LIBRARY OF PRINCETON I -.1 - I "1 MAR 2 9 ?^ J THEOLOGICAL SEIvliNArtY THE WORKS OF THE REV. HUGH BINNING, M.A., ONE OF THE REGENTS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGO-W, AND AFTER^VART>S MINISTER OF GOVAN, COLLECTED AND EDITED THE REV. M. LEISHMAN, D.I)., MINISTER OF THE PARISH OF GO VAN. THIRD EDITION. EDINBURGH, LONDON, AND DUBLIN A. FULLARTON AND CO. 1851. CONTENTS. Prekace by the Editor, . . . ix The Life of Mr. Hugh Binning, xxxiii THE COMMON PRINCIPLES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. I. God's Glory the chief end of Mans being, Rom. xi. 36. Of him, and through him, and to him, are all things ; to whom be glory for ever. And 1 Cor. x. 31. Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God, . . ... 3 XL Union and Communion with God the end and de- sign of the Gospel. Psalm Ixxiii. 24 — 28. Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel, &c. Whom have I in heaven but thee ? &c. It is good for me to draw near to God — 1 John i. 3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you. that ye also may have fellowship with us : and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Ciirist. — John xvii. 21 — 20. That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also ftiay be one in us, &c. . . 8 III. The Authority and Utility of the Scriptures, 2 Tim. iii. 16. All scripture is given by inspira- tion of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righ- teousness, . . . . . . 12 IV. The Scriptures reveal eternal life through Jesus Christ. John v. 39. Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. — Eph. ii. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, . . . . , . 17 V. Of the Scriptures, Eph. ii. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ him- self being the chief corner-stone, . 23 VI. WTiat the Scriptures principally teach : The ruin and recovery of man : Faith and love towards Christ. 2 Tim. i. 13. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus, . 07 VII. Of the Name of God. Exod. iii. 13, 14. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them. The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you ; and they shall say unto me. What is his name? what shall I say unto them ? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM : and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you, 35 VIIL The Eternity and Unchangeableness rf God. Exod. iii. 14. I AM THAT I AM.— Psal. xc. 2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. — Job xi. 7—9. Canst thou by searching find out God ? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection ? It is as high as heaven ; what canst thou do ? deeper then hell ; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea, ^. 40 IX. What God is to us. Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abun- dant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousand*, 45 X. What God ii. John iv. 24. God is a Spirit : and they that wor- ship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, 53 XI. 7%c knowledge that God is, combined with the know- ledge that he is to be worshipped. John iv. 24. God is a Spirit : and they that wor- ship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, 57 XIL The Unity of the Divine Essence, and the Trinity of Persons, Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord — 1 John v. 7. There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one, g4 IV CONTENTS. XIll. Of the Unity of the (uxlhead, and the Trinity of Persons. Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Israel ; the Lord our God is one Lord. — 1 John v. 7. There are three that hear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one, 67 XIV. Of th-^ I'et rees of God. r.jiii. i. 11. Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. — Joh xxiii. 13. He is in one mind, and who can turn him ? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth, 71 XV. Of Predestination. Ljjh. i. 11. In whom also we have obtained an in- heritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will — Rom. ix. 22, 23. What if God, wiliing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to de- struction ; and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory, . 79 XVI Of Predestination. Horn. ix. 22. What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. — Eph. i. 11. In whom we also have obtained an inheritance, being predes- tinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, 84 XVII. Of Creation. Heb. xi. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God ; so that things which are seen were not made of things that do appear — Gen. i. 1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, . 8S XVIII. Of Creation. Heb. xi. 3. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God ; so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. — Heb i. 14. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation ? 92 XIX. Of the Creation of Man. Gen. i. 26, 27. And God said. Let us make man in our image, &c. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. — With Eph. iv. 24. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. — And Heb. iii. 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said. They do alway err in their heart ; and they have not known my ways, .... 94 XX. God's Works of Providence. Rom. xi. 86. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things ; to whom be glory for ever, Amen Psal. ciii. 19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens : and his kingdom ruleth over all. — Matt. x. 29. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father, ..... ^7 XXL Of the first Covenant made with Man. Gen. ii. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day thou eatest therM.f thou shalt surely die. — Gen. i. 26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, 8:c. . . . lol XXH. Of the first Covenant. Gal. iii. 12. The law is not of faith ; but the man that doeth them shall live in them — Gen. ii. 1 7. Rut of the tree of the knowledge of good ajid evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day th-it thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die, 104 xxin. Of the stale wherein Man was created, and how the Image of God is defaced. Eccl. vii. 29. Lo, this only have I fuund, that God hath made man upright ; but they have sou^jht out many inventions, . . . 106 XXIV. Of Sin hy Impidation and Propagation. Rom. v. 12. Wherefore, as by one man sin en- tered into the world, and death by sin ; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, . . . . . . 1 1 1 XXV. Of the way of Man's delivery. 1 Tim. i. 16. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, . . 115 THE SINNER'S SANCTUARY. I. Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemna- tion to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, 1 19 n. Verse 1. There is therefore now no condemna- tion to them which are in Christ Jesus, 126 in. Verse 1. Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, 1 29 IV. Same Text, 136 V. Same Text, 141 VI. Same Text, 145 VIL Verse 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death, . . . . . 149 vin. Same Text, 163 IX. Same Text, 157 X. Verse 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his CONTENTS. own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, . 160 XI. Same Te.\t, 164 XII. Veise 3. For what the law could not do, io that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son &c. .... 168 XIII. Verse 3, And for sin condemned sin in the flesh, 1 73 XIV. \'erse 4. That the righteousness of the law might 1)8 fulfilled in us 176 XV. Same Text, 180 XVI. Verses 4, 5. Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh, &c 183 XVII. Rom. viii. 5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, &c. . 188 XVIII. Verses ,5, 6. For they that are after the flesh do mind, &c. For to l)e carnally minded is death; l)ut to be spiritually minded is life and peace, . . . . . . 192 XIX. Verse 6. For to be carnally minded is death ; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, 196 XX. Verse 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, . . 201 XXI. Verses 7, 8. The carnal mind is enmity against God : For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God, . . 206 XXII. Verse 8 So then they that are in the flesh can- not please God, .... 210 XXIII. Verse 9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in tlie Spirit, if so be that the Spiiit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, . . . 213 XXIV. Veise 9. If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Mow, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, . . . 217 XXV. Same Text, 220 XXVI. V( rse 10. And if Christ be in you, the body is (lead because of sin ; but the Spirit is life, be- cause of righteousness, . . . 224 XXVII, Verse 10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, &c. .... 227 XXVIII. Verse 10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin ; but the Spirit is life be- cause of righteousness, . . . 2o0 Same Te.xt, XXIX, XXX 23» Verse 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ fiom the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in yoU' 236 XXXI. Same Text, • . , , . 239 XXXII. Verse 12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh, &c. 241 XXXIII. Verses 12, 13. Therefore, brethren, we are debt- ors, not to the flesh, to life after the flesh ; for if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, &c. 245 XXXIV. Verse 13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die : but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live, . . 247 XXXV. Verses 13, 14. For if ye life after the flesh, ye shall die ; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God, .... 250 XXXVI Verses 14, 15. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, &c. • . , . , 253 XXXVII. Verses 14, 15 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear : but ye have received the spirit of adop- tion, whereby we cry, Abba, Father, . 256 XXXVIII. Verse 15. But ye have received. the spirit of adop- tion, whereby we cry, Abba, Father, , 258 XXXIX. Verse 15. Whereby we cry, Abba, Father, 261 XL, Same Text, ..... 264 FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD. I. 1 John i. 1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, ami our hands have handled of the word of life, 27 1 II. Verse 1. That which was from the beginning, &c. -2^ III. Verses 1, 2, 3. That which we have heard and seen of the word of life, declare we unto you, &c. 278 IV. Verses 1, 2. Which we have heard and seen, &L-, 281 VI CONTENTS. Verae 3. Tliat which we have seen and heard, de- late we unto you, that ye also may have fellow- j hip with us, &c 284 VI. Verse 3. And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, &c. . . 287 VII. Verses 3, 4. And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full, 290 VIII. Verse 4. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may he full, . . . 293 IX. Verse 5. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, kc. ...'.. 298 X. Same Text, 300 XI. Verse 5. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all, 303 XII. Verse 6. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, &c. 306 XIII. Same Text, 308 XIV. Verse 7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with an(>ther, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin, . .' . .■ 311 XV. Verse 7. And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin, . . 314 XVI. Verse 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, . 316 XVII. Verse 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to foigive us our sins, &c. . . 320 xvm. Same Text, 322 XIX. Verses 9, 10. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not smned, we make him a liar, &c. . 325 XX. Verse 10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liai-, and his word is not in us, 328 XXI. 1 John ii. 1. My littli^ children, the.se things write 1 unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, he. 331 XXII. Same Text, 333 XXIII. Same Text, ..... 336 XXIV. Verse 1. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, '&c. . . . 339 XXV, Same Text, 343 XXVI. Verse I. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, . . 347 XXVII. Verse 2. And he is the propitiation, &c. 350 XXVIII. Verse 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments, . . 354 HEART-HUMILIATION. I. AT A PUBLIC FAST IN JULY, FIRST SABBATH, 1630. Deut. xxxii. 4 — 7. He is the Rock, his work is per- fect ; for all his ways are judgment, &c. 361 II. Deut. xxxii. 4, 5. He is the Rock, his work is per- fect ; for all his ways are judgment; a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves ; their spot is not the spot of his children, . . 366 HI. Verses 4, 5. He is the Rock, his work is perfect ; for all his ways are judgment ; a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves ; their spot is not the spot of his children. They are a perverse and crooked generation, .... 370 IV. Verse 5. They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children, &c. 374 V. Psal. Ixxiii. 28. But it is good for me to draw near to God : 1 have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy wurks, . 381 VL Prov. xxvii. 1. Boast not thyself of to morrow, for lliou knowest not what a day may bring forth, 386 VIL Same Text, 391 VIII. Isa. i. 10, 11, &c Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom ; give eartinto the word of the Lord, ye people of Gomorrah, &c. . 399 IX. Isa i 11. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord, &c. 402 X. Isa. i. 16. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes ; ce;ise to do evil, &c. . . , . 407 XL Same Text, 412 XIL Isa. xxvi. 3. Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trustetb in thee, .... 418 CONTENTS. Vll XIII. Same Text, 426 XIV. Isa. lix. 20 And the Redeemer shall come unto Zion, and unto them that turn, &c. . 431 XV. Isa. Ixiv. 6, 7. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, &c. 437 XVI. Isa. Ixiv. 6, 7 All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags ; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our ini- quities, like the wind, have taken us away, 443 XVII. Isa. Ixiv. 6. And we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away, 450 XVIII. I>a. Kiv. 7 And there is iKjiie that calleth on thy name, that slirreth up himself to take hold of thee, &c. An useful Case of Conscience, A Treatise of Christian Love, 456 471 521 SEVERAL SERMONS UPON THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECTS OF PRAC- TICAL RELIGION. I. 1 John iii. 23. And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, . . 553 II. 1 John iii. 23. This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, &c. 556 in. Same Text, 558 IV. James iii. 14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, &c. . 563 V. VL Matt. xi. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour, and are wearied, Sec. . . . 576 VIL Matt. xi. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, &c. 680 VIII. Same Text, 685 IX. Rom. XV. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, &c. . 587 X. Matt xi 16. But whereunto shall I liken this generation ?..... 593 XI. 1 Tim. i. 5. Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and a good con- science, and faith unfeigned, . . 600 XII. 611 XIIL 614 XIV. 617 XV. IMatt. vi. 33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, &c. . . 619 XVI. 624 XVIL 628 XVIIL 633 XIX. 641 XX. 1 Pet. iv. 7. But the end of all things is at hand ; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer, 643 XXI. Same Text, 650 XXII. Same Text, Same Text, Same Text, Same Text, Same Text, Same Text, Same Text, Same Text, 673 Same Text, 654 NOTANDA. The following Notes, by the Editor, ought to have been inserted at the foot of their respective pagis. Page 1, line 25. Nulla est tarn facilis res, quin difficilis siet, Quam invitus facias Terent. Heaut. iv. vi. 1. " There is nothing so easy, as not to beconie difficult, should you do it unwillingly." P. 1, 1. 35. Nam illud verum est M. Catonis oraculum, nihil agendo, homines male agere dis- cunt. " For that is a true oracle of M. Cato, — by doing nothing, men learn to do ill." — Columcl. lib. xi. cap. 1. P. 5, last line. E; youti a»S«yv fif/,nv, iTToiovv ra. rtis anooya;, ii xvxvoi, ra rou kukvou, vuv ?£ ?.ciyixo; iifii, vy,vtiv fii §£/ roti hov. *' Were i a nightingale, 1 would perform the office ot a nightingale; or a swan, that of a swan : but since I am a rational creature, it is right that I should celebrate the praises of God." — Epictet. Dissert, lib. i. cap. 16. P. 7. 1- 53. Quidam vivere tunc incipiunt, cum desinendum est. Si hoc judicas mirum, adji- ciam quod magis admireris : quidam ante vivere defecerunt, quam inciperent. "Some then l.pgin to live, when they are near the close of life. If you think this wonderful, I will add what you will wonder at still more : some have ceased to live before they have begun to live." — Sencc. Epist. xxiii. P. 9, 1. 18. Cicero represents the saying — Amicorum omnia communia (Friends have all things in common) — to be a Greek proverb — De Offic. lib. i. cap. xvi. P. 12, 1. 50. Ubi in contrarium ducit, ipsa velocitas majoris intervalli causa fit. '• When it leads to an opposite direction, velocity becomes itself the cause of a uider separation." — Senec. De Vita Beata, cap. i. P. 13, 1. 7. At hie, tritissima quseque via, et celeberrima, maxima decipit. "But here, ewery path that is most beaten, and most famous, deceives most." — Ibid. P. 13, 1. 16. — pergentes, non qua eundum est, sed qua itur. — "proceeding, not where we ought to go, but where others go."— /6«rf P. 15, 1. 30. Aut prodesse volunt, aut delectare. — Hor. Ars Poet. v. 333. " They wish either to improve or delight." p. 16, 1. 6. Omne tulit punctum, qui miscuit utile dulci. — Id. v. 343. " Profit and pleasure them to mix with art Shall gain all votes." — Francis' Translation. P. 37, 1. 4. Pluris est oculatus testis unus, quam auriti decem. Qui audiunt audita diiunt, qui vident plane sciunt — Plant, Trucul. ii. vi. 8. " One eye-witness is worth more than ten witnesses who speak by hearsay. They who hear tell what they hear; they who see have a perfect knowledge of what occurs.'' P. 37, 1. 50. The title woXvoDivf/.oi (distinguished by many names) was often applied by the Greeks to the principal object of their idolatrous worship. Cleanthes begins his Hymn to Jove in this way, — Kviia'T aiavarai]! '^oXveavufH, " Most illustrious of the immortals, having many names." The Ethiopians believed that there was one God, who was the cause of all things ; but they also reverenced another God, whom they supposed to be inferior to him, and to have no name (^avuvv/Aov Tiva). — Strab. Geoff. lib. xvii. p. 8"22. P. 37, 1. 52. Quid est Deus? Quod vides totum, et quod non vides totum. " What is God? Every thing which you see, and every thing which you do not see." — Senec. A'at. Quest, lib. i. P. 38, 1. 15. The author of the Asclepian Dialogue, uses unus omnia (one-all things) htuI Creator omnium (the Creator of all things,) as equivalent expressions. — Cudtrorth's Intelltcnud System, vol. i. p. 346. P. 55, 1. 44. God was represented by some of the ancient philosophers to be " the soul of ti.o world, and the soul of the souls of the world." P. 79, 1. 4, and 8. Prudens futuri temporis exitum Caligmosa nocte premit Deus; Ridetque, si mortalis ultra Fas trepidat. — Hor. Carm. lib. iii. Ode 29. " Future events wise Providence Hath hid in night from human sense. To narrow bounds our search confined: And laughs to see proud mortals try To fathom deep eternity. With the short line and plummet of their mind." Creech's Translation. F 3J4, 1. 37. Ovh ya.^ 0 Ziv? Ov^ hoiy 'Tru.vras andavii, out avs^&iy. Theoyuidis Hententics, v. 2j. PREFACE BY THE EDITOE. The Rev. Hugh Binning entered upon his pastoral charge at a very eventful period. He was ordained in the interval between the death of Charles I. and the coronation of his son Charles II., which took place at Scone, on the first of January, 1651. In the first year of the incumbency of Binning, the fatal battle of Dunbar was fought. In dift'ereut parts of Scotland, three dift'erent armies, without concert with one another, subsequently took the field, to oppose the progress of the parlia- mentary forces. And it was not till after the death of Binning, that General Monk succeeded in reducing the country to a state of subjection. Meanwhile, the same jealousies and animosities prevailed, which had previously divided the Scottish nation. The nobility, as well as the clergy, were opposed to one another, and adopted diff"erent views of the national interests. And what tended not a little to increase the public divisions, the Anabaptists, Quakers, and other sectarians, connected with the English army, employed themselves wherever they went, in propagating with great industry, their peculiar opinions. By keeping these things in view, the reader will be better able to understand, in the writings of Binning, numerous allusions, more or less recondite, to the particular circumstances of the times. It was on Saturday the nineteenth of April, 1651, that Cromwell came to Glas- gow, with the principal part of his army. The next day he went to hear sermon in the High church. In the forenoon, he entered the Choir, or Inner church, as it was called, and, as Principal Baillie says, "quietly heard Mr. Robert Ramsay preach a very good honest sermon, pertinent for his case."* He appeared equally unexpectedly in the afternoon, in the Nave, or Outer church, when Mr. John Carstairs delivered in his presence a lecture, and Mr. James Durham, a sermon. Both of these discourses had, like the former one, a special reference to the exist- ing posture of public affairs. But as might have been expected, Cromwell was offended at the plain dealing of all the three clergymen, who considered it to be their duty to condemn him and his army, for their invasion of Scotland ; for the contempt they manifested for the religious institutions of the country ; and like- wise, for their persecution of the ministers of Ireland. On the following day, therefore, he summoned them, and the other clergymen of the city, to a meeting in his own lodgings, that he might vindicate himself and his confederates from the charges which had been brought against them, and at the same time hear what his accusers had to advance in their own behalf. At this conference, which appears to have been conducted with good temper on both sides ; they who spoke most on the part of the Scottish clergy, were Mr. Patrick Gillespie, Principal of the University of Glasgow, and Mr. James Guthrie, minister of Stirling, who forfeited his life at Edinburgh soon after the Restoration. On the other side, the principal speakers were Cromwell himself, and General Lambert, t who, like many other of the parliamentary officers, was a preacher, as * Baillie's Letters and Journal, vol. III. pp. 286— 2!^8. MSS. in Bib. Col. Glas. f " A Letter from Head Quarters in Scotla':d. " Sir, We came hither on Saturday last, April 19th. The ministers and townsmen generally staid at home, and did not quit their habitations as formerly. These ministers that are here, are those that have deserted from the proceedings beyoi;d the water; yet they are equally dissatisfied with us. And though they preach against us in the pulpit to our forces j yet we permit them i PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. well as a soldier.* Some of Cromwell's chaplains t are also represented to have taken a share in the discussion, along with the Rev. Hugh Binning. Cromwell, it is said, was struck with the fearlessness and ability of so young a minister. " Who is that learned and bold young man ?" said he. When he was told his name was Binning, he replied, " He has bound well. But," he added, putting his hand, at the same time, to his sword, "this will loose all again." In his Memoirs of the Life of Dr. John Owen, Mr. Orme adverts to this anec- dote regarding Binning, simply on the authority of a note in the Biographia Scot- icana. He does not seem to have been aware that, beyond this note, there was any evidence to produce, that such a meeting as has now been described, was ever ac- tually held. But he observes, " There is nothing improbable in the meeting, and Cromwell's pun quite accords with other anecdotes of his conversation. " | The part which Mr. Binning is reported to have acted on this occasion, was no less characteristical of him. He was a very able disputant. But when giving utter- ance to his feelings, or expressing his sentiments, he was sometimes led to employ strong language. § The following account of the object and result of the meeting at Glasgow is that which is given by Sir James Balfour: — " Oliver Cromwell, with his army, being at this tyme in Glasgow, had a conference with 8 ministers, anent the lawfulness of his engagement against this countrey and kingdome. He gave them some papers, wich they anssuered extempore, and proued to his face his periurey and breach of couenant and leauge, and his sinfull rebellion and murther, contrair to [the] expresse word of God, and leauge and couenant suorne by himselue, and most of his complices. He toke the morrow at 3 in the afternoone to his furder conference with them ; and maney of his cheiftest officers did openly acknowledge, they were conuinced in reson, and neuer till now, did see the weekness of ther auen grounds. In place of keiping the appoynted meitting, (seing a fyre to begin to kindle amongest his auen,) about midnight, that same day, he commands all his armey presently to march, wnder the paine of death, backe towardes Edinburghe ; and empties all liis garisons be west Linlithgow, sends his horses towardes the border, and with grate haist, with his footte returns to Edinburgh and Leith ; and is now bussie in repairring the breaches of Edinburgh castle." || We are informed, that a Report of the whole proceedings which took place on this occasion, was drawn up by Principal Gillespie, and Mr. James Guthrie.H But whether that Report is now in existence or not, or was ever printed, the writer has not been able to ascertain. The invasion of Scotland, which was one of the charges brought against Crom- well, was condemned by Lord Fairfax, the commander-in-chief of the parliamentary forces. He looked upon it as an infraction of the Solemn League and Covenant, which had been very generally subscribed in England, as well as in Scotland. Feeling alarm at this, the Council of State appointed Cromwell, Lambert, Harri- son, St. John, and Whitelocke to converse with him, with a view, if possible, to overcome his scruples. But after a long interview, Fairfax remained unmoved by without disturbance, as willing to gain tbem by love. My Lord General sent to them to give us a friendly Christian meeting, to discourse of those things, which they rail against us for, that (if possible) all misunderstandings between us may be taken away, which accordingly they gave us on Wednesday last. There was no bitterness nor passion vented on either side, with all modera- tion and tenderness. My Lord General, the Major-Gen. Lambert, for the most part maintained the discourse, and on their part, Mr. James Guthrie, and Mr.Patrick Gelaspy. We know not what satisfaction they have received. Sure I am, there was no such weight in their arguments, that might in the least discourage us from what we have undertaken; the chiefest thing on which they insisted being our invasion into Scotland." — Sev. Proc. in Pari. May 1, to 8. Cromwelliana, p. 102. See also Durham's Comment, on Revel. Life of the Author, p. xi. * Nicoll's Diary, pp. 68, 94. f Along with Dr. John Owen, Joseph Caryl, John Oxenbridge, and Cuthbert Sydenham offici- ated as chaplains in the army of Cromwell in Scotland. Orme's Memoirs of Dr. Owen, p. 128 Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. iv. p. 490. Lond. 1822. X Memoirs of Dr. Owen, p. 127. § See note, p. 512. II Annals of Scotland, vol. iv. p. 298. •f Baillie's Letters, vol. iii. p. 290. MSS. in Bib. Col. Glas. PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. xi their arguments, and expressed his determination to resign his commission ratlier than proceed to Scotland with the army, which was preparing to act against that part of the kingdom. As he adhered firmly to this resolution, he was deprived of his commission, and Cromwell was appointed to succeed him. Whitelock* has furnished us with an account of what passed at the interview, which he and his friends had with Lord Fairfax. The views expressed by the ditferent parties, therefore, as Whitelock has recorded them, will enable any one to form, it is con- ceived, a tolerably correct idea of the nature of the discussion which took place at Glasgow, when the same point was one of the questions at issue, and when two of the principal speakers were the very individuals who had previously argued the matter with Fairfax. The letters which passed between Cromwell, and Colonel Dundas, the governor of Edinburgh Castle, will likewise assist us to conjecture what may have been advanced on both sides on the occasion in question, at Glasgow. Some Scottish clergymen had taken refuge there after the battle of Dunbar. It was to them principally, through Colonel Dundas, that Cromwell addressed himself. The letters were printed at the time. On examining them, it will be perceived, that the inva- sion of Scotland, and the other offences with which Cromwell and his party were chai'ged at Glasgow, foi'med in this instance likewise, grounds of accusation on the one hand, and called forth a vindication on the other. In Hume's opinion the letters written by the parliamentary general are "the best of Cromwell's wretched compositions that remain."