THE Great Immanuel, GOD the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is GOD and Man, is, by Delegation from [Page 4] GOD the Father, the Supream Magi­strate, the Lord of Providence, and Absolute Paramount, Sovereign of the Church and World, Visible and Invi­sible. In His Government, His Per­fections of Sovereignty and Power, Wisdom and Goodness, Grace and Holiness, Mercy and Faithfulness, Ju­stice and Equity, are gloriously Re­splendent. To strict Justice appertain His Commanding, Rewarding & Pu­nishing, as a Judge Vindictive: To Grace and Mercy belong His Com­manding, Rewarding, Punishing, For­bearing, and Pardoning as a Father; His Dispensations Refer either to the whole World, or to Particular Nati­ons, Provinces, and Societies, and Fa­milies, or to Individual Persons. And forasmuch as the Infliction of Punish­ment upon Multitudes of Sinners of all sorts, at one and the same time or sea­son; has a Tendency to strike the greater Terrour, and to prevent the more Transgression, & to demonstrate the Lord's most impartial hatred of [Page 5] Sin; therefore, after seasons of Long-suffering, and general Clemency and Beneficence, the LORD has His Re­markable Times of Judgment, or of Judicial Dispensation, wherein whole Nations, and all sorts of Persons in them, suffer Tribulation and Calami­ty; some for their Saving Amend­ment, and others for their Utter De­struction. 'Twas such a Time with the Jewish Nation, and with many Gentiles also, in the Days of the Em­perour Vespasian, when their Iniquity was full; whereof our Blessed SAVI­OUR, and His Apostles premonished Them; And in our Text, the Apostle Peter, gives 'em most solemn Adver­tisement,

1. Of the near Approach of that Time of Judgment: [For the Time is Come:]

2. Of the Objects of its Influence, which are of two sorts [called, some of them, The House of GOD, or His Houshold, and the Righteous, and Ʋs, that is Peter and his Fellow Christi­ans; [Page 6] and Others of them, The Ʋngod­ly and Sinners, and such as Obey not the Gospel of GOD: The Paenal Dispen­sations of those Days, should Affect both sorts.

3. Of the Order of Dispensation; wherein the Priority is Assigned to the Godly; [Judgment must begin at the House of God.]

4. Of the Measure and Degrees of the Dispensation of Judgment, and of its Issues and Events to the Godly, and to the Wicked; and he leaves it to their own Sanctified Reason, and in­lightned Understandings to judge, how vastly different they would be: [If Judgment first begin at Ʋs, What shall the End be of them that Obey not the Gospel of GOD? As if He should have said, your Reason will tell you it will be superlatively mi­serable and dreadful; The Wicked shall be in a much worse Condition than the Godly, when the Great Judge takes them in Hand: If He is so im­partially severe to His Children, in [Page 7] His Correcting of 'em as their Father; How terrible and ruinous unto 'em will the incurably Wicked find it to be, to be made to drink off the Dregs of the Lethal Cup of His fierce Wrath and Hatred, as their Almighty and E­verlasting Vindictive Judge and Ene­my: [And Where shall the Ʋngodly and Sinner appear?] What will become of them? They shall be cut off from the Earth, and they shall have no Salvati­on, and Mansion in Heaven, (as the Learned Piscator shews, and the course of the Apostles Argument strongly im­ports it;] and therefore in Hell will they lift up their Eyes, being in Tor­ments, as Dives, Luk. 16. They will appear there.

5 Of its being the Occasion at least, of extraordinary Temptations, and of extremity of Difficulty and Hazard to some of the Godly: So that they shall find it next to impossible, to avoid E­verlasting Destruction; and that they must strain every Nerve to steer clear of Hell; and that they'l have a very [Page 8] narrow Escape to Heaven; and will be beholden to very Superiour Acts both of Grace and Omnipotency for that too. [Thus the Righteous are scarcely saved;] or (as the Original Word [Molis] may be also rendred) with huge Difficulty; Implying, that tho, the Elect's, passing thro' the strait Gate, and their running in the narrow Way, and their daily Warfare with their Internal, External, and Infernal Enemies, and their Fitting for Hea­ven, and Getting to Heaven, are al­ways, even in Times of most Gracious Dispensation, attended with no small Danger and Difficulty; yet that in those Times of Gracious Dispensation, its much EASIER in divers regards, to Prosecute an Escape from the Infer­nal Pit, & to Pursue the Race to Hea­ven, than in Times of Judicial Executi­on. However, tho' the Righteous, (that is, the Upright) be scarcely Sa­ved; They shall be surely Saved not­withstanding; & so shall not the wick­ed Reprobates be.

[Page 9]6. Of the Duty and Relief of the Godly, when in extream difficulty and hazzard in such Judicial and Calami­tous Days, viz.

1. To Eye and Consider the Will and Providence of GOD, that brings them into Sufferings, and to yield and submit thereto. [To Consider them­selves as suffering by the Will of GOD.]

2. To maintain a constant Practice, and a Good Conscience of Well-Doing; in a Way of Obedience to the Gospel of GOD.

3. Also their Souls being Created, (not Generated like their Bodies,) and the LORD having Promised to Receive them, & make them blessed, when they depart from their Bodies; And He being a most Faithful GOD to perform all that He has Promised; 'Twould be their Duty and Relief to Commit their Souls unto GOD, when their Bodies are to suffer Death, to repose & secure their Departing Spirits into the sweet and unfailing Arms of their Re­conciled Creator's Love and Faithfulness. [Page 10] [Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their Souls unto HIM in Well-doing, as unto a Faithful Creator.]

WE have no Reason to Com­plain, that we have no new Miracles now wrought, to Confirm unto our Faith, the Divinity of the Holy Scriptures, & Evangelical Religion, since we have the Infallible History of the Miracles that have been Divinely Wrought for that End in former Ages; And since we also daily View the Divine Power and Efficacy of the said Scriptures and [Page 74] Religion, in the Shining Instances of Persons Supernaturally Changed there­by; GOD's Omnipotency working therewith, to free them from the Ty­ranny of Darkness and Corruption, and to Advance 'em to glorious Heights of Holiness, Vertue, and Joy in a Life of Communion with GOD, thro' the LORD JESUS CHRIST; And since Many of these Sanctified Persons, By the Spirit of GOD dwelling in them, and Influencing of them, have Coura­geously suffered Death by torture, in Testimony to GOD's Holy Truths and Religion; (The Seal of Martyrs not being much less powerful, than the Seal of Miracles:) And since it has been manifestly the Constant Work of Providence, to be fulfilling of the Pro­phesies contained in the said Holy Scriptures; and Particularly that Pro­phesie Concerning the Great Antichrist, one of the Greatest Plagues that ever was Permitted and Inflicted upon Grace-Abusing Nations.

That Prophesy was uttered by Daniel, above a Thousand Years before its ful­filment; and by the Apostle John, in the Revelations, above Three Hundred [Page 75] Years. And our Context gives a Terri­ble Scheme of GOD's Dealing with that Enemy. It could never have En­tred into Mens Thoughts, that such a Prodigy should ever have Appeared in the World, had it not been Foretold, by Him that Fore-knew; And being Fore-told, if it had not Appeared, 'twould have derogated from the Ve­rity of Prophesie, and have Shockt our Faith; Whereas its Appearance, (tho' most Formidable,) both Seals the Truth of Holy Scripture, and the Faith of the Redeemed.

The World has seen Daniels fourth Monarchy, in all its Shapes & Altera­tions, until 'tis brot' very near to its Consummation, wro't by the finger of Providence, and exactly answering it's Types in Vision. It has seen Romes Mitre turn'd into a Triple Crown, Domineering over many Kingdoms within the Roman Empire, under the several Names of CHRIST and Christi­anity, Usurping Power to dispose of Crowns and Nations, to Stamp Divi­nity upon Humane Inventions & Lyes, to Legitimate Idolatry, Mass-Wor­ship, Invocation, and Adoration of [Page 76] Ghosts and Angels, Exorcisms, Massa­cres, Murders of Princes, Uncleanness, Lying, Perjuries (in some Cases,) and making 'em Meritorious of Heaven, against the Will and Law of the Holy GOD, who Condemns them to Hell. Thus has the Roman Empire been Re­establish'd by a Mystery of Iniquity.

Old Rome made Her Whole Empire to be One Great City, by Naturalizing and Endenizing all of Quality in its Remotest Provinces, and Extending its Priviledges and Franchises to Men and Towns of many Nations; and thus Paul a Jew was a Roman Born, a Free­man of the City of Rome: Thus Papal Rome makes one great Babylonian My­stical City, of the Nations of the World: All in all Nations who are Papists are Members of Her Church, & Citizens of Her Imperial City; and no Papist, tho' of the Remotest Nati­on is a Foreigner to the Roman Church and See; But All are admitted to be Capable of Holy Orders, and Offices; Their Council consists of Men taken out of all Her Provinces; and none of 'em by their Law shut out from Li­berty to Qualify Himself to be Elected [Page 77] to Wear the Triple Crown.

This Roman Catholick Church (as it Calls it self) is a Mystical Babylon for Idolatry, Sorcery, and Universal Do­mination; and a Sodom for Wicked­ness, and Egypt for Cruelty and Op­pression. Rev. 11.8.

This Monstrous Sham-Church Esta­blishes the Kingdom of Sin by its Si­moniacal Vain Pardons, and Lying Miracles: and (in Times and Places of Smokey Ignorance) frights Men in­to its Bosom, (which it Pretends to be the only Place of Salvation in the World,) by its terrible Anathemas; where, when they are come, they be­come the fixed Marks and Butts, a­gainst whom are directly Levelled the Chain-shot and Fire-Arrows of the Curse of Heaven.

