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A Troubler Of Israel
April 30, 1830 My dear Brother, My sermon seems to be received among you much in the same manner as I expected. Nature is the same in Rutland as in Berks. I rejoice to say that the doctrines which I preach receive the very testimony which the gospel always did, and always will. You will find that scarcely three respectable people will speak well of it, and very few of the poor. But there shall be a remnant to say, "It is the truth." When I read the Scriptures, I daily discover that the little I know of the word of God is as a drop in a bucket compared to the whole. The Bible to most is a sealed book. What Ahab said to…
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Opposition To The Truth
January 30th, 1830 Dear Brother, Since I last wrote, I have preached in Abingdon Great Church, on Christmas evening, the only night in the year that it is lighted. I preached the truth, I trust, to a very crowded congregation, supposed to be (sitting and standing, who were able to get in) about 5,000 people. I pleased the believers, but very much displeased the carnally-minded, who were never so puzzled and confounded in their lives before. But even those who hate me and the truth acknowledge that the Bible has never before been so much read in Abingdon, or the Articles of our Church so much examined. I spoke the truth faithfully, and so as all could hear; but I had no idea that the…
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Persuasional Regeneration?
In an article entitled, “The Need For Persuasion In The Preaching Of The Gospel”, Peter Masters wrote: “The hyper-Calvinist regards the regenerating work of the Spirit as a total and complete work of conversion carried on in the heart by the Spirit in a direct manner...Believing that the whole of regeneration and conversion is accomplished by a direct work of the Spirit in the heart, and that repentance and faith are the fruit and evidence of a soul already saved, the preacher has no exhortation left to make!” This is a classic Reformed (Fullerite) Baptist position. I respond:[1] First, the “hyper-Calvinist” does believe the regenerating work of the Spirt is total and complete. Second, the “hyper-Calvinist” does believe that repentance and faith are the fruit…
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God’s Dealings
Some of the points covered in this sermon: • The several ways God dealt with Cain, an unregenerate and non-elect individual • The twofold purpose of God for members of the human race • The fallacy of viewing the human race under a single purpose of God • The fallacy of duty-faith, based on God’s dealings with Cain • The fallacy of the free-offer, based on God’s dealings with Cain • The fallacy of modern preachers, believing themselves wiser than God when dealing with sinners and handling His gospel • The essential value of the non-elect, demonstrated by Cain and affirmed by Romans 9, Luke 12, Luke 16 and Ecclesiastes 11 • The encouragement to think rightly about the unregenerate, especially those numbered among God’s…
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The Gospel Of Sovereign Grace
Some of the points covered in this sermon: • The twofold division of the New Testament books • The trio of gospel truth according to the first four Epistles of the New Testament • A basic outline of Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians • Highlighting a few things about the true gospel preached by Paul • Highlighting a few things about the false gospel preached by others • Highlighting a few things about the regenerate sinners in Galatia • The meaning of the term ‘gospel’ • Identifying the meaning of the gospel based on Isaiah 52 and Romans 10 • Identifying the message of the gospel based on 1 Peter 1:2 • Explaining the threefold message of the gospel—electing love of God the Father, redeeming…
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Three Branches Of True Religion (3)
Some of the points covered in this sermon: • Whether verse 22 should be interpreted as God making a statement of fact, and addressing a concern, or, God speaking with a sense of sarcasm, pointing out the folly of sin • Whether verse 23 should be interpreted as a follow up of verse 22, or a follow up of verses 16-19 • Whether verse 24 should viewed as an act of God’s judgment, prohibiting sinners from the way of the tree of life, or an act of God’s grace, opening up the way of the tree of life to sinners • How the Ark and Mercy Seat of Exodus 25:10-22 is related to the flaming sword of Genesis 3:24 • What the “garden of Eden”…