! But Mr. Orme says of them, " From their phraseo- logy, I strongly suspect them to have been the production of Owen's pen.":j: One of the letters, dated September 9, 1650, addressed to " The Honourable the Gover- nor of the Castle of Edinburgh," and signed by "0. Cromwell," contains this passage : — " The ministers in England are supported, and have liberty to preach the gospell, though not to raile ; nor under pretence thereof to overtop the civill power, or debase it as they please. No man hath been troubled in England or Ireland for preaching the gospell ; nor has any minister been molested in Scotland since the coming of the army hither. The speaking truth becomes the ministers of Christ. When ministers pretend to a glorious reformation, and lay the foundation thereof in getting to themselves worldly power, and can make worldly mixtures to accomplish the same, such as their late agreement with their king, and hopes by him to carry on their designe, [they] may know, that the Sion promised and hoped for will not be built with such untempered mortar. As for the unjust invasion they mention, time was, when an army of Scotland came into England, not caUed by the supreame authority. We have said in our papers with what hearts and upon what accompt we came ; and the Lord hath heard us, though you would not, upon as solemn an appeal as any experience can parallell. And although they seem to comfort themselves with being the sons of Jacob, from whom (they say) God hath hid his face for a time, yet it's no wonder, when the Lord hath lifted up his hand so eminently against a family, as he hath done so often against this, and men wiU not see his hand, if the Lord hide his face from such, putting them to shame, both for it, and their hatred at his people, as it is this day. When they purely trust to the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, which is powerfuU to bring down strongholds, and every imagination that exalts itself, which alone is able to square and fitt the stones for the new Jerusalem ; then and not before, and by that meanes, and no other, shall Jerusalem, (which is to be the praise of the whole earth,) the city of the Lord be built, the Sion of the Holy One of Israel. "§ This letter was answered on the same day, and in the following terms, by the Governor of the Castle. " My Lord, — Yours I have communicate to those with me, whom it concerned, who desire me to return this answer, that their ingeuuitie in prosecuting the ends of the covenant, according to their vocation and place, and adhering to their first principles, is well-known, and one of their greatest regrates * Memorials of English Affairs from the beginning of the Reign of Charles I. to the Restoration, pp. 444—446. Lond. 1682. t Hist, of Eng. vol. vii. p. 186. Lond. 1825. t Memoirs of Dr. Owen, p. 126. § Thuiloe's State Papers, vol. i. p. 159. xii PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. is, that they have not been met with the like ; when ministers of the gospel have been imprisoned, deprived of their benefices, sequestrate, forced to flee from their dwellings, and bitterly threatned, for their faithful declarein the will of God against the godless and wicked proceedings of men, that it cannot be accounted an ima- ginary fear of suifering in such, as are resolved to follow the like freedom and faithfulness in discharge of their master's message ; that it savours not of ingenuitie to promise liberty of preaching the gospel, and to limit the preachers thereof, that they must not speak against the sins and enormities of civill powers, since their commission carryeth them to speak the word of the Lord unto, and to reprove the sins of persons of all ranks, from the highest to the lowest ; that to impose the name of railing upon such faithfull freedom, was the old practice of malignants against the ministers of the gospell, who laid open to people the wickedness of their ways, that they should not be ensnared thereby ; that their consciences bear them re- cord, and all their hearers do know, that they meddle not with civill affairs further than to hold forth the rule of the word, by which the straightnes and crooked- nes of men's actions are made evident. But they are sorry, that they have just cause to regrate, that men of meer civill place and employment should usurp the calling and employment of the ministry, to the scandall of the reformed kirks, and particularly in Scotland, contrary to the government and discipline therein established, to the maintenance whereof you are bound by the solemn league and covenant. Thus far they have thought fitt to vindicate their return to the offer in Colonell Whalley's letter. The other part of yours, which concerns the public as well as them, they conceive that all have been answered sufficiently in the public papers of the state and kirk. Onely, to that of the successe upon your solemn appeal, they say again, what was said to it before, that they have not so learned Christ, as to hang the equity of their cause upon events ; but desire to have their hearts established in the love of the truth in all the tribulations that befall them."* Other letters followed these, previous to the surrender of the Castle. From them, and the public papers of the time, we discover that the English army justi- fied their invasion of Scotland, and their oppressive treatment of their opponents, in Scotland and Ireland, by representing that their part of the kingdom had been previously invaded from Scotland ; that the presbyterian party was friendly to monarchy ; that that party had interfered with their attempts to reform the government of England, and declared against them as sectaries ; and that a second invasion of England by the Scottish nation was known to have been con- templated. On the other hand, it was affirmed that the invasion of England, by the Marquis of Hamilton, had been always disapproved of, and opposed by those who were now in power in Scotland ; that in taking up arms against the people of Scotland, the English were procdaiming themselves the enemies of those who had formed a covenant with them, and helped them in the day of their distress ; and that although the necessity or lawfulness of a war with England, in present circumstances, had never been determined upon, nor been even discussed either in parliament or in the assembly, there could be no doubt a design was formed to overturn botli the civil and ecclesiastical institutions of the northern part of the island, and make it a mere province of England. Richard Baxter felt the warmest sympathy at this period with the Scottish peo- ple, and with lais usual intrepidity and honesty, openly arraigned the conduct of his countrymen for invading Scotland. Binning, and the ablest of his friends, could not have pled their own cause in the presence of Cromwell, and his officers, with greater power and eloquence, than he did for them, with the parliamentary soldiers and others, over whom he possessed any influence. " When the soldiers were going against the king and the Scots," says he, " I wrote letters to some of them to tell them of their sin, and desired them at last to begin to know themselves. They were the same men who had boasted so much of love to all the godly, and pleaded for tender dealing with them, and condemned those that persecuted them, or restrained their liberty, who were now ready to imbrue their swords in the blood of such as they acknowledged to be godly ; and all because they dared not be as * Thurloe's State Papers, vol. i. pp. 159, IGO. PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. ^jj- perjured, or disloyal, as they were. Some of them were startled at these letters, and thought me an uncharitable censurer, who would saj that they could kill the godly, even when they were on the march to do it : for how bad soever they spoke of the cavaliers (and not without too much desert as to their morals), they con- fessed, that abundance of the Scots were godly men. Afterwards, however, those that I wrote to better understood me. " At the same time, the Kump, or Commonwealth, which so much abhorred persecution, and were for liberty of conscience, made an order that all ministers should keep certain days of humiliation, to fast and pray for their success in Scot- laud : and that we should keep days of thanksgiving for their victories ; and this upon pain of sequestration I so that we all expected to be turned out ; but they did not execute it upon any, save one, in our parts. For myself, instead of pray- ing and preaching for them, when any of the committee or soldiers were my hear- ers, I laboured to help them to understand what a crime it was to force men to pray for the success of those who were violating their covenant and loyalty, and going, in such a cause, to kill their brethren, — what it was to force men to give God thanks for all their bloodshed, and to make God's ministers and ordinances vile, and serviceable to such crimes, by forcing men to run to God on such errands of blood and ruin, — and what it is to be such hypocrites as to persecute, and cast out those that preach the gospel, while they pretend the advancement of the gospel, and the liberty of tender consciences, and leave neither tenderness nor honesty ir the world, when the guides of the flocks, and preachers of the gospel, shall be noted to swallow down such heinous sins. My own hearers were all satisfied with my doctrine, but the committee-men looked sour, yet let me alone."* With regard to Binning's own opinion of those whom he calls " our enemies the invaders," we find that expressed in his Case of Conscience. " They think them- selves," says he, " godly and righteous, yet are not purged from their filthiness. They are given up to strong delusions to believe lies ; and there is no lie greater than this, that they are a godly party, in a godly cause and way. They wipe their mouth after all their bloodshed, and say, I have done no evil. They wash their hands, as Pilate, as if they were free of the blood of those just men, whose souls cry under the altar." f Like his friend Principal Gillespie, however. Binning appears to have kept up an amicable intercourse with some of the Independents in the army of the Common- wealth. He even gave the use of his church to the chaplain attached to Colonel Over- toun's regiment, and not only went himself to hear him preach, but exhorted his people likewise to do so. Such conduct, on his part, will be viewed differently by different people. It will be condemned by those who are servilely attached to their own particular communion, and disposed to extend the line of separation between themselves and others, even beyond the limits prescribed by their own canonical rules ; but it will be approved of by all whose cliarity is not bounded by their own narrow pale ; who, when they agree with others respecting the fundamental doctrines of religion, would grant to them, as to smaller matters, the toleration they claim for themselves ; and who, withal, believe, that much of that asperity and jealousy which disturb the peace, and sully the character of the Christian world, would in all likelihood be destroyed and prevented, were they, who unhappily are separated from one another by names and forms, to become better acquainted with each other's principles, and each other's feelings. Binning was blamed by some of his brethren for his liberality. The part he had acted was brought under the consideration of one of the inferior church courts. He endeavoured to justify himself, and to show that he had done nothing inconsistent either with his Christian or his ministerial character. But not succeeding in the attempt, with true Christian forbearance, he expressed his desire to avoid giving offence to his brethren, and intimated his willingness that his conduct in similar cases should henceforward be regulated by their wishes. J * Orme's Life and Times of Bicbard Baxter, vol. i. pp. 140, 141. ■] F 520. I " At Cathcart Kirk, 19th Oct., 1632. " Mr. Robeit Baylie renewed his protestation given in be him the last daye, against Mr. Hew xiv PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. As a proof of the influence which, along witli Cromwell, some of the indepen- dent chaplains in his army possessed over a number of the Scottish clergy, it has been asserted that it was owing to them that a change was effected in some of the forms of the presbyterian mode of worship. " It is very observable," it has been said, " that all the presbyterian ministers in Scotland made use of the Christian forms of the Lord's Prayer, Creed, and Doxology, until Oliver's army invaded Scotland, and the independent chaplains in that army thought their own dispen- sation was above that of Geneva. Upon this, such of the presbyterians as would recommend themselves to the Usurper, and such as had his ear, forbore those forms in the public worship, and by degrees they fell into desuetude."* The friendship which thus subsisted between some of the English independent ministers, and some of the Scottish clergy, during the time that the parliamentary army was in Scotland, has been differently accounted for. It has been inferred that a number of the Protesters were " somewhat favourable to Independency, among the chief of whom was Mr. Patrick Gillespie. "f On the other hand, it has been supposed, that some of the Independent clergy had no decided objection to presbyterianism, in the form in which that system of ecclesiastical polity existed in Scotland. Dr. Owen, in particular, has been said to have expressly declared this ; nay, that he would have thought it an honour to sit as a member in one of her Assemblies.:!: There can be no doubt that the differences betwixt some of the Presbyterians and the Independents, were not originally so great as these were afterwards discovered to be, between persons distinguished by the same names. They professed to believe the same great doctrines, and conscientiously preached them ; and they differed only in regard to their mode of church government. But even in regard to this, some of the earlier Independents were far from differing widely from their presbyterian brethren. The Rev. Charles Herle, who, after the death of Dr. Twisse, was made prolocutor in the Westminster Assembly, has been represented to have said, " The difference between us, and our brethren who are for independency, is nothing so great as some may conceive ; at most, it does but ruffle the fringe, not any way rend the garment of Christ. It is so far from being a fundamental, that it is scarce a material difference. "§ We are informed that Richard Baxter was likewise accustomed to observe, that " if all the Presbyterians had been like Mr. Marshall, and the Independents like Mr. Burroughs, their dif- ferences might easily have been compromised.")! The only part of the country in which any ministers connected with the Church of Scotland appear to have separated Irom it, and joined themselves to the Independents, was the town or county of Aberdeen. A small work on Independency, beai'ing the title of ' A Little Stone out of the Mountain, or Church Order briefly opened,' which was written by Nicholas Lockyer, who accompanied the English army to Scotland, Bimien moderating of the Piesbyterie, in his own name, and in the name of so many as would adhere to that protestation ; and that upon the additional reason, that Mr. Hew Binnen of his own accord, had gone in to hear an Englishman preach in his own kirk in the parish of Govan, who attended Colonel Overtoiin's regiment; and that the said Mr. Hew, be his example and counsel, had moved the people to do the like, and did maintain the lawfulness of this his action, in the face of the presbyterie, as if the abstaining from this should have been a needless separatione upon his part, and the part of his people, though, that having found that some took offence at it, be did no more countenance that man's preaching."— (Records ot Presbytery of Glasgow.) At the previous meeting, Bailiie had protested against Mr. Binning's appointment to the moderator's chair, because he maintained, another member of the presbytery had a greater number of " uncontraverted votes." — Id. * All Apology for the Clergy of Scotland, p. 45. London, 1692. f Orme's Mem. of Dr. Owen, p. 488. X Christian Instructor, vol. xxi. p. 547- Biog. Presb. vol. i. p. 131. Lorimer's Eldership, p. 155. % Neal's Historv of the Puritans, vol. iii. p. 120. II Id. p. 318. Mr, Herle, who came to Scotland with the Earl of Nottingham and the Earl of Stanford, preached in the High church of Edinburgh, on Sunday the 27th of February, 1648. Mr. Stephen Marshall, not long after, at the request of Mr. George Gillespie, one of the ministers of Edinburgh, preached in the same church, "he," says Bishop Guthry, " who being here four years ago professed to be a presbyterian, but since turned independent." — (Memoirs of Bishop Guthry, &c., pp. 256, 258, second edition.) Fuller, however, says of Mr. Marshall, that he died a presby- terian (Fuller's "Worthies, book 2, p. 53, apud Neale's Hist. vol. iv. p. 134.) And Bailiie represents him to have been "the best preacher in England." (Letters and Journals, vol. i. p. 440. PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. xv was printed at Leith in 1652. This was replied to, in a work from the pen of James Wood, professor of theology in St. Andrews, which was printed at Edin- burgh in 1654. The title of Professor Wood's publication is, ' A Little Stone pretended to be out of the Mountain, Tried, and Found to be a Counterfeit, ' &c. In that work. Wood animadverts upon a letter from " the new Independents of Aberdene," dated May 1652, and laments that " some of them had been for some years ministers " of the Established church.* It is singular enough, that in a memoir of that unhappy man. Archbishop Sharp, which was published in his own lifetime, and dedicated to himself, it is stated that Provost Jattrey, who afterwards became a Quaker, was known to declare that Sharp " was the first man who had confirmed him in the way of Independency, "t Along with other circumstances, the disunion which prevailed throughout the church, and the causes which gave rise to it, must have had a tendency to mitigate the hostility with which the Protesting clergy regarded the army of Cromwell in general, and the effect, at the same time, of recommending them to him, and his adherents. The Protesters doubted the sincerity of Charles. Though he had subscribed their covenant, they were persuaded he had no real attachment to their church. They were of opinion, that, were he once firmly seated on the throne, their civil and religious liberties would be alike endangered. So far, therefore, could they sympathize with the parliamentary general, and the soldiers whom he commanded, in their opposition to their monarch. The Protesters drew off from the army, which after the battle of Dunbar was embodied, with the concurrence of the king, the parliament, and the commission of the church, for the defence of the monarchy, and the liberation of Scotland. This army was recruited with men of every description. Numerous commissions in it were given to known malig- nants. The success of an army so constituted, the Protesters thought, was to be dreaded rather than wished for. Binning and others declared they could not even pray for its success. | Here was another point, in regard to which they and the invading army must have felt sympathy with one another, and which must have materially altered their relative position, leading them to assume such an equivocal attitude, that it must have been difficult, even for themselves, to determine whether they were more the friends or the foes of each other. Injustice, however, has been done to the Protesters, by representing them to have been republicans. This was by no means their character as a body, whatever may have been the opinions of individuals among them. One of the most active and able of them, was the unfortunate Mr. James Guthrie, minister of Stirling. Though he was executed after the Restoration, for his conceived disloyalty, in opposition, it is believed, to the personal wishes of the king, he never abjured his lawful prince. He wished the royal prerogative to be limited by law, as it after- wards was at the Revolution ; but he did not wish it to be abolished. At great personal hazard, Guthrie maintained a public disputation on the subject of the royal authority, in the church of Stirling, with the noted Hugh Peters one of Crom- well's chaplains, and in the presence of a number of the parliamentary officers. And in the same place, and near the same period, he showed himself to be a staunch presbyterian, by engaging in a public discussion § with Mr. J. Brown, an Anabaptist, who was chaplain to Colonel Fairfax's regiment. In his speech at his trial, he declared his loyalty in the strongest possible terms, and made the following touching, though unavailing, appeal to his judges : — " Albeit, it does become me to adore God in the holiness and wisdom of his dispensations, yet I can hardly refrain from expressing some grief of spirit, that my house and family should not only be so many months together cessed, by a number of English soldiers, and myself kept from the pulpit, for preaching and speaking against the Tender, and incorporating this nation in one commonwealth with England ; and that I should thereafter, in time of Oliver Cromwell his usurping the government * P|). 3(J0, .362. -j- Miscellanea Scotica, vol. ii. p. 32. J See p. 497, note. § This was followed by a written controversy between the parties. (Wodrow MSS. vol. ix. in Bib. All.) The same person disputed pulilicly in the church ot Cupar on two successive days, in ltla2, with Mr. James Wood, professor ot theology at St. Andrews. Laniont's Diary, p. 48. xvi PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. to himself, under the name of Protector, be dilated by some, and challenged by sundry of his council in this nation, for a paper published by me, wherein he was declared to be an usurper, and his government to be usurpation ; that I should have been threatened to have been sent to the court, for writing a paper against Oliver Cromwell his usurping the crown of these kingdoms ; that I should have been threatened with banisliment for concurring in offering a large testimony, against the evil of the times, to Richard Cromwell his council, immediately after his usurping the government ; I say, my lord, it grieves me, that, notwitlistanding of all those things, I should now stand indicted before your lordships as intending the eradicating and subverting of the ancient civil government of this nation, and being subservient to that usurper in his designs. The God of heaven knows that I am free of this charge ; and I do defy all the world, allowing me justice and fair proceeding, which I hope your lordships will, to make out the same against me. '* From the Case of Conscience, and from some expressions which Binning uttered under strong excitement, and which were repeated to Principal Baillie,t it would appear that his loyalty was somewhat shaken by the passing of the public resolu- tions, after the battle of Dunbar ; if not before that time, by a conviction of the dis- simulation of the king. He probably thought, with the framers of the western re- monstrance,! in which he seems to have concurred, that they would not be justifi- able in fighting for Charles, without some additional security being provided for the maintenance of their religious privileges, and unless some adequate restraint were imposed upon the exercise of the royal authority. His dread of arbitrary power is strongly expressed in the Case of Conscience. " The plea of necessity," says he,§ "is but a pretence to cover some design, that under its specious and plau- sible covering, the power of the land may be engrossed in the hands of malignants ; and so by this means, all power and trust may return, as the rivers to the sea or fountain, as they judge the king, that so, in his person, there may be established an unlimited and arbitrary power." That Binning was the author of the Case of Conscience cannot reasonably be doubted. I. It was published, in 1693, || under the name of " Mr. Hugh Binning, some- time Professor of Philosophic in the Universitie of Glasgow, and thereafter minister of God's word at Goven." Nor, so far as can be ascertained, was it denied to be his by any person, at the time of its publication. It was printed in Holland ; and although, as has been objected to it, it has not attached to it the name of the printer, nor the name of the place where it was printed, neither have ' The Apolo- geticall Relation,' ' The True Non-Conformist,' ' The Apology for, or Vindication of, Oppressed Persecuted Ministers,' ' The History of the Indulgence,' ' Rectius Instruendum,' ' The Hind Let Loose,' and various other works by Scottish writers, which, for obvious reasons, were printed abroad, after the Restoration. In his dying Testimony, however, it is declared by Mr. Robert Smith, a graduate of Gronin- gen, that the Rev. James Kid, who was subsequently minister of Queensferry, was sent to Holland by the Society people to superintend the printing of the San- quhar Declaration of 1692, and " Mr. Hugh Binning's piece against association ;" that Mr. Kid was imprisoned for this for a considerable time in HoUand, and that after he obtained his liberty, he and Kid studied for one session together at the University of Utrecht. II II. It seems almost certain that the manuscript must have been obtained from the widow of the author, or from his son, both of whom were living when the pam- phlet first appeared, and both of whom were intimately connected with the Society people. At a general meeting of the Society people at Edinburgh, 28th May, 1683, * Wodrow's Hist, of the Suf. of Ch. of Scot. vol. i. p. 165, Glas. 1829. f See note, p. .512- ^ Balfour's Annals, vol. iv. pp. 141 — 16Q. Brown's Hist, of Glas. vol. i. p. 109. Peterkin's Rec. of Kirk of Scot. p. 672. § P. 489. II Small quarto, pp. 51. ^ Shields' Faithful Conteiidings, pp. 485 — 488. Faithful Witness-Bearing Exemplified, preface, p. iv. PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. x^ii " It was resolved that Mr. John Binning should be desired to wait upon a school, for teaching some joung men ; and for his pains he was to have twentj-five pounds Scots per Quarter. According to this resolution, Mr. Binning did teach Latin to some of these young men for some time."* And in a letter from the Rev. James Renwick, to Sir Robert Hamilton of Preston, dated Sept. 2Gth, 1683, and printed from the original, he says, " Likeways, according to your direction, I challenged Mrs. Binning upon her intimacie with your sister ; but she says there is noe ground for it, and I think not such as your honour apprehends. As also I challenged her upon the commendation she gave Jo. Wilsone, in her letter unto you ; but she says she had not then seen his testimonie, and was sorrie when she saw it, it was so contrary both to her thoughts, and to her commendation of him."t This letter is curtailed in the printed collection of Renwick's Letters ; | and the passage in it, which refers to Mrs. Binning, is only partially quoted by John Howie of Lochgoin, in a note to Shields' Faithful Coutendings.§ III. A copy of the original manuscript is at present in my possession, belongino- to David Laing, Esq., Edinburgh, which, so far as one can judge from the ortho- graphy and hand-writing, must have been written near the time of the author. It formed part of a collection of papers chiefly of that period, of which some are docketed by Sir Archibald Johnston of Warriston. It is entitled " The Tractat, proving that there is still a Maligt. Pairty, and that wee should not associate with them, written in Januar 1G51." The writer of the Life of Binning was of opinion that as " Mr. Binning died ui the year 1653, and the pamphlet was not published till the year 1693," some of the Protesters would have published it, in the course of that period, "had they known that Mr. Binning was the author of it." But various circumstances may have occurred to prevent its being made public at an earlier period. And although it was not printed, it may have been read by many in manuscript. I cannot but think, though he has mistaken the Christian name of the author, that it is to Hugh Binning's Case of Conscience, that Samuel ColviU, the ungodly son of a pious mother, alludes, in that mass of ribaldry and indecency, ' The Whigs Supplication, ' when describing the library of the Covenanters, he says, " Some reads the cases of Richard Binning." (j This mock poem of Colvill was printed for the first time in the year 1681 ; but ' according to the poet's own statement, it was circulated in MS. previous to this.lf IV. The views of Binning are known to have accorded with the general strain of the Case of Conscience. The object of his tractate was to expose and counteract the purposes and proceedings of the Resolutioners. This was likewise Binning's object in the part he acted, on different occasions, in the presbytery of Glastyow. In the Minutes of that ecclesiastical court, he is always found opposed to the Resolu- tioners, and co-operating with Principal Gillespie, and the other Protesters. This will account for the tone in which Baillie speaks of him : " Behold," says he in a letter from Perth, 2d January, 1651, "the next presbytery day, when I am absent, Mr. Patrick [Gillespie] causes read again the Commission's letter, and had led it so, that by the elders' votes, the men of greatest experience and wisdom of our presbytery were the two youngest we had, Mr. Hugh Binning and Mr. Andrew Morton."** The following fact proves that the opponents, as well as the friends, of Binning in the presbytery, knew him to be decidedly averse to the public resolu- tions. On the 28th of May, 1651, Mr. Patrick Gillespie, Mr. John Carstairs, and Mr. Hugh Binning were chosen by the presbytery to be their representatives at the • Faithful Contendings, p. QQ. t Memoirs of the First Years of James Nisbet, one of the Scottish Covenanters, written bv bim- seU, Append, p. 287- Edin. 1827. X Pp. 54—38. § P. 486. See also Life of the Author, p. xliii. note. II Verse 1193. ^ ^ Mr. Alexander Peterkin. the annotator of the Records of the Kirk of Scotland, before presenting bis readers with along extract from the 'Whigs Supplication," (ver. 94—113.) describ- ing an armed body of Covenanters, gravely declares, it was " taken from a MS. copy of a doggrel poem (by Cieland it is thought,) which the editor presented some years ago to the Library of the Antiquarian Society of Edinburgh." See Rec. of Kirk of Scot. p. 533. *• Baillie's Letters, vol. ii. p. 360. xviii PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. ensuing General Assembly. But Mr. Robert Ramsay, and the other Resolutioners who were present, protested against their election, on the ground tliat they had not received notice of what was intended to be done ; that Mr. Gillespie and Mr. Bin- ning were opposed to the public resolutions in Church and State ; and that the com- mission of the Church might yet give them some directions as to this matter. Accord- ingly, when the Assembly met at St. Andrews, from protesting against which, as an illegal Assembly, the Protesters derived their name, among the numerous com- missions which were objected to, on that occasion, were those of Mr. Patrick Gilles- pie, and Mr. Hugh Binning, the Resolutioners in the presbytery having, it appears, made a ditt'erent appointment of commissioners, at a meeting of their own.