Spiritual Per[eflion. we are viCtorious. There is n~ Saint on Earth but may fall as foully as David did; wirhout a confhnt jealoufie over his Hearc and Ways. 'Tis faid, 11/!Ji/e the HiJsbawdnun jltpt , the mviotu Man {owed Taru. He did nor by Force enrer into the Field~ ~·is not fo much from Impotence, as Carelefnefs, that Temptations are let into tho Heart , and Corruptions break our. 'Tis not fo much the flock of Habtiual Groce chat fecurcs us, but Grace in its vigorous Exercife. Surely David in his Youth had feeri as exquifite Beauries as Bathfbeba, and was prcferved by WarchfulnefS: Bur the negleCl: of his Duty was fatal to his Purity and Peace. Therefore the Duty is [o ofcen incul · catcd upon us. We mufl be watchful to fly from Temptations: He that prays, Ltad me nl!t inta Temptatio•, and leads himfelf into it, mocks God, defpifes rhe danger, plays upon che hole of the Afi>, and walks upon rhe brink of a Precipice. He provokes God juftly to deferr him. If a General commands a Soldier to fight a fingle Combat with an Enemy, he will furni!h him with Armour of proof, . and fecure him from Treachory : but if one be Fool-hardy, and engages himfelf, be may dearly pay for his ralhnefs. If by the order of Providence, one be brought into tempting Circumftances, he may Pray in Faith for Divine Affifiance, that the Lord will be at hu right hand, and he JbaU not bt movtd: but if one vemures .into Temptation, he will hardly cfcape. We are direCted to be fober and vigilant againft our fpirirual Enemies. Vigilance difccvcrs the Temptations, and Temperance fubfiraCls the Materials of them. Ad•m by Intemperance fiain'd his Innocence, and forfeited his Felicity. \Ve muft be clad rvith the armour of Ligbt, to oppo(e "rhe pon•rrs of Darknefs. Strange Armour that is traofparen t and may be feen through. The Graces of the Spirit are Armour and Oroament, the Strength and Beauty of the Soul. They are call'd, The Armour of God, for he furnirbes us with them, and teaches us to ufc them, and makes us ViCtorious. We mufl nor only Watch but Pray againft Temptations. We are preferved by the Interceffion of Chrift in Heaven, and the Spirit's Illumination and ProteCtion in our Spiritual Warfare. There are fame things that direCtly ftrengthen our Enemies, all tempting ObjeCts that excite and influence Fle!hly Lulls, that war againjl the Sote!. Some th ings indireCtly ftrengthen them; whatever diverts us from Prayer, and other Holy Ordinances, difarms us ; whatever diflraCts the Mind, and dilfolves rhe lirml1t:fs of the Will, expofes us more eafily to be overcome. To be carelefs and fecure as if we were in a fafe Sea, when there are fo many vifible Shipwrecks, is unaccountable Folly. 'Tis our Duty and Wifdom to keep a Jealous Watch over our Hearts, to fupprefs the fix'd Inclinations to Sin ; Thoughts and Defires are the Seeds of ACtion: and to guard our Senfes, chat we may not be fuddenly corrupted. Lot's Wife by a lingering Look after Sodom, was turn'd into a Pillar of Salt, to make us fearful, by her Example, of the occafions of Sin. Efpeciallj· we muft direCl: our Care to prevent our being furpriz'd, againfl the Sins that fo eafily encornpafs us, and whereby we have been often foil' d. If a befiegd City has one part of the Walls weaker, and more liable to be taken, Care will be taken to ftrengthen it, and to double the Guards there. Let us be watchful againll fmall Sins, if we defire to be preferv'd from grea ter: for we arc rrain'd on by fins of weaker evidence, to fins of greater Guilt. Some are fo Confirm'd in Holinefs, that the Devil does nor tempt them to tranfgrefs the Law in a notorious manner, but lays Snares for them in things of leffer moment, Befides, there are Sinners of different degrees, yet they all finally peri!h. Some with a full Career throw themfelvcs head-long into Hell. Others go !lowly ftep by ftep, but certainly drop into it. To conclude, If we defire to be preferv'd from Sin, let us ·avoid ingaging Co,npany : many l'erfons would refill the force of Natural Inclination, but when that is excited by the Examples of oth.crs, rhey are eafily vanqui!h'd. A pure Stream palling through a Sink will run tluck and muddy. On the contrary, Society with the Saints i~ a l>apPY Advantage to make. us like them. As Waters that paiS through Medicrnal Mtnerals, denve a Healmg Ttnaure from them. In iliort, the prefent World is a continual Temptation, and we !hould always be employed in thofc things, etther in our General or Particular Call ings, that either direEtly or virtually may pre. fe~ve us from its Contagion. We are in a ftate of Warfare: though not always in F1ghr, yet always in the Field expos'd to our Spiritual Enemies that W.r againfl our So11ls : and our Vigdance and Care ihould be accordingly. . 2. The Duty of Warchfulncfs refpeCts the doing good in its feafon, and with the lJrcun:'llances proper to it. To him that orders his Convn{ation aright, I will j};erv the Salvation of God. Order in an Army contributes to V1Ctory more than Number,. The 66J
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