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
Suretyship and Testamentary Grace or the last Will of Jesus Christ display themselves as if all things were carryed by Intellectual Conditionalities and the Obedience and free Complyances of those who are the Election of God of those that are Called according to Purpose while in the mean time they are most Efficaciously and yet most sweetly Swayed and Influenc'd by the Power and Grace of God in Christ and by the Increated Spirit that cannot miss of the end design'd and though all be Vested in the Action of those who are thus Chosen and Called yet not under the Incertainty of a Condition but the Infallible Certainty of a Divine Disposition a Testamentary Gift of our great Testator a Discharge of our Surety for us though within us an Acquist of our Mediator by Intercession on his own Blood of the Everlasting Covenant presented in Heaven for us Heb. 9 12. III. And thus also there is a Justification of God in his Holyness and Righteousness as also in his Patience and Long Suffering towards those whom he leaves to themselves who being applyed to according to their own Nature as Creatures of Reason and Understanding according to all the Riches of the Word of God to that purpose are condemned in not receiving such every way sufficient Applications taking them so every way as such Rational Creatures and suited thereunto which could not be so gloriously Demonstrated and Illustrated if there were not such a fittedness of the Word of God and of the Overtures of Life and Salvation by way of Condition To one Mat. 13. 11. it is given to the other it is not given So vain is that Exposition of Dr. Hammond and violent a Perversion of Scripture As many as were ordain'd viz. as he speaks fitted by former Discipline to receive the Eternal Life of the Gospel Acts 2. ult believed As appears from Rom. 9. 23. For what Discipline prepared beforehand the Gentiles to Calling or Glory Head 9. Faith is not an Assurance or Inward Persuasion that Christ is ours and that our Sins are Pardon'd But it is Accepting Receiving and Resting upon Christ alone for Justification Conciliation That Faith is a Grace of a most large and spreading Nature and Action as it is represented to us in the Word of God can be by no one that considers it denyed So that there may be many Excellent and Profitable Discourses upon it that may look very distantly one upon another and yet meet in the iame Center Yet Faith as it respects Pardon of Sin and Justification cannot have a fairer and fuller Proposition given it than that saying Worthy of both Belief or full Assent of the Judgment and Acceptation of the Will viz. that Christ came to save the chief of Sinners 1 Tim. 1 15. Now this Proposition every one is to particularize to himself as the Apostles in believing and so it differs nothing from Assurance in the Root at least And that Assurance is every way most Connatural to it is evident by the Apostles speaking of the full Assurance of Knowledge Col. 2. 2. As Faith is an Intellectual Assent to Divine Revelation The full Assurance of Faith as it is an Application for Pardon to the Blood of Christ sprinkling the Heart from an evil Conscience Heb. 10. 22. and the full Assurance of Hope Heb. 6. 11. as Faith concerning our present Interests in Christ not yet appearing fully or in future Glory aides it self against present low Appearances of its pardon'd justify'd State or its future Glory Thus a Plerophory or full Assurance in relation to Faith cannot merit any Indignation as against an Error And indeed it is so essential to Faith that there never was nor can be any true Faith without the Root and Seed of it and the Letting it down in the Descriptions and Discourses of it from this full Assurance is in compassion to the low State Tempted Deserted Afflicted Doubting State of sincere Christians It was the general Doctrin of the first Reformers when the Light was purest and quickest And it is very suspitionable the Letting it down lower may have had its Ill as well as its good Effects For if Christians aim'd in all their ways at full Assurance it would engage them to higher Aims in Holyness and closer Walking It being impossible even in the Judgment of Natural Light and Reason to separate Holyness from such Assurance or that receiving Christ as Lord and King should be made to part from it but that it would flow out into all Expressions of the Warmest and Indearedst Love to him Whereas Christians Resting and thinking it a piece of Modesty and Humility it were well if it were not allyed to that Voluntary Humility spoken of Col. 2. 18. to be in doubt and only flatly and deadly to hope well in general They find not these pungent Arguments to move Accurate and Universal Obedience but poize the one to the other their Obedience to their Measure of Assurance For a rude Presumption or bold Saying Christ is ours and our Sins are pardon'd in the midst of Licentions and loose Living is worthy only to be exploded and Hissed off the very Profession of Christianity and cannot obtain the least Credit either with others or even the Rational Conscience in themselves So that were it not in Tenderness to the Weakness of Christians in general Preaching Faith so as to include Assurance in it would be undoubtedly the best and even that taken care of as well as it may be I know not whether it might not be much to the Interest and Glory of Christianity to wind it up in the most stated Discourses of Faith to the Apostles Plerophory or full Aâ—â—urance of Knowledge Faith and Hope from which Exceptions might be made and Allowances for the Weakness of Christians in particular Exigencies This sure would more ennoble Christianity It was the Illustrious State of the very Primitive Christianity which we read of in that most admirable part of Church History the five first Chapters of the Acts of the Apostles To this I doubt not it will be restor'd within few Years when in the Succession of the Kingdom of Christ and by the Proclaiming The Kingdoms of this World are the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11. 15. The Servants of God shall appear on Mount Zion with the Lamb having the Fathers Name not Sealed under Reserve as yet it is but Written in Capital Letters in splendid Characters on their Foreheads It is the dark and foul place of the Apostacy 2 Pet 1. 19. in which we are the Beasts forty two Months being though near yet not fully expired Rev. 13. 5. that brings so low the Doctrin of Faith as being not Assurance And because in the Reformation begun Christ appear'd making his Challenge of his Kingdom and the seven Thunders of highest Gospel Doctrin uttered their Voices Rev. 10. A Chapter on purpose to give us the Prophetick Landskip of the Reformation There was the high Doctrin of Faith
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