* So much opposed, indeed, was Binning to the public resolutions, that we find him, on the 20th of June, 1651, protesting against the insertion of a letter, from the Com- mission of the Church regarding them, in the presbytery Minutes. And on the 20th of August, we in like manner perceive him voting against the registration, in the Minutes of the presbytery, of various Acts of the Assembly, which had met at St, Andrews and Dundee, in July, 1651, "becaus yei were sinful in themselves, and came from an unlawful and null assemblie."t But this is not all. Binning wrote " Some animadversions upon a paper entituled, no separation from the armie, &c." These, it is believed, were never printed. The manuscript copy, which I have perused, is in the hand-writing of Mr. David An- derson, the clerk, or amanuensis of Sir Archibald Johnston of Warriston, who has written on it with his own hand, " Mr. H. Binny his reply to M. D. Dickson." The title itself of the manuscript indicates the views of the author. But the simi- larity of its style and reasoning, and those of the Case of Conscience, is very evi- dent. Although he was thus led, under an imperative sense of duty, to enter the lists of controversy with Mr. David Dickson, who was now Professor of Theology in the University of Edinburgh, but who at the time of the induction of the author, being a member of the presbytery, had presided at his ordination, it is pleasant to observe, that even when expressing himself most strongly, Binning treats his former colleague in the University of Glasgow, with uniform courtesy and respect. In one place he says, " If I knew not the integritie of the writter, I could hardlie spare a hard censure of him, either for dissembling what he knowes, or not reading what he condemns. But I will think neither, but rather that he is too confident of his own assertion." In another place he exclaims, " Alas ! should a divine speak so ? If a carnall polititian had said it, I had not thought it strange, but a godlie tender man to speake in these terms." Should it be asked how this manuscript has not formed a part of the present collection of the works of the Author, the reason is simply this. It was not conceived that the degree of interest felt at this distant period, in the controversy to which it relates, v/ould warrant its publication, and more particularly as any one, wishing to obtain a knowledge of the principles and the policy which it advocates, may be gratified, by consulting some of the numer- ous pamphlets and manifestoes, which were printed at the time. Along with the Case of Conscience, the present edition of the works of the Author includes the ' Treatise of Christian Love,' first printed at Edinburgh in 1743 ; and ' Several Sermons upon the most Important Subjects of Practical Religion,' which were printed for the first time at Glasgow in 1760. Neither of these is contained in the quarto edition of Binning's works that was published in 1768, at Glasgow. That was a mere reprint of the edition of 1735, which issued from the Edinburgh press. In his Address to the Reader, the publisher of the Treatise on Christian Love says, " This treatise, with a great number of ex- cellent sermons, preached by this able minister of the gospel, many of which have never been printed, in a manuscript in folio, was found in the late Reverend Mr. Robert Woodrow, minister of Eastwood, his library." The editor of the Practical Sermons, however, informs us, in his preface, that the manuscript from which the "elegant and judicious treatise of Christian Love was first printed," was in his hand-X And he adds, " As Mr. Wodrow wrote large collections upon the lives of • Rec. of Kirk of Scot. pp. 627, 633. f Records of Presbvtery of Glasgow X p. xvii. . PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. xix our most eminent Reformers, which he designed to publish if he had lived longer, so the Lives and Letters of Mr. John Knox, who was commonly styled the Re former, is now preparing for the press, to which will be added some of his essays on religious subjects, never before printed. If the publication of ^Ir. Knox's life be duly encouraged, some luore lives of other ministers in that period will be transcribed and revised, for the benefit of the public, who desire to have them printed."* Hence we are led to conclude, that those additional works of Binning found their way to the press through the Rev. Robert Wodrow, minister of East- wood, the son and successor of the historian. The preface to the Practical Ser- mons is dated " Brousterland, Sept. 12th, 1760." This is the name of a place in the parish of Kilbride, in the county of Lanark, to which it has been ascertained the son of the historian retired, for a short time, after resigning his cure in the year 1758. I observe, likewise, that a letter now before me, written in the year 1806, by the Rev. Dr. James Wodrow, minister of Stevenston, the youngest son of the historian, and addressed to the Rev. Dr. Robert Finlay, of the University of Glas- gow, contains a statement, which, in the absence of more direct evidence, may be referred to, as furnishing us with some other grounds for believing that the anony- mous writer of the " Brousterland" preface was the retired minister of Eastwood. The statement is, that the writer of the letter, who was much younger than his two brothers, the ministers of Tarbolton and Eastwood, had "heard" that they " had some thoughts of publishing Buchanan and Knox's Lives," written by their father. It is to be regretted that none of Binning's writings were published by himself, or in his own lifetime. The indulgence of the reader is on this account justly claimed for them. We cannot be certain that the author's meaning has been always correctly expressed. And every one accustomed to composition must be aware, that in transcribing, or revising wliat has been previou.sly written, even with some degree of care, the change of a single expression, or the insertion of an additional word, or the transposition of a solitary clause in a sentence, often makes the meaning of the writer infinitely clearer, and gives a new character altogether to his style. But we ought also to bear in mind, that the following sermons were prepared for a country audience ; and that they were the ordinary weekly produc- tion of a very young clergyman, struggling with bad health, and burdened with the performance of various other arduous duties. Many, I have no doubt, will think this apology for the author unnecessary. The facts now stated, however, when taken into consideration, must increase their admiration of Binning ; his copiousness, his variety, both in regard to matter and style, the beauty of his imagery, the grandeur of his conceptions, his lelicitous application of the language of scripture, being all the more wonderful, when viewed in connexion with the unfavourable circumstances in which his sermons were composed. The discourses of Binning are unquestionably a very favourable specimen of the talents and learning, as well as of the piety of the clergy of Scotland iii his day. At the same time, that class of men have not had justice done to them. Adopt- ing the tone of their persecutors, it was long the practice of court sycophants, and otiiers, to ridicule and calumniate them.. Their sermons were burlesqued, some- times through ignorance, and sometimes through malice. Many of them were printed from the notes, or imperfect recollections of pious but illiterate persons. And if a minister was known to possess any portion of eccentricity, absurd sayings were invented for him ; and when, at any time, a singular statement, or an uncout); expression, was heard to proceed from him, it was seized upon with avidity, treasured up, and repeated as an illustration of the kind of preaching that was common among the ministers of his church. It is almost inconceivable, therefore, how many, even among the intelligent classes of society, in the present day, have been led, most unwarrantably, to form their estimate of the literary qualifications of the ministers of Scotland, in the seventeenth century, from the grotesque " Pockmanty Sermon " of the Rev. James Row, minister at Monnivaird * Pp. XXV, xxvi. XX PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. and Strowan, from Hobbes's Behemoth, from the unpolished, unauthenticated * discourses of some of the field preachers, or from that collection of profanity and obscenity entitled " Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence Display 'd."t Bishop Hall bears honourable testimony to the cliaracter and professional accom- plishments of the ministers of Scotland, in the early part of the seventeenth cen- tury. In a sermon preached by him in London, on Easter Monday, 1G18, he says, " For the northern part of our land, beyond the Tweed, we saw not, we heard not, of a congregation without a preaching minister ; and though their maintenance generally hath been small, yet their pains have been great, and their success answerable. As for the learning and sufficiency of those preachers, whe- ther prelates or presbyters, our ears were for some of them sufficient witnesses ; and we are not worthy of our ears, if our tongues do not thankfully proclaim it to the world." When we approach somewhat nearer the time of Binning, we can point, in the Church of Scotland, to such men as Robert Leighton, who was then the Presby- terian minister of the parish of Newbottle, and to Alexander Henderson, minister of the parish of Leuchars, in the county of Fife, men who would have done honour to any Protestant church in Europe. Nothing need be said of the piety and eloquence of Leighton, whose name has been preserved from obscurity, by his subsequent elevation to the episcopal chair, and the publication of his admirable writings. The name of Henderson may not be so familiar to some. But what * " The sermons preached at conventicles, which are ordinarily circulated, are a very unsafe rule by which to judge of the talents of the preachers, and the quality of the discourses which they actually delivered. We have never been able to ascertain that one of these was published during the lifetime of the author, or from notes written by himself. They were printed from notes taken by the hearers, and we may easily conceive how imperfect and inaccurate these must often have been. We have now before us two sermons by Mr. Welsh, printed at different times ; and upon reading them, no person could suppose that they were preached by the same individual. • • * We have no doubt that the memory of Mr. Peden has been injured in the same way. The collec- tion of prophecies that goes under his name is not authentic ; and we have before us some of his letters, which place his talents in a very different light from the idea given of them in what are called his sermons and his life." (Review of Sir Walter Scott's Tales of my Landlord, written by Dr. M'Crie. Christian Instructor, vol. xiv. pp. 127, 128.) — We are cautioned not to judge of the talents of Samuel Rutherford as a preacher " from the sermons printed after his death, and of which it is probable he never composed a single sentence." (Murray's Life of Rutherford, pp. 221 — 223.) And says Patrick Walker, the simple compiler of the ' Life and Death of Mr. Daniel Cargill,' " I have seen some of Mr. Cargill's sermons in writ, bu't I never saw none as he spake them ; and I have been much pressed to publish them, and other old sermons, which I dare not do, upon several considerations ; knowing that sermons would have past then, and very edifying, which will not pass now, in this critic and censorious age, without reflections ; not knowing how they were taken from their mouth, nor what hands they have come through since." Biographia Presbyteriana, vol. ii. p. 53. f The presbyterian clergy in Scotland were much offended when this silly yet mischievous book made its appearance, as they justly looked upon it as calculated not only to blacken their reputa- tions, but to inflict a serious injury upon religion. (See 'A Just and Modest Reproof of a pamphlet called The Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence,' pp. 36, 38. Edin. 1693.) — No one is more perseveringly held up to ridicule in it than the Rev. James Kirkton, whose character as a man of talents, and possessing a sound judgment, has been since sufficiently vindicated by the publication of his ' Secret and True History of the Church of Scotland.' Kirkton takes notice of the Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence, and informs us that its reputed authors were " Mr. Gilbert Crockat and Mr. John Munroe;" adding, " Truly one would think, a thinking man who reads this piece may wonder first, what conscience governs these men, who publish, to abuse the world, such stories, which they themselves know to be lies, as well as they whom they belie. Next, what wisdom is among them, who knew well enough tliere are thousands of honest people to refute their calum- nies!" (p. 194.) Provoked by an insulting reference to the book under review, an able controver- sial writer of that period says, " Thou hast, by the bye, mentioned the Presbyterian Eloquence. Every body knows that book to be a forgery out of the curates' shop. But to give the world a true test both of the Presbyterian and the Episcopal eloquence, let us appeal to the printed ser- mons on both sides. Do thou take the printed sermons of the Presbyterians, and pick out of them all the ridiculous things thou ever canst. And if I dont make a larger collection of more impious and ridiculous things, out of the printed sermons of the Episcopalians, citing book and page for them, I shall lose the cause." (Curate Calder Whipt, p. 11.) — In such a contest as is here proposed, religion must suffer, and truth be sacrificed. Lord Woodhouselee, therefore, does not hesitate to pronounce both the Presbyterian Eloquence Displayed, and the Answer to it, to be "equally infamous and disgraceful libels." Life of Lord Kames, vol. i. Append, p. 10. PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. xxi sajs an English historian of him? " Alexander Henderson, the chief of the Scot- tish clergy in this reign, was learned, eloquent, and polite, and perfectly well versed in the knowledge of mankind. He was at the helm of affairs in the General Assemblies in Scotland ; and was sent into England in the double capacity of a divine and plenipotentiary. He knew how to rouse the people to war, or negotiate a peace. Whenever he preached, it was to a crowded audience ; and when he pleaded or argued, he was regarded with mute attention."* Mr. William Guthrie, minister of Fenwick in the county of Ayr, was another of Binuing's contemporaries. His mem- ory, like that of other Scottish ministers of that century, has sutt'ered from his name having been attached to sermons falsely said to be his, at least in the form in which they have been printed. Let any person, however, of unsophisticated taste and true piety read ' The Christian's Great Interest,' which was the only work pub- lished by Guthrie himself, and it will not surprise him that a church, which had many such village pastors, should have fixed itself in the affections of the nation at large, and that instructed by such men, the humblest classes of the community should have had so much religious knowledge, as Bishop Burnet t somewhat re- luctantly admits they possessed. The wife of Wodrow the historian was the grand- daughter of William Guthrie. | In his Aualecta, Wodrow says, it was welLordered that Mr. Guthrie died in Angus, "for his congregation would have idolized his grave had he died among them." He also mentions that his Treatise was highly valued by Queen Mary, who caused it to be translated into the French language, and to whom it had been presented by Mr. WiUiam Carstares, chaplain to William III., and afterwards Principal of the University of Edinburgh ; that Archbishop Tillotson commended it as one of the best written books in the language ; and that Dr. John Owen declared, he valued it so highly, he Imd made it his vade mecum.§ Contrary to the general belief, the ministers of Scotland, in Binniug's time, not only included among them many individuals, who were highly esteemed on account of their talents, literature, and piety ; but a great number of them " were related to the chief families in the counti-y, either by blood or marriage. "|[ Binning him- self, and Mr. William Guthrie minister of Fenwick, were the sons of respectable landed proprietors. Mr. Gabriel Semple, minister of Kirkpatrick of the Muir, was the son of Sir Bryce Semple of Cathcart ; Mr. James Hamilton, minister of Dum- fries, was the nephew of Lord Claneboy, afterwards Earl of Clanbrassil ; Mr. David Fletcher, minister of Melrose, was the brother of Sir John Fletcher, King's Advocate ; Mr. Patrick Scougal, minister of Saltoun, was the son of Sir John Scougal of that ilk ; Mr. John Nevoy, minister of Newmills, was the brother of Sir David Nevoy of that ilk. Mr. James Hamilton, minister of Cambusnethan, was the son of Sir John Hamilton of Bi'oomhiU, and brother of the first Lord Belhaven ; and to mention no others, Mr. Robert Melvil, minister at Culross, was the son of Sir James Melvil of Halhill. One of the distinguishing peculiarities of Binning is his rejection of the endless divisions and subdivisions, which, along with their subtle distinctions, were borrowed from the schoolmen, and which disfigured and incumbered the sermons of that age. In Scotland, as well as in England, before his time, sermons were formed, as Dr. Watts expresses it, " upon the model of doctrine, reason, and use."1[ Those sermons often contained much excellent theology, which was faith- fully and aptly applied to the heart and life. But the numerous parts into which they were divided, must have marred their effect, and operated as a restraint upon the eloquence of the preacher. This was plainly the opinion of Binning. " Paul speaks," says he, " of a right dividing of the word of truth, (2 Tim. ii. 15.) not that ordinary way of cutting it all in parcels, and dismembering it, by manifold divi- * Granger's Biog. Hist, of Eng. vol. i. part ii. p. 416. London 1769. t Burnet's Hist, of his own Times, vol. i. p. 280. Oxford 1833. X Life of Professor Wodrow, p. 61. § Analecta, at present printing by Maitland Club, vol. i. pp. 277, 300. Biog. Pre.sbv. vol. i. pp. 236, 237. || Burnet's Hist, of his Own Times, vol. i. p. 279. Tl Watts' Works, vol. v. 350. xxii PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. sions, which I judge makes it lose much of its virtue, which consists in union. Though some have pleasure in it, and think it profitable ; yet I do not see that this was the apostolic way."* Binning, accordingly, had the courage and the good taste to adopt in conjun(;tion with Leighton, a more simple and natural manner of preach- ing. After a building was completed, he did not think it added either to its beauty or convenience, to retain the scaffolding. For this, he was censured at the time, by Robert Baillie. But whoever will read the sermon of that learned divine, en- titled ' Errors and Induration,' which was preached by him in Westminster Abbey, in the month of July, 1G45, will not be astonished to find, that Baillie disapproved of a mode of preaching, which was so completely at variance with his own. " He has the new guise of preaching," said Baillie, speaking of Mr. Andrew Gray, who was the son of Sir James Gray, and one of the ministers of the High Church of Glasgow, "which Mr. Hugh Binning and Mr. Robert Leighton began, [not] con- taining the ordinary way of expounding and dividing a text, of raising doctrines and uses ; but runs out on a discourse on some common head, in a high, romanc- ing, and unscriptural style, tickling the ear for the present, and moving the aft'ec- tions in some, but leaving, as he confesses, little or nought to the memory and understanding. This we must misken, for we cannot help it."t It has been said that Binning himself, when on his death-bed, regretted to one of his friends, that his sermons had been framed after a difterent model from that to which his countrymen had been accustomed; and had he lived, that "he was fully resolved to have followed that way of preaching by doctrine, reasons, and uses, qlk he declaredhe was then best pleased with. "I We can easily believe this. The faith- ful Christian minister is not a man that is likely to be pleased with his own perfor- mances, in any circumstances, and more particularly, when he sees the hour approaching, when he expects to be called upon, to render an account of his stewardship : and should his hopes of usefulness have been disappointed, he will be more disposed, even than others, to blame the teacher. Binning, it is not impro- bable, thought he had done wrong, in discarding from many of his sermons formal divisions altogether, and, like many English preachers who came after him, that in passing from one extreme, he had sometimes proceeded to another. He may like- wise have discovered, when catechizing some of his simple parishioners, that from want of the usual landmarks to guide them, they were not always able to follow him, when addressing them from the pulpit, or to give such a good account of his sermons, as of the discourses of some other ministers, who in preaching adhered to the rules and method of the period. § A small volume, having for its title ' Evangelical Beauties of the late Rev. Hugh Binning,' was prepared for the press, by the Rev. John Brown of Whitburn, and published at Edinburgh, in the year 1828. Along with this interesting little work, a letter from the late Dr. M'Crie was printed, in which that judicious and popu- lar writer says, " I am fond of Binning, he is thoroughly evangelical, is always in earnest and full of his subject, abounds in new and striking thoughts, and has many natural and unaffected beauties in his style and manner of writing. Had he paid a little more attention to order and method, and lived to correct his sermons for the press, he would, in my opinion, have carried every point of a good and great preacher. As it is, very few writers please me more. I will rejoice if the plan you propose shall be the means of producing a new edition of his works, which are far less known than they deserve to be, and have hitherto been chiefly in the * P. 213. f Journals and Letters, vol ii. p. 385. J Analecta, vol. iv. p. 171- vol. v. p. 342 MSS. in Bib. Ad. § " Their ministers generally brought them about them on the Sunday nights, where the ser- mons were talked over ; and every one, women as well as men, were desired to speak their sense and their experience ; and by these means they had a comprehension of matters of religion, greater than 1 have seen among people of that sort anywhere. The preachers \>ent all in one track, of raising observations on points of doctrine out of their text, and proving these iiy reasons, and then of applying those, and shewing the use that was to be made of such a point of doctrine, both for instruction and terror, for exhortation and comfort, for trial of themselves upon it, and for furnish- ing them with proper directions and helps; and this was so methodical, that the people grew to follow a sermon quite through every branch of it." Burnet's History of his own Times, vol. i. p. 2t0. PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. -xxm hands of that class of persons least qualified for relishing some of his distinguish- ing excellencies." There can be little doubt, as Dr. M'Crie has here hinted, that in Binning's discourses, there is occasionally an apparent neglect of order and method, and that we could have wished, for the sake of his hearers particularly, or with a view to attract attention and assist the memory, he had more frequently stated the outlines of his plan in two or three general heads. But few surely will feel sorry that his eloquent periods are not broken down into detached fragments, or will wish that he had substituted a dry detail of disjointed particulars for his powerful and impassioned appeals to the understanding and feelings of his auditors. Few will wish that he had discussed all his texts in the Avay he has handled 1 Tim. i. 5.* The presbytery of Glasgow prescribed to him this text as the subject of one of his probationary discourses. That is the reason, probably, that his sermons upon it are composed upon a different plan from his others, and more in accordance with the conventional mode of the day. Although Binning held the doctrine of predestination, in what the enemies of that scriptural doctrine consider its most repulsive form, being, like Samuel Ruther- ford, and David Dickson, the author of Therapeutica Sacra, and many other eminent divines of that time, a supralapsarian ; he was far from exacting in others a rigid conformity to his particular opinions. It is impossible not to admire the Christian spirit that dictated the following passage in one of his sermons, " If we search the scriptures, we shall find that they do not entertain us with many and subtile discourses of God's nature, and decrees, and properties, nor do they insist upon the many perplexed questions that are made concerning Christ and his offices, about which so many volumes are spun out, to the infinite distraction of the Chris- tian woxdd. They do not pretend to satisfy your curiosity, but to edify your souls ; and therefore they hold out God in Christ, as clothed with all his relations to man- kind, in all those plain and easy properties, that concern us everlastingly, — his justice, mercy, grace, patience, love, holmess, and such like. Now, hence I gather, that the true knowledge of God consists not in the comprehension of all the con- clusions that are deduced, and controversies that are discussed anent these things ; but rather, in the serious and solid apprehension of God, as he hath relation to us, and consequently in order and reference to the moving of our hearts, to love, and adore, and reverence him, for he is holden out only in those garments that are tit to move and affect our hearts. A man may know all these things, and yet not know God himself; for to know him, cannot be abstracted from loving him."t The practical character of the theology of Binning is not less remarkable. He never lost sight of the connection between truth and the conscience. All who are acquainted with his writings must be aware, that from the consideration of the more profound doctrines of Divine Revelation, he did not permit himself to be de- terred by any false humility, or any mistaken idea of the incompetency of the human mind to follow in the track of the sacred writers. In the works of no author of the period, or of the theological school to which he belonged, shall we find more frequent references to the high and sacred mysteries of revealed truth. Yet are we unable to perceive, in his discourses, any symptoms of the paralyzing influ- ence, which the discussion of such topics has not unfrequently exerted, on the compositions of other equally sound, but less skilful and comprehensive writers. His divinity was drawn immediately from the sacred scriptures ; and finding it there, not only in its sublime, and often mysterious relations to the mind, and purposes of the Almighty, but also in its application to the conscience and affections of the finite creature, for whose use it was revealed, — he presented it to his hearers in all its native majesty, and at the same in all its practical simplicity. In dealing with the consciences of sinners, in particular, this peculiarity of Biu- ing is displayed, in a manner that is singularly striking. In the sermons of those who are most opposed to the doctrines which he was at such pains to inculcate, we shall search in vain for more pungent addresses to the consciences of mankind, or more unfettered exhibitions of the gospel as a remedial scheme, in which aU * P. 600. t I'- ^^^<'- xxiv PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. the descendants of Adam are warranted to regard themselves as having an interest. Some of his contemporaries were evidently shackled bj their conceptions of the place which the doctrine of the divine decrees holds in the system of revealed truth. They hesitated to proclaim a free salvation and a willing Saviour to all man- kind, simply on the ground of their common destitution as sinners ; and they sought to extricate themselves from the difficulties, arising out of the doctrine of election on the one hand, and the common offers of the gospel on the other, by the chilling hypothesis, that these offers were made in reality, whatever might be their form, to convinced, or in the language of the period, " sensible " sinners only. Binning, spurning at such systematic trammels, took his stand upon the clear testimony of God in the gospel. He not only taught that Christ is the Saviour of sinners, but pressed upon every sinner the offer of the Saviour. Instead of requir- ing those whom he addressed, to accept of salvation, by the discovery of convic- tions, or feelings, or any thing else in themselves, constructive of an initial work of grace, he simply and unreservedly taught them that sinners, as such, are ad- dressed in the gospel, and that all who are sinners have an equal warrant to accept freely, that which is thus so freely proffered. " I think," he says, "a man should seek nothing in himself, whereupon to build his coming to Christ. Though it be true, no man can come to a Saviour, till he be convinced of sin and misery, yet no man should seek convictions, as a warrant to come to Christ for salvation. He that is in earnest about this question, how shall I be saved ? — I think he should not spend the time in reflecting on, and examination of himself, till he find some- thing promising in himself ; but, from discovered sin and misery, pass straightway over to the grace and mercy of Christ, without any intervening search of some- thing in himself to warrant him to come. There should be nothing before tlie eye of the soul but sin and misery and absolute necessity, compared with superabound- ing grace and righteousness in Christ ; and thus it singly devolves itself over upon Christ, and receives him as offered freely, 'without money and without price.' I know it is not possible that a soul can receive Christ, till there be some prepara- tory convincing work of the law, to discover sin and misery. But I hold, that to look to any such preparation, and fetch an encouragement or motive therefxom, to believe in Christ, is really to give him a price for his free waters and wine ; it is to mix in together, Christ and the law, in the point of our acceptation. And for souls to go about to seek preparations for a time, resolving not at all to consider the promise of the gospel, till they have found them, and satisfaction in them, is nothing else but to go about to establish their own righteousness, being ignorant of the righteousness of Christ."