It's impossible but that the Glorious SON of GOD (whose Sacred Name and Commission have been hellishly Abused, and blesphemously Pretended and Professed as a Cover and Warran­ty for the Greatest Wickedness, and whose True Spiritual Kingdom is most of all maligned, contradicted, under­mined, and impressed, by this Hellish [Page 78] Upstart, Usurping, Idolatrous, Murde­rous Kingdom of Antichrist) should Pour out His Most Dreadful Plagues upon it; and this He doth Leisurely and Gradually at first, like the running of Sand in an Hour Glass, and like the Pouring out of VIALS which have great Bellies, and narrow Mouths; & afterwards more suddenly, swiftly, and Abundantly, as out of a Wide-mouth'd Cup or Flaggon.

Of the VIALS, and of the CUP, you Read in THIS CHAPTER, where our TEXT is Placed, as it were in a Parenthesis.

Among Modern Authors, Mr. Junieu and Mr. Petto are of the Opinion, that the Vials are Poured out before the Witnesses Resurrection, and that the Seventh Hour Glass is at its last Sand then.

In the Vision, the Vials are Poured out and Emptied on the Earth, and the Sea, and on the Rivers, and Foun­tains, and on the Sun, and on the Beast's Throne, and on Euphrates, and finally into the Air: and the Consequents thereof, are a Noisome Sore; Bloody Waters, and the Death of such as Swim in [Page 79] them; Blood in Fountains to drink of Fiery Scorchings, and Blaspheming, and Impenitency; Darkness, Pains, Hard­ness; A making way for the Kings of the East; Impious Leagues and War; Voices, Lightnings, Thunders, a great Earthquake; Division of the Great City into Three Parts, and the falling of the City of the Nations.

Among the Various Modern Con­jectures, this is One, viz. That the Seventh Vial has been for some time, a Pouring out. Yet many are Dubi­ous whether past History will afford unto diligent Enquirers, a Practical Interpretation of the Prophesie, in a Seven-fold Vengeance upon, and Mor­tification of the Earthly Antichristian Babylyon, or Roman-Catholick Church, already inflicted, adequate to the Vi­sion of the Vials: and it Deserves to be Inquired and Considered

1. Whether the General and Judi­cial Abdication of Full Communicants of that Church (that Teaches Good Works to be Meritorious of Justifi­cation and Eternal Life) unto Dis­mal and Affrighting Carnality and Wickedness, so as that they should [Page 80] visibly become a Leprous and Ʋlce­rous Church, full of Noisome and A­stonishing Corruption of Manners; and whether Their Walking about with Ʋlcerated Consciences, whose Guilt and Stings and Sores all their Dead Saints [Mediators] and Invo­cated-Angels, and all their Masses, Penances, Pilgrimages, and Popes Par­dons could not Remove; Plague-Sores and Ʋlcers, that keep running to this Day; and whether their Civil State Ʋlcerated and Wasted by the Incur­sions and Conquests of the Saracen Army, be the Noisome Sores that are the Effects of the First Vial, Upon what they Call Holy Church?

2. Whether the Gradual Swelling of their pretendedly Infallible Oracles of Life, unto a voluminous Ocean-Sea of really wrong and false Rules, and Fundamental Errours, Intolerable Im­positions, Irrational and Corrupt Do­ctrines and Ordinances, and Damna­ble Blasphemies and Idolatries, re­tained by 'em to this Day, in and by which, None could Obtain Spiri­tual Life and Everlasting Happiness? And whether the Drawing of Shoals, [Page 81] Ship Loads, and Mighty Armies of Crossed-Souldiers from all Parts of the Roman Catholick Ocean or Domi­nions (with Promises of Plenary Par­dons of all Sins, and of the Heavenly Inheritance,) Unto Seven fatal Expe­ditions for the Conquest of the Holy Land; (In the first whereof perished more than Two Millions of Roman Ca­tholick Souldiers, and in the Last Sixty Thousand, and vast Multitudes in the other; (were not some Effects of the Second Vial, in the Emblem of a bloody Ocean, to punish the Nations for their Subjection and Devotion to the Papal See?

3. Whether their being Confined to drink continually of the Deadly and most Poisonous Sermons and Homilies of Monks and Friars, as of Rivers or Fountains, and to Depend on 'em for Counsel in all their Soul-Cases, Being totally debarred from Reading of the Holy Scriptures; and whether their being, by the Instigation of their Popes and Cardinals, Hurried into Rebelli­ons, against their lawful Emperours & Princes, whereby they brought them­selves to bloody Ends, were not some [Page 82] Effects of the Third Vial, and a Just Judgment upon the Empire, that so often and so long had been Glutting Her self with the Blood of the Saints, under Pagan and Arian, and other Em­perours, and under the Influences of Antichrist?

4. Whether the Scorchings of Empe­rours and Realms, under the Rays of the Sun of the Papal World, by the Popes Excommuications and Curses, and by his Absolving of their Subjects from their Oaths of Obedience and Al­legiance to 'em, and stirring up of their Neighbouring Princes to Invade and Destroy 'em in a Wicked Man­ner; (The Popes Power being Exube­rant, and his Spirit Diabolical;) and whether one Pope's Condemning the Infallible Edicts of a Former Pope; & the Emperours Deposing of Popes, and setting up of General Councils above 'em; and whether their Pope's Infalli­ble Holiness being notoriously known to be Blasphemers, Murderers, Poison­ers, Adulterers, Sodomites, or Incestu­ous, or Conjurers for many years; and Rome that Lady-City and Sear of Empire, that formerly drew to its self [Page 83] the World's Riches and Glory, Her being Deserted of Her Popes and Gran­deur for Seventy Years; and whether that Monstrous Kingdom of Antichrist, it's having More Heads upon it than One, for Forty Years; One Pope at Avignion, and another at Rome; and Both of them Excommunicated and Accursed, (one by another; with all their Adherents; so that almost all Europe lay under the Papal Anathema; (So Rendring the Popes Curses, that all the World trembled at before, Weak and Ridiculous, and Puting the Papal Dignity, and Deification, and all His Throne, Kingdom and Territories un­der Darkness;) and whether thereup­on their Judicial Obstinacy and most Criminal Unreformedness and Blas­phemies (continuing to this Day) Po­pish Princes and Nations complaining of the Popes, but not forsaking their Idolatry; Were not some of the Ef­fects of the fourth and fifth Vials Pou­red out upon the Papal Sun, and upon the Throne of the Beast?

5. Whether (as Artopaeus and Mr. Jurieu think) the Irruptions, Depre­dations, and Conquests of the Turks [Page 84] upon the Roman Empire, with their Impious Doctrines, and Religion, and Barbarities, they being Kings of Nato­lin (or the East,) having once Euphrates for their Bounds, be One Thing inten­ded in the Sixth Vials, (as in the Sixth Trumpet; Rev. 9.13—17.)? And whe­ther a most Judicial Abdication of the Roman Popes and their Conclave, unto a Diabolical Spirit of Hatred against Gospel-Truth and Holiness, and of most Implacable and Bloody Revenge, and WAR against the Professors there­of, be not Another Thing intended? A Disposition to Murder the Saint's, most certainly is a Plague of GOD upon Men's Hearts, an Effect & Stroke of the Fierce Wrath of Heaven, and Renders Men very Vise in the Eyes of all that have any Sparks of Humanity in 'em: and that the Romanists are not Free from this Plague, We are infor­med from Histories; The Excommu­nicating, Condemning and Burning of Godly Persons who Dissented from Popery, was Notorious in the Twelfth Century,; and has Continued ever since: The Pope Stirred up Secular Princes against 'em, 1140. Eighty were [Page 85] burnt at Strasburg; Their Cruelty a­gainst 'em was notorious at Oxford; Anno 1160. A bloody Inquisition was Establish'd against 'em, Anno 1176; which for 540 years has been Mar­tyring and Murdering of 'em. Anno 1198, They were by Thousands deli­vered to Executioners to be hang'd and burnt; So that all Moderate Per­sons in Christendome were moved to Compassion. The Roman Beast that Continues forty two months, is given over to make WAR with the Saints: and (when appearing in the Two horned Shape) has Power to Cause 'em to be killed. Rev. 13.5, 7.15. And 'tis Prophesied that the Ten Kings, who give their Power to the Beast, shall make WAR with the LAMB, who is KING of Kings, and Whose Army are Chosen and Faithful. Rev. 17.14. This, a Good Anotator Con­ceives to Fall under the Sixth Vial: In or about the Year 1194. The God­ly were forced to Defend themselves, by Arms, against the Force of the King of Arragon, whom Antichrist had instigated against 'em. In the Year 1400, they were Assaulted from Time [Page 86] to Time in Pragela, and that Country. In the Year 1460. at Frasinere They were dreadfully Destroyed. In the Year 1488, The Kings Lieutenant of Dauphine, with His Troops, at the de­mand of Pope Innocent, very Guiltily Slaughtered many of the Godly Inno­cent Waldenses. An Army was raised to root 'em out in the Year 1560; but effected it not, by Reason of the Death of King Francis; Yet again, For the same End at another Time, was ano­ther Army Raised of Eighteen Thou­sand Men; and at another Time, the Prince of Savoy sent His Forces against 'em, who came upon 'em suddenly, Wasting all before 'em. Again, upon the Solicitations of Pope Paul the Third, An Army under the Lord of Trinity, marched against 'em, Exerci­sing great Cruelty. But still they Multiply; wherefore Armed Troops, under the Violent Alexandrino, were sent by the Impious Pope Pius the 4th, to Extirpate them; who made dread­ful Destruction of 'em in Calabria; & the Viceroy of Naples also, and His Sol­diers, Slaughter'd all the Men, Women and Children of the Godly that they [Page 87] could light upon. As for the Godly on the Borders of Germany, An Army of Soldiers wearing the Cross, Went and Slew 'em all. Moreover, Two Hun­dred of 'em were taken in One of the Castles of Tholouse, and Martyred, An­no 1242. (Besides Many in Millain; and Many in Dalmatia, and Bofina be­fore:) And in the Year 1262. Pope Ʋrban made a Decree, wherein He saith,—We Enjoyn you upon the Remis­sion of your Sins, that you do your Ʋt­most for their Extirpation, and I will implore the Aid of all Christian Kings and Princes; that Heaven and Earth may be moved against 'em.

