YeE. 15.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 353
deputy, and doth accuse and excuse by turns. Whithersoever we go, we carry an accuser and a witness about with us. None can escape this domestic tribunal. Conscience is either troublesome or quiet as we behave ourselves ; your own thoughts will be upon you, and your hearts reproach you. A godly man would not hazard the checks of his own conscience, and therefore prevents the cause and occasion of them. But because conscience is often stupefied and benumbed, there is besides this the Spirit of God, who observeth all that we do. The Spirit cannot be blinded, and therefore cannot be mistaken ; not a motion in the soul but he is acquainted with it. The good motions are of his own operation, the bad oppose his work. He witnesseth our sincerity : Eom. ix. 1, * I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my con- science also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost.' He is grieved with our disorders, Eph. iv. 30, therefore we ought to walk circum- spectly.
7. Because there are so many spies upon us, who may make an ill use of our failings.
I shall instance in three — Satan, wicked men, and weak brethren.
[1.] Satan. The devil is our enemy ; he is called our adversary : 1 Peter v. 8, ' Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.' He watcheth to get some advantage against us : 2 Cor. ii. 11, ' Lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.' He seeketh how to work upon our mistaken judgments or carnal affec- tions : 1 Cor. vii. 5, ' That Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.' He observeth us in all our postures, and lays many temptations in the way, and hath hidden secret darts to mischief our souls which we think not of. Now shall not we be watchful and circumspect ?
[2.] Your way is most eyed by wicked men, who also watch for your halting : Jer. xx. 10, ' For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Keport, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.' Besides that we are in the sight of God and his angels, we have many enemies who will triumph in our miscarriages, and so strengthen themselves in their wickedness. They would fain draw something from us that maybe either a justification of them or matter of sport to them. To surprise a child of God in his nakedness is their mirth, as the sight of Noah's nakedness was to cursed Ham. John Baptist's head in a charger is an usual dish at most men's tables ; reports, true or false, concerning some eminent servant of God gratify and feed their preju- dices. There is an envious desire in man to blast eminency, especially religious eminency, because it upbraideth and reviveth guilt in the minds of others, and therefore the world would have somewhat to blemish them. Because they will not come up to the holiness of others, they seek to take others down to themselves, and hope their censure shall excuse their not imitating their graces and virtues. The apostle telleth us, 1 Cor. iv. 9, that God's servants are set forth to be made ' a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.' Who would not then watch over himself when others watch over him ? So that their very slanderers are a help to watchfulness ; as one chose rather to live among
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his enemies than his friends, to make him wary and cautious, for then he should be sure to hear of his faults. I am sure the word of God enforceth strictness upon this account : Col. iv. 5, ' Walk in wisdom toward them that are without,' And David 2)rayeth for direction because of his observers: Ps. xxvii. 11, ' Teach me thy way, 0 Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies ; ' in the margin it is, * because of my observers.' In short, they had need be circumspect themselves who are to reprove others, both by word and deed.
[3.] There are weak brethren, which are enough to bind us to circum- spection if there were no other argument, for fear of offending Christ's little ones, or prejudicing any one who is hopefully coming on in the way of religion. To lay stumbling-blocks in the way of young converts is a great sin ; it is like killing a child in the womb by a stroke : 2 Kings v. 2G, ' Is this a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and maid-servants ? ' Is this a time to receive bribes, when a Syrian nobleman had been but newly gained to a reverence and respect of tho God of Israel ? Take heed you do not stumble them : Mat. xviii. 6, ' But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.' Better suffer a violent and ignominious death than prejudice and hinder the salvation of any.