hindereth and letteth men even from the Performance of civill offices as the Souldier from fighting the Labourer from working the Carpenter and Mason from building and the like so cannot wee by reason of sinne performe any thing which is acceptable to God though the same bee in it selfe lawfull and warrantable till wee be raised there-from What hast thou â—al 50. 16 17. to doe saith God unto the wicked to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee To what purpose is the multitude Jsa 1. 11. of your sacrifices unto mee saith the Lord unto his people I am full of the burnt offering 15. of rams c. your hands are full of bloud As Cain Gen. 4. 5. could not offer up an acceptable sacrifice unto God being asleepe in sinne so whilest it goeth over our soules binding up the faculties of the same and bringing an heavinesse or rather deadnesse into all the powers thereof we are altogether unfit to goe about the actions of an holy life Hence commeth it to passe that the mind never thinketh seriously of God the conscience never or seldome accuseth for sinnes committed the will never or seldome willeth that which is truly good the affections seldome or never are moved at Gods word or workes yea so long as it beareth sway over us we can neither pray aright heare the Word aright nor rightly performe any other dutie 6. In sleepe wee doe often conceive our condition to bee better then indeed it is The poore man dreameth of riches the sicke of health the imprisoned of liberty the hunger-starved of dainty fare delighting themselves with a kind of content in the imaginary fruition of these things So doth a sinner blesse himselfe in his course I am saith Babylon and none else beside me I â—â— 47. 8. shall not sit as a widow neither shall I know the losse of children â—â—k 12. 19. Soule said the rich man in the Gospel to his owne soule thou hast much goods laid up for many yeares take â—â—k 18. 11. thine ease eat drinke and be merry God I thanke thee said the vaine-glorious selfe-conceited hypocriticall Pharisee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican In Particular In particular 1. For carelesnesse Sloath and negligence whether in Pastors or people His watchmen Isa 56. 10. are blind saith Esay they are all ignorant they are all dumbe dogs they cannot barke sleeping lying downe loving to slumber Their baker sleepeth Hos 7. 6. all the night saith Hosea But while men slept saith our Saviour his enemy came and Mat. 13. 25. sowed tares among the wheate and went his way How long Prov. 6. 9. wilt thou sleepe O sluggard saith the Wise man when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe 2. For whoredome or uncleannesse Come said Lots eldest daughter unto her sister Let us make our father drinke Gen. 19. 32 wine and we will lye or sleepe with him that we may preserve seed of our father The effects of sinne The effects of sinne 1. On the Soule even in this life a spirituall lethargie or Eph. 4. 19. deadnesse of heart by the custome of sinne when as the heart is made past feeling and altogether senslesse through continuance therein Whereof Isaiah For the Lord hath poured Isa 29. 10. out upon you the spirit of deepe sleepe and hath closed your eyes 2. Perpetuall and irrevocable destruction whereof the â—al 76. 5. â—sal 13. 3. Psalmist The stout-hearted are spoyled they have slept their sleepe And againe lighten mine eyes lest I sleepe the sleepe of death So the Lord by Ieremiah â—er 51. 39. In their heat I will make their feasts and I will make them drunken that they may rejoyce and sleepe a perpetuall sleepe and not wake saith the Lord. Ioyntly in respect both of â—he godly â—d ungodly â—yntly conâ—ered the godly and ungodly either death being by sleepe significantly expressed The godlies as David slept â— King 2. 10 with his fathers Our friend Ioh. 11. 11. Mat. 27. 52. Lazarus sleepeth and the graves were opened and many bodies of saints which slept arose The ungodlies as Ieroboam slept 1 King 14 20 1 King 15. 8 1 King 16. 6. with his fathers Abiam slept with his fathers Baasha slept with his fathers c. Quest But as David of Abner Quest died Abner as a foole 2 Sam. 3. 33. dieth Is there no difference betweene those and these the godly and the ungodly in death Ans In some respect there Sol. is no difference at all according to that of Solomon How dieth Eccles 2. 16. the wise man as the foole But in others very great according to that of the same Author The Prov. 14. 