Directions for Daily Communion with God
away, there shall no evil befall us. The inhabitant though he be far from well, yet shall not say I am sick, shall not complain of sickness, for the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity, ISA 33:24. Isaiah 33:24 (KJV) The pardon of sin has enough in it to balance all our griefs, and therefore to silence all our complaints: a man sick of the palsy, yet has reason to be easy, nay, and to be of good cheer, if Christ saith to him, thy sins are forgiven thee, and I am thy salvation.
4. If we have put ourselves under the divine protection for the ensuing night, we may then lay us down in peace. If by faith and prayer, we have run into the name of the Lord as our strong tower, have fled to take shelter under the shadow of his wings, and make the Lord our refuge and our habitation, we may then speak peace to ourselves, for God in his word speaks peace to us. If David has an eye to the cherubims, between which God is said to dwell, when he saith, PS 57:1. Psalm 57:1 (KJV) In the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge; yet certainly he has an eye to the similitude Christ makes use of, of a hen gathering her chickens under her wings, when he saith, PS 91:4. Psalm 91:4 (KJV) He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust, and the chickens under the wings of the hen are not only safe, but warm and pleased.
5. If we have cast all our cares for the day following upon God, we may then lay us down in peace. Taking thought for the morrow is the great hinderance of our peace in the night; let us but learn to live without disquieting care, and to refer the issue of all events to that God who may and can do what he will, and will do what is best for those that love and fear him; Father, thy will be done, and then we make ourselves easy. Our Saviour presseth this very much upon his disciples, not to perplex themselves with thoughts what they shall eat, and what they shall drink, and wherewithal they shall be clothed, because their heavenly Father knows that they have need of these things, and will see that they be supplied. Let us therefore ease ourselves of this burthen, by casting it on him who careth for us, what need he care, and we care too?
III. Thirdly, Having laid ourselves down in peace, we must compose ourselves to sleep. I will lay me down and sleep. The love of sleep for sleeping sake, is the character of the sluggard, but as it is nature's physic for the recruiting of its weary powers, it is to be looked upon as a mercy equal to that of our food, and in its season to be received with thankfulness.
And with such thoughts as these we may go to sleep.
A. What poor bodies are these we carry about with us, that call for rest and relief so often, that are so soon tired even with doing nothing, or next to nothing. It is an honour to man above the beasts, that he is made to go erect, Os Homini sublime dedit, ["He gave to man to be upright."] it was part of the serpent's curse, on thy belly shalt thou go; yet we have little reason to boast of this honour, when we observe how little a while we can stand upright, and how soon we are burdened with our honour, and are forced to lie down. The powers of the soul, and the senses of the body, are our honour, but it is mortifying to consider how after a few hours use they are all locked up under a total disability of acting, and it is necessary they should be so. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, or the strong man in his strength, since they both lie for a fourth part of their time utterly bereft of strength and wisdom, and on a level with the weak and foolish.
B. What a sad thing is it to be under a necessity of losing so much precious time as we do in sleep. That we should lie so many hours every four and twenty, in no capacity at all of serving God or our neighbour, of doing any work of piety or charity. Those that consider how short our time is, and what a great deal of work we have to do, and how fast the day of account hastens on, cannot but grudge to spend so much time in sleep, cannot but wish to spend as little as may be in it: cannot but be quickened by it to redeem time when they are awake, and cannot but long to be there where there shall be no need of sleep, but they shall be as the angels of God, and never rest day or night from the blessed work of praising God.
C. What a good master do we serve, that allows us time for sleep, and furnisheth us with conveniences for it, and makes it refreshing and reviving to us? By this it appears, the Lord is for the body, and it is a good reason why we should present our bodies to him as living sacrifices, and glorify him with them. Nay, sleep is spoken of as given by promise to the saints, PS 127:2. Psalm 127:2 (KJV) So he giveth his beloved sleep. The godly man hath the enjoyment of that in a quiet resignation to God, which the worldly man labours in vain for, in the eager pursuit of the world. What a difference is there between the sleep of a sinner, that is not sensible of his being within a step of hell, and the sleep of a saint, that has good hopes, through grace, of his being within a step of heaven; that is the sleep God gives to his beloved.
