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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	covenant_n	grace_n	justification_n	7,486	5	9.7652	5	false

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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

will not satisfie that promise therefore thou must be turned over from the promise of life to the curse and there thou shalt find thy name written Therefore it is absolutely necessary that Jesus Christ be made under the Law and give obedience in all things even to the death of the Crosse and so be made a curse for us and sin for us even he who knew no sin and thus in him you find the law fulfilled Justice satisfied and God pleased in him you find the promise of life indeed established in a better surer way than was first propounded you find life by his death you find life in his dying for you And again consider the Ceremonial Law What were all those Sacrifices and Ceremonies Did God delight in them Could he savour their incense and sweet smels and eat the fat of Lambs and be pacified No he detastes and abhorres such imaginations because that people did stay in the Letter and went no further then the Ceremony he declares that it was as great abomination to him as the offering up of a Dog while they were separated from Jesus Christ in whom his soul rested and was pacified they were not expiatious but provocatious they were not propitiations for sin but abominations in themselves But take these as the shadows of such a living substance take them as remembrances of him who was to come and behold Jesus Christ lying in these swadling cloaths of Ceremonies untill the fulnesse of time should come that he might be manifested in the flesh and so you shal find eternall life in those dead beasts in those dumb Ceremonies If you consider this Lamb of God slain in all these Sacrifices from the beginning of the world then you present a sweet smelling savour to God then you offer the true propitiation for the sins of the world then he will delight more in that sacrifice than all other personall obedience But what if I should say that the Gospel it self is a killing Letter ministration of death being severed from Christ I should say nothing amisse but what Paul speaketh that his Gospel was a savour of death to many take the most powerfull Preaching the most sweet discourse the most plain Writings of the free grace salvation in the Gospel take all the preachings of Jesus Christ himself and his Apostles you shal not find life in them unlesse ye be led by the Spirit of Christ unto himself who is the resurrection and the life It will no more save you than the Covenant of works unlesse that word abide and dwell in your hearts to make you believe in him and imbrace him with your souls whom God hath sent suppose you heard all and heard it gladly and learned it and could discourse well upon it and teach others yet if you be not driven out of your selves out of your own righteousnesse as well as sin and persued to this City of refuge Jesus Christ you have not eternal life Your knowledge of the truth of the Gospel and your obedience to Gods Law will certainly kill you and as certainly as your ignorance and disobedience unlesse you have imbraced in your soul that good thing Jesus Christ contained in these truths who is the Diamond of that Golden Ring of the Scriptures and unlesse your souls imbrace these promises as soul-saving as containing the chief good and worthy of all acceptation as well as your mind receive these as true and faithfull sayings 1 Tim. 1. 15. Thus ye see Christ Jesus is either the subject of all in the Scriptures or the end of it all he is the very proper subject of the Gospel Paul knew nothing but Christ crucified in his preaching and he is the very proper end and scope of the law for righteousness Rom. 10. 3. All the preaching of a covenant of works all the curses and threatnings of the Bible all the rigidexactions of obedience all come to this one great design not that we may set about such a walking to please God or do something to pacifie him but that we being concluded under sin and wrath on the one hand and an impossibility to save our selves on the other hand Gal. 3. 22. Rom 5. 20 21. may be pursued into Jesus Christ for righteousness life who is both able to save us and ready to welcome us Therefore the Gospel opens the door of salvation in Christ the Law is behind us with fire and sword and destruction pursuing us and all for this end that sinners may come to him and have life Thus the Law is made a Pedagogue of the soul to lead to Christ Christ is behind us cursing condemning threatning us and he is before us with stretched-out arms ready to receive us blesse us and save us inviting promising exhorting to come and have life Christ is on mount Sinai delivering the Law with thunders Act. 7. 