32 wicked is driven away in his wickednesse but the righteous hath hope in his death Their agreement consisteth in Wherein thâ— death of theâ— godly and â— wicked agreâ— these particulars 1. Our beds represent our graves the sheetes wherein wee lye our winding-sheets wherein wee shall bee wrapped The cloaths that lye on us the clods of earth that shall bee cast upon us when wee are laid in our graves yea as they that are asleepe are for the time voide of care and insensible either of joy or paine neither being affected with the miseries of others to mourne with them nor with their prosperity to rejoyce with them but having their eyes bound up from seeing their eares from hearing as their other senses from the execution of their severall functions are wholly ignorant of things done about them so is it with those that are dead To this purpose Job Why did the â—ob 3. 12 13. knees prevent me or why the breasts that I should sucke for now should I have lyen still and beene quiet I should have slept then had I beene at rest And Isaiah tells us that now â—a 63. 16. Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel doth not acknowledge us Hence it is that as a Iob 7. 2. servant earnestly desireth the shadow and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his worke so not a few doe daily gape for death that thereby they may bee freed from their troubles It is now enough O Lord said 1 King 19. 4 Elijah take away my life for I am no better then my fathers Take I beseech thee my life Jonah 4. 3. from me said Jonah for it is better for me to die then to live And in those dayes saith Rev. 9. 6. S. John namely when unto the locusts that came out of the bottomlesse pit power was given to torment those men which have not the seale of God on their foreheads shall men seeke death and shall not find it and shall desire to die and death shall flye from them Agreeable hereunto is that of Philo
acceptiâ—ns of sleepe figuratively taken in respect of the godly in respect of the godly and the ungodly severally as in respect of both joyntly considered Severally In respect of the godly 1. For abundant prosperity tranquillitie peace of conscience quietnesse and rest of minde voide of carking care and free from such distractions as during the state of Nature disquiet the whole man I laid Psal 3. 5. me downe and slept said David And againe He giveth his beloved Psal 1 27. 2â— sleepe Agreeable hereunto is that of Ezekiel They Ezech. 34. 2â— shall dwell safely in the wildernesse and sleepe in the woods 2. For a spirituall slumber and drowsinesse in the mind and heart touching heavenly things occasioned through abundance of peace and pleasures wherewith a Christian may bee at sometimes so overtaken as that though bodily awake with David hee falleth into the 2 Sam. 11. 4â— sleepe of sinne Such was the Spouses slumber I sleepe saith â—ant 5. 2. she but my heart waketh Such also the slumber even of the five wise virgins When the â—at 25. 5. Soule either through carelesnesse or by reason of some temptation ceased from good then doth it thus sleepe Hereof what one is there which may not justly complaine How often doth man seeme unto himselfe wise just humble rich in grace how often goeth hee on in his vanitie glorying in the multitude of his spirituall riches and saying in the pride of his heart I shall Rev. 3. 17. not be moved for ever I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing but when hee shall awake hee will be ashamed of such fancies and dreames In respect of the ungodly The ungodly for sin considered in generall and that as well for sinne as the effects of sinne Sinne considered both in generall and in particular In Generall As in that of the Apostle Now it is high Rom. 13. 11. time to awake out of sleepe And againe Awake thou that Eph. 5. 14 1 Thes 5 6. sleepest And againe let us not sleepe as doe others Neither is it without especiall cause that sinne is thus expressed there Resemblances betweene sleepe and sinne being indeed betweene sinne and sleepe no small resemblance as may thus appeare 1. Sleepe is naturall to the body so is sinne to the Soule Naturally every imagination Gen. 6. 5. of the thoughts of our hearts is onely evill continually Wee leave the paths of uprightnesse Prov. 2. 13. 14. Isa 5. 18. to walke in the wayes of darknesse wee rejoyce to doe evill and delight in the frowardnesse of the wicked wee draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sinne as it were with a cart-rope 2. Sleepe steales upon man as it were by degrees so in like manner doth sinne Suggestion produceth delight Delight consent Consent act Act the habite thereof 3. Man being overtaken with sleepe feares no danger bee it never so neere never so great as the examples of Ishbosheth 2. Sam. 4. 6. and Ionah witnesse so sinne driveth into security We have Ionah 1. 5. made a covenant with death said some in the daies of Esay Isa 28. 15. and with hell are wee at an agreement when the over-flowing scourge shall passe through it shall not come unto us Agreeable here unto is that of the Lord by Amos All the sinners Amos 9. 10 of my people shall die by the sword which say the evill shall not overtake nor prevent us of whom Zephaniah They â—eph 1. 