APPLICATION:

By way of Examination, and Excitation, and Exhortation, there are many things, that might be now set before us. But instead of the Ordinary method wherein you might have been treated, I shall use the Compendious One of now laying before you, only Three AS­SERTIONS.

Assertion I. There are sad Signs of a Sinful Sleep too generally to be found upon us.

Indeed, Security will be the Epidemical Disease of our days; and the Older the world is, perhaps it will be the Sleepier; or more like what it was, In the days of No [...]h. They are the pathetical Exclamations of Your and My Father, in a Latin Treatise well known among the Churches of God, Vbi [...]ides H [...]i­nam C [...]risti N [...]men pro [...]i [...]enti [...]? Vbi Sancta, Adve [...]tus D [...]mini Expectati [...]? Vbi de [...]ique prisca Christianorum Vigilantia, suspiri [...], La­crymae? Nonne propheti [...] [...] est, Moran­te Spensa [...]i [...]tarunt D [...]nes: H [...] M [...] ­du [...] alte Cons [...]pitum! I see the very Character of our Time; The watchings, the Sighs, the Tears of the primitive Christians are little imi­tated, Alas there is a Deep S [...]eep upon the World! Now, t'will be well, if there do not grow up­on us [...]e causes of such Lamentations; Or [Page 34] if the Lamentations would Rowse any of those, over whom we make them. We have seen several Plantations in our Neighbour­hood, laid in Blood and Fire, by those Inva­ders, to whom our Security is the Chief Thing that has made us Obnoxious. But we may do well to enquire, whether we are not in that Security, which may lay us as o­pen to the Displeasure of God, as to the Vexati­on of man. There are two Things besure which Conspire to invite us, unto that Sinful Sleep, whereof and whereby we are Endange­red. Within, we have our Corruption, to bring Sleep upon us. When the Disciples were Sleeping, our Lord said upon it, in Math. 26.41. The Flesh is Weak. The Flesh is all for Sleep; that Sluggish kind of a thing, will be ever saying, Yet a little more Sleep, a litlte more Slumber, a little more folding of the Hands; and this F [...]esh will haunt us as long as we dwell in F [...]esh. Without, we have our Company to Rocque us into Sleep. It was said in 2 Tim. 3.5. M [...]n shall have a form of Godliness, Denying the power of it; from such Turn away. Why so? Truly, because men infect one another with Formality. Sleep­ing is Ca [...]hing. If one man Yawn it will put the Next upon the doing the Lake. In a Room, where many Sleep, if any one there doth talk and stir, the rest are all offended at it; if any one Church, yea, or if any one Man, won't Sleep [...]like other peop [...]e, they'l [Page 35] fume, and frett, and fling, and say, VVhat a needless disturbance are you making here? And so for the sake of quietness, we must all Sleep as it seems, till Dooms Day. But let it for such causes then be thought upon, VVhether [...] are not Asleep? It was long since Judg'd, that the witty person, who while others were begging of monopolies, petition'd for a Patent, which might enable him, To Demand a small Piece of money from every One who carried a VVatch about him, and yet cared not how he spent his time, would have had a large Reve­nue, But it were well if they that keep a VVatch over their Hearts and Ways, were one half so many, as those that now wear a VVatch about them in their Cloaths. I have these Interrogatories for you.

First; If we are not Asleep, why are we so Senseless, before the Almighty God? There is that Spiritual Plague mentioned, in Isa. 6.10. A Fat Heart, Heavy Ears, and Shut-up Eyes; which is perhaps oftner quoted in the New-Testament than almost any one passage of the Old; bceause it is the Grand Plague under the New-Testament. But has not this New-Testament-Plague, most fearfully siezed upon multitudes among us? The Voice of God, how few have the Sense to hear that Thundring Voice? Upon the Promises of God we say not, These are Faithful Sayings, and worthy of all Accepta­tion; O may I have the Godliness, which they belong unto ▪ Upon the Threatenings of God, [Page 36] we say not, These are the Faithful, and the True Sayings, which will shortly come to pass: O may I be afraid of these Judgments! Altho' we may say with the Psalmist, God hath spoken once, yea, twice unto us, yet the Lord may say to us, as by the Prophet, I spake unto thee, and thou wouldest not hear. The Face of Christ, how few have the Sense to see that Beauteous Face? We do not gaze upon the most Illustrious Excellencies of our Lord-Redeemer, until we say, He [...], in whom there does all Fullness dwell, and? Here is the One Thing Needful. Altho' He be the, Altoge­ther Lovely, yet we have not such a view of Him, as to make us Love Him; altho' He be the, Pearl of Great Price, yet we have not such a view of Him, as to make [...] Prize Him; we D [...]sire Him not, altho' He be, The Desir [...] of all Nations. The Load of Sin, how few have the Sense to feel the weight of that Mountainous Load? How few, Labouring and Heavy-Laden Souls, are to be found among the Sinners that have all their Dayes been those, That Heap up Wrath against themselves▪ How few do with Restless Terrors of Soul account them­selves, Wretched and Poor, and Miserable and Blind, and Naked: and not rather say, I have Need of Nothing?

