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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28171	The common principiles of Christian religion clearly proved and singularly improved, or, A practical catechism wherein some of the most concerning-foundations of our faith are solidely laid down, and that doctrine, which is according to godliness, sweetly, yet pungently pressed home and most satisfyingly handled / by that worthy and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Hew Binning ...	Binning, Hugh, 1627-1653.; Gillespie, Patrick, 1617-1675.	1667 (1667)	Wing B2927; ESTC R33213	197,041	290

duration no end of his affection He can still say I am that I am What I was I am and I will be what I am men cannot say so they are like the Brooks that the companies of Teman looked after thought to have found them in Summer as they left them in Winter but behold they were dried up the companies ashamed God cannot make thee ashamed of thy hope because he is faithfull able Ability and Fidelity is a sure Anchor to hold by in all storms and tempests Such is God in himself now there are two manner of wayes he vents himself toward the Creatures In a comfortable way or in a terrible way This glorious perfection and Almighty power hath an issue upon sinners and it runs in a twofold channell of mercy and justice Of mercy towards miserable sinners that finds themselves lost and flee unto him and take hold of his strength and justice towards all those that flatter themselves in their own eyes and continue in their sinnes and put the evill day far off There is no mercy for such as fear not justice and there is no Justice for such as flee from it unto mercy The Lord exhibites himself in a twofold appearance according to the condition of sinners He sits on a Throne and tribunal of Grace mercy to make accesse to the vil est sinner who isafraid of his wrath and would 〈◊〉 be at peace with him and he sits on a Throne of justice and wrath to seclude and debar presumptuous sinners from his Holinesse There were two mountains under the Law one of cursings another of blessings These are the Mountains God lets his Throne upon and from these he speaks and sentences mankind From the Mountain of cursings he hath pronounced a curse condemnatory sentence upon all flesh for all have sinned therefore he concludes all under sin that all flesh might stop their mouth and the whole world become guilty before God Now the Lord having thus condemned all Mankind because of disobedience he sits again upon the Mountain of Blessings and pronounces a sentence of absolution of as many as have taken with the sentence of condemnation and appealed to his grace and Mercy and those which do not so the sentence of condemnation stands above their heads unrepealed He erects his Tribunal of Justice in the Word for this end that all flesh might once be convicted before him and therefore he cites as it were and summons all men to fift themselves and compear before his Tribunall to be judged he layes out an accusation in the Word against them he takes their consciences witnesse of the truth of all that is charged on them and then pronounces that sentence on their conscience Cursed is he that abides not in all things which the conscience subsumes and concludes it self accursed and subscribes to the equity of the sentence and thus the man is guilty before God and his mouth stopped he hath no excuses no pretences he can see no way to escape from Justice and God is justified by this means in his speaking and judging Psal. 51. 4. The soul ratifies and confirms the truth justice of all our threatnings judgements Rom. 3. 4. Now for such souls as joyn with God in judging and condemning themselves the Lord hath erected a Throne of grace Tribunall of mercy in the word whereupon he hath set his Son Jesus Christ Psal. 2. 6. and 89. 14. and 45. 6. Heb. 1. 8. And O this Throne is a comfortable Throne mercy and truth goes before the face of the King to welcome entertain miserable sinners to make access to them And from this Throne Jesus Christ holds out the Scepter of the Gospel to invite sinners self-condemned sinners to come to him alone who hath gotten all finall judgement committed to him that he may give eternall life to whom he will Ioh. 5. 21 22. O that is a sweet and ample Commission given to our Friend Brother Jesus Christ power to repeal sentences past against us power to loose them whom Justice hath bound power and authority to absolve them whom justice hath condemned and to blesse them whom the Law hath cursed to open their mouth to praise whose mouth sin and guiltinesse hath stopped power to give the answer of a good conscience to thy evill self-tormenting conscience in a word he hath power to give life to make alive and heal those who are killed or wounded by the Commandement Now I say seeing God hath of purpose established this Throne of mercy in the Word thou mayest well after receiving and acknowledging of the justice of the curse of the Law appeal to divine mercy and grace sitting on another Throne of the Gospel thou may if thy conscience urge thee to despair and to conclude there is no hope thou may appeal I say from thy conscience from Satan from Justice unto Jesus Christ who is holding out the Scepter to thee the Minister calls thee Rise and come stand no longer before that Bar for it is a subordinate Judicatory there is a way to redresse thee by a higher court of Grace Thou may say to justice to Satan