A

ERMON

UPON

SLEEPING IN CHURCH.

ACTS, Chap. xx. Ver. 9.

And there fat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep fleep: and while Paul was long preaching, he funk down with fleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

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Have chofen thefe words with defign, if poffible, to disturb fome part in this audience of half an hour's fleep, for the convenience and exercise whereof this place, at this feason of the day, is very much celebrated.

There is indeed one mortal disadvantage to which all preaching is fubject; that those who, by the wickedness of their lives, ftand in greateft need, have ufually the smallest share; for either they are abfent upon the account of idleness, or spleen, or hatred to religion, or in order to dofe away the intemperance of the week; or, if they do come, they are fure to employ their minds rather any o

ther

ther way, than regarding or attending to the bufinefs of the place.

The accident which happened to this young man in the text, hath not been fufficient to difcourage his fucceffors: But, because the preachers now in the world, however they may exceed St. Paul in the art of fetting men to fleep, do extremely fail fhort of him in the working of miracles; therefore men are become fo cautious as to chufe more fafe and convenient ftations and poftures for taking their repofe, without hazard of their perfons; and, upon the whole matter, chufe rather to trust their deftruction to a miracle, than their fafety. However, this being not the only way by which the lukewarm Chriftians and fcorners of the age difcover their neglect and contempt of preaching. I shall enter exprefsly into confideration of this matter, and order my discourse in the following method :

First, I fhall produce feveral inftances to fhew the great neglect of preaching now among

us.

Secondly, I fhall reckon up fome of the usual quarrels men have against preaching.

Thirdly, I fhall fet forth the great evil of this neglect and contempt of preaching, and difcover the real caufes from whence it proceed

eth.

Laftly, I fhall offer fome remedies against this great and spreading evil.

First, I fhall produce certain inftances to fhew the great neglect of preaching now among us.

Thefe may be reduced under two heads. First, men's abfence from the fervice of the church; and fecondly, their mifbehaviour when they are here. The first inftance of men's neglect, is in their frequent abfence from the church.

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There

There is no excufe fo trivial, that will not pafs upon fome men's confciences to excufe their attendance at the public worship of God. Some are fo unfortunate as to be always indifpofed on the Lord's day, and think nothing fo unwholfome as the air of a church. Others have their affairs fo odly contrived, as to be always unluckily prevented by business. With fome it is a great mark of wit, and deep understanding, to ftay at home on Sundays. Others again difcover ftrange fits of lazinefs, that feize them, particularly on that day, and confine them to their beds. Others are ab fent out of mere contempt of religion. And, laftly, there are not a few who look upon it as a day of reft, and therefore claim the privilege of their caftle, to keep the Sabbath by eating, drinking, and fleeping, after the toil and labour of the week. Now in all this the worst circumftance is, that these persons are fuch whofe companies are most required, and who stand most in need of a phyfician.

Secondly, Men's great neglect and contempt of preaching, appear by their misbehaviour when at church.

If the audience were to be ranked under feveral heads, according to their behaviour, when the word of God is delivered, how fmall a number would appear of those who receive it as they ought? How much of the feed then fown would be found to fall by the way-fide, upon ftony ground or among thorns? and how little good ground would there be to take it? A preacher cannot look round from the pulpit, without obferving, that fome are in a perpetual whisper, and, by their air and gefture, give occafion to fufpect, that they are in thofe very minutes defaming their neighbour. Others have their eyes and imagination conftantly engaged in fuch a circle of objects, perhaps to gratify the moft unwarrantable defires, that they never once

attend

attend to the bufinefs of the place; the found of the preacher's words doth not fo much as once interrupt them. Some have their minds wandering among idle, wordly, or vicious thoughts. Some ly at catch to ridicule whatever they hear, and with much wit and humour provide a ftock of laughter, by furnishing themfelves from the pulpit. But, of all misbehaviour, none is comparable to that of those who come here to sleep; opiua is not fo ftupifying to many perfons as an afternoon-fermon. Perpetual cultom hath fo brought it about that the words, of whatever preacher, become on. ly a fort of uniform found at a distance, than which nothing is more effectual to lull the fenfes. For, that it is the very sound of the fermon which bindeth up. their faculties, is manifeft from hence, be-cause they all awake fo very regularly as foon as it ceafeth, and with much devotion receive the bleffing, dozed and befotted with indecencies I am a fhamed to repeat.

Fproceed, Secondly, to reckon up fome of the ufual quarrels men have againft preaching, and to fhew the unreasonablenefs of them.

Such unwarrantable demeanor, as I have defcri bed, among Chriftians, in the houfe of God, in a folemn affembly, while their faith and duty are explained and delivered, have put those who are guilty upon inventing fome excufes to extenuate their fault: This they do by turning the blame either upon the particular preacher, or upon preaching in general. First, they object against the particular preacher; his manner, his delivery, his voice, are difagreeable; his ftyle and expreffion are flat and low; fometimes improper and abfurd; the matter is heavy, trivial and infipid; fometimes defpicable, and perfectly ridiculous; or elfe, on the other fide, he runs up into unintelligible fpeculation, empty notions,

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notions, and abstracted flights, all clad in words above usual understandings.

Secondly, They object against preaching in general; it is a perfect road of talk; they know already whatever can be faid; they have heard the fame an hundred times over. They quarrel that preachers do not relieve an old beaten fubject with wit and invention; and that now the art is lost of moving men's paffions, fo common among the ancient orators of Greece and Rome. Thefe and the like objections, are frequently in the mouths of men who defpife the foolishnets of preaching. But let us examine the reasonableness of them.

The doctrine delivered by all preachers is the fame: So we preach, and so ye believe: But the the manner of delivering is uited to the fkill and abilities of each, which differ in preachers just as in the rest of mankind However, in perfonal diflikes of a particular preacher, are thefe men fure they are always in the right? Do they confider how mixed a thing is every audience, whose taste and judgement differ, perhaps, every day, not only from each other, but themfelves? And how to calculate a difcourfe, that fhall exactly fuit them all, is beyond the force and reach of human reafon, knowledge or invention. Wit and eloquence are fhining qualities, that God hath imparted, in great degrees, to very few, nor any more to be expected, in the generality of any rank among men, than riches and honour. But further: If preaching in general be all old and beaten, and that they are already fo well acquainted with it, more fhame and guilt to them who fo little edify by it. But, thefe men whofe ears are fo delicate as not to endure a plain difcourfe of religion, who expect a conftant fupply of wit and eloquence on a fubject handled fo many thoufand times; what will they fay when we turn the objection upon themselves, who with all the lewd and profane liberty of dif

courfe