hard great work to watch after a spirituall manner they that are upon this work in good earnest find a great deale of good work to doe there 's much cut out to their hands The Lord of the Vineyard will not suffer them to be idle upon his watch hee 'l find them awakening work ther 's head-head-work hand-work heart-heart-work tongue-tongue-work life-worke ther 's work within and without at home and abroad their own and others for this life and a better there 's work enough to keepe one awake And the more we work in these spiritual exercises of faith love desires c the more watchfull we shall be and the better watchmen and workmen And therefore the Lord will find new work for old idle professors if he delight in them hee 'l bring slumbring Virgins to Soul-travel again and awaken them to purpose they 'l feele such hard labour therein as will be hard to sleep upon And when loitering Servants fall once to labour again heartily in Gods harvest how they 'l sweat at it and do most and best at last when they see how much work they have to do in a little time how they 'l work and watch and watch in work 6. Expectation Souldiers upon the watch wait in expectation either of an enemie to approach or a friend to appeare that they may be in a posture of opposition or reception to resist their enemies and to relieve their friends so in this spirituall watch we must be daily in expectation of our enemies who will be upon us on a sudden and if they take us at unawares we are in an ill taking as we use to say 't will bee to our great prejudice and their advantage An enemie not looked for will be beforehand with us and will hurt us most when we can least help our selves 'T is a time he would chuse of all other when he is least expected as knowing he shall be least resisted Our adversary watches our slumbring times most that he may take us napping and take what he pleases from us and therefore we must ever watch in expectation of him that he may never come unlooked for nothing will more dishearten and disappoint him Our expectation frustates his our unwearied watchings will wearie him out whereas it is a faire invitation to the envious one to lay aside our expectation of him who likes best to come unlooked for and is most to be suspected when he is least expected We must be in expectation also of our best spiritual friend who comes oft skipping like a Roe and loves somtimes to take us on the suddain to see how we are provided He hath given us a faire warning saying Behold I come like a thief that is secretly suddenly in the night that we may ever have him upon our hearts and he may not come in an hour when we think not of him Such a blessed guest would not come unlooked for whose visits are so gracious his love so precious we are like to lose much of the sweet and comfort of holy and happie communion with him if we wait little on him and for him hee 'l not tarry long where he is not long looked for and longingly there he comes and goes suddenly he thinks himself nothing-well or welcom there where his company is not looked for he takes it for a great neglect of him when we doe not expect him and hee will not be long or much there where he is little looked for What are the speciall times for a Christians Spirituall watch As all Christians should watch so at all times there is a time for all things under the Sun but no time to lose in spirituall slumber there 's not a spare-minute for sinfull securitie a Christian must never give over working watching Warring his labours in the Lord must end with his life when he dyes in the Lord and his watch must not fall till he fall asleepe in Jesus This in general but more especially 1. In times of spiritual desertion when the Lord has withdrawn his spirit and grace and seemes to be asleepe and silent to us oh then 't is high time to call upon our selves saying Awake awake and to cry mightily to the Lord to awake and keep not silence When our beloved is going then 't is time as we love him and our own Soules to stirr up our strength to take hold of him and not let him goe for a world does he begin to estrange himself from us Oh cry heartily to him in their language oh thou hope of Israel Jer. 14. â— why should'st thou be a stranger as a waifaring man that tarryes but for a night c Thou art in the mid'st of us oh leave us not Woe unto us when he shall depart from us how many evils will come when he goes away We have all good in the chiefest Good and all evil without him 'T is losse unspeakable to want him whose absence nothing in Heaven or Earth can make up if he say Depart from mee there will be a corner of Hell in it here as it will be the very Hell in Hell hereafter Depart ye cursed c. Woe and alas unto us for we have sadly sinned away his gracious presence as ever any people did by carelesse slumbring and carnal securitie how oft