vs with CHRIST that being made members wee may be quickned and revived 4. ruling and l Rom. 8.14 governing vs who are vnruly and subject to wander and goe m Psal 119.167 astray like lost sheepe even leading vs in the right way to happinesse 5. comforting n Iohn 1. 16 vs in all troubles and afflictions and sealing o Ephes 1. 18 vs wavering in faith and assuring vs of our salvation Secondly to insist shortly in the comparison by this Spirit wee will become GODS o 1 Cor. 3. 9 husbandrie to bring foorth fruit plentifully and constantly Thirdly by the helpe of this Spirit wee goe forward in the straite gate in the narrow p Math 7. 44 way that leadeth to life overcomming all impediments and enemies Fourthly when thou walkest through q Isaiah 43. 2 the fire thou shall not bee burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee but thou by the Spirit shall bee refreshed joyfully and cooled comfortably Fiftly by this Spirit the Lord will fine r Mal. 3. 3 thee and purifie thee as golde and silver and separateth thy sinnes and drosse from thee Sixtly GOD by the vertue of his efficacious Spirit will raise thee vp when thou fallest When the holy Prophet Ezechiel saw that glorious and Heavenly vision hee Å¿ Ezech. 2. 2 fell vpon his face and the LORD said to him Sonne of man stand vp vpon thy feete and I shall speake vnto thee but of himselfe hee had no strength to arise vntill the Spirit entered into him and set him vpon his feete So it is with thee and the strongest Christian also thou hast no power to arise and stand vnlesse the Spirit enter into thee Sevently So u Psal 12. 7 the Lord will preserue thee from perishing or rotting from generation to generation for ever Eightly then hee will direct thee in the right course to Heaven that x Iob 17. 9 thou Who are righteous should holde on thy way and thou Whose handes are pure shall encrease thy strength Nyntly his Spirit will worke true saith in thee which y Act. 15. 9 Will purifie thy heart and make cleane thy conversation Tenthly hee will giue thee an heart z Ezech. 11. 19 of flesh and mollifie and soften the hardnesse and obduration of the same Lastly it will kindle the fire of grace within thee and inflame thee with an ardent zeale of GODS Glory it shall bee like the a Levit. 6. 12 fire burning on the Altar evermore never to bee put out or extinguished Seeing then such is the necessitie of the presence of the holy Spirit seeke the same most earnestly and continually Entertaine the same most carefully and conscientiously never b Ephes 4. 3â— grieue this Spirit by which thou art sealed vnto the day of redemption quench not c Thess 5 19 this holy Spirit by thy filthy sinnes and stubbornnesse for it will procure to thee endlesse joy it will worke in thee new life and regeneration and so bring thee to a sense of thy misery and to a deploration of thy calamitie Without the power and asistance of this Spirit thou can never bee revived and quickened As d Ezech 17. 9 the dry bones which were scattered and dispersed being conjoyned and having flesh sineues skinne but had no breath nor life vntill the Prophet did prophecie vnto the wind and life and breath came vnto the slaine and they stood vp vpon their feete a great armie So thou who by nature was e Ephes 2. 5 dead by sinnes will bee quickned by GOD in CHRIST by the breathing as it were of the wind of the holy Spirit thou shall line spiritually Now seeing it is so sure that without the Spirit thou knowest not f Rom. 8. 26 to pray as thou ought to doe seeke for the Spirit seeke for this Spirit which will quicken and helpe thy infirmitie and make request for thee with sighes that cannot bee expressed and then the words of thy mouth and meditation of thy heart shall bee acceptable in the LORDS sight Secondly Before thou canst truely lament thy wretchednesse Wakening be fore true lameÌ„ting and miserable estate thou must not only bee quickened with the life of grace but also awakened from thy deepe sleepe of sinne and securitie In this place wee will declare Godwilling foure things 1. The evill of such sleeping 2. Who doe sleepe and the difference betweene them 3. The meanes of awakening 4. The good thereof First the great evill that fearefull hurt which commeth by this sleepe can not bee sufficiently declared The evill of sinfull sleepe First The Talent given from Idlenesse GOD is not well vsed the LORDS gifts are not duely employed one when he is sleeping is g Math. 25. 26 that vnprofitable servant that carelesse â—â—gerer from whom that which he hath shall bee taken away hee is not worthie of any reward Secondly If naturall sleepe of Povertie the body bee an occasion of indigence and scarsitie for this is the saying of Salomon himselfe loue not h Prover 2â— 13 sleepe least thou fall into poverty open thine eyes and thou shall bee satisfied with bread much more that spirituall slumber of the soule is a cause of povertie lamentable and shamefull povertie proceedeth therefrom One i Revel 3. 