A01550:187
The spiritual watchThe spirituall vvatch
The spiritual watch, or Christs general watch-word A meditation on Mark. 13. 37. By Thomas Gataker B. of D. and pastor of Rotherhith.The spirituall vvatch, or Christs generall watch-word A meditation on Mark. 13. 37. By Thomas Gataker B. of D. and pastor of Rotherhith.
London: printed by Edward Griffin for William Bladen, 1619
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. 75. And yet neither also is this sufficient indeed, that we frequent the public means: private helps must be added and adjoined thereunto, of meditation, of conference, of supplication, of examination, of confession, and the like: that though much or most of the week be taken up with our worldly affairs; yet we reserve some time amidst them constantly every day for some spiritual employment. For as it is with our clocks and our watches, that unless they be wound up at certain times, they will slacken their motion, yea by means of the heavy weights and ⟨p. 115⟩plummets of lead that hang on them, they will at length come down to the ground, and so stand stone still: So is it with our souls; we have our earthy affections and our worldly thoughts, as heavy weights, hanging so at the heels of them, that unless they be at some certain times wound up, as it were, by the use of some holy exercises, they will grow slack and sluggish in their mounting up to heaven-ward, yea at length, it may be, come to an utter cessation of all endeavour in that kind.
§. 75. And yet neither also is this sufficient indeed, that we frequent the publike meanes: priuate helpes must be added and adioyned thereunto, of meditation, of conference, of supplication, of examination, of confession, and the like: that though much or most of the weeke be taken vp with our worldly affaires; yet wee reserue some time amids them constantly euery day for some spirituall imployment. For as it is with our clockes and our watches, that vnlesse they bee wound vp at certaine times, they will slacken their motion, yea by meanes of the heauy weights and ⟨p. 115⟩plummets of lead that hang on them, they will at length come downe to the ground, and so stand stone still: So is it with our soules; wee haue our earthy affections and our worldly thoughts, as heauy weights, hanging so at the heeles of them, that vnlesse they be at some certaine times wound vp, as it were, by the vse of some holy exercises, they will grow slacke and sluggish in their mounting vp to heauen-ward, yea at length, it may be, come to an vtter cessation of all endeuour in that kinde.