hath he found us slugging it upon beds of ease when his finger has been put in at the hole of the door VVe have made him wait till his head hath been filled with dew Can. 5.2 and his locks with the drops of the night and yet we have not opened the door to him neither for his importunitie nor because he is our friend Had it beene an enemie or a stranger had done thus he could have borne it but that his own familiar friends should lift up the heel against him that ever they should prove so hard-hearted against so tender-hearted a Saviour this goes to the heart indeed And now our Beloved stands behind the wall as one highly offended that will scarce look at those that have shut their eyes against his light and their hearts against his love this glorious Sun covers himself as with a Cloud because we sleepe out the shinings of his light and slumber out sweet breathing-times shamefully even in the sight of the Sun and leaves us under thick spirituall darknesse even such as may be felt and we are covered as with a Cloud in his anger And shall we not now awake and cry after him with open mouth heart eyes saying as the daughters of Jerusalem Whither is our beloved gone Cant. 6.1 whither is he turned aside Oh return return make haste our Beloved and be thou like a young Harâ— upon the Mountains of spices Cant. 8.14 Oh why should we be as they that are vailed and turn aside c Ah the longer he is absent from us the worse it will be with us every day and the greater distance from him the greater our unhappinesse Oh then as the
As iron sharpneth iron so doth the face of a man his friend Watchful servants will be calling off the slumbring ones from beds of security they will be whetting up the dull and lazie spirits of others who have a good edge upon their own Amongst sluggish Christians 't is a thousand to one you 'l grow sleepy too for company Sluggards will infect one another with the sleepy Evill they 'l lay a Cushion for you to sit dovvn by them and take your fill of this false rest There 's no spiritual noyse amongst them nor heavenly nevves no heart-awakening words All 's either finfull silence or smooth words hushing one another asleep with their soft language Livelesse Christians are like dying coals which deadden one another till there be never a coal to warm at Oh then if thou wouldst have a Watchfull spirit in this slumbring age look after communion in spirit with the most quick and lively-spirited Saints heavenly sparks that are ever flying upward as to their proper Region they will be warm avvakening enlivening company being well heated by the fire of the Spirit for luke-warm drowsie livelesse Christians 5. Be ever setting on work avvakening Graces by the assistance of the Spirit of Grace Stir up the Graces of Christ that are most stirring 2 Tim. 1.6 and they 'l stir up thee quicken thee and set thee on fire as sparks blown up c As 1. Lively Faith This is the new Creatures eye quicker then the Eagles excellent at Watching 'T is the spiritual mans Secr and the overseer of his watchings and workings If this active grace be at work it will keep the heart awake the Watch cannot fall down whilest Faith is up It 's a very busie grace which will keep us from sleeping if it sleep not Faith will be daily improving avvakening Providences quickening ordinances melting mercies searching tryals It will be ever taking in awakening considerations of the majestie of the Creatour the mutabilitie of the Creature of Mortalitie Eternitie c It will be presenting awakening manifestations of the unconceiveable love of God the incomparable lovelinesse of Christ the admirable beauty of holinesse the unspeakable blessednesse of Heaven It will be looking out at the eye to see the King in his beauty listning at care to heare that voyce which his companions heare waiting at heart to welcome his Spirit there Faith is all life full of Spirit a quick Spring which will set all on motion 'T will set the whole man on work and actuate every habit of grace Its operations are full of efficacie and varietie upward inward outward it has a large sphere of activitie Oh could we live the life of Faith at a higher rate how lively should we be how watchfull 2. Warme Love It 's all heart and heat there 's a flame in it which will enliven and awaken the most drowsie and heavie heart There 's much life in love much action in this affection it 's activitie will keepe thee from securitie Love is good at watching it will sit up long for the Beloved It cannot rest till he rest in his love upon it Zeph. 3.17 it would not sleepe with its good will till it may lie in his bosom Psa 127.2 and there it may rest safely and sweetly when he gives his Beloved sleep Love will wait and watch long endure much hard duty is easie to it as Jacob's service for Rachel Love lyes with eyes and heart open too as loath