The Christian in Complete Armour by William Grinnell. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 18. And watching unto. Chapter 15. Shows wherein the duty of watching in prayer lies. We shall now show the second thing wherein the Christian is to exercise his watchfulness in reference to this duty. Take it in three particulars. Section 1. He is to show his watchfulness before prayer, and that, first, by watching for the fit season to pray in. We cannot be always on our knees. We may serve God all the day, but worship Him we cannot. This is a duty that requires set times for its exercise. It is our duty to watch for the season of prayer. The Christian should endeavor to dispose his occasions so that his devotions be not shut out or crowded up into straits of time, nor interfered with other necessary duties. Many duties are spoiled by being unseasonably performed. He is to keep a strict watch over himself in his whole course, first by shunning all that may defile his conscience and so render him unmeet for communion with God. The priest was to watch himself that he touched no unclean thing, God thereby signifying that he will have them to be holy in their lives that approach near to him in the duties of his worship. by a holy care to observe and lay up the most remarkable passages of God's providence to him, as also the frame and behavior of his own heart to God, in the interval between prayer and prayer. The want of this is the cause why we are so barren in the performance of this duty. It is no wonder he should want matter for his prayer at night. He did not treasure up what passed in the day between God and him. Though the minister be not making his sermon all the week, yet by observing what may be useful for him in that work, He is furnished with many hints that help him when he goes about it. Such an advantage the Christian will find for prayer by laying up the remarkable instances of God's providence towards him and of his courage towards God under them. These will furnish him with necessary material for the performance. The bag is filling while the cane are feeding or chewing the cud, and accordingly yields such meal of morning and evening prayer, for by these he will be prepared for further communion with God. These short walks, often taken, keep the soul in breath for a longer journey. Section 2 He must watch in prayer. It is not enough to watch the child that he goes to school, but the master's eye must watch him in school. Thou doth well to take care of thyself before prayer, but wilt thou now leave it at the school door? Truly then, all thy former care is too little purpose. First, thou must watch thy outward man, and rouse that up from sleep and sloth. If the body be heavily eyed in prayer, the soul must needs be heavily yielded. Watch and pray, saith Christ to his disciples. He knew they could not do that work sleeping, and yet how many do we see at the very time of prayer, so far from watching, that they invite sleep to come upon them by laying themselves in a lazy posture. Certainly, friends, communion with God is worth keeping our eyes open. I wonder any can sleep at the worship of God and not dream of hell fire. But it is not enough to keep the eye awake, if thou suffereth it to wander. Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way. Psalms 119.37 Secondly, thou must watch thy soul in prayer. The soul is the man, and the soul in prayer is the very soul of prayer. Watch what its end and aims are, and that it shoots not besides the mark. Watch what strength and force thy soul puts to the work. Our prayers must carry by shooting short as well as wide. In a word, thou must keep thy heart with all diligence from one end of the duty to the other, or else it will give thee the slip. How often do our souls begin to speak with God in prayer, and on a sudden get into idle talk with the world. 1. While our hearts are warm at the work and we pursue hard after God with our affections, but instantly we are at a loss and cold again. David was sensible to this and therefore we have him in the midst of his duty begging help from God to call in his getting heart. Unite my heart to fear thy name. Psalms 86 verse 11. Section 2. The Christian is to watch after prayer, first, by calling his soul to review concerning the duty, how it was performed by him. God himself, when he had finished his work of creation, looked back upon them, Genesis 1.31. He hath given us a faculty to reflect upon our actions and expect we should use it, yea, complaints of those that do not consider their ways and doings. He that looks not back how he prayed, can he be humbled for the sins that cleaved to his prayers? And will God pardon what the Christian takes no care to know, that he may show his repetency? Or will he mend those faults in the next prayer, which he found not out in the former? No, but rather increase them. This is the sluggard, whose soul will soon run into a wilderness and be overgrown with those sins which may choke the very spirit of supplication in him. Secondly, by observing what is the success of his prayer, as he is to look back and see how he prayed, so forward to observe what return he finds of his prayer. To pray and not watch what becomes of our prayer is a great folly and no little sin. What is this but to take the name of God in vain? Yet thus do many knock at God's door, and they run away to the world, and think no more of their prayers, like Pilate, who asked Christ, What is truth? And when he had said this, went out to the Jews, forgetting what he asked. David did not think prayer such an errand. Psalms 5.3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. First he is careful to take his aim right in delivering his arrow of prayer, which he sends with a message to heaven. I will direct my prayer to thee. Then he is careful to observe where his arrow lights and what answer is made to it, and I will look up, which amounts to as much as I will hear what God the Lord will speak. Psalms 85 verse 8. That is to him concerning the prayer which in those words immediately foregoing he had made. Show us thy mercy O Lord and grant us thy salvation. Verse 7. This Christian is to watch unto prayer to wait for answers to prayer. Mordecai, no doubt, had put up many prayers for Esther, and therefore he waits at the king's gate, looking what answer God would in his providence give thereunto.