They were Harrassed in the County of Albi, Anno 1281. at Provence. Once at Beziers the Papists slew 60000. An Hundred Thousand Crossed Soldiers from the Nations came against 'em, Anno 1218. The Godly were all Slain in Spain, and Parts adjacent about the Year 1235. In the Beginning of the Fifteenth Century, the Pope Excom­municated the Godly in Bohemia, Ex­citing the Emperour, Kings, Princes, and others to take up Arms against 'em, Intreating them, By the Wounds [Page 88] of CHRIST, and Their own Salvati­on, Unanimously, to Fall upon 'em, and utterly to Extirpate that Cursed Generation; Promising Pardon of all Sins to the most Wicked Person that should kill any One of 'em: Whereup­on Great WARS were raised against 'em, and all Manner of Cruelty Exer­cised, and no less than Fourteen Thou­sand and Forty of the Godly at Cut­tenburg were cast into one Great and Deep Pit of the Old Metal-Mines. And Seventeen Thousand into another, and Ten Hundred and Thirty and Eight into another. And they had the Victo­ry over the Protestant Army, in the Year 1620, and took their Great City, & Used Cruel & Crafty Artifices to de­stroy 'em Moreover, Pope Martin stirr'd up the Emperour and Princes a­gain, against the Godly: The Army Entred into the Prachatice and Slew Sixteen Hundred Men, Women and Children, sparing none but such as Fled or Hid. Again, the Pope gave CHARLES the Fifth, Two hundred thousand Crowns in Money, and Ob­liged Himself, to maintain Him an Army of Twelve Thousand Foot, and [Page 89] Five Hundred Horse; and Impowred Him to Sell of Abby Lands, to the Va­lue of Five hundred thousand Crowns; and Allow'd Him, moreover One half of the Revenues of the Clergy, Enga­ging Him to Imploy all These for the Extirpation of the Protestants; And Anno 1547, The Protestant Forces (which were raised for, and which stood upon their Defence,) were Van­quished, and a great Persecution ensu­ed; Many being Cruelly Beheaded, Hanged, Drowned, and Burned. Ma­ny were destroy'd at Magdeburg about the Year 1551. The bloody Duke of Alva boasted that He had been dili­gent to Root out Heresy, for besides those Protestants which He had Slain in the Wars, He had in Six Years time put into the Executioners hands above Eighteen Tousand Persons.

In the Year Sixteen Hundred and thirty, the Protestants of Germany suffered horrid Cruelties; Especially in Magdenburg, Hiedelburg, Griphen­burg, Frankendale, and Hoxter, as also in Saxony and Pomerania. being Prose­cuted with Fire and Sword. In France (besides the Multitudes which the Pa­pists [Page 90] destroyed in the WARS, which they Waged with the Protestants, commonly called the Civil-Wars,) they Massacred and Slaughtered in time of Peace, above Sixty Thousand Protestants, in a few Days; the Mas­sacre beginning at Paris on Bartholo­mew-Day, Anno 1572. And the Hel­lish Barbarities which the Armies of Dragoons Executed upon Hundreds of Thousands of Protestants about thir­ty Years since, viz. Anno 1658; what Historian can Relate them without Trembling? Nor may the Bloody Massacre in Ireland be forgotten, An­no 1641; wherein are said to be slain 300000. And the Cruelties in other Nations, tho' too many to be now mentioned.

Yet the Legate Bertrand, in His Letter to the Pope, Complains of the Bad Success of the Wars against the Godly Professors of the Reformed Religion in the Thirteenth Century, and thus Expresses Himself; ‘This War has Cost us very Dear; for within less than Fifteen Years, there have died above Three Hundred Thousand Crossed Soldiers; but all [Page 91] will be Lost, except these Here­ticks be utterly Destroyed.’

It may then be Queried, Whether 'twas then the Beginning of the Great Day of GOD ALMIGHTY, that Critical Day of Vengeance, intended in the Context? Pope Innocent the 3d, Offered Pardon of all their Sins, to such as wearing the Sign of the Cross would come and fight against the God­ly Albigenses, and Destroy 'em; the Popish Bishops, Monks, and Friars (like Vile Spirits) Preached these Proffers and Pardons in the Nations; The Pope wrote also to all Christian Princes, to stir 'em up to Get this Pardon, by Joining in this, which He Called, the Holy War; and many No­ble men, with Armies of Crossed Soul­diers, came from year to year; the Pope promising Paradise to 'em all: Earl Montfort was made their Gene­ral; The Grand Place of their Ren­dezvouz, and Head Quarters, was in that Reformed Country of the Good Albigenses, which the Pope had Ana­thematized and Cursed, and where GOD pour'd out His Curse upon the Popish Armies to their Destruction: [Page 92] and whither they were hurried and Congregated for fear else of their Sus­taining the Popes Curse themselves. Now, forasmuch is Armageddon in the Syriack Hebrew signifies Cutting off by a Curse, It may be Inquired, whether Protestant Countries may be Called Armageddon, and whether this Holy War be pointed it by the Battel at Armageddons, in our Context, as well as not Excluding the other Wars a­gainst the Protestants, which have been for a long time Waged since? But Pareus tells us of some that write Ar­mageddon with such Hebrew Letters as signifie the Mountain of the Gospel. Whether the Great Day or GOD Al­mighty can be thought to be [...]ng a Day? Or, Whether the [...] Plagues Poured out on the Antichristian Party under former Vials, to Cleave to 'em, and continue to Work, is Poison, in their Bowels, even while the other Vi­als are Pouring out upon 'em? Whe­ther Visions, and Prophesies that Di­vide Times, and Events by Periods, do Divide 'em in such a Manner, that one Period should begin where another Ends or rather on the contrary (to [Page 93] Use Mr Jarieus, and Mr. Beverley's Words,) Whether they are not al­ways Jointed and Inlaid one within a­nother? (As the Roman Monarchy, Although it was of above 400 Years standing, & had Conquer'd Her Neigh­bours, when Alexander founded the Grecian Monarchy, and lasted all the Time of the Grecian Monarchy, and kept Her Grandeur intire, is in Pro­phesie yet Reckoned the 4th Monarchy, being Placed after the Grecian; Its Grandeur greatly increasing, a long time after the fall of the Grecian:) and whether some Storms were not a Gathering under some former Vials, the Clouds dispensing small Showers, tho' they Came not down with an O­verwhelming Violence, 'till the latter Vials were poured out? Also whether some of the Plagues poured out on Antichrist did not Effect two things at once, viz. Both to make Him a Great­er Plague to the World, by the exces­sive advancement of His Power and Wickedness, than He had been before; and also (by making the Nations Wea­ry of such an Intolerable Burden, and by opening their Eyes to behold His [Page 94] Villanies and Impostures,) to Prepare and Dispose 'em to Cast Him off?

The God of Heaven has sufficient Reasons of State for Permitting, and so Ordering and Over-ruling of things, that the full Meaning of some Prophe­sies shall not be fully understood, by the Generality of Men in the World, and in His Church, until after their Accomplishment, yea until a long time after.

It's Lawful and a Duty with Humi­lity, Reverence, and Modesty to Com­pare GOD's Works with His Word.

The Diversity of Conjecture about the Meaning of some of the abstruse Hiero­glyphicks of Heaven, (Relating to the Destinies of Nations,) in the Writings of our Worthies, shews 'em still to be Men, and that as yet they know but in Part.

The Reformation that was made in Luther's and Calvin's Time, when ma­ny Provinces and Kingdoms fell off from Mystical Babylon, (which Mr. Mede supposed to fall under the Se­cond Vial,) Mr. Jurieu ascribes to the Seventh, and 'tis His Persuasion that now is the 7th Seal, 6th Trumpet, and [Page 95] 7th Vial; and that when the Profes­sors of the Western Empire Came to be THREE Parties, viz. Papists, Lu­therans, and Calvinists, there was an Accomplishment of the Vision or Pro­phesy in our Context) of the Great Cities being Divided into Three Parts; & that the Last CUP of Fierce Wrath, and the Mighty HAIL STONES, and the falling away of the rest of the Na­tions from Antichrist, are now a Pre­paring for that Execrable Monster, the Roman-Catholick Church and Papacy; and that the Vintage and the Third Woe are at hand.

But which soever it be of the Vi­als, (The Glasses of TIME & JUDG­MENT,) that is now a Running out, the WATCH-WORD Given in the Prophecy of the Sixth Vial, is not Un­seasonable for Us at this Time to Con­sider and Improve.

And in the TEXT we may Consi­der, The Day, the Danger, the Duty, and the Benefit.

1. The DAY Praedicted; a Day of Surprizing, Amazing and Jealous Visi­tation. "Behold! I come as a Thief.

[Page 96]2. The DANGER. "Lest He Walk "Naked, and tney See His Shame.