to thy own Conscience It is true I confesse that I deserve that sentence I am guilty and can say nothing against it while I stand alone but though I cannot satisfie and have not yet there is one Jesus Christ who gave his life a ransom for many and whom God hath given as a propitiation for sins he hath satisfied and paid the debt in my name go and apprehend the Cautioner since he hath undertaken it nay he hath done it and is absolved Thou had him in thy hands O justice Thou had him Prisoner under the power of death since you have let him go then he is acquited from all the charge of my sins therefore since I know that he is now a King hath a Throne to judge the world and plead the cause of his poor sheep I will appeal to him refer the cause to his decision I will make my supplication to him and certainly he will hear and interpole himself between wrath and me he will rescind this sentence of condemnation since he himself was condemned for us and is justified it is Christ that died nay rather is risen again who shal condemn me He is near that justifies me Rom. S. 33. 34. Now i●… thou do indeed flee into him for refuge that City is open for thee and nothing to prejudge thy entry but no curse no condemnation can enter in it Rom. 8. 1. He will justifie absolve thee from all things whereof the Law could not justifie thee but condemn thee there is forgivenness with him that he may be feared David may teach thee this manner of appellation Ps. 130. 142. 2. of appealing from the deserved curse to free undeserved blessing mercy in Christ. Let us consider this Name of the Lord and it shall answer all our suspicions

not his whole soul to God cannot truly ingage any part of it to him p. 23. SERMON III. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Of the Scriptures THat which most men seek is not true happiness p. 24 The principles of reason and light of nature are become so dark that they cannot direct us in the path-way to everlasting blessedness p. 25 The authority of the Scriptures divine p. 26 How the Apostles and Prophets knew that they spake truth and how men may be perswaded that the Scriptures are the Word of God ibid. The simplicity and plainness of the Scripture p. 27 The Spirit of God must open a mans eyes before he understand the Scriptures p. 28 The Utility of the Scriptures p. 29 The Scriptures a Doctrine of Eternal life p. 30 The sharpness of the Scripture mingled with sweetness p. 31 Some cannot hear the word of reproof others prefer their own vain imaginations to the Word of God p. 32 33 SERMON IV. Joh. 5. 39. Eph. 2. 20. Of the Scriptures THe Lamp of the Word without and the light of the Spirit within necessary for directing us in the way to eternal life p. 34 Why the multitude find no sweetnes in the Scriptures p. 35 How eternal life is to be found in the Scripture p. 36 It may commend the Scriptures to us that Eternal life is to be found in them p. 37 We are to lay this present perishing life in the ballance with eternal life and compare both the happiness and miseries of this life with eternal blessedness p. 38 Many groundlessely fancy that they have a right to everlasting life p. 39 Most of the Hearers of the Gospel have either to knowledge at all or nothing but knowledge p. 40 Life Eternal is no where to be found out but of Jesus Christ. p. 41 42 Some foolishly think that if they do all they can then God ought to be pleased p 43 Christ the only pacificatory sacrifice p. 44 Christ is either the subject or end of all that is in the Scriptures p. 45 The march which divides between heaven and hell is coming to Christ. p. 45 46 The necessity of searching the Scriptures and what search it must be p. 47 The Rule whereby to measure our profiting in the Scriptures p. 48 49 SERMON V. Eph. 2. 20. Of the Scriptures BElievers the Temple of the living God p. 50 Christ in the Scriptures a sure foundation to build upon all other foundations sandy and unsure p. 51 How firm and stable a foundation the Word of the Lord is p. 52 A Promise layes an obligation on the Promiser which a command doth not on the commander p. 53 All the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ. ibid The chief point of Obedience is faith and what that is p 54 Christ is the Corner-stone as well as the foundation which should strongly perswade Christians to an union in Affection p. 55 What kind of foundation Christ is ibid. Some prefer their own imaginations to the Word of the Lord under the dark notion of new light p. 56 Many have nothing but the word of man for the foundation of their Faith p. 57. SERMON VI. 2 Tim. 1 13. Of the Scriptures ALL Religion may be reduced to these two what we are to believe and what we ough to do p. 58 God manifests himself differently to Man according to his different state p. 59 60 The marvellousness of mercy in saving of lost sinners p. 61 62 What manner of Persons Believers ought to be p. 63 64 ●…belief ruined man at first p. 65 A twofold mistake of the nature of Faith ibid. What course a soul is to take who questions its interest p. 66 67 The mistake of the nature of Faith leads many well-meaning persons into labyrinth p. 68 What Faith is p 69 What a soul ought to do that is sentenced by the law ibid. The faith of a Christian no fancy p. 70 71 Love is unitive and operative ibid. Love is put for all obedience and how it is the fulfilling of the. p. 72 God is pleased with no service that proceeds not from love and why p. 73 74 How to attain to the distinct knowledge of our love to God and the way to increase it p. 75 Who cannot hold fast the truth p. 76 When man lost his holiness he could not retain his happiness ibid. The necessity of holding fast the form of sound words and of forbearing strange words p. 77 SERMON VII and VIII Exod. 3. 