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SERMON XI.

CHRISTIAN WATCHFULNESS.

MARK, xiii. 37.

AND WHAT I SAY UNTO YOU, I SAY UNTO ALL, WATCH.

IN the word of God every duty is enjoined and enforced by suitable motives; but you must have observed that certain duties are more frequently introduced, and dwelt upon with greater particularity and earnestness, than others. They are stated and re-stated, enjoined and re-enjoined, enforced and illustrated, in such a manner as to impress them on our memories and imaginations, as well as on our hearts and consciences. From this we have reason to conclude, either that they are of superior importance, intrinsically or relatively, or else that we are in peculiar danger of overlooking and forgetting them. Of this description is the duty inculcated in the text. It is often brought forward in the discourses of our Lord, who has enforced it by examples, and illustrated it by parables. He enforced it by the history of the inhabitants of the old world, and of Sodom and Gomorrah; and he illustrated it by the parable of the ten virgins, and, in the passage before us, by the parable of the lord of a household, who, on undertaking a far journey, assigned to all his servants their several employments, and commanded the porter to watch.

He "commanded the porter to watch." This does not merely mean that, in allotting to each in the family his specific task, he ordered them to keep the door and preserve the house from the invasion of thieves and robbers, but it intimates, that he kept the time of his return a secret, enjoining the porter to be ready to open to him, on whatever night, and at whatever hour of the night, he might arrive; so that the charge to the por

ter was a warning to the whole household-to those who were in authority, and to those who were under authority; to the former that they should not become unfaithful, extravagant, or tyrannical; to the latter that they should not prove careless, idle, or unruly, lest their master should come upon them unawares, and find them in fault. Thus, what he said to one of them-the porter-he said to all. It was as much as if he had gone round the whole, and said to each, Watch, watch, watch. This, at least, is the application which our Lord makes of the parable. "Watch ye, therefore; for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly, he find you sleeping." The words of the text may be viewed as an answer to the question which Peter asked"Lord, speakest thou this parable to us, or even to all?" It is particularly addressed to those who are watchmen by office in the church; but not to them exclusively. What is primarily addressed to the angels of the churches, is spoken to all in the churches. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear; for to him it is said, Watch.

I propose, first, to explain, and then to enforce, the duty of Christian watchfulness.

I. To watch is, literally, to keep from sleep; and it has come to signify, metaphorically, to apply the mind to any thing with great care, diligence, and intensity.

1. Christian watchfulness, or vigilance, is that state of mind by which we are prepared to seize every opportunity of doing our duty, and to discover and avoid every impediment in the way of this. It does not lie in any particular exercise of the mind, like believing, loving, hoping; but it is a settled frame or posture of the soul, capacitating it for putting forth these and other exercises in the best manner, according to circumstances. It is not confined to looking out for the coming of Christ to us at death and judgment. We are to "watch in all things,"*"watch unto prayer," and other duties, and watch against temptation.

* 2 Tim. iv. 5.

To be a Christian is one thing; to be a vigilant Christian is another. A man, though alive, may be asleep, and his property may become the prey of the thief when he is in this state, as easily as if he were dead; and as one may be alive without being lively, so one may be awake without being wakeful. Christian vigilance is combined with wisdom, producing a perspicacity or quick understanding in matters of judgment, and a circumspection in matters of practice. "See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise; wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." * Diligence and vigilance are closely connected in the Christian life, but they are not the same. Diligence is mere activity. A man may be busily employed, and yet to very little purpose, or in a way different from that in which he ought to be employed. Vigilance has a special respect to the occasions and opportunities of action, which it enables to discover and improve.