17. will bee poore and wretched miserable and naked Qui modo dormit in cupiditatibus suis postea nihil inveniet in suis manibus Thirdly Shame and infamie followeth Infamie this security for the wise man he k Proverb 10.5 that sleepeth in harvest is a sonne that causeth shame hee is a child of confusion that sleepeth vntymously when he should bee diligent about his businesse If ignominy follow sleepe naturall it will rather follow spirituall When Noah after wine was sleeping hee l Genes 9. 22 was vncovered in the midst of his tents his shame and nakednesse was seene and told to others Our shame and filthy nakednesse will bee seene of the Almighty GOD and of his holy Angels and many others when we are sleeping in sinfull securitie Fourthly Our m Math. 13 2â— enemie that Polluion or an evill mixture envyous one while men sleepe will come and sow tares amongst the wheate in the husbandrie of our hearts If Abimelech did harme to the citie of Shechem when n Indg 9. 45 he sowed salt in it for a token of perpetuall detestation will not Sathan doe much more harme to a Christian when hee shall sow salt and tares in his soule evill thoughts and most wicked lusts to defile the same Fifthly Our vigilant adversarie Spoile of goods will also bee most diligent to bereaue vs of the gifts which wee haue alreadie receaved As that harlot tooke her neighbours living sonne and o 1 King 3.20 layde her dead sonne in her bosome so that deceaver will most craftily labour to make a living soule a dead soule in sinne and in
trespasses During Samsons sleepe one p Iudg. 16. 19 did shaue off his seven lockes of his head and tooke away his consecrate haire then his strength was gone from him yea the LORD for a season departed from him therefore the Philistims his enemies they tooke him they put out his eyes and bound him with fetters and hee did grind in the prison house so while a Christian is sleeping Sathan will bee most readie to spoile him of his strength and other gifts wherewith hee was endued Sixtly By such sleepe man becommeth most vnlike to GOD Vnlikenesse to GOD. whom hee should most of all resemble for the keeper of Israell will q Psal 122. 4 neither sleepe nor slumber GOD r Iob. 28. 24 beholdeth the ends of the world and seeth all that is vnder Heaven ruling and governing all things by his mightie providence his eyes are looking his eares patent his hand sustaining continually and Å¿ Psal 104. 27 giving foode in due season to every creature wherefore his servants should studie to show themselues to be obedient children of their good Creator to bee lyke to him in holynesse in righteousnesse and in watchfulnes That every one may say t Psal 25. 1 vnto the LORD I lift vp my heart and I u Psal 123. 1 lift vp my eyes O LORD to thee that dwelleth in the Heavens and I x 1 Tim. 2. 8 pray every where lifting vp pure hands I will altogether with all vigilance and diligence consecrate my selfe soule and bodie vnto the LORD his service and y Rom. 6.13 giue all my members to GOD as weapons of righteousnesse 7 Death and destruction will Destruction ensue therevpon if that younge man Eutychus z Act. 20. 9 fallen into a deepe sleepe and overcome therewith fell downe and with that fall he died whom the Apostle Paule raised vp and restored to life againe Sisera a Iudg. 4 21 a valiant man being fast a sleepe was killed by a woman as b Iudg. 8. 11 the hoste of the Midianits which were carelesse was easily destroyed in the night Chedarlaomer with the rest of the Kinges and their victorious armie being c Genes 14.15 secure sleepie and drunken as Iosephus writeth were surprized and smitten Wee Antiquitatiud lib. 1. cap. 1. Franc. Patric de inst reip Herod read that Spargastes sonne to Thomyris queene of the Scythians and all his armie being buried in sleepe and wine was destroyed by Cyrus Thus if so many hath beene overthrowen in sleepe naturall many moe haue perished while they haue beene sleeping in sinne and securitie Yea wee read that a weake Plinius and contemptible enemie will overcome and kill a strong adversarie being a sleepe for albeit the Crocodile an hudge and a savage Serpent bee of great strength yet a very weake beast of a little more quantitie than a ratte while the Crocodile sleepeth creepeth in at the mouth of the strong fish it goeth downe to the bellie and lacerateth the same the Crocodile dieth and it escapeth No maruell then that Sathan who is strong and subtill get advantage to overcome and overthrow weake men especially when in securitie accompanied with infirmitie These and moe being the discommodities of that fearefull sleep namely 1. idlenesse 2. indigence 3. infamie 4. pollution 5. losse 6. vnliknesse to GOD and 7. destruction It is much to bee wondred and much more to bee pitied that Alace so many should so carelesly continue in their let hargie Heere in the third place wee Who do sleepe A difference betweene the godly and the wicked will breefly declare who they are that sleepe 1. The godlie sleepe 2. The wicked also but with this maine difference albeit while the d Cant. 5. 