13 14. Of the Name of God IT is impossible to declare what God is p. 78 How we may know that there is a God ibid. Naturall men are Atheists p. 79 God's Name a mystery that cannot be conceived or expressed p. 80 81 82 83. This name I AM THAT I AM imports his unsearchableness p. 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 His absolutness and soveraignity p. 94 His unchangeableness and Eternity p. 95 96 97 How impossible it is for a mortall creature to find out God to perfection yet so much may be known of him as is sufficient to teach us our duty and ma●… us happy in obedience p. 98 99 The saving knowledge of God a self-emptying and self-abasing thing p. 100 101 Why God hath called himself by so many names ibid. SERMON IX Exod. 24. 5 6 7. What God is to us GOD is loath to depart even when he is provoked to go away p. 102 103 114 Infirmity and iniquity puts us into an incapacity of nearness with God p. 105 106 It is God himself who only can teach a soul to know what he is p. 107 One who considers how al-sufficient God is how empty and insufficient all other things are must needs cleave to him p. 108 God vents himself towards the creatures either in a way of Justice or Mercy p. 109 There is a Tribunall of Justice and a Throne of Mercy erected in the word so that every sentenced sinner may appeal from the Bar of Justice to Christ Jesus sitting on the Throne of Mercy p. 110 111. The Name of the Lord rightly considered is sufficient to answer all possible objections that a sinner can make against coming to Christ and what those objections are p. 112 113 114 115 116 117 Many souls suck delusion and destruction out of the sweet and saving Promises of life which are held forth in the Gospel p. 118 119. SERMON X. Joh. 4. 24. What God is THe knowledge of what God is presupposed to all true worship Christian walking p. 120 How mishapen apprehensions we have of God p. 121 That God is a spirit shews us that he is not like any visible thing p. 122 That he is invisible dwels in light inaccessible ib. That he is most perfect most powerful p. 123 124 That he cannot be circumscribed by any place p. 125 And there is no comprehension of his knowledge p. 126 127 It were of excellent use and advantage for us to be all the day in the faith of Gods infinite

the Kings Statute and Law if it vary in any thing from his intention it s not valid and binding I beseech you take the Scriptures for the Rule of your walking or else you will wander the Scripture is Regula regulans a ruling Rule If you be not acquainted with It you must follow the opinions or examples of other men and what if they lead you unto destruction Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for in them c. Eph. 2. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles AS in darknesse there is need of a Lanthorn without and the light of the eyes within for neither can we see in darknesse without some Lamp though we have never so good eyes nor yet see without eyes though in never so clear a Sun-shine So there is absolute need for the guiding of our feet in the dangerous and dark paths to Eternall life that is full of pits and snares of the Lamp or Wood written or preached without us and the illumination of the holy Ghost within us These are conjoyned Isa. 56. 21. This is my Covenant the spirit that is upon thee and the words that I have put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor the mouth of thy seed c. There are words without and there must needs be a Spirit within which makes us to behold the truth and grace contained in these words There is a Law written without with pen and ink and there is a Law written within upon the heart with the Spirit of the living God The Law without is the Patern and exact copy the Law within is the Transcript or the Image of God upon the heart framed and fashioned according to the similitude of it 2 Cor. 3. 3. Heb. 8. 10. So then there needs be no more question about the Divine Authority of the Scriptures among those who have their senses exercised to descern between good and ill than among men who see and taste concerning light and darknesse sweet bitter The perswasion of a Christian is fetched deeper than the reasons of men their faith is the evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not seen it s an eye a supernaturall eye whereby a soul beholds that Majesty and excellency of God shinning in the word which though it shine about the rest of the World yet it 's not seen because they cannot know it nor descern it Wonder not that the multitude of men cannot believe the report that is made that there is so few who find any such excellency and sweetnesse in the Gospel as is reported because saith Isai. 53. 1. the arm of the Lord is not revealed to them the hand of God must first write on their heart ere they understand the Writtings of the Scriptures his arm must creat an eye in their souls an eternal light before it can behold that glorious brightnesse of Gods shinning in the word The word is Gods testimony of himself of his grace and mercy and good-will to mankind Now no man can receive this testimony unlesse it be sealed and confirmed by the holy Ghost into the heart saith Peter We are his witnesses of these things and so also is the holy Ghost whom God hath given to those that obey him Acts 5. 