38. and he is on mount Sion in the calm voice he is both upon the mountain of cursings and blessings and on both doing the part of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19 20. It is love that is in his heart which made him first cover his Countenance with frowns and threats and it is love that again displayes it self in his smilling countenance Thus souls are inclosed with love pursuing and love receiving And thus the Law which seems most contrary to the Gospel testifies of Christ it gives him this testimony that except salvation be in him it is no where else The Law sayes it is not in me seek it not in obedience I can do nothing but destroy you if you abide under my jurisdiction The Ceremonies and Sacrifices say if you can behold the end of this Ministery if a Vail be not on your hearts as it was on Moses face 2 Cor. 3 13 14 you may see where it is it s not in your obedience but in the death sufferings of the Son of God whom we represent Then the Gospel takes all these Coverings and Vails away and gives a plain and open testimony of him There is no Name under heaven to be saved but by Christ's The Old Testament speak by figures and signs as dumb men do but the New speaks in plain words and with open face Now I say for all this that there is no salvation but in him yet many souls not only those who live in their grosse sins and have no form of godlinesse but even the better sort of people that have some knowledge and civility and a kind of zeal for God yet they do not come to him that they may have life Rom. 10. 1 2 3. they do not submit to the righteousness of God Here is the march that divides the wayes of Heaven and Hell coming to Jesus Christ and forsaking our selves the confidence of these souls is chiefly or only in that little knowledge or zeal or profession they have they do not as really abhore themselves for their own righteousnesse as for their unrighteousnesse they make that the covering of

think the Word is true and they never doubted of it But I beseech you consider how greatly you mistake a main matter of weighty concernment If you will search it as before the Lord you will find you have no other belief of these things than children use to have whom you teach to think or say any thing there is no other ground of your not questioning these truths of the Gospel but because you never consider on them and so they passe for current Do not deceive your selves with the heart man believes it is a heart-businesse a soul-matter no light and uselesse opinion or empty expression which you have learned from a child You say you believe in God the Maker of Heaven and Earth and so say children who doubt no more of it than ye and yet in sadnesse they do not retire within their own hearts to think what a one he is they do not remember him in the works of his hands there is no more remembrance of that true God than if no such thing were known So it is among you you would think we wronged you if we said ye believed not that God made the world yet certainly all men have not this faith whereby they understand truly in their heart the Power Wisdome and Goodnesse of God appearing in it that is the gift of God only given to them that shal be saved If I should say that you believe not the most common Principles of Religion you would think it hard yet there is no doubt of it that the most common truths are least believed and the reason is plain because men have learned them by tongue and there is none that question them therefore very few ever in sadnesse and in earnest consider of them You say that God made Heaven Earth but how often do you think on that God And how often do you think on him with admiration Do ye at all wonder at the glory of God when you gaze on his works Is not this volume alwayes observant before your eyes every thing shewing and declaring this glorious Maker yet who is it that taketh more notice of him than if he were not at all such is the generall stupidity of men that they never ponder digest these things in their heart till their soul receive the stamp of the glory greatnesse of the invisible God which shines most brightly in these things that are visible and be in some measure transformed in their minds and conformed to these glorious appearances of him which are engraven in great Characters in all that do at all appear There is another mistake peculiar to some especially the Lords people that they think faith is limited to some few particular and more unknown and hid truths and mysteries of the Gospell Ye think that it is only true believing to imbrace some special Gospell-truths which the multitude of people know nothing of as the tenor of the Covenant of Grace and of Works c. And for other common Principles of Gods making and ruling the World you think that a common thing to believe them But saith the Apostle By faith we understand that the worlds were made it is that same faith spoken of in the end of Chap. 10. by which the just shal live So then here is a point of saving faith to believe with the heart in God the Creator and Father Almighty to take a view of Gods Almighty Power and sufficient Goodnesse and infinite Wisdome shining in the Fabrick of the World that with delight and admiration at such a glorious Fountain-being to rise up to his Majesty by the degrees of his creatures this is the climing and aspiring nature of Faith You see how much those Saints in the Old Testament were in this and certainly they had more excellent and beseeming thoughts of God than we It should make Christians ashamed that both Heathens who had no other Book opened