3. The DUTY. "To Watch and "Keep His Garments.

4. The BENEFIT of Doing the Du­ty, viz. Blessedness. "Blessed is He.

"Behold! I Come as a Thief:] The LORD Comes in the Chariot of Ter­rible Providences to Try His People, as well as to Ruine His Enemies: and He comes as a Thief, suddenly, surpriz­ingly, Terribly, Irresistibly, In the Dark Night, and at an Hour, when Men think not, and expect Him not. 1 Thes. 5.2. Luk. 12.39. Rev. 3.3. I will Come on Thee, as a Thief; and Thou shalt not Know, what Hour I will Come upon Thee. The LORD has Times of Sore Temp­tations and Sharp Trials for His Own Dear People, and has a Watchful and Jealous Eye over 'em in Such Times.

"Blessed is He, &c.] He shall Escape the Curse that falls upon Antichrist, and the Ʋnhappinesses that befal Ʋn­watchful Christians; The Pope's Cause­less Curse against Him shall not be Rati­fy'd in Heaven: He shall Enjoy the Complacential Presence of God, and His Guiding, Sanctifying, Upholding, [Page 97] and Comforting Influences; He shall be Blessed with Peace of Conscience, and with abundance of Grace and Use­fulness, and Exemplary Fruitfulness. Life and Death, and all things shall work together for His Good.

"He that Watcheth,] He is the Blessed Person; Not the Sluggard, that saith, Yet a little Sleep, a little Slum­ber, a little folding of the Hands to Sleep, and that is Lazy and Drowzy, and Sottish, and Fearless, and Blind, & Fool-hardy, or that is Careless, & hath an Indifferency of Spirit, and is Re­gardless of GOD, thoughtless of Dan­ger, and Heedless of His Ways; Such a Man is not the most Happy Man, but is in a Miserable Frame, and Case, and Danger: But the Man that is singular­ly Blessed (with Divine Liberty, In­tegrity, Purity, Activity, Utility, Fa­vour, Peace, Safety, and Joy) is the Watchful Christian, the man that (like Solomon's Wise man) has His Eyes in His Head; and keeps them open too, and Endeavours as much as He can, (in a Spiritual Sence) to Imitate the Keeper of Israel, who never Slumbers, nor Sleeps. His Soul being subordi­nately [Page 98] Committed to His own Watch­ing and Keeping, He Endeavours to discharge the Part of a Faithful Stew­ard, Watchman, Observer and Over­seer. He is Wise and Wary, Prudent and Circumspect, Suspicious of the Ser­pent in the Way, and of the Adder in the Path; Diffident and Jealous of His Heart, with a Godly Jealousy; it ha­ving much Darkness, and Corruption yet remaining in it; and Afraid of touching too hard the Pitch of Out­ward Objects, lest He be Defiled.

He makes it His Care and Business, like a Good Sentinel, to Look to His Charge, to Listen to all inward and outward Motions, to Descry Dangers at a Distance, to Spy and Examine Co­mers and Goers, to Discover and Sup­press, & Extinguish Unhallowed Flames, at their first breaking out, to keep off Subtil and Importunate Intruders, and to Call up his Affections timously unto Duty. Barrenness and Inactivity of THOUGHT (which be the Bane of many Christians) are far from Him. He makes Conscience of it, every day, to keep THINKING of the Greatness. Holiness, Jealousy, and Nearness of [Page 99] GOD, and of His most awful Severity against Loose and Careless Professors, as well as of His Tender Mercy to such as are Serious, Circumspect and Dili­gent; and THINKING, Oh! I have a Great and a Chief End, viz. to Glori­fy and Please GOD, and to Live in His Peace and Favour, and Communi­on, thro' the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and to Promote His Saving Kingdom daily; And saying, O my Soul, then Suffer not thy self in this, or other Case, or Business, to be chiefly Sway'd and Go­vern'd by any Inferiour Ends. Is He in Company, What is His THOUGHT? Lo! Here's an Opportunity Thinks He; How shall I Improve it? What would GOD have me to do now? LORD! Teach and Help me! LORD! Let not the Guilt of the Ʋnprofitable and Barren Fig-Tree come upon me: Now, my Soul! Be for some Good Word, some Good Work. Again, Here's Company, but with all, here's Indwelling Sin in Thee and Them, ready like Fire, to break out, and an Evil Angel is near, to tempt; Oh! Let not Eye, Ear, Taste or Touch deceive Thee; Let not the Pretence of Law­ful Liberty deceive Thee; 'Tis no Easy [Page 100] thing to avoid Transgression; Look to Thy Self; Thou art near the Brink; Take Heed; Tread Soft and Warily; Danger is Near. Is Good Started? follow the Chase; Is Peace? Pursue it, Promote it, Recover it. Guard Thee against ta­king of Evil Contagion from Others, and let not a Misbeseeming Word fly out of thy Mouth, to Infect Others. Be not, O my Soul! like the Simple, who Pass on (forgetfully, thoughtlesly, carelesly, at all adventures, with a stupid Presumpti­on,) and are Punished. The Angels of Heaven are called Watchers, and Holy Ones; and Watchful Believers, in Spirit, in Practice and in Blessedness, are not Unlike to the Blessed Angels of GOD.

"Blessed is He that Watcheth, and Keepeth His Garments.] GARMENTS are Purchased, Made, and Provided for Him, and Bestow'd upon Him; They are HIS Garments; and HE has the Wearing of 'em, and the Benefit of 'em, and under GOD, the Keeping of 'em also: and 'tis to be Observed, that the Text speaks of Garments in the Plu­ral Number, as if there were more than One of 'em, and they are Called [Page 101] Finc Linnen, Pure and Bright, or Radi­ant, even the Righteousness of Saints, in Rev. 19.8. Now the Saints have a double Righteousness; a Justifying, & a Sanctifying Righteousness. (1.) A Righteousness that is wrought out for them by CHRIST, and Imputed to 'em by GOD the FATHER, for their Jus­tification; & this is most Clean, Pure, Perfect, Spotless, Rendring the Soul (which GOD sees Cloathed with it,) very Glorious in His Eyes: [...]ct (2) A Righteousness that is Wrought in 'em, and is Inherent in them, and is also Exerted, and Practised by 'em, in their Sanctification.

Now the Righteousness of the Saint's Words, Carriage, and Works is Visi­ble, and Bright, and Shining before Men, when as a Believer's being Cloath­ed with CHRIST's Righteousness is not Visible, but Hidden from Men's Eyes; Especially when GOD's Davids happen to be defiled and smutted with Scandals, thro' Which, the Justifying Righteousness that is upon them, shines not forth, until such Time, as They are Recovered from those Scandals, by a very Visible Repentance and Re­formation. [Page 102] Mat. 5.16. Luk. 1.6. 2 Job. 3.7. Thus there is a Righteousness ex­pressed in the Conversations of Believ­ers, that is Bright and Shining, (but not Perfectly Pure, and since We can­not Justify it according to the Law, It's impossible that it should Justify us, and be our Merit and Plea for E­ternal Life;) and there is another [...] the Obedience of the Second Adam, by which many are Made Righteous,) most Pure, and Un­tainted, (and more than Adequate to the Demands of the Law from finite Creatures;) and also is Infinite in Va­lue; (the Person Offering it being In­finite;) in which therefore Believers have Merit and Plea enough.

Mankind by the Fall, are Made Na­ked, and Shameful, and Vulnerable, and Disintitled to the Divine Favour and Fruition, and Disenabled to the Divine Communion, and Service, and to their Active Glorifying of GOD, and Manifesting of His Vertues, and Perfections; Judicially Divested of the Divine Life and Image; and are be­come Children of Wrath, and Heirs of Hell▪ and are under the Power of Spiritual Death, and are Exposed to [Page 103] all Manner of Evils and Miseries: But Believers, their Nakedness of Title Cea­seth, as soon as They are Cloathed with the Robe of CHRISTs Righte­ousness, & their Nakedness of Strength ▪ (Their total Disability) Ceases, when the New Principle of Spiritual Life is Created and Infused; Proportionable unto the Increase, Strength and Acti­vity whereof is the Decrease, Weak­ning and Suppressing of the Old Bad Principle, the Remains and Actings of which were the Saint's Remaining Na­kedness, Rendring them Liable unto Blemishes, Defilement, and Shame, & unto Divine-Fatherly Displeasure, and Punishments; In Reference hereto, some of the Saints, Their Particular Nakedness may in some degree, be Co­vered from (to shamefully) Appearing before GOD and Men; their Growth in Particular Graces, being Manifested by their Words and Actions: Thus their Increased Knowledge, so far as it Reaches, Covers the Nakedness of their Ignorance; and their Increased Faith Covers the Nakedness of their Unbelief, so their Noble Humili­ty Covers the Nakedness of their Shameful Pride, and their Heavenly [Page 104] Zeal Covers, or removes out of Sight, the Nakedness of their base Earthly Lukewarmness; so their Prudence, Justice, Temperance, Fortitude, Faith­fulness, Chastity, Purity, Patience, Charity, Liberality, and other Graces, and Vertues increased, and resplendent, Cover the Nakedness which accrued from their Want of 'em. But as to the Vindictive Eyes and Views of GOD; It is only CHRIST's Righte­ousness that can Cover all the Saints Nakedness there-from.

Now the Dragons of Hell, and Dra­conick Powers on Earth, and the Beast or Roman-Catholick Church, and the False Prophet, (the Sinful Head of that Earthly Church, and blasphemous Pretender to Infallibility,) have Used all Wicked Arts and Force to Pluck a­way the Saints Garments; Surrogating instead of the Justifying Righteousness of CHRIST, and the true Holiness of Saints▪ that which they call Good Works, viz. Idolatrous Worship, Pray­ers to Angels, and Saints Departed, Penances, Pilgrimages, Crossings, Ob­lations to Temples and Monasteries, Pope's Pardons, and the like fig-leaves, [Page 105] which are utterly insufficient for any to make Garments of, to Cover their Souls Nakedness, and yet Declared by them to be Able to Save Men from Hell, and to be Meritorious of Heaven, and—Imposed on Men, under Penalty of Destruction, by Fire, and Sword, and by the Great Anathema.

