Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	person_n	soul_n	union_n	4,231	5	9.6219	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

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

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

see his face in ioy Certainly it had been altogether impossible if our Lord Jesus Christ had not come who is the light and life of men the Father shines on him and the beams of his love reflects upon us from the Sun The love of God and his favourable countenance that cannot meet with us in a direct and immediate beam they fall on us in this blessed compasse by the intervention of a Mediator We are rebels staning at distance with God Christ comes between a Mediator and Peace-maker to reconcile us to God God is in Christ reconciling the World God first makes an union of Natures with Christ and so he comes near to us down to us who could not come up to him and then he sends out the Word of Reconciliation the Gospel the tenor wherof is this 1 Ioh. 1. 3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye may have fellowship with the Father and his Son It is a voice of peace and invitation to the fellowship of God Behold then the happinesse of man is th●…very end and purpose of the Gospel Christ is the repairer of the breaches the second Adam aspired to quicken what Adam killed He hath slain the emnity and cancelled the hand-writing that was against us and so made peace by the blood of his crosse and then having removed all that out of the way he comes and calls us unto the fellowship which we were ordained unto frō our Creation We who are rebels are called to be friends I call you not servants but friends It is a wōder that the creature should be called a friend of God but O great wonder that the rebell should be called a friend and yet that is not all we are called to a nearer union to be Sons of God this is our priviledge Ioh. 1. 12. This is a great part of our fellowship with the Father and his Son we are the Fathers children and the Sons brethren acd if children then heirs and heirs of God and if brethren then co-heirs with Christ Rom. 8. 17. Thus the Union is begun again in Christ but as long as sin dwels in our mortall bodies it is not perfect there is alwayes some separation and some enmity in our hearts so there is neither ful seeing of God for we know but in part and we see darkly nor full enjoying of God for we are saved by hope we live by faith and not by fight But this is begun which is the seed of eternall communion we are here partakers of the Divine Nature Now then it must aspire unto a more perfect union with God whose Image it is And therefore the Soul of a Believer is here still in motion towards God as his element There is here an union in affection but not compleated in fruition affectu non effectu the soul pants after God Whom have I in heaven or earth but thee My ●…esh and my heart faileth a believing soul looksupon God as its only portion accounts nothing misery but to be separated from him nothing blessednesse but to be one with him this is the Load-stone of the affections and desires the Center which they move towards and in which they will rest It is true indeed that oftentimes our hearts our flesh faileth us we become ignorant and brutish our affections cleave to the earth and tentations with their violence turn our souls towards another end than God as there is nothing more easily moved and turned wrong then the needle that is touched with the Adamant yet it settles not in such a posture it recovers it self and rests never till it look towards the North and then it is fixed even so tentations and the corruptions and infirmities of our hearts desturb our spirits easily and wind them about from the Lord towards any other thing but yet we are continuing with him and he keeps us with his right hand and therefore though we may be moved yet we shal not be greatly commoved we may fall but we shal rise again he is the strength of our heart and therefore he will turn our heart about again and fix it upon its own portion Our Union here consists more in his holding of us by his power then our taking hold of him by faith Power and good-will encamps about both faith and the soul we are kept by his power through faith 1 Pet. 1. And thus he will guide the soul and still be drawing it nearer to him from it self from sin and from the world till he receive us into Glory and untill we be one as with the Father and the Son he in us and we in him that we may be made perfect in one as it is in the words read This is strange a greater unity and fuller enjoyment a more perfect fellowship then ever Adam in his innocency would have been capable of what soul ca conceive it What tongue expresse it None cann for it's that which eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor entered into Mans heart to concive We must suspend the knowledge of it till we have experience of it Let us now believe it and then we shal find it There is a mutual inhabitation which is wonerfull Persons that dwel one with another have much society and fellowship but to dwel one in another is a strange thing I in them and they in me and therefore God is often said to dwel in us and we to dwel in him But that