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Subsection
Westminster Divines on the Free Offer
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Order of Contents
Historic Books 6+
Contemporary Books 3
Historical Theology 3
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Historic Books
1600’s
Durham, James – The Unsearchable Riches of Christ Buy mid-1600’s
This is a book of Durham’s sermons. See excerpts of his two very rich sermons on Isaiah 55 preaching the Sincere Free Offer of the Gospel to poor penny-less debtors.
Sedgwick, Obadiah – The Fountain Opened, and the Water of Life Flowing forth for the refreshing of thirsty sinners. Wherein is set out: Christ’s Earnest and Gracious Invitation of poor sinners to come unto the waters, his complaining expostulation with the ingratitude and folly of those who neglect so great salvation, his renewed solicitation with all earnestness and the most persuasive arguments to allure thirsty sinners to come to Christ, 1657, 476 pp. being 13 sermons on Isa. 55:1-3. Sedgwick was one of the Westminster divines.
Gale, Theophilus – Christ’s Tears for Jerusalem’s Unbelief & Ruin, Now Humbly Recommended to England’s Consideration in this Her Day of Trial & Danger (1679) 254 pp.
“Hence likewise we may collect how really and cheerfully willing Christ is to save sinners. Certainly, He that makes such bitter lamentation over the foreseen ruins of Jerusalem, must needs have a very cordial, and unfeigned will and desire of her salvation… What a pathetic expostulation is here, which carries in it notices of vehement affections?
Oh! how willing is Christ to give unto sinners the things that belong unto their peace? Yea, is He not more willing to bestow great things than small? Does not his willingness to give, infinitely exceed the sinners’ willingness to receive? Is not Christ more glad to receive poor and weary souls, than they are to come unto Him?… Is not every thing about Christ mighty drawing, alluring, and inviting?” – pp. 66-67
Flavel, John – Christ Knocking at the Door of the Sinners’ Hearts, or the Solemn Entreaty of the Savior & his Gospel in the Day of Mercy 1689 400 pp.
Fraser, James – A Treatise on Justifying Faith: wherein is Opened the Grounds of Believing, or the Sinner’s Sufficient Warrant to Hold of What is Offered in the Everlasting Gospel d. 1699 362 pp.
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1700’s
Mayhew, Experience – Grace Defended in a Modest Plea for an Important Truth, namely that the Offer of Salvation made to Sinners in the Gospel, comprises in it an Offer of the Grace Given in Regeneration, & Showing the Consistency of this Truth with the Free and Sovereign Grace of God 1744 234 pp.
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Contemporary Books
Stebbins, K.W. – Christ Freely Offered: a Discussion of the General Offer of Salvation in the Light of Particular Atonement 2nd ed. (1978; Covenanter Press, 1996) 125 pp. ToC
Stebbins was a minister in the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Australia. He writes in response to David Engelsma of the Protestant Reformed Church (p. 6).
“…the writer is concerned to preserve a full and gracious salvation, preaching Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel, as it is expressed in the [Westminster] Shorter Catechism. But on the other hand, he is concerned that this Free Offer should be Scripturally based, solely upon our Lord’s command to go into all the world and preach the gospel. The writer rejects the notion that we can only offer the gospel freely if we base it upon the error of a universal love of God, or a universal atonement.” – Foreward
Siversides, David – The Free Offer: Biblical & Reformed Buy (2005) 128 pp.
This includes a valuable, extensive anthology of excerpts from historic, reformed writers demonstrating that the Sincere Free Offer of the Gospel has always been a regular part of reformed gospel preaching.
Waldron, Sam – The Crux of the Free Offer: A Biblical, Confessional & Theological Explanation & Defense of the Well-Meant Offer of the Gospel Buy (Free Grace Press, 2019) 124 pp.
Waldron is a Calvinistic baptist.
MacLeod, Donald – Compel Them to Come In: Calvinism and the Free Offer of the Gospel Buy (Christian Focus, 2020) 160 pp.
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Historical Theology
On Calvin
Kuiper, Herman – Calvin on Common Grace (1928) 260 pp.
This is the definitive work, being an anthology of extended quotes, that Calvin explicitly and repeatedly taught throughout his writings: (1) Common grace to all men, (2) Grace to the reprobate in the Covenant of Grace, & (3) that God desires all men to embrace the gospel and be saved.
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On James Durham
Maclean, Donald – James Durham (1622-1658) & the Gospel Offer in its Seventeenth Century Context Pre Buy (2015) 311 pp.
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On Spurgeon
Murray, Ian – Spurgeon vs. Hyper-Calvinism: The Battle for Gospel Preaching Buy (1995) 179 pp.
A rich and compelling account of Spurgeon’s battle to preach and defend the Sincere Free Offer of the Gosepl on the one hand against it’s abuse by the Arminians and on the other hand against the denial of it by the hyper-calvinists of his day in 1800’s England.
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