Sermons of Tobias Crisp

New Complete & Unabridged Edition (2014)

Regarding these Sermons

Only a few months after Crisp died in 1643 were published, by his dear friend and follower, Robert Lancaster, a small collection {14 messages} of his Sermons, published under the title “Christ Alone Exalted,” {as this was their central theme,} and over the next 3 years {1643-46} where published two additional volumes, with recommendatory prefaces by Mr. Robert Lancaster, Mr. George Cockayn, and Mr. Henry Pinnell, forty-two of these Sermons being delivered, in or near London, in the early 1640’s. These messages were all taken down in short-hand writing, during their delivery, and compared with Crisp’s own sermon notes, or taken from them; and as they were not designed, nor prepared for the press by the Author, they, no doubt, thus appearing in this unadorned dress, would have most likely been, if Crisp had been given the opportunity, edited and enhanced in a way, as to clarify some of their phraseology, and to further develop and expound their theme. In 1690, a new edition of these Sermons was printed, with an addition of ten more taken from the Author’s notes, by his son Samuel Crisp; and again in 1755 by John Gill.

Why a New Edition?

Having just embarked upon a third journey thru the Sermons of Tobias Crisp, we were struck, as on former occasions with the numerous misspelled words, incomplete sentences and scriptural references that took you nowhere; a few of which dating all the way back to the 1690 Edition, and consequently copied over in the 1832 Gill Edition, Printed by John Bennett; and henceforth further butchered in subsequent Republications. Therefore we thought it a worthy venture to attempt to correct some of these ‘print’ errors as the work unfolded before us, though mindful of the fact that any attempt to strain out every ‘dead fly’ which caused this “ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor” will require a larger field of perception than what we stand endowed with; but nevertheless, 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 is 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.