A SLEEPING SICKNESS the distemper OF THE TIMES: As it was discovered in its Curse and Cure. In a Sermon Preached before the Right Honourable the House of Peers in the Abby-Church at Westminster upon the 27th of January, the day appointed for their Solemn and public humiliation. By WILLIAM JENKYN Minister of God's Word at Christ-Church London. Rom. 13.11. And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 1 Thes. 5.6. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others: but let us watch and be sober. LONDON, Printed by W. Wilson, for Christopher Meredith at the Crane in Paul's Churchyard. 1647. Die Mercurij 27. Januarij. 1646. ORdered by the Lords in Parliament assembled, That Mr. Jenkyn, is hereby thanked for his great pains taken in his Sermon Preached before the Lords of Parliament this day in the Abby-Curch Westminster, it being the day of the public Fast: And he is hereby desired to Print and publish his said Sermon. And that none do presume to Print the said Sermon or any will thereof, without Authority under his own hand. Jo. Brown Cler. Parl. I do appoint Christopher Meredith to Print my Sermon. William Jenkyn. TO THE RIGHT Honourable the House of Peers Assembled in PARLIAMENT. MY LORDS, HOw great a Remora the seeking ourselves is to the setting up the Temple, your Lordships heard when last you commanded my service in preaching before you; another enemy I here present to your Lordships no less destructive to reformation then that, it is the spirit of slumber. The former was a sinful working, this latter a sinful resting; If both these have as deeply seized upon our workmen as they, are directly opposite to our work; my excuse is at hand for my endeavour in both Sermons more to quicken then to quiet you. The matter of my Epistle to your Lordships, now I print, shall be the conclusion of my Sermon, when I preached I shall preach that first to your eye which came last to your ear, and the rather, for that the conclusion of my Sermon, had so much of an Epistle to my hand as that it concerned only your Lordships. My Lords, I beseech you to shake off this spirit of slumber. 1. As it is hurtful to your own souls. 2. As it is hurtful to the kingdom. For the former, labour for the quickening power of the spirit of Christ to awaken you that sleep, Eph. 5.14. and to wake you stand up from the dead; all rising to the highest pinnacle of honour, without this is but falling. The second death will not spare the noblest of you that have not a part in the first resurrection Entomb not your noble spirits in the sepulchre, of sin and rottenness. Peerage may come by the first, Grace only by the second birth. Nobles are borne without spiritual life, and grace as well as the meanest, My Lords, I beseech you remember, that he that is but a mere man, or a mere Nobleman, is a miserable man; and better you had never been either of them, than not to be more then either. The reason why you complain not so much of your misery by nature, and of your Christ-les condition as others do is not because you are less miserable or less without Christ than others are, but because you see it not so much as others do; nobility is no exception from those general rules, without holiness no man shall see God, Heb. 12.14. and except a man be borne again he shall not enter into the kingdom of God. joh. 3.9. My Lords, the sepulchre and the scripture know no difference twixt robes and rags, peers and peasants. If poor men be holy for themselves and you too, they shall go to heaven for themselves and you too: what think you of yourselves, when you hear that men of low condition weep for and complain of sin, strive, and thirst, and wrestle for Christ, and you all this while remain hard and secure, and regardless of Christ and your own souls? oh that you would instead of believing that you are too good for these things, 1. Cor. 1.26. fear lest these things are too good for you; not many noble, is a dreadful passage. And that none of the Princes of this world knew the wisdom of God. 1. Cor. 2.8. The Lords spiritual (so called) grew too temporal, but the Lords temporal cannot be too spiritual; temporal pragmaticallnesse ruind them, spiritual practices must uphold you; the power of Godliness is the only means to save your souls and the best to silence your foes. Shake off this spirit of slumber as hurtful to the kingdom, and that in two respects, of 1. Insensibleness. 2. Vnactivenesse. 1. Be sensible that the Church is wounded by the soule-stroying opinions of Antinomians, Arminians, Anabaptists, Seekers Antiscripturists, Antitrinitairans. etc. All which with many more have been more propagated these four years of Church A, narchie then in fourscore of Church tyranny. Be sensible that the ministerial function is by some denied, by others invaded, by corner preachers, a company who divide their hour between blasphemy and nonsense. Be sensible that the government which you have set up among us is so imperfect, and discountenanced (I tremble to say by whom) that it is rather a scorn then a curb to men disaffected to holiness. Be sensible that our sacred Covenant is commonly either refused, or abused; and looked upon by many only as a Politic Stratagem to be used while our miseries lasted, The Lord who was the witness of our taking it, will shortly be our Judge for our breaking it. If we will keep our covenant only in our affliction; we must look again for affliction to make 〈◊〉 keep our covenant. Be sensible of the wants and poverties of learned and faithful Manisters, let it never be said that they who under Bishops were overcome by batteries should under the Parliament be overcome by starving. Be sensible of the Cries of the Fatherless, the Widows, the oppressed, the delayed, the maimed, the wounded, whose services have been your safeties, and their bloods your Honours, 2. Sam. 23.17. your Estates, your ornaments, your lives. Be sensible of the taxes, and pressing burdens of the poor wasted Kingdom; The poor Countryman complaining that he is a long time sweeting & smarting to gather that which a little breath shall bestow by thousands upon those that are as fare from want as work, and some say, as fare from worth at either. Be sensible of this famous City's love, care, cost, blood; Let her not suffer by protections or any other needless burdens, by her loss (or yours shall I say) of her faithful Ministers; Your Lordship's noble resentment of her religious and loyal Petitions, hath several times refreshed her, go on in answering them as you do: 2. Cast off the spirit of sleep in respect of unactiveness. Be active in reforming in the particulars: sleep not away your summer seasons. The Lord grant too much of it be not spent already. Let not those richly laden opportunities which have been safely brought through a raging Sea by vigilancy, be cast away in the haven by sloth. Let it never be said that all are active but those that should be so. The activeness of particular men for themselves is rather noted then liked; God hath been active for you and us; he hath given us more than ever we looked for: we him, less then, nay contrary to what we have covenanted. What would become of your Honours if God lay you aside like broken vessels, and say I take no delight in using such for my service, or should Christ say to you concerning his cause, as once he did to his Disciples concerning himself. Ma. 26.45. Sleep on now and take your rest, behold the hour is at hand, and my cause is betrayed into the hands of sinners; The prevention of which as it should be your Lordship's care, so it shall be the prayer, My Lords, of Your faithful Servant and soule-remembrancer. WIL JENKYN. A SERMON PREACHED to the Right Honourable House of Lords, at the late fast January 27th 1646. JSAIAH 29.10. The Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. Introduction THis Prophet Isaiah is famous both for promises and threaten: for promising Comforts; for threatening judgements. 1. When he promiseth mercies he ordinarily intermixeth spiritual with temporal mercies. 2. When he denounceth judgements he often threatens spiritual as well as temporal. For the latter, viz. Judgements denounced, In this chapter he threatens temporal Judgements to verse the 7. and spiritual to the 15. 1. For temporal judgements; 1. He tells us against whom he denounceth them: 2 Sam. 23.20. Benaiah is said to slay two Lion-like men for strength, the word being there also Ariel. against Jerusalem called, 1. Ariel, v. 1. 