Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A84322
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The church-sleeper awakened, or A discourse on Act. 20. 9. being the substance of two sermons composed and preached at Corke in Ireland. / By Joseph Eyres master of arts, and a servant of God in the Gospel of his son.
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Eyres, Joseph.
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1659
(1659)
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Wing E3949; Thomason E1902_2; ESTC R209968
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16,328
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119
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much toilsome travel and various agitations is now at Troas a City in the lesser Asia where not having long time to tarry for he made it his design if possible to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost and much ground was to be trod and many places to be passed thorough and something for the furtherance of the Gospel to be dispatched in those places ere he could get thither he is resolved to do as much good as he can in a little time We may not conceive him idle any day but surely on the Lords day he was more then ordinarily diligent and industrious The Disciples or the owners of the way of the Christian Religion being on the First Day of the Week met together in order to the hearing of the Word and partaking of the Ordinance of the Supper Paul continued his discourse until midnight being hereunto incouraged and urged 1. By the peoples raised and unwearied attention 2. By his own resolution to depart on the morrow ver 7. In these Primitive Times the Lord was wont to accompany the word of his mouth with the wonderful works of his hand witness the many Miracles then effected whereby the Lord would 1. Convince Aliens 2. Confirm Disciples to whom such props were of great advantage because the Doctrine embraced was 1. Novel and therefore attended with squint-eyed suspitions 2. Contrary to carnal reason and therefore invaded with puzling Objections 3. Destructive to the interests of the flesh and therefore assaulted with a keen and desperate opposition not only from without but also from within A considerable and seasonable Miracle was this in the Verse succeeding the Text of which Paul was the moral cause or instrument Eutychus the recipient Subject who whilst asleep stands in need of a bed and being now dead is fit for nothing but the grave But the Lord had mercy on him and did not only awaken but revive This young man was quite tired out with Pauls protracted and uninterrupted discourse which being spun out to an unexpected length deep sleep seizes on him and he fals from such an heighth that there remains nought else of the man but a breathless trunk There is no reason why we should bitterly inveigh against him under the notion of a lazy Lozel and muddy headed Disciple for he sought not out a blind nook and obscure corner wherein unobservedly to take a nap and by this means gratifie the flesh only through the infirmity of the flesh he is overcome However he is not wholly to be excused The activity of grace must oppose and make head against the inclinations of nature and doubtless had he not been wanting unto himself he might have been inabled to hold up his head as well as others at least he might have prevented a total overwhelming and succumbing under this drouzy distemper The Point that I would hence observe is this Doct. Sleeping in Church-Assemblies is a great sin and of dangerous consequence Many are mens miscarriages about the word Heb. 10.25 Some forsake the assembling of themselves together and turn their backs upon the Ordinances as if they were not worth the attending on Ezek. 33.21 Others indeed come as the people cometh and with their lips they shew much love Esay 29.13 They draw nigh unto God with their mouths and honour him with their lips so that the address seems to be accompanied with a flaming affection and a deep devotion but their hearts are far from him going after their covetousness there is some base lust or other doted on and cockered with wantonnest indulgence notwithstanding the clear convictions of the word and their own professed subjection to it Others again entertain the word with a slighting unbelief Jer. 44.16 peevish contradictions and a desperate declared resolution not to stoop to its authority and yeeld obedience to its commands But it is the sleepy Hearer whom I have to deal with at this time and against whom I must spend some arrows and discharge some cannons to awaken him In the prosecution of the Point in hand I shall only do these two things 1. I shall propose severall considerations by way of diswasion from the sin and provocation to the contrary practise 2. I shall propose severall directions by way of remedy and prevention The considerations are these that follow 1. Well weigh with your selves in whose presence you are First you are in the presence of God who though he be from no place excluded yet surely he is in the Assemblies of the Saints especially present Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee In acts of worship we are said to draw nigh him Lev 10.2 There are severall things in God which bespeak your attention 1. His transcendent excellency and incomprehensible greatness The presence of Majesty doth awaken meanness and keeps all the faculties intent upon so furpassing an Object If the awe and dread of an infinite and all-glorious Being were upon us it would not only somewhat affect but even affright and cause you to lay aside all deadness and drouziness of spirit Me thinks the brightness and splendour of that royal throne before which you present your selves and lie prostrate should awaken you even to astonishment and consternation and keep your eyes open beyond all possibility of putting them together 2. His Omniscience Though you sleep yet God doth not so much as slumber though your eyes be shut yet his are not Though you sneak behind a pillar or sink down to the bottome of the Pew yet you are still in his eye The Lord is in his holy Temple the Lords throne is in heaven his eyes behold and his eye-lids try the children of men Psal 11.4 He beholds the frame of your souls and takes exact notice of the posture of your bodies What servant would dare to sleep whilsth is Master stands by and looks on One sleepy Hearer cannot scape Gods observation in the most condensed and crouded Congregation 3. His Holiness whereby he must needs be highly displeased with the undecent and unbeseeming behaviour of those who are ingaged in his worship The sleepy Hearer is a mote in Gods bright eye and very offensive to his sight 4. His Justice which being awakened by his holiness is wont to make deep dints and impressions of revenge upon the objects of his displeasure Will a Lamb dare to sleep within the paw and reach of an inraged Lion In the next place consider the ends on the account of which you come into Gods presence 1. To speak to him in Prayer I have heard of some that have talked in their sleep I doubt whether these drouzy dreamers we are speaking of do or can pray in their sleep A Prince would look upon it as an unsufferable affront if a Subject should be found sleeping in the Presence-Chamher when he should be presenting his Petition Christs Disciples were sleeping when they should have been praying now