which makes it of all most wonderful and incomprehensible is that glorious unity and communion between the Father and the Son which it is made an Embleme of As thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Can you conceive that unity of the Trinity Can you imagine that reciprocall inhabitation that mutuall communion between the Father and the Son No it hath not entered into the heart to conceive it Only thus much we know that it is most perfect it is most glorious so much we may apprehend of this unity of the Saints with God O love is an uniting and transforming thing God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him He dwelleth in us by love this makes him work in us and shine upon us love hath drawn him down from his seat of Majesty to visite poor Cottages of sinners Isa. 66. 1 2. 15 47. And it is that love of God reflecting upon our souls that carries the soul upward to him to live in him and walk with him O how doth it constrain a soul to live to him and draw it from it self 2 Cor. 5. 15. Then the more unity with God the more separation from our selves the world the nearer God the farther from our selves the farther from ourselves the more happy and the more unity with God the more unity among our selves among the brethren of our family Because we are not fully one with our Father

the ugly face of disobedience and rebellion vers 19. Whereby man draweth himself from his allegiance due to his Maker and shaketh off the yoke in reproach of the most High Next you may behold the vile and abominable ●…ace of ingratitude and unthankfulnesse in it and truly heathens have so abhorred unthankfulnesse towards men that they could not digest the reproach of it Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris If you cal me unthankful your may cal me anything or all things it s a compend of al vices It s even iniquity grown to maturity and 〈◊〉 But that such a fruit should grow out of such a holy and good spyle so wel dressed and manured by the Lord was a wonder Lord what is man that thou so magnified him and made him a little lower tha●… the Angels That thou put all things sublunary under his feet and exalted him above them For that creature chosen and elected from among all to be his minion to stand in his presence adorned beautified with such gifts and graces magnified with such glorious priviledges made according to the most excellent pattern His own Image to ●…orget all forget so soon and when he had such a spacious Garden to make use of as is supposed to make up the third part of the earth to eat of no fruit but that which was forbidden there is no such monstrous ingratitude can be imagined as here was acted But then consider the two fountains from which this flowed unbelief and pride ye shal find it the heaviest sin in the world unbelief of his word and threatning first he was brought to question it and doubt of it then to deny it A Word so solemnly and particularly told him by the truth it self that ever a question of it could arise in his mind to get entry what else was it than to impute iniquity to the Holy One And that iniquity or falshood and lying which his nature most abhors What was it to blaspheme the most High and faithful God by hearkning to the suggestions of his enemy and credit them more then the threatning of God To give the very flat contradiction to God we shal not die and to assent so heartily to Sathans slanders and reproaches of God And this unbelief opened a door to ambition and bride the most sacrilegious ingredient of all which is most opposite to God and unto which he most opposed himself from the beginning You shal be like gods Was he not happy enough already according to Gods Image Nay but this evil principle would arise up to the throne of God and sit down in his stead Pride hath Atheism in it to deny the true God yet would be a god it self For the foot-stool to lift up it self thus what an indignity was it indeed this wretched aime at so high an estate hath thrown us down as low as hell You see then how injurious this transgression was to God There was disobedience and rebellion in it which denies his dominion and supremacy there was unthankfulnesse in it denying his goodness and bounty there was unbelief in it contradicting his truth and faithfulnesse finally pride opposing it self to all that is in God reaching up to his very crown of Majesty to take it off You see then what you are guilty of in being guilty of Adams transgression many of you flatter your selves in your own eyes that ye have not done much evil and yee will justifie your selves in your comparisons with others But I beseech you consider this though you had never done personally good or evil here that which drowned the World in misery is your sin and charged upon you you are guilty of that which ruined all mankind and makes the Creation subject to vanity corruption O if ye believe this ye would find more need of the second Adam than ye do O how precious would this righteousnesse and obedience be to you if ye had rightly apprehended your interest in the first mans disobedience But besides this imputation there is much more propagated unto all and that is a total corruption and depravation of nature in soul body whereby man is utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite unto all that is truly and spiritually good and wholly inclined to all evil that continually which is commonly called Original sin A total aversenesse from God and from al goodnesse an antipathy against the wayes of holinesse a propension strong impulse towards evil even as a stone move downward This poyson contagion of sin entering into the world hath infected al gone through all the members Neither is it any wonder it be so whē this leprosie hath defiled the wals roof of the house I mean hath made the Creation subject to vanity and corruption It is no wonder that it spread abroad in his issue and makes al unclean like himself And truly this is it which most abases mans nature and being seen would most humble men yea til this be discerned no man can be indeed humbled he will never apprehend himself so bad as he is but still imagine some excellency in himself til he s●…e himself in this glasse You talk of good natures and good dispositions but in our flesh saith the Apostle dwels no good thing the seed of all wickednesse are in every one of us its the goodness of God for preserving humane society that they are restrained and kept down in any from the grossest out-breakings They know not themselves who know any good of themselves and they know not themselves who either are in admiration at or in bitterness or in contempt against other sinners whose sins are manifest to all This were the only way to profite by looking on others evils if we could straight way retire within and behold the root of that in our sevles the fountain of it within us and so grow in loathing not of these persons but of humane nature and in suitable thoughts of our selves others might wonder at the goodnesse and undeserved bounty of the Lord that passes an act of restraint upon our corruption dammes it up Oh that we could learn to loath our selves in other mens evils thus we might reap good out of the evil and prevent more in our selves But the looking upon grosse provocations as singularities make them more general because every man does not charge himself with the corruption that is in all these but prefers himself to another therefore are reins loosed to corruption a sluce opened that it may come out that he who would not see his own Image in another mans face may behold it in the glasse of his own abominations There is no point lesse believed than this though generally confessed that man is dead in sins and trespasses impotent to help himself You will hardly take with wickednesse when you confesse weaknesse as if nature were only sick but not dead hurt but not killed therefore it is

creature but it had some ingravings of God upon it some curious draughts and lineaments of his Power Wisdome and goodnesse upon it and therefore the Heavens are said to shew forth his glory c. But whatever they have it is but the lower part of that image some dark shaddows and resemblances of him but that which is the last of his works he maketh it according to his own image tanquam ab ultima manu he therein gives out himself to be read and seen of all men as in a glasse other creatures are made as it were according to the similitude of his footstep ad similitudinem vestigii but man ad similitudinem faciei according to the likenesse of his face in our image after our likenesse It is true there is one only Jesus Christ his Son who is the brightnesse of his glory and the express substantiall image of his person who resembleth him perfectly and throughly in all properties so that he is alter idem another-self both in nature properties operations so like him that he is one with him so that it is rather an onenesse than a likenesse but man he created according to his own Image and gave him to have some likenesse to himself likenesse I say not samenesse or onenesse That is high indeed to be like God The notion and expression of it imports some strange thing how could man be like God who is infinite incomprehensible whose glory is not communicable to another It is true indeed in these incommunicable properties he hath not only no equal but none to liken him in these he is to be adored admired as infinitely transcending all created perfections conceptions but yet in others he has been pleased to hold forth himself to be imitated and followed and that this might be done he first stamps them upon man in his first moulding of him if ye would know what these are particularly the Apostle expresses them Col. 3. 10. in knowledge in rightousnesse and holinesse Eph. 4. 