My Hardshell brothers, Elder John M. Watson warned you in his famous book "The Old Baptist Test," the name adopted for this blog. Of the many things he warned against was one I also want to to sound the alarm about as I appeal to my "Primitive Baptist" friends in Christ. It is the loss of exhortation and gospel invitations in preaching.
It was the "Two Seeders" who first began to call all such exhortations and appeals to the unconverted as "Arminianism"; And, it was this intimidation that helped to exorcise this type of preaching from the "old school" churches so that today not one can be found that exhorts the unregenerate, or that exhorts the regenerate in things relating to their eternal salvation. Today it is all doctrinal preaching, or preaching designed to stir the emotions.
My Hardshell preacher brethren, you must address the lost if you are ever going to be blessed in your ministry to the conversion of sinners. Why not end your sermons as did the Baptists who put forth the 1689 London Confession, or as did the first Hardshells, as did Elder Grigg Thompson, who ended their sermons with exhortations, commands, and invitations to saints and sinners?
Spurgeon showed us the way! God blessed his preaching. He taught the doctrines of grace, but he also preached the gospel to sinners and exhorted them. Follow him.
If you do not do this type of preaching, the kind we see done by the prophets, Christ, and the apostles, then you will continue to die and have not the approbation of the Lord.
After I left the Hardshell cult, I enjoyed preaching like Spurgeon, ending my sermons with appeals for the audience to heed what they had heard. I have no fear of men calling such "Arminian." All I can say is "God forgive them for they know not what they do."
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