Tbe Si11s and Gowmment o{ t/,e Eyes. being the Father offuch, as Chrill calleth him, J obJt 8. 44• 12· Abhor an Hypecritical eye, which ' is lifted up to Heaven, when the heart is on earrh, on lutts, on honours~ on fports or pleafure, or Ma~. 6 u,21: plotting mifchicf again{\ the jufl. Know theevil and danger of all thefc dtfea{es of the<ye. luk. 11 ·l4· §. "· DireCt. 3• Remember tbat the eye being the tloblcjl, and yet tiJe moft .d~Jtgeroll! Jenf!, muft h.t'l.Jt!, DireU. 3• tiJe jlrfaej! watch. Sight is oftt>t put in Scripture for all the fenfes: And hvzng by fight IS oppofed to living or walkjngby faith. 2 Cor. 5• 7· We wallt by f~ith, not by fight. And a fwlual hfe IS called, a 'R"alkjng in the ways of o:tr heart and in the fight of tiJe eye1, Ecdd. I I· 9· An ungoverned eye doth {hew the power of the ungoverned [enfcs. . Abundance of good or evil entreth by thde doors : All licth open if you guard not thefe. . 9 4 . Diretl'. 4· Rem-2mbcr that ar your fin or duty, [o yourfarrow .or JOY do depend much M the govern- DireCI. 4; nunt of your C)'eJ : And their prcfcnt pleafure is the common way to atler fonow. What a flood of grief did V avid let in to his heart by one u~lawfullook? . . . • . 9· S· Dire8:. S· Remember that yoztr eye u much of )'our honour or dif!'omur? becaufe ttJs the zndex of Diretl. 5• · your minds : You fee that which is next the mind it fdf, or the mofi 1mmcdJate beam of the invifible foul when you fee the eye. How eafily doth a wandring eye, a wanton rye, a proud eye, a lttxurioM eye, Prov. 13.19, a m;litiom £')'C, a p.1ffionate ey:, bewray the treaf?re of fin which is in the heart.? Yo~r foul ly~th opener to the view of others m your eye, than m any other part : your very reputation therefore fhould make you watch. ~· 6. Direct. 6. Remember tbat yo•r eye if of aU the fC11fes moj jiebjtll to the wiU, and therefore tbm Direll. 6. is the mort of du1y or fin in il: For Voluntarinefi is the requifite to Morality, _both good and evi!. Your n:iU cannot fo eafily command your feeling, tafti1rg, hearing or fmeUing, as tt can your figbt; fo eafily can it open or jhut the eye in a moment, that you are the more unexcufable if it be_ not govern- .d: for all its faults will be proved the more voluntary. Chamwas curfcd for nor turmng away his cy<S from his Father; 01ame, and Shtm and Japhtth blelfcd for doing it. The righteous is thus defcxibed, Ha. 33· 15• He that ftoppeth /m ears from hearmg of blood, and jhmteth /m eyes from Jieing tvil; /J< p,aU dwcU on higl>: &.. Mens Idols which they are commanded to call away are called, 1be abomination of tiJCir eytt, Ezek. 10· 7· Covttottfnrji is called, 'fhe lrljl of the eyeJ, 1 John 2· 16. It's pc, 16 .. faid of the unclean, that they have eyes fttU ofadultery, 2 Pet. 2· 14· And as jinfo p•niJhment is placed la':,;. j. 7 ; 8 , on the .ye: Ifa. 5· 15. '11" eyes of the l'ftY jhaU be h•mbled : Yea the whole bodys of the daughters of 49 , sr; Zion are t~reatned to be difhonoured with nakcdnefs, [cabs, and fiink, and fhame, becaufe they walk.. cd withwanton tytt, l1aughtily, and mincing ar tl;ey go, &c. Ifa. 3• 16. ~· 7 . Direct. 7· '1/mefore let believing reafon and a holy refolved fixed wiU, kJep • continual Law npon Dire£1. 7• your eyes, and let t!Jtm be u[td M muJer aconftant govtrHment: Th1s J ob calleth, the makj~Jg a coven!lnt • with them, Job 3 I· I· Leave them not at!iberty : as if a Iooft had nothing in it of duty or fin ; or as if you might look on what you would. Will you go to foolifh tempting plaies, and gaze on vain al– luring objed:s, and rhink there is rro IJ.;rm in all this ? Do you think your eye cannot fin as well as your tougue? undoubtedly it's nzu[;b fin that is both cortunltrcd by it, and entereth at it : Keep away there– fore from the hair, or command your eye to rurn away. ~· 8. Direct. 8. Remember ftiU how much more eajie and fafe it is to ftop fin lme at the gam and out- Di ea. 8 work.f, tb•n to beat it out again when it is once got in : If it have but tainted your very fantafie o~ memor • ry ( as tempting fights will almofl unavoidably do) it bath there [pawned the matter f&r a fwarm of vain and fi.nful thougiJI!: It is almoft irnpoffible to rule the 1holtghtJ without ruling the eye: And then the paJ]ions arc prdcntly tainted ; and the cittadtl of the Heart is taken before you are aware. You little knbw when a lujifilllook.. or a covetoUf look.. beginneth the game, to how fad a period it tenderh. Many a horrid adu\ceryl an~ murther, and robbery, and wickednefs, hath begun but with a LouJt: A Lool(_hath begun that, whiCh hath brought many a thoufand to the gallows, and many millions to . Hell' ~ ~· 9• Direct. 9· Krtp both eye and mind employed in contin«alltrtty, a"d ltt them not be idle, and have Dire/1, 9• leifure to wander upou van~t)'· Idlenefs and neglect of Jpiritual and corporal duty is the beginner and the nur{e of much fenfuahty. Let your jpiritual wori(. and your lawful bodily-labours take up Y'?"r time and thoughh, and cOmmand and keep your fenCes in their Cervices. - ~· 10. Direct. 10· Beg daily of God tbe preferving affij!ance of his Grace and providence: Of his in- Dir (1 10 Wft'd grace to cmfirm you a~d afiifi you in your refolutions and watch; and at his providence and grac • • cious difi>ofals of you and objects, to keep the 'femptatiO>ll from before your eyes : And when others will run and go on purpofe, to gaze on vain or tempting fhews, or to admire like children the vanities of the playful pompous world, do you go to God with Davids prayer, Pfalm 119. 37· 'furn a"'ay mine eyes fro'_!J beholdmg v1nity: and quick._en me in tl.ry way: And imitate him verf. 148. Mint tytl prevent the mght_W.2tches. that I migbt meditate in thy word. And make every look a paffage to thy mind, t? .carry 1t· \lp to Godl and prar, P~al. 119. 18. Opeu thou mine eyes that I may behold wondroJt.f things out of thy Law. Obferve thde, wtth the General Dircllio!'rfore named. Bbb PAR~
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