A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

The second reason to enforce the necessity of this watch, is taken from our estate and condition here on earth. First, because through our corruption we are exceeding weak, and full of frailty and infirmity, by reason whereof we are prone unto sin, and easily overcome with the tentations of our spiritual enemies, if we neglect the keeping of this watch, and be taken unprovided. The which reason our Saviour useth to enforce the necessity of watching and praying. Watch and pray (saith he) lest ye fall into tentation: The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. So the Apostle ¹in this regard, willeth him that thinketh he standeth, to take heed lest he ²fall; and exhorteth us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. And the Wise man pronounceth him blessed, who in the sight and sense of ³his own frailty and infirmity, feareth always. For as it is necessary for ⁴those who have weak and sickly bodies, to observe a strict diet; and for those Citizens, who being besieged by mighty and malicious enemies, and have many breaches in their walls, to be very diligent to make them up again, and in the mean time, to keep a careful and strong watch over those weak places, because their enemies are ready to take all advantages, and to give the fiercest assaults where they are likeliest to have the speediest entrance and least resistance: So we upon the same grounds, must think it necessary to double our watch, because our souls are sickly, and full of wants and weaknesses, and many breaches are made in the chiefest Bulwarks of our own strength, by the cruel and continual assaults of our spiritual enemies. Secondly, our care is necessary in keeping this watch, because naturally we are drowsy and sleepy, like those in a Lethargy, who need to have some continually standing by, and to keep them awake, by pricking and pinching them, that they may not fall into the sleep of death. Yea, and after that we are regenerate, and are espoused unto Christ, we are apt with the five wise Virgins, to nod often, and take a nap, when as we should wait for the coming of our Bridegroom. And if he did not awake us daily, by his Spirit knocking at the door of our hearts, and his gracious call sounding in his Word, saying ⟨p. 525⟩