to them but that of Nature did read it more diligently than we And that the Saints of Old who had not such a plain testimony of God as we now have yet did learn more out of the Book of the Creature then we do both out of it and the Scriptures We look on all things with such a carelesse eye and do not observe what may be found of God in them I think verily there are many Christians and Ministers of the Gospel who do not ascend into those high and ravishing thoughts of God in his being and working as would become even meer Naturalists How little can they speak out of his Majesty or think as it becomes his transcendent glory There is little in Sermons or discourses that holds out any singular admiring thoughts of a Deity but in all these we are so common and carelesse as if he were an Idol It is not in vain that it is expressed thus By faith we know that the worlds were made for certainly the firm believing pondering of this one truth would be of great moment and use to a Christian in all his journey You may observe in what stead it is to the Saints in Scripture This raises up a soul to high thoughts and sutable conceptions of his glorious Name so conforms the worship of his Majesty unto his excllency it puts the stamp of Divinity upon it spiritualizes the thoughts and affections so as to put a true difference between the true God and the gods that made not the Heavens the Earth Alace the worship of many Christians speaks out no diviner or higher object than a creature it is so cold so formall and empty so vain wandring there is no more respect testified unto him than we would give to some eminent person You find in the Scripture how the strain of the Saints affections and devotion rises when they take up God in his absolute Supremacy above the creatures look on him as the alone fountain of all that is worth the name of perfection in them A soul in that consideration cannot chuse but assign unto him the most eminent seat in the heart gather those affections which are scattered after the creatures into one channell to pour them out on him who is all in all and hath all that which is lovely in the creatures in an eminent degree Therefore know what you are formed for to shew forth his praise to gather and take up from the creatures all the fruits of his praise and offer them up to his Majesty This was the end of man this is the end of a Christian you are made for this and you were redeemed for this to read upon the volumes of his works word and from thence extract songs of praise to his Majesty As this would be of great moment to the right worshipping of God and to the exercise of true holiness so it is most affectual to the establishing of a soul in the confidence of the promises of God When a soul by faith understands

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

therefore there are many differences between us the brethren because we are not one perfectly in him therefore we are not one as he and the Father is one But when he shal be in us and we in him as the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father then shal we be one among our selves then shal we meet in the unity of the faith into a perfect man into the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4. 13. Christ is the uniting Principle while the Saints are not wholly one uni tertio they cannot be perfectly one inter se among themselves Consider this I beseech you Christs union with the Father is the foundation of our union to God and our union among our selves this is comfortable the ground of it is laid already Now it is not simply the unity of the Father and the Son in essence that is here meant for what shadow resemblance can be in the world of such an incomprehensible mystery But it is certainly the Union and Communion of God with Christ Jesus as Mediator as the head of the Church which is his Body Therefore seeing the Father is so wonderfully well pleased and one with Christ his wel-beloved Son Messenger of the Covenant chief party contracting in our name he is by vertue of this one with us who are his seed and members And therefore the members should grow up in the head Christ from whom the whole body makes increase according to the effectuall working of the spirit in it Eph 5. 15 16. Now if the union between the Father and Christ our Head cannot be dissolved and cannot be barran and unfruitfull then certainly the spirit of the Father which is given to Christ beyond measure must effectually work in every member till it bring them to the unity of the Faith and to the measure of the perfect man which is the fulnesse of Christ. So then every believing soul is one with the Father as Christ is one because he is the Head and they his members the day is coming that all the members shal be perfectly united to the Head Christ grow up to the perfect man which is the stature of Christs fulnesse and then shal we all be made perfect in one we shal be one as he is one because he and we are one perfect man Head and Members Now to what purpose is all this spoken I fear it doth not stirre up in our souls a desire after such a blessed life whose heart would not be moved at the sound of such words Our fellowship is with the Father and his Son we