their sleeping when they should not and an intimation of punishment by present disquiet Sleep on now what could they now sleep No if you mark the following words behold the houre is at hand and the sonne of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners rise let us be going behold he is at hand that doth betray me How could they both sleep and rise and be going A signe our Saviour did intend to speak ironically i. e. to mock at their restlesse condition so bidding them to sleep that they might well perceive he intended no such matter which is the bitterest kinde of reproof jestingly to bid a man to doe a thing when he knowes he cannot doe it to make a rest of a mans trouble So when God shall cast men into restlesse coâ—ditions and they shall apprehend God bids them sleep now when yet they cannot sleep i. e. doth not pity their want of rest but rather mock at their misery as Prov. 1.26 how heavy will it be before Christ did thus bitterly reprove them their sleeping brought a confusion upon their hearts Mark 14.40 They knew not what to answer they had no excuse for themselves How much more when the godly are in affliction will it trouble and God shall then lay it home to their hearts 2. Consider that proverb of Solomon Chap. 23.21 Drousines shall cloath a man with raggs Is it not true spiritually as well as bodily Were not the Disciples ragged and uncomely when they fled from their Master and Peter especially a man of a poor torne and distracted soul when he denied his Master with swearing and cursing In like manner drousy Christians are ragged Christians of distracted spirits of uncomely conversations How can it be otherwise when they sleep out those Ordinances wherein they should put on the Lord Jesus How did Dalilah get God from Sampson but by getting him asleep and in his sleep causing him to break his Covenant with God by cutting off his locks So whilst men sleep in holy duties God goes from them and they are not awaâ—e for thus the way of intercourse between God and them is shut up 3. Hath not the spirit of God some respect to this sleeping in that Scripture-phrase which the godly have occasion to make use of in their afflictions finding somewhat suitable thereto in the providence of God Psal 44.23 Awake why sleepest thou oh Lord God sometimes doth no more for his people in affliction in their apprehension then a man asleep we call and cry desire others to call and cry for us times and daies doe passe over our heads yet God sleeps still he doth nothing for us our afflictions doe continue Doth not this suit our dealing with God we sle p in his service therefore he sleeps in our occasions When we are in affliction and none can help us but God and we cannot perceive that God doth take any course for us Now in Scripture God is said to sleep and when we finde it so have we not just cause to consider whether we have not slept in Gods service And if so God will not awake till we be humâ—led for that sin As therefore â—e would have God wake and â—tirre about in our troubles when no body else can doe us good let us take heed of sleepâ—ng Prov. 28.9 He that turneth â—way his ear from hearing the Law â—ven his praier shall be abominaâ—ion doe not men turne away their ear from hearing the Law when they sleep in time of the preaching of the Word If God therefore will not come neer their praiers he will sleep as it were in their afflictions when they pray to him Quest How may we be helpâ—d against sleeping in time of Gods worship Answ Somewhat must be done Before In time of the worship of God After The things to be done before are these â— Allow thy self conveni nt sleep the night before the Lords day doe not then abâ—iâ—ge thy self that thy body should have cause to complain thou hast done it wrong therefore it must make bold with God Nor take too much that also will make thee lumpish 2. Moderation in diet feeblenes and faintnes thorow want of food will cause sleep so also will fullnes therefore doe thou so order thy fasting or feeding as experience tells thee will best conduce to thy waking 3. Moderation in weekly labour i. e. when we manage them with dependance upon God for wisedom strength and blessing Psal 127.2 So the burden somnesse in measure is â—aken away and our bodies have not that vexatious toil whereas if we think to carry our occasions with the strength of our own abilities the whole burden will lie upon us so shall we be overwearied and unfit to wake on the Lords day 4. Pray before thou come for Gods quickning spirit to thy soul that quickned will quicken thy body 5. Love not sleep It is a phrase the holy Ghost useth Prov. 20.13 It is one thing to take our naturall rest in time convenient another thing to have an affection to drouse and slumber when we should otherwise be imployed so we shall bring our selves to an habit and custom of droâ—sinesse which will not be shaken off on the Lords day The things to be done in