2. bridegroome tarieth both the wise Virgins and the foolish Virgins slumber and sleepe yet the wise haue oyle in their lampes even faith in their soules but the foolish are emptie and haue not the oyle of grace in their hearts Againe the faithfull sleepe most vnwillingly they are sorrowfull for their slumbring hee sleepeth but his heart waketh and it is oftentymes that hee f Numb 15.27 sinneth through ignorance so they sleepe But the wicked hee doeth g Numb 15.30 presumptuously hee sleepeth willingly as h Prover 15.21 foolishnesse is a joy to him so sleepe is a pleasure and delectation This may be esteemed a wonder in Gippius that Romane Lucilius apud Beraldum who would desire yea faine himselfe to sleepe and swore that his owne wife might play the harlote more easilie and commit adulterie But it is verie vsuall to many calling themselues Christians who desire to sleepe that their soules may the more readily commit great whoredome i Hos 1. 2 departing from the LORD a most pittifull and marvellous matter Few men will sleepe naturally to prostitute their wiues but many will sleepe spiritually to prostitute their soules Fourthly Let vs consider by what meanes and how wee are awakened 1. by GODS Word 2. by his rodde 3. by his benefites 4. by the operation of his holy Spirit First The Word is a cleare light that shineth k Prov. 4. 12 in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day starre arise in our hearts it is a Lanterne to our feete and a light to our paths that l Psal 2. 9. the way of righteousnesse may shine as the light which shineth more and more vntill the perfite day The Word of the LORD is his m Numb 10.2 voice Which is mightie and glorious like the silver trumpets which were vsed for the assembling of the congregation Now shall the light so long tyme shine in thine eyes and shall this voice and trumpet so long tyme sound in thine eares telling thee with many cryes and advertisements that thou sleepest in a most perillous place as n Prov. 23.34 one that sleepeth in the top of the mast in the midst of the sea 2. In a most dangerous case having moe cruell enemies in this wildernesse compassing thee round about for thy confusion than DAVID had in the wildernesse Maon where hee sleeped not but made o 1 Sam. 23. 36 haste to get from the presence of Saul pursuing him 3. In a most short and troublous time when other Saincts some of them are sore working for p â— Cor. 9. 24 their penny some of them are fast q Heb. 12. 4 running for their prize some are praying and weeping in calamitie some are fighting for victorie some are suffering and resisting r Act. 21. 13 vnto blood striving against sinne readie to die and giue their lyues for the name of the LORD IESVS for to obtaine an incorruptible Crowne of glorie What now art thou I pray thee doing Is this a fitte tyme to sleepe in yea the Heavens are swiftly moving the sea vncessantly flowing and ebbing the earth is now decaying All creatures Å¿ Rom. 8. 22 together are groning Our
hath hee put his hand in at the hole of the doore and powred in pure mirrhe Hath hee vouchsafed benefits abundantly vpon thee Hath hee z Hos 11. â— healed thee and thou knowest not Hath hee drawne thee with the cords of men even with the bands of loue and thou awakest not yet let the remembrance of his blessings which he hath multiplied vpon thee seing a Cant. 3. 22 his compassions faile not but are renued every morning let those be forcible meanes of thy waking Fourthly The operation of his holy Spirit is most avaiâ—eable The holy Spirit and effectuall to this purpose The b 2 King 4. 3 servant alone with the staffe is vnprofitable hee returned and confessed that the childe was not wakened the master behoved to come for the raising of the Shunamits sonne that lively Spirit which c 1 Cor. 15.45 quickeneth vs that lightsome Spirit which illuminateth vs and d Iohn 14. 26 teacheth vs by his forcible power principallie doth waken vs neither the word of GOD nor his rod nor his benefits will bring vs out of that deepe lethargie vnlesse the LORD helpe vs by the powerfull presence of his Spirit which is the Spirit of grace and of compassion which is that seede remaining within vs whereby our corrupt qualities are so renued that wee die to sinne and liue to GOD Spiritus sanctus habitator noster ipse facit augit perficit Augustin justitiam nostram That holy Spirit our indweller worketh perfitteth and augmenteth our righteousnesse must awaken vs for these vses and if by the bountifull favour of thy gratious GOD thou hast obtained this great gift I may speake vnto you in these words that CHRIST spake vnto Peter Blessed e Math. 16. 