2. The City where David dwelled. Ariel signifieth the Lion of God; Jerusalem being so called either 1. because of its potency and strength; as the Lion is the prince of beasts, so was Jerusalem of 〈◊〉, and J●dah in which Tribe Jerusalem was, is Gen. 49.9. called a Lion and a Lion's whelp, and to set out the greatness of this power 'tis also called here a Lion of God, an usual expression to denote the excellency and greatness of a thing. 2. Jerusalem is by some thought to be called the Lion of God in regard of the Temple and Altar therein, which hath the same name, Ezek. 43.15, 16. because they looked upon their Temple and Altar as their strength, and trusted more in that then in all their other supplies, thinking that so long as they had them, they had God among them; or in regard of the abundance of sacrifices which their Altar devoured even as the Lion devoureth beasts. 3. Jerusalem is thought by others to be termed here by the Prophet the Lion of God, in regard of its fierceness and cruelty against the servants and messengers of God as the Lion devoureth the Lamb according to that of Jer. 12.7. I have forsaken my house, etc. My heritage is under the 〈…〉 the forest, it cryeth against me; 2. 〈…〉 the City where David dwelled; where by God would bla●t and slight the vain opinion of their 〈…〉 and privileges, because Davi● 〈…〉 2. In this denouncing of temporal judgements, he opposeth their security, whereby they promised to themselves, in regard of the delay of vengeance and their daily sacrifices, safety and peace, and ye year to year let them kill sacrifices. verse 1. 3. He foretelleth the judgement that should befall them; I will distress Ariel, I will camp against thee round about, and lay siege against thee, verse 2, 3. And this the Prophet further amplifieth, 1 from the Lowness of their condition, that extreme contemptibleness that hereafter they should lie under. They shall be brought down, and speak out of the ground, and out of the dust, as one that hath a familiar spirit: q.d. though now thy voice is proud and thundering, though now thou liftest up thyself against my threatening Prophets, yet when my judgements shall befall thee, thou shalt rather whisper than speak, thou shalt be so fearful, and poor; even as the familiar spirits send forth a trembling, sad, soft, whispering voice out of the earth to those that inquire of them, verse 4. 2. Vide Calvin in Loc. The Prophet amplifieth this judgement that should befall them from the in efficacy of all those helps and helpers that should come to them for their assistance; all the multitude of strangers that should come to help them, against God should be as the chaff and dust: God would as easily puff them away, and ruin them, with his storm and tempest and thunder. verse 5, 6. The spiritual judgement that should lie upon them all this while their Calamity was in ' its nearest approaches, was an insensible regardless, secure temper of soul, takeing no heed, giving no regard to all these dismal denuntiations. Which wretched distemper under their approaching Calamities is set out under a 3-fold resemblance. 1. Of a sweet and delightful dream, Vide Calvin. whereby deluded Persons please themselves with thoughts of food and fullness, though hungry and empty. v. 8. 2. of a drunken staggering Person, that regards not what the dangers are that hang over his head; A spiritual drunkenness (worse than that with wine) had invaded their hearts and heads, whereby Reason was so clogged and dulled, that nothing was perceived that was preached. v. 9 3. Of a deep and dead sleep, even the Spirit of it; whereby their senses were (as it were) so stupefied and benumbed, that did the Prophet's cry and call in their ears never so loud they would yet lie still, and not stir up themselves to shun, or prevent the dismal judgements that were seizing on them. The Lord hath poured out upon you the Spirit of a deep sleep. In the prosecution of which words; All that I shall do, shall be reduced to these two heads. 1. First to explain the Text in the particular parts thereof. 2. To gather and handle one particular observation from the several parts thereof so explained. 1. For the first; I shall open this Text in these four following Parts and Branches. 1. The kind and nature of the judgement that had here befallen them; a deep sleep. 2. The measure and degree of it, which is set forth by a double expression. 1. The word Spirit. 2. The word pouring. 3. The Object, or who they were upon whom this deep sleep was poured. viz. The jews, you. 4. The punisher, or the party inflicting this judgement, the Lord. 1. The kind and sort of the punishment, it was a deep sleep, In the Hebrew Tardema, a word that signifies such a sleep as doth so stupify and benumb the senses, as that the person on whom it seizeth, can very hardly, by any means used, be awaked. Somnus gravis & profundior, ex quo difficulter quis excitatur. And this may appear, both by the consideration how the Scripture useth it in other places, and also how it is rendered by Interpreters; Adam is said to be in a deep sleep. Gen. 2 21. In so deep a sleep, that a rib was taken out of him, and yet he perceived it not. Saul was in a deep sleep from the Lord, and notwithstanding his spear and his cruse was taken from his bolster, nay, notwithstanding his mortal enemy (as he supposed him) was very near him, yet he awaked not Sisera was so fast a sleep. Judges. 4.21. that Jael notwithstanding her approaches, her nail, her hammer, and smiting did not awake him. Jonah was so deep a sleep. Jonah. 1.6. that jeopardy of life, by reason of the tempestuous raging of the Sea, did not at all affect him, nay, Psal. 76.6. the destruction and the total overthrow of the Chariots, and Horsemen are set forth by this expression of deep sleep. Now in all these places either the word Tardema here in the Text, or a word, purely of the same signification, and coming from the same root, is used, which root is Radam Signifying to be overwhelmed with sleep. The Septuagint render this word several ways. Sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word that signifies such an astonishment by reason of fear, as that a man is not himself, or knoweth not what he doth, sometimes they render it, by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a man's going out of himself. Sometimes they render it, by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word that the Apostle makes use of Rom. 11.8. where my text is alleged A word which doth notably set out the nature of this deep sleep; according to interpretation we consider it Beza, Hesychyus, Tollet, derive this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, used by the Apostle, from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and so it signifieth a deep midnight sleep, Pareus. Oseander. others derive it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifieth to prick or to wound; and so either this word imports such a sleep as out of which all the pinching and wounding, & pricking cannot raise a man, or such a sleep as whereby a man is so fastened and nailed down to his sloth that there is no parting them; Christ 〈◊〉 Therp●●last. or such a sleep as whereby a person is as one that is so pained with his wounds that he regardeth nothing which is said to him; 〈◊〉 Par. transpunctae mentis alienatione demens. Which way soever we understand (though I prefer that interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports such a sleep as whereby a man is so deeply seized upon with it, as that no wounding or pricking awakens him) which way soever I say we understand it, we must needs conceive it to be an extreme deep sleep; not bodily, but spiritual, not a binding of the animal Spirits and senses, but a spiritual torpor and benumbedness of Soul under all the dispensations and deal of God, whereby the soul is in such a temperstate and posture, as the body in a dead and deep sleep liable to all enemies unactive though there be never such crying to it for help, self-soothing in the midst of all dangers; Insensible of any stir, and unwilling to be awaked. 2. The degree or measure of this punishment, 〈◊〉 set down in the Text in a double exprossion. 1. The Spirit of sleep. 2. The Spirit of sleep pow●●dont. 1. For the word Spirit, it very aptly and fully sets out the vehemency and depth of this sleep, Num. 5.14. Zec. 12.10. The violent & propens motions or addictedness of p●●son to a thing being set out in Scripture by this word spirit. Es. 19.14. Hos. 4.12. 