* Binning, however, it will be found, did not give his sanction to the views of those who confounded faith in Christ and the assurance of salvation. This was one ox the numerous errors of the day. It was prevalent in England ; and along with other heresies, it had no doubt insinuated itself, by means of the parliamentary soldiers, into some parts of Scotland. So far from the assurance of salvation be- ing of the essence of faith, or a constant attendant upon it, there are some sincere Christians, we have reason to believe, who are all their lifetime strangers to it ; while they who have attained to it, from discovering in themselves the fruits and evidences of faith, have it oftentimes clouded and suspended. This is consistent with the personal experience of many humble and pious persons, and with what we read in the Diaries of many, whose life when upon the earth was the best of all proofs that the Spirit of God dwelt in them. It is likewise confirmed by the re- corded experience of the man according to God's own heart. If he was at one time elevated with hope, he was at another time depressed by fear. If, when meditating upon the divine love and mercy, he was on some occasions filled with peace and joy, he was on other occasions, when contemplating his own guilt and unworthiness, a prey to grief and perplexity. If he was heard to exclaim, ' Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work ; I will triumph in the works of thy hands,' he was also heard to cry out, ' Will the Lord cast oft' for ever ? And will he be favourable no more ? Is his mercy clean gone for ever ? Doth his promise fail for evermore ? Hath God forgotten to be gracious ? Hath he in anger shut up * P. 132. See also Sermon vi. p. 37fi. PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. XXV his tender mercies ?' A man who believes Christ to be the Son of God and the Saviour of the world, if he has searched the scriptures, has been made acquainted with the deceitfulness of the human heart, and the devices of our great adversary. It is on this account he does not always feel assured of his salvation. He is afraid that he may be deceiving himself, and be thinking more highly of himself then he ought to think. He has learned, from the parable of the sower, that some * re- ceive the word with joy,' and 'for a while believe;' but as they have ' no root,' they ' in time of temptation fall away. ' This leads him to examine himself, and to prove himself, whether he be in the faith. This indeed is what the apostle has enjoined us all to do, thereby showing that a man may be in Christ Jesus, and yet be doubtful of his salvation ; and, on the other hand, that a man may have a com- plete assurance of his salvation, and yet be still ' in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.' It is from the fruits of the Spirit, therefore, that in himself as well as in others, the believer discovers the presence of the Spirit. " Both in philosophy and divinity, yea, in common sense, it is allowed to reason from the effects to the causes. Here is burning ; therefore here is fire. Here is the blos- soming of trees and flowers ; therefore it is spring, and the sun is turning again in his course. Here is perfect day-light ; therefore the sun is risen. Here is good fruit growing ; therefore here is a good tree. 'Tis a consequence no less sure and infallible, here is unfeigned love to the brethren, therefore here is regeneration. Here are spiritual motions, affections, desires, acts, and operations ; therefore here is spiritual life."* These were plainly the sentiments of Binning. He distinguished, with logical precision, between faith in Christ and its consequences. In regard to the doctrine of the Antinomians, he says, " That every man is bound to persuade himself at the first, that God hath loved him, and Christ redeemed him, is the hope of the hypocrite, — like a spider's web, which, when leaned to, shall not stand. That man's expectation shall perish : he hath kindled sparks of his own, — a wild fire, and walketh not in the true light of the word, and so must lie down in sorrow."! Employing language very similar to that of Gillespie, which it would almost seem he had before him at the moment, he also says, " If the question be, as it is indeed, about the grounds of our assurance, and knowledge of our own faith, certainly it is clear as the noonday, that as the good tree is known by the fruits thereof, and the fire by the heat thereof, so the indwelling of faith in the heart is known by its purifying of the heart and working by love. It makes a man a new creature, so that he and others may see the difference. Neither is this any derogation to the free grace of Christ, or any establishing of our own righteousness, except men be so afraid to establish their own righteousness, that they will have no holiness at all, but abandon it quite, for fear of trusting in it, which is a remedy worse than the disease, because I make it not a ground of my acceptation before God, but only a naked evidence of my believing in Christ, and being accepted of God ; it being known that these have a necessary connexion together in the scriptures, and it being also known that the one is more obvious and easy to be discerned than the other, "t It will be thought that the Latin quotations, which the author has introduced into his sermons, might have been spared. These show a mind richly stored with classical learning. They are not forced or unnatural. All of them are appro- priate, and many of them singularly felicitous. Still it will be conceived that they would have appeared with more propriety and better effect, in an academical dis- quisition, or a concio ad clerum, than in sermons preached in a country church. But in justice to Binning, it is proper to observe, he did nothing more than follow the example of the most celebrated preachers who had preceded him. Bishop Burnet remarks with considerable severity of the English divines, who appeared before Tillotson, Lloyd, and Stillingfleet, that their sermons were " both long and heavy, when all was pye-balled, full of many sayings of different languages. "§ The sermons of the learned Joseph Mede, who died in 1638, are filled not only • Gillespie's Miscellany questions, p. 247. Edin. 1649. f P. 135. J P. 133. § Hist, of his Own Times, vol. i. p. 348. d xxvi PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. with Greek and Latin quotations, but with Hebrew, and Chaldee, and Sjriac. But his biographer very ingenuously admits, that when he had occasion to quote from a work written in any of the Eastern languages, if the testimonies were long, Mede usually gave a Latin version of them, " as judging it perhaps more fit and useful to quote them in a language wlii(;h might be understood by all that heard him, even by the younger students, than to make an astonishing clatter, with many words of a strange sound, and of an unknown sense to some in the auditory."* In the discourses of Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down, who outlived Binning, we likewise meet with innumerable quotations, both in Greek and Latin, from the classics and from the fathers. And though we might be disposed to infer the contrary, those discourses were not composed for the benefit of the learned mem- bers of a university. As the author himself has informed us, they were all preached at Golden Grove, to the family and domestics of his patron, and perhaps in addition to these, to a few of their neighbours, and as many of the peasantry on the estate as could understand English.! The common people in England wore so much accustomed in those days to hear Latin spoken in the pulpit, that they were sometimes led to undervalue a preacher who did not make some use of it. When Dr. Pocock, the celebrated orientalist, was presented to the rectory of Childry, near Oxford, he considered it to be his duty to adapt his instructions to what he thought to be the capacity of his rustic parishioners. This made some of them lament to one of his friends that he was " no Latiner."]: An unseasonable display of learning by Dr. Manton, on the other hand, when preaching in St. Paul's, on some public occasion, instead of awakening admiration, subjected him to a reproof which he felt very keenly. On returning home in the evening, a poor man following him, gently pulled him by the sleeve of his gown, and asked him if he were the gentleman who had preached that day before my Lord Mayor. He answered he was. '' Sir," said ho, " I came with earnest desires after the word of God, and hopes of getting some good to my soul, but I was greatly disappointed ; for I could not understand a great deal of what you said, — you were quite above me." The Doctor replied, with tears in his eyes, " Friend, if I did not give you a sermon, you have given me one."§ Massillon was one of the first French preachers who abstained, in the pulpit, from the use of citations from profane authors. In the first sermon of his " Petit Careme," he has a quotation from Sallust. But he does not name the author, nor does he give the words in the original. He merely gives the meaning of them, introducing his quotation in this manner, as one of the ancients says, " comme dit un ancien." This, it is believed, is the only instance of the kind that is to be found in the sermons of that eloquent preacher. || Some may be desirous to know how it was that a practice so different from ours, and so much opposed to the good sense and the good taste of modern times, was formerly so common, or by what arguments it was attempted to be defended. Abraham Wright, one of the Fellows of St. John the Baptist's College, Oxford, un- dertook this task. He published a book in 1656, under this title, " Five Sermons in Five several Styles, or Waies of Preaching." These different ways of preaching were what he characterized as Bishop Andrews' way. Bishop Hall's way. Dr. Maine and Mr. Cartwright's way, the Presbyterian way, and the Independent way. All of the sermons, with the exception of the last, contain specimens of the " Babylonish dialect " of the age. But this, in the estimation of Abraham Wright, was not their least recommendation. " You are also taught from these leaves," says he, IF " that secular learning is not so heathenish, but it may be made Chris- tian. Plato, and Socrates, and Seneca, were not of such a reprobate sense, as to stand wholly excommunicate. The same man may be both a poet and a prophet, a philosopher and an apostle. Virgil's fancie was as high as the Magi's star, and * Mede's Works. General Preface. f Heber's Life of Bishop Taylor, p. 171. ± Pocock's Works, vol. i. Life of the Author, p. 22. § Manton's Sermons. Life of the Author, p. v. II (Euvres De Massillon, tome vi. p. 4. Essai Sur L'Eloquence de la Chaire, par le Cardinal Maury, tome ii. p. 231. ^ Address to the Christian Reader. PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. XXVI 1 might lead wise men in the West as clearly to their Saviour, as that light did those Eastern sages. And so, likewise, Seneca's positions may become Saint Paul's text ; Aristotle's metaphysicks convince an atheist of a God, and his demon- strations prove Shiloes advent to a Jew. That great apostle of the Gentiles had never converted those nations, without the help of their own learning. It was the Gentiles oratorie, yet not without the Holy Ghost's rhetorick, that did almost perswade Agrippa to be a Christian ; and it was the Gentiles poetrie, but not without a Deitie in the verse, that taught the Athenians to know an unknown God. By which you see it is possible that Gamaliel's feet may be a step to an apostleship." This failed to convince the pious editor of the Works of the ever- memorable John Hales of Eaton, if ever he chanced to see it. The learned pre- bendary, for the purpose of enforcing his arguments against intemperance, chose to quote the concluding words of the Symposium of Xenophon. Lord Hailes was of opinion that this was " improper in a popular discourse," and therefore he used the liberty to leave out the quotation in his edition of the works of the author. But this much may likewise be stated in behalf of Binning. He did not engage, like some other preachers, his contemporaries, in nice critical discussions, which could be appreciated, or understood, by none but scholars like himself ; and when he brought forth a classical quotation in his sermons, if a literal translation did not accompany it, he took care at least to put all who heard him in possession of the sentiment which it contained. In this way, none of his hearers were left ignorant of what he said ; while the varied and attractive form in which the im- portant truths he inculcated were exhibited, may have recommended them to that portion of his audience whose minds were more highly cultivated, among whom it is not unlikely were some, who, on account of his fame, may have come to hear him, more or less frequently, from the contiguous city and university. When Binning quotes the sacred scriptures, it will be perceived he does not •Always make use of the authorized version. In the Case of Conscience, he appears to do this ; but we find from the old manuscript already referred to, that he some- times contented himself with mentioning the chapter and verse to which he wished to direct attention, without giving the words. These, therefore, we may suppose, were added by the transcriber, when the work was about to be printed. It was not till after tlie death of the author that the nation generally can be said to have adopted the translation of the scriptures Mdiich was completed in tlie reign of King James, and which is now in common use. Before the introduction into Scotland of what is called the Geneva Bible, the translation of Tyndale and Coverdale was employed. This was superseded in a great measure by the Geneva Bible, Avhich was an English version of the scriptures that was executed in Geneva in the year 1560, by Protestant refugees from England. In the year 1575, the General Assembly required that every parish kirk in Scotland should be provided with a copy of Bassandyne's edition of the Geneva Bible. The first edition of the present authorized version was published in 1611. But as many preferred the Geneva Bible to it, the former continued to maintain its place in Scotland for soi:^e time longer. In Boyd's " Last Battle of the Soul," printed at Edinburgh in 1629, the Geneva translation is used. It was likewise used by Dr. Balcanquhall in a sermon which was preached by him in the presence of Charles the Fii-st, in the year 1632, and published under the title of " The Honour of Christian Churches, and the Necessitie of frequenting Divme Service, and Publike Prayers in them." And we learn from Dr. Lee, that so late as the year 1639, the celebrated Alexander Hen- derson, in preaching before the General Assembly at Edinburgh, read a long text from the Geneva Bible, which, he tells us, appears from the proceedings of that Assembly still extant in manuscript.* About the time, however, when Binning began to preach, the version now universally adopted seems to have become much more common. Binning generally employs it. But he occasionally quotes from the Geneva translation, and sometimes from memory. It is easy to conceive that, in this transition state of the two versions, he may have been nearly equally fami- liar with both, and unable from his recollection at the moment to distinguish the • Memorial for the Bible Societies in Scotland, p. 91. See also pp. 30, 90, 112. xxviii PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. words of the one from those of the otlier. We therefore find, in point of fact, that when trusting to his memory, he quotes a passage of scripture, he sometimes gives it, partly in the language of the one, and partly in the language of the other trans- lation. One of the texts of his first sermon is Rom. xi. 36. The English reading of that text, according to the Geneva version is, ' For of him, and through him, and /or him are all things ;' but according to the authorized version, it is, ' For of him, and through him, and to him are all things.' Any person, however, who reads the sermon attentively, will be convinced, that when the author wrote it, he must have had before him at the time, the Geneva version, and not the other. " ' All things,' says he,* ' are of him, and for him ;' but man in a peculiar and proper way. As God, in making of man, was pleased of his goodness to stamp him with a character of his own image, — and in this he puts a difference between man and other creatures, that he should have more plain and distinct engravings of divine majesty upon him, which might show the glory of the workman, — so it appears that he is in a singular way made for God, as his last end. As he is set nearer God, as the beginning and cause, than other creatures ; so he is placed nearer God as the end. All creatures are made ultimo, lastly, for God, yet they are all made proxime, nextly, for man." The sacred scriptures are the Christian teacher's treasury. The knowledge of these evinced by the young and interesting author, apprizes us that he had cai-e- fully studied them, as his rule of faith and manners. But his beautiful and appro- priate illustrations were not derived from the Bible alone. The stores of profane history, philosophy, and science ; the apologues and mythology of the ancients, were all made tributary to him. His scholastic habits evidently gave a tinge to his discourses. When perusing some of these, we could almost imagine we are listening to the youthful Regent, while delivering, within the walls of the Univer- sity of Glasgow, his dictates to a class of admiring and enthusiastic students. We are at once reminded of the " Professor of Philosophy," for instance, when we find him borrowing from Plato, and other ancient philosophers, such names as these, applied by them " to the unknown God," avra «».t auTo ^nv[ia,X and priwrnm inteUigi- bile, et primum intelligens ;§ when he makes mention of "the astronomers" who " do cut and carve in their imagination cycles, orbs, and epicycles, in the heavens, because of the various and different appearances and motions of stars in them, whereas it may be, really, there is but one celestial body in which all these various lights and motions do appear ;"|j and when he tells us, that " if two superficies were exactly plain and smooth, they could join so closely together, that no air could come between them, and then they could hardly be pulled asunder. "U All the while, however, it is evident that the knowledge of the philosopher is made subservient to the nobler purposes of the divine. The idea never occurs to us, that his Pi'cular learning is produced for display, and not to give interest to a sacred subject, or to furnish him with the means of explaining it. The following extract will show the holy use to which the pious author conse- crated his knowledge of "physiology," which, when a Regent, he was bound to teach, \)j the foundation-charter of the University : — " We can do nothing except we have some pattern or copy before us ; but now, upon this ground which God hath laid, man may fancy many superstructures. But when he stretched out the heaven, and laid the foundation of the earth, ' who, being his counsellor, taught him ?' At whom did his Spirit take counsel? Certainly, none of all these things would have entered into the heart of man to consider or contrive, Isa. xl. 12, 13. Some ruder spirits do gaze upon the huge and prodigious pieces of the creation, as whales and elephants, &c. ; but a wise Solomon will go to the school of the ant to learn the wisdom of God, and choose out such a simple and mean creature for the object of his admiration. Certainly there are wonders in the smallest and most inconsiderable creatures which faith can contemplate. 0 the curious inge- nuity and draught of the finger of God, in the composition of flies, bees, flowers, &c. Men ordinarily admire more some extraordinary things ; but the truth is, the whole course of nature is one continued wonder, and that greater than any of • P. 5. t Pp. 4-2. 48. t P. 55. § P. 302. || P. 80. «T[ P. 270. PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. XXIX the Lord's works without the line. The straight aud regular line of the wisdom of God, who, in one constant course and tenor, hath ordained the actions of all his ci'eatures, comprehends more wonders and mysteries, as the course of the sun, the motion of the sea, the hanging of the earth in the empty place upon nothing. These, we say, are the wonders indeed, and comprehend something in them which all the wonders of Egypt and the wilderness cannot parallel. But it is the stupid security of men, that are only awakened by some new and unusual passages of God's works beyond that straight line of nature."* From an eloquent passage in his sermon on the text (1 John i. 5,) ' God is light,' it will likewise be seen that if Binning spoke, like a philosopher, of the pro- perties of light, his was the language of a Christian philosopher : — " The light is, as it were, a visible appearance of the invisible God. He hath covered his invi- sible nature with this glorious garment, to make himself in a manner visible to man. It is true, that light is but, as it were, a shadow of that inaccessible light, umbra Dei. It is the dark shadow of God, who is himself infinitely more beautiful and glorious. But yet, as to us, it hath greater glory aud majesty in it, than any creature besides. It is the chief of the works of God, without which the world would be without form and void. It is the very beauty of the creation, that whicli gives lustre and amiableness to all that is in it ; without which the pleasantest paradise would become a wilderness, and this beautiful structure, and adorned palace of the world, a loathsome dungeon. Besides the admirable beauty of it, it hath a wonderful swift conveyance throughout the whole world, the upper and lower, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. It is carried from the one end of heaven to the other in a moment, and who can say by what way the light is parted ? Job xxxviii. 24. Moreover, it carries alongst with it a beautiful influence, and a refreshing heat and warmness, which is the very life and subsistence of all the creatures below. And so, as there is nothing so beautiful, so nothing so uni- versally and highly profitable. And to aU this, add that singular property of it, that it is not capable of infection ; it is of such absolute purity, that it can commu- nicate itself to the dunghill, as well as to the garden, without receiving any mix- ture from it. In all the impurities it meets withal, it remains unmixed and un- tainted, and preserves its own nature entire. Now you may perceive, that there is nothing visible that is fitter to resemble the invisible God, than this glorious, beautiful, pure, and universally communicable creature, light. * * * " Then add unto this, to make up the resemblance fuller, the bounty and be- nignity of his influence upon the world, the flowings forth of his infinite goodness, that enrich the whole earth. Look, as the sun is the greatest and most universal benefactor, — his influence and heat is the very renovation of the world. It makes all new, and green, and flourishing ; it puts a youth upon the world, and so is the very spring and fountain of life to all sublunary things. How much is that true of the true light, of the substantial, of whom this sun is but a shadow i * * * " And to complete the resemblance more, there may be something of the infal- libility and incomprehensibility of the divine majesty here represented. For though nothing be clearer than the light, yet there is nothing in its own nature darker than light ; that which is so manifest to the eyes, how obscure is it to the understanding ! Many debates and inquiries have been about it, but yet it is not known what that is by which we know all things. Certainly such is the divine light. It is inconceivable and inexpressible, therefore is he said to dwell in light inaccessible and full of glory, I Tim. vi. 16. There is a twofold darkness that hinders us to see God, a darkness of ignorance in us, and a darkness of inac- cessible light in him. The one is a vail upon our hearts, which blinds and dark- ens the souls of men, that they do not see that which is manifest of God even in his works. 0 that cloud of unbelief that is spread over our souls, which hinders the glorious rays of that divine light to shine into them ! This darkness Satan contributes much to, who is the prince of darkness, 2 Cor. iv. 4. This makes the most part of souls like dungeons within, when the glorious light of the gospel sur- rounds them without. This earthliness and carnality of our hearts makes them • P. 90. IXX PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. like the earth, receive only the light in the upper and outward superfice, and not sutfer it to be transmitted into our hearts to change them. But when it pleaseth him, who at the first, by a word of power, commanded light to shine out of dark- ness, he can scatter that cloud of ignorance, and draw away the vail of unbelief, and can by his power and art, so transform the soul, as to remove its earthly qua- lity, and make it transparent and pure ; and then the light will shine into the heart, and get free access into the soul. But though this darkness were wholly removed, there is another darkness, that ariseth not from the want of light, but from the excessive superabundance of light, — caligo lucis nimice ; that is, a divine darkness, a darkness of glory, such an infinite excess and superplus of light and glory above all created capacities, that it dazzles and confounds all mortal or created understandings. We see some shadows of this, if we look up to the clear sun. We are able to see nothing for too much light. There is such an infinite dispro- portion here between the eye of our mind, and this divine light of glory, that if we curiously pry into it, it is rather confounding and astonishing ; and therefore it fills the souls of saints with continual silent admiration and adoration."* The comparisons, employed by Binning, have sometimes a degree of quaintness in them which is far from being displeasing, if it does not heighten their eft'ect, as wlien he observes of that Great Being, whose thoughts are not as our thoughts, that he " speaks in our terms, and like nurses with their children, uses our own dia- lect."! He employs an equally vivid, though somewhat quaint comparison, when he observes, that "the best way to behold the sun, is to look at it in a pail of boater; and the surest way to know God by, is to take him up in a state of humiliation and condescension, as the sun in tlie rainbow, in his words and works, which are mirrors of the divine power and goodness, and do reflect upon the hearts and eyes of all men the beams of that uncreated light. "| We are offended, however, with the homeliness of such expressions as these, " sin's ugly face ;"§ "our legs are cut off by sin; "I "the legs of the soul;"1[ men opposing God are "like dogs barking at the moon ;"** "the pull of the Father's arm ;"tt the Christian is "on speaking terms with God ;":}:| " he drives a trade with heaven;"§§ " Christ " took up a shop, as it were, in our flesh, that he might work in us ;"|jjj Nevertheless, an obvious excuse suggests itself to us for the employment, by the author, of these, and such like familiar expressions, which are besides of singularly rare occurrence in his writings. The great object which a Christian minister, like Binning, will constantly propose to himself, when addressing his people, will be, to make himself useful to them. But he knows he cannot be useful, without being intelligible to his audience. He is thus led sometimes to lower his style, as well as to simplify his ideas, that he may reach the understandings and hearts of the youngest and the most illiterate among his hearers. This was evidently Binning's case. To the least intelligent of those whom he addressed, he sometimes spoke in their own dialect, or, to adopt his own comparison, "like nurses with their children." In so far as he did this, he followed the maxim of the great German Heformer, Hi sunt optimi ad populum concionatores, said Luther, qui pueriliter, populariter, et quam simplicis- sime docent. " They are the best preachers to the people, who teach them in a plain, familiar, and perfectly simple way." A preacher, however, who is desirous to make his instructions exceedingly sim- ple, is in danger of bringing his language too low, or of expressing himself in a manner which may not please persons of refined taste. His own good sense will teach him to avoid this if possible. But in the hurry of writing or speaking, he may not always succeed. When this liappens, the fault into which he has been betrayed ought to be overlooked by those who are aware, that the business of a minister of Christ is not to interest merely, but to convince ; not to afford pleasure, but to enlighten, reclaim, and admonish, 'rightly dividing the word of truth.' It is right that the reader should know what changes have in the present edition been made upon the text of the author. To make the work as perfect as possible, it has been carefully collated with the earliest editions which could be procured of * Pp. 301—303. t P. 74. t P-36. § P. 456. 