A Christians Duty and Safety in Evil Times, Sermon 5
THE Saints Reſt; OR Their happy ſleep in Death.
Text. Acts 7.60. the later part.
And when hee had ſaid this, hee fell aſleep
THeſe words contain in them the happy cloſure and upſhot of Stephens life; wherein we have three particulars,
1. The Perſon that fell aſleep.
2. The Speech that he made when he fell aſleep.
3. What he did when he had finiſhed his Speech.
Firſt, We have the Perſon that fell aſleep, and that was Stephen: He was a man full of faith, and full of the Holy-Ghoſt, as you may ſee Acts 6.5. He was the firſt Martyr that ever ſuffered for the cauſe of Chriſt; hence I might gather this Doctrine, viz.
That the beſt of men are ſubject to violent and unnatural deaths. Stephen that was full of the Holy Ghoſt, was ſtoned to death; and Iohn the Baptiſt that was full of the Holy-Ghoſt from the very womb, was beheaded; Peter was crucified, and ſo was Andrew; Iſaiah was ſawed aſunder; Ieremiah was ſtoned, and Zacharias was ſlain between the Temple and the Altar. But I ſhall paſſe this.
The ſecond part of the Text, is the Speech that Stephen made when hee fell aſleep, Hoc dicto obdormivit, that is, when hee had finiſhed his prayer, He fell aſleep. Hence obſerve,
That it is an excellent way to cloſe up our lips with prayer. To die praying is a moſt Chriſtian way of dying. They ſtoned Stephen calling upon God. After this manner Chriſt died, hee prayed, Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit, and having thus ſaid he gave up the ghoſt. This he did that it might be a patern to all Chriſtians.
Prayer is a neceſſary duty at all times, but eſpecially when we are adying; and that for theſe three Reaſons.
1. Becauſe when we are to die, we have moſt need of Gods help, for then the Devil is moſt buſie, and we moſt weak.
2 Becauſe when we are to die, wee are to beg the greateſt boon of God, that is, that he would receive us into his heavenly Kingdom. Now prayer is the chiefe means to obtain this mercy, for it is Porta Coeli, Clavis Paradiſi, the Gate of Heaven, a Key to let us into Paradiſe. Therefore we have great reaſon to die praying.
3. Becauſe when a Saint of God is dying, he is then to take his laſt fare well of prayer. In Heaven there is no praying, but all thankſgiving; there is no need in Heaven, therefore no prayer in Heaven. Now a Saint of God, being to take his leave of prayer, when he is to die, therefore it is fit he ſhould die praying.
I beſeech you remember this pattern in the Text, St Stephen died caling upon the Lord. Let us die praying, as that Emper or ſaid, Oportet Imperatorem ſtantem mori: ſo may I ſay, Oportet Chriſtianum mort praecantem, it behoves a Chriſtian to die praying.
Queſt. But what was the ſubſtance of Stephens prayer?
Anſw. He prayed for himſelfe, and he prayed for his perſecutors.
1 He prayed for himſelfe, Lord Ieſus receive my ſpirit, verſe 59.
2 Hee prayed for his perſecutors, Lord lay not this to their charge, v. 60.
I will not enter upon this part of the Text, for it would ſwallow up all my time. Therefore I ſhall wave it, and come to the third part, which is that which (by Gods aſſiſtance) I purpoſe to ſpeak unto, viz. What Stephen did, when hee had finiſhed his prayer. When he had ſayd this, he fell aſleep, that is, he died.
Behold here, the magnanimity, the piety, and the Chriſtian courage of Stephen. The people were ſtoning of him, and gnaſhing their teeth upon. him, and the good man dies with as much quietneſſe of minde, as if he had died in his bed; he fell aſleep, while they were ſtoning of him. When he died, he prayed, and while he prayed he died.
