the Volume of thy Book it is written of me Lo I come to do thy will O God that is I come to give thee satisfaction according to thy own heart by that which we agreed upon My own death 2. They agreed of the time of payment therefore it is said Gal. 4. when the fulness of time was come God sent his Son that is when the time that was agreed upon between the Father and Christ was come then Christ was sent forth not that Christ had time given him because he was not able to pay our debt before but God saw that the fittest time after the Church had been so long under Ceremonies and hard services then Christ comes forth to purchase a Redemption from sin and those things to that we might see more of the great Benefits we have by him 3. It was agreed what power the Lord Jesus should have to carry on the work of Redemption and all power was given to him Mat. 28. and John 17.2 Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Now Christ as God had of himself power over all things but now as Mediatour God the Father gives him power over all flesh and so Ephes 1.22 God the Father is said to have given Christ to be Head over all things to the Church Now Christ as God was Head over all things without any giving of it to him but Christ as Mediator hath it given to him to be Head over all things to the Church that is for the benefit of the Church that so the Lord Jesus is the Head over all things hath command over the good Angels Devils men and all creatures for the good of the Church whose Head he is in another manner then he is Head of all things so I say this was agreed that the Lord Jesus should have universal power and dominion for the managing of this great Work 4. It was agreed in this Covenant between the Father and Christ that the sins and failings of Christs members should not break the Covenant that the Father and Christ had made for their salvation therefore it is said in that 89. Psalm from 23. to 32. that the Covenant should stand fast with Christ and saith God if Christs children break my Commandements I will visit their Iniquity with a Rod I will have liberty saith God to chastise them and whip them home when they play the Prodigals and wander from my House but then it shall not break the Covenant that they sin against me but I will pardon their iniquities and remember their sins no more Upon the account of this Covenant between the Father and Christ the Lord Jesus is said to trust God the Father as Mediatour Heb. 2.13 Behold I put my trust in him and again behold I and the children which God hath given me Christ as Mediatour trusted God the Father to carry him through the great work of his Mediation 2. He trusted him that he would accept of his death 3. He trusted him that in the appointed time he would bestow all the good things purchased by his death upon them for whom he died which good things were especially forgiveness of sins the Spirit Sanctification and eternal life God the Father had trufted Christ with the salvation of his people with which he would not have trusted all the Angels in Heaven and therefore Christ might well trust God the Father in this matter Christ knew Gods infinite Love to those for whom he died and knew the Covenant between the Father and him on their behalf and so trusted the Father fully in the business relying upon the love and faithfulness of God his love to the Elect and his faithfulness to keep Covenant with him CHAP. XIV The Saints Comfort against Death DEath in it self is the King of Terrours a very terrible thing 1. In it self it is part of the curse in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die thou shalt be lyable to temporal and eternal death when I please to execute it but indeed death is not kept up to the Saints as a curse but as a servant to carry them home to their Fathers House 2. Death is an abhorrency to Nature that nature dreads it exceedingly it parts the soul and body that have been such intimate acquaintance it leaves the body to be a dead carcass fit for nothing but to be laid among the clods of the earth 3. It s terrible to flesh and blood as it depriveth men of the comforts of this present life it carrieth us from all the comforts of wife children friends estate Sigismund the Emperour when he was near death charged them that were about him that they should not name death in his hearing belike the thoughts of it were very terrible to him 4. Death is terrible to many mens thoughts in respect of the suddeness of it sudden death comes sometimes 1. by a sudden decay of nature such diseases as the Apoplexy may be breeding in the body that shall pluck down this earthly Tabernacle in one moment 2. Sometimes by Accidents from without as fire enemies falls and the like 3. Sometimes by a sudden stroak of Gods hand when there is no natural cause but men might live a great while Thus God cuts off many in the midst of their dayes not but that all men live to the time appointed and set down by God but that the Lord cuts them off from that time when they might according to the course of nature live a great while-longer Thus the Lord smote Herod suddenly with death the hundred and fourscore and five thousand of the Assyrians in one night Esay 37.36 5. The unavoidableness of death makes it terrible to the thoughts that the stoutest spirits see they cannot grapple with it what man is he that liveth and shall not see death who can deliver himself from the power of the grave Psalm 89.48 Death fetches a General out of his Tent when he lyeth environed with armed men Death fetches the Prince out of his Palace goes through all his Life-guard and none can withstand him so that men of brave and stout spirits have no courage to deal with death but their valour is turned into fear and amazement 6. The pains and pangs of death make it terrible to the thoughts of flesh and blood to think what a strange confusion then will be in the spirits when the eye-strings and heart-strings crack and man can exercise no more his spirit and understanding 7. That which above all makes death terrible unto many is the consequence of it that after death comes the Judgement the particular day of Judgement presently O saith many an unwakened conscience O what shall I do to appear before God to make up my accounts to him so that the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15. that the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law that is that the greatest sting of death is for a
