the faints, who make use of satan's enmity, and our corruptions, to do us good withal. And thus it reproves thofe who think it an eafy matter, (á thing of nothing) to be a christian. 2. It reproves fuch who compare poor, tempted, afflicted ones. 1. Under their temptations, tho' not overcome. 2. When fallen; and ho how rafh, uncha:itable, and unchriftian-like are they? 3. It is an occafion of rebuke to those who think it ftrange, that either themselves, or others fhould be tempted.

Concerning the duty of watching, it im plies a continual walking, like the spoule, Cant. v. 2. Peter exhorts under a metaphorical expreffion, 1 Pet. xii. Gird up your loins, i. e. be ready; it is taken from the Jews long garments, which they used to gird up about them, that they might fun with lefs interruption.

How we may do to watch; I fhall but name the particulars. 1. Let the heart be coutinually fixed upon God. Oh, how will this cool our affections to the world, and kindle the fire of love to him! 2. Let the eye be much upon felf: this will keep us low in fpirits; And bleffed is the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, Mat. v. 3. 3. Be well refolved in fpirit, and be fure thy foundation be Chrift: let there be no fin unrepented of, that will caufe forrow: harbour no enemy, nor luft in the

foul;

foul; neither trust thine own heart, but regulate it by the word of God; for it is deceitful, Jer. xvii. 9. 4. Examine diligently, What have I done? What do I now? What am I about to do? And if there be any thing out of order, tarry not, but repair it fuddenly: Lay fin upon Chrift, and then mourn over it. 6. Let nothing be fuggefted, and prefently entertained but first brought to trial: See if it be the will of God; if it be not for his glory, it is not his will, &c. Thus have I fhewed you the duty of watching; now concerning prayer.

Prayer is the outward enlargement of the foul's inward breathing; it is a work of God's fpirit, and fo flows out of the heart of man, Zech. xii. 10. We must pray in the holy fpirit, be directed by it, Jude xx. Rom. viii. 26. In the name and meditation of Christ, i. e. relying upon the merits of his, not our own righteoufnefs, xiv. 13. 3. With faith, believingly, that God will give us what is good for us, James i. 6, 7. 4. With humility and acknowledgment of our own unworthiness, Pfal. x. 17. 5. With an heart willing to be cleanfed by the blood of Chrift, James iv. 6. Do not give over, but wrestle with God for a bleffing with unwearied conftancy, Luke, xviii. 1, to 9.

Now I come to the proof of this point: That the only way to avoid the evil temptation, is to watch and pray. This is clearly ftat

D d

ed

ed in the text, so that it scarce needs more confirmation; only take that of Paul, when buffeted by temptation: For this, (saith he) I befought the Lord thrice, 2 Cor. xii. 8. Prayer conduceth to the anticipating the affaults of fatan, and fruftrating temptation: For it is God's promife, Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou fhalt glorify me, Pfal. 1. 15. It is a great comfort under temptation, to have a God to go to, especially one that is able and willing to help.

This may inftruct us, that there is great need of watching. It is certainly an univerfal duty for all faints, at whatever time: So faith Chrift our Saviour, What I Say unto you, I fay unto all watch, Mark xiii. 27. The great end of this duty, is the coming of the Lord Jefus, Watch, (faith Chrift) for you know not what hour your Lord doth come, Mat. xxiv. 42, 44. Let us feriously weigh how great an offence, and what a difhonour to God, our unworthinefs is; and this will engage us to watch. 2. Let us confider whom we gratify and advantage by our neglect; no lefs than fatan, the enemy of our fouls: And fhall we pleasure our grand adverfary? Oh no! then let us watch, and pray: So did David, At evening, morning, and at noon, Pfal. Iv. 17.

Confider what hath been faid, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. SERMON

SERMON

XIII.

Chrift's Voice to London:

And the Great Day of God's Wrath,

Being the fubflance of two Sermons, Preached in that City, in the year 1665, when that dreadful contagion the Plague proved Jo fatal there.

Behold, Iftand at the door and knock: If any man hear my vice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will fup with him, and he with me.

TH

HE Lord Jefus is the life, and the way to it, 1 Cor. ii. Cor. ii. 7. To know him favingly, believingly and experimentally, is life eternal, John xvii. 3. I am the way, (faith Chrift) John xiv. 6. The new and living way, Heb. x. 20. The ftrait and

narrow way, Mat. vii. 14. And because poor finners are by nature the children of wrath, and all gone out of the way, having their understanding darkened, being

alienated

alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts, (Eph. iv. 18.) are become wretched, miferable, poor, blind and naked, like to the Lacdiceans, fpoken of in this chapter, v. 27.

Therefore the Lord Jefus, who is full of love and pity, to poor loft finners, doth gracioufly invite them to come to him, that he may enrich them with his gold, cloath them with his white raiment, and anoist their eyes with his eye-falve, that they may fee, v. 18. And further to fhew his willingnefs and readinefs to fave fouls, he tells us in the text, That he flands at the door, and knocks, that if any man hear his voice, and opens the door, he will come in to him, and will fup with him, and he with me.

In thefe words you have three general parts (1.) God's gracious offer to man, Behold, Iftand at the door and knock. (2., Man's duty in relation to God's gracious offer, If any man hear my voice, and open the door. (3.) God's gracious promife in relation to man's duty, I will come in to him, and up with him, and he with me.

The words being thus opened, there flows from them thefe four points of doctrine.

1. That there is a marvellous willingness in the heart of God and Chrift, to fave poor finners.

2. That