But what made Stephen die thus quietly? Read the 55 verſe, and you ſhall ſee the reaſon of it: Being full of the Holy Ghoſt, he looked ſtedfaſtly into Heaven, and ſaw the glory of God, and Ieſus ſtanding at the right hand of God. Behold (ſaith he) I ſee the Heavens opened, and the Son of man ſlanding at the right hand of God. This made him die with ſuch a ſweet, quiet, and calm temper; he ſaw Jeſus Chriſt ſtanding at the right hand of God, ready to receive his Soul, and that made him die with ſuch an extraordinary quietneſſe of minde.
Death in Scripture, (eſpecially the death of Gods children) is often compared to a ſleep. It is ſaid of David, that he ſlept with his fathers. And it is ſaid, 1 Theſ. 4.13. I would not have you ignorant concerning them which are aſleep; that is, concerning them which are dead. And 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cauſe many are weakly and ſickly among you, and many ſleep; that is, many die. This expreſſion is a metaphorical expreſſion, and will afford us many rare and precious inſtructions about Death. And therfore (the grace of God aſſiſting me) I deſire to ſpend the reſt of the time in the opening of this Metaphor.
Doctrin The Obſervation is this, viz. That when a child of God dies, though his death be never ſo unnaturall and violent, yet it is nothing elſe but a falling aſleep: Or, The death of a child of God, though ſtoned to death, though burnt to aſhes, though it be never ſo violent & unnaturall, is nothing elſe but a falling aſleep. When he had ſaid this, he fell aſleep.
Somnus eſt mortis imago, Sleep is the image of Death: There are many notable reſemblances betwixt Sleep and Death, ſome of which I ſhall ſpeak to at this time.
1 Sleep is common to all men; there is no man that can live without ſleep: a man may live long without meat, but no man can live long without ſleep. So it is true of death, death is common to all, it is appointed for all men once to die: and therfore David ſaid, he was to go the way of all fleſh: Statutum eſt omnibus ſemel mort, Omnibus eſt calcanda ſemel lethi via; All men muſt ſleep the ſleep of death, or elſe be changed, which is a metaphoricall death.
2 As ſleep ariſeth from the vapors that aſcend from the ſtomack to the head, & tie the ſences, & hinder their operations; ſo death came into the world by Adams eating the forbidden Fruit, and by the poiſonfull vapor of ſin, that brought death upon him, and all his poſterity. By one man ſin entered into the world, and death by ſin, and ſo death paſſed upon all men, for that all have ſinned, Rom. 5.12. Had Adam never ſinned, Adam ſhould never have died: but in illo die, ſaid God, in that day thou eateſt the forbidden fruit, thou ſhalt die the death. Sinne brings omnimodam mortem, all kindes of death; it brings death temporall, death ſpirituall, and death eternall. Now becauſe all men are poiſoned with the poiſon of ſin, therfore all men muſt ſleep the ſleep of death; it is ſin that hath poiſoned all mankinde.
3 As a man when he goeth to ſleep puts off his clothes, and goeth naked into bed: ſo it is with us when wee come to die; We came naked into the world, and we muſt go naked out of the world: As we brought nothing with us into the world, ſo we muſt carry nothing with us out of the world: And therefore Death in Scripture is called nothing elſe but an uncloathing of our ſelves, 2 Cor. 5.4. Death to a childe of God, is nothing elſe, but the putting off of his cloaths. The body of man is animae foreign & veſtimentum, it is the ſouls cloathing; and death is nothing elſe but the unclothing of the ſoul; it is juſt like a man going to bed, & putting off his cloaths; St Peter cals it, The putting off our earthly tabernacle, 2 Pet. 1.14. Our bodies are the ſouls tabernacle, and death is the putting off of this tabernacle.
Beloved, when we come to die, we ſhall be ſtript naked of three things,
1. We ſhall be ſtript naked of all our worldly honour, riches, and greatneſſe.
2. We ſhall be ſtript naked of our bodies. And,
3. Which is above all, we ſhall be ſtript naked of our ſins. And that is the happineſſe of a childe of God, he ſhall put off, not only his mortal body, but the body of ſin.