Secondly, If we are not Asleep, why are we so Fearless, of what may be to come upon us? 'Tis said of some, Said in Job. 21:9. [Page 37] Their Houses are safe from Fear. But it may be Said of more, There is in their Hearts no Godly Fear. Alas, there are multitudes of Le­viat [...]ans for Sinning in the miost of us, and such as have Made themselves without Fear. We have long had a dreadful Hurricane of the Divine Judgments upon us; but men are like Jonah, fast Asleep, while the Great God seems to be sinking of us, in the Ro­ring Billows of his Wrath. There is a Flood of cal [...]mitous Acci [...]ents ready to Roll in upon us; but are we like Noah, who, By Faith, being moved with Fear, prepared an Ark ▪ There is a Combination of Enemies for [...] Desolation; but are we like Jeheshaphat, who, Feared and Proclaimed a Fast? The Word of God has loudly told the Unconverted People in our Neighbourhood, That an horrible Tem­pest of Eternal Vengeance is impending over their miserable Souls. But how few are like those wary Egyptians, who of old, Feared the Word of the Lord? and not rather like the impudent Sod [...]mites that would go on to Sin, when they were just stepping into, The Vengeance of Eternal Fire? Altho' the Almighty God have Sounded in our Ears, the Alarms of His Ever­lasting Indignation, if we do not Return from our Evil Ways; yet Sinners, like the fiery War-Horse, do mock at Fear, and Laugh a [...] the shaking of the Spear. How few among u [...] can say with the Apostle, I know the Ter [...]rs of the Lord? How few with the Psalmist, O [Page 38] Lord, my Flesh Trembles for fear of thee?

Thirdly, If we are not Asleep, why are w [...] so Mindless of what we have to do? 'Tis said unto some in Psal. 50.22. Consider this, you that Forget God. But how many are there whom that Note is to be Branded upon, They Forget God, and never Consider what He has call'd them to? With what a Brutal Stupidity, do men Forget the Errand which they were sent into the World upon? which is, To Glorifie God. Our main Business in the World is, By Re­penting, & Believing to make sure of Everlasting Happiness, & in the continual exercise of Religion, bear our Testimonies unto all the Truths and Ways of the God that made us. But is not this Business, utterly laid aside by the most of men? Men Employ themselves, as if they had nothing in the world to do, but build and fill a little Nest made of Straw & Clay, where­in after they themselves have been Merry for many years, their young ones may be comfor­tably Lodged after them. Vain Man! And knowest thou not how soon the Cudgels of Death may batter down that little Nest? I have one Question to send round unto every man in this great Assembly; 'tis this, Pray, what have you been doing in the world, ever since you came into it? How few among us, could Re­late any other than a most wretched Story, in a True Answer to that great Question? When our Lord was going to Dy, He could say, [...]ther, I have Finished the Work, which thou [Page] hast given me to do. But many of us, if we were to Dy immediately, must with most in­expressible Stings in our Souls, confess, O I have never yet struck so much as one good Stroke at the Work which has been ordered for me. And hence also, how little concerned are we to know and use, the wonderful Opportunities wherewith we are furnished in our several Capacities, to be doing or getting of Good? We have our Talents; that is, our Opportuni­ties to Serve the Interests of God, of the Church, of our own Souls: But we suffer our Talents to lie by most shamefully unim­proved; and there are very few that seriously and frequently ask themselves, What is there that I may do for the further Service of my God, and of my Generation?

Fourthly. We are Speechless, and should we be so, if we were not fast Asleep? If [...] were falsely charged upon Job. in Chap 15. [...] T [...]ou restrainest Prayer before God; it may be too Truly charged upon ourselves. O! there is too little Prayer a going among us, for such, A Day of Trouble, and Rebuke, and Blasphemy, and of no strength to bring forth, as is now come upon us. P [...]late most insolently said unto our Lord, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to kill thee, or save thee. But our Lord may Righteously complain of us, Their Life and their Death, is in my Hands, yet they will not speak unto me. How many Closets are there that are not visited and per­fumed [Page 40] with Secret Prayers from Day to Day? Yea, tis Reported, that some Church-Members have been so fearfully Distempered, as to dis­pute whether Secret Prayer were incumbent on them▪ An Indication of a most Horrid L [...]ness sent into the Soul! Are those true [...] that can argue so? What? have they no Secret Sins then to be bewayl'd, no Secret Wants to be reliev'd, no Secret Wounds to be opened, and no S [...]cret Temptations to be cry'd against? And no such Command of our Lord as that, Enter into thy Closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, Pray to thy Father which is in secret. How many Houses also are there, that have not Private Prayers every Day performed in them? Altho' besides what the [...]ery Light of Nature dictates, That they who [...] and R [...]st, and it may be Sin, together; [...]ould likewise every day Pray together; we have the Law of Scripture for every Master of a Family, C [...]ntinue in Prayer, and watch [...] the same. Which is but an Allusion to [...]he Continual Sacrifice of Old, which was every Morning and Evening brought unto the Lord. [...] is affirmed, that the very Indians, which are now preying upon our East, have so much Christianity, learn'd from the Papists among them, That they have Private Prayer [...]n their Wigwams every Day. O My God, I Mourn in my Complaint, That among our Baptised Neighbours, there should be so many [...]amilies that call not upon thy Name. If our [Page 41] God Pour out his Fury, upon us, by the sword of the Heathen that know him not ▪ it is be­cause He finds among us those pretended Christians, who are worse than the Heathen that know him not. But may it not be de­plored, that there is among us, A Great s [...] ­lence in Heaven, too? Our Honourable Ru­lers, in an Order for a Fast, some while since had these Expressions, That we may not by letting fall our Hands, give Advantage to our Adversaries, the several Congregations in the C [...] ­lony, are hereby Exhorted, That they keep the Wheel of Prayer, in a continual Motion, By Re­peated and Successive Agreements for Days of Prayer with Fasting, in their several Vicinities till our God have spoken peace unto us, and we find Salvation to be near us, with Glory dwelling in our Land. But how few of our Chur­ches do throughly, fervently, frequently Enough, attend the Counsel, which has with so much Authority, been given them? Or if Days of Prayer are Indicted, in how many circumstances do men manifest an Indisposit [...]on thereunto? I am to tell you, The whole Eng [...]ish Nation, may cry shame, upon thi [...] Countrey if we let one whole Month together pass us, without a Solemn Fast, some whe [...] or other in our Neighbourhood.

