elect nor can the Elect be at all known to themselves from the Non-Elect So that as there is need of all the Forcible and Right Words of Scripture to shew without Faith Repentance Holiness there can be no Union of Communion with Christ or of the Consolation arising from it even according to the Eternal Counsel of Him that worketh all Things after the Counsel of his own Will So on the other side there is Authority and Warrant to Declare that Inseparable Union between the Head of the Adoption and all that are Predestinated to the Adoption of Children in Him that it may be acknowledg'd to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace who hath laid his Foundation so sure And it may be also Declar'd by way of Invitation and Encouragement in coming to Christ that Sinners who look towards him may be begotten an effect wherein they are wholly passive to a living Hope through his Grace who does it of his own Will and yet by the Word of Truth in all parts of it as a subordinate Ministry and that they may be invited to look towards him and that they may be encourag'd to expect Grace from Christ for Union of Communion flowing from the Union of the Predestinated Adoption in Him at the just time appointed by God for it Head That of Justification before Faith hath been already spoken to but I will add something to it on the next Head Head 12. Repentance is necessary to Pardon Conciliation Seeing Justification and Pardon include necessarily the Removals of the Wrath and Displeasure of God in all the dreadful Effects of it and also connote as necessarily the Breaking out of his Favour in the most gracious Effects of it how Faith or Repentance can be perfectly or in full
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