4. In the fourth place obſerve, As no man knoweth the time when hee fals aſleep, a man fals aſleep before he is aware: So no man can tell the certain time when he muſt die. There is nothing ſo certain as that wee muſt die, nothing ſo uncertain as the time when we ſhall die; Death comes ſuddenly even as ſleep comes upon a man before he is aware.
5. Obſerve, As children and infants, becauſe they do not know the benefit of ſleep, are very loth to go to ſleep, many times the mother is fain to whip the child to bed; even ſo it is with moſt of Gods people, becauſe they do not ſtudy the benefit of death, that death puts an end to all our miſeries and ſins, and opens a door to let us in unto everlaſting happineſſe, and that we ſhall never ſee God or Chriſt before we die; I ſay, becauſe Gods people do not ſtudy the benefit of death, therefore they are like to little children, loth to die, loth to go to bed. And therefore death is called The King of terrors. Death is terrible to many of Gods children, becauſe they are but infants in grace, and becauſe they do not know the benefit of death.
6 Obſerve, As when a man is faſt aſleep he is free from cares, and free from troubles; Let it thunder (as it thundred not long ſince, as you know) yet a man that is faſt aſleep, while hee is aſleep hee hears it not; Let the houſe bee on fire, while the man is aſleep, he ſees it not, neither is be troubled at it. So it is with the death of Gods children, when Gods children ſleep the ſleep of death, they are free from the thunders of this world, they are free from all cares, from all troubles, they goe to their graves as to their beds, and reſt in quietneſs, and are not ſenſible of any troubles that are in the world, For Abraham knew us not, Iſa. 63.16. So 2 King. 22.20. Thou ſhalt be gathered into thy grave in peace, and thine eyes ſhall not ſee all the evil which I will bring upon this place. When a childe of God ſleeps the ſleep of death, hee doth not feel nor is he ſenſible of any of the calamities or ſad providences of God upon the Earth.
7. When a man goeth to ſleep, he goeth to ſleep but for a certain time, in the morning he awakes out of ſleep. So it is with the ſleep of death; and therefore death is called a ſleep, becauſe we muſt all awake in the morning of the reſurrection. We are in the grave, as in our bed, and when the trumpet of God, and the voice of the Archangel ſhall ſound, wee ſhall all riſe out of our grave, as out of our beds. Death is but a ſleep for a certain time.
8. Sleep is a great refreſhing to thoſe that are weary & ſick, and when the ſick man awakes, he is more lively & chearful then he was before he fell aſleep; and therefore ſleep is called Medicus laborum, redintegratio virium, recreator corporum, The great Phyſician of the ſick body, the redintegration of mans ſpirits, the reviver of the weary body. And ſo it is with death, when Gods people awake out of the ſleep of death, they ſhall bee more active for God, then ever they were before; when you lie down in the grave, you lie down with mortal bodies; It is ſown a mortal body, 1 Cor. 15.42, 43.but …t ſhall riſe up an immortal body; it is ſown in diſhonour, but it ſhall riſe up in honour it is ſown a natural body, but it ſhall riſe up a ſpiritual body.
9. As in the morning when wee ariſe out of our beds, we then put on our clothes. So in the morning of the reſurrection, wee ſhall put on a glorious body, like to the glorious body of Ieſus Chriſt, we ſhall put on Stolam immortalitatis, the garment of immortality.
10. As no man when he layeth him down to ſleep, knoweth the direct time when he ſhall awake. So no man can tell when the reſurrection ſhall be. They do but cozen you, who ſay that the general reſurrection ſhall bee ſuch or ſuch a year; for, as no man can know the minute when he ſhall awake out of his natural ſleep, no more can any man know when we ſhall ariſe from the ſleep of death.
11. As it is a very eaſie thing to awake a man out of ſleep, it is but jogging of him, & you wil quickly awake him. So it is with the ſleep of death, it is as eaſie for Jeſus Chriſt to awake us out of the ſleep of death, as it is for me, or you to awake a man out of ſleep in bed. Nemo noſtrûm tam facilè excitat dormientem de lecto, quàm Chriſtus jacentem in ſepulchro.