WITH their Sophistries, and Signs, and Lying Wonders, and Diabolical Miracles, they would deceive (if it were Possible,) the Elect themselves; but GOD's Decree and Promise have made it Impossible that they should to­tally, finally deceive Them, and utterly Cheat and Strip 'em of their Saving Garments.

YET the Elect themselves must Watch, and Hold their Garments fast about 'em, and rather Lose their Lives than let 'em go.

BLESSED is He that keeps the Righteousness of CHRIST girt about Him by Faith, and His Evidences of His Interest therein, and His Enjoy­ment of the Fruits thereof in Holiness, and the Godly and Vertuous Life.

"Left otherwise He Walk Naked, and They See His Shame.] Christless [Page 106] Carnal Sinners have no Garment to Co­ver their Shameful & Loathsome Guil­tiness and Filthiness; and not being Justify'd by Faith in JESUS CHRIST, (as the LORD Their Righteousness, they have no Peace with GOD, but he Naked and Open to His Wrath and Everlasting Vengeance: and therefore Professors of the true Religion must see to it, that they Get a Saving Inte­rest in CHRIST, by Faith and Rege­neration. Moreover, Regenerate Saints must be Careful to Keep their Garments upon Them: Have they Put on CHRIST (as their Righteousness,) they must not Put Him off; and if they keep not this Garment Close to 'em, they will lose much of the Warmth of it, and much of the Defence of it, and their own Consciences will be Wounded and Ashamed. If they draw the Tattered and Vile Garment of their own Im­perfect Polluted Righteousness, and of their Errors, Vices and Evil Works, over the Garment of CHRIST's Righ­teousness, (so that they shall not be a­ble to see whether they have CHRIST's Righteousness upon 'em or no,) they'l find Themselves Naked of Comfort, [Page 107] and far off from the Joys of the HO­LY GHOST, and Unprepared to offer their Lives for the Truth, (in the Time of Trial) as good Martyrs of CHRIST; And if being Criminally Unwatchful, they should be Left to Deny the Lord, Abjure the Truth, and Apostatize from GOD's Holy Ways for a Time, how Shameful would this be; O! How will it turn to their Disparagement and Reproach among their Enemies; and what Shameful Pu­nishments will they Procure thereby to themselves; and How will they Take Shame to themselves, when GOD shall give 'em Repentance, and Reco­very. If they don't Watch, and keep Close to CHRIST, and keep on their Garment of Holiness, (tho' they have made a Glorious Profession, and Done Great Service for Many Years;) They will be in danger of Dishonouring of CHRIST more in One Hour, than they have Glorify'd Him before, in Ma­ny Years: and by present Wickedness will they make all their former Righ­teousnesses to be Forgotten, or at least Reputed by Men to be the Shameful Brats, altogether and only of most [Page 108] Loathsome Hypocrisy; Nor will the LORD's Remembrance of their For­mer Righteousnesses, prevent His pro­ceeding to manifest His Fatherly An­ger against them, by Terrible Severi­ties upon them; so Naked will they find themselves to be, and so will Men see their Shame.

From the Text thus Opened, The DOCTRINE is this; Viz.

That One Means, and Sign, and Part of a Christian's Blessedness, is His Chris­tian and Spiritual Watchfulness; which is very necessary unto His Keeping of His Spiritual Garments; the Loss whereof would Shamefully and Dreadfully Expose Him, Especially, whenever there shall Come a Day of Terrible Visitation from the LORD.

Thro' Ʋnwatchfulness Our First Pa­rents Lost their Garments of Innocen­cy, and the Divine Image, and became Naked, and so Lost their Blessedness also, and became Miserable; and We in Them, became Guilty and Misera­ble also. And Man had no Hopes, and no News of any possibility of [Page 109] His Recovery of Blessedness, 'till from the Mouth of GOD He had the Hea­venly Tidings of That, and of the Seed of the Woman, (the LORD JESUS, the Worker of our Justifying Righte­ousness,) both together.

As in the Day of Antichrist's Exal­tation, ALL men should not be left to Shut themselves out utterly from ha­ving a Part in that Glorious Promised Seed and His Righteousness, (for SOME had their Names Written in His book [...]: and such others on­ly Worship [...] Antichrist, (utterly Revolting from CHRIST,) whose Names were not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb, Slain from the Foundation of the World; Rev. 13.8.) So ALL should not be utterly Misera­ble, either in that Day of the Reign of the Man of Sin, or in the Days of Antichrist's Execution: For our Text Contains and Exhibits a Prophesy, that some shall be Happy and Blessed; and describes and declares, Who shall be so. In the Worst of Times, the LORD▪ Has His 7000 in Apostate Israel, and His 144 thousand in Armageddon, which some translate the Mount of the [Page 110] Gospel, and which also is the Place of Antichrist's Curse. In the Times of the Curse, These are Subjects of the Blessing: In the Midst of the Great Carnage made by Popery, These are Spiritually Alive, and Awake, and Sleep not (the Sleep of Death) as do others; for they Watch; and none but Living Persons are Capable of Watch­ing: and These are not Naked, but have Garments upon them, and they make it their Business to keep 'em.

We see their Duty, [...] Commendati­on: And that which they Discharged so Well, is Charged as a Duty, upon Us, and others also. Search the Scrip­tures, and you will find it so: Read Luk. 21.34,—36. Take heed to your selves, Lest at any Time, your Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting, and Drunkenness, and Cares of this Life; and so That Day come upon you una­wares; For as a Snare shall it Come on all Them that dwell on the face of the whole Earth; Watch ye therefore, &c. Mark 13.35,—37. Watch ye therefore; (for ye know not when the Master of the House Cometh, at Even, or at Midnight, or at the Cock-crowing, or [Page 111] in the Morning;) lest Coming sud­denly, He find you sleeping: And what I say unto you, I say unto ALL; Watch. 1 Cor. 16.13. Watch ye; Stand fast in the Faith; Quit you like men; Be strong. 1 Thes. 5 5, 7.—We are not of the Night, nor of Darkness; there­fore let us not Sleep, as do Others; But let us Watch and be Sober. 1 Cor. 10.11, 12. These things hapned to them for Ensamples; and were writ­ten for our Admonition,—Wherefore let Him who Thinketh He Standeth, TAKE HEED Left He Fall. 2 Joh. v. 8. Look to your selves, that we lose not those things which we have Wrought (or Gained) 2 Pet. 3.17. Beware lest ye also, being led away, with the Er­ror of the Wicked, Fall from your own Stedfastness. Heb. 3.12, 13. Take Heed, Brethren! lest there be in any of you an Evil Heart of Unbelief, in Departing from the Living GOD, &c. lest any of you be Hardned, thro' the Deceitfulness of Sin. Rev. 3.2,—4. Be Watchful, and Strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to Die; —Remember—Hold Fast—Repent; If Thou shalt not Watch, I will Come on [Page 112] Thee, as a Thief;—Thou hast a few Names,—which have not defiled their Garments—. Thus from the Holy O­racles, the Duty of Watchfulness is as Evident, as Indispensable.

'Twill Appear also to be a Means, a Sign, and a Part of a Christian's Bles­sedness, to such as Consider, How 'tis singularly Appropriate to the Saints, and how it Prevents the Crimes, Guilt, and Mischiefs, which it's Contraries (viz. Fearlessness, Heedlessness, Care­lessness, Presumption, Stupidity, Sloth, Drowsiness, Security, Thoughtlessness, Forgetfulness, and the like) do Expose Men unto, and Overwhelm 'em with; And also How it is it Self a Special Part of Obedience to the Divine Com­mand (which is the Way of Life, and in the keeping whereof there is Great Reward;) and Conduces to the keep­ing of a Good Conscience, and to the Gaining of sweet Peace of Conscience, which belongs to Blessedness; and is also a Defence and Preservator to eve­ry Grace, and Keeps our Graces in Ex­ercise, and is also essentially necessary, and powerfully Inservient to the main­taining of the Life and Power of Godli­ness, [Page 113] and necessary for our Living un­to GOD daily in the World in an E­ven, Constant, and Zealous Course of Devotion and Universal Obedience; (O blessed Watchfulness!) and Quick­ens us to a speedy Recovery by Repen­tance, when fallen into Sin; and to a Right Demeanour under, and Improve­ment of Prosperity and Adversity; and to a Wise and Profitable Redemption of Time, and Opportunities; and more­over Greatly furthers the Saints in their Warfare against their Enemies, Sin, Satan and the World▪ and arms 'em against Surprizes; and speeds 'em in Running their Christian Race, and is very helpful for their Freedom and Frequency of Communion with GOD, in Heavenly Meditation, Faith, Love, Prayer, Thanksgiving, &c. and Gives 'em a good Life towards their Discove­ry and Assurance of the Good Estate, & Promotes their abundant Ʋsefulness, by their Shining Examples, and Ʋnwearied Activity, for the Good of Men, and for the Advancement of the Saving Kingdom of GOD, and our LORD JESUS CHRIST in this World. Oh! How many Ingredients of a Saints pre­sent [Page 114] Spiritual Blessedness are here! (all of them Conducing to His Eter­nal Blessedness; (and yet (Under CHRIST, and His SPIRITS Care and Influences,) The Christian's Powerful Watchfulness, is (within Himself) the Mother that helps to Produce, & Con­tinually to Keep 'em alive, the Eye that Looks to 'em, the Hand that Quickens 'em and Stirs 'em up, the Inward faithful Steward that Oversees 'em, guards 'em, and Cultivates 'em.