11 P. 165. «[[ P. 216. •* P. 76. tt P- 248. Xt P. 657. §§ P. 619. |j|| P. 217. PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. xxxi his different writings. From his style being so much in advance of that of his countrymen in general, at the time he lived, it may be supposed that his language has been modernized to a considerable extent. But such is not the fact. The orthography has been altered. Greater attention tlian formerly has been paid to the punctuation. This was so defective in many places, as completely to obscure and pervert the meaning of the author. The references to scripture have also been corrected in numerous instances. But beyond this, nothing almost whatever has been done, with the exception of the occasional emendation of what, according to existing rules, would now be considered an ungrammatical expression, or the substitution of a modern word for one that was obsolete or provincial. The text itself, however, will show that very few changes indeed of this description have been ventured upon. It was thought better, for various reasons, that the author should be allowed to speak in his own familiar tongue, than that he should be transformed into a modern preacher. The remodelling of his style might have made it more agreeable to some readers, but it would no longer have been the style of Binning, nor characteristic of his age and country. His language, more- over, would have lost much of its raciness in the attempt to mellow it. An explanation of such words as have been employed by Binning, and are not now in common use, or generally understood beyond the limits of Scotland, has been given in the Notes. Many of his Latin quotations, when not translated by himself, have likewise been explained, and verified, and their authors pointed out. This, it is confessed, has been a very irksome and laborious undertaking. As the classical quotations of the author, like his quotations from scripture, have not unfrequently been made from memory, the difficulty of tracing them to their pro- per sources was thereby much increased. The necessary books were not always at hand to consult, and even when these were obtained, it was sometimes found to be impossible, after the most patient research, to discover the place where the .saying of some ancient writer was concealed. There are few notes comparatively attached to the first part of the work, as the printing of it commenced sooner than was expected. To supply this defect, some Notanda have been inserted after the Life of the Author. But in addition to some of the classical quotations of the author, various histo- rical allusions required to be elucidated, along with certain obscure references to passing events, and the opinions and proceedings of different sects and parties. It is not pretended that every thing of this kind has had light thrown upon it. But I can say this much with confidence, that it has been my constant endeavour to discover the latent or partially disclosed meaning of the author, and to give to the candid reader the benefit of my researches, and of any knowledge, whicli, in consequence of my position, I possessed, of a minister of the Church of Scotland, of whom I deem it uo small honour to have been a successor. When this edition of the works of the Rev. Hugh Binning had nearly passed through the press, the Editor had unexpectedly put into his hands a manuscript volume of the sermons of the author. About fifty of these, he finds, on examination, have never been printed, most of which have been transcribed by the Rev. Robert Macward, whose handwriting is perfectly well known. The remaining part of the volume contains the forty sermons on the eighth chapter of the Epistle to the Ro- mans, entitled ' The Sinner's Sanctuary.' These are believed to be in the hand- writing of Binning himself. There can be no doubt whatever that this is the manuscript volume in folio, which is described in the preface to ' Several Sermons upon the most important Subjects of Practical Religion,' dated " Brousterland, Sept. 12th, 17G0." It is there said to have been lor "many years concealed in the library of John Graham, a pious and learned man, much abstracted from the world, who was a near relation of Mr. M'Ward's, with a large collection of Mi-. M'Ward's own papers, which are yet among the curious and large collection of manuscripts, that were left by Mr. Wodrow, the author of the History of the Sufi'erings of this Church, to his sons." (Pp. xix, xx.) The writer of that preface also tells us, that he sxxii PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. had in his possession a "quarto volume" of manuscript sermons, belonging to Bin- ning. The Editor has not been able to ascertain what has become of this latter volume ; nor can anj thing be learned of the " Course of Philosoplij," which the author of Binning's Life, states, he was assured was in the hands of a gentleman in Edinburgh, at the time he wrote that Life, which was about the year 1735. (See Life of the Author, p. liv.) The sermons which have not hitherto been printed, and which arc contained in the manuscript volume now brought to light, maj be expected to be given to the world at no distant period. THE LIFE OF MR. HUGH BINNING. There being a great demand for the several books that are printed under Mr. Binning's name, it was judged proper to undertake a new and correct impres- sion of them in one volume. This being done, the publishers were much con- cerned to have the life of such an useful and eminent minister of Christ written, in justice to his memory, and his great services in the work of the gospel, that it might go along with this impresson. We living now at so great distance from the time wherein he made a figure in the world, must be at a considerable loss in givino- an exact and particular relation. However, his pious and exemplary life may in some measure be known from his writings ; and for this end, a great many bright passages might be gathered out of them, which would raise his character highly in the eyes of all good men ; for the Rev. Mr. Robert M'Ward, minister in Glasgow, observed, " That his life was his sermons put in print, by which means they who did forget what he had said in the pulpit, by seeing what he did in his conversa- tion might remember what they had forgot ; he lived as he spoke, and spoke as he lived." All due pains have been taken to procure proper materials, and good vouch- ers of the following narration. Some few things are learned from the prefaces pre- fixed to his several pieces, by worthy and able divines, who revised and published them ; more accounts of him were furnished by persons of great credit, on whose veracity we can safely rely. But the most remarkable passages in his life are hap- pily preserved, in a letter written by Mr. M'Ward,* to the Rev. Mr. James Cole- * [Mr. Robert Macward went to England as the secretary, or amanuensis, of the famous Samuel Rutherford, when the latter was appointed one of the commissioners to the Westminster Assembly (Murray's Life of Rutherford, p. 233). When mentioning Macward's institution, as Professor of Humanity in the old college of St. Andrews, in April, 1650, Lamond says of him, that he was previously "servant to Mr. Sa. Rutherford, m. of St. Andrews" (Diary, p. 16, Edin. 1830). Sir John Chiesley was, in the same sense, and at the same period, the servant of the celebrated Alexander Henderson, another of the commissioners (Kirkton's Hist, of the Ch. of Scot., note, p. 71). It is justly remarked by Dr. M'Crie, when speaking of Richard Bannatyne, who was also called the servant o( Knox, "that the word servant, or servitor, was then used with greater latitude than it is now, and, in old writings, often signifies the person whom we call by the more honour- able name of clerk, secretary, or man-of-business" (Life of Knox. p. 349. Sixth edition). Mr. Macward succeeded Mr. Andrew Gray as one of the ministers of Glasgow, in the year 1656, chiefly through the influence of Principal Gillespie (Baillie's Letters, vol. ii. pp. 406, 407. Cleland's Aimals of Glasgow, vol. i. p. 128). A sentence of banishment was unjustly passed upon him for a sermon on Amos iii. 2, which he preached in the Tron Church, Glasgow, after the Restoration. As to what he said in that sermon regarding the conduct of the parliament, Baillie declares, that " all honest men did concur with him," though he disapproves, at the same time, of Macward's " high language," and blames him, because " he obstinately stood to all," and thereby provoked his persecutors (Letters, pp. 4.53, 454). But it appears from Wodrow (Hist, of the Sufferings of the Ch. of Scot., vol. i. p. 213. Glasg. 1829), that when Mr. Macward understood that what had given offence was the use he had made, in his sermon, of the words " protest" and "dissent," he did not hesitate to explain he did not mean thereby a legal impugning of the acts, or authority of parliament, but " a mere ministerial testimony " against what he conceived to be sin. Macward retired to Holland. After repeated applications from Charles the Second, the States General, on the 6th of February, 1677, ordered Mr. Macward, and other two Scottish exiles, to withdraw from the Seven Provinces of the Netherlands {Dr. M'Crie's Mem. of Veitch and Brvsson, p. 367). That the States came to this determination with very great reluctance, will appear from the following passage in one of Sir William Temple's Letters: "I will only say that the business of the three Scotch ministers hath been the hardest piece of negotiation that I ever yet entered upon here, both from the particular Interest of the towns and provinces of Holland, and the general esteem they have of Mackaird [Mac- xxxiv THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. man,* sometime minister at 81uys in Flanders. Tlie writer of his life must in the entry confess that his part is so small, tliat lie can scarce assume any thing to himself, but the procuring the materials from others, the copying out of those things that ■were of any moment, and disposing them in the best and most natural order he could think of ; having studied the strictness of a severe historian, without helping out things with his invention, or setting them off by a rhetorical style of language. Nay, all tliat is contained in Mr. M'Ward's large letter concerning him, is told almost in his very words, with a little variation of the order wherein he had placed the same, omitting the many long digressions on several subjects which that worthy person judged fit to insist upon ; taking occasion from what he had noticed concerning Mr. Binning to enlarge on the same. John Binning of Dalvennan was married to Margaret M'Kell, a daughter of Mr. Matthew M'Kell.t minister at Bothwell, and sister to Mr. Hugh M'Kell,:}: one of ward], being a very quiet and pious man" (Vol. iii. p. 291). It is creditable to the good feeling, though not t-ertainly to the firmness, of the States General, that at the time they determined to require Maevvard and his two friends to leave the Seven Provinces, they voluntarily furnished them with a certificate, bearing that each of them had lived among them " highly esteemed (or his probity, submission to the laws, and integrity of manners" (Dr. M'Crie's Mem. of Veitch and Brysson, p. 368). He was afterwards permitted to return to Rotterdam, where he had been officiating, as minister of the Scottish Church, at the time he was ordered to remove out of the country. He died there in the month of December, 1681. Dr. Steven's " History of the Scottish Church, at Rot- terdam." p. 336. — Ed.] * [In his very interesting " History of the Scottish Church, Rotterdam," Dr. Steven mentions (p. 72) that Mr. James Koelman was deprived of his charge at Sluys in Flaiulers, for refusing to observe the festival days, and to comply with the formularies of the Dutch church. He appears to have been a very conscientious and pious man. Among the Wodrovv MSS. in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh (Vol. ix. Numb. 28.), there is a copy of " A Resolution of the States of Zeeland^ aiient the suspension of Thomas Pots, and Bernardus Van Deinse, ministers of Vlissing, because of their suffering, or causing Jacobus Coelman to preach ; together with the Placiaet (or proclamation), whereby the said Coelman is for ever l)anished out of the province of Zeeland, Sept. 21, 1684. Extract out of the Registers of the Noble and Mighty Lords, the States of Zeeland. Sept. 21, 1684." It is set forth in this paper, that though Koelman had been suspended from his office by the States of the Land and Earldom of Zealand, in consequence of their " Resolution and penal dischar^'e of the 21st of Septemher, 1674, made by reason ot his perverse opinions, and dis- obedience to his lawful high superiors," he had notwithstanding "adventured and undertaken to go about private exercises within this piovince, and also to preach twice publickly within the city Vlissing [Flusliing] on Sabbath the 3d of this instant moneth, September, and so hath rendered himself guilty of the punishment contained in our forementioned Resolution, and penal discharge, bearing that he should be banished the province, so be he happened to hold any publick or private exercises there." Mr. Koelman, Mr. Macward, and Mr. Brown of Wamphray, were the three clergymen who offi- ciated at the ordination of Mr. Richard Cameron, in the Scottish Church, Rotterdam, previous to his coming to Scotland in the begiiming of the year 1680 (Biographia Presbyteriaiia, Vol. i. p. 197). It was Richard Cameron, when, in the language of one of his friends, he was " carrying Christ's staiulai d over the mountains of Scotland," who repeated three times that simple aiul pathetic prayer, before he was killed at Airs-moss, Lord, spare the yreen, and take the ripe (Id. p. 203). From a letter written from Holland, 7th December, 1685, by Mr. Robert Hamilton of Preston, it may be seen bow much Mr. Koelman interested himself in the affairs of the Scottish refugees (Faithful Con- tendings Displayed, pp. 203 — 205, 214, 215). There is prefixed to a Dutch translation of Binning's Common Principles of the Christian Religion, which was executed and published by Koelman at Amsterdam in 1678, a Memoir of the author. Koelman acknowledges he had derived all his infor- mation respecting Binning from a letter which he bad received from Mr. Macward, through a mutual friend. This letter, or a copy of it, with some other ot Macwani's MSS., was in the possession of the publisher of the duodecimo volume of the sermons of the author, printed at Glasgow, 1760 (Pre- face, pp. iv. XXV.). Koelman concludes his Memoir of Binning, which < ontains some excellent pious reflections, but almost no facts with which the English reader is not already acquainted, with a feeling allusion to his ejection from his charge at " Sluys in Vlaanderen." After this painful separation from his flock, !)esides writing many useful original works, he seems to have employed his leisure in translating into his native language some of the most esteemed practical writings of foreign divines, such as Guthrie's Great Concern, Rutherford's Letters, iScc. Dr. Steven's Hist, ut supra Ed.] f [Adverting to a sermon, which «as preached by Mr. Merre three younge men that did disputte for the vacant regents place in St. Leonard's Colledge, (Mr. THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. sxxix Mr. Binning- was not full nineteen years of age, when he commenced Regent and Professor of Philosophy ;* and though he had not time to prepare a system of any part of his profession, being instantly after his election to take up his class ; yet such was the quickness and fertility of his invention, the tenaciousness of his memory, and the solidity of his judgment, that his dictates! to the scholars had a great depth Paviil Nauee, fontierlie possessing the same. Lot now deposed, as is spoken before), viz., Mr. Alex. Jaiiiesone, aiie Edetihroug-he man. havinif for his subject, SuHoyisnnis ; Mr. William Diledatte, a Ouper man, his siibiect, Libcrum Arbitrium ; and Mr James We\mes, a St. Audrous man, he hav- ing i)e Anima for his subiect. All the tyme they had ther speeches, ther heads werre couered, bot when they came to the disputte, they were vncouered. Ther werie three of the five ministers forsaide present at the disputs, viz., Mr. Alexander Moncriefe, Mr. Walt. Greige, and Mr. Ja. Sharpe [afterwHnls archbishop of St. Andrews], wha had decisive voices in the electione ot a Re- gent (thir werre the first ministers that ever had voice in the electione of a measter to ane of the colledges there ; the custome formerlie, and of olde, was, that every coUedgc had libertie to chose ther owtie measters). For Mr. Ja. Weymes, he was the warst of the three, for in the disputs, he bracke Priscian's head verry often; for Mr. Alex. James, and Mr. Wil. Diled. they werre juiiged pares bv the wholle meitting, so that after longe debeatte, they werre forcet to cast lotts, and the lott fell upon Mr. Alex. Jamesone, wha did succeide to the forsaide vacant regent's place. Mr. Will. Diled. got a promise (hot with difficultie) of the next vacant place. Mr. Ro. Norie, profes- sor of Humanitie in the said coUedge, had no voice in the forsaide electione, because he was not present at all the meittings of the disputs." — (Lamont's Diary, p. 4. Edin. 183U.) The last instance of a public competition for a chair in the University of Glasgow, occurred to- wards the close of the seventeenth century, soon after the Revolution. It is remarkable enough that in this case also, the result was ultimately determined by lot. " A programme was immediately published, and on the day appointed no less than nine candidates appeared to enter the lists in a comparative trial. All of them acquitted themselves so well during the whole course ot a long trial, that the elt-ctors were at a loss whom to choose. Setting aside some of the nine who weie thought less deserving, they could not find a ground of preference among the rest. It was there- fore resolved, after prayer to God, to commit the choice to lot. The lot fell upon Mr. John Law, and a present of five pounds sterling was given to each of the other candidates. One of the com- petitors was Mr. William Jamieson, a blind man known to the leained world by his writings. He was after some years chosen to give public lectuies in the college upon Ecclesiastical History, tor which he had a pension trom the Crown till his death." — MS. History of tlie University of Glas- gow, written by Dr. Thomas Reid, formerly Professor of Moral Philosophy. — Ed.] * [The day of his election was "iiij Cal. Nov. 1646" (AiuihI. CoUeg). The Nova Erectio, or foun- dation-charter, granted to the University of Glasgow 13th July, 1577, in the muiority ot James VI., made provision for the appointment of three Regents, or Professors, along uith the Princi()al. The tirst Regent was required to teach Rhetoric and Greek; the second Logic, Ethics, anil the principles of Arithmetic and Geometry; and the third, «ho was also sub-principal. Physiology, Geography, Astrology, and Chronology (See Copy of tlie JSova Erectio in Evidence lor University Commission- ers for Scotland, vol. ii. p. 241. London, 1^37). In the year 1581, the Archliishop of Glasgow gifted to the University the customs ot the city, which enabled them to establish the olbce ot a fourth Regent, to whom was allotted exclusively the teaching of Greek; and, sometime previous to the year 1637, a fifth Regent was chosen, who was Professor of irlumanity, " humaniaruin liter- arum" (Old Stat. Ace. of Scot., vol. xxi. Append, pp. 24, "2j). This professorsliip, however, was not permanently established till the year 17U6 (Rep. of Roy. Com. appointed in 1830, p. 241). By the foundation-charter the Regents were Restricted to particular protessions, or departinenis of academical instruction, that they might be found better qualified for the discharge of their diffei- ent functions (ut adolescentes qui gradatim ascendunt, (ignum suis studiis et ingeniis prseceptorem reperire queant). But this pr.ictice, as will be seen from the fol. owing minute of a University Commission, was changed in the year 1642. " The Visitation after tr)all, taking to considera- tion that everie Regent within the Colledge his heme accustomed hithertills to continue for more years togithere, in and on the sume protessione, so that tlie schollers of one and the self-same class are necessitat yearly e to change theire masters, have found it more profitable and expedient, that the present course of teaching the schollers be altered, and that evtrie master educate his own schollers through all the foure classes, quhilk is appointed to begin presentlie, thus, that the ciassis, which are taken up with the masters the zeir, they go on with them: so that iMr. David Munro having the Magistiand [or oldest] classe now, he take the Biijane classe [or the youngest studenis, tlie jBejani, derived from the French word bejanne, a novice] the next zeir" {Sessio 'I'^", ISeptem- ber 17. Evid. for Uniy. Com. ut supra, p. 26ti). 'i his new luode ot instruction contmueu to be followed till the year 1727, when the old system enjoined in the foui.dation-charter wasrevivid (Rep. of Roy. Com. ut supra, p. 223). It is saiil that \)y. Thomas R.nl, the celebrated philoso- pher, was an advocate of the system of ambuhitory professors, w hich was adhered to in King's College, Aberdeen, down to the beginniiig ot the present century (Old Stat. Ace. of Scot., \ol. xxi. Append, p. 83). The first class that Binning taught was the class of the JBtjani (Wodrou's Analecta, vol. i. p. 338. M8S. in Bib. Ad.). He and the other Regents were all styled "Profess- ors of Philosophy." Appendix to Spottiswood's Hist, of Ch. of Scot. p. 22. I..ondon, 1777 Eu J f [It was the custom of tlie Regents to dictate, to the students, tlieir observations ofi such parts ot the writings of Aristotle, Poiphyry, and others, as were read in their classes. This was done in Latui which was the only language allowed to be used by the students, even in their common conversation. At u meeting of cuaunissioners from the uiH'ereiit universuies of Scotland, which was held at £diii« xl THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. of learning of that kind, and perspicuity of expression. And I am assured, that he was among the first in .Scotland that began to reform Philosophy from the bar- barous terms, and unintelligible distinctions of the schoolmen, and the many vain disputes and trifling subtilties, wliich rather perplexed the minds of the youth, than furnished them with solid and useful knowledge.* He continued in this profession for the space of three years, and discharged his trust so well, that he gained the general applause of the university for his acade- mical exercises. And this was the more wonderful, that having turned his thoughts towards the ministry, he carried on his theological studies at the same time, and made vast improvements therein ; to which he was enabled, by his deep penetra- tion, and a memory so retentive, that he scarcely forgot any thing he had read or heard. It was easy and ordinary for him to transcribe any sermon, after he re- turned to his chamber, at such a full length, as that the intelligent and judicious reader who heard it preached, should not tind one sentence to be wanting. During this period of his life, he gave a proof and evidence of the great progress he had made in the knowledge of Divinity, by a composure on that choice passage of the Holy Scripture, 2 Cor. v. 14, ' For the love of God constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead.' This performance he sent to a certain gentlewoman for her private edification, who had been detained at Edinburgh for a long time with business of importance ; and having perused the same, she judged it was a sermon of some eminent minis- ter in the West of Scotland, and put it into the hands of the then Provost of Edin- burgh for his opinion, who was so well satisfied with it, that supposing it to be taken from the mouth of one whom the city had formerly resolved to call, was restless till a call was brought about to him, to be one of the ministers of the city. But when the lady returned back to Glasgow, she found her mistake, by Mr. Binning 's burgh on the 24th of July, 1648, one of the resolutions agreed upon, was to this effect : — " Because the diting [dictating] o\ long notes has in time past proved a hindrance, not only to necessary studies, but also to a knowledge of the text itself, and to the examination of such things as are taught, it is therefore seriously recommended by the commissioners to the dean and faculty of arts, tliat the regents spend not so much time in diting of their notes ; that no new lesson be taught till the former be examined" (Bower's History of the University ot Edinburgh, vol. i. p. 244) Bin- ning, it is said, "dictated all his notes offhand'' (Wodrow's Aniilect;i, vol. i. p. 338. MS. in Bib. Ad.). Had he lived, it uas thought '' he had been one of the greatest schoolmen of his time.'' _ld. vol. V. p. 342— Ed] * [Long after the puhlication of the Novum Organum of Lord Bacon, and even after the success- ful application of his principles hy Sir Isaac Newton ami Locke, the logic and metaphvuics of Aris- totle continued to occupy the chief place, m the course of instruction, in the most celebrated uni- versities ot Europe. I'he first great leforni, in the mode of teaching philosophy, introduced into the college of Glasgow, was effected through a royal visitation, which took place in 1727. *' The improvements in this university," sa\s Piotessor Jardine, "arising from the regulations introduced by the royal visitation, were greatly pron.oted by the afipomtment, which took pluce shortly after- wards, of more than one professor of singular ztal and ability. The first of these was Dr. Francis Hutcheson. This celebiated philosopher, whose mind was storrd \\iih the rarest gifts of learning, illustrated, with a copious and splendid eloquence, tlie amiable system of morality which is still associated with his name ; producing thus the happiest effects, not only on his o\\n students, but also on his colleaj;ues, and infusing, at once, a more liberal spirit, and a greater di'f;ree of industry, into all the departments of teaching. Great ob!^ta(•les, however, still remained. The professor of the first philosophy cla>s, according to the practice of the times, continued to deliver his lectures in the Latin language; a method of instruction which, although it must long have proved a great impediment to the ready communication of knowledge, on the part of the tiacher, and to tlie re- ception of it on the part of the pupil, was not discontinued in this college, till upon the follow- ing occasion. "In the _\ear 1750, Adam Smith was appoir.ted professor of logic; and, being rather unexpect- edly called to discharge the duties of his office, he found it necessary to read to his pupils, in the English language, a course of lectures on rhetoric and belles lettres, which he had formerly deliv- ered in Edinburgh. It was only during one session, however, that he gave these lectures; for at the end of it, he was elected professor of moral philosophy : and it was on the occasion of this vacancy in the logic chair, that Edmund Burke, whose genius led him afterwards to shine in a more exalted sphere, was thought of, f)y some of the electors, as a proper person to fill it. He did not, however, actually come forward as a candidate ; and the gentleman who was apjiointed to succeed Dr. Smith, without introducing any change as to the sulijects formerly taught in the logic class, followed the example of his illustrious predecessor in giving his prelections in English." — Outlines of Philosophical Eciucation, Illustrated by the Method of Teaching the Logic class, in the University of Glasgow, pp. 20, 21. Glasg. 1825 — Ed.] THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. xli asking the discourse from her. This was the first discovery he had given of his great dexterity and ability in explaining of Scripture. At the expiration of his third year as a professor of philosophy, the parish of Govan, which lies adjacent to the city of Glasgow, and is within the bounds of that presbytery, happened to be vacant. Before this time,* whoever was principal of the college of Glasgow, was also minister of Govan. For Mr. Robert Boyd of Trochrigg,t (a person of very great learning, as his commentary on the Epi.-tle to the Ephesians, and his Heca- tombe Christiana testify) after he had been minister at Vertuille in France, and pro- fessor of Divinity in Saumur, returned to Scotland, and was settled principal of the college, and minister of Govan. But this being attended with inconveniences, * [The office of principal of the University of Glasgow was disjoined from the cure of the parish of Govan, in 1621 ; and the immediate predecessor of Binning was Mr. William VVilkie, who was deposed by the synod on the 29th of April, 1649. " Mr. William Wilkie, I thoujjht," says Princi- pal Baillie, " was unjustly put out of Govan, albeit his very evil carriage since, has declared more of his sins." (MS. Letters, vol. iii. p. 849, in Bib. Col. Gla's ) There are certain extracts from the letters of Mr. William Wilkie to Dr. Balcanquhal, dean of Rochester, published in Lord Hailes's Memorials and Letters (vol. ii. pp. 47, 48). The learned judge, however, has mistaken the name Wiikie for Willie. Not knowing, therefoie, who the writer of the letter was, he says, in a note, " This Willie appears to have been a sort of ecclesiastical spy employed by Balcanquhal, the great confident of Charles I. in every thing relating to Scotland." (Ibid.) In his prelace, Lord Hailes acknowledges that the letters he has published were " chiefly transcribed from the manuscripts, amassed with indefatigable industry by the late Mr. Robert Wod- ro«." But Wodrow himself states, in his Life of Dr. Strang (Wocrow MSS., \ol. xiii. pp. 4, 5, in Bib. Coll. Glasg ), that he was possessed of six original letters, which had been written by Mr. William Wilkie, minister of Govan, during the sitting of the famous Glasgow Assembly in 1638, and addressed to Dr. Balcanquhal, who had come down to Scotland with the Maiquis of Hamil- ton, the Lord Commissioner, and was then residing in Hamilton palace. He also informs us that these and some other letters were discovered "alter Nasebv encounter, or some other, where Dr, Balcanquhal happened to be, in a trunk found among the baggage, which fell into the hands of the parliament's army." Wilkie's letters contained an account of the proceedings of the Assembly, Wodrow says, " not very favourable to the majority there." And he then adds, it was "from these and such otlier informations upon the one side. Doctor Balcanquhal drew up The Large Declara- tion, under the King's name, in 1642." At the time of the Glasgow Assembly, Mr. William Wilkie was one of the regents of the university. Since this was written, W^ilkie's letters have been printed, without abridgment, in the Appendix to \o\. i. of a new edition ot Baillie's Letters, published at Edinburgh by the Bannatyne club. *' The originals of all these letters are contained in folio, vol. xxv., of the Wodrow manuscripts, which is now preserved among the Archives of the Church of Scotlaiul." — Id. p. 481 — Ed.] j- [The estate of Trochrigg, which is one of the largest in the parish of Girvan, in the county of A}r, is now the property ot John Hutchieson Fergusson, Esq. It was soM b\ the descendants of the ancient proprietors about the \ear 1782. It was to his paternal residence at Trochrigg, that Principal Bowl retired with his family in 1621, when he resijined his ottice as Principal of the University of Glasgow; and it was in this retreat he wrote the Latin poi m, entitled. Ad Christum Servatorem Hecatombe This beautiful poem has been justly described to be, carmen totius fere Christianae Religionis, seu evangeli. se iloctrinse medullam, vel compendium verius, cultissimis dul- cissimisque versibus, ex intimoque Latio petitis, stropharum Sapphicarum centuria lectori ob oculos proponens, " a song embracing almost the whole of the Christian religion, or placing before the eyes of the reader in a hundred Sapphic stanzas, the marrow, or rather a compend of evangelical doctrine, in the most polished and mellifluent verses, and in language taken from that ot the Augustan age." (Poet. Scot. Mui-ae Sacrae p. 198, piselatio, p. vi., Euin. 1739. Life ot Boul, Wodrow MSS., vol. x\. p. 123, 111 Bib. Coll. Glas.) The commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians (Roberti Bodii A Trocheregia Scoti, In Epis- tolam ad Ephesios Piielectiones, fol. pp. 1236, Lonilini, 1652), contains ibe substance of the lec- tures, which Boyd deli\ered, when he was professor of theology in the Unuersity of Saumur. This is attested by his cousin, Mr. Zachary Boyd, who was one ot the Regents at Saumur, and at- tended the delivery of them (harum pra>lectionum assiduus tuit auditor). Some time after tbe death of the Karned and pious author, a cop_\ of the Pralectionts was transmitted to Holland to his friend Andreas Rivetus, that he might superintend the printing ot it. As Chouet, a well-known Genevese printer, happened to be in Holland at the time, Risetus parted with tbe manuscripts to him, that they might be put to press immediately on his return to Switzerland. But, unfortu- nately, the vessel in which tbe manuscripts were shipped, was taken by another \essel from Dun- kirk, and having thus fallen into the hands of some Jesuits, they never could be reco\ ered. Rivetus consoled himself with the reflection that the original manuscript*, in the author's ow n hand-writ- ing, were safe in Scotland m the keeping ol tfie laimlv. The church and the nation, however, being at this period in such a distracted state, the work was not given to the world till the year 1652, when it was published by the Lo.don Stationers' Company, (Andieae Riveti Epistola de vita, scriptis, moribus, et felici exitu Roberti Bodii, ante Prelectiones Bouii,) though the General Assembly had passed various acts, and entered into arrangements w iih different printers for the pur- pose. See Index ot Unpnnted Acts for the 3 ears 1645, 1646, and 1647. — Eu.j / xlii THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. ' an alteration was made ; and the preshyterj having a view of supplying that va- cancy with Mr. Binning, did take him upon trials, in order to his being licensed as a preacher ;* and after he was licensed, he did preach at Govan, to the great satis- faction of that people. Mr. Binning was sometime after called and invited to be minister of the said parish, which call the presbytery heartily approved of, and en- tered him upon trials for ordination, about the 22d year of his age ; and as a part of trials, they prescribed to him a common head, De concursu et injluxu divino cum actionibus creaturarum, — the occasion of which was, that Dr. Strang, principal of the College, and a member of the presbytery, had vented some peculiar notions upon that profound subject. And having delivered a very elaborate discourse, viva voce, to the admiration of all who heard it, he gave in, according to custom, his thesis to be impugned by the members of the presbytery, which was the direct an- tithesis of Doctor Strang's opinion in his dictates to the students on that contro- versy. The Doctor being pitched upon to be one of his opponents, found his credit and reputation much engaged, and exerted his metaphysical and subtile talent on that occasion. But Mr. Binning maintained his ground by the weight and solidity of his defence, to the great satisfaction of all that were present ; so that some were pleased to say, that young Mr. Binning appeared to be the old learned Doctor ; Nay, the Doctor himself after the recounter, admiring Mr. Binning's abilities and parts, said, " Where hath this young man got all this learning and reading ?"t When * [When the Presbytery of Glasgow had met on the 22d August. 