s, "Take
heed, watch and pray," Mark xiii. 33. In this chapter, Peter is mindful of
his Lord's directions, as Paul also was, 1 Thess. v. 6. The substance of
this chapter is to exhort Christians to a holy conversation, suitable to
their high calling. He presses mortification in general, from that which
should be of greatest force with a believer's heart,--the strongest and
most convincing reason in the world,--union with Christ crucified, even as
Paul does, Rom. vi. And then, in the 3d and 4th verses, he argues from
their former conversation, ye have sinned enough already, all the rest of
your time is over little(505) to consecrate to God, according then as ye
have advanced Satan's kingdom while under it, so advance Christ's kingdom
when it comes to you, and take that noble revenge upon yourselves and
sins, so as to bring them both captive to the obedience of Christ. And
although the world may think it strange ye walk not with them, yet so much
the rather ought ye to aspire after a disconformity to the world. Be then
ambitious of being singular in the world. Ye would lay down such a
conclusion as this, I am a stranger, and will walk as a stranger. And ye
need not think yourselves miserable to be out of so much company, and to
be alone. No, if ye knew what was to come upon them, ye would get you out
from among them, lest ye be partakers of their plagues. The day of the
Lord is coming, and the world must give an account to the Judge of all
flesh. Ye may endure their mockings, and all the hard measure which ye get
her, for it shall be recompensed unto them. And your lot is the same that
other saints had, who now sleep in the Lord. The gospel was preached unto
them, and they had the same fruit of it before God, and got everlasting
life by it, yet they were judged in the world as well as you, and were
counted base and contemptible. Now, in this verse, he comes to particular
exhortations from the former reasons. This text hath two parts. I: An
exhortation to some special duties, which are so conjoined in this form of
speech that they seem all but one duty. "Prayer" is the duty, and sobriety
and watchfulness are means to it. II: There is a reason given, because
"the end of all things is at hand." So, then, ye have here the posture the
world is in, and the posture a Christian should be in. This is the world's
old age. It is declining, albeit it seem a fair and beautiful thing in the
eyes of them who know no better, and unto them wh