Directions for Daily Communion with God
evening devotions, either in the closet or in the family; but it is much worse when they are suffered to go far into the night too, for then of course they trespass upon the ensuing morning, and steal away the time that should then also be bestowed upon the exercises of religion. Those that can of choice, and with so much pleasure sit up till I know not what time of night, to make, as they say, a merry night of it, to spend their time in filthiness, and foolish talking and jesting, which are not convenient, would think themselves hardly dealt with, if they should be kept one half hour past their sleeping time, engaged in any good duties, and would have called blessed Paul himself a long winded preacher, and have censured him as very indiscreet, when, upon a particular occasion he continued his speech till midnight, ACTS 20:7. Acts 20:7 (KJV) And how loth would they be with David at midnight, to rise and give thanks to God: or with their Master to continue all night in prayer to God.
Let the corrupt affections, which run out thus and transgress, be mortified, and not gratified; those that have allowed themselves in such irregularities; if they have allowed themselves an impartial reflection, cannot but have found the inconvenience of them, and that they have been a prejudice to the prosperity of the soul, and should therefore deny themselves for their own good.
One rule for the closing of the day well, is to keep good hours: every thing is beautiful in its season. I have heard it said long since, and I beg leave to repeat it now, that
Early to bed, and early to rise,
Is the way to be healthy, and wealthy, and wise.
We shall now take it for granted, that unless some necessary business, or some work of mercy, or some more than ordinary act of devotion, keep you up beyond your usual time; you are disposed to lay you down. And let us lay down with thankfulness to God, and with thoughts of dying; with penitent reflections upon the sins of the day; and with humble supplications for the mercies of the night.
1. Let us lie down with thankfulness to God. When we retire to our bedchambers, or closets, we should lift up our hearts to God, the God of our mercies, and make him the God of our praises whenever we go to bed. I am sure we do not want matter for praise, if we do not want a heart. Let us therefore address ourselves then to that pleasant duty, that work which is its own wages. The evening sacrifice was to be a sacrifice of praise.
a. We have reason to be thankful for the many mercies of the day past, which we ought particularly to review, and to say, blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with his benefits. Observe the constant series of mercies, which has not been interrupted, or broken in upon any day. Observe the particular instances of mercy with which some days have been signalized and made remarkable. It is he that has granted us life and favour, it is his visitation that preserves our spirits. Think how many are the calamities we are every day preserved from; the calamities which we are sensibly exposed to, and perhaps have been delivered from the imminent danger of; and those which we have not been apprehensive of; many which we have deserved, and which others, better than we are, groan under. All our bones have reason to say, Lord, who is like unto thee? For it is God that keepeth all our bones, not one of them is broken: It is of his mercies that we are not consumed.
Think how many are the comforts we are every day surrounded with, all which we are indebted to the bounty of the divine providence for; every bit we eat, and every drop we drink is mercy; every step we take, and every breath we draw, mercy. All the satisfaction we have in the agreeableness and affections of our relations, and in the society and serviceableness of our friends: All the success we have in our callings and employments, and the pleasure we take in them: All the joy which Zebulun has in his going out, and Issachar in his tents, is what we have reason to acknowledge with thankfulness to God's praise.
Yet it is likely the day has not past without some cross accidents, something or other has afflicted and disappointed us, and if it has, yet that must not indispose us for praise; however it be, yet God is good; and it is our duty in every thing to give thanks, and to bless the name of the Lord when he takes away, as well as when he gives; for our afflictions are but few, and a thousand times deserved; our mercies are many, and a thousand times forfeited.
b. We have reason to be thankful for the shadows of the evening, which call us to retire and lie down. The same wisdom, power and goodness that makes the morning, makes the evening also to rejoice; and gives us cause to be thankful for the drawing of the curtains of the night about us in favour to our repose, as well as for the opening of the eye-lids of the morning upon us in favour to our business. When God divided between the light and the darkness, and allotted to both of them their time successively, he saw that it was good, it should be so; in a world of mixtures and changes, nothing more proper. Let us therefore give thanks to that God who forms the light, and creates the darkness; and believe, that as in the revolutions of time, so in the revolutions of the events of time, the darkness of affliction may be as needful for us in its season, as the light of prosperity. If the hireling longs till the shadow comes, let him be thankful for it when it doth come, that the burden and heat of the day is not perpetual.
c. We have reason to be thankful for a quiet habitation to lie down in; that we are not driven out from among men as Nebuchadnezzar, to lie down with the beasts of the field; that though we were born like the wild ass' colt, yet we have not with the wild ass the wilderness of our habitation, and the desolate and barren land for our dwelling. That we are not to wander in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth, as many of God's dear saints and servants have been forced to do, of whom the world was not worthy; but the good Shepherd makes us lie down in green pastures: that we have not, as Jacob, the cold ground for our bed, and a stone for our pillow, which yet one would be content with, and covet, if with it one could have his dream.
d. We have reason to be thankful that we are not forced to sit up; that our Master not only gives us leave to lie down, but orders that nothing shall prevent our lying down. Many go to bed, but cannot lie down there, by reason of painful and languishing sicknesses, of that nature, that if they lie down they cannot breathe: Our bodies are of the same mould, and it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not so afflicted. Many are kept up by sickness in their families; children are ill, and they must attend them: if God takes sickness away from the midst of us, and keeps it away, so that