A Conciliatory Discourse Upon Crisps Sermons, Head 10 – Head 13
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 Chriſ…, and perſervering Enmity.
If it be ſaid, There muſt be Humiliation, Wearin…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 Ʋngodly: 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, its 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.