The husbandman is vigilant, when he observes and improves the proper seasons of ploughing, sowing, reaping, and other agricultural employments. The merchant is vigilant, when he seizes on the proper times for buying and selling, for laying in and disposing of his stock. The man of business, whatever his employment may be, is vigilant when he looks well into his affairs, examines his books, strikes his balance, and ascertains exactly whether, and to what extent, he is gaining or losing. The soldier is vigilant when he observes the motions of the enemy, guards against surprise, and embraces the most favourable opportunity for an attack. The mariner is vigilant when he is prepared to take advantage of wind and tide, and cautiously avoids the rocks and shoals to which his vessel is exposed. The Christian is vigilant when he exercises every grace, performs every duty, and waits on every ordinance in its proper season; when he is aware of the sin that easily besets him, and keeps his eye on the temptations to which he is peculiarly exposed; when he walks wisely, warily, circumspectly; when, guarding against extremes,

# Eph. v. 15-17.

he joins trembling with his mirth in prosperity, and mingles joy with his sorrow in the day of affliction; when, sensible of the value of time, he redeems it by improving the precious moments to the best purposes; when he is ready to turn every event which befalls himself or others to his spiritual improvement; and, in fine, when knowing the uncertainty of life and its enjoyments, he stands prepared, or endeavours to prepare himself, for eternity.-This is Christian watchfulness.

2. Christian watchfulness is a duty of great importance. You may have some idea of its extent from the general description which we have just given. It reaches to all our internal exercises and all our external actions. It keeps the gracious dispositions in action, and the corrupt dispositions in check. It maintains an animating superintendency over both the natural and the spiritual senses. It makes the Christian "ready to every good work;" and is a chief means to " preserve him from every evil work." Would you recover from the spiritual decline into which you have fallen? "Be watchful; and strengthen the things which remain and are ready to die.”* Would you preserve your spiritual attainments? "Look to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which ye have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward." †

The occupation of a porter or door-keeper, is inferior in respectability to other offices in a great establishment; but the duty intrusted to him is nevertheless of great importance. His negligence lays the house open to every intruder. If the sentinel falls asleep at his post, the whole army may be surprised and cut off. If the man stationed at the gate is unfaithful, the fortress may be taken without assault, and the whole garrison put to the sword. A man ignorant of the management of a ship, when he sees all hands busily at work-some climbing the mast, others hoisting the sails, and others plying at the pump, will be apt to look on the pilot as a lazy supernumerary who spends his time in gazing idly at the stars, and amusing himself with turning a piece of timber from side to side; not aware that this man's services are of all others the most essen

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tial to the progress of the vessel on her way, and to the safety of all who are on board. In like manner, though there are Christian graces and duties which are of greater dignity, vigilance is of the greatest utility. Your faith, Christians, will fail, your hope languish, your love wax cold, if your vigilance be relaxed. Your knowledge will puff you up, your confidence will become presumptuous, your humility distrustful, if you slacken your vigilance. You will flag in prayer, and be weary in well-doing-the slightest temptation will be an overmatch for you,—and though strong as Samson, you will become weak as any other man, if in an evil hour your vigilance be laid asleep. Vigilance is the sentinel of the soul, which guards all the graces and excites them to activity. It is like the watchman going his rounds announcing the hours as they pass, telling "what of the night," proclaiming that all is well, or sounding an alarm at the appearance of danger.

3. If you would comply with the exhortation in the text, you must avoid every thing which induces unwatchfulness. Indulgence in any sin has this effect. sin has this effect. It acts as an opiate on conscience, grieves the Spirit, and produces carnal security. Intemperance in sensual pleasures is in a special manner to be avoided, as it has an equal tendency to inflict a bodily and a spiritual stupor. Of the sober Christian it may be said, "He sleeps, but his heart wakes;" the reverse is true of the intemperate man. Hence the admonition of our Saviour : "Take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and that day come upon you unawares. "Let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober." Unless you "be sober," you cannot "be watchful." Those of other occupations can make a shift to perform their tasks, though they are not patterns of sobriety; but a watchman must be sober. A single instance of intoxication will cost him his post; in time of war it will cost a sentinel his life. Remember too, that a slight degree of intemperance will be sufficient to banish spiritual vigilance. It is not necessary to this that you become a drunkard, or even that you be drunken. You may retain the use of your natural senses, and yet lose the use of your spi

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