are made perfect he in us and we in him Certainly that soul is void of the Life of God that doth not find some sparkle of holy ambition kindled within after such glorious and blessed condition But these things sevour not and taste not to the most part the naturall man knows them not for they are spiritually discerned How lamentable is it that Christ is come to restore us to our lost blessednesse and yet no man almost considers it or layes it to heart O how miserably twice miserable is that Soul that doth not draw near to God in Christ when God hath come so near to us in Christ that goes a whoring after the lust of the eyes and flesh and after the imaginations of their own heart and will not be guided by Christ the way and life to glory Thou shalt destroy them O Lord Psal. 73. 27. All men are far off from God from the womb Behold we may have accesse to God in Christ woe to them that are yet far off and will not draw near they shal all perish I exhort you to consider what you are doing The most part of you are going away from God you were born far off and you will yet go further know what you will meet with in that way Destruction Ye have never yet asked in earnest for what purpose you came into the World What wonder you wander and walk at randome seing you have not proposed to your selves any certain scope and aime It is great folly You would not be so foolish in any petty businesse But O how foolish men are in the main businesse The light of the body is the eye if that be not light the whole body is full of darknesse If your intention be once right established all your course will be orderly but if you be dark and blind in this point have not considered it you cannot walk in the light your whole way is darknesse The right consideration of the great End would shine unto you and direct your way but while you have not proposed this end unto your self the enjoyment of God you must spend your time either in doing nothing to that purpose or doing contrary to it All your other lawfull businesse your callings and occupations are but in the by they are not the end nor the way but you make them only your businesse they are altogether impertinent to this end And the rest of your walking in lust and ignorance is not only impertinent but inconsistant with it and contrary to it If you think that you have this before your eyes to enjoy God I pray you look upon the way you choose Is your drunkennesse your swearing your uncleannesse your contentions and railings and such works of the flesh are those the way to enjoy God Shal not these separate between God and you Is your eating and drinking sleeping as beasts and labouring in your callings are these all the means you use to enjoy God Be not deceived you who draw not near God by Prayer often in secret and by faith in his Son Christ as lost miserable sinners to be saved and reconciled by him you have no fellowship with him and you shal not enjoy him afterward You whose hearts are given to your covetousnesse who have many lovers and idols besides him you cannot say Whom have I besides thee in the earth No you have many other things beside God You can have nothing of God except you make him all to you unlesse you have him alone My undefiled is one Cant. 6. 9. He must be alone for his glory he will not give to another If you divide your affections and pretend to give him part your lusts other part you may be doing but he will not divide his glory so he will give no part of it to any other thing But as for those souls that come to him and see their misery without him O know how good it is It s not only good but best yea only good it is bonum it is optimum yea it is unicum there is none good save one even God and there is nothing good for us but this one to be near God and so near that we may be one one spirit with the Lord for he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit Rejoice in your portion and long for the

searching we could find them out unto perfection but to believe what is spoken till the day break and the shadows flee away and the darknesse of ignorance be wholly dispelled by the rising of the Sun of Righteousnesse We are called then to receive this truth that God is one truly one and there are three in this one the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost This I say you must believe because the wisdom of God faith it though you know not how it is or how it can be though it seem a contradiction in reason a Trinity in Unity yet you must lead your reason captive to the obedience of faith silence it with this one answer The Lord hath said it If thou go on to dispute and to enquire how can these things be Thou art escaped from under the power of Faith and are fled unto the tents of humane wisedom where thou mayest learn artheism but no Religion for the world through wisedom knew not God 1 Cor. 1. And certainly who ever he be that will not quiet his conscience upon the bare word of truth in this particular but will call in for the help of reason and disputation how to understand and maintain it I think he shall be further from the true knowledge of God and satisfaction of mind than before There is no way here but to flee into Pauls Sanctuary Who art thou O man