1649, " The paroehineris of Govaiie gave in ane supplieatione, shewing that whereas yai are destitute of ane minister, and being certanelie informed of the qualifications of Mr. Hew Biniien, one of ye regents of ye colledge of Glasgow, for ye work of ye ministrie," they were unanimously desirous he should be sent to preach to them, "so soone as he shall have past his tryels." The preshyteiy, in consequence of this suppli- cation, "ordaines Mr. Patrik Gillespie, modeiator of the presbyterie, to wrytt to ye said Mr. Hew, to acquaint him w' the desyre of the paiochineris ot Govane, and to repar to the presbytery to undertake his tryels for ye i ffect forsaid." Records of the Presbytery of Glasgow. On the 5th September, 1649, " Mr. Robert Ramsay reported Mr. Hew Binnen had exercised on the text prescribed, and had geven the brethiene full satisfaction. He is ordained to handle the contraversie, de scientia media, and to give in theses thereupon." Id. " Sept. 19, 1649 The qlk (la\e Mr. Hew Binnen gave in theses upon the contraversie prescribed unto him, de scientia media, to be sustenit by him. The presbyterie appoint him to handle this contraversie this daye eight dayes at nyiie houres." Id "Sept. 26, 1649. — The qlk daye Mr. Hew Binnen made his Latin lesson, de scientia media, and sustenit the disputt thairupon, and was afproven in both." The loUowing ministers were present, *• Mr. Pritrik Gillespie. Mr. David Dicksone, Doctor Jlione Strang, Mr. Zach. Boycie, Mr. George Young. Mr. Hew Hlair, Mr. Gab. Conyngham, Mr. David Benett, Mr. Matthew Mackell, Mr. Wni. Young, Mr. Arch. Dennestoune, Mr. Jhone Carstaires, Mr. James Hamilton." The presby- tery "ordaines Mr. Hugh Binnen to make ye exercise this daye fyfteen dayes, and the rest of his tryels to be ye said day." Id. On the lUth October, 1649, after Mr. Hugh had "exercised" — "compeared the laird of PoUok aiul the paroehineris of Govane, and desyred that Mr. Hew Binnen might preach to theui the ne.\t Lordis daye, qlk was gratited, imd he ordained to go aiui preach \r." Id. On the 24ti] Oct., 1649, " Compeared the paroehineris ot Govane, and gave in ane call to have Mr. Hew Bit;nen to be their minister." Id. " December 19, 1649. — The qlk day Mr. Hew Binnen handled the contraversie, de satisfactione Christi, and sustenit the disputt upon the thesis given in be him, and was approven." Id. On the 2d January, 16J0, his admission to the ministerial charge of the parish of Govan is appointed to take place " next Fry day." The minister who presided on that occasion was Mr. David Dii'kson, who was one of the professois of Theology in the University of Glasgow. Li Ld.] •{■[Dr. John Strang, who was the son of Mr. William Strang, minister of Irvine, was born in the \ ear 1584. He studied at the University of St. Andrews, where he took the degree of master at six- teen. After having been a regent in St. Leonard's college for several years, he was ordained in 1614, minister of Errol, in the Presbytery oi Perth. When Cameron le grand, as he was called, (Vide Bayle's Diet. Art. Cameron,) resigned his situation as principal of the Unu i r;«ity of Glas-ow , Dr. Strang succeeded him. He ilied at Ednburgh, on ihe 2Uth of June, 1654, in the seventielli year of his age, and was buried near his distinguished pred- cessor. Principal Bu^d. At his death, an old friend and very learned man, Andreas liaiy.isceus octoyenariiis, composed some Latin verses, as an atfectiunate tribute to his memory. These mai be seen m a short Lite ol Dr. Strang, which was v\ritten bv Baillie, and prefixed to Dr. Strang's work, JDe Literpretatione et Perfectione Scriptura, Rotlerodami, 1663. It is tVom this Life the preceding particulars respecting the learned auiliur have been taken. It appears to have been chiefly through the influence of Archbishop Law, who was his cousin, that Dr. Strang was made principal ot the Univeisily of Glasgow. When tlie latter understood tliat Trochereyius wished to be reinstated in his otfice, a correspondence took place bet>\ixt them, wlucii THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. xliii lie had finished his trials, he had the unanimous approbation of the presbytery, nav, their declaration and testimony of his fitness to be one of the ministers of the city, upon the first vacancy. And I am assured, that at the very same time the Masters of the University had it in their view to bring him back again to their society, when- ever the profession of Divinity should become vacant. He was, considering his age, a prodigy of learning, for before he had arrived at the 26th year of his life, he had such a large stock of useful knowledge, as to be philologus, philosophus, and theologus prsestans,* and might well have been an or- nament to the most famous and flourishing university in Europe. This was the more astonishing, if we consider his weakness and infirmity of body, not being able to read much at one time, or to undergo the fatigue of assiduous study. But this was well supplied, partly by a memory that retained every thing he heard or read, and partly by a solid penetrating judgment, whereby he digested it weU, and made it his own ; so that with a singular dexterity, he could bring it forth seasonably, and communicate it to the use and advantage of others, drained from the dregs he found about it, or intermixed with it ; insomuch that his knowledge seemed rather to be born with him, than to have been acquired by hard and laborious study. From his childhood he knew the Scriptures, and from a boy had been under much deep and spiritual exercise, until the time (or a little before it) of his entry upon the office of the ministry, when he came to a great calm and lasting tran- quillity of mind, being mercifully relieved of all those doublings whicli had for a long time greatly exercised him ; and though he was of a tender and weakly con- stitution, yet love to Christ, and a concern lor the good of precious souls committed to him, constrained him to such diligence in feeding the flock, as to spend himself in the work of the ministry. It was observed of him, that he was not much averse at any time from embracing an invitation to preach before the most experienced Christians, even the learned professors of the university, and the Reverend minis- ters of the city : and when one of his most intimate friends noticed herein a differ- ence from that modesty and self-denial, which appeared in the whole of his way and conduct, he took the freedom to ask him, how he came to be so easily prevailed with to preach before persons of so great experience and judgment, whose eminent gifts and graces he highly valued and esteemed ? lie made this excellent reply, that when he had a clear call to mention his blessed Master's name in any place, he had no more to say, but, " Here am I, send me. What am I that I should re- sist his heavenly call ? And when he, whose name is holy and reverend, is spoken of and to, and is there present, the presence of no other person is to be regarded or dreaded ; and under that impression, I forget who is present, and who is absent." Though he was bookish, and much intent upon the fulfilling of his ministry, he turned his thoughts to marriage, and did marry a virtuous and excellent person. Mistress Barbara Simpson, t daughter of Mr. James Simpson, a minister in Ire- is in the highest degiee honourable to the feelings and character of Dr. Strang. This correspon- dence is inserted by Wodrow in his Life of Robert Boyd of Trochriy (Woinovv MSS., vol. xv. pp. 99—104. in Bib. coll. Glat-g.). Bnillie represents Dr. Strang to have been an acute philosopher, and second to none in the kingdom as a disputant (nujlique ad hunc usque diem, in nostra gente, liiic in parte secundus. Vita Autoris, ut supra). The strongly expresse.i commendation of such a man was no mean compliment to Binning's talents and learning. Wodrow sa\s, he was told by a neighbouring clergyman, Mr. Patrick Simson, minister ot Renfrew, who was ordained the same year that Binning died, and who lived for some years after the commencement of the following century, "yt qn they were seeking to get old principal Strang out of the colledge, \ e principal said, ' Ye are seeking to get me out of my place, qm have ye to till my room ? 1 know none, unless it be a \oung man newly come out of the school, viz., Mr. Hugh Binning'" (Analeake. In 1702, the Commission of the Assembly being informed l)y a petition from himself of his " sad circumstances," recommended him to the provincial Synods of Lothian and Tweedale, and of Glasgow and Ayr " for some charitable supply " (Rec. of Commission, Sess. 39). In 1704, he applied for relief to the General Assembly, and stated that he had obtained from the Privy Council a patent to print his father's works, of which twelve years were then unexpired, and that it was his intention to publish them in one volume. The Assembly recommended "every minister within the kingdom to take a double of the same book, or to subscribe for the same." They likewise called upon the different presbyteries in the church to collect among themselves something tor the peti- tioner (Unprinted Acts, Sess. 11). The last application he made to the Assembly for pecuniary aid was in 1717, when he must have been far advanced in life. — Idem, 13th May. — Ed. J * [Mr. James Gordon svas minister of Comber, in the county of Down. He was ordained about the year 1646. We find his name in Wodrow's list of the non-conforming ministers in the s}nod of Ballimenoch in Ireland (Hist, of Suff. of Ch. of Scot. vol. i. p. 324). According to Dr. Reid, " .Mr. Gordon, after having been deposed with the rest of his biethren in 1661, continued to offi- ciate privately at Comber (or many years; but about the year 1683, in his old age, he appears to have deserted his principles, and conformed to prelacy." Hist, of the Presb. Ch. in Ireland, vol. ii. pp. 129, 130.— Ed.] f [May 14, 1654 — " Sederunt Mr. John Carstaires and the Elders. " The qlk day the session being conveened for election and calling of a min"" to the kirk of Govan; and having now this forenoon heard Mr. David Veetch, with whom most are satistied, but for the satisfaction of all persons interested, who heard him never but once, both of heritors and elders, the session have delated their election till they hear him again in the afternoon, and the session then were to meet again for that effect. " Sederunt Mr. John Carstaires and the Elders. " The heritors and elders having now heard the said Mr. David Veetch twise, and both being well satisfied, and clear, and unanimous, the satisfaction of the session Iteing first enquired, and next of the heritors, which, being both of one mynd. cordially for the thing, a call was presently drawn up, and siibt iiy model ator and clerk, also by session and heritors, according to order. After the forsd draught, at appointment of the presbytery and session, Mi. John preached in the sd church, and, after sermon, did intimat to the people their nomination of Mr. David to take charge in the ministrie of that congregation, and ordained, that if any person had any thing to object agt the said Mr. David's being miiir at the sd church, they would come and signifie it to the session, now presently to meet at the sd church for that effect, according to the practice in such cases. The session having met, and none compearand to signifie their dissent, or assent, the> take their non- compearance for their sigtdfication of satisfaction; so, after three several] o\esses at the uiost patent door of the sd cliurch, by the officer intimating the forsd words, liOiie at "all appeared. So the sd Mr David being desired to come in to session, they presented to hiin their unanimous and rordiall call of election to the ministrie of the kirk of Govan which he accepted." Records of Kirk-Session of Govaii. — Ed.] lii THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. The first of his works that was printed,* is entitled, " The Common Principles of the Christian Religion, clearly proved, and singularly improved; or a Practical Catechism, wherein some of the most concerning foundations of our faith are solidly laid down ; and that doctrine which is according to godliness, is sweetly, yet pun- gently pressed home, and most satisfyingl}"^ handled." Mr. M'Ward speaking of this performance, says, " That it was not designed for the press, that it contained only his notes on those subjects he preached to his flock, and which he wrote (I suppose he means t in a fair hand) for the private use and edification of a friend, from whom he had them ; and when put into his hand to be revised, he says, he did not so much as alter, or add one word, to make the sense more plain, full, or emphati- cal." This book is an excellent exposition of the Westminster Catechism, so far as it goes, viz. to the twenty -first question, ' Who is the Redeemer of God's elect?' Mr. Patrick Gillespie writes a preface to the reader, wherein he expresses his high opinion of it in the following encomium: " In this book Mr. Binning explains many of the fundamental articles of the Christian faith, and had he lived to have per- fected and finished this work, he had been upon this single account famous in the church of Christ." The Assembly's Catechism has had many expositions by pious and learned ministers, some of them by way of sermon, and others by way of ques- tion and answer. But this, so far as it goes, is not inferior to any. A learned layman, Sir Matthew Hales, chief-justice of the king's bench, the divine of the state in King Charles 1 1. 's reign, judged the Assembly's Catechism to be an excellent com- posure, and thought it not below him, or unworthy of his pains to consider it. For in the second part of his 'Contemplations moral and divine,' we have his most in- structive meditations upon the first three questions. These had been the employ- ment of his horce sarrce ; and it is a pity he did not go on to the other questions. The shortness of Mr. Binning's life has deprived us of a complete course of useful cate- chetical discourses. This book was so greatly esteemed in this country, that before the year 1718, there had been no less than five impressions cast off the press ;| and all these being sold off, a sixth was made in the said year. As ' they were much valued at home, so they were highly prized abroad: and as an evidence of this, I find that Mr. James Coleman, minister at Sluys in Flanders, translated them into the Dutch language. § In the year 1670, another posthumous work was printed; it is entitled, " The Sinner's Sanctuary ; being forty Sermons upon the Eighth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, from the first verse down to the sixteenth." The Publishers in their preface acquaint us, that they were encouraged to print it, because the former trea- tise was universally received by the intelligent and judicious in the principles of the Christian faith. In this book, as in all his other writings, the readers will perceive a pure stream of piety and learning running through the whole, and a very peculiar turn of thought, that exceeds the common rate of writers on this choice part of the Holy Scriptures. Dr. Horton, Dr. Manton, and others, have printed a great num- ber of useful practical discourses ; but so far as he goes, he is not exceeded by any of them. A third treatise was printed at Edinburgh, in the year 1671. The title of it is, " Fellowship with God, being twenty-eight Sermons on the First Epistle of John, Chap. 1st, and Chap. 2d, Verses 1, 2, 3." In this book, we have the true ground and foundation of attaining the spiritual way of entertaining fellowship with the Father and the Son, and the blessed condition of such as attain to it, most suc- cinctly and distinctly explained. This book was revised and published by one A. S. who, in his preface to the reader, styles himself, his servant in the gospel of our dearest Lord and Saviour. I need give no other commendation of it, than that summary eulogium which that minister has left us. " In a word, (says he,) here are * [12mo., Glasgow, 1659 — Ed.] f [Mac ward's words are, a prima manu. Het Leven en Sterven van Mr. Hugo Binning. — Ed.] j [A copy of "The Common Principles of Christian Religion "is now before me, which was ' Printed by R. S., Printer to the Town of Glasgow, 1666," and which bears to be " The 3 Impression." — Ed.] § [All the works of Binning, which were published in the lifetime of Koelman, were transbited by him into the Dutch language. No fewer tliau four editions of these have been printed at Am- sitM(lam Ed.] THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. j--- to be found, convictions for atheists, piercing rebukes to the profane, clear instruc- tions to the ignorant, milk to the babes in Christ, strong meat for the strong, streno-th to the weak, quickening and reviving for such as faint in the way, restoratives for such as are in a decay, reclamations and loud oy esses after backsliders to recall them, breasts of consolation for Zion's mourners. And to add no more, here ar6 most excellent counsels and directions to serious seekers of fellowship with God, to o-uide them in their way, and help them forward to the attainment of that fulness of joy which is to be had in fellowship with the Father and the Son." The last treatise that has been printed is, " Heart Humiliation, or Miscellany Sermons, preached upon some choice texts at several solemn occasions." These likewise were i-evised and published by the above A. S. in the year [1676]. Mr. Binning considering the great confusions and lamentable divisions that prevailed in the church in his day, and the abounding immorality and profaneness of the age, was deeply weighed therewith. His righteous soul was so vexed and grieved on tliese accounts, that he vented his mind in a most pathetic and moving manner, when the days of public humiliation and fasting were observed. With respect to the many fasts then appointed, and the few good effects they had, he says in his .sermon on Isa. Ixiv. 7. — ' There is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee,' — " The fasting days of Scotland will be numbered in the roll of the greatest provocations, because there is no real and spiritual con- viction of sin among us ; custom now hath taken away the solemnity, and there re- maineth nothing but the very name."* And in this same sermon, he says, " Doth any of you pray more in private than ye used ? Or what edge is upon your prayers ? Alas I the Lord will get good leave to go from us ; it feareth me we would give Christ a testimonial to go over seas. Hold him, hold him ! Nay the multitude would be gladly quit of him, — they cannot abide his yoke, his work is a burden, his word is a torment, his discipline is bands and cords ; and what heart can ye have to keep Christ ? What violence can ye offer to him to hold him still ? All your en- treaties may be fair compliments, but they would never rend his garment." t There are still several manuscripts of Mr. Binning's carefully preserved, which are in nothing inferior to any of his printed works. There is a valuable Treatise upon Christian Love, consisting of several sheets writ in a very small character, — it is divided into chapters ; and several sermons upon very edifying subjects, useful and profitable for our times, — which are designed to be printed in a separate volume ; which every body may easily discover from the style and genius of the author to be his genuine writings ; his manner of thhiking and writing being a talent so peculiar to himself, that it scarcely can be imitated by any other person. Had it pleased the Almighty to have spared so valuable a life for some time longer, he would have vindicated divinity from the many fruitless questions, un- intelligible terms, empty notions, and perplexed subtilties, wherewith it had been corrupted for a long time by the schoolmen. As he was excellently fitted for this, so it was much upon his heart to have reduced divinity to that native simplicity, which had been lost in most parts of the world. A good specimen of his ability this way he hath given us in his catechism ; and so, though he lived but a short time, he yet lived long enough to raise the greatest expectation that hath been known of any of his standing. Mr. M' Ward assures us. That if Dr. Strang's dictates De Voluntate Dei circa pcccataX had been published before Mr. Binning's death, Mr. Binning had an ex- * [See pape 457— Ed.] f [See page 465— Ed.] X [A coiitempoiarv of Binning, Mr. P. Simson, minister of litnfiew, informed Wodrovv, " That Dr. Strang was in liHzard to Lave been staged for his Dictates, qch wer smoothed in his printed book, De Voluntate Dei, and would have been removed from his place if he had not demitted " (Life of Dr. Strang. Wodrow MSS. vol. xiii. p. 9. in Bib. Coll. Glas.). Complaints regarding Dr. Strang having been presented to the General Assembly, a committee was appointed, on the 18th of June, 1646, to examine his written dictates, a copy of which was produced by Dr. Strang; and to find out whether the doctrines which he taught were in accordance with the doctrines of their own and other reformed churches, and whether there were any expressions used by him which giive countenance to the views of the enemies of the truth. This committee was composed of some of the most aljle men in the dunch, including several professors from the four universities. liv TJIE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. amen of them ready for the press. But this treasure, to the great loss of the learned world, cannot now be found. As for his philosophical writings which he taught in the University, I am assured that his course of philosophy is in the hands of a learned gentleman in this city, who gives them an high commendation. There is a book publislied under his name in 4to, consisting of fifty-one pages, with this title, ' An Useful Case of Conscience, learnedly and accurately discussed and resolved, concerning associations and confederacies with idolaters, infidels, heretics, malignants, or any other known enemies of truth and godliness.' But it is very much questioned by the most intelligent, if that book was really Mr. Bin- ning's. The publisher does indeed put Mr. Binning's name to the title-page, but conceals his own : and he brings no manner of voucher, showing that Mr. Binning was the author, but sends it abroad into the world in a clandestine manner. Nei- ther the name of the printer, nor of the place where it was printed, is mentioned in the title-page.* It was printed in the year 1693, when the first General Assembly The list contnins, along with others, the names of Alexander Hendersoti, John Sharpe, the author of Cursus Theologicus, Robert Douglas, George Gillespie, Robert Blair, Samuel Rutherford, James Wood, William Strahan. David Dic-kson, Robert Baillie, John Neave, Edward Calderwood, and Robert Leighton, afterwards Archbishop of Ginsgow. On the •27th of August, 1647, the committee gave in a Report to the General Assembly, to the effect that Dr. Strang had employed some expres- sions in his dictates which were calculated to give offence, but that, on conferring with him, they were satisfied in regard to his orthodoxy ; and that, to put an end to all doubts as to his meaning, the Doctor had gratified them, by proposing of his own accord the addition of certain words to what was previously somewhat ambiguous (Vita Autoris, Strnngii De Interpret. Script.). So far as can be collected from the imperfect account we have of the circumstances of the case. Dr. Strang discovered, it was imagined, a bias to Arminianism, whereas he seems to have been merely more of a sublapsarian than a supralapsarian. The "peculiar notions ' he entertained were *' vented," we have been told, " upon that profound subject," De concursu et infiuxu diviiio cum actionibus creaturarum, or the concurrence and influence of God in the actions of his creatures. In the two chapters of his published work, which treat expressly upon this point, we can perceive nothing that is at variance with our own Confession. But this does not warrant us to infer that the dictates, as originally delivered, and before they were amended and enlarged by the author himself, may not have contained some very objectionable language at least, especially when we look to the Report of the committee of the Assembly regarding them. Indeed, all that Baillie himself says, uho was one of that committee, is, that Dr. Strang was pursued " without any ground at all considerable" and that " he got him reasonably fair off." Letters and Journals, vol. ii. p. 338. The puVdication of Dr. Strang's work, " De Voluntate et Actionibus Dei circa Peccatum " (Amstelodami Apud Ludovicum et Danielem Elze vinos, 1657, 4to. pp. 886), was intrusted to Mr. William Spang, minister of the English church at Middleburgh, in Zealarul. The manuscripts were sent to him by his cousin, Mr. Robert Baillie, at that time Professor of Theology in the Uni- versity of Glasgow, who, after the death of his first wife, had married a daughter of Dr. Strang. " Dr. Strang, your good friend," says Baillie, in a letter to Mr. Spang, dated July 20, 1634, "having to do in Edinburgh with the lawyers, concerning the unjust trouble he was put to for his stipends, did die, so sweetly and graciously, as was satisfactory to all, and much applauded over all the city, his very persecutors giving him an ample testimony. His treatise, Dei circa peccatum, he has enlarged, and made ready for the press. Be careful to get it well printed, according to the con- stant friendship that was always betwixt you and him" (Letters, vol. ii. pp. 382, 383). At the request of Mr. Spang, Alexander Moras furnished a preface, and Ad Lectorem Comynoiiitio, for Dr. Strang's work — Ed. J * [" This is somewhat strange," observes Howie of Lochgoin, " that a nameless author shoula quarrel that book, because the publisher hath omitted to tell his name, and hath only inserted tue author's name. He might have known that it was not long a secret that Mr. James Kid (who was afterwards settled minister in Queensferry) was the publisher, and upon that account suffered both long imprisonment at Utrecht, and the seizure of all that they could get of the books. And as for vouchers, Mrs. Binning, the relict of the worthy author, being then alive, had connexion and much coirespondence with Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Renwick, and many of the persecuted Society people, and was ot the same sentiments with them, as appears by several letters yet extant in their own hand- writ, — and Mr. Renwick speaks of her in some of his letters, as in the 49 and 1U4 pages of the printed volume of his letters: but especially it appears, by a paragraph which is omitted in the printed copy, page 38, (which shall be here transcribed trom the original, written with his own lianil,) wherein he says, * Likewise, according to your direction, 1 challenged Mrs. Binning — upon the commendation she gave to John Wilson in her letter to you. But she says, that she had not then seen his testimony, and was sorry whm she saw it, that it was so contrary both to her thoughts and commendation of him.' And likewise a postscript to the 20th Letter, relative to the same matter is also omitted. And about the same time that Mr. Binning's book was printed, while Sir Robert Hamilton was prisoner, upon account of the declaration [Sanquhar Declaration] ill 1692, he wrote a letter to Mrs. Binning, wherein he complains of her unwonted silence, in his honourable bonds for such a noble Master. Yet trusting her sympathy is not diminished, he adds, THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. ly of this church after the Revolution, which consisted of both Public Resolutioners and Protesters, had agreed to bury for ever all their differences about the Public Resolutions, concerning the question of employing malignants in the army, that was raised against the kingdom of England. It seems that he dreaded the frowns and censure of those worthy and faithful ministers of Jesus Christ, who had been a long time in the fire of persecution. But if we further consider, that our late glori- ous deliverer, King William, was in the year 1693 engaged in a defensive war with the Emperor of Germany and the King of Spain, against Louis XIV., the bloody tyrant of France and terror of Europe, who aimed at the universal monarchy there- of, and to overturn the happy revolution, the blessed benefits of which we have en- joyed ever since, it is evident, that the publisher was afraid of the resentment of the civil powers ; especially when the spreading of that pamphlet might have an unhappy tendency to alienate the affections of his subjects, when he was carrying on that just and necessary war, for the preservation of our civil and religious liberties, to which we had been but lately restored. Nay, it is said, that when this pam- phlet was spreading in the army in Flanders, it was like to have a bad influence oa the soldiers, which made King William take an effectual method to suppress it. Further, Mr. Binning died in the year 1653, and this pamphlet was not published till the year 1693 ; so that, for the space of forty years it was never heard of nor made public by any of the Protesters themselves in that period, which would not have been neglected, had they known that Mr. Binning was the author of it. And lastly, Mr. Binning was of a pacific temper, and his sentiments with respect to public differences were healing, which are evident from the accounts already given of his printed books. And to show that he was a promoter of brotherly love, and of the peace of the church, I shall set down a few passages taken from his Treatise of Christian Love, wliich are as bright and strong for recommending the same, as any that I have met with in the writings of any of our divines, so that I can't al- low myself to think he could be the author thereof. In chapter 2d of that Treatise, he says, " There is a greater moment and weight of Christianity in charity, than in the most part of those things for which Christians bite and devour one another. It is the fundamental law of the gospel, to which all positive precepts and ordi- nances should stoop. Unity in judgment is very needful for the well-being of Christians. But Christ's last words persuade this, that unity in affection is more essential and fundamental. This is the badge he left to his disciples. If we cast away this upon every different apprehension of mind, we disown our Master, and disclaim his token and badge."