12. â—uk 17. 27 28. say in their heart The Lord will not doe good neither will he doe evill Of this sort were the old world and Sodomites 4. A man given to sleepe doth for the most part retyre himselfe from the company society and fellowship of others to some one corner or other that so neither himselfe may be perceived nor his rest disturbed Such a one also neither Lycost Thee vitae human affecteth light nor noise as Sibertus who banished dogs and trades-men from the place of his residence lest thereby his sleepe should be broke agreeable unto the Poets description of sleepe in these words Neere the Cimmerians lurkes Est propè◠Cimmerios longo Speâ—ca recessu â—mons cavuâ— c. Ovid Met. 11. Translateâ— by Masteâ— G. Sandys a cave in steepe And hollow hills the mansion of dull sleepe Not seene by Phoebus when he mounts the skies At height nor stouping glooming mists arise From humide earth which still a twilight make No crested fowles shrill crowing here awake The cheerefull morne no barking sentinell Here guards nor geese who wakefull dogs excell Beasts tame nor savage no wind-shaken boughs Nor strife of jarring tongues with noises rouse Secured ease c. So sinners if not past shame â—zech 8. 10. doe especially in secret commit their villanies Cain getteth his â—en 4. 8. brother out into the fields and then slayeth him Achan hideth â—sh 7. 21 his stollen goods Gehezi without the knowledge of his Master as hee conceived taketh money and raiment of Naaman and they that are drunke saith the Apostle are â—ing 5. 24. drunke in the night And lest they should not thus sleepe â—hes 5. 7. long enough and safe enough they stop the light of the Word put out the light of their owne consciences and forbid even those whose office it is to awake them out of sleepe to awake them till they please As for the word which thou â—4 16. hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken Amos 7. 12 13. to thee said the people unto Ieremiah O thou Seer said Amaziah unto Amos goe flee thee away into the land of Iudah and there eat bread and prophecie there but prophecie not againe any more in Bethel for it is the kings Chappel and it is the Kings Court Yea as a man being asleepe doth for the most part take it ill when he is awaked so a sinner when hee is called upon to forsake his sinnes yet a little sleepe saith Prov. 6. 10. he a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleepe The time is not come the time that Hag. 1 2. the Lords house should be built said the people unto Haggai Hast thou found me O mine 1 King 21. 20. enemy said Ahab unto Elijah If Iohn the Baptist say unto Herod It is not lawfull for thee Math. 14 3â— to have thy brother Philips wife hee will lay hold on him and put him in prison If Paul reason of righteousnesse temperance and judgement to come Felix will tremble and answer Goe thy way for this Act. 24. 25. time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee If Micaiah detect the forgery and falshood of Zedekiah Zedekiah will smite him on the 1 King 22. 24. cheeke saying Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speake unto thee 5. Sleepe during its continuance
and undeniable Word alwayes constant one and the same for ever wherein there is no errour no falshood no defect no imperfection As it is unto us It is wine to â—s it is unto â—â— comfort us bread to feed us drinke to quench our thirst fire to purge us an hammer to beate upon our hardned hearts a staffe to uphold us a treasure to inrich us a lant horne to direct us a guide to conduct us a weapon to defend us seed to beget us meate for men milke for babes Yea as the Sunne is to the world so is it to us the light of our lives and the life of our soules The Matter therein contained The matter therein contained such as may give content unto all the same so farre exceeding all other subjects as the Creator whose workes and will it principally setteth forth doth the creatures It revealeth unto us the blessed Trinitie It maketh knowne unto us Christ and him crucified It pointeth out unto us the vertue of his death and resurrection It setteth forth the excellencies of a better life which for the present are wholly hid from the ungodly and but in part revealed unto the godly Doth any loath it for its plainnesse It is milke for babes Eccles 11. 