D. How piteous is the case of those from whose eyes sleep departs, through pain of body, or anguish of mind, and to whom wearisome nights are appointed; who, when they lie down, say, When shall we arise? And who are thus made a terror to themselves. It was said, that of all the inhuman tortures used by those whom the French king employed to force his Protestant subjects to renounce their religion, none prevailed more, than keeping them by violence long waking. When we find how earnestly nature craves sleep, and how much it is refreshed by it, we should think with compassion of those, who, upon any account, want that and other comforts which we enjoy, and pray for them.
E. How ungrateful we have been to the God of our mercies, in suffering sleep, which is so great a support and comfort to us, to be our hinderance in that which is good. As when it has been the gratification of our sloth and laziness, when it has kept us from our hour of prayer in the morning, and disfitted us for our hour of prayer at night; or when we have slept unseasonably in the worship of God; as Eutychus when Paul was preaching; and the disciples, when Christ was in his agony of prayer. How justly might we be deprived of the comfort of sleep, and upbraided with this as the provoking cause of it; What! could ye not watch with me one hour? Those that would sleep and cannot, must think how often they should have kept awake and would not.
F. We have now one day less to live than we had in the morning; the thread of time is winding off apace, its sands are running down, and as Time goes, Eternity comes; it is hasting on; our days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; which passeth and repasseth in an instant; and what do we of the work of time? What forwardness are we in to give up our account? O that we could always go to sleep with death upon our thoughts, how would it quicken us to improve time! It would make our sleep not the less desirable, but it would make our death much the less formidable.
G. To thy glory, O God, I now go to sleep: whether we eat, or drink, yea, or sleep, for that is included in whatever we do, we must do it to the glory of God. Why do I go to sleep now, but that my body may be fit to serve my soul, and able for a while to keep pace with it in the service of God tomorrow. Thus common actions by being directed towards our great end, are done after a godly sort, and abound to our account; and thus the advantages we have by them are sanctified to us; to the pure all things are pure; and whether we wake or sleep, we live together with Christ, 1 THESS 5:10. 1 Thessalonians 5:10 (KJV)
H. To thy grace, O God, and to the word of thy grace I now commend myself. It is good to fall asleep, with a fresh surrender of our whole selves, body, soul and spirit to God; now return to God as thy rest, O my soul, for he has dealt bountifully with thee; thus we should commit the keeping of our souls to him, falling asleep as David did, PS 31:5, Psalm 31:5 (KJV) with, Into thy hands I commit my spirit; and as Stephen did, Lord Jesus receive my spirit. Sleep doth not only resemble death, but is sometimes an inlet to it: many go to sleep and never awake, but sleep the sleep of death, which is a good reason why we should go to sleep with dying thoughts, and put ourselves under the protection of a living God, and then, sudden death will be no surprise to us.
I. O that when I awake I may be still with God; that the parenthesis of sleep, though long, may not break off the thread of my communion with God, but that as soon as I wake I may resume it. O that when I awake in the night, I may have my mind turned to good thoughts, may remember God upon my bed ,who then is at my right hand, and to whom the darkness and the light are both alike; and that I may sweetly meditate upon him in the night-watches; that thus even that time may be redeemed, and improved to the best advantage, which otherwise is in danger not only of being lost in vain thoughts, but misspent in ill ones. O that when I awake in the morning, my first thoughts may be of God, that with them my heart may be seasoned for all day.
