A Gospel Without Exhortation?

Elder (Dr.) John McClaren Watson

1798-1866

Watson wrote:

"A gospel without exhortation; without a call on the sinner to repent and believe; a gospel which does not in word address itself to all; is not the gospel which Christ ordained subordinately for the bringing in of his "other sheep."" (page 86 of "The Old Baptist Test")

What made me think again about this citation from Watson was from listening to sermons recently by Elder Bradley. I was happy to see him talk about the reasons lost people give for not accepting biblical truth and I thought about the many unregenerate souls who would be hearing him preach. I was hopeful that he was not going to restrict his address to those who were already regenerate. I was hopeful that he would give some gospel invitations to the lost, to whom at times he seemed to be speaking. But, though he came to places where the opportunity afforded itself for a direct address to the spiritual wretches in regard to what they must do to be saved, giving them direction, he failed to do it. This disappointed me. He had what Watson called a "gospel without exhortation," a message "without a call on the sinner to repent and believe." He seemed afraid to do so. He told how the sinner is lost, how he could do nothing towards his salvation, that it was all of the Lord. That was all good. But, he should not have left the sinner in that state of mind. He should have, like Spurgeon (whom Bradley admires), exhorted him to go to Christ, to receive him, and to submit to his lordship.

Paul said to one lost soul, who came asking "what must I do to be saved?"- "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31)

Watson also said:

"Let us take a practical example. We have it on record in the 13th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. When Paul and Barnabas preached at Antioch of Pisidia, had any of our ultra brethren been there and heard their zealous appeal to all those present, they would have called them Arminians." (ibid)

"Let us see: The zealous preacher calls on all to repent, earnestly, faithfully and I may add, gospelly, but alas! the old brother whose head has got wrong, whose heart has grown cold, says all cannot repent, some have not the power to do so. How does he know? Peradventure the Lord has given the power to repent to the very ones whom he has in his feelings excluded.." (page 87)

"Who of us are...sinning in propagating Protestant heresies, or Old Baptist ultraisms. We can readily see the absurdities of Romanism, the errors of many Protestant sects, and avoid them, but we do not recognize, as heresies, those hurtful ultraisms which are eating, as doth a canker, upon our very vitals as a denomination-a denomination which very justly boasts of its antiquity, and of having never acknowledged any other rule of faith and practice but that of the Bible. But some of our brethren are interpreting many of its blessed truths in such a way as to lead off their hearers from the Old Baptist platform of principles." (page 300)

My PB brothers, preach to the lost! Yes, tell them they can do nothing without Christ, but know that God will go out with your exhortation, in the case of the elect, and you will be used, like Ezekiel in raising the dead bones, to raise sinners from the grave of sin. But, don't leave the sinner hanging in despair. Tell him he must believe in Christ and become one with him if he would be saved.

The first edition of The Old Baptist Test (1855) can be read here and the revised second edition (with introduction by Elder (Dr.) R.W. Fain, 1867) can be read here.