First, Remember to whom thou goest, to a Father; then go to Jesus Christ, then to his word and promises, then make use of his seals and his blessed sacraments, sue God of his word and deed, challenge them, and when thou art thus prepared,
3. Then go and read a lecture to thyself of watchfulness. What it is to watch, that implies when a man is in great danger to be surprised, that all is untrusty within him, and false abroad; then reason, I had need of a strong watch of every side; I have a false nature, and this flesh of mine is ready to betray me into the hands of the world and of the devil ; therefore there must be a marvellous strong guard. I must not suffer my affections to rove, that is the way to bring in the devil, even seven devils, whereas if I keep a watch all will be well. James i. 14, it is said, when a man is tempted, he is tempted of his own lust, but is he not sometimes with the world and the devil? No; all the temptations of the world and devil will do no hurt. Look to that within ; there is a concupiscence ; the world and devil cannot tempt thee but by working on thine own lusts ; therefore look to thyself within, that there be no parley, no intercourse between them. Make a covenant with thine eyes, with thy tongue : perhaps thou wilt go to a place where there is nothing but filthiness; is this watchfulness? Dost thou know the corruption of thine own nature? * Be not deceived, evil words con-upt good manners;' put what gloss then wilt upon them, evil words shew an evil heart, and evil words and an evil heart, hid before in the cinders, now make a great flame. Therefore seeing this corruption will
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not be wholly weeded out, yet it must be kept under, that the forces without may not join with them within.
Oh, much ado we have to keep ourselves from being surprised within. Then suppose the devil comes not as to Eve, but to Adam, for Adam's temptation was more dangerous than Eve's. If the devil comes in his own colours, then it is nothing, every one will flee from him ; but he comes as to Adam, by the woman, perhaps by a friend, by a great man. Let us know when there is any temptation, any motion this way, this is a way to let in these and these enemies : as 2 Kings vi. 32, ' Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him, and the king sent a man before him ; he said to the elders, see how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head, look when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door : Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him ?' Mark, let this be thy case: within, thou hast a false heart; there is danger without ; one comes and entices thee to do this and that ; what shalt thou do ? Shalt thou entertain and listen to, and suffer this treacherous motion to enter into thy soul ? Let not thy lust lay hold on it wdthin, then care not for a thousand devils, for ten thousand worlds, for ' the feet of his master follows, his master ' the devil will be there presently, on the first motion.
A man that hath this resolution to suppress sin at the first motion, as soon as it is born, — resolving, I will shut the door, there is the feet of the devil behind, that will murder my soul, — shall find comfort. And then again, a man that is resolved not to live in any known sin (perhaps there be some sins of infirmity that will stick to a man's soul), but there be sins that waste the soul, uncleanness, swearing, extortion, and especially such sins as we are subject unto by our calling, and the course we follow, utterly unlawful and unwarrantable, and known by the word of God to be so. As if a man make a trade of living on usury, this is a sin goes with me all the days of my life; it is with me waking and sleeping, a main sin that com- passeth me round. If thou mean to purge thyself, thou must not live in any one known sin, for that wastes grace. When a man multipHes sin, he increaseth the stock of original corruption. There is nothing more sure than that we say, that original corruption is equal in all. It is true natu- rally. Every man's face answereth to his neighbour's, as face to face in water ; none better than the other ; but though there be an equality that way, I may add weight myself. Two men are weighed, they are just alike heavy ; but if one of them contract his spirits, he oversways* the other ; if he add his will to his natural poise, he is heavier than the other. So, not- withstanding, the wickedness of sin is perhaps as much in one as another ; yet when I use my will, and multiply and repeat, that is a sign that custom of sin hardens the heart, and makes the stain and spot gi'ow deeper, that now thou canst not wash it out. Therefore be sure, if thou wilt go to heaven, that thou do not continue one hour in any known sin, for the more thou dost, the more thou strengthenest thyself in sin.