3. The Righteous advanc'd to Heaven, and the Wicked thruft down to Hell, 2 Cor. i. 9. 2. By Reason of the Danger of being unprepar'd at that Time, S. Matt. XXV. USES. II, 12, 13. 1. Believe thefe Things. 2. Live up to that Belief. 3. Be always ready. Let not Chrift, when He comes, find you 1. Indulging any 'Sin. 2. Overwhelm'd with the World: 3. Or fecure and careless of Him or your felves. But, 1. Repenting. 2. Believing. 3. Meditating upon Him. 4. Praying. 5. Longing for Him. S. MAR. S. MAR. xiii. 37. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch. IT T is all our Duties to watch; in Explaining of which, we may confider, 1. What it is to watch. It is a taking Care and Heed to ourselves, what we do, and fo is oppos'd to Carelesness, Ephef. v. 15. 1 Pet. V. 8. II. What is it we must watch over? 1. Our Understanding. 1. To keep our Judgments clear and found, 2 Pet. ii. 1. 2. our Thoughts pure, Gen. vi. si that they be neither finful nor vain, Pfal. cxix. 113. Confidering, 1. The Lord knows our Thoughts, Pfal. xciv. 11. Pfal. cxxxix. 2. 2. Bad Thoughts beget bad Works, S. Matt. XV. 19. In order thereto, 1. Think thyfelf continually under the All-feeing Eye of GOD, Pfal. cxxxix. 18. 2. Supprefs bad Thoughts at the beginning. 3. Fix them upon spiritual Objects, Pfal. cxix. 97. 4. Or on earthly Objects in a fpiritual manner, Pfal. viii. 3, 4 2. Our Wills and Affections, Prov. iv. 23. 1. See that each Affection be fixed on its proper Object, Prov. xxiii. 26. 2. in its due manner, S. Matt. xxii. 37, 39. Prov. iii. 5. MEANS. 1. Endeavour after a right Understanding of Things. 2. Subject thy Will to thy Understanding. 3. Refift evil Paffions at their first appearing. 3. Our Tongues, Pfal. xvii. 3. and xxxix. 1. Confidering, 1. That our Religion is in vain without this, S. Fam. i. 26. 2. We must anfwer for Words, S. Matt. xii. 36. 3. Many Sins come from the Tongue. Wherefore, 1. Let thy Reason guide thy Tongue. Γλῶσα γδ ὀλιπὸς ἀνθρώποις μὴ λόγῳ κα βερνωμένη, Naz. 2. Speak not much, Prov. x. 19. 3. Be flow to speak, S. Jam. i. 19. Prov. XV. 28. 4. Be fure to keep thy Heart right, S.Matt. xii. 34. 5. Speak not when in Paffion, Pfal. cvi. 33. Job iii. 2, 3. S. Joh. iv. 9. 6. Speak of other Mens Vices, only before their Faces, and of their Vertues behind their Backs, Tit. iii. 2. 7. Speak of GOD only with Reverence, Deut. xxviii. 58. 4. Our A&tions. 1. That they proceed from a Principle of Obedience, 1 Sam. xv. 22. 2. Be guided by GOD's Word, Pfal. cxix. 105. 3. Be directed to His Glory, 1 Cor. X. 31. For confider, 1. GOD watches over them, and confiders them, Prov. v. 21. 2. We fhall be judg'd according to our Actions, 2 Cor. v. 10. 3. The lefs Heed we take of them, the more Sorrow we fhall have for them. III. What must we watch against ? 1. The Temptations of Satan, S. Matt. xxvi. 41. 1 Pet. v. 8. 2. The Corruptions of our Hearts, Pfal. xviii. 23. 3. The Delufions of the World. 4. The Seductions of Men, who would draw us, 1. Into Sin, Prov. i. x. 15. 2. Into Error, Rom. vi. 17. S. Matt. vii. 15. 2 S. Pet.iii. 17. 1. GOD hates Errors, Rev. ii. 14, 15. 2. They are damnable, 2 Pet. ii. 1. Wherefore, 1. Diligently fearch the Scriptures, and be well grounded in them, S.Matt. xxii. 29. Ephef. iv. 11. 2. Do not eafily receive new Opinions, Ephef. iv. 14. Id verum, quod ubique, quod femper, quod ab omnibus creditum eft. Vinc. Lyren. 3. Study Humility, S. Jam, iv. 6. IV. What IV. What must we watch for? 1. Opportunities of doing Good, Gal. vi. 10. Alt. x. 38. 1. To advance GOD's Glory. 2. To farther our Neighbour's Salvation, Hebr. x. 24. 3. To relieve their Neceffities, Gal. vi. 10. 2. For receiving Good, S. Luk. xvii. 5. as, 1. Of getting our Understanding well inform'd, 2 Pet. iii. 18. 2. Our Hearts taken off from Sin. 3. Our Souls more in Love with GOD and Goodness. 4. Our Minds more fet upon the Things above, Col. iii. 2.. 5. Our Faith more confirm'd in Jefus Christ, S. Luk. xvii. 5. And for receiving thefe good Things, we 1. Of Praying, Pfal. Iv. 17. 3. Receiving Sacraments, 1 Cor. xi. 25. 5. Self-Examination, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. 14. 3. For the Coming of Chrift, 1. So as daily to expect Him. 2. So as to be ready for Him, S. Matt. xxiv. 44. and xxv. 1, 2, 12, 13.. Because, 1. He will furely come, At. j. 11. 2. None knows when, S. Mar. xiii. 33, 35. |