and as an Evidence of this, I find that Mr. James Coleman Minifter, at Slays in Flanders, tranflated them into the Dutch Language.

In the Tear 1670, another pofthumous Work was printed, it is intituled The Sioner's Sanctuary, being forty Sermons upon the eight Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans from the firft Ver. down to the fixteenth. The Publibers in their Preface acquaint us, that they were incouraged to print it, because the former Treatife was univerfally received by the intelligent and judicious in the Principles of the Chriftian 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. Mantor, and others have printed a great Number of useful practical Difcourfes; but so far as he goes, he is not exceeded by any of them.

A third Treatife 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. Ift, and Chap. 2d, Verses 1, 2, 3 In this Book we have the true Ground and Foundation of attaining the fpiritual Way of entertaining Fellowship with the Father and with the Son, and the bleed Condition of fuch as attain to it, most succinctly and diftinctly explained. This Book was revifed and published by one A. S. who in his Prea face to the Reader, ftiles himself his Servant in the Gofpel of our dearest Lord and Saviour: I need give no other Commendation of it, than that fummary Elogium which that Minifter has left us. "In a Word Jays he, here are to be found, Convictions for Atheists, piercing Rebakes to the Pro"fane, clear Inftructions to the Ignorant, Milk to the Babes in Chrift, ftrong "Meat for the Strong, Strength to theWeak, Quickning and Reviving for fuch as faint in the Way, Restoratives for fuch are in a Decay Reclamations " and loud Oyeffes after Backfliders to recal them, Breasts of Confolation "for Zion's Mourners; and to add no more, here are moft excellent Counsels "and Directions to ferious Seekers of Fellowship with God, to guide them in "their Way, and help them forward to the Attainments of that Fulness "of Fog, which is to be had in Fellowship with the Father and the Son." The last Treatife that has been printed is, His Heart humiliation, or Mifcellany Sermons, preached upon fome choice Texts at feveral folemn Occafious. Thefe likewife were revised and publifked by the above A.S. in the Fear Mr. Binning confidering the great Confufions and lamentable Divifions that prevailed in the Church in bis Day, and the abounding Immorality and Profanenefs of the Age, was deeply weighted

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therewith. His righteous Soul was fo vexed and grieved on thefe Accounts, That he vented his Mind in a moft pathetick and moving Manner, when the Days of publick Humiliation and Fafting were obferved. With respect to the many Fasts then appointed, and the few good Effects they bad, be fays in bis Sermon on Ifa. lxiv. 7. "There is none that calleth upon thy "Name, that firreth up himself to take bold on thee, Page 623, Col. 2. The fafting Days of Scotland will be numbred in the Roll of greatest Provocations, because there is no real Conviction of Sin among us; Custom now hath taken away the Solemnity, and there remaineth nothing but the very Name. And in the fame Sermon, Page 634, Col. 1. Doth any of you pray more in private than ye ufed? Or what Edge is upon your Prayers? Alas the Lord will yet get good Leave to go from us. It feareth me we would give Chrift a Teftimonial to go over Seas. Hold him, hold him; nay the Multitude would be gladly quite of him, they cannot abide his Yoke, his Work is a Burden, his Word is a Torment, his Difcipline is Bands and Cords, and what Heart can ye have to keep Chrift! What Violence can ye offer to Chrift to hold him ftill? All your Entreaties may be fair Compliments, but they would never rent his Garment. There are still feveral Manufcripts of Mr. Binning carefully preferved, which are in notbing inferior to any of bis printed Works. There is a valuable Treatife upon Chriftian Love, confifting of feveral Sheets, writ in a very small Character, it is divided into Chapters, and feveral Sermons to the Number of upon very edifying

Subjects ufeful and profitable for our Times, which are defigned to be printed in a separate Volume, which every Body may easily discover from the Stile and Genious of the Author to be his genuine Writings: His Manner of thinking and writing being a Talent so peculiar to himself, that it Jcarcely can be imitated by any other Perfon:

Had it pleafed the Almighty to have spared fo valuable a Life for Jome Time longer, be would have vindicated Divinity from the many fruitlefs Questions, unintelligible Terms, empty Notions, and perplexed Subtilities, wherewith it had been corrupted for a long Time by the Schoolmen; as be was excellently fitted for this, fo it was much upon his Heart to bave reduced Divinity to that native Simplicity which had been loft in most Parts of the World. A good Specimen of bis -Ability this Way be bath given us in his Catechifm; and fo, tho' be lived but a fhort Time, yet lived long enough to raife the greatest Expectation, that bath been known of any of bis Handing.

Mr.

Mr. M'Ward affures us, That if Dr. Strang's Dictates de voluntate Dei circa peccata had been published before Mr. Binning's Death, Mr. Binning had an Examen of them ready for the Prefs; but this Trea fure, to the great Lofs of the learned World, cannot now be found. As for his Philofophical Writings which he taught in the Univerfity, I am affured that his Courfe of Philofophy is in the Hands of a learned Gentlemen in this City, who gives them a high Commendation.