Fifthly. Were we not Asleep, should w [...] please our selves, with our Fine, Gay, Roman­tic Dreams, as we too often do? It is used as a Similitude, in Isa. 29.8. An Hungry man [Page 42] Dreameth, and beh [...]ld He E [...]teth, but he awa­keth and his [...]. Have [...]e no such Dreams, in our [...]? 'Tis but a Dream, for us to imagine, That the Temple of the Lord must needs also have the [...] [...]f the Lord, alth [...]' there be [...] Defiling thereof. 'Tis but a Dream for us to imagine, That there can be nothing still defecti [...] in our Church-Con­stitution, to render us [...] as an Army with Banners, and that after all our Attainments, we must not still press on. 'Tis but a Dream for us to imagine, That we may comfortably get through our Difficulties, without Returning to the Lord, that has been smiting of us. We Dream, if we imagine, That if the World bec [...]me our God, it shall n [...]t soon become our Grief; or, that we shall not find Vanities and Vexations in all Te [...] ­rene Dependencies. And yet have we not been swarming full of these Dreams? Our God may say unto us, O How Long shall your vain Thoughts L [...]dge within you.

Sixthly, What Corporal Sleeping, u [...] ­der the means of Grace do many of us give way unto? We read of Euticl [...]us, in Act. 20 9 As Paul was long Preaching he sank down with Sleep, and was taken up Dead. We [...]hould have a Consuming Mortality indeed, if God should smite every one that contentedly Sleeps [...] His Worship, with a Stroke like that up­on the Tyred Euticl [...]us; But this I may say, whenever we allow our selves to be Sleeping, when we should be Praying or Hearing before [Page 43] the Lord, there is, A [...] to be taken up De [...]d. When Jac [...]b had [...] in a place, where the Lord cho [...]e to give Special Di [...]coveries of him­self, it is said, He was afraid, and said, How d [...]ea [...]ful is this p [...]ace [...] T [...]is is [...] but the H [...]use of God, and this is the [...] of Heaven. Whereas we have among us, those, that one would suppose to set themselves for Sleep, in this Dreadful Place; yea, the uninterrupted Naps they take here seem to own, That S [...]eep is [...] T [...]ing which they c [...]me hither f [...]r. 'Tis an affecting Apologue, sometimes mentioned, That a [...] in an Humane Shape, coming into a Congregation, where there was a man Asleep, the Devil went, and jog'd, and chi [...] the man, and said unto him, Friend, I can tell you, that if these Offers of a Saviour were made among us in [...], there would be no Sleeping at them. Of this I am very confident, The very Devils, of whom doubtless there are many pre­sent, when we come, to present our selves before the Lord; I say, the very Devils themseves do wonder to see so many Sleepers in our Congre­gations; altho' indeed, they are the Devils that Ro [...] their Cradles for them. And now, Judge, I pray you? Can all these things be said of those that are not Asleep? I add,

Assertion. II. There are Loud Calls unto us, to Shake off our Sinful Sleep. The Powerful, [O that I might have said, Effectu­al [...]] Awakenings that have been given us, do now as well aggrava [...]e that Sinfulness of our [Page] [...]eep, as Necess [...]tate us to Shake it off. But [...] Awakenings? Briefly,

First, We have had the Awakenings of the [...]. It was a vouchsafement unto the [...] of old, in 2. Chron. 36.15. The Lord [...] of their Fathers, sent to them by his [...], Rising up be [...]i [...]es, and sending: What [...]? But that he might Awaken them. Tis [...] h [...]'s been done for ourselves. The [...] throughout New-England have had the Mes­sengers of Heaven in them; and as we read, [...]bout, The Mouth of all the Prophet [...], in this [...] the Ministers have all had but One [...]; All the cry every where ha's been, [...]! and, Reforma [...]i [...], or Desolation! Refor­ [...]ion, or Desolation ▪ ha [...]s been the Concur­ [...] Admonition of them that have [...] the Word of God.

We have hereupon had the Awakenings of [...] ▪ It is said in Mic. 9.6▪ [...] Why, what saies [...], sinners, Awake unto the [...] God. One affliction after another ha's been [...] us; First [...] have [...], and [...] have torn us; in every [...]ne of our [...] and Pleasant Things we have been [...]; Every Man perhaps in the [...] Territory, ha's had a share in the [...] of these exercises: And may say, I am [...], that have seen [...]iction by the R [...]d. [...] why does our God Affict us, but, that [...] may Awake us! But this is not all.

[Page]We have also had Awakenings of the Fire ▪ It may be said of us▪ in Isa. 42.25. The fury of Gods [...], hath set him [...] [...]ound abou [...]. O let it not be further said. H [...] knew it not, he laid it not to [...]. How often ha's [...]oor B [...]ston been raised in the Night with such an outcry as that. [...] in your [...]? In other places also▪ we have seen more than One Province [...]aid in A [...]h [...]s by the Fire of Gods [...] And we have often seen our [...], wherein, The Lord calls to con­tend be Fire. So have we been Scorched, that we might [...] Methinks, that the [...] appl [...]'d [...] might bring us to ourselves

Yea. [...] have herewithal had, [...] wakenings of the [...] was said in Math▪ [...] 10. The [...] is laid unto the Rent of the [...] Now what is the Language of every [...] But th [...] m [...]ch, Awake, O Tr [...]es, and [...] ▪ There are especially three [...] which the Pro [...]peri [...] of a People grows up [...]. is the [...] of a Land; [...] which it comes to flourish in the Enjoym [...] of [...] and [...]. A Second is, [...] Religion of a Land Even a Pagan [...] could ascribe the Successes of his R [...]mans, [...] their [...] fares as Gods A fares among us. A Third is. The Religio [...] of a Land. The Saints, are the Chariots [...] Horsem [...]n of the Places where they Live. [...] Destroyers confess to Righteous Lots, We [...] [Page 46] do nothing against the Place, as long as you are there. But on every of these Accounts have there not been those that have been Rooting in our Exposed Vineyard? In all, Awake, has been the Cry of every Stroke.

