the work of the day and filled it with duty, we may then lie
observed from the following verse, Ephesians 4:27: "Neither give place to the devil," that those who go to bed harbouring malice invite the devil to be their bedfellow.
We cannot lie down in peace with God unless we are at peace with others. We cannot sincerely pray to be forgiven unless we forgive. Let us, therefore, pursue peace with all men, as far as it depends on us. By seeking peace, we secure peace for our own spirits. Let us live as those who say, "I am for peace," even though others may be for war.
C. Let us lie down in peace with ourselves,
with our minds, and with a sweet composure of spirit, enjoying a sense of inner tranquillity. Return to your rest, O
my soul, and be at ease; let nothing disturb your soul, your cherished inner
self.
But when may we lie down in peace at night?
1. If by God's grace we have, to some degree, accomplished the work of the day and filled it with duty, we may then lie down in peace at night.
If our conscience testifies that, in simplicity and godly sincerity—not with worldly wisdom but by God's grace—we have conducted ourselves in the world today, and if we have done some good in our respective roles, something that will count for eternity, then we can rest. If our hearts do not reproach us with a diem perdidi ("I wasted the day"), or worse, that we have spent the day serving sin instead of