12 As when a man ariſeth in the morning, though he hath ſlept many houres; nay, ſuppoſe he could ſleep twenty yeares together, yet notwithſtanding, when hee awaketh, theſe twenty yeares will ſeem to bee but as one houre unto him. So it will be at the day of judgment, all thoſe that are in their graves, when they awake, it will be tanquam ſomnus unius horae, but as the ſleep of one houre unto them.
13 Laſtly, and moſt eſpecially, As ſleep ſeizeth only upon the body and outward ſenſes, but doth not ſeize upon the ſoul, the foul of man is many times moſt buſie when the man is aſleep; and God hath heretofore revealed moſt glorious things to his children in Dreams, when they have been aſleep: God appeared unto Abraham and many others in Dreams; the body ſleeps, but the ſoul wakes. So it is with the ſleep of Death, the body, that dies, but the ſoul doth not die. There are ſome men that are not afraid to teach you, That the ſoul ſleeps as well as the body, and that when the body dies and fals aſleep, the ſoul likewiſe continues in a dull Lethargy veternoſo ſomno correptus, neither capable of joy nor ſorrow, untill the reſurrection.
Beloved, This is a very uncomfortable, and a very falſe Doctrine. They endeavour to prove it from my Text, they ſay, That Stephen when he died fell aſleep; It is true in regard of his body, he fell aſleep, but his ſoul did not fall a ſleep, that which was ſtoned fell aſleep, which was his body only; for when he was ſtoning, he ſaw Jeſus Chriſt ſtanding ready to receive his ſoul into Heaven; Lord Jeſus, ſaith he, receive my ſpirit. Stephens ſoul could not be ſtoned, though his body was ſtoned. So when Jeſus Chriſt was crucified, his ſoul was not crucified, I mean, when his body was killed, his ſoul was not killed; indeed he did endure torments in his ſoul, which made him cry out, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? But yet his ſoul did not die. So when Stephen died, his ſoul went to Chriſt. It is true, when a childe of God dies, the ſoul goes to ſleep, How is that? The ſoul goes to ſleep in a Scripture ſenſe, that is, it goes to reſt in Abrahams boſom (O bleſſed ſleep!) it goes to reſt in the embraces of God, it goes into the armes of its Redeemer, it goes into the heavenly Paradiſe, it goes to be alwayes preſent with the Lord. But take heed of that wicked opinion, to ſay, that the ſoul ſleeps, in an Anabaptiſtical ſenſe, that is, That itlies in a ſtrange kinde of Lethargy, neither dead, nor alive, neither capable of joy nor forrow, untill the reſurrection. Though Stephens body fell aſleep, yet his ſoul did not fall aſleep, but immediatly went unto Jeſus Chriſt in heaven. Thus I have given the Explication of the words.
Now give me leave to make ſome Application of all unto our ſelves.
Ʋſe 1 If the death of Gods children bee nothing elſe but a falling aſleep, then let this comfort us againſt the deaths of our godly friends, though they die unnatural and violent deaths, though they be ſtoned to death, though they be burnt to aſhes, though they bee ſawn aſunder, &c. Here is a meſſage of rich conſolation, which as a Miniſter of Chriſt I hold out unto you this day, viz. That the death of a child of God, let it bee after what manner ſoever it will, it is nothing elſe but a falling a ſleep, he goes to his grave as to his bed; and therefore our burying places are called foreign, dormitoria, our ſleeping houſes. A childe of God, when hee dies, hee lies down in peace, and enters into his reſt. And, as a man, when he is aſleep, is free from all the cares and troubles that he hath in the day time; So the people of God, when they are fallen aſleep, they are free from all the miſeries, croſſes, loſſes and afflictions that we are troubled withall; There fore give me leave to ſay to you, as Chriſt did to the women that followed him to the Croſſe, bewailing and lamenting of him, O daughters of Ieruſalem, weep not for me, but weep for your ſelves, and for your children. So ſay I, O weep not for thoſe that are dead in the Lord, that are fallen aſleep in Jeſus Chriſt, they are at their reſts, they do not know the troubles that wee are troubled withall, Abraham remembers us not; they are not ſenſible of our miſeries and afflictions let us weep for our ſelves, and for the miſeries that are coming upon us; and let us know, that when Gods children die, they doe but lie in their beds untill the morning of the reſurrection, and then they ſhall put on Stolam immortalitatis, the garment of immortality, and their bodies ſhall be made like unto the glorious body of Jeſus Chriſt. And know one thing more, which is all in all, viz. That when the body of a childe of God fals aſleep, his ſoul immediatly goes into the arms of Chriſt, and there lives for ever in the embraces of Jeſus Chriſt; though the body falls aſleep, yet the ſoul is received into Abrahams boſom. I beſeech you, comfort one another with theſe words.