And now again, We have the Awakenings of the Philistines upon us. We read con­cerning Sampson; in Judg. 15.30. She said, The Philistines be upon thee, Sampson; and he awoke out of his Sleep. I cannot say, whether our Indians are not the Posterity of the Anci­ent Philistines; they seem to be, if not Canaa­nites, yet Scythians, by their Original. But there are many things wherein they Resemble and Imitate the Philistines; and these Philist­ines have been Laying our Country wast, [...] many Leagues together. Our God has [...] fullfill'd unto us, that Word of His, [...] move them to Jealousie with those which are not a People, I will provoke them to Anger with a Foolish Nation. O that we might be Moved and Provoked unto a convenient Wake­fulness, by what has thus befallen us. At least, when we call to mind, how these Ame­rican Rapparees have taken our Brethren, and binding them to a Stake, with a Lingring Heat, Burned and Roasted them to Death; the Exquisite Groans and Shrieks of those our Dying Bretheren should Awaken us.

But that you may see a further Accen [...] upon even the sharpest of these Awakenings, I am to tell you, That all sorts of persons [Page 47] have been concerned in them. When a little Handful of men had in a sudden and awful manner Lost their Lives, our Lord said unto all the People, in Luc. 13.3, 5, Except ye Repent, ye shall all likewise Perish; and again▪ Except ye Repent, ye shall all likewise Perish. This I say, We have seen the Deadly Blows of Heaven, upon all Ranks of Men among us; and the Word of the Lord Jesus to all Ranks therefore is, Awake, Lest you also Perish! Bad Men, Let them awake; inasmuch as you have seen the Lord as it were with Fish-hooks fetching out many hundreds of ungodly per­sons to be Destroy'd in the Flames of His Displeasure. Good Men, Let them Awake; inasmuch as you have seen some that had the Fear of God within them, yet without the Mark of God upon them, for their preserva­tion in our Late Overflowing Scourge: but perhaps, as they have Risen off their Knees, they have had the Bullets of Death shot in at their Windows, by the Skulking Adver­sary. Old Men, Let them Awake; inasmuch as you have seen Gray-hairs dy'd Red in their Owners Blood, and the Bodies of the Aged thrown even unto the Swine to mangle them. Rich Men, Let them Awake; inas­much as you have seen those which had large and fair Estates, in one years time come to Beg their Bread. Poor Men, Let them Awake; inasmuch as you have seen Poverty going on with closer pinches to [Page 48] gripe such like an armed Man. Rulers, Let them awake; inasmuch as you have seen one that was once a Magistrate, with his Family, most horribly Massacred by a crew of Infidels, that a few Hours before had been most Hospitably Treated at his House as Friends. Pastors, Let them awake; in­asmuch as you have seen a most Pious and Faithful Minister lately Assassinated by the Bruits of our East; in a Captivity a­mong whom his Vertuous Wife quickly af­ter ended her Dayes; and one of the As­sassinates coming on the Lords Day, among the Captived Parishiones of that Worthy Man, with the Cloaths of their Dear DVMMER upon him. Women, Let them Awake; inas­much as you have seen the Tender Sex, driven into Slavery before th [...]se Monsters, W [...]ose Ten­der Mercies, are Cruelty; Women of Good Fashion being made always Hungry, and al­most Naked, have been forced to call a filthy Squa, by the Title of Mistress; Yea, Women that have lov'd their Infants with most Relent­ing Bowels, yet have been put upon Begging of their Swarthy Masters, with Tears in their Eyes, To Kil [...] these Belov'd Infants [...]ut of hand. Children, Let them Awake; inasmuch as you have seen many of those Little C [...]icke [...]s, by the Eastern Vultures prey'd upon; Children that should have had an Ingenuous Education, have almost forgotten even their Mother Tongue, in their Vassalage among our own [Page 49] Wild Barbarians; yea, Children that have but whined a little for the Breast, have therefore by the Patroons that now Adopted them, had their Brains dash'd out against the Stones; e­ven the Brats of Babylon, have so dealt with our Little Ones. But above all, Young Folks, Let them Awake: inasmuch as the Lord our God, seems to have a peculiar Contro­versy with the Rising Generation of New-En­gland. Many of our young people do not first Secretly, and then Publickly Enter into Co­venant with God in Christ; the Dainties of the New-Covenant Exhibited, first in the Gos­pel, & then on the Table, of the Lord, are not by many of our young people, most affectio­nately Embraced▪ And what has follow'd? Why, The God of Heaven seems to say, I will take no pleasure in your young men. Hence 'tis, that some of our Young Ones have been gi­ven up to the most abominable Impieties of Vn­cleanness, Drunkenness, and a Lewd, Rude, Ex­travagant sort of Behaviour. There are the Children of Belial among them, and Prodi­gies of Wickedness. Hence also, Hug [...] Throngs of our Young ones have been Pressed into the Wars at home, or Carried unto the Seas abroad, where they have Dy'd like Rotte [...] Sheep; and it is upon them especially, that the Contagious Mortalities among us, have made further Havock; Death has fed upon them. I may say, O that my Head were Waters, and mine Eyes a Fountain of Tears, to weep for [Page 50] the rueful Estate of my own Generation, a­mong whom there are so few Instances of Early Piety; in comparison of what Instances there are of, Early Sin, and Early Death! But I rather turn my Lamentation into this Obte­station, O that you were wise, that you understood [...]ese Awakenings, that you would consider what will be your Latter End, if you Awake not out of your Impenitencies. At this Rate, has the God of Thunder been Awakening of us. Now God forbid, That as it was of old said, He would have Healed Babylon, and she would not be Healed, it should be now said, We would have Awakened New-England, and she would not be Awakened!

