Remains of that excellent minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Joseph Alleine being a collection…Remaines of that excellent minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Joseph Alleine being a collection…

Every Evening before you sleep, set some time apart, more or less, from the world, and set thy heart as in the presence of God, and charge it before God, to answer to these interrogatories.

First. With reference to your Duties.

First. Did not God find me on my bed when he looked for me on my knees? This question might be a shaming question, and I cannot without indignation speak of this, that many […] us should be so willing to please our selves […] a little case, when we should enjoy those ⟨p. 7⟩pleasant hours with God! How do you think that God will take this at your hands? there be many persons that do spend many hours in their beds, that they might enjoy Communion with God in, and then they are fain to […] up their duties in a co•ner, I beseech you that this may be left off. It may be, many of you have not so much to do in the world as others, they have not the business that others have, and therefore they need not rise so soon, but lye longer than others. Ah Christian! do not make that use of it, thou hast no more time for sloth than others. I tell thee from God, he hath not given thee any time to be idle in. I am afraid that many of you do not know what it is to sleep by Rule If thou dost not, this is a shame to thee, a Christian should do nothing but by Rule. It may be some will say, what Rule must we use? Ans. We must have respect to our Bodies, what may be for one man, may not be for another; but for healthy bodies six or seven hours is enough in conscience; let every man give his body no more than his body will require. And remember this general Rule, to be sure that you do use some Self-denial about your sleep: That general Rule should be observed, though the particular Rule cannot be given. That excellent servant of God, Mr. Jordan, that kept assurance of Gods love thirty years, did up at three or four a clock every morning, and if he did not, he did bewail it; O that it were thus with you!