A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first…A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first…

3 This love of Sleep and Rest is a lust of the flesh, when we use it not to a right end; now the end of all Sleep and Rest, is to refresh the Spirit and strengthen the body, and help digestion, like the unbending of a Bow to make it stronger, if a Bow stand always bent it weakens it; therefore so much Sleep as may help digestion and comfort and refresh a mans body and spirit, God allows; God knows all the Comforts of this life are little enough to uphold us against vexations and discouragements, but when a man is grown to love Sleep and Ease, a little more Sleep, a little more Slumber, one ease after another, and never looks how to employ it to Gods service, now he propounds no right end, but we ease our selves that we may be eased, and never look further than Ease and Sleep, and so we rest in the Creature, and never look up to God, to whom all our Ease and refreshment should tend, otherwise its a Lust of the Flesh, because we look no further, but to satisfy the Flesh, Prov. 26.14. As a door sometimes turns this way and that way, but ⟨p. 129⟩is never off the Hinges; so a sluggard would toss himself from one side to another; the door hath some end in turning upon the Hinges, to open and shut, but a Sluggard doth no good by it, but rolls himself from one side to another, after he is satisfied with Sleep, but cannot get up, and then when he is up, he doth nothing but roll himself from one thing to another, he hath no settled business to employ himself about, but takes care what to do, he goes from one Company to another, from one Game to another, till he shuts out the day, and then he returns to his Rest and Ease and sleep again, as it was with Peter, James, and John, Mat. 26.41. when Christ called on them to watch and pray, he comes and finds them sleeping, what saith he, the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak; even then when he had most need, and themselves also, of watchfulness, they fell into drowsiness, and so fell into Temptation, that they all left Christ, and Peter especially; Simon sleepest thou, whom Satan desires to winnow? For thee now to Sleep is a Lust of the Flesh. Let us therefore so look at Sleep and Ease as that we must give account of;

3 This love of Sleep and Rest is a lust of the flesh, when we use it not to a right end; now the end of all Sleep and Rest, is to refresh the Spirit and strengthen the body, and help digestion, like the unbending of a Bow to make it stronger, if a Bow stand always bent it weakens it; therefore so much Sleep as may help digestion and comfort and refresh a mans body and spirit, God allows; God knows all the Comforts of this life are little enough to uphold us against vexations and discouragements, but when a man is grown to love Sleep and Ease, a little more Sleep, a little more Slumber, one ease after another, and never looks how to imploy it to Gods service, now he propounds no right end, but we ease our selves that we may be eased, and never look further than Ease and Sleep, and so we rest in the Creature, and never look up to God, to whom all our Ease and refreshment should tend, otherwise its a Lust of the Flesh, because we look no further, but to satisfie the Flesh,