to shut out Christ at either It will wait long and longingly for a look of his eye a kisse from his mouth the breathings of his love An heart toucht with Christs love cannot rest as the needle touched with the Loadstone but when and where it should Love has a single eye and will watch well 't is clear and quick as the Doves it will spie out its Beloved Cant. 4.9 and pierce his heart Oh could we but love much we should watch much and wait to meet our Beloved at every turn Cant. 7.12 in his garden in his banqueting-house in his vineyards to give up our loves to him Earnest love will be early and late at work and watch for Jesus Christ 3. Holy Fear It will keep strict watch and strong guard for fear of surprisall It is a wary and watchful grace and cannot endure to be taken at unawares It 's ever attended with a godly jealousie which will marvellously prevent carnal security Indeed they that have not this fear of God before their eyes and upon their hearts they 'l cloze their eyes stop their ears harden their hearts and grow carelesse and secure as the men of Laish even till fearfulnesse and trembling come upon them and they of all others are in greatest danger of the fear and the snare who fear least the deepest fear-lesse security will bring on the heaviest fearful calamity Oh then let all the servants of the Lord watch over their own hearts lest they forsake the fear of the Almighty and he leave them to a common carelesse fearlesse spirit and they be insensibly overtaken with spiritual security Isa 8.12 13. Oh Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself let him be your fear let him be your dread that you may neither fear their fear nor be afraid And indeed the more full thine heart is possessed with a filial reverential fear of that glorious and fearful Name The Lord thy God Deut. 28.58 the lesse wilt thou be disquieted with false heart-tormenting Feares and Cares Blessed is he that feareth alwayes he will be alwayes upon his Watch to the preventing of much sin and sorrow slumbring and wandring sensuality and security 4. Heavenly Joy 'T is very enlivening and heart-awakening Like that of the best wine Cant. 7.9 which goes down sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak Where the spirit can rejoyce comfortably in the Lord there his work will go on merrily his Watch will be kept chearfully such a soul can sing in the wayes of the Lord and upon his watch even at midnight as Paul and Silas Act. 16.25 Whereas an heavy heart drives heavily in all its watchings and workings Job's soon out of heart and cryes What a wearinesse and Why should I wait on the Lord any longer Every Command is grievous to one that is grieved in spirit and every word and work though easie seems a burthen to one that is a burthen to himself Now Spiritual Joy is like aqua coelestis it will recover a languishing swooning spirit This refined wine drunk out of the cup of salvation is full of quickening spirits and will make a Christian hearty spiritfull and watchful They that suck and are satisfied with the breasts of consolation as they are cast into a sweet and sound sleep in the arms of Christ so they will cast off sinful sluggish security 6. Let Watching and Prayer go hand in hand and they will lend an helping hand to one another they are
while you are looking on them And first by way of Counsel 1. Hearken as with both Ears to the glad-tydings of the Gospel you 'l find that good reports from Jesus Christ under Evangelical dispensations will exceedingly affect and effectually awaken your hearts The sweetness of the bunch of grapes upon that staffe of beauty feelingly tasted will set you a longing after the choice fruits of the heavenly Canaan and hungry souls will not easily sleep over their spiritual food 2. Walk up to light received in the love and power of it you 'l find it a good thing indeed to behold the pure heart-quickening beams of the Sun of Righteousnesse It 's Soul-taking too 'T will follow you as you follow it Then shall you know Hos 6.3 if you follow on to know the Lord his goings forth will be prepared as the morning shining upon you and within you and causing your path to shine more and more to the perfect day And you will find this Sun-shine marvellously clearing and quickening the eyes of your understanding 3. Knock oft at your own doors you may be bold at home and ask every day How all does within what strength of faith what warmth of love what growth in grace c. much Soul-searching will very much prevent Soul-slumbring Communing with Conscience will keep it awake and it will cry loud in your ears to keep you awake 4. Stir up one another and that with importunity to stir up the grace of Christ that is in you to do good to all c. and all the good you can and to do what you find in your hands to do for God with all your might and that