The Christians Daily Walk in Holy Security and Peace, Treatise · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Shewing how to end the day with God.
VVHen you have walked with God from morning untill night, whether on a common day, a day of Faſt, or on the Lords Day, according to the former directions: it remaineth that you conclude the day well, when you would give your ſelfe to reſt at night. Wherefore,
Firſt looke backe and take a ſtrict view of your whole carriage that day paſt. Reforme what you finde amiſſe; and rejoyce, or be grieved, as you finde you have done wel or ill, as you have gotten or loſt in grace that day.
Secondly, ſith you cannot ſleep in ſafetie, if God, who is your iPſal 12…. 4, 5.keeper, doe not k…. 127▪ 1.wake and watch for you: and though you have God to watch when you ſleepe; you cannot be ſafe, if hee that watcheth be your enemy. Wherfore you ſhall do wel, if at night, you not onelyonly conclude the day with your Family, by reading ſome Scripture, and by prayer; but you muſt alone renew and confirme your peace with GOD with prayer, & with like preparation therto, as you received directions for the morning: commending and committing your ſelfe to Gods tuition by aPſa. 3. 4, 5 Pſa. 92. 2.prayer, with thankſgiving before you goe to bed. Then ſhall you bPſal. 4. 8lye downe in ſafety.
All this being done, yet while you are putting off your apparell, when you are lying downe, and when you are in bed, before you ſleepe, it is good that you cPſal. 4. 4.commune with your owne heart. If other good and apt meditations offer not themſelves, ſome of theſe will be ſeaſonable.
1. When you ſee your ſelfeFit meditations at going to bed. ſtript of your apparell, conſider what you were at your birth, and what you ſhall be at your death, when you put off this earthly Tabernacle (if not in the meane time:) how that d1 Tim 6. 7you brought nothing into this world, nor ſhall carry any thing out; eIob 1. 21naked you came out of your mothers wombe; and naked ſhall you returne. This will be an excellent means to give you ſweet content in f1 Tim. 6. 8any thing you have, though never ſo little, and in the gIob 1. 21loſſe of what you have had, though never ſo much.
2. When you lye downe, you may thinke of lying downe into your winding-ſheete, and into your grave. For beſides that h1 Cor. 11 30ſleepe and the iIſa. 57. 2.bed doe aptly reſemble death and the grave, who knoweth when he ſleepeth that ever he ſhall awake againe to this life?
2. You may thinke thus alſo: If the Sunne muſt not goe downe upon my kEph. 4. 26wrath, leſt it become hatred, and ſo be worſe ere morning; then, it is not ſafe for me to lye downe in the allowance of any ſinne, leſt lPſa. 13. 3.I ſleepe not onelyonly the ſleepe of naturall death, but of that which is eternall: for who knoweth what anight wil bring forth? Now, it is an high point of holy mDeut. 32 29.wiſedome, upon all opportunities to thinke of, and to prepare for your latter end.
4 Conſider likewiſe, that if you walke with God in uprightneſſe, your death unto you is but to fall into a ſweet ſleepe, an entring into reſt, nIſa. 57. 2.a resting on your bed for a night, untill the glorious morning of your happy Reſurrection.
5. Laſtly, if poſſibly you can, fall aſleepe out of ſome heavenly meditation. Then will your ſleepe be oPro. 3 21 24, 25.more ſweete, and pPro. …. 21 22.more ſecure, your dreams fewer, or more comfortable, your head will be qPro. 6 22fuller of good thoughts, and your heart will be in better plight when you awake, whether in the night, or in the morning.
Thirdly, being thus prepared to ſleepe; you ſhould ſleepe onelyonly ſo much as the preſent ſtate of your body requireth; you muſt not be like the ſluggard, to rPro. 20. 13.love ſleepe; neither muſt you ſleepe too much: for if you doe, that (which being taken in its due meaſure, is a reſtorer of vigor and ſtrength to your body, and a quickner of the ſpirits) wil make the ſpirits d…l, the braine ſo…tiſh, and the whole body lazie, and unhealthy. And that which God hath ordained for a furtherance, through your ſinne ſhal become an enemy to your corporall and ſpirituall ſPro. 6. 6. 9, 10, 11.thrift. Thus much of walking with God in all things at all times.