supplications for the mercies of the night.
e. We must apply ourselves to the throne of grace for peace and pardon.
Those who repent must pray that the thought of their heart may be forgiven them, Acts 8:22. It is good to be specific in our prayers for the pardon of sin, so that, as Hannah said concerning Samuel, "For this child I prayed," we may also be able to say, "For the forgiveness of this I prayed." However, the publican's general prayer is always a very suitable one for each of us to use as we lie down: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
4. Let us lie down with humble supplications for the mercies of the night.
Prayer is as necessary in the evening as it is in the morning, for we have the same need of divine favour and care to make the evening's close as joyful as the morning's beginning.
a. We must pray that our outward man may be under the care of God's holy angels, who are the ministers of his providence.
God has promised that he will give his angels charge over those who make the Most High their refuge, and that they shall pitch their tents around them and deliver them. What he has promised, we may and must pray for—not as though God requires the service of angels or relinquishes his own care of his people by entrusting it to them, but because Scripture repeatedly affirms that angels are employed in protecting God's people, whom he takes under his special care. Though angels are not seen, their ministry honours God, who
commands them, and honours the saints, whom they are charged to protect.
It was the glory of Solomon's bed that sixty valiant men surrounded it, all armed with swords because of fear in the night, Song of Solomon 3:7-8. But how much more honourable and comforting is the protection of true believers, who, though they may lie in the humblest conditions, have hosts of angels surrounding their beds! Through the ministry of these good spirits, believers are preserved from the malice of evil spirits. Yet God has ordained that we must ask for this protection; as he said to the house of Israel, he will be sought after to perform his promises. Even Christ himself prayed to the Father, who was ready to send legions of angels to his aid, Matthew 26:53. How much more should we ask, that it may be granted to us?
b. We must pray that our inward man may be under the influence of his Holy Spirit, who is the author and source of all grace.
Just as public worship is an opportunity for the Spirit to work upon our hearts, and thus we must pray for the Spirit's presence when we attend public ordinances, so too must we pray for the Spirit's influence in our private devotions. The Scriptures tell us that during slumberings upon the bed, God opens the ears of men and seals their instruction, Job 33:15-16. David himself experienced this: he testified that God visited him at night, tried him, and revealed his heart to him, Psalm 17:3. He also found that God gave him counsel, and that his innermost thoughts instructed him during the night, Psalm 16:7. David cherished the night as a season for remembering God and meditating upon him.
To make the best use of this special season for private communion with God, we must earnestly pray for the gracious and powerful influences of the Holy Spirit, placing ourselves under his guidance and submitting to his will. We cannot fully understand how God's grace may work upon us while we sleep. The soul can act in some ways independently of the body, and while the senses are locked in slumber, the Spirit of the Lord is never bound. Therefore, we have good reason to pray not only that our minds will be kept from being disturbed or defiled by evil dreams (in which, for all we know, evil spirits may play a role) but that they may instead be instructed and calmed by good dreams, which some, like Plutarch, regard as signs of spiritual progress and virtue. We know that the good Spirit of God can influence such dreams.
I have even heard of a godly man who prayed at night specifically for good dreams. Whether such prayers are directly answered or not, they reflect a pious heart seeking to be kept close to God, even during the hours of rest.
II. Secondly, When we lie down, our care
and effort must be to lie down in peace.
It is promised to Abraham that he shall go to his grave in peace, Genesis 15:15, and this promise is certain for all his spiritual offspring, for the end of the upright man is peace. Josiah dies in peace, even though he is killed in battle. As a foretaste of this, let us lie down in peace every night. It is threatened to the wicked that they shall lie down in sorrow, Isaiah 1:11. It is promised to the righteous that they shall lie down, and no one will make them afraid, Leviticus 26:6, Job 11:19. Let us then enter into this rest, this blessed sabbath-like rest, and ensure that we do not fall short of it.
A. Let us lie down in peace with God.
Without peace with God, there can be no true peace. "There is no peace," says my God, "to the wicked," for God is at war with them. A state of sin is a state of enmity against God. Those who remain in that state are under the wrath and curse of God and cannot lie down in peace. What right have they to peace? Hurry, sinner, hurry to make peace with God through Jesus Christ, by repentance and faith. Take hold of his strength so that you may make peace with him, and you shall make peace, for fury is not in him. The terms of peace are offered—accept them. Reconcile yourself with Christ, who is our peace, on his terms, on any terms. Do not delay. Do not dare to sleep in a state in which you would not dare to die. Escape for your life; do not look back. Acquaint yourself with him now, immediately, and be at peace. In this way, good will come to you, and you will lie down in peace.
Sin constantly causes strife between God and our souls. It provokes God against us and alienates us from him. Therefore, we need to make peace with God every night. Let us reconcile ourselves to him and his holy will through the work of his Spirit in us, and plead with him to reconcile himself to us through the intercession of his Son. In this way, there will be no distance, no estrangement between us and God—no cloud to block his mercies from coming down upon us or our prayers from rising to him. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This enables us not only to lie down in peace but also to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Let this be our first priority—that God has no quarrel with us, nor we with him.
B. Let us lie down in peace with all men.
We must go to bed with peace in our hearts towards others, just as we must face death with a spirit of charity. Those who interact much with the world may scarcely pass a day without encountering something provoking—some slight, some offence, or some injury, or at least something they perceive as such. When we retire at night and reflect on these events, we are tempted to magnify the offence. While we dwell on it, our anger burns, and resentment rises, leading us to thoughts of retaliation: "I will do to him as he has done to me," Proverbs 24:29. This is when anger hardens into malice, and revenge begins to take root. Therefore, let wisdom and grace intervene to quench this fire before it grows. Let us uproot and destroy this bitterness and instead cultivate a spirit of forgiveness. Resolve to pardon the injury, to think charitably of the offender, and to wish them well.
Even if others are inclined to quarrel with us, let us determine not to quarrel with them. Whatever offence or injury has been done, let us resolve that it will neither disturb our peace nor cause us to fret, as Peninnah intended to provoke Hannah to do, 1 Samuel 1:6. Neither let it sour our spirits or embitter us, making us petty or spiteful. Instead, let us love ourselves and our neighbours as ourselves. By harbouring malice, we harm not only our neighbour but also ourselves. Forgiving twenty injuries is easier and far more rewarding than avenging one.
Particularly at night, let it be our aim to reconcile ourselves to those who have wronged us. This is implied in the command, Ephesians 4:26: "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." If your anger has not cooled by evening, let it be extinguished before the sun sets, disappearing with the fading light. When you lie down with unresolved anger or resentment, your soul is like one among lions. You lie down on a bed of thorns, among scorpions. Some have even