I wish that since garments are given me to cover my nakedness, I may never discover the lust of my spirit in any lewd or loose attire on my flesh, nor ever be proud of those rags, be they never so gaudy or costly, which call aloud to me to be humble, as being the ⟨p. 444⟩signs of my first and most dreadful sin and shame. I desire that I may not be of the number of them that wast their wealth about that which is at the mercy of the moth, yet that I may not through covetousness offer my self by my clothes to just contempt, but may so walk between the two extremes, as one who wears the livery of Beligion, that my God may never be dishonoured, nor the Gospel disgraced by any spots in my garments; O that my soul may so put on the garments of my Elder brother, and the graces of the holy Spirit, that thereby I may be known (as Davids daughters by their raiment of divers colours) to belong to the heavenly Court, and thereby be prepared to walk with my God in the white of glory. 1I wish that I may observe the ends of sleep, how my God alloweth it for the strengthening, not the weakening of nature, that I may not by excess herein turn my friend into an enemy, and whilst I seem to indulge my flesh, wrong both flesh and spirit too. O that prudence and piety might both so guide me, that I may ever be watchful against his encroaching adversary, and not like a Dormouse live as if I were born to sleep. Finally, I wish that I may be so sensible of the worth of those narrow streams of time, because of their tendency to the boundless Ocean of eternity, that like holy Hooper, I may be spare of sleep, sparer of diet, and sparest of time, that I may redeem it as much as may be conveniently from those natural actions which are necessary; and that when eating, drinking, and clothing, and sleeping, and days, and weeks, and years, and ages shall be no more, I may eat of my Saviours hidden Manna, drink of ⟨p. 445⟩the new Wine in my Fathers kingdom, be arrayed with the White Linen of the Saints, and inherit that rest which remaineth for the people of my God, for ever and ever, Amen.
I wish that since garments are given me to cover my nakedness, I may never discover the lust of my spirit in any lewd or loose attire on myflesh, nor ever be proud of those rags, be they never so gaudy or costly, which call aloud to me to be humble, as being the ⟨p. 444⟩signs of my first and most dreadful sin and shame. I desire that I may not be of the number of them that wast their wealth about that which is at the mercy of the moth, yet that I may not through covetousness offer my self by my cloaths to just contempt, but may so walk between the two extreams, as one who wears the livery of Beligion, that my God may never be dishonoured, nor the Gospel disgraced by any spots in my garments; O that my soul may so put on the garments of my Elder brother, and the graces of the holy Spirit, that thereby I may be known (as Davids daughters by their raiment of divers colours) to belong to the heavenly Court, and thereby be prepared to walk with my God in the white of glory. 1I wish that I may observe the ends of sleep, how my God alloweth it for the strengthning, not the weakening of nature, that I may not by excess herein turn my friend into an enemy, and whilst I seem to indulge my flesh, wrong both flesh and spirit too. O that prudence and piety might both so guide me, that I may ever be watchful against his incroaching adversary, and not like a Dormouse live as if I were born to sleep. Finally, I wish that I may be so sensible of the worth of those narrow streames of time, because of their tendency to the boundless Ocean of eternity, that like holy Hooper, I may be spare of sleep, sparer of diet, and sparest of time, that I may redeem it as much as may be conveniently from those natural actions which are necessary; and that when eating, drinking, and clothing, and sleeping, and days, and weeks, and years, and ages shall be no more, I may eat of my Saviours hidden Manna, drink of ⟨p. 445⟩the new Wine in my Fathers kingdom, be arrayed with the White Linen of the Saints, and inherit that rest which remaineth for the people of my God, for ever and ever, Amen.
- 1Sleep.