Ʋſe 2 Let me beſeech the people of God that they would look upon death, not as it is preſented unto us in Nature's Looking-Glaſſe, but as it is ſet down in a Scripture-dreſſe. Nature preſents death in a very terrible manner; and it is true, death is very terrible to a man out of Chriſt but to you that are in Chriſt, the ſting of death is taken away, death is nothing elſe but a quiet and placid ſleep, a putting off of our clothes, and a going to bed till we awake in the morning of the reſurrection. Death to a childe of God is nothing elſe but a putting off his earthly tabernacle, a going from an earthly priſon into an heavenly palace, a hoiſing up ſail for Heaven, the letting of the ſoul out of priſon, as a bird out of the cage, that it may flee to Heaven, a change from a temporary hell to an eternal heaven, a going out of Egypt into Canaan, and therefore called foreign 2 Pet. 1.15. It is not mors hominis, but mors peccati, not the death of the man, but the death of his ſins. It is Sepultura vitiorum. It is the pilgrims journeys end, the ſeamans haven; an abſence from the body, and a preſence with the Lord. Let all Gods people look upon death through Scripture-ſpectacles, and conſider it as it is ſweetly repreſented in this Text! Remember bleſſed Stephen ſtoned to death, and yet falling aſleep. And remember alſo that excellent ſaying of Auſtin, That a childe of God ſhould be as willing to die as to put off his cloaths, becauſe death is nothing elſe to him but a ſleep, and a departure from miſery to everlaſting happineſſe.
Ʋſe 3 To beſeech you all every night when ye go to bed, to remember this Text, and eſpecially to remember theſe four things.
Firſt, When you are putting off your cloaths, remember that you muſt ſhortly put off your bodies. And,
Secondly, When you go into your beds, remember that it will not bee long before you muſt go down into your graves. And
Thirdly, When you cloſe your eyes to ſleep, remember that it will not be long before death muſt cloſe your eyes. And,
Fourthly, When you awake in the morning, remember that at the reſurrection you muſt all ariſe out of the grave, and that the juſt ſhall ariſe to everlaſting happineſs, but the wicked to everlaſting miſery.
It is a ſaying of an Heathen man, That the whole Life of a man ſhould be nothing elſe but meditatio Mortis, but a meditation of Death. And it is the ſaying of Moſes, Deut. 32.29. O that men were wiſe, that they underſtood this, that they would conſider their later end. Beloved, it is the greateſt part of wiſdom, every day to remember our later end. That man is the only wiſe man, and happy man in Life and Death, that is ever mindfull of his Death.
Queſt But before I make an end, I muſt anſwer one Queſtion, v z. Whether the death of the wicked be not in Scripture compared to a ſleep, as well as the death of the godly?
Anſw I anſwer, That in Scripture wicked men are ſaid to fall aſleep when they die: 1 Kings 1… …. 28.It is ſaid of idolatrous Ieroboam, that he ſlept with his fathers: of Baaſha and Omri, thoſe wicked Kings that they ſlept with their fathers.