10. It is pleasant affording unto each Christian heart more sweetnesse then is in the honey and the honey combe It is upright as being voide of errour It is a word of truth pure wheat without chaffe pure gold without drosse It is a word of wisdome whereby alone we become wise It is as a goad whereby being pricked whilst wee sleepe in sinne wee doe thereupon awake It is as a naile whereby indeed wee are fastened and confirmed Is any delighted with history prophecies Rener Clavis Script parables lawes morall judiciall and Ceremoniall Geographie Cosmographie Astronomie Arithmeticke Logicke Rhetoricke Musicke and whatsoever else Yea who so longeth after newes from heaven aboue from the earth beneath from the waters which are under the earth Newes of wars peace plenty famine and the like Hereby may hee in each receive satisfaction The Antiquitie and perpotuitie The Antiquity and perpetuity thereof thereof As it yet continueth so hath it done even from the very beginning and even the Word written is more ancient of greater antiquity then all other writings now extant in the world 2. In respect of its necessitie which may appeare by considering Necessity from first the estate wherein we are 2. The estate wherein we should be 3. The estate of such as are altogether deprived thereof The estate wherein naturally The estate wherein we are wee are dead in trespasses and sinne wanderers from God preyes unto the divell poore and blind unregenerate polluted with sinne both in soule and body stony-hearted unfruitfull and barren guilty of death and damnation c. It is not then needfull a trumpet to awake us a guide to conduct us a buckler to shield us a treasure to enrich us eye-salve to anoint us seed to beget us a fountaine to wash us raine both to mollifie us and make us fruitfull The estate wherein we should The estate wherein we should be be Alive unto God the souldiers and servants of Christ temples of the holy Ghost fruitfull in good workes and the like and hereunto doe we attaine through Gods word The estate of such as are altogether The estate â—f such as are â—ithout it deprived therof wretched and miserable No judgement greater then famine no famine so grievous as this of the Word 3. In respect of its utilitie which may appeare 1. By the â—mos 8. 12. â—â—s utility apâ—â—aring by similitudes whereby it is expressed 2. By the effects which are thereby produced 3. By the duties which are thereto of us required 4. By the meanes which for the suppressing and hindering thereof have beene at all times by Satan and his instruments used The similitudes whereby it is â—â—â—ilitudes expressed are divers as Manna bread water light a rod of strength wine fire silver a precious stone a new garment a banner a sharp sword a glasse a staffe c. This being no lesse or rather much more profitable for the soule then those and the like for the body The effects which are thereby effects produced are such as concerne either this or the life to come This. It clenseth us It inlighteneth us It regenerateth us It changeth us It makes us fruitfull It maketh us wise to Salvation It gladdeth our hearts with spirituall joy It begetteth faith in us Wee are hereby informed of the duties which wee owe one towards another It tells the Magistrate how hee should rule who else might be either too severe or too milde As Machetes appealed Eras apophâ—â— lib. 4. from Philip asleepe for whilst his cause was pleading he was asleepe to Philip awake so sendeth it them from their ungodly government unto that which is lawfull It tels Iudges that with Festus they Act. 24. 26. must not looke for bribes It tels Subjects that with Sheba 2 Sam. 20. â— they must not be rebellious It tels husbands that they must Col. 3. 19. love their wives and not be bitter to them It tells wives that they must not be taunting Peninnaes painted Jezabels whorish Dalilaes scolding Zipporaes It informes Ministers to be instant in preaching the â— Tim. 4. 2. Word in season and out of season It tells Lawyers how and for whom they are to plead It directs the Merchant 1 Thes 4. 6. and tradesman how to buy and sell c. Now if it were not for the Word would any of those performe their duties nay by it as Socrates from his â—ic de fatâ— naturall constitution by the study of Philosophie they are bettered both in their judgement and practise Through it doe the covetous forsake their Mammon the drunkard his wine the adulterer his lust which till it thus worke are unto them no lesse precious then their lives Would Herod have heard Iohn Baptist and Eli his sonnes their Father either might have learned their duty and escaped the judgements Rev. 16. 15. which befell them By hearing this and watching Luk. 16. 29. Mat. 26. 41. hereat we are blessed hereby are saved from hell and hereby avoide temptations If hereat we be informed of the malice of Gods enemies shall we not hereupon profit the Church by calling upon God in the words of the Psalmist Awake Psal 44. 23. why sleepest thou O Lord arise cast us not off for ever And as when Ahasuerus could not Ester 6. 3. sleepe hee had his Chronicles brought unto him and thereupon came to know what Mordecay had done for him so if wee would awake at the reading and preaching of the Word we should heare what deliverance the Lord hath wrought for our poore soules The life to come The Word Joh. 12. 48. must judge us The Duties required of us The duties