1. Because these eager inclinations are furthered by the spirit, either good, if they be good inclinations, or a bad spirit if they be bad inclinations. Propensiones' vitiosae a malo spiritu excitatae impetus satanici. River in Hos. 4.12. Because these inclinations are seated in the spirit of a man, carrying the whole man according to its own bent. 3. Because the spirit of a thing doth frequently betoken force, energy, power, effioacie; the spirit of any thing being the strength of it and vigour. So the Scripture expounds the spirit of Elijah by the power of Elijah; Luke 1.17. and so the spirit of sleep is the efficacy, and force, and strength of sleep that had seized on them. 2. To the making of this spiritual judgement more full, 'tis said that this deep sleep was poured out, etc. In the Hebrew Nasak, a word that hath two significations according to the different nature of those things (moist or dry) about which it is spoken; both very apt to set forth the degree of this sleep. 1. Being used concerning the pouring out of liquid and moist things, it signifieth effudit or perfudit; he hath so poured it out upon you, that it is run all over you; it being mostly applied by the Scripture to the pouring out of the drinke-offering upon the Sacrifice, which drenched it & ran over it. So of the oil, Jer. 32.29.7.18. that was poured out on jacob's pillar: here therefore when 'tis said (in this sense) that a deep sleep is poured on them, Gen. 35.14. the meaning is, they are soaked in it, steeped in it, drenched, drowned in it. The 70. render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 2. Being used concerning dry things, it signifieth to hid all over, to cover, even over head and ears, no part of the thing covered, being to be seen, and so 'tis applied to the Covering of sin that makes a man blessed, Psalm 32.1. none of his sins being to be seen, here it being used, it imports such a Covering with a deep sleep as that no part is free, every part having this spiritual benumbedness seizing upon it; they were all over, all parts and degrees of men in the Kingdom under the power of this deep sleep, head, ears, eyes, arms, legs, Rulers, Prophets, Priests, people, as afterwards God speaks particularly and distributively. 3. The object, or the persons on whom this punishment was poured, expressed here in the word, you; A word whereby is intimated both the generality of the judgement; upon the body and bulk of the Kingdom is this judgement inflicted: and their pertinacy and settledness under it, that it was poured out upon them that were so often reproved, and stirred, and called upon by the Prophets, to awake: nay a people that had judgement even at their doors, and ready to fall upon them; it being near in point of execution, and fare off in point of their apprehension. 4. The Punisher or the party inflicting: Jehovah the Lord: He doth it in wrath and fury. God being here to be considered not as the Author but the Vltor, as the avenger, not the worker, not as effector but inflictor, not as the causer of it, but the punisher with it; God not infecting any with this spiritual benumbedness, or infusing it into any where it was not before: but punishing those further with it who had it of themselves. For the further explication of this, note 3. things about this spiritual distemper of a deep sleep. 1. Natural is propensio, or inclinatio, a natural desire to be at rest; a readiness to wish and tend to our own peace and preservation; and this inclinableness to selfe-preservation, is of God. 2. Irregularitas; the distemperature of the soul in soothing itself with thoughts and apprehensions of peace, in a course of sin, against the threaten and commands of God. A blessing one's self in heart, Deut. 29.19. saying I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of my heart; this is not of God, but from our own corruption. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A just reward and recompense by way of punishing and avenging the corrupt and obstinate inclination of the soul in sin notwithstanding all the means of grace, with more benummedness and spiritual sloth: and this God doth (I say) only as a Judge and an avenger, and that several ways. 1. By removing and denying the outward means of grace for contempt of them; which means were ordained for the awakening of people out of the sleep of sin; as Sermons, corrections, admonitions. 2. Denying the inward operation of his spirit, where he gives the outward means of grace: restraining his efficacious exciting grace; and so God is removens pro hibens, denying that grace which he is not bound to give; which grace would have hindered them from this distemper. 3. By a judicial tradition of these selfe-soothers up to that power and spirit, which shall more close and clasp up their souls in this spiritual distemper; and so God delivers people up to Satan and to their own hearts when he sees that people more obey them then him, listening to their allurements, more than to God's incitements, when God saith judicially, let him that is filthy, be filthy still; I deliver him up into the power both of Satan and his own heart; thus 1. King, 22.22.23. The Lord sent a lying spirit to persuade Ahab. so Psal. 81.11.12. I gave them up unto their own hearts, and they walked in their own counsels. 4. By offering and laying such occasions before men, as God knows they will abuse to the soothing up themselves against all his awakening administrations, Vltrix misericordia. as impunity, long life, Friends, Honour, etc. Which not sanctified, Blanda patrum segnes facit indulgentia natos the corrupted stomach turns into poison against itself; In which respect 'tis infinitely better that God should correct us so, as to awaken us though with never so much severity, Satius est ut vim qualem●unque mihi inferas domine, quam parcens mihi, me in meo torpore securum derelinquere Aug. then by sparing and prospering us to let us sleep in sin, so that we awake not till it be to late. I now proceed to the second thing I propounded to you; viz. to Collect and handle a practical observation from the former Parts thus explained and it shall be this Obs. Obs. For a deep sleep, in the spirit of it, to be poured out upon a person, or people by God, is a very sore judgement. 'Twas this that was the greatest part of Ariels' punishment. The soul of his judgement; not his being under this temporal calamity of a straight siege and Captivity, but in being a sleep when that it came. And 'tis very observable that this is the judgement that all along in the new Testament is in a manner only taken notice of; it being mentioned (by way of alleging that of Esaiah. 6. and 9) by all the four Evangelists, as also by Luke. in the 28. Act. and Paul. Rom. 11.8. Now for the prosecution of this observation, I shall show but two things. 1. Wherein it appears that this is such a sore and dismal judgement. 2. What use to make of it. For the first; I shall show you wherein the greatness of the judgement appeareth in the four parts of the Text before explained, and in the Text used by the spirit of God to express the dismallnesse of this judgement of a deep sleep. The first whereof is the kind of the judgement said to be a deep sleep, The greatness of this judgement of a deep sleep proved from the 4 particulars in the Text. which in the very nature of it denoteth five things, all which are very paenall, & dreadful. 