time of Gods worship are 1. Intention of soul and attention of body intend thy thoughts and affections to the Ordinance in hand and attend with eies and eaâ—s carelesnesse is the mother of drousinesse Prov. 19.15 2. Disease thy body If thou finde thy self drousy and shalt soule thy self to ease thou shalt increase thy drousines 3. Desire them that wake to watch over thee and chase away thy heavines by their freequent stirring of thee 4. Lift up an ejaculation to heaven in midst of thy heavines â—rom the bitternes of thy heart â—nd inward opposition of thy â—ullnes that help may come â—rom heaven though there be â—one upon earth The things to be done after Gods worship are 1. Family repetition of the word so should men discern how they wrong God his worship themselves and theirs when they finde all lost by sleep 2. Secret calling of our selves â—o account how we have spent â—he Sabbath so it would appear how ill sleeping becomes that day and the duties of it 3. Renew our godly sorrow for this sinne It worketh repentance change both in heart and life 2 Cor. 7.10 It is a work of the new man therefore doth mortify the deeds of the old man it is a fruit of the death of Christ therefore will dead this sinne of sleeping 4. Burden thy thoughts and affections with it the week thorow so shalt thou be weary of it on the Lords day but if it lie light the week thorow it will be no burden on the Lords day Object Here come old age in the last place to plead its infirmity Answ 1. Nature is infirm by age and so is corruption 2. There are promises of bringing forth fruit in age Psal 92.14 of renewing the youth as the
as duty yet they fell asleep and were thereby hindred Whence I note N. Sleep is an hinderance to commanded fervency in Gods worship Sleep in time of Gods worship is an enemy to fervency therein It was the duty of the Disciples in this place to watch and pray i. e. to pray fervently to pray with the use of all helps unto the same Christ gave them command so to do he stood in need of their help as an Ordinance of God his command was to watch with him and his reproof that they did not watch with him but they were hindred by sleep they did not pray at all that we read of if they did yet not so fervently and diligently as there was cause for then our Saviour would not have reproved them I remember but one onely instance in this case in the book of God a young man that fell a sleep at a Sermon in the night and in his sleep fell down from a third loft and was taken up dead Act. 20.9 A passage in the Acts of the Apostles which God would have recorded to be a warning to all Sermon-sleepers Where was that young mans attentive hearing vvhen he was fallen into a dead sleep For our better instruction concerning this truth let us enquire two things 1. What may be the causes of sleep in time of Gods worship 2. How sleep doth hinder our earnest worshipping of God Quest What may be the causes of sleep in time of Gods worship Answ We will begin with the causes of the Disciples sleeping in this place they are two Instrumentall Principall The Instrumentall cause Luke reporteth and Matthew there were two instrumentall causes 1. The weaknes and infirmity of the body Matth. 26.41 The spirit indâ—d is willing but the flesh is weak Though the soul be not perfect yet it hath a greater perfection then the body the power of will in the soul goes beyond the power of performance in the body The body is not allwaies ready when the soul is willing to do good The spouse Cant. 5.2 doth acknowledge that she did sleep when her heart did wake she had good affections inwardly which yet wanted outward expressions So here there was a waking heart in these Disciples a will to watch with Christ but the body was vveak and infirm It vvas now night the time appointed for mans rest Psal 104.23 The body knows its time is spent in the occasions of the day cannot well vvork day and night both therefore it falls asleep when it should watch and pray at such time the case of these Disciples 2. The second instrumentall cause of their sleeping vvas sorrow of heart Luk. 22.45 He found them sleeping for sorrow We finde our Saviours own testimony concerning their sorrow Joh. 16.6 Because I have said these things to you sorrow hath filled your heart Speech of his departure from them did fill their hearts vvith sorrow so no doubt vvhen he told them of his grief that his soul vvas exceeding sorrowfull unto the death it did increase their grief for they did exceedingly love him as appears in that he spends foure vvhole chapters Jâ—h 14 15 16 17. to comfort these vvith the rest against his leaving of them and having communicated unto these over and beside their known losse of him his present extream affliction it bred in them a sympathy of sorrow vvhich filled their heads and eies vvith moisture and so with sleep The pâ—incipall cause of this their sleeping vvhen they should have praied fervently vvas