A Conciliatory Discourse Upon Crisps Sermons, Head 1
Head 1.
To the firſt Head: The Elect are Children of Wrath, till effectually call'd; As it may be oppos'd to all Dr. Criſp hath ſaid concerning the Elect, being before Faith and Repentance, as much deliver'd from Wrath, even as the Believer is, or as a Saint Triumphant in Heaven is.
Reconciliation. If we ſpeak, as Creatures of Time, the Elect are Children of Wrath; but why may there not be a Declaration of that great and ſupreme Truth, ſetting out the Eternal Love of God in Chriſt to all his Elect, even while they are of, and in themſelves in the Gall of Bitterneſs, and under the Bond of Iniquity? For without Relation to the having done Good or Evil, in the mere Eſtate of Nature, which is in fallen Men a State of Wrath. It is ſaid, Jacob have I loved: Now what more contrary to the State of a Child of Wrath, than to be Loved of God? So concerning Reconciliation as by the Death of Chriſt, the Apoſtle ſays, God commendeth his Love to us, in that while we were yet Sinners, Chriſt dyed for the Ʋngodly: When we were Enemies, we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son. Rom. 5, 8, 10.
Here then is the Caſe, God the Supreme and Eternal Being beholds all things, in, as they ſpeak, a foreign, a juſt now; even Dr. Hammond, however ſo great an Enemy to a particular Predeſtination, acknowledges this view of all things by the Eternal Being: The Queſtion then is, Whether an Eternity of Love and Grace, an Eternal Duration in Happineſs, after the ſhort time of Life, and ſome parts of that ſhort time of Life reſcu'd from Wrath alſo, may not preponderate in giving the Denomination to the Elect? Or why may not the Preaching of Gods Infinite and Eternal Love and Grace, be made an Inſtrument of the Divine Spirit for the winning in the Souls of his Elect to himſelf? When God ſays, I have Loved thee with an everlaſting Love, therefore with loving Kindneſs have I drawn thee, Jer. 31 3. Or why ſhould an… Man hereupon preſume to continue in Sin? When it is agreed on both Parts; Electing Love and Reconciliation by the Death of Chriſt have moſt indiſpenſable efficacious Emanations into Holyneſs; while therefore there is a black and dark ſide of being paſs'd over by God, hanging over all, continuing in Impurity, to work upon Men by Terror and Affrightment out of Sin; why may not the ſetting out that Grace Work every way effectually, both by the Bands of Love, and the Goads of Fear, to move Perſons home to Chriſt? and we know Men are naturally deſirous of, and ever Induſtrious after, whatever they account Tokens, of what they call being Born to good Fortune; and as naturally fly from all the Marks, of what is call'd ill Fortune; I ſee therefore no Reaſon, but it ſhould ſtrongly affect Men, among whom Scripture is ſetledly receiv'd, and ſo ought to be univerſally Preached; when they hear of ſo Gracious a Choice of God, to deſire with greateſt Vehemency, to find in themſelves, any Manifeſtations of it, (it being the ſureſt Ground of Hope) and to be under the Dread of any of the black Marks of Rejection, as being paſs'd by of God; Of which Efficacious Holyneſs, or Unholineſs are reſpectively the Tokens and Indications.
And though it muſt be acknowledg'd, There is a Point of Time, in which God ſpeaking, as in the Language of Time, does ſtyle his Elect, Children of Wrath, even as others; Yet ſpeaking in the Language of Eternity, he calls them, Veſſels of Mercy, Veſſels unto Honour; And indeed whatever is looked upon as only a Motion or Ordination of Time, muſt needs ariſe from our ſelves; For all Acts of Grace are Eternal in their Spring and Fountain; Time therefore genders only to a Covenant of Works. I know not therefore, but why, as the generality of Preachers enlarge moſt upon the one, as to unconverted Elect, There may not be ſome ſtirr'd up and enabled of God, to triumph in the Savour of the Knowledg of Chriſt, made known by them in the other; while they Center upon the Eteral Election, of God demonſtrating it ſelf, in Calling, Converſion, Sanctification: But they only can do this, who have receiv'd it, as a peculiar Talent. But I doubt not, the Spirit of it will within ſhort time be pour'd out more abundantly, and that it ſhall not turn to Licentiouſneſs, but overflow with Holyneſs and Purity, as alſo Efficacy of Converſion.
The third Head I Tranſpoſe into the ſecond Place, as being more Congenial, or of a kind with the firſt; and will joyn the ſecond with the fourth and thoſe following, to Head 8th.