1. The first thing that a deep sleep holdeth forth, is liableness, and obnoxiousness to judgements, unarmednesse in the midst of dangers; A man in a deep sleep, is in no condition to hinder an invader, 1. From the kind of the judgement, and so it denoteth 5. things, all very paenall. he lies naked to the fury of every enemy, he is not in a posture of making any resistance; like a field, without a fence, a City without a watch; like Samson in the midst of the Philistines without his locks; This spiritual sleeper though judgements approach, approacheth not to his tower, he maketh not the name of the Lord his refuge; he clozeth not himself up in the wounds of Christ by faith, he labours not by repentance to expel those enemies of his soul, his sins, which will open the door to every judgement, but securely harbours them within; he labours not by prayer to seek help from one that is able to keep him, he arms not himself with preparedness to meet his God; he is ruined without resistance; the fire of vengeance devoureth him as stubble, he is one fitted for destruction, 'Tis a greater punishment to be without punishments, and yet to lie naked and liable to them, then to be in the midst of them, and yet to be above them; A sleeping sinner spends all his time to fence his estate, his family, his name, his health; but his soul when death and judgement approacheth, lieth open and exposed; he takes much care to lock up his rubbish and lumber that are not worth the keeping or takeing away, but regards not to preserve his treasure, his jewel, his soul, but throws it among his enemies. The second thing that this judgement of a deep sleep holds forth, is selfe-soothing and flattery, security, self pleasing, and this is the ground of the former, he is dreaming of a Kingdom when jaels' nail is nearer his Temples then a Crown; ho (as Ariel in the context) fancies himself at a richly furnished table, where are all manner of delicacies, but when he awakes there's a starved empty stomach; Dut. 29.19. This spiritual sleeper, in the hearing the words of the curse, blesseth himself in his heart, and saith he, shall have peace, he goeth on in sin as if hell were a notion, judgement a fable, and as if the threats of the scripture were but some gainful inventions to uphold the Minister's maintenance; If God give him abundance in this life, he secretly smiles at the severest denunciations; and inwardly applauds his own safety and integrity, as Ephraim. Hos. 12.8. Notwithstanding all the Prophets could denounce, Hos. 12.8. said, yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance All flattered one's are in danger, but the self flattered are in the greatest; when they shall cry peace, peace. 1. Thes. 5.3. 1. Th. 5.3. Then sudden destruction shall come upon them; peace with ones self accompanied with war against ones God is the worst of wars; soule-soothing is soul slaying, he that would be caer safe must be never secure; judgements that befall the selfe-flatterer come not more inovitably, then greviously. The same judgement that befalls them with others, makes them more miserable the others, in regard they expect to be happier, judgement unthought of is judgement intolerable. Job. 21.13. They spend their days in wealth, & in a moment they go down to the grave; a doleful mirth! better is that hell that makes way for heaven, than that heaven that makes a way for hell, the self deluders happiness is a fool's Paradise: never was it known that they were quiet to eternity, that were not disquieted in their sins here. The hell upon earth is to be in the way to hell, and yet to think that the course is steered toward heaven. 3. This judgement of a deep sleep comprehends the punishment of unactiveness, unserviceableness, and unprofitableness in the midst of all opportunities and exigencies whatsoever, whether they be the particular exigencies of our own souls, or of the Church of Christ. The work is great, but there is no labourer; This spiritual sleeper is a summer-sluggard, a harvestsleeper; he stirs not up himself to lay hold upon God & life: he seeks not the Kingdom of God and its righteousness: he strives not to enter in to the strait gate: he offers no violence to the Kingdom of heaven: he works not out his salvation: he wrestles not in prayer: he lives as if he had nothing to do in the world; heaven is not his business: he is, but he lives not, as far from doing any work in the very evening of his life, as he was in the dawning of it; Lived he hath like a drone all his days, as if he had been borne to look on: glorious opportunities are before him; every Sabbath, Sermon, Ordinance are full seasons of grace, a rich prize: but he hath no heart, no hand; And for the Church of Christ be the straits thereof never so great, the work never so abundant, its exigencies never so urgent, this spiritual sleeper takes his rest, but takes no pains, he helps not the Lord; may but he be warm in his own feathers, he regards not the dangers of the house, he is a mere mute and Cipher, a nullity in the world, a superfluity upon the earth, Jer. 13. Jeremiah's rotten girdle good for nothing, or like the branches of a Vine, Ezek. 15.3. which are but weak and unuseful, good to make no beams or rafters oft he prayeth not, he counseleth not, he contributeth not, he is in a deep sleep, and hath lost his hands; such a kind of sleep as this, to a Saint, would be the greatest unquietness; serviceableness is his heaven; this life would be nothing worth if he might not get Christ and (instrumentally) give him. 4. This judgement of a deep sleep comprehends the punishment of unwillingness and loathness to have any disturbance & stirring by any that come to awake. This sluggard is in his warm down, or in his midnight repose, and he loves not to be molested. Yet a little more folding of the arms likes him; Insanus contra med●●●mam. This spiritual sleeper loves not any that stir him, he accounts them his greatest enemies and torments; Pars sanitatis telle sana●i. Seneca. he that useth means may die: but he that refuseth all helps of recovery must die; what will become of those that say to the Prophets prophesy not, that are mad against the medicine, that cannot endure sound doctrine, that shut their eyes against the Sun, and stop their ear against the sound of the word; thus it is with this spiritual sleeper; he is angry with every one that makes a noise, that will not suffer him and his lusts to live together in quiet. He that counts the word a burden here, shall feel another burden hereafter. 5. Lastly, this judgement of a deep sleep denoteth insensibleness, regardlessness under the threaming, noises, wounds, and all other administrations used by God to awaken him: God saith or doth the spiritual sleeper layeth it not to heart, so as to get any good by it take it in these five particulars. 1. He is insensible of danger, like a drunken man that sleeps on the top of a mast, near dangers in regard of execution, fare from them in regard of apprehension; he puts far from him the evil day, An awaked Christian foresees the danger, and provides accordingly ● a sleeping sinner fears nothing, feeling only troubles him; and that too when 'tis too late. 2. He is insensible of the loudest noises, severest denunciations; line may be upon line, precept upon precept, Minister after Minister, Isa 28.13. and all do but fatten his heart and deafen his ear; the most effectual warnings, the lifting up the voice like a Trumpet, the shrillest denunciations work not upon him; the Lion roars, but be trembleth not. 3. He is insensible of being uncovered and stripped of any comforts and supplies; though God pull off his , take away friends, children, estates, health, plenty: though the waterpot and the spear be taken from the bolster be stirs not, like the hen which loseth her chickens one by one by the devouring Kite; when one or 2 or 3. are snatched away, she still continueth to pick up what lieth before her. 4. He is insensible of the stir and joggings that are given him in his sleep, the faithful admonitions of friends. Rebuke a scorner, and he hates both rebukes and rebuker. Prov. 29.1. Though often reproved he hardens his necks: he and his distemper are so nailed together, that reprehensions sever them not. 5. He is insensible of wound, maiming, the very fetching out his blood. Esa 5.12. Jer. 5.3. Hos. 7.9. Esa 1.5. They regard not the works of the Lord: they refuse to receive correction when the hand of the Lord is lifted up, they will not see. Grey hairs are here & there upon them and they know it not: though smitten, they revolt more and more. Adam's rib was taken out of him and he felt it not. The storms & waves fight against Jonah, and he observes it not. The spiritual sleeper is insensible of judgements in three respects. 