the vvithdrawing of divine assistance vvhich could and vvould have strengthned the infirmity of their bodies and have kept their sorrovv from excesse That this vvas so appears 1. By the consideration of the persons that did sleep they vvere specially chosen to be vvith Christ and had not long before expressed more confidence then the rest and God is vvont to desert the confident 2. By our Saviours reproof of them Matth. What could ye not watch with me one houre What not so small a timâ— Hovv then vvill ye drink of my cup Hovv vvill ye die with me Where is the strength you boasted of This he spake specially to Peter who had expressed more confidence then the rest so Mark hath it Mark 14.37 He saith unto Peter Simon sleeâ—est thou couldst not thou watch one houre Where is thy ability not to be offended because of me though all men be offended surely it is gone 3. By our Saviours speech unto them declaring the cause of their sleeping the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak as if he had said because you finde some freedom and readines of will you think you can do any thing Indeed your regenerate will stands bent to all the will of God but little doe you know what impediments and hinderances you have and what help and assistance you need from heaven to doe that which you have a generall will unto God withdrew his assistance and left them to their own weaknesse that they might better know their weaknesse who were confiâ—ent of strength for their humiliâ—tion This appears 1. In that he suffered them thus to saile not once onely but twice and thrice not barely to sleep but to sleep after exhortation unto watching yea after reproof for sleep yea after a second reproof Here was weaknesse indeed to adde sin to sin notwithstanding the use of means after means to reform 2. By our Savâ—ours putting them in minde of their weaknes upon occassion of their sleeping a signe they did forget it and these failings did put them in remembrance thereof 3. By the effect the sense of their second sleeping after reproof had in them Mark 14.40 They wist not what to answer him they were troubled and confounded in themselves This was a sit means to humble these self-confident Apostles not to exercise grace in ordinary course is matter of humiliation but not to exercise grace when we have most need to exercise the same in the worship of God for our own good and the good of others is matter of greater humiliation To sin at any time is matter of abasement but to sin in time of time of speciall sorrow and affliction yea to adde sinne unto sin when we should adde one expression of grace unto another is more matter of abasement to be worst when we should be best how evil is it To these we may adde some other causes of sleeping in time of Gods worship 1. Slothfulnesse Prov. 19.15 Slâ—thfullnesse casteth into a deep sleep It is the effect of slothfullnesse and refusall of labour to make a man heavy and â—â—mpish Labour doth dissolve and dispell vapours doth reâ—resh and lighten the body and make it fitter for action but sloth and idlenes doth fill the body with humours particularly when a man doth not make a labour and pains or praying and hearing doth not stirre up and put forth soul and body but is carelesse in the same he contracts an heavines and dulnes whereas attention unto duties
AN HELPE TO BETTER HEARTS FOR BETTER TIMES Indeavoured in severall Sermons WHEREIN The zeal and fervency required in Gods service is declared severall hinderances discovered and suitable helps provided all out of Gods treasury brought forth at this time with earnest desire and in hope to revive the memory and reinforce the pâ—actice of the people to whom they were presented and for more publique use if the Lord please By John Angier Pastor at Denton-Chappel in Lancashire Imprimatur Edm. Calamy PSAL. 11â— 2 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Psal 40.8 I delight to doe thy will O my God Isa 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse Ioh 4.34 My meat is to doe the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Act 20 24. Neither count I my life dear to my self so that I might finish my course with joy Ioh. 2.17 The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up LONDON Printed by A. M. for Christopher Meredith at the Signe of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1647. TO MY BELOVED PEOPLE THE Inhabitants of Denton and Haughton and the places adjacent Beloved THere wanted not strength of discouragement to stifle this weak birth but the thoughts of my heart thorow divine assistance gave strength of incouragement to bring forth My heart told me how much the Saints have blessed God for the pious and plain books of the godly which were more hearty and lesse specious breathing Christ crucified and hearts crucified and what a power my soul hath found in that plainnesse and simplicity wherein they have sent abroad their pious