* He goes on in the same strain in the following paragraph: "The apostle Paul puts a high note of commendation upon charity, when he styles it the bond of perfection. ' Above all things (says he) put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness,' Col. iii. 14. I am sure it hath not so high a place in the minds and practice of Christians now, as it hath in the roll of the parts and members of the new man here set down. Here it is above all. With us it is below all, even below every apprehension of doubtful truths. An agreement in the conception of any poor petty controversial matter of the times, is made the badge ' O, my worthy friend, I cannot express Christ's love and kindness since the time of my bonds. He hath broke up new treasures of felt love and sweetness, and hath been pleased to give me visi- tations of love and access to himself, to comtort and confirm poor feckless me many ways, that this is his way that is now persecuted, and that it is his precious truths, interests, and concerns, that I am now suffering for, whatever enemies with their associated ministers and professors may allege,' &c. " By which it is evident that they had much correspondence with Mrs. Binning. And there is yet a fair and correct manuscript copy of the foresaid book extant, which was in Sir Robert's custody, and it is more than probable that it was procured from Mrs. Binning, especially as she survived its publication without quarrelling it. " It is unnecessary to notice what further is thrown out by the foresaid anonymous writer, agamst the book and the publisher, as Mr. Wodrow, in the preface to Mr. Binning's octavo volume of ser- mons, printed 1760, hath modestly animadverted thereupon, and says there is no reason to doubt if it was Mr. Binning's. He also ingenuously confesseth, that there is in it the best collection of scrip- tures he knows, concerning the sin and danger of joining with wicked and ungodly men, &c., and that it was wrote in a smooth good style, agreeable enough to Mr. Binning's sentiments in some of his sermons." Faithful Contendings Displayed, pp. 486, 487, note. See likewise Faithful Witness- bearing Exemplified, preface, p. iv. — Ed.] * [See page 527 — E».] Ivi THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. of Christianity, and set in an eminent place above all."* And in the same chapter he adds, " This is the sum of all, to worship God in faith and purity, and to love one another. And, whatsoever debates and questions tend to the breach of this bond, and have no eminent and remarkable advantage in them, suppose they be conceived to be about matters of conscience, yet the entertaining and prosecuting of them to the prejudice of this, is a manifest violence offered to the law of God, which is the rule of conscience. It is a perverting of scripture and conscience to a wrong end. I say then, that charity and Christian love should be the moderatrix of aU our ac- tions towards men. From thence they should proceed, and according to this rule be formed. I am persuaded if this rule were followed, the present differences in judgment of godly men, about such matters as minister mere questions, would soon be buried in the gulf of Christian affection."! I shall mention only another in the same chapter. " Is not charity more excellent than the knowledge and acknowledg- ment of some present questionable matters about government, treaties, and such like, and far more than every punctilio of them? But the apostle goes higher. Suppose a man could spend all his substance upon the maintenance of such an opinion, and give his life for the defence of it, though in itself it be commendable, yet if he want charity and love to his brethren, if he overstretch that point of conscience to the breach of Christian affection and duties flowing from it, it profits him nothing. Then certainly charity must rule our external actions, and have the predominant hand in the use of all gifts, and in the venting of all opinions. "| And now, having given a just character of this eminent minister of the gospel, a true account of his life, and some slight remarks upon his writings, I shall no longer detain the reader from the perusal of those treatises that are contained in this volume ; from which you will know more of Mr. Binning, than from all I and others have said in his just praise. I shall now conclude, by acquainting the purchasers and readers of this volume, that I am allowed by the publishers to assure them, that the rest of his practical manuscripts are revising for the press ; and that with all expedition they shall be printed ; from which I am hopeful they shall receive as great satis- faction, as from any of his pieces already published. • [See page 527 Ed.] f [See page 328 — Ed.] J [Ibid.— Ed,] THE COMMON PRINCIPLES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, CLEARLY PROVED, AND SINGULARLY IMPROVED ; OR, A PRACTICAL CATECHISM. iBviQitxnl ^vefat^ TO THE READER. Christian Reader, — The holy and learned author of this little hook, having out- run his years, hastened to a maturity before the ordinary season, insomuch that ripe summer-fruit was found with him by the first of the spring: for before he had lived twenty-five years complete, he had got to be Philologus, Philosophus, Tlieologus ex- imius ; whereof he gave suitable pi'oofs, by his labours, having first professed in philosophy three years, with high approbation, in the university of Glasgow, and thence was translated to the ministry of the gospel in a congregation adjacent, where he laboured in the work of the gospel near four years, leaving an epistle of commen- dation upon the hearts of his hearers. But as few burning and shining lights have been of long continuance hei'e, so lie (' after he had served his own generation by the will of God,' and many had rejoiced in his light for a season) was quickly transport- ed to the land of promise, in the 26th year of his age. He lived deservedly esteemed and beloved, and died much lamented by all discerning Christians who knew him. And, indeed, the loss which the churches of Christ, in these parts, sustained in his death, was the greater upon a double account : first, that he was a person fitted with dexterity to vindicate school-divinity and practical theology from the superfluity of vain and fruitless perplexing questions wherewith latter times have corrupted both ; and had it upon his spirit, in all his way, to reduce* that native gospel simpli- city, which, in most parts of the world where literature is in esteem, and where the gospel is preaclied, is almost exiled from the school and from the pulpit, — a specimen whereof the judicious reader may find in this little treatise. Besides, he was a per- son of eminent moderation and sobriety of spirit, (a rare grace in this generation,) whose heart was much drawn forth in the study of healing-ways and condescensions of love among brethren ; one who longed for the recovering of the humanity of Chris- tianity, which hath been well near lost in the bitter divisions of these times^ and the animosities which have followed thereupon. That which gave the rise to the publishing of this part of his manuscripts, was partly the longing of many who knew him after some fruit of his labours for the use of the church ; and partly the exceeding great usefulness of the treatise, where- in, I am bold to say, that some fundamentals of the Christian religion, and great mysteries of faith, are handled with the greatest gospel- simplicity and most dexter- ous plainness ; and are brought down to the meanest capacity and vulgar under- standing, with abundant evidence of a great height and I'each of useful knowledge in the author ; who, had he lived to have perfected the explication of the grounds of religion in this manner — as he intended, in his opening the catechism unto his particular congregation — he had been, upon this single account, famous in the churches of Christ. But now, by this imperfect opus posthumum, thou art left to judge ex ungue leonem. The author's method was his peculiar gift, who, being no stranger to the rules of art, knew well how to make his method subserve the matter which he handled ; for, though he tell not always that his discourse hath so many parts, thou mayest not think it wants method, it being maximam artis celare artim. That the same Spirit which enabled him to conceive, and communicate to others, these sweet mys- teries of salvation, may help thee with profit to read and peruse them, is the desire of him who is. Thine in the service of the Gospel, PATRICK GILLESPIE. [The word reduce is here used in its literal etymological sense, as signifying to briny bacit, or to restore. — Ed.] THE COMMON PRINCIPLES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 3Luiuvt ^» GOD'S GLORY THE CHIEF END OF MAN'S BEING. Rom. xi. 36. *' Of /dm, and through him, and to him, are all things ; to tvhom be glori/ for ever." And 1 CoR. x. 31. " Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory oj God." All that men have to know, may he comprised under these two heads, — What their end is ; and What is the right way to attain to that end. And all that we have to do, is by any means to seek to compass that end. These are the two cardinal points of a man's knowledge and exercise: Quo et qua eundum est, — Whither to go, and what way to go. If there he a mistake in any of these fundamentals, all is wrong. All arts and sciences have their principles and grounds that must be presupposed to all solid knowledge and right practice ; so hath the true religion some fundamental principles which must be laid to heart and imprinted into the soul, or there can be no superstructure of true and saving knowledge, and no practice in Christianity that can lead to a blessed end. But as the principles are not uiany, but a few common and easy grounds, from which all the conclusions of art are reduced, so the principles of true religion are few and plain ; they need neither burden your memory, nor confound your understanding. That which may save you ' is nigh thee,' says the apostle, (Rom. x. 8.) ' even in thy mouth.' It is neither too far above us, nor too fur below us. But, alas ! your not considering of those common and few and easy grounds, makes them both burdensome to the memory, and dark to the understand- ing. As there is nothing so easy but it becomes difficult if you do it against your will, — Nihil est tarn facile, quin difficile fiat, si invitusfeceris, — so there is nothing so plain, so common, but it becomes dark and hard if you do not indeed consider it and lay it to heart. That which is, in the first place, to be considered is. Our end. As in all other arts, and every petty business, it hatli the first place of consideration, so especially in the Christian religion. It is the first cause of all human actions, and the first principle of all deliberate motions. Except you would walk at random, not knowing whither you go, or what you do, you must once establish this and fijt it in your in- tention— What is tlie great end and purpose wherefore I am created, and sent into the world ? If this be not either questioned, or not rightly constituted, you cannot but spend your time, Vel nihil agendo, vel aliud agendo, vel male agendo; you must either do nothing, or nothing to purpose, or, that which is worse, that which will undo you. It is certainly the wrong establishing of this one thing that makes the most part of our motions either altogether irregular, or unprofitable, or destructive and hurtful. Therefore, as this point hath the first place in your catechism, so it ought to be first of all laid to heart, and pondered as the one necessary thing. 'One thing is needful,' says Christ, Luke x. 42 ; and if any thing be in a superlative degree needful. 4 THE COMMON PRINCIPLES OF this is it. O that you would choose to consider it, as tlie necessity and weigJit of it require ! We have read two scriptures, which speak to the ultimate and chief end of man, which is the into, when he assigned every creature its own use and exercise. This was our por- tion, (and O the noblest of all, because nearest the King's own person !) to acknow* ledge in our hearts inwardly, and to express in our words and actions outwardly, what a One he is, according as he hath revealed himself in his word and works. It is great honour to a creature to have the meanest employment in the court of this great King; but, O, what is it to be set over all the King's house, and over all his kingdom ! But, then, what is that, in respect of this, — to be next to the King, — to wait on his own person, so to speak ? Tlierefore the godly man is described as a waiting-maid, or servant, Psal. cxxiii. 2. Well then, without more disc-oui'se upon it, without multiplying of it into particu- lar branches, to glorify God is in our souls to conceive of him, and meditate on his name, till they receive the impression and stamp of all the letters of his glorious name ; and then to express this in our words and actions, in commendiog of him, and obeying of him. Our souls should be as wax to express the seal of his glorious attributes of justice, power, goodness, holiness, and mercy: and as the water that receives the beams of the sun reflects them back again, so should our spirits receive the sweet vt^arming beams of his love and glorious excellency, and then reflect them towards his Majesty, with the desires and aff'ections of our souls. All our thoughts of hira, all our aff"ections towai'ds him, should have the stamp of singularity, such as may declare there is none like him, none besides him ; our love, our meditation, our acknowledgment should have this character on their front, — ' There is none besides thee : thou art, and none else.' And then a soul should, by the cords of aff'ection to him and admiration of him, be bound to serve him. Creation puts on the obliga- tion to glorify him in our body and spirits which are his ; but aff'ection only puts that to exercise. All other bonds leave our natures at liberty, but this constrains, 2 Cor. V. 14 ; it binds on all bonds, it ties on us all divine obligations. Then a soul will glorify God, when luve so unites it to God, and makes it one spirit with him, tliat his glory becomes its honour, and becomes the principle of all our inward affec- tions and outward actions. It is not always possible to have and express particular thoughts of God and his glory, in every action and meditation ; but, for the moi^t part it ought to be so : And if souls were accustomed to meditation on God, it would become their very nature, — altera natura, — pleasant and delightsome. However, if there be not always an express intention of God's glory, yet there ought to be kept always such a disposition and temper of spirit as it may be construed to proceed from the intention of God's glory ; and then it remains in the seed and fruit, if not in itself. Now when we are speaking of the great end and purpose of our creation, we call to mind our lamentable and tragical fall from that blessed station we were constitute into. ' All men have sinned and come short of the glory of God,' Kom. iii. 23. His being in the world was for that glory, and he is come short of that glory. O strange shortcoming I Short of all that he was ordained for I What is he now meet for? For what purpose is that chief of the works of God now ! The salt, if it lose its saltness, is meet for nothing, for wherewithal shall it be seasoned ? Mark ix. 50. Even so, vv^hen man is rendered unfit for his proper end, he is meet for nothing, but to be cast out and trode upon ; he is like a withered bi'anch that must be cast into the fire, John xv. 6. Some things, if they fail in one use, tliey are good for another ; but the best things are not so, — Corruptio optimi, pessima. As the Lord speaks to the house of Israel, ' Shall wood be taken of the vine tree to do any work ?* THE CHRISTIAN KELIGION. 7 Even so the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Ezek. xv. 2 — 6. If it yield not wine, it is good for nothing. So, if man do not glorify God, — if he fall from that, — he is meet for nothing, but to be cast into the fire of hell, and burnt for ever ; he is for no use in the creation, but to be fuel to the fire of the Lord's indignation. But behold ! the goodness of the Lord and his kndness and love hath 'appealed toward man. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us,' ' through Jesus Christ,' Tit. iii. 4, 5, 6. Our Lord Jesus, by whom all things were created, and for whom, would not let this excellent workman- ship perish so, therefore he goes about the work of redemption, — a second creation more laborious and also more glorious than the first, that so he might glorify his Father and our Father. Thus the breach is made up; thus the unsavoury salt is seasoned ; thus the withered branch is quickened again for that same fruit of praises and glorifying of God. This is the end of his second creation, as it was of the first : ' We are his workmanship created to good works in Christ Jesus,' Eph. ii. 10. ' This is the work of God, to believe on him whom he hath sent ;' * to set to our seal,' and to give our testimony to all his attributes, John vi. '^9, and iii. .33. We are ' bought with a price,' and therefore we ought to glorify him with our souls and bodies. He made us with a word, and that })ound us ; but now he has made us again, and paid a price for us, and so we are twice bound not to be our own but his, ' and so to glorify him in our bodies and spirits,' 1 Cor. vi. ult. I beseech you, gather your spirits, call them hf)rne about the business. We once came short of our end, — God's glory and our happiness ; but know, that it is attainable again. We lost both ; but both are found in Christ. Awake then and stir up your spirits, else it shall be double condemna- tion— when we have the offer of being restored to our former blessed condition — to love our present misery better. Once establish this point within your souls, and therefore ask, W^hy came I hither? To what purpose am I come into the world ? If you do not ask it, what will you answer, when he asks you at your appearance before his tribunal ? I beseech you, what will many of you say in that day when the Master returns and takes an account of your dispensation ? You are sent into the world only for this business, — to serve the Lord. Now what will many of you answer ? If you speak the truth (as then you must do it, — you cannot lie then !) you must say, "Lord, I spent my time in serving my own lusts ; I was taken up with other businesses, and had no leisure ; I was occupied in my calling,'' &c. Even as if an ambassador of a king should return him this account of his negociation : " I was busy at cards and dice ; I spent my money, and did wear my clothes." Though you think your ploughing and borrowing and trafficking and reaping very necessary, yet certainly these are but as trifles and toys to the main business. O what a dreadful account will souls make ! They come here for no purpose but to serve their bodies and senses, to be slaves to all the creatures which were once put under man's feet : Now man is under the feet of all, and he has put himself so. If you were of these creatures, then you might be for them. You seek them as if you were created for them, and not tliey for you ; and you seek yourselves, as if you were of yourselves, and had not your descent of God. Know, my beloved, that you were not made for that purpose, nor yet redeemed either to serve yourselves, or other creatures, but that other creatures might serve you, and ye serve God, Luke \ 74, 75. And this is really the best way to serve ourselves, and to save ourselves, — to serve God. Self-seeking is self- destroying ; self-denying is self-saving, soul-saving. * He that seeketh to save his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life shall find it, and he that denies himself and follows me, is my disciple.' Will ye once sit down in good earnest about this business ? 'Tis lamentable to be yet to begin to learn to live, when ye must die ! Ye will be out of the world almost, ere ye bethink yourself, Why came I into the world ? Quidam tunc vivere iiicipiunt, cum desineiiduin est ; into quidam ante vivere desierunt quam incipereiit ; this is of all most lamentable, — many souls end their life, before they begin to live. For what is our life, but a living death, while we do not live to God, and while we live not in relation to the great end of our life and being, — the glory of God ? It were better, says Christ, that such ' had never been born.' You who are ci'eated again in Jesus Christ, it most of all concerns you to ask. Why am I made ? And wliy am I redeemed ^ And to what purpose ? It is certainly that ye may glorify your heavenly P'ather, Mat. v. 16; Ps. Ivi. 13. 8 THE COMMON PRINCIPLES OF And you shall gloiify him if you hring forth much fruit, and continue in his love, John XV. 8, 9. And this you are chosen and ordained unto, ver. 16 ; and therefore a))ide in him, that ye may brinsj forth fruit, ver. 4. And if you abide in him by believinn^, you do indeed honour him; and he that honoureth the Son honoureth the Father, John v. 23. Here is a compendious way to glorify God. Receive salvation of him freely, righteousness and eternal life ; this sets to a seal to God's truth and grace and mercy : and whoso counts the Son worthy to be a Saviour to them, and sets to their seal of approbation to him whom God the Father hath sent and sealed, he also honours the Father ; and then he that honoureth the Father, hath it not for nothing, ' for them that honour me I will honour,' 1 Sam. ii. 30, says the Lord ; and ' he that serves me, him will my Father honour,' John xii. 26. As the believing soul cares for no other, and respects no other but God, so he respects no other but such a soul. * I will dwell in the humble, and look unto the contrite ;' there are mutual respects and honours. God is the delight of such a soul, and such a soul is God's delight. That soul sets God in a high place, in a throne in its heart ; and God sets that soul in a heavenly place with Christ, Eph. ii. 6 ; yea he comes down to sit with us, and dwells in us, off his throne of majesty, Isa. Ixvi. I, 2 ; and Ivii. 15. ittrtuvc $$. UNION AND COMMUNION WITH GOD THE END AND DESIGN OF THE GOSPEL. Psalm Ixxiii. 24 — 28. " Thou nil/ guide me with thy counsel, ^c. Whom have I in heaven hut thee ? ^^c. It is good for me to draw near to God.'' — 1 John i. 3. " That which we have seen and heard declare ice unto you, that ye also may have fellowship tvith us: and truly our felloivship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." — John xvii. 21 — 23. '■^ That they all may he one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us,'' Sj-c. It is a matter of great consolation that God's glory and our happiness are linked together; so that whoever set his glory before them singly to aim at, they take the most compendious and certain way to true blessedness. His glory is the ultimate end of man, and should be our great and last scope. But our happiness — which con- sists in the enjoyment of God — is subordinate to this, yet inseparable from it. The end of our creation is communion and fellowship with God, therefore man was made with an immortal soul capable of it ; and this is the greatest dignity and eminency of man above the creatures. He hath not only impressed from God's finger, in his first moulding, some characters resembling God, in righteousness and holiness ; but is created with a capacity of receiving more of God by communion with him. Othei creatures have already all they will have, — all they can have, — of conformity to him ; but man is made liker than all, and is fitted and fashioned to aspire to more likeness and conformity, so that his soul may shine more and more to the perfect day. There was an union made already in his first moulding ; and communion was to grow as a fragrant and sweet fruit out of tiiis blessed root. Union and similitude are the ground of fellowship and communion. That union wa sgracious, — that commu- nion would have been glorious; for grace is the seed of glory. There was a twofold union between Adam and God, — an union of state, and an union of nature ; he was like God, and he was God's friend. All the creatures had some likeness to God, some engravings of his power and goodness and wisdom : but man is said to be made according to God's image, * Let us make man like unto us.' Other creatures had similitudinem vestigii, but man had similitudinem faciei. Holiness and right- eousness are God's face, — the very excellency and glory of all his attributes ; and the Lord stamps the image of these upon man. Other attributes are but like his back parts ; and he leaves the resemblance of his footsteps upon other creatures. What THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 9 can be so Leautiful as the iinas^e of God upon the soul ? Creatures, the nearer tliey are to God, the more pure and excellent. We see in the fabric of the world, bodies tlie higher they are, the more pure and cleanly, the more beautiful. Now then, what was man that was ' made a little lower than the angels ?' — in the Hebrew, ' a little lower than God,' tcmtum non deus. Seeing man is set next to God, his glory and beauty certainly surpasses the glory of the sun and of the heavens. Things con- tiguous and next other are like other. The water is liker air than the earth, therefore it is next the air. The air is liker heaven than water, therefore is it next to it. Omne contiguum spiriluali, est spirititale. Angels and men next to God, are spirits, as he is a spirit. Now similitude is the ground of friendship. Pares paribus congregantur ; similitudo necessitudinis vinculum. It is that which conciliates affec- tions among men : So it is here by proportion. God sees all is very good, and tliat man is the best of his works ; and he loves him, and makes him Lis friend, for his own image which he beholds in him. At length from these two roots this pleasant and fragrant fruit of communion with and enjoyment of God grows up. This is the entertainment of friends, to delight in one another, and to enjoy one another. Amicorum omnia communia. Love makes all common. It opens the treasure of God's fulness, and makes a vent of divine bounty towards man; and it opens the heart of man, and makes it large as the sand of the sea to receive of God. Our receiving of his fulness is all the enter- tainment we can give him. O what blessedness is this, for a soul to live in him ! And it lives in him when it loves him. Avima est uhi amat, non tibi animat. And to taste of his sweetness and be satisfied with him, this makes perfect oneness: and perfect oneness with God, who is ' the fountain of life, and in whose favour is life,' is perfect blessedness. But we must stand a little here and consider our misery, that have fallen from such an excellency. How are we come down from heaven wonderfully ? Sin has interposed between God and man; and this dissolves the union, and hinders the com- munion. An enemy has come between two friends, and puts them at odds ; and oh ! an eternal odds. Sin hath sown this discord, and alienated our hearts from God. Man's glory consisted in the irradiation of the soul from God's shining coun- tenance ; this made him light, God's face shined on him. But sin interposing has eclipsed that light and brought on an eternal night of darkness over the soul. And thus we are spoiled of the image of God, as when the earth comes between the sun and the moon. Now then, there can no beams of divine favour and love break through directly towards us, because of the cloud of our sins, that separates between God and us, and because of 'the partition-wall,' and 'the hand-writing of oi'dinances that was against us,' — God's holy law, and severe justice, Eph. ii. 14; Col. ii. 14. Then, what shall we do ? How shall we see his face in joy ? 