1. He is insensible who wounds; he thinks not of the hand of God in the miseries that befall him; he only looks at man, and thinks not that 'tis God who gives him to robbers and spoilers; he looks not upward as David when Shemei reviled him, did; he considers not that he hath negotium cum Deo, to do with God when men hurt him: but all his study is how to avenge himself upon, or reconcile himself unto the instrument, who indeed was used by the hand of providence to do what was done against him; his endeavours in this respect beginning at the wrong end, for God hath a negative voice to all overtures of peace and friendship between man and man; the hand that cuts can only cure; the God that wounds can only heal; any structure of amity between man and man will soon fall that is not set upon the foundation of a peace with God. 2. He is insensible why he is wounded: of the deserving cause, sin: as he looks not upward, so neither looks he inward: he is not driven by what he feels, to observe what he doth, no man saith what have I done; he searcheth not his heart to find out the Jonah when the storm is risen about him. He traceth not the sin, the beast, by the vestigium, the print of punishment that it hath left upon him: nor laboureth by the stream to go to the head from whence it issueth. Every thing shall be blamed sooner than sin; his careless servants, his disobedient child, his cheating Chapman, his treacherous Commander: but here is not a word of sin all this while. Nay rather than that shall be blamed, the fault shall be laid upon those that are his greatest friends, and haply most of all desire his good. As ' its evident in the dismal example of Saul who in all his affrightments flew upon innocent David, and never looked into himself, Nay, rather than sin shall be blamed, cries out upon that which is not, as his hard hap, his fortune. etc. 3. He is insensible of the way to cure his wounds and the true way of winding himself out of his miseries. The people. Hos. 7.10. Hos. 7.10. In the time of their calamity and declining, and when their grey hairs were here and there upon them, return not to the Lord their God, nor seek him, for all this, and v. the 13. woe unto them for they have fled from me; they fly to Egypt and Assyria but they fly from God. who only can help & v. 16. They return but not to the most High, they are like a deceitful Bow; and the like complaint is that of Isay, Is. 51.20. that the people are like a wild Bull in a net, that can hamper and entangle itself more and more, but takes no course to wind itself out; very elegant also is that comparison of Hosea. chap. 13.13. where 'tis said that Ephraim is an unwise Son, Hos. 13.13. for he should not stay long in the place of breaking forth of Children, the scope is this. The Prophet compares the kingdom of Israel to a woman in travail, in regard of ' its pains and distresses, and the inhabitants to the child in the womb of the Mother, and to such a foolish Child, which though the Mother be in never such torture, by reason of ' its continuance in the womb, yet the child takes no care to get forth; but remains there still though to the kill of Mother and itself both; so the Israelites had rather stifle themselves in the womb of sin and punishment, & undo the state, then leave their sin, & save themselves and the Kingdom their Mother; In the 5. ch. & v. the 13. he compares them to a sick wounded person that goeth to a wrong medicine for healing, where he saith that when Judah saw his sickness, Hos. 5.13, and Ephraim his wound, they went to the Assyrian, and sent to Jareb yet could he not cure them; & so to a silly dove without heart, Hos. 7.12, that flieth to Egypt and Assyria for help. And yet ver. 13. They fly from God, (Though indeed there be no way to fly from God, but by flying to him,) they sent to Jareb but not to God; they open their mouths to be filled with the wind but stop them when God offereth that which will satisfy them; A spiritual sleeper useth every way but the right. If there be a wrong he will be sure to take it; he is sooner ready to destroy himself then his sin, and more inclined with an obstinate heart to go on to ruin, then by reviewing the greatness of his provocations, and the goodness of him that is provoked; to melt into tears, to ask pardon, to loathe himself and his lusts, and to turn hearty to the most high; This is the complaint of Isaiah that the people return not to him that smites them; dismal is that denunciation of God, ●evk. 27.39. that after all their Famine and Wars, and losses, and Captivities; they should not withstanding all these wounds, (they that are left) pine away in their iniquity. Notwithstanding the deaths of thousands before their eyes, their abode in their Enemy's land the visiblest tokens of the displeasure of an angry God, yet to pine away and swelter in sin as if nothing could awake them, how dreadful is it? there's the first thing in the Text wherein a spiritual deep sleep, appears to be so dreadful a judgement, in respect of the nature and kind of it, opened in five particulars. The second particular in the Text, whereby the greatness of this judgement is set forth, is the measure of it, held out in a double expression. 1. Of the pouring out of it. 2. Of the pouring the Spirit of it. 1. Of pouring it; and this notes that when this deep sleep seizeth upon people as it did upon these in the Text, that it overwhelms them, it runs all over them, it is such a dead palsy as stupifieth the whole body; that leaves no part free; like a City that is so begirt with an Enemy, and about which there is so straight a siege that there is no going either in or out; So here the Ministers of the Gospel know not where to set upon, or how to endeavour entrance into these spiritually sleeping sinners; how difficult a thing is it to cure that patiented who in every part of his body, outward and inward is distempered; when the whole body is totum pro vulnere; All over one wound and malady as it were. 2. The second expression that sets out the measure of this deep sleep, is the spirit of it; A word that properly notes the power and the vehemency of this distemper; As the spirit of a thing is the force and vigour and strength of it, so here is denoted the efficacy and powerfulness of this deep sleep in these people and over them; now what a judgement is it for a man to be under the power of sin, to be in arctâ custodiâ, close prisoner to the soul's greatest enemy, to be in the bond of iniquity, to be held in the Cords of his sin, to have the soul garrisoned with thousands of such strong men armed as the weakest of them is stronger than an army of men; surely to be under the power of the greatest Tyrants breathing, is not a punishment comparable to this; 'tis a power that none in the world can match, but only the power of him that is also an Enemy to him that is a spiritual sleeper. If it be the power of God that keeps to salvation; the power of sin and Satan (if not overpowred) must needs keep to damnation; It is such a power as resisteth all the means that come to rescue the soul from it, and that so deeply seizeth upon the sinner, that it makes him purely subdued, bowed down under it; and yet which is worst of all, the nature of this power stands in making a man unwilling as well as unable to get from under it; he being a very slave in every thing but only in that which is common to all others that are in bondage, 2. Pet. 2. namely to sigh and groan under it. 3. The third particular in the Text whereby the dismalness of this judgement of a deep sleep is set out in the Object, the persons upon whom 'tis poured, You, where we may take notice of two things. 1. The Parties. 2. The part of these Parties that the Prophet here intends to be under a deep sleep. 1. The parties you, you a people that are under all my awakening administrations; of words, and threaten, of judgements, and examples, You have I known of all the Nations of the Earth, with you have I taken pains more the with all the people in the world beside, and for you to be in a deep sleep is a greater, both sin, and shame, and punishment, then for others. None are such approved tried friends to lust as they that continue in it under means of recovery, none so inexcusable for continuing in their spiritual slumber as they that have had helps to awaken them. 'Tis a shame for any to be a sleep but more for them that are in the light, the sun, and sound of the word. 'Tis not so great a marvel for others to be asleep whom God never brought under those helps that might stir them up; but for those that live in the daytime of the Gospel, and are under the stirring Ministry of the Prophets to continue slumbering in sin, 1 Thes. 5.6. there can be no Apology; The Apostle makes this an argument that Christians should beware of this distemper of spiritual sloth. Let not us sleep as do others; q. d. 'tis enough for those that are in the night of sin and nature to sleep, let not us. 'Twas the argument that the Angel used to Jacob, let me go, for the day breaketh: Gen. 32.26. whosoever is not awaked by the light of the day, the Gospel, shall be awaked by the heat of eternal flames. 2. The second thing is the part of these parties upon which this spiritual sleep seizeth; and that is intended by the Prophet to be the soul; The soul of a judgement is its seizing upon the soul: spiritual blessings are the greatest, and spiritual judgements the dismallest. There are three things whereby it appears that the judgement of a deep sleep is greatned by befalling the soul. 1. The soul is the excellency of man; the worthiest part: the body is a body of vileness, Phil. 2.21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. the soul a precious soul; excellent every way, but as it is depraved with sin. 