I now have only this more to say.

Assertion III. There are Great Works to be done by us, that we may have our Sin­ful Sleep evidently laid aside. As Deborah cal­led upon her self, Awake, Awake, and utter a Song! So would I call upon all my Friends, Awake, Awake, and let that be done that should be done. Our Natural Sleeping is a most Ne­cessary Refreshment for us; at least, when it is not become irregular, by the Hebetude of our Spirits, or by the undue pressure of any Viscous or Aqueous particles thereupon; 'tis but the Recruit of our Animal Spirits, by a New Digestion to Repair and Supply the Loss of those that have been Exhausted thro' our Enlarged Pores, while our External Sen­ses were in their Activity. But our Spiritual [Page 51] Waking is infinitely more Necessary, both for our Temporal and Eternal Wellfare. In­deed, if any of us will really and thoroughly Awake our selves, we shall grievously Anger those who think our Lord says to them, what He said unto His Disciples of old, Sleep on! We must look to meet with foolish and absurd Censures, from the Sleepers, whom like Noah, we Condemn, when we Awake. VVhen the Holy Vigilantius vigorously appeared against the Abuses creeping into the Sleeping Church, in the Beginning of the Fifth Century, no less a man than Jerom gave Opi­ates to that Sleeping Church, by undertaking the Patronage of those Abuses, and bestow'd the Name of Dormitantius, with other base Terms, upon the almost only Vigilant Servant of God in the VVorld. Give me leave [...] speak it; As he that Slept hath formerly murmu [...]red at him that Wak't, even so it is Now! Som [...] Cavil or other will certainly be Excogita­ted, whereby all Essayes towards Waking will be ridiculously blown upon; and if no­thing else [...] be invented, the Cavil will be▪ 'Tis a [...] Thing that you are upon. Thus when the [...] was a Church among our selve [...] that set apart a Day of Prayer with Fasting that they might Cry to Heaven for Convert­ing Influences of Grace to be poured from Heaven, upon their Children, there were some [ Shall I tell it?] Professors of Religion, so excessively Ridiculous, that they Exclaimed [Page 52] against it, as, A New Practice. VVhen our Lord Jesus Christ, uttered none but the Old Law, with better G [...]sses upon it, than they had been used unto, the people cry'd out A New Doctrine. Even so, if we do no more than what is to be found in the Old Way of Returning to God, praescribed in His Word, yet i [...] there be any one Indifferent and Expedient circum­stance of Explicitness, dictated by the very Light of Nature, for the better doing of it, [...]ot used heretofore, they that are Settled on [...]eir Lees, will cry out A New Practice. For Churches to Renew their Covenant, has been with Ignorance Enough reproached as, A New Practice; and so perhaps t'will be for Church­ [...] by Acts of their own, to Explain the Cove­ [...] which they have Renewed. It may be [...] ▪ But I may tell you, Tis a New Thing for [...]ople to Awake out of their degeneracies: thro' [...] Time and the Times of the Antichristian A­postacy, it has been so; So it was before; [...]o it will be still. But, let us fortify ourselves [...]gainst such little objections, and about, Wa­ [...]ing, say, If this be to be Vile, We will be yet more [...]; and having been Rowsed up from the [...]ouchant posture of our Souls, let us be Lions [...]hich do not for any Turn away. I bespeak you [...] the words of the Apostle, 1. Thes. 5.6. [...]et us not Sleep as do others, but let us watch. Wherefore.

