fln iferrmfor /leepy Chri/tian.f. 309 willing natural men are to chafe away, ( if it were poffible) all the Lords Cocks;' and all his fervants, that they might not cry againft their fins, that they might not awaken them,nor comenear them.They are let fo faft afleep,that they cannot abide any fervant of God. And for the miniftryof the Law, which Jeremy calls, as a Hammer to break the bard heart, and to knock, and rap the fleepy foul, it isan in- tolerable thing ; they cannot endure this hammer ; they cannot abide thefe doggs that bark againft their fins : whereas dumb doggs that canneither bark, nor bite, thofe they can like well enough. Somewhat they would have, they are cotjent with a formal fashion : but thefemen that fpeak againft their fins, that difcover their eftate in fin ; thefe they cannot endure. Now tell me if thefe men live not in a carnal flcep? and are found in the Cell,andCave ofdarknefs,wherein they delire to fleep for ever ? To come from thefe,in the fecond placelet us confider,that not only thefe natural The flcep of men, and worldlings, are cat} into a dead fleep ; but wouldnot a man marvel, that the Church. ven Chriftians Ihould fometimes be calf afleep ? Would not a than wonder that the Difciples ofChrift that were fo neer to the fide oftheir Matter, that were fol- lowing their Mailers exhortation in the former Precept that he taught them,- that were fo neer temptation,tbat the yoak was evenupon their necks; would not one think it a wonder, that they Shouldnot watch one boar with Chrift ? ThereforeBrethren,let us takenoticeofour fecurity muchmore,thatare infinite- ly behind the Difciples in grace: fetus rate our felves for the heavinefs, anddulnefs ofour hearts. But becaufe weare Baptized, and hear Serinons, &c. we can make no man be- lieve that he is afleep. Therefore let us try,and confider,whether thofe that hearthe Word,and arePro- feffors of the life ofgrace ; thofe that are already awakened,be not in filch a fearful flamber, as may well be called afleep. . Firtt ofall therefore, this is onemark ofa man that is afleep, he hears not, he un- Signs offleepy derltands notthe things that are fpoken to him : fo it isa markof a fleepy heartand Chnttiana. confcience, when a man hears not, nor underftands the word that hedoth hear : a. Catelefnefs. when hehears not which is fpoken. It is one Judgement upon wickedmen,the. Book of God is clafped to them: fuch a man readsand hears, and difcerns not. If I theBook be open,his heart is clafped faft,he fakes no good by it. And this is notthe leaft part of the mifery upon the Saints, that this book is not fó open to them, nor they do not founderhand it, nor difcern that which is in it as they might. We hear the wordmany of us many times, and we feemto receive it: but yet who is he that may not find in himfelf, that the Sleep and fecurity of his mind and l foul, makes him not much to attend and regard it ? that he is not careful and in- duhrious in the keeping and maintaining of that he hears, and the framing himfelf according to it ? And fo it comes to pafs thatit is with Gods word that we hear, as it is with Phyfickwhen it is given to a man that is dead, it works not, or when he ficcps immediately upon it : fo when we hear the word of God,and fall into a fleep upon it : into the Peepand fìuggithnefs ofearthly cares, the Word is,unprofitable, it works not that cffe i that elle it would. Again, a man that flceps, you (hallknow it by this, he doth not mind hisordina. 2. When men ry bufincfs ; he neither troubles his head,nor his handswith it ; his bufrnefsfeeps 'we'd thing with himfelf : hedoth nothing but Sleep, while he is afleep he cando nothingelfe. So hereby we may know our (elves to be in amarvcllous fleepof fin, when we give not our ferions thoughts to God , and to the praetice of piety , and god- liners: it is an argument of fleep and (lumber in as. Themind of man Ihould intend the principal thing for which God hathput us in the world ; when we give not nut thoughts to God, and mind not the things ofGods Kingdom, it is a figs we arc afleep. When we move nut, nor fair not our hands and our feet in the wayes 2fGodsCommandments as weIhould, it proceeds from this flcep'nefs and drowfinefs. Whereas would webe wife for our felves, and awake as we Mould, We"honk' neither beidle, nor unfruitful in the work of the Lord. We (mould ever be doing fomewttat that mightglorifie God, and further our own reckoning. But this
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