while you have opportunity Eccles 9.10 for there 's no work i' th grave whither we are going 'T will be one of the best deeds of pure charity at this day to visit crazy sickly soules that lie languishing and slumbring under spiritual Consumptions in the Name of the Lord and to propound heart-searching Questions to quicken them instead of heart separating Queries which have deaden'd them And sure it would be a very seasonable work in this hour of temptation amongst Christian friends at distance to take up that Primitive practice of the blessed Servants and Martyrs of Jesus by quickening up one anothers spirits with heart-awakening Letters I cannot but commend this labour of Love to such as are present with one another in spirit and love when absent in body as that which some in our dayes have found a sweet blessing in even as in that cluster mentioned Isa 65.8.5 Give all diligence in the frequent and fervent performance of all Gospel-duties with a Gospel-spirit setting grace on work in all by the supply of the Spirit and if you find your hearts ready to follow the Lord fully in all the work he has cut up for you you 'l find work enough ready at your hands and hearts to keep you awake 6. Cast up your spiritual accounts every day with an eye to that great Day when every one must give an account of himself to the Judge of quick and dead oft Soul-reckonings will rowse up your spirits much to wait for the Bridegroom with loyns girt and lamps burning Matth. 25.6 as if you heard the cry at midnight Secondly by way of Caution 1. Take heed of an heavy Ear under the Sound of the Gospel lest your ears should tingle for it another day The Seers eyes must needs weep in secret for you if they behold you sleeping openly under the Lords all-seeing eye 'T will sadden the hearts of weak Christians to see you heavy-hearted under that Gospel of grace by which they and you have been often awakened and carnal hearts will be the more apt to slight that spirituall food which they see you sleep over 2. Take heed of resting in a form of godlinesse without power of taking up with the letter without the Spirit or being contented with a Name to live without that new Name and a new heart and life you may lie dead at the letter till you die but the Spirit will quicken you and put life into your spirit you may easily slumber under the form of an outward profession but the constant exercise of the power of godlinesse will effectually awaken you 3. Dally not with any beloved lust nor be dandled upon any Dalilahs lap least you fall asleep upon 't and be betrayed if your hearts go after any strange lovers you must needs lose your first love to your first husband and be left heartlesse and spiritlesse if you indulge any right eye or right hand how dark will the right eye be and how dead the right hand of your inward man you must watch over your own iniquity yea over every sin so as ever you would be found watchfull at Gods Word or chearful in his way Sensuality in any kind will breed spiritual security at first and bring perplexity of spirit at last Sin 's calm must needs end in a sad storm 4. Take heed of self-seeking and seeking great things to your selves A selfish spirit will be sluggish in spirituals if you once begin to take your fill of creature-comforts you 'l have no stomack to the things of Christ but even sleep at his breast The love of the world will eat out your love to God his Word his work his people c. If you be all upon 't rising early to eat the bread of sorrows Psal 127.2 you 'l lose that sweet sleep he gives his beloved and be cast into a false slumber feeding your selves with foolish fancies saying Soul take thine ease where little ease is to be found when the heart is drunk with the strong wine of the Worlds cup or drown'd in the sweet waters of its own Cistern 't will certainly fall into a dead sleep and Christians overloaden with thick clay we see with sorrow how heavily they drive 5. Take heed of slighting any holy duties and of a slight frame of spirit in them 'T is a slighting of God himself who will lightly esteem such and leave them to their own slothful spirits A sluggish indisposition will ever attend sinfull omissions and such as dare be bold in the omiting of good are in danger to become base and vile in the committing of evill if your hearts backslide in secret from humble communion with God in his holy wayes he will turn his back upon you and leave you to eat the fruit of your own wayes and then alas how weak will your hearts be in and to any thing that 's good how wofully evill 6. Take heed of grieving the good Spirit of God lest he go away sadly and leà ve you to the heavinesse of your own spirits Oh if you quench the heavenly sparks of his holy motions the fire of your love and zeal will quickly be going out and you 'l grow cold at heart Oh do not do not tempt the Holy Ghost no not for a world lest he withdraw his light