There is a Book published under his Name in Quarto, confifting of fifty one Pages, with this Title, An ufetul Cale of Confcience, learnedly and accurately difcuffed and refolved concerning Affociations and Con federacies, with Idolaters, Infidels, Hereticks, 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. Bloning's. The Publiber does indeed put Mr. Binning's Name to the Title Page, but conceals his own, and brings no Manner of Voucher, showing that Mr. Binning was the Author. but fends it abroad into the World in a clandeftine Manner; neither the Name of the Printer, nor of the Place where it was printed is mentioned in the Title Page. It is printed in the Year 1693, when the firft General Affembly of this Church after the Revolution, which confifted of both publick Refolutioners and Proteftors had agreed to bury for ever all their Differences about the publick Refolutions, concerning the Queftion of employing Malignants in the Army that was raised against the Kingdom of England. It feems that he dreaded the Frowns and Cenfure of thofe worthy and faithful Minifters of Jefus Chrift, who had been a long Time in the Fire of Perfecution. But if we further confider, That our late glorious Deliverer King William, was in the Year 1693 engaged in a defenfive 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 thereof, and to overturn the happy Revolution, the blessed Benefits of which we have enjoyed ever fince, it is evident, That the Publisher was afraid of the Refentment 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 neceffary War for the Prefervation of our religious and civil Liberties, to which we had been: but lately reftored; nay it is faid, that when this Pamphlet -was spreading in the Army in Flanders, it was like to have a bad Influence on the Seldiers, which made King William to take an effectual Method to fup.

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prefs it. Further, Mr. Binning died in the Year 1653, and this Pamphlet was not published till the Year 1693; fo that for the Space of forty Tears it was never heard of, nor made publick by any of the Protestors themfelves in that Period, which would not have been neglected, had they known that Mr. Binning was the Author of it. And lally, Mr. Binning was of a pacifick Temper, and his Sentiments with respect to publick Differ ences were healing, which are evident from the Accounts already given of his printed Books. And to fhew that he was a Promoter of brotherly Love, and of the Peace of the Church, Ifball fet down a few Paffages taken from his Treatise of Chriftian Love, which are as bright and strong for recommen• ding the fame, as any that I have met with in the Writings of any of our Divines, fo that I can't allow my self to think he could be the Author thereof. In Chapter 2d of that Treatise, he says, "There is a greater Moment and Weight of Chriftianity in Charity, than in the most Part of thefe Things, for which Chriftians bite and devour one another: It is the funda "mental Law of the Gospel, to which all pofitive Precepts and Ordinances fhould floup. Unity in Judgment is very needful for the Well-being of Chriftians; but Chrift's laft Words perfwade this, that Unity in Affection is more effential and fundamental: This is the Badge he left to his Difciples. If we caft away this upon every different Apprehenfion of Mind, we dif own our Mafter, and disclaim his Token and Badge." He goes on in the Jame Strain in the following Paragraph; "The Apostle Paul puts a high "Note and Commendation upon Charity, when he Stiles it the Bond of Per"fection. Above all Things, fays he, put on Charity, which is the "Bond of Perfeanels, Col. iii. 14. I am fure it hath not so high a Place "in the Minds and Practices of Chriftians now, as it hath in the Rolls of "the Parts and Members of the new Man here fet down: Here it is above "all, with us 'tis below all, even below every Apprehenfion of doubtful "Truths. An Agreement in the Conception of any poor petty controverfial "Matter of the Times, is made the Badge of Chriftianity, and fet in an "eminent Place above all. And in the fame Chapter, he adds, This is the "Sum of all, to worship God in Faith and Purity, and to love one another; "and whatfoever Debates and Questions tend to the Breach of this Bond, "and have no eminent and remarkable Advantage in them, fuppofe they "be conceived to be about Matters of Confcience, yet the intertaining and profecuting of them to the Prejudice of this, is a manifeft Violence offered to the Law of God, which is the Rule of Confcience. It is a perverting of Scripture and Confcience to a wrong End. Ifay then, that Charity and

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Chriftian Love fhould be the Moderatrix of all our Actions towards Men "from thence they should proceed, and according to this Rule be formed. "I am perfwaded if this Rule were followed, the prefent Differences in Judgment of godly Men, about Juch Matters as minifter more Questions. "would foon be buried in the Gulf of Cbriftian Affection." Ifball mention only another in the fame Chapter, Is not Charity more excellent than "the Knowledge and Acknowledgement of fome prefent queflionable Matters about Government, Treaties, and fuch like, and far more than every "Pundilio of them? But the Apoftle goes bigher, fuppofe a Man could "Spend all bis Subftance upon the Maintenance of fuch an Opinion, and give bis Life for the Defence of it, tho' in itself it be commendable: Tet "if he want Charity and Love to bis Brethren; if be overftretch that "Point of Confcience to the Breach of Chriftian Affection, and Duties following from it, it profits bim nothing; then certainly Charity muft rule "our external Actions, and have the predominant Hand in the Ufe of all Gifts, and in the venting of all Opinions." And now having given a juft Character of this eminent Minifer of the Gospel, a true Account of bis Life, and fome flight Remarks upon bis Writings; I shall no longer detain the Reader from the Perufal of thefe Treatises that are contained in this Volume, from which you will know more of Mr. Binning, than from all that I and others have faid in bis juft Praife. I shall now conclude, by acquainting the Purcbafers and Readers of this Volume, that I am allowed by the Publishers to affure them, that the rest of bis practical Manufcripts are a revifing for the Prefs; and that with all Expedition they fhall be printed, from which I am hopeful they shall receive as great Satisfaction, as from any of his Pieces already published.

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