Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness

4. Sleeping at Sermons is an evil sign,

For, 1. It argueth great inconsiderateness and […] mind fullness of those things which men ought to consider of.

For, 1. It argueth great inconsiderateness and 〈…〉 mind fulness of those things which men ought to consider of.

It is an evidence that men are not aware […] those things, which they ought to remember, whenever they come to hear the Word of God dispensed in his Name. Its a sign that they do not consider of the dreadful place and presence which they are in. We may say of a solemn Church-Assembly as Jacob speaketh concerning that place where the Lord appeared to him, Gen. 28. 17. He was afraid, and said, how dreadful is this place, this is none other but the House of God. There is a special presence of God in Church Assemblies, which maketh such places to be holy, and therefore dreadful. Its true, that in these days, one house is as holy as another. But it is also true, that in whatever house God is worshipped, during the time of worship, there is a special presence of the Lord there, and therefore during the time of worship, the place in holy. Hence reverence in Behaviour is required of men whilst in such places. It was said to Moses, Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, h. e. show reverence as to thy outward behaviour, (for putting off the shoe was, and is at this day amongst the Eastern Nations, like putting off the hat with us) for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground; namely, because of a special presence of God which was in that place at that ⟨p. 207⟩