17 art thou for flesh and blood hath not done this vnto thee but thy heavenly father by his Spirit which shall be a f Rom. 8. 2 Spirit of life of trueth and g Iohn 14 17 consolation vnto thee Fourthly Touching the good which wee get by wakening it The profite proceeding froÌ„ this duetie Escape danger is manifold First wee will perceiue and vse meanes to eshew the danger into the which wee remaine as h Genes 32. 7 Iacob was in perrill when Esau his cruell brother came against him with i Exod. 14. 10 foure hundreth men As the Israelites were sore afraide when k 1 Sam. 11. 2 Pharao and his chariots marched after them The people of Iabesh-gilead were in great hazarde when Nahash the Ammonit beseiged them who would accept of no condition of peace but to thrust out all their right eyes and the Apostle Paul while l 1 Cor 15. 35 hee was fighting with the beasts of Ephesus had great travell all their laborious and religious men were not sleeping but awaking they saw their danger and were carefull to eshew it by wrestling by crying by praying and by fasting And seing our estate spirituall is all hazardous and we remaine in as great jeopardie for so wee haue many enemies before vs profane like Esau meeting vs and as many behind vs like cruell Pharaoh pursuing vs their be many adversaries like Nahash beseiging vs and many beastlie men fighting against vs thou thy selfe by nature if thou hast grace to consider art riding on a headie horse like with a fall to bruise thee thou art dwelling in a rotten house readie to smother thee thou art sailing in a laiking ship like to drowne thee thy life is a warfare wherein thou hast many craftie foes desirous to destroy thee that battell continueth that fight endureth vnto thy lifes end Nunquam bella piis nunquam Cvpr. demortalitate discordia desunt Et cum quo certet mens pia semper habet And what art thou sleeping most careleslie Art thou yet opprest with that deepe lethargie and overgone with that heavie slumber of fearefull securitie It may be cryed to thee with compassion with admiration Nate Deo potes hoc sub casu Propertii Epigramma ducere somnos Thou who art m Iohn 3. 9 borne of God art thou sleeping in so great an adventure O marvelous wonder When Daniel was cast into the denne of Lyons and in danger then King Darius remained fasting and n Dan. 6. 18 the sleepe went from his eyes Was hee sollicitous for an other man and will not thou bee carefull of thy selfe for thy owne sake I tell to thee with teares that thy estate is in perrill thy soule is in manifest danger Cruell o Psal 28. 13 dogs haue compassed thee mightie beastes haue environed thee The assemblie of the wicked haue enclosed thee thou art in the denne of ramping and roaring Lyons seeking to devoure thee Let sinfull sleepe goe from thee awake out of thy lasie slumber to the end thou mayest perceaue and prevent extreame danger Secondly If wee bee awake wee will bee the more readie Strengthen to p Revel 3. 2 strengthen the things that are readie to decay for during our sinfull sleepe our spirituall life languisheth our gifts many of them are gone from vs our grace is sore decayed and diminished yea come to that ebbe that we are at the point of death Let vs awake in due time to q Math. 29. 4 provide more oyle to our lamps to get more grace to our soules Let vs take wine r Isa 55. 2 and milke and bread without money that wee may be satisfied and strengthened Then wee will bee soone moved with all diligence to follow Vse our talent our vocation to employ righty our talent and to behaue our selues according to our calling remembring that wee Å¿ 1 Pet. 2. 9 are a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy Nation That wee are t Revel 1. 6 made Kings and Priests vnto GOD That it is no wayes beseeming to vs to giue our selues to securitie and idlenesse to liue u Iames. 5. 5 in pleasure on the earth and wantonnesse when as in the meane season wee haue to performe a great businesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not fitting to a counseller who hath a great charge to sleepe all the night over Thus Nehemiah whose name signifieth the consolation of GOD who was sent to restore the Iewes to their owne countrey and rebuild Hierusalem hee x Nehemi 2.12 arose in the night to view the walles of that citie hee lay not still in his bed Also it is written of that famous Scanderbeg that while he was delivering himselfe and his subjects of Epirus from the slaverie and tyrannie of the fierce Turks and while with valour and See Rolles in the Turkes storie wisedome he was to fight against the strong enemie to possesse an earthly kingdome then he never sleeped aboue two houres in the night but with endlesse labour and carefull vigilancie repelled his enemies and prosecuted his affaires Wee haue great reasons to awake to rouse vp our selues from securitie seing by