be closed with 1 Joh. 4.4 upon any terms For greater is he that is in us then he that is in the world And while we Watch and Pray our spirituall weapons will be mighty through God to bring down all the strong holds of the god of this world Luther was one of the most watchfull spirits in prayer we read of and he speaks of one of the highest experiences that we shall meet with That he was never tempted to Covetousnesse there was no fishing for his spirit with golden baits which was carried so high above the world in Faith and Prayer But alas Christians now adayes find the world a very great temptation a world of temptations in it How is the Moon got up to the heart in this our age that used to be under foot Rev. 12.2 to such as are clothed with the Sun Oh what hoarding up treasure on earth by such as seemed to be heires of Heaven as if their Heaven were upon earth and their hearts too How unbecoming is this to those that are born from above to live beneath themselves that ever so noble spirits of the blood-Royall should be so embased precious Sons and Daughters of Zion who were comparable to fine Gold should in this sense become as earthen pitchers How contrary is this to those heavenly principles of faith and love which should carry us as upon Eagles wings above the world towards heaven Oh where is the love of the Father where there is so much love of the World Have you ever tasted of the powers of the World to come who are thus brought under the power of the Creature What shall the Children of the Kingdom look no further live no higher then the Kingdoms of this World What called out of the World and at the Worlds call too These things could never be if watching and prayer had been kept up all this while with life and power 'T were not possible the World should steale upon the hearts of Gods people thus and steale them away too were they not asleep Now when prayer's down and the World up what a downfall will there bee They fall into temptation and asnare and into many hurtfull and foolish lusts which drown men in perdition Oh what a root of evil springs up where the World takes deep root how do they pierce themselves thorough with many sorrowes 1 Tim. 6 9 10. and choak the precious seeds of grace with these thornes and when the heart is overcharged with the inordinate love of this present World This soul-benumming Lethargie of carnal securitie will overspread it that we shall not feele this sin within us when it is even all over us what sense can we have of our living by Sense whiles Faith lies dead The love of the World will grow insensibly upon us if it can but lull us asleep in its Armes Secondly because we shall be indisposed to make any opposition in an hour of temptation if we do not Watch and Pray our temptations will grow stronger and we weaker in Spirit every day then other they will be as Gyants and we as Grashoppers to use the expression of the Spies And alas as we are so is our strength as Gideon said of Jether at the best but weaknesse and our spirituall enemies will gather up their strength to take the advantage of us when and where we are weakest How easily may they make a prey of us coming upon us vvhen vve are sore as Simeon and Levi did upon the Males Gen. 34.25 especially if vve consider 10. That the Strength of Israel has secretly vvithdravvn himself from his people vvhile their hearts have been asleep Num. 14 9. and novv their defence is departed from them and they are as bread to the devouring mouth of the hungry Lyon vvho never had a better stomack to them Sampson Judg. 16 19.20 vvho vvas so strong in the strength of God vvas as vveak as another man vvhen the Lord departed from him the Philistines may novv bind him as they please put out his eyes and make him grind it 'h Prison-house Ah since the Lord has turned his back upon a backsliding generation hovv are the strong become as bow and they that had the excellencie of dignitie and strength are as unstable as the water how miserably are they swallowed up of temptations on every side how easily lead captive by their corruptions at every turne And though they shake themselves somtimes as Sampson did and think to resist them as at other times alas they cannot do it for their strength is departed from them 2. That the Lord hath left them to themselves who have laid him aside and left off watching and prayer Now what can such naked men do in an hour of Temptation when they meet with the strong man armed must they not needs be spiritlesse like Saul in the day of distresse when he was left to his own Spirit 1 Sam. 28.20 and had no strength in him What a pittifull forlorn creature is that man whom God has given over and given up to himself even like a lamb in a large place Hos 4.16 as back-sliding Israel what