First. Let all unrenewed Sinners Awake [...]eedily out of that hurtful and woful Sleep [Page 53] that is upon them, and become New Crea­tures, before the Lord. Poor Creatures, you are fast Asleep in a Doleful Prison, that is al­so on a Light Fire over your Heads; and unless you quickly become New Creatures, You will be horribly consumed there. The En­glish Historians tell us of a man that Slept for no less than fourteen Dayes without Intermssi­on. Yea, The Learned Cranzius tells of a Scholar at Luboc, that Slept for no less than Seven Years together. But what greater Pro­digies are You, that have been Asleep for so many Dayes, and Years! Even ever since you came into the world! O Take heed, lest you shortly incur that very direful thing in Rom. 11.8 God hath given them the Spirit of Slumber. Shall I then bestow a few Jogg [...] and Pull's, upon my Sleeping Hearers! And those that like the Poetical Endymion, do wish for nothing so much as that they may Sleep for ever? You Sleep, Sinners; but Where is it▪ It is as in Prov. 23.34▪ Thou shalt be▪ as he that lies down in the midst of the Sea; or as he that lies upon the Top of a Ma [...]. You are eve­ry Hour Sleeping, in the peril of Tumbling down into the Horible Pit, were the Worm ne­ver dies, and the Fire never shall be quenche [...] One Touch of Grim Death upon you, woul [...] push you into a Fiery Ocean, of Intollerable [...] Interminable Miseries. You are Sleeping; bu [...] I'l tell you, Who is not. It is said in 1 Pet 5.8. Be Vigilant, because your Adversay th [...] [Page 54] Divel, as a Roaring Lyon, walks about, seeking wh [...]m he may devour. While You are Sleeping, the Divel is Busy; even to throw his Nets over You; and You are Hagridden, by the most ugly things Imaginable. You are Sleep­ing; but [...] tell you, What is not. It is said in 2. Pet. 2.3. Their Damnation Slumbreth not. While you are Sleeping, your Damnation is Hastening; You are to Day, nearer to Hell, by Twenty four Hours than you were Yest­erday. O how can you Sleep in such Horrid Circumstances? and while you are only by the Rotten Thread of a Dying Life, hanging over the Mouth of that heated Furnace, from whence the Smoke of the Torment, ascends for ever, and ever? When the Emperour Au­gustus heard of one who could Sleep well, al­tho' he had heavy Debts lying upon him, he sent to buy the Mans Pillow, saying, Surely [...]here must be some very sleeping Vertue in a Pil­low, which a Man so much in Debt, could Sleep upon. As for you that can Sleep hard, tho' you have whole Talents and Mountains of Sins lying upon you; I pray, what are your Pillows made of? So many Debts to the Justice of the Great God upon you still unanswered, [...]nd yet any Pillows to be found where you [...] Sleep on both Ears! I say, What Narco­ [...]icks are they stuff'd withal? Awake, ye mise­rable Souls; I say again, Awake. But alas, They are Dead! However, even the Dead must be Prophesy'd over. But what can our [Page] Calls do unto the Dead, without the Efficaci­ous and Omnipotent Grace of Him that i [...] the God of our Life? Unto Him, I therefore bow my Knee, That even the Dead may [...] Hear the Voice of the Son of God and Live: [...] that He, who Raised Lazarus, when it wa [...] said, He Sleepeth, would with a Living Wo [...] say to these poor Souls, Come forth and Li [...]

Secondly, 'Tis not easy Sleeping on ou [...] Knees; O therefore Let us be much upon them. In Prayer we do, as we read our Lord Jesus did, Lift up our Eyes; now, Lifted Eye [...] won't be Sleeping ones. Let us be much [...] Prayer; and in every kind of Prayer; Pray [...] with all Prayer, by the Spirit, watching there [...] to. Pray in Secret, and in Private every [...] Pray in more Publick, and le [...]s Publick [...] of Good Men, as often as you may: [...] with Extraordinary Solemnity, when the [...] is Extraordinary. Let us not [...] Vndertaking, or endure any Tribul [...] without making a Prayer upon it. Let [...] make a Prayer from, yea, and in, every S [...]mon, wherewith our God is Admonishing [...] us. I would more especially Recommend [...] Blessed Boltons Advice unto us all, That [...] Morning we should recount, what particular [...] signs we have to manage in the Day Ensuing, [...] in our Privacies make our particular p [...]ayers, [...] Gods Blessing thereupon. This would keep yo [...] from Designs, that would be either Vnlawfu [...] or Vnprosperous. And unto this Advice, [...] [Page] would subjoyn another; which is, That Eja­culatory Prayers may be continually proceed­ing from us. Wherever we are, and whatever we do, Let us be Darting up our Petitions or [...] Thanksgivings to Heaven, as the Matter [...]ay Require ▪ I say, Happy is the man that has his Quiv [...] full of such Arrows! But in our Prayers, Le [...] us very much insist upon this Request, That we may be kept Awake. I think, David in one Psalm, does no less than Ten Times make that Prayer, Lord, Quicken me! 'Tis a Prayer that we have cause to make more than Ten Times every week, Lord, Waken us. Let us Pray, as in Psal. 13.3. O Lord, my God, lighten mine Eyes, lest I Sleep the Sleep of [...]. And whereas, we have a Keeper, who [...] neither Slumber nor Sleep, Let us by [...] Prayer Commit our selves unto Him, that we may be kept from S [...]umbring and Slee­ [...]ing in our Sins.

Thirdly, Let us think of our Night; & that will break us of our Sleep. We are none of us very far from a Night, when we shall Sleep in the dust; We Shall not Sleep in our Sin, if we are duly Sensible, how sure, and how near, [...]his Night is unto us. Our Saviour said in, [...]. 9.4. I must Work, for the Night comes. [...] us be often thinking, The Night comes; and we shall be ever saying, I must wake: [...] must wake. When we go out of our Houses, Let us think, I shall shortly be carried out of Do [...]rs. When we come into our Hou­ses, [Page 57] Let us think, I shall shortly be carried unto my Long Home. When we sit at our Table [...] ▪ Let us think, I shall shortly be my self a m [...]rsel for the Worms. When we rest in our Lod [...]ings, Let us think▪ A cold Grave will shortly be my Bed. And when we view the Chest [...] ▪ where we put our Treasures, Let us think, A little black Chest is that wherein I my self shortly may be Locked up. Such Monitory Represen­tations of Mortality, would correct the poison [...] of those Potions, whereby Satan would bring Sleep upon us. And in pursuance of this Rule, it would be well, if every Night be­fore we Sleep, we should settle Accounts be­tween our God and our selves, even as if [...]fore to morrow morning we were to [...]pear before Him. When we are going [...] Sleep at Night, having first asked our [...]

What has been Gods providence towards my [...] in the foregoing Day?

We may then do well to ask our selves▪

What has been my Behaviour towards God, [...] the Day?

Particularly.

I. Have I lived this Day under a Deep [...] of Mortality and Eternity; and as a [...] in the world?

II. Have I Devoutly read the Word of Go [...] this Day, and Seriously sought the Face [...] God both in my Retirement, and with my Fa [...]ly?

III. Ha [...]e I had many Eja [...]ulati [...]s this [...] [Page] both in a way of Petition, and in a way [...]f Thanksgiving unto God?