practicall discourses as in their native dresse An over-bearing flood of thoughts followed speaking out the cause I have to set up some such pillar of thankfulnesse to my God who carried the work of my Ministry thorow inhibitions suspension excommunications in time of the height of the power and persecution of the Bishops Though I might not runne the race of one year at Ringly-Chappel whether I was first called and in that imperfect year was twice inhibited though in nine or ten years at Denton Chappel I preached not above two separated years to my best remembrance without interruption and in that time was twice excommunicated Though Sabbath-Assemblies were sundry times distractedly and sorrowfully broken up and my departure fâ—â—m habitation and people often forced no means left in sight of returne yet thorow the fervent praiers of the Church whereto these hard afflictions were apparently serviceable God was graciously and effectually moved continually to renue liberty as they continually interrupted it they shut and God opened they shut and God opened till God would no more be troubled with them but took the keys of power out of the hands of upstart proud Shebna to give them to outed despised faithfull Elâ—akim And no lesse cause have I to set a starre of observation to advantage Gods pra se upon divine providence preserving to admiration my * The like mercy God shevved me when the Parle of Derbey lay about Manchester almost a vveâ—k though the plundering Souldiers went as fâ—rre some other waies yet God turned them from us and gave us leave to keep the Nationall â—ast in â—â—blique tâ—â— very wâ—â— house study and papers when some of Prince Ruperts plundering forces passed nigh the door in the year of our heavy visitation when his whole Army entred Stockport within three miles of us and no opportunity left for removing any thing nor any durst stay in the house to him we committed all by praier and at our returne we found nothing wanting not a door opened not a window broken Though in times past scarce a year passed but I was driven from home yet in these troubles I have rested at home thorow the multitude of his mercies all the time save one Moneth when the Princes forces ranged and reigned in our Country My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together Psal 34.2 3. For your sakes also having found help from God to labour so long and suffer so much I was willing to combate with mine own discouragements unto victory God hath kept you hitherto blessed blessed be his name in truth piety love and peace to my great comfort and incouragement in all my troubles and straightnesse in outward and earthly respects but I am afraid out of the abundance of my love to you and care for you in these dangerous times wherein many evil spirits are let loose for * I loâ—k upon the disteÌ„pers of these times as a sharp correction to godly Ministers for their humiliation and better preparation for some other work as an effectuall teÌ„ptation to the people to discover those corruptions that being covered with the cloak of profâ—ssion have lived and grown under powerfull Oâ—diâ—â—nces and as a signe and means of the removing of the Gospel at leâ—st by such instruments to desolate places the work of his servants faâ—â—â—â—g God will provide new and when wanton people are weâ—r ed with their own wayes the wayes of God will be the more precious affliction to godly painfull Preachers and for temptation to their hearers lest you being led away by the errour of the wicked should fall from your own stedfastnes and doe therefore pray and indeavour that you may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. If the quickning spirit shall quicken your affections and graces unto duties of communion with Christ the fountain of life the matter laboured in preaching and printing these Sermons he will quicken those duties to be conduâ—â—-pip s of life whereas in ordinary experience dead hearts are suited with dead and unfruâ—tfull Ordinances the sad and dangerous experience of the present times I have sadly observed after the beginning of these unexpested glorious joyfull times of liberty after some more lively springings and workings both of hearts and Ordinances when the light brake out of darknesse and liberty out of bondage great deadnesse hath fallen continuâ—d and increased upon both hearts and Ordinances A main reason I take to be this the sharpning and whetting afflictions of the Church which forced their graces unto frequent and fervent exercise in holy duties being removed they have remitted their fervency not improving their liberties to that end that God improved their afflictions and God hath remitted his Spirit in Ordinances they have not stirred up their hâ—arts to take hold of God they have not rejoyced to work righteousnesse as sometimes and God hath not offered himself in Ordinances sent his Spirit to meet them nor given them his loves as sometimes To passe by the evidence of this sad râ—pâ—rt found in the unhumblednesse and unaffectednesse of the godly in midst of so many pressing causes and under so great helps and the generall ineffica y of the Ordinances for conversion stay your selves and wonder
