375 / 674
DISC.
II.3
THE WATCiiFUL
CHRIBTIAë1
DYINß
IN
PEACE.
363-
unconcerned
about
his
most
important and eternal
af-
fairs
;
and,
in
this
temper,
he
hardly
knows
what his
state
is
toward
God,
nor
keeps
up
a lively sense
or
no
tice of
divine and
eternal
things
upon
his
spirit.
Watch»
fulness,
in
opposition
to this sleep, implies a holy
soli-
citude and diligence
to know
our
own
spiritual state
;
a
consciousness
of
what
we
are;
a
keeping
all the
spiritual
senses
in
proper
exercise, and
maintaining
a lively
per.,
ception
of
divine things.
It
implies an
acute, painful
sense
of
indwelling
sin,
and the
irregular
propensities
of
the heart, a delightful
relish
of
heavenly objects,
fre-
quent
thoughts
of
death and eternity,
constant
waiting
for
those awful events,
with
a quick apprehension and
resentment
of
all things,
that
help or
hinder
the
spiritual
life.
This
is
the
character
of
a wakeful
christian,
and
such an
one
as
is
ready
to
receive
his
returning Lord.
3.
There
is
a
sleep
of
security and
foolish peace,
when
a
person
is
not apprehensive of imminent
danger,
and
is
much unguarded against
it.
Such
was
the sleep of
Jonah
in
the
storm,
of
Sampson
on
the lap
of
Delilah,
when
the Philistines were upon
him,
and
of
the disciples, when
Judas,
and the band
of
soldiers, were
just
ready to'seize
their
master.
This
is
the
case
of
many
a
slumbering
christian: He
is
not upon
his
guard
against
his
inward
lusts and
passions,
nor against
those
outward tempta-
tions and perils
to which he
is
continually exposed,
while
he dwells in
flesh
and blood. Watchfulness,
in
this
re-
spect,
is
when
a christian bath
his eyes
open,
and
turns
them
round
on every side, to foresee
approaching
evil,
and prevent
it;
when he
is
prepared
for
every
assault
:of
every adversary, whether
sin
or
the world,
whether
death
or the
devil
;
he bath
his
spiritual armour girt upon
him,
and
is
ready
for the combat.
He
is
every
hour guarding
against the
powers
of
the
flesh,
and watching against
its
allurements and attractions, lest
he
be
defiled thereby,
and unfit to meet
his
returning Lord
:
He
is
daily
loosen-
ing,
his
heart
from all
sensual attachments,
and
weaning
himself
from
the world and
creatures,'
because
he knows
he
must
quickly
take
his
long
farewell, and part
with
them
all,
at
the call
and appointment
of
his
great
master..
He
is
like
a centinel
upon
his watch-
tower, everawaket,
.lvecause
dangers stand thick
around
him.
4.
Thereis
a
sleep
of
sloth
and
inactivity,
Prov.xix.t8,
A2