'Tis the noblest part of man; noble in respect of its original, 'tis heaven-borne; in respect of its functions, its endowments; If all be well with the soul, a man is happy, though the body be never so miserable; If it go ill with the soul, the man is wretched, let the body abound never so much with outwardblessings. When a mean conremptible man, and one of no account dyeth, it's never spoken of: but when a Prince or some great man dyeth, all lay it to heart; the soul is the Prince, the body is but the page, and therefore the body is not to be lamented, from which only the soul parteth: but the soul from which God himself parteth 2. The distempers that befall the soul are hardest to remove; There's no herb in the garden, no receipt from the Physician, no medicine in the shop, that can cure the soul; men are only parents of the body, and only Physicians of the body, he that made the soul can only mend it. The father of spirits, is the only Physician of spirits; 'Tis omnipotent strength that recovers sin-sicke souls: man can make them worse, but it's only a God that can make them better; Outward helps cannot cure the inward man; The God of the heart can only restore the hidden man of the heart: 1 Pet. 3.4 He that sits in heaven must touch and teach the heart, otherwise it can never be reached or taught. 3. The distempers that befall the soul are most deadly, if they be not remedied. A scratch on the finger is a slight wound: but a wound that reacheth to the heart is always dangerous if not dendly; whatsoever befalls the body is but slight, and to be slighted in Comparison of what annoyeth the soul. Soul curses are the only dreadful ones. All calamities may be in mercy that befall the body, for they only part between us & health wealth, and friends, etc. but they which befall the soul, part us in some measure from him in whom all blessedness and true happiness is laid up. If the soul liveth, the man dies not: if the soul be dead in sin the man is dead. The life of our lives, is the health of the soul: the death in death is the miscarriage of the soul. If a man be not heartficke, though otherwise much distempered 'tis not looked upon as dangerous; he that is not spiritually and soul and sin-sicke, is not sick unto death; the sicknesses and distempers of the body, are but only such in appearance, & in a sort opinionative, the diseases of the soul are only such in reality. Spiritual comforts and miseries are only such: vera; temporal, whether Comforts or miseries are but fallacia, seeing and deceiving; 'twas an excellent advice of Christ to his Disciples: fear not him that can kill the bady, but fear him that can throw both body and soul into hell; Thus of the third reason, the object of this judgement, you. 4. The fourth thing in the Text that makes the spirit of a deep sleep so dreadful a calamity, is the inflicter of it, and the punisher with it, and that is the Lord JEHOVAH; The Lord, whose punishments are always either the sorest or the sweetest; if they better not those whom they befall they ever hurt them: Now this is a punishment ever of hurt and destruction, not medicina but laniena, not the cutting of a chirurgeon or a friend; but of an Enemy and a destroyer, 'Tis a blessing of God to correct and love us, A great curse for God to punish and leave us; nay so to punish as the very punishment is a leaving of us. The happiness of correction stands in teaching us, but, this punishment of a deep sleep is the giving us up to unteachableness. There are three things whereby it appear that 'tis a great addition to this judgement, for God to inflict it. 1. In regard 'tis that God who is the God of all mercy and the Father of all consolation, the God that is the giver of every good and perfect gift; for him to punish must needs be very dismal; who shall pity if he punish? if others punish and God pity, there's comfort yet and hope, but who shall be our friend when the Lord will frown? If mercy be our Enemy, who or what shall be our friend? the Lord that openeth the ears and eyes of his people, that teacheth them in his ways, that makes them to profit, Psal. 13.3. that lightens their eyes lest they sleep the sleep of death; 'tis this God that punisheth the obstinate sinner with this judgement, 'Twas a great aggravation of Esau's punishment to miss of the blessing, because his Father had blessed his Brother immediately before, bless me, even me also o my Father, saith he, for the same breath that blesseth a Saint to blast thee, for the same Sermon that melteth a humble soul into tears for sin to stupify thee in sin, for the same sun that dissolveth another, to harden thee, for the same gale that blows on heaven-ward, to drive thee (occasionally) hellward; here's a judgement indeed; If a man sin against God who shall entreat for him; 1 Sam 2, 23. If God set himself against a man who shall recover him 2. A deep sleep in respect of the inflicter is a great punishment because inflicted by God in the deep'st of his displeasure, as the last and the sorest of his judgements in this life; he never doth it but when he is provoked to the purpose, he inflicts it as a reckoning for all other faults that went before; when all means and helps of recovery are despised; when God is showing mercy the last mercies are the best, and the farther he goeth in mercy the sweeter he is, and so when he is punishing, the last punishments are the sorest, and the further he goeth the bitterer he is; he both loveth and leaveth gradually. This judgement of pining away in iniquity is the last that God mentions after all those dismal ones there spoken of to befall the people. Levit. 26.39. Leu. 26.39. 'Tis the last judgement the lowest stayer of hell upon Earth; 'tis even contiguous to (as I may say) & bordering upon hell itself. He that is filthy let him be filthy still, Rev. 22.11. is the last judgement we read of (befalling in this life) in all the new Testament. A judgement inflicted upon those that despise the offers of Christ and grace, so he gave them up, so? how and when? my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me, so I gave them up unto their own hearts; 1. Sam. 26.8. when God is punishing with this judgement, he saith, as Abishai when he offered to smite Saul, said, I will smite him to the Earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. God punisheth with a deep sleep as with an hell upon earth, as with that after which a man needs not be smitten the second time. 3. 'Tis a punishment inflicted by God, which the more God inflicts it, the more he loves to inflict: other punishments may move God to pity, as the sword and oppression, etc. But this being a sin as well as punishment: the more it lies upon a man, the more it must needs offend and provoke a God; and in this respect it is a distinguishing judgement, between the friends and foes of God; God loving his people the more he corrects. Thus much of the first thing propounded for the prosecution of the observation; viz. the showing wherein it appeareth that the spirit of a sleep is so great a judgement. The second followeth, viz. the Application of it; And this I shall endeavour in these two practical Inferences. If a deep sleep be so great a judgement, and the greatness of it stands in the fore mentioned particulars. Use. There is then a heavy judgement, either fallen or falling upon us in England; upon you (my Lords) of the Parliament. From falling into it to the utmost, the lowest degree, the Lord preserve us but that we are fallen into it to a very dismal degree, I am confident may be too clearly evidenced. The five fore mentioned particulars, comprehended in the very kind or sort of the judgement of a deep sleep will be found in a deep measure to agree with us. 1. liableness, exposednesse to miseries. Aspirituall sleeper lieth naked to all invaders; is prepared to make no resistance against his enemies, For us of this nation it cannot be denied but that the terrible alarms & invasions of judgements among us, ought long ago to have roused us out of sinful sloth, and have driven us to our Towers and strong holds; I mean to have made us labour to make God our friend; to run to the name of the Lord, to close up ourselves in the wounds of Christ by faith, to make up our ruinous breaches and gaps