But then the Queſtion will be, In what reſpect is the death of the wicked compared to a ſleep?
Even as a man which is aſleep, ſometimes hath no benefit, reſt, nor eaſe thereby: when the ſick man awakes, he is many times more ſick then hee was before hee went to ſleep: Some men are much diſquieted in their ſleeps by hideous and fearful dreams; Nebuchadnezzar when he was aſleep, had a moſt ſcaring dream, and when he awoke, he was amazed therewith: So it is with a wicked man; Death to a wicked man is a ſleep, but it is a terrifying ſleep, the ſoul that goes immediatly to hell, where it is burned with fire that never ſhall be quenched, and where the worm that never dies is alwayes gnawing upon it. The body, that indeed lies in the grave aſleep, but how? even as a malefactour that ſleeps in priſon the night before he is executed, but when he awakes he is hurried and dragged to execution; ſo the wicked man fals aſleep in death, but when he awakes, he awakes to everlaſting damnation. But a childe of God, when he ſleeps the ſleep of death, he ſleeps in his Fathers houſe, & when he awakes, he awakes to everlaſting happines.
Ʋſe 4 And this makes way for the fourth and laſt Uſe, which is a Uſe of very great conſequence. And it is to beſeech you all, that you would labour ſo to live, that when you fall aſleep, you may ſleep an happy ſleep. There is the ſleep that the wicked man ſleeps when hee dies, and there is the ſleep that the godly man ſleeps when he dies. Now I beſeech you, labour ſo to live, that when you fall aſleep, your ſleep may be an happy ſleep unto you, that when you awake in the morning of the reſurrection, it may bee an happy awakeing unto you.
Queſt But then the great Queſtion will bee, How ſhall I doe this?
I ſhall give you five helps for this,
Anſw Firſt, If you would ſleep an happy ſleep at death, then you muſt labour to ſleep in leſus Chriſt; It is ſaid, 1 Cor. 15.18. Then they alſo which are fallen aſleep in Chriſt. And 1 Theſ. 4 14. If we beleive that Ieſus died and roſe again, even ſo them alſo which ſleep in Ieſus, will God bring with him. What is it to ſleep in Jeſus? To ſleep in Jeſus, is to die in the faith of Jeſus Chriſt.
2. To ſleep in Jeſus, is to die with an intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt, to die as a member of Chriſt united to him, as our head. For you muſt know, that the duſt of a Saint is part of that man who is a member of Jeſus Chriſt, and every believer when he ſleeps in the duſt, he ſleeps in Jeſus Chriſt, that is, he lies in the grave, and his duſt is part of Chriſt myſtical, and Chriſt as an head will raiſe it up, and cannot bee compleat without it. Now then, if ever you would ſleep an happy ſleep, labour to get a real intereſt in Chriſt, labour to live in Chriſt while you live. And then, when you fall aſleep, you ſhall be ſure to ſleep in Jeſus. There are many would have Chriſt to receive their ſouls at death, and that ſay with dying Stephen, Lord Ieſus receive my ſpirit: But if ever you would have Chriſt to receive your ſouls when you die, you muſt be ſure to receive him into your ſouls whilſt you live; if ever you would have him to receive you into Heaven, you muſt receive him into your hearts. No man makes a will, but he ſaith, Imprimis, I bequeath my ſoul unto Jeſus Chriſt my Redeemer. But how doſt thou know that Jeſus Chriſt will accept of this Legacy? If thy ſoul hath not Chriſts Image upon it, if it be not regenerated and renewed. Jeſus Chriſt will never own it; Thou maiſt bequeath it unto Chriſt, but the Devil will claim it; if thy ſoul hath the Devils image upon it, if it be a ſwiniſh, polluted, unbeleiving, unregenerate ſoul thou maiſt beſtow it upon God, but the Devil will recover it out of Gods hands, pardon this expreſſion, it is not mine, but St Auſtins. Beloved, if ever you would reign with Chriſt when you die, he muſt reign in you whilſt you live: and if ever you would ſleep an happy ſleep, you muſt live in Jeſus that you may ſleep in Jeſus.