black guard in order a soft downy pillow is no place for his working contriving head Being hurried and harassed by the Divel he cannot by the darkness and silence of the night be flattered into the least slumber The eye that is full of adultery doth not sleep in the Congregation but is continually roving about to find out objects for a foul and frothy fancy to work upon and being found out they are gazed on with much greediness and delight The Adulterer will be waking and walking abroad in the dark and black night that so he may give his Drab a meeting Prov. 7.9 Ahab lies tossing and tumbling upon his bed and cannot take any rest untill he be possessed of Naboths Vineyard 1 King 21.4 And Amnon is in little better plight till he have his will on his Sister Tamar 2 Sam. 13.2 How usual a thing is it for the Divels Imps I mean the roaring Ruffians and Bacchanalian Roysters of the times to spend whole dayes and nights in quaffing carousing gaming c. They have not the least lust to sleep in the midst of so much mirth Musick and madness VVith what whickering attention do they hearken to a roguish Fidler that will sing them a sordid and filthy Song Any Musick keeps them waking a midnight Mask or paltry Poppet-play how doth it affect and make men dance an unwearied attendance who yet are no more affected with the admirable contrivance and sublime discoveries of the Gospel then so many stocks and stones save the Musick of the Temple 6. It 's a sin that is mightily promoted by the Divel He knows of what fatall consequence it is unto his kingdome for people to hearken unto the word of life which is as an hammer to knock off the bolts from the galled feet of his chained Captives and therefore he endevours by all wayes and means imaginable to distract divert and take you off from the present work and business that is before you He will be sure to sit very heavy on your eye-lids and close them if possible The Prince of darkness startles at the approach of light and therefore will be sure to draw the curtain and shut the window to keep it out The nodding head leans on the Divels bosome The sleepy Hearer is rockt in the Divels cradle and dandled on the Divels knee 7. A sleepy eye is a shrewd sign of a sleepy conscience and a sottish insensibility of matters spirituall A fat heart a deaf eare and a closed eye go hand in hand Esa 6.10 A waking conscience is usually attended with a watchfull eye They who work out their salvation with fear and trembling will look about them 8. You may out-sleep that truth wherein you are neerly concerned and which if attended to might prove successfully instrumentall for your conversion consolation There is no one truth to be slighted disregarded but surely those truths that reach your particular condition should be entertained with exactest observation You know not when that plaister will be spread and applyed that is most suitable to your sore You know not at what time that medicine will be administred that is most likely to cure those spirituall maladies and distempers that you labour under and therefore it 's wisdome to be wary and watchfull Possibly there may be some way of wickedness which you securely walk in some necessary duty which you live in the neglect of some griezly temptation with which you are assaulted now if you should be sleeping when these things are pathetically and powerfully spoken to you may still live in the practise of that sin in the neglect of that duty and be overwhelmed with that temptation to your ruine 9. This may be the last Sermon that ever you may hear and I am confident could you be assured of it that it would be so it would mightily startle There will be such a thing as the last prayer that ever you shall put up the last Chapter that you shall reade the last Sermon that you shall hear it behoves you therefore with utmost industry to improve the present opportunity Hearken to the voice of God whilst it is called to day you do not know whether ever you may hear that voice again behind you saying unto you This is the way walk in it shut not your eyes against the light that now shines for you do not know whether ever your eyes may again behold a rising sun and dispersed beams 10. The Lord may take you away in your sleep The instance of this young man in the Text one would think should make you tremble You that come alive into the Congregation may be carried out dead You that do not attentively hearken to what the Minister hath to say unto you may be suddenly struck dead in the place snatcht out of your seats dragged to Christs Tribunal and there constrained to hearken unto what the great Judge of heaven and earth hath to say unto you who will speak in such language and in such a tone as will make your souls to shake and shiver It 's more dreadfull to dye whilst asleep in Gods house than to dye whilst asleep in your own 11. There is no sleeping in hell There will not be the least minutes rest taken to eternity The smoke of wicked mens torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night Rev. 14.11 You that can so confidently sleep in the Church shall not be able to sleep in the fiery lake The extremity of torment the continuall gnawing of the never dying worm and the hideous howlings of Divels and fellow-damned wights will keep you waking in spight of your hearts How welcome would a few houres sleep be to those who are sweating and sweltring in seaverish flames and for many nights together have been full of tossings to and fro until the dawning of the day But O! how transcendently and surpassingly welcome would a minutes rest and repose be to those who for millions of years have been rosting and roaring in the everlasting flames But alas it cannot be Who but a fool and a mad man would for a little present sinfull ease and rest plunge himself into an intollerable restless state and condition that knows no end If this prove not an awakening consideration I know not what will 12. There is no sleeping in heaven That which is the misery of the damned is the happiness of the saved Rev. 4.8 They rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come The Angels do not want sleep neither shall the Saints when they are translated to the upper Patadise Whilst we are in this animall state nature cannot bear up under continued watchings refreshing and rest Christ himself did not spend all his dayes in acts of immediate worship he consumed not every night in prayer and holy meditations We reade as of his eating and drinking so of his sleeping But when these naturall Bodies shall be