J. O that I may enter into a better rest than that which I am now entering upon! The Apostle speaks of a rest, which we that have believed do enter into, even in this world, as well as of a rest which in the other world remains for the people of God, HEB 4:4, Hebrews 4:4 (KJV) HEB 4:9. Hebrews 4:9 (KJV) Believers rest from sin and the world, they rest in Christ, and in God through Christ; they enjoy a satisfaction in the covenant of grace, and their interest in that covenant; this is my rest for ever, here will I dwell. They enter into this ark, and there are not only safe, but easy. Now, O that I might enjoy this rest while I live, and when I die, might enter into something more than rest, even the joy of my Lord, a fulness of joy.
IV. Fourthly, We must do all this in a believing dependence upon God and his power, providence and grace. Therefore I lay me down in peace, and compose myself to sleep, because thou, Lord, keepest me, and assurest me that thou dost so; Thou, Lord, makest me to dwell in safety. David takes notice of God's compassing his path, and his lying down, as he observes, PS 139:3. Psalm 139:3 (KJV) He sees his eye upon him, when he is retired into his bed-chamber, and none else sees him; when he is in the dark, and none else can see him. Here he takes notice of him, compassing his lying down as his preserver; and sees his hand about him, to protect him from evil, and keep him safe; feels his hand under him to support him, and to make him easy.
A. It is by the power of God's providence that we are kept safe in the night, and on that providence we must depend continually. It is he that preserveth man and beast, PS 36:6, Psalm 36:6 (KJV) that upholds all things by the word of his power. That death, which by sin entered into the world, would soon lay all waste, if God did not shelter his creatures from its arrows, which are continually flying about. We cannot but see ourselves exposed in the night. Our bodies carry about with them the seeds of all diseases; death is always working in us, a little thing would stop the circulation either of the blood or the breath, and then we are gone; either never wake, or wake under the arrests of death. Men by sin are exposed to one another; many have been murdered in their beds, and many burned in their beds. And our greatest danger of all is from the malice of evil spirits, that go about seeking to devour.
We are very unable to help ourselves, and our friends unable to help us; we are not aware of the particulars of our danger, nor can we foresee which way it will arise; and therefore know not where to stand upon our guard; or if we did, we know not how. When Saul was asleep, he lost his spear and cruse of water, and might as easily have lost his head as Sisera did when he was asleep, by the hand of a woman. What poor helpless creatures are we, and how easily are we overcome when sleep has overcome us? Our friends are asleep too, and cannot help us. An illness may seize us in the night, which if they be called up and come to us, they cannot help us against; the most skillful and tender physicians are of no value.
It is therefore God's providence that protects us night after night, his care, his goodness. That was the hedge about Job, about him and his house, and all that he had round about, JOB 1:10, Job 1:10 (KJV) a hedge that Satan himself could not break through, nor find a gap in, though he traversed it round. There is a special protection which God's people are taken under, they are hid in his pavilion, in the secret of his tabernacle, under the protection of his promise, PS 27:5, Psalm 27:5 (KJV) they are his own and dear to him, and he keeps them as the apple of his eye, PS 17:8. Psalm 17:8 (KJV) He is round about them from henceforth and forever, as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, PS 125:2. Psalm 125:2 (KJV) He protects their habitations as he did the tents of Israel in the wilderness, for he hath promised to create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, a pillar of cloud by day, to shelter from heat; and the shining of a flaming fire by night, to shelter from cold, ISA 4:5. Isaiah 4:5 (KJV) Thus he blesseth the habitations of the just, so that no real evil shall befall it, nor any plague come nigh it.
This care of the divine providence concerning us and our families, we are to depend upon, so as to look upon no provisions we make for our own safety sufficient, without the blessing of the divine providence upon it, except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Be the house never so well built, the doors and windows never so well barred, the servants never so careful, never so watchful, it is all to no purpose, unless he that keeps Israel, and neither slumbers nor sleeps undertakes for our safety; and if he be thy protector, at destruction and famine thou shalt laugh, and shalt know that thy tabernacle is in peace, JOB 5:22, Job 5:22 (KJV) JOB 5:24. Job 5:24 (KJV)
B. It is by the power of God's grace that we are enabled to think ourselves safe, and on that grace we must continually depend. The fear of danger, though groundless, is as vexatious as if it were never so just. And therefore to complete the mercy of being made to dwell safely, it is requisite that by the grace of God we be delivered from our fears, PS 34:4, Psalm 34:4 (KJV) as well as from the things themselves that we are afraid of; that shadows may not be a terror to us, no more than substantial evils.