32. The word witnesses to the ear and the spirits testifieth to our spirits the truth and worth of that and therefore the spirit is a seal and a witnesse The word is the Lord's voice to his own Children Bastards cannot know it but my sheep hear my voice Joh. 10 4. 16. You know no difference between the bleeting of one sheep and another but the poor lambs know their mothers voice there is a secret instinct of nature that is more powerfull than many marks and signs Even so those that are begotten of God know his voice they descern that in it which all the world that hear it cannot descern there is a sympathy between their souls and that living Word that word is the immortall seed they are begotten of and there is a naturall instinct to love that and to mediate in it such an inclination to it as in new born babes to the breasts so the Children of God do desire the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby a●… they were born of it 1 Pet. 2. 2. In these Scriptures which we read in your audience you have something of their excellency and our duty there is a rich jewel in them a precious pearl in that field even Jesus Christ and in him eternall life and therefore we ought to search the Scriptures for this jewel to dig in the field for this pearl the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles is a sure foundation whereupon souls may build their eternall felicity and the hope of it Jesus Christ is the very chief stone in that foundation whereupon the weight of all the Saints and all their hope hangs And therefore we ought to lean the weight of our Souls only to this truth of God and build our faith only upon it and square our practice only by it We shal speak something of the first that it may be a spurre to the second The Jews had some respective opinion of the word of God they knew that in them waseternall life they thought it a Doctrine of life and happinesse and so cryed up Moses Writtings but they would not believe Christs words they erred not understanding the Scriptures and so set the Writtings of Moses Law at variance with the preaching of Christs Gospel What a pittyfull mistake was this they thought they had eternall life in the Scriptures and yet they did not receive nor acknowledge him whom to know was eternall life therefore our Lord Jesus sends them back again to the Scriptures go and search them you think and you think well that in then you may find the way to eternall life but while you seek it in them you mistake it These Scriptures testifie of me the end of the Law but you cannot behold the end of that Ministry because of the blindnesse of your hearts Rom. 10. 3. 2 Cor. 3. 14. Therefore search again unfold the ceremonies I am wrapt in them and life eternall with me dig up the Law till you find the bottome of Gods purpose in it till you find the end of the Ministration and you shal find me the way and truth and life and so you shal have that eternall life which now you do but think you have and are beguiled While you seek it out of me in vain you think you have it for it is not in the Scriptures but because they testifie of me the life and the light of men May not this now commend the word to us Eternall life is in it Other Writings and discourses may tickle the ears with some pleasing eloquence but that is vanishing it s but like a Musitians voice some may represent some petty momentary advantage but how soon shal an end be put till all that so that within

therefore when once Divine truth gets entry into the heart of a man and becomes one with his will and affection it will quickly command the whole man to practise and execute and then he that receiveth the truth in Love is found a walker in the truth Many persons captivate truth in their understandings as the Gentiles did they held or detained it in unrighteousnesse but because it hath no liberty to descend into the heart possesse that Garrison it cannot command the man But O it's better to be truths captive then to captive truth saith the Apostle ye obeyed from the heart the truth to which ye were delivered Rom. 6. O a blessed captivity to be delivered over to truth that is indeed freedome for truth makes free Ioh. 8. And it makes free where it is in freedome give it freedome to command thee and it shal indeed deliver thee from all strange Lords and thou shalt obey it from the heart when it is indeed in the heart When the truth of God whether promises or threatnings or commands are impressed into the heart you shal find the expressions of them in the conversation Faith is not an empty assent to the truth but a receiving of it in love when the truth is received in love then it begins to work by love Faith works by love saith Paul Gal. 5. 6. That now is the proper nature of its operation which expresses its own nature Obedience proceeding from love to God flowes from Faith in God and that shews the true and living nature of that Faith If the soul within receive the seal and impression of the truth of God it will render the image of that same truth in all its actions Love is put for all obedience it s made the very summe and compend of the Law and fulfilling of it for the truth is it s the most effectual and constraining principle of obedience and withall the most sweet pleasant The love of Christ constrains us to live to him not henceforth to our selves 2 Cor. 5. 