Exposition of Proverbs 1-3, Expositions · Chapter 3 · Verse 24
VER. 24. When thou lieſt down, thou ſhalt not be affraid; yea, thou ſhalt lie down, and thy ſleep ſhall be ſweet.
A Man awake walking, or working, can look to himſelfe, and uſe means to avoid. danger; he hath moſt need of a guard for ſafetie, when he is laid down to ſleep, wiſdom will watch over him then alſo, and keep him ſafe. For the words.
When thou liest down. As he had promiſed the wiſe man ſecurity in motion in the former verſe, ſo here ſafety in reſt. The particle foreign ordinarily ſignifies If: but here it ſets not out a condition, but a time, and is well tranſlated When. So When the Jubile of the children of Iſrael ſhall be, Numb. 36.4. foreign Lying down here is to ſleep, or take reſt; it is underſtood ſometimes of the ſleep of death, When thou ſhalt ſleep with thy Fathers. 2 Sam. 7.12. but here of naturall ſleep: for it is oppoſed to the motion and travells of the day in the former verſe; and a man need not fear trouble, nor cannot feel ſweetneſſe, when he is dead, and laid in the grave.
Thou ſhalt not be affraid. See on Chap. 1.26.
Yea. This word not only couples things together, but augments. Thou ſhalt be ſo far from being affraid, that thou ſhalt ſleep continually, and ſweetly without interruption, or frightings. Thou ſhalt lie down, and none ſhall make thee affraid. Job 11.19.
Thou ſhalt lie down. See on this verſe before.
And thy ſleep. This ſhews, that the former lying down was for ſleep.
Shal be ſweet. Shall be very pleaſing; no ſudden accidents, nor dreams ſhall fright thee.
Figures. Sweet. A metaphor. It ſhall be as pleaſing to thee; as ſweet meat, or drink is to the taſt.
Note 1. A promiſe of ſafe ſleep.
2. Of ſweet ſleep. Excludit timorem, includit ſaporem. He excludes fear, he includes favour. Holcot.
In the firſt, note
1. The adjunct of time, When thou lieſt down.
2. The ſubject, Thou ſhalt not be affraid.
In the ſecond, note
1. The adjunct of time, Yea, thou ſhalt lie down.
2. The ſubject, And thy ſleep.
3. The adjunct of quality Shall be ſweet.
Doct. 1. God affords us reſt after labour. Man goeth forth unto his work, and to his labour, untill the evening. Pſal. 104.23. For ſo (or rightly) he giveth his beloved ſleep. Pſal 127.2.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe God is not an hard Maſter; as he requires ſtore of work, ſo he affords ſufficient time for reſt, which covetous men do not to their ſervants.
2. To make men the more willing to ſerve him, every man is willing to offer his ſervice to a kind Maſter.
3. Becauſe he knows his ſervice cannot be done, unleſſe he allow his ſervants competent reſt. Life and ſtrength will fail for want of reſt, as for want of food.
4. It would be uncomfortably done, and neither give content to him, nor to his ſervants, as drouſie work gives no content to men.
Uſe 1. Let us bleſſe God, that takes care as well for our reſt, as for his work.
2. Let us do his work with the more cheerfulneſſe in the day, being refreſhed with comfortable reſt the night before, ſo may we the night following comfortably betake us to our bees gain, not to fall to immoderate ſleep, but expecting good ſleep from God, who allowes it, and can only give it, and we muſt thereby be fitted for the ſervice of ſo good a Maſter day by day.
Doct. 2. A godly wiſe man may go to bed without fear. Thou ſhalt lie down, and none ſhall make thee affraid. Job 11.19. Ye ſhall lie down, and none ſhall make thee affraid. Levit. 26.6.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe he carries himſelfe ſo inoffenſively when he is awake, that he gives no juſt occaſion to any man living to hurt him, when he is aſleep. Neminem laedens neminem timebis. Senec. Hurt no man, and fear no man. Metus cum venit, rarò lo um habet ſomnus. Mimus. Fear will ſeldome give way to ſleep. He that is quiet in his mind, by reaſon of the hope of a good conſcience, treads underfoot cares and vexations.