more destitute and distressed where no Shepherd no flock how will it wander and lose it self The best of men in such a case are exposed to the worst of evills when David a man after Gods own heart was trusted but a while with his own heart how shamfully it deceived him and defiled him who would ever have thought that murthers and adulteries should have proceeded out of such a heart as his When Solomon Neh. 13 26. who was so beloved of his God was given up to himself how strangely was his heart changed within him and turned from the Lord God of Israel who had appeared to him twice even to strange gods 1 King 11.8 and strange wives The wisest of men when left to his own wisdom appears as one of the fools in Israel and whither does his shame go And good Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.31 when the Lord left him to try him to know all that was in his heart what pride of heart does he discover though he had been so lately and so deeply humbled And though the Lord had newly emptied all worldly glory before his eyes 2 King 20.13 Yet he could not keep his eyes and heart off of the house of his precious things c. but glories in shewing all the treasures were faund there when he should have glorified God and shewed forth his wonders in bringing the Sun of his life back Isa 38. and the shadow upon the dyal of Ahaz c. Yea blessed Peter an holy Apostle of Jesus Christ when he trusted to his own strength and boldly professed above the rate of the rest of the Disciples Mat. 26 33 35. saying Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended and though I should die with thee yet will I
we have refused the cleare counsel and pure comforts of the Holy-Ghost in the day of his gracious visitation what strong delusions and strange declinings to the right hand or the left since we have forsaken the guide of our spirits 3. Watch your spiritual enemies they watch us Luk. 4.13 as Satan did Christ when the Tempter is gone and his temptation seemes to be quite over he does but watch another season and therefore we must watch in season and out of season As Nehemiah and the people of God with him did with Sanballat and the enemies of God Neh. 4.7.8.9 they prayed and set a watch day and night the enemie was very wroth and they were very watchfull a sword in one hand when at work with the other So should we at this day watch at the Lords work Watch and Pray watch and heare watch and speak c 'T is very seasonable that counsell of the mightie Counsellour Take heed no man deceive you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ deceive many Oh how much are we concerned in that blessed caution upon whom the ends of the World are come Math. 24.4 5 11 24 25. How affectionate and importunate was Paul the aged and experienced in warning the people night and day and that with teares to beware of such as should seeke to withdraw them from the Gospel of Christ Do not spiritual dangers multiply upon us every day whiles we are under a Spirit of slumbring securitie from our soul-enemies and that on every side Oh what need of the whole Armour of God on the right hand and on the left what need of a diligent spiritual watch over our heads and hearts words and wayes teachings and hearings Oh gather up your spiritual forces every day and call in auxiliaries from Heaven and follow the Captain of your salvation Watching and Praying as the armour-bearer did Jonathan climbing upon heads and feet contend eamestly for the faith which was once given to the Saints and as you 're fighting the good fight of faith be ever looking up to Jesus 1 Pet. 1.5 and you shall be kept as in a Garrison so the word imports by his power through faith unto salvation 4. Watch over and for one another for good in an evil time 't is very seasonable to be knocking at one anothers doores and jogging at each others elbowes in the Spirit of meeknesse to keep as many awake as you can in this slumbring time through the good hand of God upon you and surely they whose hearts are awakened in such a day as this by the Lords speaking from heaven to them cannot keep silence but must be speaking to their brethren in the name of the Lord saying awake awake As our hearts should dwell much upon awakening meditations so our mouths should be filled with awakening salutations and exhortations when we meet with the servants of Christ as it was with the lively Christians in the primitive times saying behold he comes like a thief and The Judge standeth at the door and the like When so many watch one anothers haltings let us watch to be helpers of one anothers faith and joy by provoking one another to Watching and Prayer when many fellow-servants are smiting one another with words of violence and verulency let us smite one another with words of truth soberness and the deeper they pierce the heart in the Spirit of