15. As I said a man and his will is one if you ingage it you bind all if you gain it it will bring all with it As it is the most ready way to gain any party to engage their head whom they follow and upon whom they depend let a mans love be once gained to Christ the whole train of the souls faculty of the outward senses and operations will follow upon it It was an excellent and pertinent question that Christ asked Peter when he was going away if Peter had considered Christs purpose in it he would not have been so hasty and displeased Peter lovest thou me then feed my sheep If a man love Christ he will certainly study to please him and though he should do never so much in obedience it s no pleasure except it be done out of love O this and more of this in the heart would make Ministers feed well and teach well and would make people obey well If ye love me keep my commands Love devouts and consecrats all that is in a man to the pleasure of him whom he loves therefore it fashions and conforms one even against nature to anothers humor and affection it constrains not to live to our selves but to him its joy delight is in him and therefore all is given up resigned to him Now as it is certain that if you love much you will do much so it is certain that little is accepted for much that proceeds from love therefore our poor maimed and halting obedience is called the fulfilling of the law he is well pleased with it because love is ill pleased withit love thinks nothing too much all too little and therefore his love thinks any thing frō us much since love would give more he accepts that which is given the lovers mite cast into the Treasure is more then ten times so much outward obedience from another man He meets love with love if the souls desire be towards the love of his name if love offer thogh a farthing his love receiving it counts it a Crown love offering a present of duty finds many imperfections in it and covers any good that is in it seems not to regard it and then beholds it as a recompence his love receiving the present from us covers a multitude of infirmities that are in it And thus what in the desire and endeavour of love on our part and what in the acceptation of what is done on his part love is the fulfilling of the Law It s an usuall proverb all things are as they are taken Love is the ●…ulfilling of the Law because our loving Father takes ●…t so he takes as much delight in the poor childrens willingnesse as in the more aged's strength the offer ●…nd endeavour of the one pleaseth him as well as the ●…erformance of the other The love of God is the fulfilling of the Law for it 〈◊〉 a living Law it is the Law written on the heart it is ●…e Law of a spirit of life within Quis legem detamen ●…bus major lexamor sibi ipsi est You almost need not prescribe any rules or let over the head of love the authority and pain of a command for it is a greater Law to it self it hath within its own bosome as deep an engagement and obligation to any thing that may please God as you can put upon it for it is in it self the very engagement and bond of the soul to him This it is indeed which will do him service and that is the service which he likes it is that only serves him constantly and pleasantly and constantly it cannot serve him which doth it not pleasantly for it is delight only that makes it constant Violent motions may be swift but not durable they last not long fear and terrour is a kind of externall impulse that may drive a soul swiftly to some duty but because that is not one with the soul it cannot endure long it s not good company to the soul. But Love making a duty pleasant becomes one with the soul it incorporates with it and becomes like its nature to it that though it should not move so swiftly yet it moves more constantly And what is love but the very motion of the soul to God! and so till it have attained that to be in him it can find no place of rest Now this is only the service that he is pleased with which comes from love because he sees his own image in it for love in us it s nothing else but the impression and stamp that Gods love to us makes on the heart it 's the very reflection of that sweet warm beam so then when his love reflects back unto himself carrying our heart and duty with it he knoweth his own superscription he loves his own Image in such a duty He that loveth me and continueth in my love I will love him and I and my Father will come and

Lord in his infinite goodness love to add a promise and threatning to that Law Command so turnes it to the nature of a voluntary Covenant and agreement vvhereby he doth mitigate and sweeten his Authority and Power and condescends so low to man as to take on himself a greater obligation than he puts upon man Do this and thou shalt live He might then out of his absolutenesse power have required at the creatures hand any termes he pleased even the hardest could be imagined and yet no injustice in him he might have put Laws on men to restrain all their naturall liberty and in every thing to proclaim nothing but his own supremacy But O vvhat goodnesse and condescension is even in the very matter of the Law then in the manner of prescribing it vvith a promise In the matter so just equitable to convince all mens consciences yea even engraven on their hearts that he layes not many burdens on but vvhat mens consciences must lay on themselves that there is nothing in it all when summed up harder than this love God