If by the grace of God we are enabled to keep conscience void of offence, and still to preserve our integrity; if iniquity be put far away, and no wickedness suffered to dwell in our tabernacles, then shall we lift up our faces without spot, we shall be stedfast, and shall not need to fear, JOB 11:14, 15, Job 11:14-15 (KJV) for fear came in with sin, and goes out with it. If our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God, and man too, and are made to dwell securely, for we are sure nothing can hurt us but sin; and whatever doth harm us, sin is the sting of it; and therefore if sin be pardoned and prevented, we need not fear any trouble.
If by the grace of God we be enabled to live by faith, that faith which sets God always before us, that faith which applies the promises to ourselves, and puts them in suit at the throne of grace, that faith which purifies the heart, overcomes the world, and quencheth all the firey darts of the wicked one, that faith which realizeth unseen things, and is the substance and evidence of them:
If we be acted and governed by his grace, we are made to dwell safely, and to bid defiance to death itself, and all its harbingers and terrors; O death where is thy sting? This faith will not only silence our fears, but will open our lips in holy triumphs, if God be for us, who can be against us?
Let us lie down in peace and sleep, not in the strength of a natural resolution against fear, nor merely of rational arguments against it, though they are of good use, but in a dependence upon the grace of God to work faith in us, and to fulfil in us the work of faith. This is going to sleep like a Christian under the shadow of God's wings, going to sleep in faith; and it will be to us a good earnest of dying in faith; for the same faith that will carry us cheerfully through the short death of sleep, will carry us through the long sleep of death.
For Application
First, See how much it is our concern to carry our religion about with us wherever we go, and to have it always at our right hand; for at every turn we have occasion for it, lying down, rising up, going out, coming in; and those that are Christians indeed, who confine not their religion to the new moons and the sabbaths, but bring the influences of it into all the common actions and occurrences of human life. We must sit down at our tables and rise from them, lie down in our beds, and arise from them, with an eye to God's providence and promise. Thus we must live a life of communion with God, even while our conversation is with the world.
And in order to do this, it is necessary that we have a living principle in our hearts, a principle of grace, which, like a well of living water, may be continually springing up to life eternal, JOHN 4:14. John 4:14 (KJV) It is necessary likewise that we have a watchful eye upon our hearts, and keep them with all diligence, that we set a strict guard upon their motions, and have our thoughts more at command than I fear most Christians have. See what need we have of the constant supplies of divine grace, and of a union with Christ, that by faith we may partake of the root and fatness of the goodly olive continually.
Secondly, See what a hidden life the life of good Christians is, and how much it lies from under the eye and observation of the world. The most important part of their business lies between God and their own souls, in the frame of their spirits, and the working of their hearts in their retirements, which no eye sees but his that is all eye. Justly are the saints called God's hidden ones, and his secret is said to be with them, for they have meat to eat, and work to do which the world knows not of; and joys, and griefs, and cares which a stranger doth not intermiddle with. Great is the mystery of serious godliness.
And this is a good reason, why we should look upon ourselves as incompetent judges one of another, because we know not others hearts, nor are witnesses to their retirements. It is to be feared, there are many whose religion lies all in the outside, they make a fair show in the flesh, and perhaps a great noise; and yet are strangers to this secret communion with God, in which consists so much of the power of godliness. And on the other hand, it is to be hoped, there are many who do not distinguish themselves by any thing observable in the profession of religion, but pass through the world without being taken notice of, and yet converse much with God in solitude, and walk with him in the even constant tenor of a regular devotion and conversation. The kingdom of God comes not with observation. Many merchants thrive by a secret trade, that make no bustle in the world. It is fit therefore that every man's judgment should proceed from the Lord, who knows men's hearts, and sees in secret.