Secondly. In the ſecond place, If ever you would ſleep an happy ſleep at death, then you muſt take heed of overcharging your ſelves with worldly cares. A man that is full of cares cannot ſleep, therefore when men would ſleep, they lay (as the Proverb is) all their cares under their pillow, they labour to ſhut all cares out of their minde: O take heed that you do not murder your ſouls by the cares of the world; Beloved, a man that eats out his heart with worldly cares, will never ſleep an happy ſleep, the cares of the world will choak all the good ſeed of the Word of God; and therefore, as men when they ſleep lay aſide all worldly thoughts; ſo if ever you would ſleep an happy ſleep, take heed of overmuch carking and careing for the things of this world; and remember what you have heard this day, and that will regulate and moderate all cares, Naked you came into the world, and naked you muſt goe out of the world; Why ſhould we take care for that wee know not who ſhall enjoy after us?
Thirdly, If ever you would ſleep an happy ſleep when you die, you muſt take heed of ſucking too much of the pleaſures of this life: A man that eats a full ſupper will ſleep very diſquietly, therefore they that would ſleep quietly, uſe to eat but light ſuppers; for when a mans ſtomack is over-charged, it takes away his ſweet ſleep from him. So if ever you would ſleep a happy ſleep when you come to die, O take heed of ſucking too much of the pleſures of this Life; take heed of eating too large a meal of worldly delights, and of creature comforts; theſe worldly pleaſures will make the ſleep of death unquiet unto you. Oh let not Dalilah's lap deprive you of Abraham's boſom! remember that David by Bathſheba's embraces, loſt the embraces of God, I mean the ſence of the embraces of God, the joy and comfort of them.
Fourthly, if ever you would ſleep a happy ſleep in death, then labor to work hard for Heaven while you live. O how delightful is ſleep to a weary man! when a man hath taken paines all the day, as the Traveller that hath travelled all the day, or the Ploughman that hath been at work all the day, how quietly, how ſoundly doth he ſleep in the night! O beloved, if if ever you would ſleep a happy ſleep at death, then labor to work out your Salvation with fear and trembling, and give all diligence to make your Calling and Election ſure: the more you labor for Heaven, the better, the ſweeter will your sleep be when you come to die. And remember this, that as much ſleeping in the day time, wil hinder a mans ſleep at night, ſo you that idle away the time of your providing for Heaven in this your day, you that sleep away the minute upon which Eternity doth depend, oh you will have a ſad sleep when Death ſeizeth upon you. Take heed therfore of sleeping while you live, that ſo your sleep in the night of death may be comfortable unto you.
Fiftly and laſtly, if ever you would sleep a happie sleep when you die, then take heed of the sleep of ſin. Sin in Scripture is compared to a sleep, awake thou that ſleepeſt, that is, thou that ſinneſt. Sinne is ſuch a sleep as brings the sleep of death; ſin brings the firſt death, and ſin brings the ſecond death: all miſeries whatſoever are the daughters of ſin. If you would sleep a happy sleep, and have a happie awakening, at the Reſurrection, then take heed of the sleep of ſin. Awake thou that ſleepeſt, ariſe from the dead, and Ieſus Chriſt ſhall give thee life, Epheſ. 5.14. So Rom. 13.11, 12, 13. with which I will conclude, and I pray you mark it well, for it was a Text that converted Saint Auguſtin, Knowing the time, Beloved, that now it is high time to awake out of ſleep, for now is our ſalvation nearer then when we believed: The night is far ſpent, the day is at hand, let us therefore caſt off the works of darkneſſe, and let us put on the armour of light; Let us walk honeſtly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenneſs, not in chambering and wantonneſſe, not in ſtrife and envying; but put you on the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and make no proviſion for the fleſh, to fulfill the luſts thereof.
FINIS.
End of the text · Christopher Love, A Christians Duty and Safety in Evil Times (1653)