Love the better could we hit one another o' th heart-vein 't would be a mercy Oh that the righteous would thus smite one another with gracious words of reproof to restore one another and all in much mutual soul-love what a kindness would this be Such precious oyntments would not break the head but mollifie and meeken the heart Such wounds would be welcome from the hand of a friend Alas we complain every where of the Saints slumbring wandring and wantonnesse 't were better we turned our complaints inward and left them upon our selves that we do not stir up one another to Watching and Prayer we do but bear one another as burthens upon our spirits when we should beare one anothers burthens and help at a dead lift as with one shoulder we see poore Christians in a dead sleep on every hand and we lie dying by them but who calls upon them to be watchfull and strengthen the things that are readie to die Rev. 3.2 How many have our eyes beheld lying as a man asleep upon the top of a Mast and floods of temptation under them too prov 7.23.34 readie to swallow them up but how few have we laboured to awaken to this day 2 Sam. 16.17 may we not reflect upon our selves in the words of Absalom to Hushai Is this our kindnesse to our friends Is this nothing to you all ye that passe by do you not take notice how many foolish Virgins lie slum-bring and languishing upon beds of sensualitie and securitie and the house readie to be set on fire over their heads and do you take no care to awaken them would it not pitty your very heart to see the flames seize upon them while they are asleep How long has the keeper of Israel watched over them and kept them as the apple of his eye notwithstanding all their slumbrings and wandrings and does he not expect think you that you should be your brethrens keeper for his sake and cry unto them in all haste to prepare to meet him least he withdraw the wing of his protection from them and leave them naked if you see your brethren sleeping starving dying and shut up the bowels of your compassions from them in such a case how dwels the love of God in you And if you say 't is not in mans power to awaken anothers heart who cannot awaken his own can a man raise the dead T is true the low voyce of a weak man can never make those hearts heare which can sleep under the loud thundrings of Heaven why but can you weep over them as the Jewes did over Lazarus in his grave yea can feelingly sigh over them saying Can these drie bones live Who shall roul away the stone and open their graves why he that is the resurrection and the life can awaken them out of the deepest sleep and quicken them with a word of his mouth If Jesus will but groan in Spirit with you and say awake arise come forth the dead shall heare his voyce and live You cannot lift up their sleepie hearts no alas they are too heavie for you but cannot you lift up a prayer for them If any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death he shall ask 1 Ioh. 5.16 and he shall give him life what high encouragement is here to praying-souls to lift up their voice on high for such as are sinning and sleeping in sin almost to death oh then if the Spirit of prayer were raised again from the dead as one may say what blessed
hopes would there be of a spiritual resurrection to many poor hearts that are even dead and buried in the grave of securitie Secondly double your duty of Prayer Pray Pray 1. For a plentifull and powerful effusion of the Holy Spirit to counsel comfort our foolish fainting Spirit in this hour of temptation T is sad to behold since we have caused the good Spirit to withdraw his gracious influences how the glory is departed in a great measure from Churches ordinances communions c in most places may we not sadly sigh out that heart-breaking word Ichabob and say Where is the glory how many choyse Gardens of the Saints are withered since the Lord has withheld the spiritual dewes of Heaven How thin and lean is Jacob become and waxen pale since a famine of the Spirit has been amongst us How spiritlesse faithlesse heartlesse fruitlesse lovelesse are most Christians grown since we have slumbred and sinn'd away the spirit of faith life love power c How is the Gold become dimme the fine Gold changed now he that has the seven Spirits is turned aside from the Golden Candlesticks Oh it is high time then to begge as for life that the Spirit would come down as floods upon the drie ground that the Churches may be as watred Gardens and the Saints may grow up as willowes by the water courses oh let all the awakened Servants of Christ cry as with one heart and mouth Cant. 4.16 Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon the Gardens that the spices thereof may flow out that our beloved may come into his Garden and eate his pleasant fruits oh when when shall a precious box of oyntments be broken over us to fill our hearts with its savour Oh when will the spirit come down amongst us as a refiners fire or fullers sope Mal. 3.3 4. to purifie us as Gold and Silver that we may offer up pure offerings of righteousnesse which may be pleasant to the Lord as in the dayes of old Oh that we could wait in the Spirit as old Simeon did for the consolation of Israel for that power from on high that so strengthens weak hearts hands that the feeble may be as David for such an anointing with fresh oyle as may cause us to move swiftly and sweetly after Jesus Christ And we have many precious cords of love let down to pull at for this gracious Gospel-promise Joh. 14. 