Thirdly, See what enemies they are to themselves, that continue under the power of a vain and carnal mind, and live without God in the world. Multitudes I fear there are, to whom all that has been said of secret communion with God is accounted as a strange thing, and they are ready to say of their ministers when they speak of it, do they speak parables? They lie down and rise up, go out and come in, in the constant pursuit either of worldly profits, or of sensual pleasures: But God is not in all their thoughts, not in any of them: they live upon him, and upon the gifts of his bounty from day to day, but they have no regard to him, never own their dependence on him, nor are in any care to secure his favours.
They that live such a mere animal life as this, do not only put a great contempt upon God, but do a great deal of damage to themselves; they stand in their own light, and deprive themselves of the most valuable comforts that can be enjoyed on this side of heaven. What peace can they have who are not at peace with God? What satisfaction can they take in their hopes, who build them not upon God the everlasting foundation? Or in their joys, who derive them not from him the fountain of life and living waters? O that at length they would be wise for themselves, and remember their Creator, and Benefactor.
Fourthly, See what easy pleasant lives the people of God might live, if it were not their own faults. There are those who fear God and work righteousness, and are accepted of the Lord, but go drooping and disconsolate from day to day, are full of cares and fears, and complaints, and makes themselves always uneasy; and it is because they do not live that life of delight in God and dependence on him, that they might and should live. God has effectually provided for their dwelling at ease, but they make not use of that provision he has laid up for them.
O that all who appear to be conscientious, and are afraid of sin, would appear to be cheerful, and afraid of nothing else; that all who call God Father, and are in care to please him, and keep themselves in his love, would learn to cast all their other care upon him, and commit their way to him as to a Father. He shall choose our inheritance for us, and knows what is best for us, better than we do for ourselves. Thou shalt answer, Lord, for me. It is what I have often said, and will abide by. That a holy heavenly life spent in the service of God, and in communion with him, is the most pleasant comfortable life any body can live in this world.
Fifthly, See in this, what is the best preparation we can make for the changes, that may be before us in our present state, and that is, to keep up a constant acquaintance and communion with God, to converse with him daily, and keep up stated times for calling on him, that so when trouble comes it may find the wheels of prayer going. And then may we come to God with a humble boldness and comfort, and hope to speed when we are in affliction, if we have been no strangers to God at other times, but in our peace and prosperity had our eyes ever towards him.
Even when we arrive to the greatest degree of holy security and serenity, and lie down most in peace, yet still we must keep up an expectation of trouble in the flesh; our ease must be grounded not upon any stability in the creature; if it be, we put a cheat upon ourselves, and treasure up so much the greater vexation of ourselves. No, it must be built upon the faithfulness of God, which is unchangeable. Our Master has told us, in the world you shall have tribulation, much tribulation, count upon it, it is only in me that you shall have peace. But if every day be to us, as it should be a sabbath of rest in God, and communion with him, nothing can come amiss to us any day, be it never so cross.
Sixthly, See in this, what is the best preparation we can make for the unchangeable world, that is before us. We know God will bring us to death, and it is our great concern to get ready for it. It ought to be the business of every day, to prepare for our last day, and what can we do better for ourselves in the prospect of death, than by frequent retirements for communion with God, to get more loose from that world which at death we must leave, and better acquainted with that world which at death we must remove to. By going to our beds as to our graves, we shall make death familiar to us, and it will become as easy to us to close our eyes in peace and die, as it used to be to close our eyes in peace and sleep.
We hope God will bring us to heaven; and by keeping up daily communion with God, we grow more and more meet to partake of that inheritance; and have our conversation in heaven. It is certain, all that will go to heaven hereafter begin their heaven now, and have their hearts there; if we thus enter into a spiritual rest every night, that will be a pledge of our blessed repose in the embraces of divine love, in that world wherein day and night come to an end, and we shall not rest day or night from praising him, who is, and will be our eternal rest.