Promise-keeping a great duty. As it was delivered in a sermon / by Samuel…

2. That sometimes the case of the Party unto whom the promise is made, makes it a duty, at least to suspend the doing of the thing: A promise is always supposed to intend the doing something for another, i. e. for his good, that which is to do him harm is of the name of a threatening, and is often a mischievous thing; If then it shall afterwards prove (as sometimes it doth so fall out that it doth so prove) to be apparent for his […], especially if it be very pernicious. The promiser is hereby brought under the Obligation of another duty, which supposes the former: and this is a great Truth; Viz: that two actions the one whereof is necessarily subversive of the other, cannot be a mans duty at the same time, to the same person; for Gods Command never involves us in contradictions: Paul intended to come to Christ, at such a time, hoping that his Epistle would have prepared them to give him a good welcome; but it falls out that if he now comes it would be to his Grief▪ and not to their comfort, hence he Pleads this Ver. 2•. I promise ⟨p. 13⟩a man to furnish him with such a weapon, by such a day, but in the Interim; I am fully assured that he intends to Murder himself with it; I am bound to withhold it: and in keeping the sixth Command, I do not violate the N•m•: only we must not frame such things on surmise, to Cover our own Infidelity.

2. That somtimes the case of the Party unto whom the promise is made, makes it a duty, at least to suspend the doing of the thing: A promise is always supposed to intend the doing something for another, i. e. for his good, that which is to do him harm is of the name of a threatning, and is often a mischievous thing; If then it shall afterwards prove (as sometimes it doth so fall out that it doth so prove) to be apparent for his 〈…〉, especially if it be very pernicious. The promiser is hereby brought under the Obligation of another duty, which supposes the former: and this is a great Truth; Viz: that two actions the one whereof is necessarily subversive of the other, cannot be a mans duty at the same time, to the same person; for Gods Command never involves us in contradictions: Paul intended to come to Christ, at such a time, hoping that his Epistle would have prepared them to give him a good welcome; but it falls out that if he now comes it would be to his Grief and not to their comfort, hence he Pleads this Ver. 2. I promise