When GOD is graciously pleas'd to Give a man a Wakeful, Awful, Vigilant and Sagacious Mind, and to keep it up in its Watchful Activity, What Past-Crimes can escape Unobserved and Un­repented? How will His Inward Aim and Thoughts be Call'd to Account, and kept under due Regulation! How will Earthly and Infernal Snares be Espyed and Avoided, and the Saint be freed from Scandalous Enmities, Reduced from Wandrings, and Advanc'd on the Wing for Heaven! Blessed then is the Man whom the LORD when He Comes, shall find thus Watching.

BUT, on the Contrary, the Men (tho' Regenerate) are not So Blessed, who Sleep when they should Watch, [Page 115] and so (tho' not totally and universal­ly, yet) so far Lose their Spiritual Garments, and the Ʋse of 'em, as to be Shamefully and Dreadfully Exposed, & Naked, by their Want of 'em: Foras­much as they will be most unhappily EXPOSED; (I.) To the Corrupt Principle that remains yet within 'em, which will have a mighty Advantage from their Unwatchfulness, to betray 'em into the Hands of Blind Leaders, and Shameful Errors, and to make a Woful Slaughter upon their Morals, & to act dismal Tragedies upon their Consciences and Conversations. Luk. 24.34,—36. Jam. 1.14. Eph. 4.18 Jer. 17.9. Prov. 4.23. (II.) To their Ad­versary the Devil, to His [Mille No­cendi Artes] Wily Suggestions, Craf­ty Insinuations, Cruel Accusations, Mo­lestations, Executions. (1 Pet. 5.8, 9.) Therefore Men should Watch, because of their Adversary the Devil. Mat. 26.41. (III.) To the World, to be shame­fully intangled in it's Snares, Bewitch­ed with its Enchanting Objects, Defiled by it's Examples, and Inflam'd unto Rebellion against GOD by it's Incen­diaries, and into Idolatry by the Le­gends [Page 116] of the false Miracles of Popish I­dolaters. Thus the Ʋnwatchful, (tho' Righteous, is yet naked of their Gar­ments and Strength) will be found Falling before the Wicked, (who will both Insult and Scorn 'em, and be hurt and hardned thereby, Prov 25.26. 2 Sam. 12.14. Jer. 50.7.) and so Shame will be brought upon all their Glory. (IV.) To the Church; To Her Just and Terrible Censures will they be Ex­posed, for their most Sinful Ʋnwatch­fulness, and Loss of their Spiritual Gar­ment of Holiness. 2 Thes. 3.6. 1 Tim 1.29. 1 Cor. 5.4, 15. (V.) To their own Consciences. For though their Sleepy Consciences do not watch and observe their Hearts and Ways, so as to Call them up to Duty, and Call 'em off from Sin, and Put by the Arrows of Temptation that Indanger 'em, and the Enemies that would rob 'em of their Garments; and to Call in seasonable Help for 'em from Heaven, as their Monitors and Guardians; yet they do Watch and Observe them so far as to Discern their Negligences and Iniqui­ties, and to become (when they are thorowly Awakened) Witnesses against [Page 117] 'em, and will Accuse, and Condemn 'em, Shame, and Sting 'em intolera­bly for 'em. Gen. 42.21. Jonah 1.12. (VI.) To their GOD & SAVIOƲR: To His Jealous and Heart-Searching Eye, and Punishing Hand. He'l Cha­stize 'em on Earth (and Perhaps with Scorpions,) for their Neglect of their Watch, and for their not keeping their Garmens, and for their Disco­vering their Shame, tho' He may Preserve 'em from Hell. GOD Com­manded Israel to Watch, and Beware, and Take Heed, and not forget, Deut. 49.23. & 6.12. & 8.11, 14, 19. and threatned them for their former For­getfulness, (that Exposed them to I­dolatry) See Exod. 32.34.—Mine An­gel shall Go before Thee; Yet in the Day when I Visit, I will Visit their Sin upon 'em. So Rev. 2.5, 16. and 3.2, 3.

THE USE is of EXHORTATION unto Evangelical Watchfulness; which is a Choice Duty Press'd upon us by our Best Friend, and on the Strong Motive of Blessedness, and under the Pain and Penalty of Woful Loss and Shame.

THE Blessing is Sure, because Pro­nounced [Page 118] by CHRIST's own Mouth, and the Penalty Certain, for HE has Declared it.

Not any Time is allow'd to Securi­ty, or to that which Breeds it, (viz. the Opiate of Sensuality and World­liness; (Luk. 21.34. Take Heed lest at any Time, &c. Happy is the Man that fears always; Prov. 28.14. and so Watches; and who keeps in the fear of the LORD all the day long; Prov. 23.17.

YET let no man Idolize His own Endeavours, or Trust in His own Watchfulness; Except the LORD Keep the City, the Watchman Wakes in vain; Psal. 127.1. So Except the LORD vouchsafe to Watch, and keep Thee, thy Vigilant-Soul Watches over Thee in Vain. CHRIST is not En­gaged in Honour to Keep such a Man as designs (Setting CHRIST aside) to be His own Supream Keeper.

KNOW that if you Watch well, 'tis CHRIST that Works in you to Will and to Do so; and if you have Benefit by your Watching, it is all from the Bounty and Blessing of CHRIST.

Yet Watch You must, though in [Page 119] CHRIST's Arms, and not upon your own Legs. Nor may you Expect that CHRIST JESUS will Graciously Watch over you, if you don't Watch over your selves.

I. First then, WATCH over your HEARTS, and Watch against their Nakedness; I say, Watch and Keep your Heart with all Diligence. Prov. 4.23. Keep it, that it suffer no Im­pairment in its Gracious Qualities, By Departing from the Living God, and Hearkening to the Deceitfulness of Sin. Heb. 3.12.

The Work of Watching and Keep­ing the Heart from Sin, and with GOD, is a Busier Work than any other in the World; and it is the Greatest Bu­siness We have to Do in the World; and it is the Least Attended and Done of any Business in the World, by the most of Men, Yea even by the most of Christians; (We may speak it with Grief and Shame;) and this is a Main Cause, why there is so little Difference between Many Christians, and the Men of the World.

There are Remainders of Corruptions in the most Sanctified Heart on Earth, [Page 120] which must be narrowly Watched and Kept under.

The Heart is Slippery, Treacherous, Deceitful above all things, and Despe­rate Wickedness is in it, while the Sin­ning Principle is in it; against which the New-Creature, (the Heavenly Principle,) must Watch.

Our Thoughts and Affections must be kept under Constant View and Obser­vation by Us: Let us then most Con­scienciously Inspect 'em; and let us Call 'em up, If they be Dull and Backward, unto Good; and Call 'em in, and Re­claim 'em, If they be Wandring unto Evil. Let us Watch and Examine what are our Aims, Ends and Designs; as also What our Thoughts are most upon; and What Frames our Hearts are in daily, both when we are Worshipping of GOD in CHRIST JESUS, and when we are about Secular Business; When we are in Company, and when we are alone; When we are in Affliction, and under Temptation, and Meet with Af­fronts, and Injuries, and When We are in more Comfortable Circumstances: and let us Cry to GOD for 'em; and make Haste to Apply Suitable Remedies [Page 121] to 'em, if We discover any Disorders in them.

CHRISTIANS! We should Watch unto the Mortification of Inordinate Self-Esteem, and Self-Love, and Self-Dependance, and Trust and Delight in Carnal and Worldly Objects, (both Persons and Things;) and we should Watch against Sloth, Weariness of Duty, Impatience, Faintings, and Discourage­ments of Spirit under the Cross; and we should Watch unto an Inward Rest in the LORD, a Living Trust in CHRIST JESUS, and in the Sufficiency of His Sacrifice and Righteousness for us, and in the Promise of Peace we shall have with GOD thro' JESUS CHRIST our LORD; and we should beware of Drawing Back from the LORD; Heb. 10.38. And we should Watch to Fur­nish, Provide, and Imploy our Thoughts, Wills, Affections and Consciences and Memories well; and to Make and Keep 'em Ready for the LORD, Rev. 19.7, 20. (Looking for, and Hastning to the Day of God;) that they may be in such Plight as CHRIST Looks for, in a Day of Visitation, and as we may then Rejoyce, that He should find our Souls in it.

[Page 122]O! How can We possibly Live the Heavenly Life, without thus Watching and Well-Ordering of Our Thoughts, Aims and Affections, and Keeping Our Minds in Frame? Since in our Lo­ving of GOD above all with All our Hearts, and in our Constant most Aw­ful Fear of Him, and in our Depen­dance on Our Glorious Head, and Sa­viour, and Communion with GOD thorow Him, the Life and Power of Godliness do Consist, which can never be Upheld without a daily Watching to Keep our Hearts with GOD.