24. This is the Image of him who created him which the Creator stamped on man that he might seek him and set him apart for himself to keep communion with him and to bless him There is a spirit given to man with a capacity to know and to will And here is a draught and lineament of Gods face which is not engraven on any sensitive creature It is one of the most noble and excel●…ent operations of life in which a man is most above beasts to reflect upon himself his Creator There ●…re naturall instincts given to other things naturall ●…ropensions to those things that are convenient to ●…heir own nature but none of them have so much ●…s a capacity to know what they are or what they ●…ave they cannot frame a notion of him who ●…ave them a beeing but are only proportionate ●…o the discerning of some sensible things and can ●…each no further He hath limited the eye within co●…ours and light he hath set a bound to the care that 〈◊〉 cannot act without sounds and so every sense he ●…ath assigned his own proper stanse in which it moves ●…ut he teaches man knowledge and he enlarges the ●…hear of his understanding beyond visible or sensible ●…hings to things invisible to spirits this capacity ●…e hath put in the soul to know all things and it self ●…mong the rest the eye discerns light but sees not it ●…lf but he gives a Spirit to man to know himself and ●…is God and then there is a willing power in the soul by which it diffuses it self towards any thing that is conceived as good the understanding directing and the will-commanding according to its direction and then the whole faculties and senses obeying such commands which makes up an excellent draught of the image of God There was a sweet proportion and harmony in Adam all was in due place and subordination the motions of immortall man did begin within the lamp of reason did shine give light unto it till that went before here was no stirring no chusing or refusing when reason which was one sparkle of the divine nature or a ray of Gods light reflected into the soul of man when once that did appear to the discerning of good evil this power was in the soul to apply the whole man accordingly to chose the good and refuse the evil it had not been a lively resemblance of God to have a power of knowing and willing simply unlesse these had been beautified and adorned with supernaturall and divine graces of spiritual light and holinesse righteousnesse these make up the lively colour and compleat the image of God upon the soul. There was a Divine Light which did shine in upon the understanding ever till sin interposed Eclipsed it and from the light of Gods countenance did the sweet heat warmnesse of holinesse uprightnesse in the affections proceed so that there was nothing but purity and cleannesse in the soul no darknesse of ignorance no muddinesse of carnall affections but the soul pure and transparent to receive the refreshing and enlightning rayes of Gods glorious countenance and this was the very face and beauty of the soul it is that only that is the beauty and excellency of the creature conformity to God this was throughout in understanding and affections the understanding conformed to his understanding discerning between good and evil and conformed it behoved to be for it was ou●… a ray of that Sun a stream of that fountain of wisdom and a light derived from that primitive light of Gods understanding and then the will did sympathize as much with his will approving and chusing what he approved refusing that which he hated I dem velle atque idem nolle ea demum firma est amicitia that was the conjunction and it is more strict than any ●…ye among men there was not two wills they were as it were one the love of God reflecting into the soul did as it were carry the soul back again unto him that was the conforming principle which fashioned the whole man without and within ●…o his likenesse to his obedience Thus man was ●…ormed for communion with God this likenesse behoved to be or they could no joyn as friends But now this calls us to a sad meditation to think ●…om whence we have fallen and so how great our fall ●…s to fall from such a blessed estate that must be great misery Sathan hath spoyled us of our rich treasure ●…hat glorious image of holinesse And hath drawn ●…pon our souls the very visage of hell the lineaments ●…f his hellish countenance but the most part of men 〈◊〉 stupid insensible of any thing as beasts that are fel●…d with their fall that can neither find pain nor rise 〈◊〉 we could but return and consider what are all those ●…d and woefull consequences of sin in the world what 〈◊〉 strange distemper it hath put in the Creation What

that God As his authority should imprint reverence so his goodnesse thus manifested should engrave confidence And thus the life of man vvas not only a life of obedience but a life of pleasure and delight not only a holy but a happy life yea happy in holinesse Now as it was Pauls great businesse in preaching to ride marches between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works to take men off that old broken ship to this sure plank of grace that is offered by Jesus Christ to drowning souls So it would be our great work to shew unto you the nature of this Covenant and the terms thereof that you may henceforth find and know that salvation to be now impossible by the Law which so many seek in it We have no errand to speak of the first Adam but the better to lead you to the second Our life was once in the first but he lost himself and us both but the second by losing himself saves both We have nothing to do to speak of the first Covenant but that we may lead you or pursue you rather to the second established upon better tearms and better promises The tearms of this covenant are Do this and live perfect obedience without one jot of failing or falling an intire and universall accomplishment of the whole will of God that is the duty required