ments, as if it were as easy to put off the world as to change their clothes ; but the world hath found those places commonly to have proved, not houses to pray in, but dens to draw their prey into. It is more likely that those who are pam- pered with sloth and fulness of bread, should be eaten up with luxury and sensuality than with zeal and devotion. The air, when still, thickens and cor- rupts ; the spirits in our body are choked with rest ; and the soul needs motion and exercise as much as either ; in spiritual offices it cannot hold without inter- mission, therefore, Clod hath provided our particular callings as a relief to our spiritual devotions, only our care must be nut to overdo. The same thing may quicken and weaken, — wake us, and lay us asleep. There is no greater help to our religious offices, than a faithful discharge of our particular calling ; but when it is inordinately pursued, it makes the spirit of prayer dull and heavy. Fifthly, Preserve a sense of thy spiritual wants. As fulness inclines the body to sleep ; so doth a conceit of spiritual fulness, the soul : when the belly is full, then the bones woidd be at rest, — the man hath a greater inclination to sleep than to work ; wherea.s, he that is pinched with hunger, his empty stomach keeps him awake. If once thy spiritual hunger be a little stayed, (from a conceit of thy grace), thou wilt say, with the rich man, 'Take thy ease, O my soul, thou hast goods laid up for many years.' The Corinthians are a sad instance of this ; 1 Cor. iv. 8 : ' Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us ;' Paul is now nobody with you; the time hath been you could not do without him ; the hungry child did no more cry for the breast, than you for the word preached ; but now your stomach is stayed, you are full, and can live without him : whereas, it was a fulness of pride, not of gi-ace. It is the nature of grace to dilate the heart, and make room for more ; but of pride, to cloy the soul. God hath long kept open house in England ; the wine-cellar door of his ordinances hath not been shut upon us, we have had free access to drink, and that abundantly, of their sweet wine : but, alas ! may it not be for a lamentation to see, how many are drunk with spiritual pride, rather than filled with grace, after so long an enjoyment of God's ordinances ? Such yet there are, who decry all ordinances, and who can live without public preachino- and private praying also. There are others who are not so mad-drunk, but yet are fallen asleep ; they have lost their first life in, and love to, ordinances ; they sit with sleepy eyes and dead hearts imder them. Well, Christian, if thou wouldst keep thy soul awake, take heed thou losest not the sense of thy wants. Begging is the poor man's trade ; when thou beginnest to conceit thyself rich, then thou wilt be in danger of giving it over.
Section IV. — Sixthly, Retire often to muse on some soul-awaking medita- tions. We seldom sleep when we are thoughtful, especially if the thoughts we muse on be of weight and importance enough to occupy the mind: iiuleed, trivial thoughts, such as have nothing to invite attention, are given as a ready means to lull a man asleep. That Christian who neglects frequently to medi- tate on spiritual things, and lets his thoughts walk all day in company with carnal, worldly occasions, I should wonder if he finds his heart awake at night to pray in a spii-itual manner. Give me, therefore, leave to present a few subjects for thy meditation, and they will be as the alarm which men set over night to call them early in the morning. Meditate on Christ's coming to judgment. Surely thou wilt not easily sleep while this tnunpet, that shall call all mankind to judgment, shall sound in thy ear. The reason why men sleep so soundly is, because they either do not believe this, or at least do not think of it seriously. The servant that looks for his master, would be loth to be found in bed when he comes. Christ hath told us he will come, but not when, that we might never put off our clothes, — ' Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your lord doth come,' Matt. xxiv. 42. There are, indeed, negative signs concerning his coming to the general judgment of the world, by which we may know he will not yet come ; as the fall of Babylon, the calling of the Jews, and other pro- phecies, that must be fulfilled, before he comes : but (here are none from which we can conclude that his coming to any of us by death, and sunnnon us to our judgment before his l)ar, shall not yet be. Thou art yoxmg, tliou canst not therefore say, thou shnlt not die as yet ; alas ! nu-asure the coffins in the church- yard, and thou wilt find some of thy length : young and old are within the reach of death's scythe ; old men, indeed, go to death, their age calls for it ; but young
768 WATCHING THEREUNTO.