4. By wandering and letting loose the eye the heart is distracted in duty. Distraction in duty is a great and usual evil, and one cause of it is the curiosity of the senses. How often do we mingle sulphur with our incense, and come to worship God having our hearts to the ends of the earth ! Men let loose their eyes, and then away go their hearts ; and therefore, as Solomon saith, ' Take heed to thy foot when thou enterest into the house of God,' Eccles. v. Many come hither merely to see and to be seen, and to display their vanity by their vain attire. How many are there that let loose their eyes to vanity, when they should give up their ears to the counsel of God ! Some dress up themselves in such vain attire and indecent fashions to draw the eyes of others to gaze upon them ; this is a great affront to God's worship. Solomon saith, Prov. xvii. 24, ' The fool's eyes are to the ends of the earth.' One cause of distraction is the curiosity of the senses ; our eyes run to and fro, and then our hearts wander and rove from the business we are about. It is a strange constancy and fixedness that is spoken of the priests at Jerusalem, that when Faustus, Cornelius, and Furius, and^Fabius broke into tlie city with their troops, and rushed into the temple ready to kill them, yet they went on witli the rites of the temple, as if there had been no such thing. And strange is that other instance of the Spartan youth, that held the censer to Alexander while he offered sacrifice. A coal lighting upon his arm, he suffered it to burn there rather than by any crying out of his disturb that worship. These instances are a shame to Christians, that we do not more fix our hearts when we are in the service of God.
Use 2. The second use is to press us to this piece of mortification, even to ' turn away your eyes from beholding vanity.' To help you in it you must —
1. Take Job's course : Job xxxi. 1, ' I made a covenant with my eyes.' Job and his eyes were in covenant ; there was a covenant be- tween heart and eyes. Eyes, be you fliithful to my soul, that there be nothing that may stir up carnal and impure thoughts, that there be no unclean objects that may fire my heart. Oh, the fool-hardiness of this age ! Some will smile at this kind of discipline, to be so strict
394 SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. [SeR. XLII.
and precise. Why, is sin grown less dangerous, or is man's nature more wise and strong, or are we better fortified against temptations ? Are our hearts in a better posture than the servants of God of old ? Surely not ; and therefore set a watch upon your eyes, that sin break not in upon your heart.
2. Consider the vanity of the things we dote upon and take in by the eyes. So saith David, ' Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity.' They are poor vain perishing things, yet they suit too well wdth our senses. x\nd consider what Solomon saith of these things, ' Wilt thou set thine heart upon that wdiich is not ?' We inflame our hearts with these things, and lust putteth a lovely face upon the object that suiteth with it ; but alas ! what are they ? Whatever they seem to the beholder, it is but vanity: Ps. xxxix. 6, ' Man flattereth himself in a vain show.' All the splendour and beauty of it is but vain : 1 Cor. vii. 31, ' The fashion of this world passeth away;' it is but an empty thing, flying bubbles. Though the world is of some use to us in our pilgrimage, yet poor things they are, as that for them we should neglect our duty to God, and grow less lively therein, or have our hearts withdrawn from God. It is the temptation that maketli them seem comely. When these alluring vanities are before our eyes, lust puts a gloss upon them. But consider wliat they are indeed, and in comparison of those things from which they tempt you, namely, heaven and eternal blessedness.
3. Consider the cursed issue of these things, of letting loose thy eye and heart to vanity. When you please the eye you wound the heart, and make you unfit for your great account : Eccles. xi. 9, ' Re- joice, 0 young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes : yet know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgment.' Go, drench and steep thy soul in carnal delights ; when thy wandering and wanton eye doth influence the lusts of thy heart, and they begin to boil up, when thou hast not denied thyself anything thy heart can wish and thine eye look upon, put in a little cool water to stop the boiling and raging of thy lust ; remember that God will bring thee to judgment; though thou dost now smother thy convictions, and drown thy reason in these sensual delights, yet God will call thee to an account for all thy time, and parts, and strength, and wit, and talents intrusted with thee.