and pains-taking in the same doth chear and awaken both soul and body 2. A present senselesnesse of the necessity of watching both to attain good and prevent evil A sleepy conscience makes a sleepy body when that doth not its office as a monitour to warn and presse unto duty the conscience is made thus sleepy and so senselesse of good to be found or evil to be prevented by watchfull performance of duties two waies 1. By some false opinion and errour of minde some false representation of things some false conclusion drawn sometimes from some truth whereby the conscience is deceived and so cast asleep Matth. 25.5 Whilst the bridegroom tarried the Virgins slumbred and slept from this false opinion that it was no matter if they slept in time of the bridegrooms tarrying and no good was to be gotten by waking and watching unlesse the bridegroom had been at hand which was false contrary to that of our Saviour Luk. 12.35 36 37. Let your loins be girded about and your lamps burning And ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open to him immediatly Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde watching Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them Something is to be done when the Lord delayeth his comming unto us according to his promise and our expectation we are then to wait for him and it is not in vain so to do for by that means we shall be ready to entertain him speedily when he commeth and shall receive more honourable acknowledgement from him So ver 45. If that servant shall say in his heart My Lord delaieth his comming and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens and to eat and drink and to be drunken Why doth the evil servant miscarry himself thus in the delay of his Masters comming but from a false opinion that there was no danger in his misbehaviours unlesse his Master were comming and at hand contrary to what our Saviour addeth v. 46. The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre when he is not aware and will cut him in sunder and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers Though God come not presently unto misbehaving men yet that will not take away their danger he will come soon enough and too soon for them and bring recompence enough though he delay and that they may resolve upon as sure and certain In like manner had men true and present apprehensions of the benefit of watching in time of Gods worship and the danger of sleeping they would leave sleeping and fal to waking but they are deceived by a false opinion that there is no good to begotten by waking nor evil to be found in sleeping and so they are senselesse not at all affected with the good of the one or evil of the other 2. The conscience is made sleep and so senselesse of good to be obtained or evil to be prevented by waking in the time when God is to be worshipped by some sin committed but not repented of whereby grace is dulled and the awaking quickning spirit of God grieved and withdrawn This was Ionahs case when he had fled from Gods work against his knowledge and conscience the grace of God was so dulled and his conscience made so sleepy that whereas he should have spent his time in confessing his sin and humbling his soul and seeking peace with God he settles himself to sleep Ionah 1.5 yea in time of the storm when the naturall consciences of the heathen did call upon them to pray and would not let them rest Ionahs conscience was so sleepy that it suffered him to continue his sleep which had it been waking and restlesse it would not have done Not Ionahs conscience but the ship-master doth awaken him and that with upbraiding his sleepinesse What meanest thou ô sleeper arise call upon thy God Thus the conscience of a godly man after sin committed may be more sleepy anâ— more hardly awaked then the conscience of a naturall man Ionah having sinned his conscience was sleepy and he not sensible of the good of waking and praying and returning into the way out of the which he was gon nor of the danger of sleeping in sin the way to pull down the awaking judgements of God as it fell out So when men even good men come to the house of God in their speciall sins unrepented of they come with sleepy consciences not sensible of the good found in watchfull attendance upon the Ordinances nor of the danger of drousines and sleepinesse and a sleepy soul makes a sleepy body yea they sleep fast whom sin rocks asleep 3. A third cause of sleep in time of Gods worship is wearinesse when the spirit and body is tired and so made fitter to rest then to labour This wearines that brings on sleep comes 1. From toiling and over-working the body in other