VerC 14. the firth Chapter to the ROMAN s. 97 4. When in a tua1 Temptations you interpole not a thong diffent or negative, either by ferious diflikes, or rebukes, deep groans, hearty defiance, or ftrong arguments; which are the feveral ways of refiftance. Vfi 2. Exhortation, when God affordeth to poor captivated Sinners fuch help , if") they will but take it , and make ufe of it in time : furely then we fhould watch and ftrive. And that I may deal the more effectually in this Ufe , I Thall diftinâly unfold the buty of watching and ftriving, the means to curb and check fin. Firft, Watching. a. The toting and rife of it in the Soul are thefe three fundamental Graces of Faith,, Fear , and Love; otherwife it is but moral Prudence and Caution, which will be too feeble a refiraint to fin, valets it be animated and infpired with thefe Graces. Firfi, Faith puts upon watchfulnefs , that Faith which looketh to things to corn; and maketh them in a manner prefent to the Soul,it is a realizing fight, Heb. r r. r. Now Faith is the fubflance of thing., hoped far, and the evidence of thing, not fiat. The more lively fenfe we have of the concernments of another World , and the more mindful we are of our eternal Enjoyments , the more watchful. In every fin it is our eternal En- joyments are in danger, and Heaven and Hell are not things to be (ported with, or ven- tured and put to hazard for a little carnal fatisfaction. Many expound that, Eph. 6. t2. We wrafile with fpiritual wickednef s in high places, GP ;7r uesxviots, about heavenly thing,, for the word Places is fupplied ; it is in the Original only in or for the heavenlies : the main quarrel between us and Satan is about high and heavenly things, which tend to the honour of God, and the eternal good of our Souls; it is not our temporal and worldly, fo much as our fpiritual and heavenly concernments, which are (truck at. The Devil would fain cheat us of our Souls, our God and our Happinefs, and by propound- ing force bate and unworthy trifle deprive us of everlafting Glory. Now a man that bath a fenfe of Eternity deeply impreffed upon his heart , and hath made eternal things bis (cope , 2 Cor. 4. 18. he hath his eyes in his head , is careful not to lofe his intereft in and hope of thefe things , who knows that the whole World will not countervail the lots of his Soul , and that one glimpfe of Heavens Glory and Happinefs cloth fo much out -thine all the Pomp and Bawdy Vanities of the prefent Life , that he dareth not let his heart linger after thefe things, left he (hould forget or negle& thofe better things. He is cautious of coming fhort of the heavenly refl, which his eye and his heart is upon, Heb. 4. I. But they whole Faith about thefe things is either weak , or none at all , are bold and venturous , as if there were no fuch danger in fins and temptations; they for- get God , and their Souls, and the great account they mua give of all their aftions to their impartial Judge, and the eternal recompences of Heaven and Hell, into which all theWorld (hall at laft iffue themfelves. Secondly, Fear, or a reverend and awful regard of Gods Eye and Pretence, they are afraid to do any thing unfeemly in his fight , Gen. 39. 9. How can I do this wickednefs, and in againfi God ? How will God take it to be affronted to his Face ? As Eilher 7. 8. Will he force the &teen before me in the houle ? So , Shall we give vent to our On when God teeth and heareth ? Void our excrements in his pretence ? The Ifraelites were com- manded to march with a paddle , Deut. 23. t 2, 13, t4. Thou fhalt have a place alto with- out the camp, whither thou (halt go forth abroad. And thou (halt have a paddle upon thy weapon, and it (hall be when thou wilt eat thy felf abroad, thou fhalt dig therewith, and (ball turn back and cover that which cometh from thee. For the Lord thy God w,elketh in the midfi of thy camp, to deliver thee, and togive up thine enemies before thee ; therefore fball thy camp be holy, that he fee no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. The Ma- tters eye makes the Servant diligent; the.prefence of a Reverend Man will hold us in force order ; if Gehazi had known that the Spirit of Elifha went with him , would he have run after Naaman for a reward ? 2 Kings 5. 26. his prophetick Spirit went with him. We can no more be removed from the pretence of God, than from our own Be- ing; he is the continual Witnefs and Judge of our Converfations 5 he Teeth us in fecret as well as in publick. Now when the Soul is habituated to this thought , how awful and watchful (hall we be ? PfaL t r 9. 168. I kept thy precepts and thy teflimonies ; for all my ways are before thee. The fenfe of his Pretence is the great ground of watchfulnefs; God is not fo (hut up within the Curtain of the Heavens, but that he doth fee and hear all that we do or fay, yea he knoweth our thoughts afar off. Thirdly , Love to God maketh us tendet of offending him , for it is a Grace that (ttí- dieth to pleafe ; the Soul is jealous of any jbing which looks like an offence to thole whom we love. Others are not troubled, though they fin freely in Thought, foully Nn ®nn lac
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