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I Will lay me down••, and also sleepe in peace, for thou, Lord, onely makest me dwellin safety. Psal. 4. 8. Dauid by this declareth his ovvne bodily infirmity, vvher∣unto all men are like∣vvise subiect, namely, to such debility, as
without rest and sleepe they cannot long continue; yet this rest (as he acknowledg∣eth) may be a troublesome rest, vnles God blesse it: for as Dauid did, so all men lye downe and take their rest, but all not in peace; for such as lye downe forgetting God, God leaueth them to themselues, and so their sleepe (in stead of peace) tur∣neth into troublesome dreames, idle & sin∣full imaginations, horrible visions, and fearefull fantasies, whereby not onely the body is distempered, but the soule also grie∣uously vexed. And therefore, though we couch vs on a bed of Downe, with Cur∣taines of gold, & Couerings of silke, these administer not the peace that Dauid spea∣keth of, but God is he that giueth it onely. It is not then the sweet sound of Musicke, or the cradle of pleasures, that can giue vs that peaceable sleepe and safe rest that Dauid speaketh of, but Prayer vnto God, in faith and true attonement with him in Christ, thoughts free from sinne, and the conscience cleered, may safely assure a man, that when he lyeth downe, God is with him; and when he riseth vp, God wil not giue him ouer, but be his God, louing and mercifull for euer.
MY God and Father, louing and al-sufficient, I yéeld thée praise and thankes for thy mercies, in that thou hast this day past strongly guarded mée with thy hand, louingly refreshed mée with thy fauours, and now safely brought mée to the end of this day, night and darkenesse being at hand, wherein all thy creatures draw to their rest. And I wretched creature, finding mine owne infirmity and im∣becillity, run now vnto thy heauenly fauour, who hast made me of that brit∣tle and grosse matter, as cannot conti∣nue without rest after labour, without sléepe after waking, and without comfort after sorrow and griefe: I doe therefore beséech thée, as thou art the Fountaine of all rest, and succour, and health, and helpe, so thou wil•• consider mée in my weakenesse, and giue mée strength, sée and behold my miseries, and be mercifull vnto me. And sith the time now is come, wherein I co∣uet rest and sléepe, receiue me into thy protection, and yéelde me thy helping
hand, that when this my corrupt lumpe of flesh shall (through the hea∣uinesse and dulnesse of sléepe) be de∣priued of mouing and sense, and a∣blenesse to helpe it selfe, I may be kept safe, and securely preserued by thée, for it is thy selfe (Lord) onely that ma∣kest mée dwell and abide in safety. Thou art my Watch-man when I slumber: thou art my Defender when I am in danger: thou art my Castle, my Rocke, my Sword, my Buckler and my Refuge: thou art to me and for me all in all: without thée what am I, but a beast that know nothing? but a blocke that féele nothing? but a wretch that can doe nothing rightly? And therefore, deare Father, stretch out thy louing fauour ouer the house wherein I rest: let thy Angels com∣passe the bed whereon I rest, and thy holy Spirit kéepe my soule and spirit in peace when I rest, that I may rest in peace: that I may rise in peace, and liue in peace: that the troubles of the world dismay me not, that the sleights of sinne deceiue mée not, and that the deuices of the wicked ouertake me not; but as I am weake of my selfe, I may be made strong by
thy strength; as I am poore of my self, I may be made able by thy riches; and as I am ignorant of my selfe, I may be made wise in thée: so shall my lying downe be acceptable, my sléepe comfortable, and my rising vp profi∣table. In hope of this thy free boun∣tie, louing fauour, and high proui∣dence, I will lay me downe and take my rest: let it be in peace, and (Lord) let it be vnto me and all thine (when they rest) swéet and comfortable in thée, who makest all thine to rest, and rise vp in safety.