II. Watch over Your WORDS, and Watch against their Nakedness. Da­vid could say, Lord! There is not a Word in My Tongue, but Thou knowest it altogether, Psal. 134.4. If there be any evil in the World, something of it may be found in Words spoken by the Tongue; and How often do they break all the Commandments! The Tongue is an Ʋniversity of Evil; Jam. 3.6. That, and the Pen are Chief Se­cretaries of State to all Estates of Sin and Sinners. The Tongue is an Instru­ment abused in all Cases. The Devil could not make His Matters do, 'till [Page 123] He abused the Tongue of the Serpent. What Pleads the Vilest Cases, and is a Pimp to all Wickedness, but the Tongue? It is the Dexterous Instru­ment of a Vicious Heart for all man­ner of Evil. It is Atheistical, Blas­phemous, Profane, Idolatrous, Sabbath-Breaking, Abusive to Superiours and Others, Cursing, Provoking, Spiteful, Ve­nemous, Scornful, Reproachful, Murde­rous, Adulterous, Ʋnclean, Slanderous, False, Cheating, Avaricious, Discon­tented, Ʋnbelieving, Impenitent, and Perverse, and 'tis a Lasting Evil; when a Wretch in Old Age is able to do little Else, Yet He can Handle His Tongue, and Hinder abundance of Good, and Insinuate and Propagate a World of Vanity and Villany by it: and No Laws and Humane Pu­nishments can Tame it. Bad Words also are, in some Respect, Worse than Bad Thoughts; for if you compare Bringing forth with Conceiving, you'l say, that to Bring forth is a further degree of Perfection, than at first to Conceive; (so saith Mr. Hooker) Now the Evil which the Heart first Conceives is Brought sorth by the [Page 124] Tongue; and what in the Heart was secret, in the Tongue is Open and Manifest, and what the Mind contri­ved, is in part, Executed by the Tongue; and While the Evil was kept secret and close in the Heart, the Heart and Person were only the Worse for it; But foming out at the Tongue, Many are guiltily Infected and Defiled both in Heart and Man­ners thereby; for Evil Words Corrupt Good Manners; 1 Cor. 15.33. Much fair Speech is forcing unto foul Crimes. Prov. 7.21. Words (and Writings which are the Characters of Words) are Un­happy Incendiaries many times, and like unto a few Coals or Sparks of Fire, that are so Catching and Spread­ing, as to be sufficient to Set whole Towns, Cities, Provinces, and Nati­ons into a Flame; Witness Sheba's and Sacheverell's, and Multitudes of Others; Not to speak of the Words and Bulls (or Writings) of Antichrist: And 'tis most Certain, (How Light soever Men make of Words,) that Evil Words will Damn Men, if not Repen­ted of: He that saith to His Brother, (in rash Anger ("Thou Fool! is in [Page 125] Danger of Hell-Fire. Why, LORD! They are but Words! Ay, but they are Guilty of Atrocious Evil. In the Day of Judgment, CHRIST will Con­vict the Ungodly of, and Condemn 'em for their Hard Speeches; See Jude, ver. 14, & 15. And Of every Idle Word that men shall speak, they shall give an Ac­count in the Day of Judgment, &c. Mat. 12.36. With the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation; Rom. 19.10. But if We Confess not CHRIST before Men, He'l not Confess us before the Father; Mat. 10.32. If We Deny Him, He will Deny Ʋs; 2 Tim. 2.12. It's Certain then, that Words are of Great Conse­quence; And if a Man's Words be Car­nal, Earthly, Vain, Proud, Lewd, Pro­fane, False, Bitter, Wicked, and Ʋnre­formed, His Profession won't bring Him to Heaven, His Prayers, Thanksgiv­ings, Hearings, and other Services then are Insincere, Ʋnsound, and Vain. Jam. 1.16. If a man seem to be Religious, and Bridleth not His Tongue, that man's RELIGION is VAIN. Now if the Tongue be not Set on Fire of Heaven, It will be Set on Fire of Hell; If Grace don't fill and act the Tongue, Sin and [Page 126] Satan will; and the Tongue will Put off and Lose the Garment of Holiness, and Walk Shamefully Naked, If it be not well Watched and Restrained. Let us then suffer our selves to be Persua­ded to follow the Example of the Holy Psalmist, in Psal. 39.1. And let us Watch and Take Heed to our Speech, that we Sin not with our Tongues; Let us Keep our Mouth (as it were) with Bit and Bridle; and let us Pray, (Psal. 141.3. Set a Watch (O LORD) be­fore my Mouth. Let us Watch, that no Corrupt Flames from within Break out scandalously at our Tongues. Let no Words Contrary to Piety, Truth, Seriousness, Modesty, Sobriety, Humi­lity, Equity, Charity, Patience, Chas­tity, and Goodness Come out of our Mouths; and Let us Watch unto Good Discourse that is for the Use of Edify­ing, and Contrive, and Study for it; and when Idle Words, and Vain Talk would Croud out such Good Discourse, Let us Endeavour to Croud in a Remem­brance of the Day of Judgment. And You who Love to Chat Unprofitably with your Companions, (as you Love your Life) and take pleasure in Wast­ing [Page 127] your Precious Hours in Meer Vanity, If not what is Worse, Look to it, for Evil is before you; GOD won't put it up so; but in the Day when He Visits, He'l severely Reck­on with you for it, in this World; and it will cost you Shame, and a Bitter Repentance; and (Besides o­ther Punishments Here,) you may suffer much Loss; and moreover you may Miss of such Great Degrees of Glory in the other World, as other­wise you might have Obtained; and tho' you should be Saved, yet you'l be Saved as by Fire, 1 Cor. 3.15. Ps. 50.21, 22. Rev. 20.12, 13. Mat. 12.37.

III. Watch over your WORKS and LIVES. Inspect and Consider your Ways; Haggai. 1.5, 7. Search and Try your Ways; Lam. 3.40. Re­member your Ways, with Repentance of the Evil of 'em; Ezek. 20.43. Cleanse your Ways by taking Heed to 'em, according to GOD's Word; Psal. 119 9. Think on your Ways, and Turn your feet into GOD's Testi­monies; Psal. 119.59. Take Heed to your Ways, that you Sin not, thro' [Page 128] Carelessness and Unwatchfulness. Psa. 39.1. The Prudent Looks well to His Goings. Watch and See that you have your Conversations without Coveteous­ness, and Oppressive Practices. Heb. 13.5. See that they be Honest; 1 Pet. 2.12. Sober, Just, Godly, Tit. 2.12. Peaceable, Rom. 12.18. Chaste, 1 Pet. 3.2 Temperate, Holy, Innocent, and Blameless, and not Scandalous, not Vi­cious; 2 Pet. 3.11. Psal. 26.26. Watch and take Opportunities to be abundant in Good Works; 1 Cor. 15.58. and be not Weary in Well-Do­ing; Gal. 6.9. Watch Diligently that your Conversation be such as Beco­meth the Gospel; Phil. 1.12. That you Live no Longer in Sin, Working the Works of Darkness; Rom. 1.1. But that you Live to the LORD; Ro. 14.8. and Walk in ALL the Com­mandments, and in ALL the Ordinan­ces of the LORD; Luk. 1.6. If you Neglect but One Ordinance, But One Sacrament, or only Secret Prayer, or any other Institution, You interpreta­tively and practically Deny CHRIST's Ʋniversal Soveraignty, as Lord and Lawgiver, and are dreadfully Guilty: [Page 129] Jam. 2.10. Let such Christians as Carelessly and Contentedly from year to year, Neglect the LORD's Supper, Consider This. The LORD's Royal Edict is, Jer. 7 23. Walk ye in ALL the Wayes that I have Commanded you. Again, Watch to Redeem the Time, and to do Good to all Men, e­ven to your Personal Enemies, (as you have opportunity,) especially to the Houshold of Faith: and Watch to do Good to Posterity; and to Advance the Kingdom of CHRIST; Gal. 6 10. The LORD Calls for your Watchfulness and Circumspection for the Doing of these Things: Eph. 5.15, 16. See that yon Walk Circumspect­ly,—Redeeming the Time.

Rulers, Subjects, Teachers, Hear­ers, Husbands, Wives, Parents, Chil­dren, Masters, Servants, Tutors, Phy­sicians, Trades-men, Labourers, and Others, [Friends, Neighbours,] have a multitude of Relative Duties to Im­ploy their Goodness, incumbent upon them; (and if they be not Good, as to their Relative Capacities, they are not Good Christians; Eph. 5.5.) But [Page 130] if they are not Extraordinarily Watch­ful and Circumspect, Those Duties will be left, undone, or ill done; and Men's Religious Profession will he Scandalized thereby; Yea, the NAME of GOD will suffer also; the Thought whereof must Needs Pierce the Heart of a Child of GOD, and make Him to Look well to His Ways.

Christians! Waken up, I beseech You; For You must not Sleep as do O­thers; 1 Thes. 5.6. You must Watch even in all Things;—and Watch at all Times, in Prosperity and Adversity; and Watch in all Places, when in Company, and when Alone; and in all Cases, and on all Occasions, and a­gainst All Sins and Temptations, and un­to all Duties which the LORD Calls yon unto, 'till the LORD shall COME unto you; Psal. 101.2. and you must be Watchful and Careful to Acknow­ledge the LORD in all your Wayes; Prov. 3.6. and to attend on Him without Distraction. 1 Cor. 7.36.

O Christians! It's a Great Fault, and very Woful, that We Neglect our [Page 131] Watch; and Because of this, We En­ter into Temptation, and are Foiled miserably thereby. Mat. 26.41.

Oh! How Few do make their Own Wakeful,) Awful, and Self-Watching Consciences, Their Constant Compa­nions, as They ought to do! and the most, being Careless of Themselves, do not duly and charitably Watch o­ver One Another; and cannot bear to be Faithfully Watched over by a­ny Others.

How Few Discern and Suppress the Tares, when they first Spring up in their Hearts!

How few take Pains with their Hearts to deliver 'em from their Car­nal Frames!

How Few do duly Watch against Unbelief, and Coolings of Faith and Desires towards JESUS CHRIST! (Heb. 3.12.)

How Few Spy the First Motions of Pride, Idolatrous Self-Dependance; and the first Motions of Idolatrous Love of [Page 132] Creatures and Outward Comforts, and Pleasures; and the First Motions of Undue Jealousies, Harsh Resentments of Injuries, Wrath and Revengeful­ness; to Crush 'em in the Egg, before they break forth, and become Cocka­trices.

