74 SER,MONS upon the SERM. firengthen the things that remain, that are ¿eady to die. From whence cometh the va- nity of our Minds, our pronenefs to break the bounds of due liberty in all our Comforts ; our readinefs to erre in Speech, our frequent Mifcarriages in Converfa- tion, our frequent unftnefs for holy Duties, our unfruitfulnefs in our Converting with others, our unfettlednefsin our Confciences, our immoderate cares and fears ; whence I fay, cometh all this, but from our want of Watching againft this inward Enemy our Flefh ? Efpecially when temptations are near, importunate and conftant. We proceed every ftep to Heaven by Confii&, and Conteft, becaufe Sin is alwayes at hand, ready to affault us, and taint us : So that a ferions Chriftian cannot but take himfelf to be Rill in danger. Thirdly, The World : "We walk in the midit of Snares and Temptations, faith Aullin; and Bernard faith, " That our Life is a continual Temptation. We are in the midit of tempting Obje&s, that are comfortable to our Senfes, neceffary to our Ufes, and prefent to our Embraces ; that we can hardly diftinguifh between what Neceffrty craveth, and Luft delireth ; and fo we are ftrangely gained upon. a yob. 2. 16. For all that is in the V1%rld, is the lull of the Flefb, the lu/l of the Eye, and pride of Life. He doth not fay, Whatfoever is in our corrupt Hearts, but he defcri- beth the Obje&s by the Lufts, becaufe they are readily excited by them : All that W in the World; there are Baits for every Temper ! Honour for the ambitious, Wealth for the covetous, Pleafure for the fenfual : Now every diftemper loveth the Diet that feedeth it ; Luft in the Soul, or unmortified corruption maketh our abode in the World dangerous. z 'et. r. 4. That having efcaped the corruption that is in the world through lull: Here, one plungeth himfelf over head and ears in the World, another is intemperate in the delights of the Flefh, and the Entertainments of Senfe ; another is afpiring after Honour, great Places, and Pomp of living, or Efteem in the World ; or at leant we give our felves too great a liberty and free- dom in thefe things : Therefore you fee what need there is of watching, when al- luring Obje &s lay fuck clofe fiege to th'e Appetite and Senfes. (a.) There is a VVatching unto Good, or for the Performance of our Duties ; that we go about them in an holy, ferious, confcionable Manner, obferving the belt Op- portunities, and taking heed there be no fecret Leaven of Hypocrifie in them. Of all holy Duties the Scripture applieth it to Prayer, which of all other holy Services is the commoneft, and the chiefeft and Watching therein is a great help, though by Analogy it holdetlr good in other duties, as we (hall fee in a few places. Col. 4. 2. Continue in Prayer, and watch in the fame, with thank[ iving : So a Pet. 4. 7. Be fiber, and watch unto Prayer. So Eph. 6. 'r 8. watching therein with all perfe, verance. Sathan is a great Enemy to this duty, and our Hearts are averle, and hardly brought and kept to it : Unlefs it be well performed, our Communion with God is interrupted, and at a Rand. Out of all thefe places we may well colle&, That there is, Firfl, A watching unto Prayer, or before Prayer : Secondly, A watch- ing in Prayer, or in the Duty : Thirdly, A watching after Prayer, or when the Duty is over. s. The VVatching unto Prayer, or before the Duty, is mainly to keep up a Pray- ing frame, that we may be ready Upon all occafions to call upon God. The pray- ing frame lyeth partly in Brokennefs of heart, or a due fenfe of our Neceffities ; and partly in an earneft Bent of heart towards God, and holy and heavenly things ; and partly in an holy Liberty, and Child -like confidence : If either of thefe be loft, how flack and backward (hall we be in Gods Worfhip, or flight in the perform- ance of it, whether in Clofet, or Family, or publick Affetnblies, and (lubber it over in any fafhion ! But when this frame of fpirit is kept up, the Soul is mighti- ly aauated and enlarged in the Duty. As when there is brokennefs of heart, or a due fenfe of our Neceflities, which is the occafion of Prayer; or an earneft defire of Grace, which is the Soul of Prayer ; or our Liberty and Confidence is not broken, which is the great Encouragement of Prayer ; then we are like light and airy Bodies, whbfe natural motion is upwards; fo are we carried out towards God, and Prayer is our Element, in which we live and breathe. Indeed the whole fpiritual Life is but a watching unto Prayer, that we may have alwayes a readinefs for Communion with God, r Pet. 3. 7. 2. There is a VVatching in Prayer, that the Duty be performed with that Teri- oufnefs, attention and affe &ion that the Nature of it doth require. This 'Watch- ing is neceffary, becaufe of the flipperinefs of our Hearts, which eafily go off from the
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