occasions Iudges 4.21 Sisera being weary falls fast asleep to the losse of his life When men come to family duties with overwearied bodies or to the house of God having overtoiled their bodies in the week or allowing themselves too little sleep on the Saturday night they are fitter to sleep then to perform duties 2. This wearines that fits the body for sleep doth also come from the length of good duties we are imperfect creatures and can endure but a measure in the best actions though they be most comfortable Act. 20.9 The spirit of God speaking of Eutychus sleeping at the Word doth adde that Paul was long in preaching thereby intimating that it was some cause of his sleep through the weaknes of nature 4. There is something also sometimes in the season of the time when duties are performed in the night So in the forenamed place Act. 20. where Eutychus is founâ— slâ—â—ping at Pauls sermon it is also recorded that Paul continued his speech untill midnight being to depart on the morrow Now it was grown to a slâ—eping season The bodies of men are more dull and heavy in the night then in the day because of the absence of the warm and reviving beams of the sunne the coldnes and darknes of the night It is not good therefore to chuse the night to spend in holy duties unlesse there be some necessity or speciall occasion on the next day Necessity and speciall occasion will make sleep depart from our eies Iacobs care of his sheep and feare of their danger kept him from sleeping in the night Gen. 31.40 The same man afraid of his brother Esau whom he was to meet the next day spent the night in prayers and teares Gen. 32.24 there wrestled with him a man till the breaking of the day Luk. 6.12 13. our Saviour spent the whole night in prayer when he was
to chuse his apostles the next day And in the place where our text is when he was presently to be betrayed by Iudas and apprehended by the souldiers he prayed and prayed again and had no sleep in his eies though his disciples were so sleepy that they could not hold open their eies When Paul was to depart on the morrow and the disciples to see his face no more he continued his speech untill midnight without any drousines If we will spend the night in holy duties there must be something beside the bare duties to keep us awake some awaking necessity or speciall occasion it will not be sufficient that we are loth to spend the day there must be some circumstance which will so stirre the the affection that it will stirre and disease the body Nor is it good to put off family duties till late at night unlesse we think God will be served with sleeping instead of praying These instrumentall causes I have been speaking of are over ruled by the principall cause God to punish such sinnes as these 1. Idlenesse in our particular callings Is it not just with God that they who are drousie in the occasions that concern their bodies should be drousie in the matters that concern their soules 2. Overmuch labour in their callings Is it not just with God that they who spend too much paines upon their own callings should spend too little upon his service too much upon their bodies and too little upon their soules 3. Heartlesse worship of God when men bring God a body only and take no care to bring the soul it is just with God they should not give so much as a body but rather sleep 4. Pride in spirituall abilities Is it not just with God that they who are conceited of strength should expresse weaknesse as they do that sleep and shall we think the Devil hath his hand out of this sleeping It is sure we oppose him in Gods service more then elsewhere therefore he will oppose us most He helps men to over-weary themselves in the week whereby they are unfit for the Sabbath He helps them to chuse the Saturday night to spend till late in triviall occasions for ordinarily of all dayes in the week men chuse Saturday night and Sabbath night for occasions of least moment the worst chosen time in tâ—e week for Saturday night they should be preparing them selves and Sabbath night considering how they have spent the Sabbath a signe the Devils hand is in the choise He suggests unto men that there is no benefit in watching no danger in sleeping he helps men that are naturally heavy to settle themselves easily to hang down their heads and shut their eies as furtherances He can if God permit cast an heavinesse upon a man He is compared to the fowls that picke up the seed and is not this our way shutting up the soul by sleep stopping the eare Quest How doth sleep hinder our earnest worshipping of God Ans We need not go farre to know that sense and experience doth teach every man the nature of sleep doth answer this question why is death compared to sleep but because they agree in somethings a sleeping man hath no more use of his senses then a dead man they are for the time bound up and suspended from their use if a man be in a fast sleep so that he