by repentance; but have the approaches of judgements wrought upon us after this manner; or rather lie we not still as exposed and naked to judgement, as when it was a thousand times further off? Are we not like the enthralled Israelites without a sword or spear in our land? 1. Sam. 13.22. which of us labour to overcome God with his own strength of prayer, and faith and a holy life; or rather is there not a greater decay of these of late then ever? Do we not live as if we would invite judgements, and as if every one studied to betray himself to ruin? the power of godliness decreaseth as the power of judgements prevail; our religion like our buildings is of a slighter frame then formerly, holiness is disputed into a mere speculation, and practical religion evaporated into a notion; where is he among us that prays more fervently and frequently than he was wont, that walks more exactly, that layeth hold upon Christ more strongly than heretofore; never were there wars that in so short a time, made so many skilful Soldiers for the body, and so few for the soul. 2. For the second thing I mentioned to be in a deep sleep; self-soothing, and pleasing one's self with fancies of felicity and dreams of happiness; we in England are the lively picture of Ariel here in the context. v. 7. Hath not God emptied us of our men our blood, and treasure, and many renowned worthies, and yet do we not dream we are full? how proud have we been with every success, how sweetly doth the profane worldling please himself and nestle in his feathers of Gold, his places, and stipends, and offices, and scoff at severest denunciations? was there ever known a people brought so low in their estate, to be so high in their own esteem? a people whose Father did spit in their face with so much indignation, and yet a people that were so little dismayed or ashamed as we? witness that elfish attire, shameful & yet shameless nakedness of necks and backs, those sin-blacke, hell-black, bewty-spotts (people would not account it a beauty to be borne with them) that swaggering profanation of sabbath, drinking and riotousness among us. 3. For unactivenesse, and idleness; we are in so deep a sleep, that though every thing hath cried out for our help and succour and hand (there never being a time of so much employment) yet we lie still like a company of sworn slaves to sleep. Have we not both Parliament and kingdom, been a company of harvest sleepers, summer sluggards? what a fair summer of opportunityes hath God afforded to you (my Lords) for the working in his harvest, and doing great things for his name, he hath bestowed opportunities so glorious, as I question whether ever Parliament had the like; and I fear that you shall never see the like again. The Lord grant your harvest weather be not almost at an end. Oh that I could not say with Elijah there is (I fear at least) a sound of much rain; 1 Kings. 18.41. what might you not have done for God had you had hearts; you might (not to speak of that comfort you might have afforded to dying Ireland, relief to poor Christians, refreshment to the Ministers, ease to oppressed ones, content to this faithful City of London) you might by this time have set up the house of God in England, and have perfected reformation even to a beautifullnesse; you might have made Antichrist to have groaned like a dying man, you might have made all the reformed Churches in Christendom have blessed God for you; but alas for your sloathfullnesse! you are in stead of beautifying & pertfecting reformation, but now a laying something like the foundation of it; and this little that is laid, how do Heretics and Sectaries, and Libertines, take the stones away from it daily? how active hath God been for us, how dull have we been for him? what a poor, weak, imperfect, lame, government have we as yet, and what a while was it ere we could get that little we have? we have received mercy by els (as I may say) but we have returned obedience by inches. We have been like narrow mouthed Bottles, we have given nothing to God without an unkind and churlish muttering and grudging; every thing hath cried to you, but what help hath any received from you? poor oppressed ones cry for help, but they and their causes are neglected, the City cries with petition after petition and how slowly is it releied Ireland hath sobbed itself to death almost and yet you hardly begin to stir; Ministers cry not with the language of their tongues, (for I think malice itself cannot speak them immodest herein) but of their poverty, their oppressions, their almost starved families in some places, these cry in your ears, and (in the Lords of hosts too) for maintenance; these who procured and continued you money, arms, men, love, life in your forest straits, that have saved the Kingdom, these cry aloud to the Parliament, that Sectaries may not ruin them and theirs, that if you will not give them books you would give them bread, a livelihood a subsistence; but alas poor Ministers! whose ears, hearts, mouths have been opened to you and for you, find yours stopped against them; there's no stirring for their relief. The Covenant cries (God grant not against you) for reformation of the Kingdom, the extirpation of heresies schisms, profaneness. etc. and these impieties abound as if we had taken a Covenant to maintain them, and since it was taken these sins which we have covenanted against have more abounded then in the space of ten times so many years before, our Covenant stirs us not, we are unactrve; we have not done what we might, the time may come that we shall not do what we would, what if the Lord should say to you, I abhor you and your services; I'll do my work without you. 4. Unwillingness to be stirred and be awaked is a-another punishment in a deep sleep; And if this agree not to us, what doth? we oppose and openly dislike those who faithfully stir us from our sloth; we are commonly observed to love flatterers, and those who may soothe us though into destruction; painful zealous Ministers that will tell us of our sins, are now looked upon as busy men; as those that meddle with the State; they are bid to keep to their Text; as if that preaching which is a coming close to your lusts, were a going away from our Texts: In the Bishop's times we were suffered to preach any thing, so we came not near their sins, and this Prelacy is still kept up among us. Hence it is that faithful Ministers are denied their maintenance, are abused by the nicknames of Anti-christian, are voiced enemies to the Parliament (are you and your lusts so near that we cannot be enemies to one, but we must be enemies also to the other) that they have changed their principles, that they are turned Malignants whereas 'tis not the shore that moves, but the Boatman: the Ministers are still the same men, and walk by the same rule; still are for you, the Covenant, and a pure reformation. The Lord will one day judge who they are that continue faithful and firm both to him and you, and who are unfaithful to him, to us and yourselves. 5. Insensibleness is the last and greatest part of this punishment by a deep sleep; and doth it not agree to us? Insensibleness I say of dangers, noises, stir, uncovering, wound; dangers we put far from us, we fear nothing; we live as if we had made a covenant with death: we bless ourselves in our own hearts, expecting peace, Dut. 29.19. going on in our own ways. Insensible we are of noises and stir; how loud hath been the voice of the word in our ears, but how deaf have we been? Rare is the operation of the word in our congregation; the bellows are burnt, the lead is consumed, jer. 6.29. and yet the founder melteth in vain; Ministers are spent both in strength and numbers, and yet our lusts in neither; and for the Parliament 'tis a common observation that it is Sermon-proof; You command us to preach before you, oh that God would command you to practise before us. You enjoin us to Print: but 'twill be an unanswerable dilemma another day, either the Sermons you caused to be printed were good or bad: if bad, why were they so much as printed: if good, why not more then printed, why not practised also. We are insensible of uncovering and wound; though God takes away from us our honours, estates, rents, friends, etc. nay, hath wounded us in health, strength, and even to the death of thousands: yet are we insensible from whom these miseries come. We only treat & deal with man, not with God; insensible why they come, we say not what have we done, our sins trouble us not but they rather that will trouble us in our sins, insensible how to remove them, to be rid of them; we turn not to him that smites, witness the general inundation of all profaneness among us; never were God and we further asunder then since our miseries and we were near one another. Use. 2 The second inference shall be to direct us how to keep off and to shake off this unholy, unhappy distemper of a deep sleep. 