15 16 As the special promise of the Father of mercies to send the comforter oft repeated for our better assurance and he is faithfull that hath promised he will not deny his people long nor alwaies for he cannot deny himself And the effectual prayer of our Lord Jesus who never prayes amisse but is heard alwaies of his Father This was that sweetest myrrhe which dropt from the lips of Christ as he was ascending up to Heaven his greatest last Testament-promise of a double portion of his Spirit Now is it so much upon the Lords heart to bestow this peculiar blessing and should it not be much upon our heart to aske it especially being that glorious ministration which is to continue for the support supply and solace of the Saints till the appearance of Jesus Christ without which no outward administration can be effectuall 2. Oh Pray Psa 2.6.8 Pray that Jehovah would set his King upon his holy hill of Zion that the Heathen may be his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth his possession that the government may be upon his shoulder Isa 9.6 who is clothed with a vesture dipt in blood Rev. 19.13.16.14 and hath on his thigh a Name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords that all things may be opened and shut by the Key of David Isa 2.11 17. The Lord is arising to shake terribly the Earth the loftinesse of man must be bowed down and the haughtinesse of men made low that the Lord alone may be exalted in his day Oh that the Sun of righteousnesse were at this height once there would be a glorious Sun-shine day indeed The God of heaven and earth has promised Heb. 12 26 27 28. he will once more shake heaven and earth to bring in that Kingdom that cannot be shaken and the things that shall remain and Heaven and Earth shall passe away rather then one tittle of his good promise shall fall to the ground The Fathers heart is all upon his beloved Son in whom his Soul delighteth to exalt Him highly Phil. 2.9 give Him a Name above every Name And shall not the hearts of his Children go in with him and work strongly that way It was for their sakes he humbled himself so low even to the death of the Crosse Oh how should their hearts break with longings that he may be extolled and be very high crowned with majesty and glory Why then let all the Lords Remembrancers make mention of this good thing promised Jer. 33.14 of which he loves to be put in remembrance before him night and day that Jesus Christ may take to himself his great power and reign On when shall the sounding of the seventh Angel be heard as the great voyces in Heaven all the world over saying The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 and he shall reign for ever and ever Cant. 3.10 Oh that King Solomon would send his Chariot that is paved with love for the Sonnes and Daughters of Zion that they may enter with joy and gladnesse into the Kings Palace how would their spirits revive within them and they would say It is enough 3. Improve the Spirit of grace to the utmost for the chaining up the unclean spirit Oh try what power you have with the Father of Lights to set his power on work to shake the powers of darknesse If Fervent Prayer lift up by the hand of faith bind Gods hand and put him to say Let me alone will it not overcome him to bind up Satan and to bruise him under the feet of his Saints shortly The Devill is come down with great wrath because he knoweth he hath but a short time He followes his Kingdom with greatest violence towards its period hee 's hot upon 't throwing with fury his fiery darts round about The Adder's poyson is boyling up to the height This enemy is comming upon us like a flood Oh 't is high time to set upon the gates of Heaven with an humble and holy violence knocking day and night till the holy Spirit come down with prayer and lift up a Standard against him The old Serpent has now above 5000. years experience upon his back hee 's now master indeed of his black Art Oh what multifariety and Variety in his methods what Subtletie and secrecy in his snares how destructive and obstructive are his devices and depths Oh when will the Angel come down from Heaven with that great chain and lay