of Man there is no latitude left in the bargain to admit endeavours in stead of performance or desire in stead of duty there is no place for Repentance here if a Man fall in one point he falls from the whole promise by the tenour of this bargain there is no hope of recovery If you would have the duty in a word It s a love of God with all our heart and soul our Neighbour as our self that testified verified in all duties offices of obedience to God love to men without the least mixture of sin infirmity Now the promise on Gods part is indeed larger then that Duty not only because undeserved but even in the matter of it it 's so abundant Life eternal life continuance in a happy estate There is a threatning added In what day thou eatest thou shalt die that is thou shalt become a mortall and miserable creature subject to misery here and hereafter which is more pressingly set down in that Word Cursed is he that abides not in all things written in the law to do them It is very peremptory that men dream not of escaping wrath when they break but in one suppose they did abide in all the rest Cursed is every man from the highest to the lowest the Lord Almighty is engaged against him his countenance his Power is against him to destroy him make him miserable whoever doth fail but in one jot of the commands he shall not only fall from that blessed condition freely promised but lose all that he already possessed fall from that image of God dominion over the creatures and incur in stead of that possessed and expected happinesse misery here on soul body in pains sicknesses troubles griefs c. And Eternal misery on both without measure hereafter Eternall destruction from the presence of the Lord the glory of his power Now This Law is not of Faith saith the Apostle This opens up the nature of the bargain and the opposition between the present Covenant that which is made with lost sinners in a Mediator This Covenant is called of Works Do this and live To him that worketh is the promise made though freely too It is grace that once a reward should be promised to obedience but having once resolved to give it herein justice appears in an equall and uniform distribution of the reward according to Works So that where there is an equality of works there shall be an equality of reward and no difference put between persons equall Which is the very freedome of the Covenant of grace that it passes overall such considerations and deals equally in mercy with unequall sinners unequally it may be with them that are equall in nature You may ask was not Adam to believe in God did not the Law require faith I answer Christ distinguishes a twofold faith You believe in God believe also in me No question he was called to believe in God the Creator of the VVorld and that in a three-fold consideration First to depend on God the self-beeing and fountain-good his own goodnesse was but a fluxe and emanation from that Sun of righteousnesse so was to be perpetuated by constant abiding in his sight the interposition of mans self between him and God did soon bring on this eternal night of darknesse Nature might have taught him to live in him in whom he had life beeing and motion and to forget look over his own perfections as evanishing shadows But this quickly extinguished his life when he began to to live in himself Next he was obliged to believe in Gods word both threatning and promise to have these constantly in his view And certainly if he had kept in his serious consideration the inestimable blessing of life promised and the fearful curse of death threatned if he had not been induced first to doubt and then to deny the truth and reality of these he had not attempted such a desperate rebellion against the Lord. Then thirdly he was to believe and perswade himself of the Lords fatherly love and that the Lord was well pleased with his obedience and this faith would certainly beget much peace quietnesse in his mind and also constrain him to love him and live to him who loved him and gave him life and happinesse out of love yet this holds true that the Apostle saith the law is not of faith to wit in a Mediator and Redeemer it was a bond of immediate friendship there needed none to mediate between God and man there needed no reconciler where there was no ods nor distance But the Gospell is of Faith in a Mediator it s the souls plighting its hope upon Jesus Christ in its desperate necessity so supposes man sinfull and miserable in himself and in his own sense too and so putting over his weight burden upon one whom God hath made mighty to save The Law is not of Faith but of perfect works a watch-word brought in of purpose to bring men off their hankering after a broken and desperate Covenant It admits no repentance it speaks of no pardon it declares no Cautioner or Redeemer there is nothing to be expected according to the tenor of that Covenant but wrath from Heaven either personall obedience in all or personall punishment for ever that is the very tearms of it it knows no other thing Either bring compleat righteousnesse and holinesse to the promise of life or expect nothing but death This may be a sad meditation to us to stand and look back to our former estate compare it with that into which we