2. Becauſe God, who is his keeper, is alwaies awake, and watcheth to defend him, when he cannot defend himſelfe. Behold he that keepeth Iſrael ſhall neither ſlumber nor ſleep. The Lord is thy keeper. Pſal. 121.4, 5.
3. Becauſe he is a member of Jeſus Chriſt, and he will loſe none of his members. The Shepheard wakes, when others a…e aſleep, that he may keep his ſheep from the woolfe. So the heathen man deſcribes a good Prince, he is one who wakes that others may ſleep. Securus dormit, et vigilat, et quieſcit, et ambulat, qui ſe innocent…m ante Deum meminit. He ſleeps, wakes, reſts, walks ſecurely, who remembers that he is innocent before God. Gloſſ. Ordin. Every member of Jeſus Chriſt is ſo through faith in him. Obdormit in Deo, et in ſtatu ſalutis. Lyra. He ſleeps in God, and in the ſtate of ſalvation.
4. Becauſe if they be hurt, Chriſt accounts himſelfe hurt. Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me. Acts 9.4. So doth God the Father alſo. He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye. Zach. 2.8. In all their afflictions he was afflicted. Iſa. 63.8.
Uſe. Labour for godly wiſdom. Who would not be in ſuch a condition, that he may, when he hath done his work, go to bed without fear! Such may ſleep quietly, when the wind blowes abroad, when it thunders, and all the world is affrighted, as if the end of the world were at hand, they need not be frighted, as others, that know not what will become of them. So Peter feared not to ſleep in priſon, Acts 12.6. ſo Maſter Rogers, our firſt Martyr in Queen Maries daies, could ſcarce be waked, when the keeper came to warn him to prepare for the fire, which warning he could but expect being condemned to be burnt alive. This ſhews the Philoſophers obſervation to be falſe, that happy men differ not from miſerable men half their time, to wit, when they are aſleep. For a godly wiſe man is happy, when he is aſleep: a fooliſh ſinner is then miſerable: wicked men alwaies fear that other men are laying ſnares for them for the evills they have done them. They know that enemies then are moſt ready to lay ſnares for them, and have moſt hope to prevail againſt them, when they are aſleep. Alſo their covetous mind runs upon their treaſure, being in continuall fear of loſing their riches. Hence comes terrible affrighting fancies into their minds, and fearful dreams by reaſon of their ill conſcience, and wickedneſſe, whereas godly wiſe men ſleep quietly, being kept by wiſdome which they have embraced. Pertranſcuntibus autem à vigilia, ſcilicet, ad ſomnum, meliora ſunt phantaſmata virtuoſorum, quàm quorumcunque. Ariſtor. Ethic. 1.1. When men go, to wit, from waking to ſleeping, the imaginations of vertuous men are better then of any other.
3. Doct. The ſleep of a godly wiſe man is ſweet, and pleaſing. So Jacob ſleeps ſweetly on the cold ground. Gen. 28.11. And had a pleaſing dream. ver. 12, 13. there. Such was Davids ſleep. I will both lay me down in peace, and ſleep: for thou Lord onelyonly makeſt me dwell in ſafety. Pſ. 4.8.
Reaſon. 1. Becauſe they meditate of Gods word in the day time, which is a great comfort to them. And thoſe things, that men muſe on in the day, they often dream of in the night.
2. They are diligent in their callings, and ſo being wearied in the day, they ſleep ſweetly in the night. Dulce ſopor feſſis. Sleep is a ſweet thing to weary men.
3. Becauſe they empty themſelves before they ſleep, of all that troubles them. Pythagoras his rule to his ſcholars was, Non te prius ſomno tradideris, quàm diurna operater mente revolveris. Betake not thy ſelf to ſleep; till thou have in thy mind gone thrice over the works of the day.
Uſe. See the difference between godly wiſe men, and fooliſh wicked men. The ones ſleep is ſweet: the others troubleſome. Richard the third after the murder of his two nephews had fearfull dreams, and would leap off his bed, take his ſword, and ſeek an enemy. Charles the ninth after the French Maſſacre was laid to ſleep every night, and wakened by Muſicians. Take heed of ſuch wicked actions. Be wiſe, and fear God, and your ſleep ſhall be ſweet.