Strive against it when first you begin to drowse, shake off a sleepy frame. Stir up your selves to hear the Word, as well as to call upon the Name of God, Isai. 64.7. If sitting be an occasion of sleeping, rather stand up, then sit and sleep and sin. And keep alive those thoughts in your hearts, which will be a means to prevent sleeping. e. g. The awful thoughts of the special presence of God. When Jacob slept as in his Journey towards Padan Arran, Gen. 28. 16. he awaked out of his sleep and said, surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not: it is as if he had said, had I been aware that God was in this place I would not have composed my self to sleep in his presence. Jacob had more grace, then to set himself to sleep in the special presence of God. Surely, if men did know that God is in Church Assemblies, they would not set themselves to sleep there. Remember when you hear Sermons Preached, that God himself is speaking […] you, in the way of his Ordinance, though by mortal men like unto your selves. The Treasure is from Heaven, though the Vessel that brings it, be an earthen vessel. You should therefore receive ⟨p. 220⟩the Word of God, which you hear, not as the word of men, but as the word of God, 1 Thess. 2.13. I remember I have read concerning that great Emperor Constanti••, that sometimes when he heard Sermons Preached, he did rise up out of his Royal Seat, and would give that reason for it, because (said he) the men that speaketh cometh in the Name of God, and delivers the messages of God. Nay, when Eglon the Prince of Moab, heard Ehud say, I have a Message from God unto thee; he arose out of his Seat. Men would be more like to stand trembling, then to sit sleeping, if they did believe and think of this, Again, if thou dost find thy self inclined to sleep under the hearing of the Word, think how Satan is busy about thee, thou mayst be sure he is near at hand, if thou growest sleepy as a Sermon, and wilt thou give way to his Temptations? Yea, think with thy self, if I should sleep now, I should sin; There was a man that could say, he had not slept a wink at a Sermon, for more then twenty years together, and could give this Reason of it, Because (said he) if I begin to be sleepy, that thought cometh into my heart, if I should now sleep, I should sin against God, and that I dare not do.
Strive against it when first you begin to drowse, shake off a sleepy frame. Stir up your selves to hear the Word, as well as to call upon the Name of God, Isai. 64.7. If sitting be an occasion of sleeping, rather stand up, then sit and sleep and sin. And keep alive those thoughts in your hearts, which will be a means to prevent sleeping. e. g. The awful thoughts of the special presence of God. When Jacob slept as in his Journey towards Padan Aran, Gen. 28. 16. he awaked out of his sleep and said, surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not: it is as if he had said, had I been aware that God was in this place I would not have composed my self to sleep in his presence. Jacob had more grace, then to set himself to sleep in the special presence of God. Surely, if men did know that God is in ChurchAssemblies, they would not set themselves to sleep there. Remember when you hear Sermons Preached, that God himself is speaking 〈…〉 you, in the way of his Ordinance, though by mortal men like unto your selves. The Treasure is from Heaven, though the Vessel that brings it, be an earthen vessel. You should therefore receive ⟨p. 220⟩the Word of God, which you hear, not as the word of men, but as the word of God, 1 Thess. 2.13. I remember I have read concerning that great Emperor Constanti••, that sometimes when he heard Sermons Preached, he did rise up out of his Royal Seat, and would give that reason for it, because (said he) the men that speaketh cometh in the Name of God, and delivers the messages of God. Nay, when Eglon the Prince of Moab, heard Ehud say, I have a Message from God unto thee; he arose out of his Seat. Men would be more like to stand trembling, then to sit sleeping, if they did believe and think of this, Again, if thou dost find thy self inclined to sleep under the hearing of the Word, think how Satan is busie about thee, thou mayst be sure he is near at hand, if thou growest sleepy as a Sermon, and wilt thou give way to his Temptations? Yea, think with thy self, if I should sleep now, I should sin; There was a man that could say, he had not slept a wink at a Sermon, for more then twenty years together, and could give this Reason of it, Because (said he) if I begin to be sleepy, that thought cometh into my heart, if I should now sleep, I should sin against God, and that I dare not do.