cannot worship God at all For though the soul be able to worship God without the body as appeares by the working of the phansie in sleep and the separation of the soul from the body in heaven yet in those duties wherein the soul must be helped by the body as in all outward worship with others it cannot worship God if the body be asleep for herein the soul is directed by the eye and by the eare what part of worship to set about when to begin and when to make an end what order and decorum to keep for in publike duties we are so to worship God as not only God may be glorified by us and we bettered in our soules but also others may be edified in their worshipping of God which they cannot be by the works of our soules any farther then they appeare and break out in our bodies the actions whereof do flow into the eyes and eares of others If our sleep be not fast but rather a slumbring a drousines and heavines our service of God is marred for our bodies are unto our soules in this case as an hollow trunk stopped in the midst our eyes do but half see and our eares but half heare the sight dies in the eye and sound in the eare they come not to the soul there is no distinct understanding of the worship in hand much lesse any affection moved but a man in respect of hearing praying singing is like unto that man in a dream spoken of Isa 29.8 He dreameth he is eating and behold he awaketh and is hungry he dreameth he is drinking and behold he awaketh and is thirsty so men think they pray but when they a wake they know not what is prayed they think they heare but when they awake they know not what is spoken Vse The application of this point shall be first to them whom God helpeth against this sinne of sleeping in time of his worship they are waking and watchfull lively and stirring in holy duties sleep doth not then trouble them their duty is 1. To be thankfull unto God it is a mercy and a mercy denied unto many others Hereby we are kept from sinne and from much sorrow of heart which befalls others of the godly hereby we have that advantage to worship God and get good to our soules that others want It is not because thy heart is better or thy body better by nature then others nor because thou hast more grace or hast better improved grace then others but as Christ saith in case of knowledge To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God so say I to you it is given to wake and watch in holy duties it is nothing of your own but Gods free gift be thankfull therefore It is no small mercy to do God lively service hereby our good is the more abundant the more sensible 2. Take heed of despising or hardly câ—nsâ—ring them that aâ—e very heavy in Gods worship though they sinne yet do not thou sinne also rather mourn thou that God should have such poor service and pity them that lose they know not what good who knows what a man loseth when he sleepeth a sermon while or prayer while If Peter had watched and prayed he had not so denied his master nor the disciples had fled and left their master for our Saviour bad them watch and pray that they might not enter into temptation had they watched and prayd they had not been so overcome of temptation who knows what the young man might have gotten for his soul by Pauls last Sermon had he not slept 3.
from Lords day to Lords day from Sermon to Sermon then shall the ordinances they have slept in accompany them wake and watch with them As they turned their seats into beds their heads were so heavy that they needed no place of ease so now their beds shall be turned into seats hard under them that they shall take no rest When men shall thinke the sleep they should have now in sicknes to make the pain lesse the nights short their bodies more able to bear they have had it long agoe they spent it prodigally therefore must now pinch for it how heavy will it be 3. It puts God upon violent courses to awaken men and make them lively in his service when men do not awake of themselves the vapours being dissolved and senses loosned which is naturall we do by sound or by shaking them force them to awake so when the ordinances Gods apointed naturall way will not awaken them God forcibly breaks open the eyes and eares of men Why did that young man sleep at Pauls Sermon Act. 20. fall down dead not only to punish him but also to make the company 〈◊〉 wakefull and to be a coâ—â—â—â—â—ll noise sounding in the eares of sleepers for that 〈◊〉 videâ—ce of God is a reall â—oice continually and for ever sounding thus much that death 〈◊〉 contained in â—ermon sleeping Indeed it doth not alwaies appear but there it is inâ—olded and â—nwraped in sleeping it did once appear and may alwaies appear â—or ought we know Why did God send a storme after Jonah not so much because â—e ran away from Gods work but beâ—ause his conscience was sleepy and would not awaken withâ—â—t violence Why doth God and amongst a people the shrill â—ounding and eare-piercing