IV. Have I had most affectionate Meditations upon Heavenly Things this Day; and have I made Earthly Things to occasion some of my profitable Reflections?

V. Have I been careful of my Discourse this Day, and spoken with a Tongue Bridled by the Fear of the Lord?

VI. Have I been Diligent in my Calling this Day, and avoided all needless Expence of my pre­ [...]ious and golden Minutes in Diversions?

VII. Have I this Day Endeavoured all Use­fulness unto those to whom I am Related, or with [...] I have been Concerned?

VIII. Have I this Day Controlled and Conque­red my Master Sin; and has my Watchful­ness issued in my victory over my own Iniqui­ [...]?

IX. Am I in a F [...]t State and Frame to appear before the Iudgment Seat of God, if I should immediately be Summoned thereunto? And therefore, Do I still choose the Great GOD as my Best Good, and my [...]st End; and the Lord Jesus Christ, as my Prophet, my Priest, my King? And is it [...] Desire to be Employ'd as a Witness for His Truths and Wayes for ever?

All or most of these Questions, every [...]ight carefully Considered, would keep a [...]oul always Awake!

Fourthly. We shall not Wake in Vain, if [Page] we Apply ourselves to do what we can for The City of our God. It is reported by the Builders of Jerusalem, in Neh. 4.9. We set [...] Watch day and night. Were we throughly A­wake, we should fall to Building the Lords Je­rusalem, and be all hands at Church-Work wi [...] all our might. Why do no more of you join to a Particular Church of the Lord Jesus? th [...] omi [...]sion of which, will fill your Death Be [...] with Terrible Thorns, when you come to dy? Let me tell you, t'wi'l not be safe Sleeping a­broad, out of some Well-constituted Church, in the Storms that are now coming upon the World. If you will cast up the Numbers of such as the Plagues of, War and Small-pox, and Feavour, have carried off in the last three [...] four Wasting Years among us, you [...] generally see perhaps that scarce one in [...] of our Communicants, have perished in those dreadful Plagues; whereas a far greater [...] ­portion of Destruction has been made upon our other people. It seems, as if God had set a special Mark of Protection upon [...] Churches, that the Destroying Angels mig [...] not so much meddle with them. Only the [...] Let us also set our selves to Amend all that [...] Amiss, and Supply all that is Wanting, in [...] Churches. In Allusion to the words of [...] Prophet, I would say, Awake, Awake, put [...] thy Strength, O New-English Zion, and put [...] thy Beautiful Garments, O American Jerusalem ▪ Pray, Let us not permit our selves, to be with­out [Page] any of those Officers, or any of those Disci­plines, whereby we may be cloth'd with Strength

I do particularly wish, that our Churches, first by not Well [...]ating, and then by not Maintaining, the Office of RULING EL­DERS, have not Sleepily lost the Locks, where­in lay the Strength of their affayrs. This I may [...]ver; That Our Days are concerned in that word of the Lord Jesus, Rev. 16.15. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his Garments, lest he walk Naked, and they see his shame. When any of the Watchers in the Temple were found Sleeping, by those that walked the Grand Rounds, they had their loose Garment [...] taken from them, which could not without [...] and loss be again recovered. Churches by Sleeping, may come to loose all that may defend them or adorn them; did not Antichrist, [...]terly deprive the Churches of their priviledg­es, thro' their Sleepiness? and have not some Churches of Late (you know where?) by their Sleepiness come to be well nigh Stript, even of, A Liberty to choose their own Pastors? [...]riefly, I am verily perswaded, we are now Entred into those Earth-quakes, which are [...]o attend and assist, The Resurrection of our [...] Witnesses. And it may be fear'd those [...]orrible Earth-quakes will shake even Us al­so, to pieces, if we do not become well settled in the Establishment of, Th [...]se things [...]hat cannot be Shaken. I'le say this one [...]ing more; If Th [...] would attain any thing [Page 61] upon us, there is one Scripture, which I wish, were Engraven on the Door of every Meeting-House in the Countrie; 'Tis [...] in Ezr. 3.3. They Set the Altar upon his Bases, for Fear was upon them because of the People of those Coun­tries.

Fifthly, The Growth of Ta [...]as is no [...] of the smallest Evils, against which our Sollic [...] ­tudes are to be kept Awake. We read in [...] parable, Mat▪ 13.25. While men slept, th [...] Enemy came, and Sow'd Tares among the Wheat. Wherefore, let us beware of Tares in our Prin­ciples. Tis the quality of Tares, and of [...] to disorder the [...]. Let not [...]he Tare [...] [...] Will-Worship, of Arminianism [...] of Serp [...]tine Quakerism, be nourished in our Churche [...] ▪ but stick we close to the main Principles of Protestantism, and of Puritanism, which we have declared for. Let us also b [...]war [...] of [...] in our Communions. We should use [...] in admitting of others unto Holy Things ▪ [...] Charity here▪ will become Injusti [...], if it ca [...]not Open Eyes: Charity must not be so [...] us to bring visible Tares, into the Garden [...] [...] God. If our Churches once become useless [...] to that great end of them, which is, To rep [...]sent unto the world, Who those are that [...] Lord Jesus will have to, Ascend into the [...] Lord, and stand in his holy place for ever ▪ [...] may seen write an [...], upon all our Glor [...] ▪ In [...], whatever is contrary to that Evan­gelical [Page 62] Church-Order, which our Lord [...] Instituted; Let us beware of it, as of our Ba [...]e. Tis observed by the Venerable Baxter, in a Book wherewith he has lately Honoured me, That Thunders oftner fall upon th [...]se Buildings, which are called Churches, than [...]pon any [...]ther whatsoever. Now the way for our Churches to be preserved from the Thunderbolts, which our God will now be Scattering upon the World, is to have as few Tares in them, as wee can.

