Tobias Crisp, 1600-1643, much despised and faithful exalter of Christ’s preeminence in Salvation, was born in London, and educated at Oxford and Cambridge. He became rector of Brinkworth, Wiltshire in 1627. Crisp’s chief notoriety developed almost a half century after his death when his son, Samuel, republished this collection of his sermons, entitled, “Christ Alone Exalted,” with an additional ten more sermons transcribed from Crisp’s own notes, whilst preaching at Brinkworth. Their republication in 1690, became a mighty force in separating the religious chaff of Arminianized Conditionalism from the Glorious Gospel of God’s Grace in Christ, in all its assimilating truth and indispensable doctrine as a pure declaration of free & sovereign grace – the proclamation of an accomplished redemption through the sole merit, righteousness, and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, which Crisp so skillfully was enabled to set forth. This indeed foreshadowed that great division wall of eighteenth-century Nonconformity between what was then ignorantly termed ‘high Calvinism’ and the moderate Puritan tradition which tended towards Baxter’s Neonomianism and onwards to Arminianism; and to what in this day has degenerated into nothing less than “another gospel.” II Cor.11:14.
The Sermons contained in this volume were all published after the death of Crisp, being taken from him, whilst preaching them, in short-hand-writing, and compared with his notes, or taken from them. This is the 1832 John Gill Edition, Printed by John Bennett. Completely Revised & Corrected. Being of the persuasion, that the ‘gold’ in this mine is worthy of extraction, close study and prayerful contemplation; and therefore that a more accurate transcription of its rich gospel content was needed, we send forth the following, with a sincere desire that a fresh evaluation of its contents will yield {by the blessing of the Spirit} rich dividends to souls enquiring the way to Zion; and to convince Pharisaical gainsayers of their pernicious ways in flinging ‘dirt’ upon its author.