1. Embrace that Ministry that God is wont to make use of, for the rousing up of slothful sinners. God can a waken people without it, but ordinarily he will not; love that preaching most that loves most to excite thee; The word is both light and noise, both which are wont to disquiet sleepers. there's not a greater judgement to a people, then to have such Preachers who labour to continue people in the sleep of sin. A silent Ministers sins against the very nature of his Function: his work must be to stir you out of your sins, though he knew that he should stir some of you up to rage; he must speak frequently and fervently; frequently, if one cry stir not, another may; he knows not what season God may awaken you in, he must continue calling and crying though you should sleep the faster under his noise: as long as there is life, there may be awaking: fervently they must not be sweet Musicians and pleasant singers to cast you into this sleep; nothing requireth so much fervour & vehemency in employment as the spiritual welfare of souls; They must be sons of thunder, not of music, holily impatient against your lusts. There are some doctrines that are pillows & bolsters to a slumbering people; the doctrine of freewill, universal, whether grace or redemption, etc. Antinomianisme in all its parts is a doctrine of a deep sleep; 'Tis a dreadful presage in that these are the doctrines of our times; never was there a time wherein God spoke more terribly, and Ministers more mildly; there's now a wretched prejudice against Orthodox and faithful preaching, that it is not a preaching of Christ; 'Tis most of all other discouraged and discountenanced. But we should be so fare from blaming the loudness of the sound of the word, that we should blame the depth of our own slumber, we should take the part of the word against our lust; and entreat God to speak with, and louder than the Minister to make the word an awakening voice in the Ministry, though it be a displeasing voice; beseech the Lord to cry in the ears of thy soul with the voice of his own spirit; to stir thee in the Ministry with his own arm, otherwise Ministers shall rend their sides, in steed of rousing thy soul. 2. Secondly labour for a fruitful improvement of sufferings; upbraid thy sin-insensible spirit with its deafness, and take God's part against thine own repining soul; It's a singular mercy to be awakened though by severest administrations; God is never more angry thou when he is not angry; God never punisheth so severely, as when he punisheth by sparing, and lets thy soul have its fill in impunity; Entreat God to do thy soul good, his own way; and beware lest any affliction blow over without bettering thee, physic, if it works not, hurts and not heals; afflictions are awakening seasons; to continue in sleep under them is the loss of an excellent opportunity; afflictions sanctified are like winds right set to blow to the port. Entreat God to set them right, though they be rough. If thou art so close nailed to thy lust that sickness, or disgrace, Isa. 1.15. or losses in thy estate etc. cannot part it and thee, It's both a provocation to God to leave thee, and an encouragement to Satan to keep thee 3. Endeavour for a tender trembling heart, at the very beginning of the solicitations of sin; sin is of a stupefying nature; & that which maketh way for eternal feeling, takes away spiritual; oppose and resist thy drowsy heart when it first inclineth to sinful rest; every sin neglected is a step downward to a deep sleep; That deluge here in the Text, is made up of many drops of sin; many knots tied one upon another, will be hardly loosed, sins repeated and not repent of, Prov. 5.27 bind down the soul in insensibleness and sloth; every spot that falls upon a man's makes him the more regardless of them; and every sin suffered to defile the conscience makes thee more careless of it; If inclination to sin were resisted, there could be no stupe-faction by sin, that man who dares not wade to the ankles, nay that trembles so much as to touch the water, is in no danger of being overwhelmed with it; The modest beginnings of sin will make way for immodest proceed; the thickest Rock of jce that will bear a Cart, gins with a thin trembling cover that will not bear a pebble. 4. Labour for faith in threaten; restrain not thy belief only to what God hath promised, extend it to what God hath denounced; This will make of a regardless sinner, a trembling melting Saint as we see in the case of Josiah, 2. Kings. 22.11 13. faith comprehends all truths past, present, & to come in ' its vast bosom; & overcomes all improbabilities that seem to keep away judgements as well as those that seem to keep away mercies; faith seethe that wounded men shall be able to overcome a sinful and threatened City, jer. 37.10. and it dares not permit the soul to sleep in sin, notwithstanding wealth and friends, and honours, for it sees that the truth of a threatening and the power of a threatener are above all these; why was not Noah drowned in a deep sleep of sin and in a deluge of water with the old world, who lay securely insensible till the flood awaked them? the spirit of God tells us, Heb. 11.7. that faith kept Noah both from sleep and flood. Faith taught Noah to fear, Subitò tollitur qui diu toleratur. and fearing is the best way to prevent feeling; A believer seethe that he shall be suddenly snatched away that is long borne with, faith makes a man solicitous for a time and safe to eternity. 1 Tim. 4 ●. 5. Be vigorous in the exercising thyself in godliness, ever be employed, never think or say thou hast done work enough, think not that thy work is ended if thy life be not, take heed of remissness in God's service. Rom. 12.11. Be diligent in the business of heaven; let the tempter ever find thee employed; the night comes and no man can work but as long as the day of life and health, and Gospel lasteth, no man must loiter; ever be working out thy salvation; as sleep causeth idleness, so idleness causeth sleep; ever be speaking of, speaking to, meditating about God and his ways; be progressive in the way to heaven; take not up thy rest in point of cessation from employment, lest thy rest take thee and overwhelm thee; strive to attain the highest pitch of religion, and yet be ever working for heaven as if thou wert at the lowest. 6. Be moderate in following the employments, & enjoying the Comforts of this life; take heed lest these vapours over-whelm thee; Satan lieth in ambush behind our lawful comforts; and in the securest enjoyments seizeth upon the soul. Christ was once lost at a feast, and in abundance 'tis hard not to neglect him still. Prosperity (never that I could yet hear of) awaked any soul out of sin: many have been cast into the sleep of sin by it. 'Tis as hard to be rich and watch full, as 'tis to be poor and contented; 1. Pet. 5.8. when God remembers us most, we remember him least. Sobriety and vigilancy are enjoined together. Be sober and vigilant. Let the things of this life be thy solatia not negotia: thy refreshments in thy pilgrimage not thy great employments; love them as ever about to leave them: use them not as the things for which thou dost live, but as the things without which in this estate thou canst not live. Please not thyself in any thing wherein thou dost not see thy God; Let his smile in & his glory by every gift only comfort thee. Delight in nothing upon earth for its self. Persons that are inclined to be gross in their body must use much exercise: and they who have abundance in the world, should take pains with their hearts, lest while they get the world they lose their God, and please themselves in their sin; please not yourselves in the sensual using of the Creatures, but in the spiritual enjoyment of the Creator; Be not taken with what thou hast in gift, but what thou hast in love; not with with anything the Lord gives thee, unless he gives himself it. So much for the second practical inference, viz. of direction, and so for the whole. That which followed, in the preaching of this Sermon; in regard it only conceirned their Lordships is set down in the Epistle to them. FINIS.