How Few So Watch as to keep up their Minds and Hearts in the Contem­plations of the Glories of GOD, and in Communion with Him!

Alas! He that Watches Best, Sleeps sometimes, and Let's fall His Watch. Even the Five Wise Virgins were so Foolish, that they Slumbred and Slept, and let their Lamps go out of Trim. Mat. 25.5. Right Emblems of the Churches, and Christians of our Days. None Watches so Warily, as to be wholly Free from offences: Yet some are More Watchful than Others; and the more Watchful any are, the Few­er and Smaller are their Faults, and Hurts; and such as happen, are the sooner Recovered and Heal'd. We have no Allowance of GOD to Sin, at any time, and we are Commanded to be in GOD's fear Continually all [Page 133] the day; We must therefore Continu­ally Watch.

Object. 1. But this is too Strict!

Answ. I know that the Generality of Christians Count it so, and Many do vigorously Argue against it, and have a Secret Hatred to it; as they have also to some Other Points of Strict Godliness; and they would fain Persuade themselves that GOD don't Require, what They are too Lazy and Sluggish to Perform: But as we have already Proved the Duty, from Infal­lible Texts of Scripture, so Their Ob­jecting against it, and Unwillingnesses to it, Prove that there's too much of Carnality (yet Unmortify'd) in their Hearts. And that They have not De­light enough in Heavenly Things. Nor a due Hatred of Sinful Thoughts, Words, and Actions. Nor a Sufficient Awe of GOD upon their Spirits: But when once they shall come to know the Terrours of the LORD, and to Fear Him exceedingly, and to have a dreadful Abhorrence of all Sin, and a Great Delight in GOD's Com­mandments, [Page 134] and in Communion with the LORD, and shall have had good Experience of the Practice of Watch­fulness, and of the Gains and Sweets of it, all Objections will vanish away, and They'l Repent of their former Carelessness, and would not Live so Unwatchfully, and Ungirtly again, for all the World.

Object. 2. We Cannot Watch; and it's enough to Tire out any Man Li­ving.

Answ. I know You Cannot, in Your own Strength; and this Work is not Tiresome only, but Killing to Corrupt Nature; But you that are True Be­lievers have a New Nature, (a Di­vine Principle, Created in You,) and also a Title to the Daily, invigorating and strengthening Influences of Hea­ven to Friend with; You must then Watch unto Prayer, (Col. 4.2.) Ma­king daily Petitions for fresh and a­bundant Dispensations of these Divine Influences from CHRIST and HIS HO­LY SPIRIT; and in HIS Name, Con­fiding therein, You must Try and Use [Page 135] Your Utmost Endeavour to Watch over your Hearts, Words and Ways, in Obedience to His Holy Commands. This Matter is not to be Despaired of; It belongs to you, and GOD will be with you; Be Strong, and Do it.

As for Those that Complain, It's too much for 'em to be so Strict and Holy as they see some Saints to be, and that to be ever taking heed to themselves and watching of their Hearts and Ways is Unattainable; thereupon Contenting themselves to live at a loose End; They Speak and Act as Becomes not Christians, to whom the Evangelical Command is Possible, and who can (in a degree) do all Things thro' CHRIST strengthen­ing them. Phil. 4.13.

You perhaps have long been Accos­tomed not to Watch; But One Custome may be Remov'd and Taken away (tho it be a Second Nature) By the Bringing in of Another Custome; and Acts often Multiply'd, make a Cus­tome. Suidas Relates concerning the Watchful Marcellus, that by long Use [Page 136] and Custome, He had brought Himself to that Pass, as to live without Sleep, or at least, with so Little, as could hardly be Observed by any Others. Would Christians but a while Inure themselves to the Practice and Exercise of Watchfulness, they would find it Ea­sy and Pleasant, & that they could not bear to Live without it. As Colon the Famous Diver, (mentioned by Pontanus) who by the Long Practice of Swimming, could not bear to Live out of the Wa­ter; and the Siculan-Diver, if He was long upon the Land, He was so Griped, as to be forced to go into the Water a­gain, and that Other Person, whom the Fishermen used (in an huge Vessel of Water) to Carry about for a Show. So Julius Viator, who (as Sennartus Re­lates) to Save His Life in a Dropsy, by little and little, used Himself to abstain from Drinking, and Held His New Cus­tome even unto Old Age, Living to be an Old Man without Drink. Ʋse makes Perfectness in any Art, Calling or Mys­tery; and Contributes greatly to the Dexterity, Facility and Delight of Acti­on. Present Difficulty then should not affright us from Engaging in what is [Page 137] Good and Necessary, but Next to Supernatural Helps, (which we ought to Look and Seek to Heaven for, and Depend upon,) we should betake our selves to the Power of Use and Custome, (to Use Polybius's Phrase,) By which (saith He) all that is Good and Laudable is Possible to Man. Then Try the Experiment (as to this Duty of Spiritual Watchful­ness) as other Saints have done be­fore you; and This Way of Wisdom, which now seems Intoterable and most Grievous, You'l find it a Way of Pleasantness, as well as a Path of Peace; Prov. 3.17. This Yoke shall be Easy to You, and this Burden Light. Mat. 11.29.

'Tis then, greatly to be Lamented, that Men Who are Professors of the Gospell, should make so little Use of this so Gracious, so Sweet, and so Necessary an Help in the Godly Life, that is so much and often, and upon so many Clear Texts of Holy Scrip­ture, preached and recommended to them, and Urged upon them. We are dreadfully and Judicially Hard­ned, [Page 138] If neither Commands, Promises, nor Threatnings can Move us, Nor Executions neither, nor the Concerns and Interests of the Divine Glory, Not yet the Sense of our own Dan­ger and Necessity.

It has been the Practice of the Best Saints to Watch over their Hearts, Words and Ways. Job 3.26. Psal. 39. [...]. & 123.2. And if they have fallen into Iniquity, it has been when they have given Way to Security: And the Best have offended, when they have not been Watchful. Holy Eve in the State of Innocency, needed to Watch diligently; much more We then who are far from Innocency, and have Corrupt Lusts and Affections within Us. She (Ʋnwatchful as She was, Sa­tans Word Stupfying of Her) took the deadly Infection, and was the first (of all Mankind,) in the Trans­gression; and Her Holy Husband (being Ʋnwatchful) took from Her the Contagion, and transmitted it (together with an Intailment of Pol­lution and Destruction) to Vast Mil­lions of His Posterity. David was a [Page 139] Wise Man, a Man after GOD's own Heart, and One whom We may sup­pose to have Meditated in the Law of God as much as any One Living, and had as Awful a Fear of the Dei­ty in his Sanctified Soul as Any, yet once and again, is Wise as He was, when it happened that He had that Piece of His Armour (viz. Strict Watchfulness) a little loose, and not well girt about Him, the Devil catch'd Him with His Bait and Hook, and Fired Him into those Gross Sins, for which He and His Royal Family, and Realm, Smarted, a long time after. Godly Peter also was led into Temp­tation, and into Gross Abjuration of His Knowledge of the LORD JESUS, for Want of Faithfulness.

Tho' their seeing the Salvations of GOD, in Calamitous Times of Visi­tation, depend upon it, Yet Christi­ans neither do nor can Order their Conversations aright, for Want of Watchfulness, and so they Pass on and are Punished. How Hot, Hasty, Furious, Proud, Revengeful, and Foul-Mouth'd are some! Not fit to be lived [Page 140] with; How Worldly, Selfish, Crafty, Over-reaching, Fraudulent, Injurious are Others! So that it is Unsafe to have Dealings with 'em; What an Easy Prey to the Tempter are Many! How dull, weary, and wanting in Duty are many! How Un­profitable! How Unreformed! How often Relapsing, and Returning to Folly! How BOLD are they when Occasions of Sinning are Presented! How Perfidious in Breaking their Vows to GOD! and all thro' Want of Watch­fulness. How Little do the Means of Grace Profit 'em! How long e're a Lust is Subdued! How backward Do They Grow in Grace! How Barren of Good Works! and all for Want of Watchfulness! How wofully doth a Creature Comfort Inchant 'em! How doth a small Cross Distract 'em! and How doth Death's Alarm Terrify 'em! and How do the Consolations of GOD seem small to 'em, for WANT of Watchfulness! A Fatal Want indeed, and enough to Undo a Man, and Spoil His Trade for Heaven! On the o­ther Hand, the Blessing is on the Head of Watchful Christians.

[Page 141]Watchful Christians, are Humble, and broken-Hearted for Sin, and Pray­erful, and Holy, and Heavenly-Min­ded, and Joyful, and Exemplary, and very Fruitful Christians. Watchful­ness is a Means to Prevent their Falls, to Suppress their Lusts, to Promote their Peace, and Put the Adversary to Flight, to make their Tongues a Tree of Life, and to Render their Actions defensible a­gainst their Accusers. Watchfulness is a Nurse to the New Creature, Paves the Way to the Best Evi­dences, and Richest Experiences, and furthers their Holy Boldness at the Throne of Grace, and their At­tainment of the Refreshing Shines of the Light of GOD's Counte­nance. All Other Gifts are Beauti­fyed by this of Watchfulness; and GOD is Honour'd; Christianity is most advantageously Recommended to the Observing World; Religion is Made a Delight; the Saints are put into a Glorious Transfiguration; Believers live at an High Rate; and the Blessed GOD delights in their Persons and Services; And what [Page 142] High Degrees of Glory shall Crown the Heads of the most Watchful Christians, We shall Know to our Joy (if We be Such) When We Come to Heaven.

Now the Good LORD Bless these Words to Us, and Quicken us to Watch, and to Keep our Garments, that We may be Blessed at His COMING. Amen.

Tibi DOMINE! et a Te.