Sixthly, As the Apostle said, [...]ake unto Righte­ousness, thus would I say, Awake unto Reformation. And O Let not our God after all our Awakenings, Complain of us, as in Jer. 8.6. I h [...]rkened and [...], but no m [...]n Repented him of his Wickedness, [...]ying, What have I [...]one? Let him not write over our Doors, that in Jer. 44.10. They are not H [...]mbled [...] this Day. There was an Observation made in [...] Book formerly Printed in this Country; and I find a Devout Gentleman in England, has lately Address'd the whole Nation with a Quotation of it, That in our Last War, the Sword was first drawn upon a Day [...] Humiliation, and that much of the sad News in [...] progress of th [...]se Wars, c [...]me at the close of th [...]se Days: [...]he Lord thereby declarin [...] from Heaven, [...]hat He Expects from His Peop [...], something else [...] Fasting and Prayer; even REFORMATI­ [...]N [...] But that upon Renewing of Covenant with [...], to Reform the Evils among us, We had great [...]ccess against our Enemies. As for Us, we have [...] many Days of Humiliation; but when shall we have a Day of REFORMATION? One of This, were worth many of These. May we now Awake [...] it, KNOWING THE TIME: I have not [Page] yet plainly and freely enough, given you my own Little Opinion, WHEREABOUTS WE ARE IN TIME▪ and therefore I will now humbly do it. I do conceive, That the Antichrist, having before pas­sed his Time, and his Times, did enter his Last Half Time at the REFORMATIO [...] in the Last Century, Commenced at the Year 1517. When also th [...] An­tichrist was come to Halve it with our Lord, not on­ly by the Loss of many & mighty Kingdoms from [...] Pap [...]l Empire, but also by the Remainders of Anti­christianism yet cleaving to the REFORMATION it self. Wherefore, about an Half Time, that is, a­bout an Hundred and Fourscore Years, from that REFORMATION, I do firmly expect, a NEW REFORMATION to be began; a REFORMA­TION more Glorious, more Heavenly, more Unive [...]sal far away than what was in the former Century together with most formidable Desolations to be [...] from Heaven, upon those that shall incurably retai [...] an Antipathy to this REFORMATION. Behol [...] then, we are got into the very Dawn of the Day when God will vouchsafe a marvellous Effusion of [...] own Spirit upon many Nations, and REFORMATI­ON, with all Piety, and Charity, shall gain the As­cendent, over those Men and Things, that for many Ages have been the Oppressors of it. And I [...] affirm, That all the Peace of New England lies in [...] being, A W [...]se Virgin, that shall go forth to mee [...] this Blessed Reformation.

Three Years are now passed, since our Merci [...] God, by a wonderful Turn rescued this People fro [...] the Hands of those, who declared us, A People [...] only to be Rooted off the Face of the Earth, and wh [...] might have been in Forwardness enough to accom [...]plish, That Rooting Business. All this while, ou [...] [Page 64] God comes, Looking for Fruit; and altho' He almost says, Cut them down! yet we are entring, One [...], of Patience, wherein if we do nothing Remarkable about Returning to God, what Apology [...]an we have in the Day of His pleading with us?

In the Prosecution of this REFORMATION, I [...]ve but ONE THING at this Time, further to lay before you. 'Tis an Advice lately Agreed upon by [...]he Watchful PASTORS, of the Churches herea­ [...]outs; and it runs in such Terms as these.

‘Whereas, the most heavy and wasting Judgments of Heaven, upon our Distressed Land, loudly call upon us, no longer to Delay the Taking of some hi­therto [...]taken Steps, towards the Reformation of our Provoking Evils, and the Recovery of Practi­cal Religion in our Hearts and Lives;’

‘Among other Expedients in order thereunto, we cannot but Recommend it as very Advisable, That the several Churches having in an Instrument, pro­per for that purpose, made a Catalogue of such Things, as can indisparably be found amiss among them, do with all seriousness and solemnity, pas [...] their VOTES, That they count such Things to be very Offensive Evils, and that Renouncing all De­pendence on their own strength, to avoid such E­vils, they humbly ask the Help of the Divine Grace, to assist them in watching against the said Evils, [...]oth in themselves, and in one another. And that the Communicants do often Reflect upon those their ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and PROTESTATI­ONS, as perpetual MONITORS unto them, to prevent the Miscarriages, wherewith too many Pro­fessors are too easily overtaken.’

All our Churches have Received; and some of [...]em have Renewed, the Covenant of Grace, where­in [Page 65] we have consented unto the Bonds of a Walk [...]ith God. We are now Advised unto a Transacti­on, wherein we may, by our own VOTES, do no more than Explain, and Strengthen, the Bonds of the Lord which already lie upon us; 'tis to Revive our Sense of those Gracious Bonds, and Prevent our Transgressions thereof, by being either Ignorant or Forgetful of them. We that have gone the farthest in Coven [...]nting with God, herein do not Go Back, so much as one step that we have already taken, but only Look Back, to assure what steps we have ta­ken. And not only our Communicants, but even all that are under our Church-watch, may by De­grees be brought unto such Distinct Confessions of the Tyes that are upon them. Such Humble Re­cognitions of our Duty, will not only be Accepted by our God, as our Declaration for Him, where­upon He will Declare for us; but also they are the New Covenant-way of obtaining Help for the doing of our Duty. And if they be often Read over in a year, both publickly at our Meetings, and privately when we are Humbling of our selves before the Lord, what pure minds might we obtain, by the Remembrance of our Duty thus explicitly Awakened? Unto your Consideration I leave it▪ being assured, that you are sensible, SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.