A Warning Piece for the Slumbering Virgins, Part 5
Diſcoveries of Spiritual Slumber.
1. Is the Lord ſilent to thee, who hath uſed to ſpeak much to thy heart, to beſpeak it? Doſt thou heare ſeldom from him? will he ſcarce give thee a word? why then thou mayeſt be jealous of thy ſelf, that thy heart is aſleep; for he will have a mouth to ſpeak, where there is an ear to hear. Canſt thou not remember the moneths of old, when he gave in many words in ſeaſon? has he not oft ſpoke to thy heart, when man ſpoke to thy ear? And does he now keep ſilence? Doſt thou onelyonly hear the voyce of a man now; and ſo runnes to Ely, (as Samuel did)? Doſt thou hear much without, and little or nothing within? Does not thine ear affect thy heart? Is not the Word as a fire within thee? doſt thou hang upon the bare outward adminiſtration, and art thou a ſtranger to the glorious miniſtration of the Spirit? Why, ſure thy Watch is down, and he ſeems to ſlumber. And now he hides his ear from thy breathing: thou cryeſt, and he will not anſwer thee. Ask thy ſoul ſolemnly, What's the matter? is his ear heavy? Is there not a cauſe within? is not thy heart heavy? Has not he called, and thou haſt not heard? has not he knocked, and thou not opened? Is it not thus, O ſlumbring Soul? ſpeak out, and tell the Lord how it is within.
2. Art not thou ſilent before the Lord, who uſedſt to cry mightily after him? Is not thine heart ſhut up now, which thou was wont to pour forth? thy ſighings come not before the Lord, as they have done, and thy groanings are hid from him. Art not thou a ſtranger to thy own cloſet, where thou haſt much ſought him in ſecret? Surely thy heart is fallen into a dead ſleep; 'tis a ſad ſwooning-time with thy ſluggiſh ſpirit: how haſt thou loſt thy heart in point of love to prayer, and life in it? Oh wer'ſt thou throughly awakened, thou wouldſt not for a world give over this thriving Trade of ſpiritual begging: thou couldſt not keep ſo long out of his preſence, who hath given thee ſo many ſweet viſits in prayer:Job 27.10. the hypocrite will not pray alwaies: and 'tis no wonder, for he cannot pray at all in Gods account: But that a true Iſraelite, who has had power with God in prayer, ſhould ceaſe to pour out a prayer before him; this is ſtrange, and yet no more ſtrange then true amongſt ſlumbring Chriſtians, who cannot chuſe but give over praying, when they give over watching: the Spirit of prayer muſt needs be ſilent under a ſpirit of ſlumber.
3. Is not thy Spiritual warfare maintained? doſt not thou wraſtle againſt ſpiritual wickedneſs, &c? Doſt thou not feel the Law of the mind warring againſt the Law in thy members? Art thou not at odds with thy own heart every day, and quarrelling with it for heart-ſins? Why then the heart is aſleep, whileſt thy luſts lie ſleeping within thee; thou doſt not watch, whileſt thou doſt not war. How ſhamefully wilt thou be foiled by the luſts thou fighteſt not againſt? Sin will get head and heart too, whiles thy heart is aſleep: thy luſts like ſo many flies will ſwarm about thy ſleepie ſoul. Thou doſt not reckon with thy ſelf about thy dying to ſin, ſelf, &c. Alas, how dead is thy heart in the mean time? thou haſt given over thy complaining of the body of death, and yet thy luſts are more lively; and thou liveleſſe: they ſtrong, and thou art weak: ſure, they are awake, and thou ſleepeſt.
4. Art not thou ſenſible of the ſubtile inſinuations, and ſecret ſuggeſtions of Satan, in this buſie day of his? Doſt thou meet with none of his buffettings, now he layes ſo about him? doſt thou feel none of his fiery darts, now Hell is broke looſe? Mayſt thou not be very ſuſpitious, that a ſpirit of ſlumber is upon thee, and the evill ſpirit rocks thee? Art not thou pleaſing thy ſelf with ſmooth things, lying quietly upon a pillow of carnal ſecurity, and Satan pleaſing of thee too, and loath to diſquiet thee? Art thou at eaſe in Zion, ſinging a Requiem to thy Soul? why thou mayſt ſleep on for him, and take thy reſt. 'Tis not for his purpoſe to awaken us out of falſe dreams: this cunning Fowler is moſt buſie with awakened ſpirits that are ſtruggling from him, that would be ever upon the wing Chriſtward; but he ſtirs little, when men lie aſleep at his feet, onelyonly watches over them: he makes leaſt noyſe there, but does moſt hurt. Oh the myſtery of iniquitie works moſt and worſt, amongſt idle ſouls, that work not, watch not.