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 reflect upon us, from the Son. The love of God, and his favourable countenance, that cannot meet with us in a dii'ect and immediate beam, they fall on us in this blessed com- pass, by the intervention of a mediator. We are rebels standing at a distance from (Jod ; Christ comes between, a mediator and a 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 whereof is this, ' That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Fathei% and with his Son,' 1 John i. 3. It is a voice of peace and invitation to the fellowship of God. Behold, then, the happiness of man is the 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 enmity,' and cancelled the hand-writing that was against us, and so made peace by the blood of his cross; and then, having removed all that out of the way, he comes and calls us unto the fellowship wliich we were ordained unto from our creation. We who are rebels, are called to be friends ; ' I call you not servants, but friends.' It is a wonder that the creature should be called a friend of God ; but, O great wonder, that the rebel should be called a friend! And yet that is not all. We are called to B 10 THE COMMON PRINCIPLES OF a nearer union, — to be the sons of God ; this is our privilege, John i. 12. This is a great part of our fellowsliip with the Fatlier and liis Son ; we are the Father's chil- dren, and the Son's brethren; 'and if children, then heirs, heirs of God;' and if bretliren, then co-heirs with Christ, Rom. viii. 17. Thus the union is begun again in Christ ; but as long as sin dwells in our mortal bodies, it is not perfect, there is always some separation and some enmity in our hearts ; and so there is neither full seeing of God, for ' we know but in part,' and we see 'darkly,' nor full enjoying of God, for we are 'saved by hope,' and we 'live by faith, and not by sight.' But this is begun which is the seed of eternal communion ; we are here partakei's 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 affec- tion, but not completed in fruition, — affectu non effectn. The soul pants after God, — 'Whom have I in heaven or earth but thee? My flesh and my heart faileth,' &c. A believing soul looks upon God as its only portion, — accounts nothing misery but to be separated from him, and nothing blessedness but to be one with him. This is the load- stone of their aiFections and desires; the centre which they move towards, and in which they will rest. It is true, indeed, that oftentimes our heart and our flesh faileth us, and we liecome ignorant and brutish. Our aff'ections cleave to the earth, and temptations with their violence turn our souls towards another end than God. As there is nothing more easily moved and turned wrong than the needle that is touched with the adamant, yet it settles not in such a posture, it recovers itself and rests never till it look towards the north, and then it is fixed, — even so, temptations and the corruptions and infirmities of our hearts disturb 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 shall not be greatly commoved ; we may fall, but we shall 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, than our taking hold of him by faith. Power and good-will encamp about both faith and the soul: 'We are kept by his power through faith,' 1 Pet. i. 5. And thus he will guide the soul, and still be drawing it nearer to him, from itself, and from sin, and from the world, till he ' receive us into glory,' and until 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, than ever Adam in his innocency would have been capable of! What soul can con- ceive it ? what tongue express it ? None can : for it is that which ' eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into man's heart to conceive.' We must suspend the knowledge of it till we have experience of it. Let us now believe it, and then we shall find it. There is a mutual inhabitation which is wonderful. Persons that dwell one ivith another have much society and fellowship; but to dwell one in another is a strange thing, — 'I in them, and they in me;' and therefore God is often said to dwell in us, and we to dwell 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 emblem of: 'As thou, Fathei', 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 imaginethatreciprocal inhabitation, — that mutual 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 ; and so much we may apprehend of this unity of the saints with God. O ! love is an unit- ing 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 wox-k in us, and shine upon us. Love hath drawn him down from his seat of majesty, to visit poor cottages of sinners, Isa. Ixvi. 1,2; and xlvi. 3, 4. 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 duaw it from itself! 2 Cor. v. 15. Then the more unity with God, the more separation from ourselves and the world ; the nearer God the farther from ourselves ; and the farther from ourselves THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 11 the more happy ; and the more unity with God, the more unity among ourselves, amonspirotio7i of God, mid is proji table for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." We told you that there was nothing mere necessary to know than what our end is, and what the way is that leads to that end. We see the most part of men walking at random, — running an uncertain race, — because they do not propose unto themselves a certain scope to aim at, and whither to direct their whole course. According to men's particular inclinations and humours so do the purposes and designs of men vary; and often do the purposes of one man change, according to the circumstances of time and his condition in the world. We see all men almost running cross one to another. One drives at the satisfaction of his lust by pleasure; another fancies a great felicity in honour; a thii'd in getting riches; and thus men divide themselves; whereas, if it were true happiness that all were seeking, they would all go one way towards one end. If men be not in the right way. the faster they seem to move toward the mark, the farther they go from it. Wandering from the right wa}', (suppose men intend well) will put them fartlier from that which they intend. Si via in conlrarium ducat, ipsa velocitas majoris intervalli causa est. Therefore it con- cerns us all most deeply to be acquainted with the true path of blessedness; for if we THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 13 once mistake, the more we do, the swifter we move, ihe more distant we are from it indeed. And there is the more need, because there are so many by-paths that lead to destruction. What say I ? By-paths ! No ; highways, beaten paths, that the multitude of men walk in, and never challenge, nor will endure to be challenged as if they were in an error ! In other journeys, men keep the plain highway, and are afraid of any secret by-way, lest it lead them wrong : At hie, via quceque tritissima maxime decipit. Here the high-pathed way leads wrong, and O, far wrong ! — to hell. This is the meaning of Christ's sermon, " Enter in at the strait gate, but walk not in the broad way where many walk, for it leads to destruction." There- fore I would have this persuasion once begotten in your souls, that the course of this world, — the way of the most part of men, — is dangerous, is damnable. O consider whither the way will lead you, before you go farther ! Do not think it a folly to stand still now, and examine it, when you have gone on so long in their company. Stand, I say, and consider I Be not ignorant as beasts, that know no other things than to follow the drove ; qua pergiint, tion quo eimdum est, sed quo itur ; they follow not whither they ought to go, but whither most go. You are men, and have reasonable souls within you ; therefore I beseech you, be not composed and fashioned according to custom and example, that is, brutish, but according to some inward knowledge and reason. Retire once from the multitude, and ask in earnest at God, What is the way? Him that fears him he will teach the way that he should choose. The way to his blessed end is very strait, very difficult ; you must have a guide in it, — you must have a lamp and a light in it, — else you cannot but go wrong. The principles of reason within us are too dark and dim ; they will never lead us through the pits and snares in the way. These indeed shined so brightly in Adam that he needed no light without him, no voice about him ; but sin hath extinguished it much ; and there remains nothing but some little spunk or sparkle, under the ashes of much corruption, that is but insufficient in itself, and is often more blinded and darkened by lusts. So that if it were never so much refined — as it was in many heathens — yet it is but the blind leading the blind, and both must fall into the ditch. Our end is high and divine, — to glorify God and to enjoy him ; therefore our reason caligat ad suprema ; it can no more steadfastly behold that glorious end, and move towards it, than our weak eyes can behold the sun. Our eyes can look downward upon the earth, but not upward to the heavens : so we have some remnant of reason in us, that hath some petty and poor ability for matters of little moment, as the things of this life ; but if we once look upward to the glory of God, or eternal happiness, our eyes are dazzled, our reason confounded, we cannot steadfastly behold it, Eph. iv. 18; 2 Cor. iii. 13, 14. Therefore the Lord hath been pleased to give us the scriptures, which may be ' a lamp unto our feet,' and a guide unto our way ; whereunto we shall do well ' to take heed, as unto [a candle or] a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, 2 Peter i. 19. These are ' able to make us wise unto salvation.' Let us hear what Paul speaks to Timothy, 2 Tim. iii. 16, ' All scripture is given by inspiration of God,' &c. : where you have two points of high concernment, — the authority of the scriptures, and their utility. Their authority, for they are given by divine inspira- tion ; their utility, for they are ' profitable for doctrine,' &c., and can make us perfect, and well ' furnished to every good work.' The authority of it is in a peculiar way divine. * Of him and through him are all things.* All writings of men, according to the truth of the scriptures, have some divinity in them, inasmuch as they have of truth, which is a divine thing. Yet the holy scriptures are by way of excellency attributed to God, for they are immediately inspired of God. Therefore Peter saith that ' the scriptures came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,' 2 Peter i. 2L God by his Spirit, as it were, acted the part of the soul in the prophets and apostles ; and they did no more but utter what the Spirit conceived. The Holy Ghost inspired the matter and the words, and they were but tongues and pens to speak and write it imto the people ; there needed no debate, no search in their own minds for the truth, no inquisition for light ; but light shined upon their souls so brightly, so convincingly, that it put it beyond all question that it was the mind and voice of God. You need not ask How they did know that their dreams or visions 11 THE COMMON PRINCIPLES OF •were indeed from tlie Lord ; and that they did not frame any imagination in their own hearts, and taught it for liis word, as many did ? I say, you need no rnoi'e ask that, than ask, Flow shall a man see light, or know the sunshine ? Light makes itself manifest, and all other things. It is seen by its own brightness. Even so the holy men of God needed not any mark or sign to know the Spirit's voice ; his revelation needed not the light of any other thing, it was light itself; it would cer- tainly overpower the soul and mind, and leave no place of doubting. God, who cannot be deceived, and can deceive no man, hath delivered us this doctrine. O ! with what reverence shall we receive it, as if we heard the Loi\l from heaven speak! If you ask, How you shall be persuaded that the scriptures are the word of God, — his very mind opened to men and made legible. Truly there are some things cannot be well proved, not because they are doubtful, but because they are clear of them- selves, and beyond all doubt and exception. Principles of arts must not be proved, but supposed, till you find by trial and experience afterward that they were indeed really true. There are, no question, such characters of divinity and majesty imprinted in the very scriptures themselves, that whosoever hath the eyes of his understanding opened, though he run he may read them, and find' God in them. What majesty is in the very simplicity and plainness of the scriptures ! They do not labour to please men's ears, and adorn the matter with the curious garments of words and phrases ; but represent the very matter itself to the soul, as that which in itself is worthy of all acceptation, and needs no human eloquence to commend it. Painting doth spoil native beauty. External ornaments would disfigure somethings that are of themselves proportioned and lovely ; therefore the Lord chooses a plain and simple style which is 'foolishness' to the world; but in these swaddling-clothes of the scriptures, and this poor cottage, the child Jesus, the Lord of heaven and earth, is contained. There is a jewel of the mysterious wisdom of God, and man's eternal blessedness, in this mineral. What glorious and astonishing humility is here ! What humble and homely glory and majesty also ! He is most high, and yet none so lowly. What excellent consent and harmony of many writers in such distant times ! Wonder at it. All speak one thing to one purpose, — to bring men to God, to abase all glory, and exalt him alone. Must it not be one spirit that hath quickened all these, and breathes in them all this one heavenly song, of 'glory to God on high, and good-will towards men?' Other writers will reason these things with you to convince you and persuade you ; and many think them more profound and deep for that reason, and do despise the baseness of the scriptures ; but to them whose eyes are opened, the majesty and authority of God commanding and asserting and testifying to them, is more convincing, from its own bare assertion, than all human reason. Although there be much light in the scriptures to guide men's way to God's gloi-y and their own happiness, yet it will all be to small purpose if 'the eyes of our under- standing' be darkened and blinded. If you shall surround a man with day-light, except he open his eyes, he cannot see. The scriptures are a clear sun of life and righteousness ; but the blind soul encompassed with that light is nothing the wiser, but thinks the lamp of the word shines not, because it sees not; it hath its own dungeon within it. Thei'efore the Spirit of God must open the eyes of the blind, and enlighten the eyes of the understanding, that the soul may see wonderful things in God's law, Psal. cxix. 5, 1 8. The light may shine in the darkness, but * the dai'kness comprehend- eth it not,' John i. 5. I wonder not that the most part of men can see no beauty, no majesty, no excellency in the holy scriptures to allure them, because they are natural, and have not the Spirit of God, and so cannot know these things ' for they are spiritually discerned,' 1 Cor. ii. 14 : Therefore as the inspiration of God did conceive this writing at first, and preached this doctrine unto the world, so there can no soul understand it, or profit by it, but by the inspiration of the Almighty. * Verily there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding,' saith Job. When the Spirit comes into the soul to engrave the characters of that law and truth into the heart which were once engraven on tables of stone, and not written with pen and ink ; then the Spirit of Christ Jesus writes over and transcribes the doctrine of the gospel on 'the fleshly tables of the heart,' — draws the lineaments of that faith and love preached in the word upon the soul; then the soul is 'the epistle of Christ,' ' written not with [pen and] ink, but with the Spirit of the living THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 15 God,' 2 Cor. iii. 3. And then the soul is manifestly declared to be surh, when that which is impressed on the heart is expressed in the outward man in walking, that it may be ' read of all men.' Now, the soul having thus received the image of the scriptures on it, understands the Spirit's voice in them, and sees the truth and divinity of them. The eye must receive some species and likeness of the object before it see it; it must be made like to the object ere it can behold it, — Intelligens in acta fit ipsitm inlelli- gibile : so the soul must have some inspiration of the Holy Ghost, before it can believe with the heart the inspired scriptures. Now, for the utility and protit of the scriptures, who can speak of it according to its worth ? Some things may be over-commended, — nay, all things but this one, — God speaking in his word to mankind. Many titles are given to human writings ; some are called accurate, some subtile, some ingenious, and some pi'ofound and deep, some plain, some learned ; but call them what they please, the scripture may vindicate to itself these two titles as its own prerogative, — holy and profitable. The best speaker in the world in many words cannot want sin ; the best writer hath some dross and refuse ; but here, all is holy, all is profitable. Many books are to no purpose but to feed and inflame men's lusts; many serve for nothing but to spend and drive over the time, without thought; most part are good for nothing but to burden and over-weary the world, to put them in a fancy of knowledge which they have not; many serve for this only, to nourish men's curiosity and vain imaginations, and contentions about words and notions ; but here is a book profitable, — all profitable. If you do not yet profit by it, you can have no pleasure in it ; it is only ordained for soul's profiting, not for pleasing your fancy, not for matter of curious speculation, not for contention and strife about the interpretation of it. Many books have nothing in them, but specious titles to commend them ; they do nothing less than what they promise ; they have a large and fair entry, which leads only into a poor cottage ; but the scriptures have no hyperbolic and superlative styles to allure men ; they hold out a plain and common gate and entry which will undoubtedly lead to a pleasant palace; others et prodesse volunt et delecture, but these certainly et prodesse volunt et possunt, — they both can profit you and will profit you. I wish that souls would read the scriptures as profitable scriptures, with the intention to profit. If you do not read with such a purpose, you read not the scriptures of God, they become as another book unto you. But what are they profitable for? For doctrine, and a divine doctrine ; a doctrine of life and happiness. It is the great promise of the new cove- nant, ' You shall be all taught of God.' The scriptures can make a man learned and wise, learned to salvation; it is foolishness to the world, 'but the world through wisdom know not God.' Alas ! what then do they know ? Is there any besides God ? And is there any knowledge besides the knowledge of God ? You have a poor petty wisdom among you to gather riches and manage your business. Others have a poor imaginary wisdom that they call learning; and generally people think, to pray to God is but a paper-skill, a little book-craft ; they think the knowledge of God is nothing else but to learn to read the Bible. Alas! mistake not; it is another thing to know God. The doctrine of Jesus Christ written on the heart is a deep profound learning ; and the poor, simple, rudest people, may by the Spirit's teaching become wiser than their ancients, than their ministers. O, it is an excellent point of learning, to know how to be saved ! What is it, I pray you, to know the course of the heavens, — to number the orbs, and the stars in them, — to measure their circumference, — to reckon their motions, — and yet not to know him that sits on the circle of them, and not know how to inhabit and dwell there ? If you would seek unto God, and seek eyes opened to behold the mystery of the word, you would become wiser than your pasters ; you would learn from the Spirit to pray better ; you would find the way to heaven better than they can teach you, or walk in it. Then, it is ' profitable for reproof and correction.' It contains no doctrine very pleasant to men's natural humours; but it is indeed most pleasant to a right and ordered taste. You know, the distemper of the eye, or the perverting of the taste, will misrepresent pleasant things, and sweet things to the senses, and make them appear ill-savoured and bitter. But, I say, to a discerning spirit there is nothing so sweet, so comely. ' I have se n an end of all perfection,' but none of thy law. ' Thy word is sweeter to me than the honey, or the honey-comb.' If a soul be prepossessed 16 THE COMMON PRINCIPLES OF with the love of the world, and the hists of the world, it cannot savour and taste of them ; that vicious quality in the mind will make the pleasant gospel unpleasant. * I piped unto you, and ye have not danced.' But however, the scriptures are then most profitable when they are least pleasant to our corruptions ; and, therefore, it is an absolute and entire piece. Et prodesse voliiid et delectare. Omne tulil punctuni, qui miscuit utile dulci. There are sharp reproofs, and sad corrections of his holy law, which must make way for the pleasant and sweet gospel. There is a reproof of life, — a wounding before healing, — that whoso refuse them, despise their own soul, hut ' the ear that heareth them abideth among the wise,' Prov. xv. 31, 32. Woe unto that soul that correction or reproof or threatening is grievous unto ; * he shall die,' Prov. XV. 1 0; 'he is brutish,' Prov. xii. 1. There is a generation of men tliat can endure to hear nothing but gospel-promises ; that cry out against all reproving of sins, and preaching of God's wrath against unbelieving sinners, as legal, and meddling with other men's matters, especially if they reprove the sins of rulers, their public state enormities ; as if the whole word of God were not profitable ; as if reproofs were not as wholesome as consolations; as if threatenings did not contribute to make men flee from the wrath to come into a city of refuge. Let such persons read their own character out of wise Solomon, ' Correction is grievous to them that forsake the way.* ' Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee ; give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser,' Prov. ix. 8, 9. If we were pleasers of men, then were we not the servants of Jesus Christ; let us strive to profit men, but not to please them. Peace, peace, which men's own heails fancy, would please them; but it were better for them to be awakened out of that dream, by reproof, by correction ; and he that will do so, shall 'find more favour of him afterwards, than he that flattereth with the tongue,' Prov. xxviii. 23. Well then, let this be established in your hearts as the foundation of all true religion, that the scriptures are the word of the eternal God, and that they contain a perfect and exact rule both of glorifying God and of the way to enjoy him. They can make you perfect to every good work. I shall say no more on this ; but beseech you, as you love your own souls, be acquainting yourselves with them. You will hear, in these days, of men pretending to more divine and spiritual discoveries and revelations than the scriptures contain : but, my brethren, these can make you * wise to salvation,' these can make you * perfect to every good work.' Then, what needs more? All that is besides salvation, and beyond perfection, count it superfluous and vain, if not worse, if not diabolical. Let others be wise to their own destruction, — let them establish their own imaginations for the word of God, and rule of their faith, — but hold you fast what you have received, and 'contend earnestly' for it. Add nothing, and diminish nothing; let this lamp shine 'till the day dawn,' — till the morning of the resurrection ; and walk ye in the light of it, and do not kindle any other sparkles, else ye shall lie down in the grave in sorrow, and rise in sorrow. Take the word of God as the only rule, and the perfect rule, — a rule for all your actions, civil, natural, and religious ; for all must be done to his glory, and his word teacheth how to attain to that end. Let not your imaginations, let not others' example, ler, not the preach- ing of men, let not the conclusions and acts of Assemblies be your rule, but in as far as you find them agreeing with the perfect rule of God's holy word. All other rules are regulce. regulala ; they are but like publications and intimations of the rule itself. Ordinances of assemblies are but like the herald-promulgation of the king's statute and law; if it vary in any thing from his intention, it is not valid and bind- ing. 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 acquaint- ed with it, you must follow the opinions or examples of other men; and what if they lead you unto destruction? THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. Unturt $F, THE SCRIPTURES REVEAL ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. John v. 39. *' Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me" Eph. ii. 20. "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets." As in darkness there is need of a lantern without and the light of tlie eyes within, — for neither can we see in darkness without some lamp, though we have never so good eyes, nor yet see without eyes, though in never so clear a sunshine, — so there is absolute need for the guiding of our feet in the dangerous and dark paths to eter- nal life (that are full of pits and snares,) of the lamp, or word written or preached, without us, and the illumination of the Holy Ghost within us. These are conjoined, Isa. lix. 21, * This is my covenant:' ' The Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in tliy mouth, will not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of 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 pattern 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. iii. 3; Heb. viii. 10. So then, there needs be no more question about the divine authority of the scrip- tui-es, among those who have their senses exercised to discern between good and ill, than among men who see and taste, concerning light and darkness, sweet and bitter. The persuasion of a Christian is fetched deeper than the reasons of men. Their faith is ' the evidence of things not seen.' It is an eye, a supernatural eye, whereby a soul beholds that majesty and excellency of God shining in the word, which, though it shine about the rest of the world, yet 'tis not seen, because they cannot know it nor discern it. Wonder not that the multitude of men cannot believe the report that is made ; that there are few who find any such excellency and sweetness in the gospel as is reported, because saith Isaiah, liii. 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 writings of the scriptures ; his arm must create an eye in their souls, an internal light, before it can behold that glorious brightness of God shining in the word. The word is God's testimony of himself, of his grace and mercy, and good-will to mankind. Now no man can receive this testi- mony, unless it be sealed and confirmed by the Holy Ghost into the i.aart : saith Peter, * We are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him,' Acts v. 32. The word witnesses to the ear, and the Spirit testifieth to our spirits, the truth and worth of that ; and therefore the Spirit is a seal and a witness. The word is the Lord's voice to his own children ; bastards cannot know it, * but my sheep know my voice,' John x, 4, 16. You know no difference between the bleating of one sheep from another, but the poor lambs know their mother's voice ; there is a secret instinct of nature that is more powerful than many marks and signs : even so those who are begotten of God know his voice, — they discern that in it which all the world that hear it cannot discern, — there is a sympathy between their souls and that living word. That word is the immortal seed they are begotten of; and there is a natural instinct to love that, and to medi- tate 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 there- by,' as they were born of it, 1 Pet. ii. 2. In those 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 Clirist, and in him eternal c 18 THE COMMON PRINCIPLES OF life ; and therefore we ()uii;ht to search the scriptures for this jewel, to dig in the field for this pearl, the doctrine of the prophets and apostles, as a sure foundation whereupon souls may huild their eternal 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 ])uild our faith only upon it, and square our practice only by it. We shall speak something of the first, that it may he a spur to the second. The Jews had some respective opinion of the word of God ; they knew that in them was eternal life ; they thought it a doctrine of life and happiness, and so cried up Moses' writings, but they would not believe Christ's words. They erred, not understand- ing the scriptures, and so set the writings of Moses' law at variance with the px'each- ing of Christ's gospel. What a pitiful mistake was this ! They thought they had eternal life in the scriptures, and yet they did not receive nor acknowledge him whom to know was eternal life. Therefore our Lord Jesus sends them back again to the scriptures : — " Go and search them ; yon thhik, and you think well, that in them ye may find the way to eternal life ; but while you seek it in them you mistake it : these scriptures testify of me, the end of the law, but you cannot behold the end of that ministry, because of the blindness of your hearts, (Rom. x. 3 ; 2 Cor. iii. 13, 14.) Therefore search again, unfold the ceremonies ; I am wrapt in them, and life eter- nal with me. Dig up the law till you find the bottom of God's purpose in it, — till you find the end of the ministration, — and you shall find me, ' the way, the truth, and life ;' and so you shall have that eternal 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 testify of me, the life and the light of men." May not this now commend the word to us ? eternal life is in it. Other writings and discourses may tickle the ears with some pleasing eloquence, but that is vanish- ing ; it is but like a musician's voice. Some may represent some petty and mo- mentary advantage, but how soon shall an end be put to all that ? So that within a little time the advantage of all the books of the world shall be gone. The statutes and laws of kings and parliaments ran reach no further than some temporal reward or punishment ; their highest pain is the killing of this body ; their highest reward is some evanishing and fading honour, or perishing riches : but 'he showeth his word and judgments unto us, and hath not dealt so with any nation,' Psal. cxlvii. 19, 20. And no nation under the whole heaven liath such laws and ordinances ; eternal life and eternal death is wrapt up in them. Tliese are rewards and punishments suitable to the majesty and magnificence of the eternal Lawgiver". Consider, I beseech you, what is folded up here, — the scriptures show the path of life ; life is of all things the most excellent, and comes nearest the blessed being of God. When we say life, we under- stand a blessed life, that only deserves the name. Now this we have lost in Adam. Death is passed upon all men, but that death is not the worst : 'tis but a consequence ofa soul- death. The immortalsoul — whose lifeconsisteth in communion with God, and peace with him — is separated from him by sin, and so killed, when it is cut oft' from the fountain of life ; what a life can it have more, than a beam that is cut off" by the intervention of a dark body from the sun. Now then, what a blessed doctrine must i( be that brings to light, life and immortality? especially when we have so miserably lost it, and involved our souls into an eternal death. Life is precious in itself, but much more precious to one condemned to die, — to be caught out of the paws of the lion, — to be brought back from the gibbet. O how. will that commend the favour of a little more time in the world ! But then if we knew what an eternal misery we are involved into, and stand under a sentence binding us over to such an inconceivable and insup- portable punishment as is the curse and wrath of God ; O how precious au esteem would souls have of the scriptures, how would they be sweet unto their soul, because they show unto us a way of escaping that pit of misery, and a way of attaining eternal blessedness as satisfying and glorious as the misery would have been vexing and tormenting! O that ye Would once lay these in the balance together, — this present life and life eternal ! Know ye not that your souls are created for eternity ; that they will eternally survive all these present things? Now how do ye imagine they shall live after this life ? Your thoughts and projects and designs are confined THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 19 within the poor narrow liounds of your time. When y