Book IV. W I C K E D M E N S L U G G A R D S. W I C K E D M E N S L U G G A R D S. How long wilt thou j/eep, 0 Sluggard? When wilt thou arift out of thy Sleep? Prov. vi. 9· flOW long wilt thou jleep? Sleep is taken variouliy in the holy Scripture. 1. For the binding or cloring up the Senfes, to gtve the Body reil:: The fame Night Peter was jlecping between two Soldiers, Ails xii. 26. This is a natural Sleep. 2. It is taken Metaphorically, (1.) For Death. Hence it is faid, David, after he had ferved his Generation accord . incr to the Will of God, he fell ajlerp. For now jhallljleep in the Duj/, and thou Jhalt je'd, me in the Morning, &c. Job vii. 21. This is a mortal Sleep. (2.) f ,.r a dead or fenfelefs State in Sin, i.e. Sin ruling and over-ruling in Mens Hearts before Converlion, Awake thou that jleepcjl, and arife from the Dead, and Chrift foal/ give thee Life, Eph. v. 14. This is a fpiritual Sleep. (3·) For a drowfy and liothful Frame of Heart, which often attends the Godly: I jleep, but my Heart waketh, Cant. v. 2. Thou Sluggard, or liothful Perfon. There is a three-fold Sluggard : . 1. Oee that is idle, loving Eafe and bodily J{efl:, neglec1ing his wordly Concerns. 1 went by tbc Field of the jlothful, &c. Prov. xxiv. 30. 2. One that is fpiritually idle, wholly carelefs and negligent of his Soul, and the great Concernments there.of: 'Ihe Sluggard faith, there is a Lion in the Way. 3· One that hath been formerly awakened in a fpiritual Senfe, and is fallen into a cold, drowfy, and negligent State again. I fhall run the Paralkl with refpeCl had principally to that Defcription Solomon gives of a Sluggard. SIMILE. I. A Sluggard is a Perfon that makes Excufes: The j/oth– ful Mm faith, there is a Lion with– out, I }hall be jlain ill the Street, Prov. xxii. 13. P A k ALL EL. I. so the Sinner, or fpiritual Sluggard, hath many Excufes; If I li10uld arile, faith he, and follow Chrift, I fhall fuffer in my Name, be reproached, fuffer in my Ell:ate; nay, it may come ro pafs, faith he, that fuch as are religious indeed may be put to Death. There are many Romifh Lions without, perfecuting and devouring Beall:s of Prey, that I fear will fly upon me in the Street ; and hence he refolves to keep himft!f in a whole Skin. II. A Sluggard, Solomon faith, Il. So a Sinner, or fpirirual Sluggard, feems is like a Door that turneth upon to move this Way, and that Way: He reads God's its Hinges: //sa Door turnelh upon Word, and hears Ser:nons, and perhaps prays too, its Hinges; fo doib the j/othful Man but {till is where he was; he is not renewed in his ttpon his Bed, Prov. xxvi. 14. inward Man, no Change hath paffed upon him; he is one that loveth his Lull:s, this and the other Sin, and is not taken off of his old Hinges; he is ll:ill in the State of fallen Man, not taken off of the old Root, and tranfplanted into Chrifl:. Ill. The Sluggard is a Man of Ill. So the wicked Man, or fpiritual Sluggard, Ddires, but not of Endeavors. is full of Derires; he with Balaam defires to die 'l'be Sluggard dejireth, and bath nothe Death of the Righteous, he delires to be faved, tbmg; but the Soul of the Diligent and hath many faint Oerires to be forgiven; he jhall be made fat, Prov. xiii. 4· cries out fometimes, when Confcience flies in his compared with Chap. xxi. 25. The Face, and rebukes him, God forgive me, the Lord Dejire of tbe Sluggard kil!eih him, help me, &c. but never ll:rives with all his Might becaJeje his llnnds refufe to Work. againll his Sin, and the Temptations of the Devil: H ence his Defires are faid to flay him, Numb. xxiii. to. Derires without Endeavors will deceive the Soul, nay, eternally ruin and damn the Soul. What avails it a Man that is hungry, to wifh for Bread, when he ne– ver. labors fo r it? The Promife re~ns to the diligent and indull:rious Perfon; he Jhall be fed, but the Sluggard n,.n fuffer Hunger, and pine away, Prov. X. 4· IV. The Sluggard neilieCls his IV. So the Sinner, or fpiritual Sluggard, negVmeyard, and Im his Field run all le{ts his Soul, and the Souls of his Family; though
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