5. Doſt not thou ſympathize with the ſuffering ſervants of Jeſus Chriſt? Is not thy heart affected with the afflictions of Joſeph? Haſt thou little or no fellow-feeling of thy brethrens calamities? Canſt not bleed in their wounds as thine own heart, whoſe blood has been ſpilt like water upon the ground, for the teſtimony of of Jeſus? Sure, then thy ſpirit within thee is benummed under a ſpirit of ſecurity; and almoſt paſt feeling. Did not the ſad cryes of the diſtreſſed Proteſtants, in the Valleys of Piedmont and in Germany, ſaying, Have pity upon us, O our Friends, have pity upon us, for the hand of the Lord hath touched us: Did not (I ſay) their doleful complaints come to thine ears, and did not this go to thine heart? do not thy bowels ſound within thee towards them who are ſighing it out, Our bowels, our bowels? doſt thou not make lamentation over them, crying, Alas, alas? Is it nothing to thee, there are ſo many mourners in Zion at this day hanging their harps upon the Willowes? and doſt thou put no tears i'th bottle for them?
And further, how ſtands thy heart affected towards ſuch as are afflicted in ſpirit? Does not thy ſoul bleed within thee towards poor wounded ſouls, who are even ready to bleed to death for want of the gracious preſence of the Lord of life? Canſt thou not mourn in ſecret, for ſuch as walk mournfully without the Sun? Time was, when thine head was as water, and thy eyes as fountains of tears, that thou couldſt not but weep with thoſe that wept, and mourn (as the Doves of the valleys) with them that mourned: but now thy eyes are dry, thy bowels ſtrait, and thy heart hard. Oh what ſtrong ſtupidity is upon thee? if all the members ſhould ſuffer, when but one ſuffers? how ſtupid and ſenſeleſſe is that one, that ſuffers not when ſo many ſuffer? I cannot but pity ſuch ſlumbring Chriſtians, who want yearning bowels of pitty, when I conſider, what ſharp medicines muſt be applyed to their inſenſible ſtupified ſpirits, to cut them to the quick, and fetch up their ſpiritual ſenſes, to ſympathize with Chriſt in his members.
6. Is not thy Soul vexed at the filthy converſation of the ungodly,2 Pet. 2.7, 8. as Lots righteous Soul was? Doſt thou not bear the backſlidings of Gods own people, was a burthen upon thine heart before the Lord? Doſt thou not inwardly tremble at the diſhonour put upon that Name which hath been proclaimed amongſt us, in ſo loud languages as glorious in holineſſe, &c? Are not the abominations of the Times the very abomination of thy ſoul? Canſt thou not mourn in ſecret, for the open Pride, prophaneneſſe, profuſeneſſe of ſo many thouſands in our Iſrael at this day? Why then, (believe it) thy heart is aſleep indeed, when the crying ſins of this adulterous generation do not awaken it.
Oh how many, who have appeared as Children of the day, have fellowſhip now with the unfruitfull works of darkneſſe? who once ſeemed white as ſnow, and are now black as a coal; who ſome years ſince would not have touched the garment ſpotted with the fleſh, have now put on the Aethiopian skin again, and the Leopards ſpots; having once eſcaped the pollutions of the fleſh, and are again entangled therewith.
Hovv are the honourable things of the Law, and Goſpel too, become contemptible in the eyes of many, who ſeemed to prize them above thouſands of gold and ſilver? how are the precious pearls of Jeſus Chriſt, which are worth more then a world, and of which the World is not worthy, trampled under foot, as if they were nothing worth. Oh what loathing of Manna, even amongſt Iſraelites? what turning of grace into wantonneſſe? Horrible things are done in our Iſrael, and that in the ſight of the Sun, publiſhed in the ſtreets of Aſhkelon, ſo that the daughters of the uncircumciſed triumph? And ſhall not the daughters of Zion ſigh and mourn for theſe abominations, which are more then enough to break ones ſleep, and heart too, which break the Lords own heart: And if thou lay them not to heart,Ezek. 6.9. thy heart's aſleep.