most of all thy neighbour as thy self which all men must proclaim to be due though it had not been required And but one precept added by his meer Will vvhich yet was so easie a thing as it was a wonder the Lord of all put no other conditions on the creature And then for the manner that it is propounded in Covenant-wise with a promise not to expect the creatures consent for it did not depend on his acception he being bound to accept any termes his Lord propounded but because the matter and all was so equitable the conditions so ample that if it had been propounded to any rational man he would have consented with an admiration at Gods goodnesse Indeed if we speak strictly there cannot be a proper Covenant between God and man there is such an infinite distance between such unequal parties our obedience and performance being absolutely in his power we cannot promise it as our own and it being but our duty we cannot crave or expect a reward in justice neither can he owe any thing to the creature yet it pleased his Majesty to propound it in these termes and to stoop so low unto mens capacities and as it were come off the throne of his Soveraignty both to repuire such duties of men and to promise unto them such a free reward and the reasons of this may be plain upon Gods part upon ours in such dealing he consulted his own glory mans good His own glory I say is manifested in it chiefly the glory of his goodnesse love that the most High comes down so low as to article with his own foot-stool that he changes his absolute right into a moderate and temperate Government and tempers his Lordly truly Monarchicall power by such a commix●…ure of gentlenesse goodnesse in requiring nothing but what man behoved to call reasonable and due and in promising so much as no crea●…ure could challenge any title of it When the Law was promulgate Do this Eat not of this Tree Adams conscience behoved to say Amen Lord all is due all the reason in the Word for it But when the promise is added the Trumpet sounds longer thou shalt live O more than reason more then is due must his conscience say It vvas reason that the most high Lord should use his foot-stool as his foot-stool set his servant in the place of a servant and so keep distance from him But how strange is it that he humbles himself to make friendship with man to assume him in a kind of familiarity equality And this Christ is not forgetfull of vvhen he restores men he puts them in all their former dignities I call you not servants but friends Next his wisdome doth appear in this that when he had made a reasonable creature he takes a way of dealing suitable to his Nature to bring forth willing and free obedience by the perswasion of such a reward and the terror of such a punishment He most wisely did inclose the will of man as it were one both sides with hedges of punishment and reward which might have been a sufficient defence or guard against all the irruptions of contrary perswasions that man might continue in obedience and that when he went to the right hand or left he might be kept in by the hope of such an ample promise the fear of such a dreadfull threatning But then the righteousnesse of God doth appear in this for there is nothing doth more illustrate the justice of the Judge then when the Malefactor hath before consented to such a punishment in case of transgression when the Law is confirmed by the consent and approbation of man now he has man subscribing already to his judgment and so all the world must stop their mouth and become guilty in case of transgression of such a righteous command after such warning But in the next place it s no lesse for mans good What a honour and dignity was put upon man when he was taken into friendship with God To be in covenant of friendship with a King O what a dignity is it accounted And some do account it a great priviledge to be in company and converse with some eminent and great person But may not man say vvith the Psalmist Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the Son of man that thou visitest him Psal. 8. Again what way more fit and sutable to stir up and constrain Adam unto a vvilling and constant obedience When he had the encouragement of such a gracious reward the determent of such a fearfull punishment Between these two banks might the silver streams of obedience have run for ever vvithout breaking over He was bound to all though nothing had been promised But then to have such a hope what spirits might it adde to him The Lord had been free upon mans obedience either to continue him his happy estate or to denude him of it or to annihilate him there was no obligation lying on him but now what confirmation might man have by looking upon the certain recompence of reward When God brings himself freely under an Obligation of a Promise and so ascertains it to his soul vvhich he could never have dreamed of gives him liberty to challenge him upon his faithfulnesse to perform it And then lastly there was no way so fit to commend God and sweeten him unto his soul as this Adam knew that his goodnesse could not extend to God that his righteousnesse could not help him nor his wickednesse hurt him and so could expect nothing from his exact obedience but now vvhen Gods goodnesse doth so overflow unto the creature and the Lord takes pleasure to communicate himself to make others happy though he had need of none O how must it ingage the heart of man to a delightfull remembrance and converse vvith