â—rumpet the thundring drums â—he warring terrifying cannons but to awaken them whom the silver trumpets of the Temple the Ordinances of God that joyfull sound Psal 89.15 would not awaken When a people have too much â—est and are secure thereby they must hear noise of war God will have his people awakened men are so setled in sleeping that the word will not do it no not the word against sleeping the Lord must therefore take some violent way And I pray God from my heart that this ordinary Lords day sleeping which will not be reclaimed be not a fore-runner of some forcible curse either the losse of the Ordinances or some other judgement if not the waking stirring sword The sword hath long slept in this nation and we mean while give our selves to all rest but when the Lord shall bid the sword awake as Zech. 13.7 our sleep shall be gon The arguments that particularly conâ—e n the unregenerate are these 1. By sleep thou dost as much as in thee lies to keep thy soul out of heaven thou dost shut the door of life the eare is the door of life for faâ— h comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 no hearing no faith no faith no salvation Ephe. â— 8 by grace ye are saved through faith And whereas thou thinkest to awake another day though thou sleepest this day know and consider of it in sleeping this day and this Sermon thou dost sleep all thy time and all thy Sermons for no time is thy time but the present no Sermon is thy Sermon but the present Sermon Why dost thou reckon upon another Lords day how canst thou tell thou shalt reach it The man that made account of many daies to come was stiled Fool by the Lord Luke 12.20 Thou fool this night shall they fetch away thy soul Is it not a folly for a man to reckon upon many daies that hath not a part of a day one night in his power In sleeping this day thou doest what thou canst to shut thy soul out of heaven for ever for thou hast no time to labour for heaven that thou knowest but the time present sleeping therefore in men unregenerate is a desperate action they have but the time present to provide for eternity they may be in hell for ought they know ere another Sermon yet they sleep out this Beside there is a certain set particular time when God will call every man which should make men be in expectation every Sermon because they know not which is the time to sleep is to do what we can to prevent the Lords â—all and so our own salvation 2. Hell was made for Sermon sleeprs torment is the â—â—st recompence of sinfull ease â—hey that sleepe when they â—hould awake must make acâ—ount to wake with pain when â—hey would rest And it may â—ot be unusefull here to relate the providence of God concerning a maid who was much given to sleep at Church The â—ase was this A certain maid went to Church with a purpose to sleep from day to day as she confessed afterwards thinking he could sleep more sweeâ—ly â—here then any where it pleased God one night she fell into a dream in her dream she imagined her selfe walking two waies were presented to her in the one way was a great fire that way she would not go the other way she took it led her by the Church she awaked with this application of her dream she had been wont to sleep much at Church and if she did not amend that fault she must expect no other but hell fire This dream thus applied made her leave sleeping and fall to hearing and from hearing to believing and repenting The arguments that particularly concern the godly are these 1. Let them read with understanding and ponder our Saviours carriage to his sleeping disciples Luke chap. 22.46 brings him in expressing himself in a shâ—rt and sharp angry â—eprose Why sleep ye What â—eason have you to sleep Have you no other busines Matthew chap. 26.40 brings him in upbraiding them of unkindnesse yea great unkindnesse that denied him so small a matter could you not watch with me one houre What not with me not one hour not so small a time If ye cannot do so small a thing for me how will you do more If you cannot overcome a little sleep deny your selves of a little â—est how will you indure persecution and overcome death for my sake 2. He tells them of the danger they had brought themselves into by sleep Matth. 26.41 watch and pray â—hat ye enter not into temptation so much as you sleep now you should watch and pray so much you enter into temptation give Satan advantage will be overcome of sinne and Satan in this houre of affliction Their sleeping was a procuring cause of their flight and of Peters deniall of his master this was the reason that in his winnowing he discovered so much chaff he slept when he should have praid therefore he sinned in trouble he slept the time of his preparation therefore sinned in time of temptation 3. He bringeth them into a condition wherein they could not sleep and yet bids them Sleep on now and take your rest Matth. 26 4â— Sleep now if they could a bitter upbraiding of