to sin as it hath been that is a sign of a backsliding heart I do not say if the Conscience be not so scrupulous but if it be not so tender for when a man comes from under the Law and the Spirit of bondage he shall not have such a scrupulous conscience as he had before as people in that condition many times will scruple Whether they may eat or drink because they are unworthy of the creature with iunumerable other Scruples of that kind and it is a great Mercy to be freed from a scrupulous conscience it s one way by which God doth in a way of Judgement deprive men of the use of the lawfull comforts of this life when they have them in possession but I speak of true tenderness of Conscience a heart standing in a holy fear and aw of Gods word such a tender Conscience as Joseph had Gen. 39.9 How shall I do such great wickedness and so sin against God 2. Sign If there be a general neglect of secret Duties or constant deadness or formality in them this is a sign of a backsliden heart when a soul could have watcht for opportunities to pray and could have prayed with groans and sighs that can not be uttered and now duties are generally neglected or we have nothing but hard hearts and dry eyes in them 3. Sign If there be a general neglect and carelesness of assembling our selves with the Saints and holding communion with them its rare to see a man that hath left meetings and Communion of Saints that doth not fall wofully either as to error of conversation 4. Sign If there be an itch upon the Spirit after novelty of opinions and teachers and a disregard of those whom the Lord hath made Instruments of good to us heretofore thus the people forsook Paul 2 Tim. 1.15 Were not the Galathians much backsliden that now slighted Paul whom God had made an Instrument of so much to them that they would have parted with any thing to him 5. Sign of backsliding is If Professors grow worldly and earthly who have sat loose from the world heretofore Do we see a Professor that now holdeth his hands from doing good to poor Saints and grows now an oppressor and is all for racking and that which is called now in these days by the fine word Improvement know that that man is backsliden and gone back 6. Sign If men grow careless of offending their Brethren and will grow touchy with a whole Church Men usually when they break with God in some secret way they are never well till they have broken with his People time was when they could have born more from a single brother then now they can with a whole Church 7. Sign If men quite leave off using means to convert their Relations and Neighbours to draw them to Christ time was when thou hadst a heart to be speaking of the ways of God to thy friends and neighbours and now thou canst come into their company and nothing but Complements or Worldly discourse If men leave off to take care of the publique cause and interest of Christ and mind not whether Religion get ground in the town and country this is a sad sign of a backsliden heart 8. Sign If men grow careless of Gospel-institutions as hearing the word Church-fellowship breaking of bread O sometimes you counted it above all earthly things to have a name in Gods house and to see the Lords goings in the sanctuary and now you have no stomack it s a sign of want of Spiritual health 9. Sign If that though there be some stirring affections now and then yet if the constant frame of the heart be worse then formerly this is a sign of a backsliden heart A man through obstructions may have flushings in his face which may make him look wel but if his constant complexion be pale and wan we say he is not right so here if our hearts are grown dead in duties hard after the commission of sin backward to duties and our thoughts generally vain it shews some great distemper though at times by fits we have some stirring Affections 10. Sign When we grow high and are puft up with our knowledge that now all the Saints in Town and Country are nothing to them and all their gifts they think are nothing to theirs 11. Sign When we grow intimate companions of wicked men the falling at ods with the Saints and the falling in with wicked men is a sad sign of a backsliden heart they are both put together Mat. 24.49 eating and drinking with the drunken and smiting our fellow servants 12. Sign If we cannot bear opposition from the world in our Christian course as we have done but are fit to comply time was when we made nothing of scoff and jears and now we can scarce bear them but are fit to suit our ways to the world that they may let us alone this is a sad saln Spirit 13. Sign If a mans heart is not affected with the thoughts of Gods free Grace in Christ as heretofore this is a sad sign of a spiritual consumption time was when a Sermon of free Grace was like the honey and the hony comb but if ever God recover us the Doctrine of Gods free Grace in Christ will be the sweetest Doctrine in all the world to us I shall not stand to aggravate this backsliding and revolting from the Lord the Lord aggravate it upon our Spirits only that 1 Though the sould be recovered and come safe to heaven yet it hinders our present serviceableness to God and now is our working time Heaven is the time of receiving our time of enjoying 2 The backsliding of professors grieves the Spirit of God more then the sins of other men 3 They bring an evil report upon the ways of God that those that are without will say See what their Religion is it s only a little heat a sudden passion such a one hath done going to Sermons and Meetings now 4 It s a mighty dis heartning to young Beginners to see old Professors backslide and grow so dead Satan perswades them that they will do so too and therefore you had as good never enter upon the profession of Religion you see the ways of God are so strict that they soon grow weary of them thus Satan temps many young Beginners 5 Backsliden Professors are dangerous company for any body wicked men are hardened by their company and thriving Saints are deaded and offended 6. That is a great aggravation of our sin herein that it is without all cause as the Lord said Jer. 2.5,6,7 What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they have forsaken me Doth not God keep a good house and doth he not bountifully reward that we run away from him 7. Wicked men are constant they don't fall off from their wayes and shall we fall off from the wayes of God Jer. 2.11,12,13 Have the Nations changed their Gods but my people have