that disputes When ever thou thinks within thy self How may this be how can one be three and three one then withall let this of Pauls sound in thine ears Who art thou O man who disputes Think that thou art man think that he is God Believing ignorance is much better than rash presumptuous knowledge ask not a reason of these things but rather adore and tremble at the mysterie and Majesty of them Christianity is foolishnesse to the world upon this account because it 's an Implicite faith so to speak given to God but there is no fear of being deceived though he lead thee blind by a way thou know not yet he cannot lead thee wrong This holy simplicity in believing every word of God trusting without more trying by disputation is the very Character of Christianity and it will be found only true wisdome for if any will become wise he must be a fool in mens account that he may be wise he must quite his reason to learn true Religion which indeed is a more excellent and divine reason neither is it contrary to it though it be high above it In this place of Moses you have the Unity of God asserted The Lord thy God is one Lord And that is indeed engraven on the very hearts of men by nature That God is One for all may know that the common notion and apprehension of God is that he is a most perfect being the Originall of all things most wise most powerfull infinite in all perfections Now common reason may tell any man that there can bee but one thing most perfect Excellent there can be but one infinite one Almighty one beginning and end of all one first mover one first cause of whom are all things and who is of none Again in this place of Iohn ye have a Testimony of the blessed Trinitie of Persons Father Son and holy Ghost in that holy Unity of Essence The great point which Iohn hath in hand is this fundamentall of our Salvation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Saviour of the World in whom all our confidence should be placed and upon whom we should lean the weight of our souls this he proves by a twofold testimony one out of Heaven another in the Earth There are three bearing witnesse to this truth in heaven The Father the word that is Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God whom this Apostle calls the word of God or wisdom of God Ioh. 1. 1. and the Holy Ghost The Father witnessed to this truth in an audible voice out of Heaven when Christ was baptized Mat. 3. 17. This is my wel-belovd Son hear him here 's the Fathers Testimony of the Son when he was baptized which was given very solemnly in a great congregation of people and divinely with great glory and Majesty from Heaven as if the heavens had opened upon him and the inaccessible light of God had shined down on him which was confirmed in the transfiguration Mat. 17. 5. VVhere the Lord gave a glorious evidence to the astonishment of the three Disciples how he did account of him how all Saints and Angels must serve him Him hath God the Father sealed saith Iohn Indeed the stamp of divinitie of the divine Image in such an excellent manner upon the man Christ was a Seal set on by God the Father signifying confirming his approbation of his well-beloved Son and of the work he was going about Then the Son himself did give ample Testimony of this this was the subject of his Preaching to the VVorld I am the light and life of men He that beleeveth on mee shall be saved and therefore he may be called the word of God and the wisedom of God Joh. 1. 1. Prov. 8. Because he hath revealed unto us the blessed mysterie of Wisdom concerning our Salvation He is the very expression and Character of the Fathers person and Glory Heb. 1. In his own Person and he hath revealed and expressed his Fathers mind and his own Office so fully to the World that there should be no more doubt of it Out of the mouth of these two witnesses this Word might be established But for superabundance behold a third the Holy Ghost witnessing at his baptisme in his Resurrection after his Ascension the Holy Ghost signifieth his presence and consent to that work in the similitude of a Dove the Holy Ghost testified it in the power that raised him from the dead the Holy Ghost put it beyond all question when he descended upon the Apostles according to Christs promise For the other three witnesses on earth we shal not stay upon it only know that the work of the regeneration of souls by the power of the word and spirit signified by water the justification of guilty souls signified by the blood of Jesus Christ the Testimony of the spirit in our Conscience bearing witnesse to our Spirits is an assured Testimony of this that Jesus Christ in whom we believe is the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth The changing pacifying and comforting of souls in such a wonderfull manner cryes aloud that he in whom the soul believes is the true and living God whom to know is eternal life But mark I pray you the accuracy of the Apostle in the change of the speech these three witnesses on earth saith he agree in one in giving one common testimony to the Son of God and Saviour of Sinners But as for the heavenly witnesses the Father the Word and Holy Ghost how ever they be three after an inconceivable manner