tted from the world. If ye would keep
yourselves in speaking terms with God, ye must not entertain the creature
too much. Any excess in your affections will divert the current of them,
that they shall not run towards God. And next, ye see a solid reason why
ye are so little in prayer, and keep not a praying temper, because ye are
too liberal and lavish of your affections upon the world. Christians, how
can ye pray, when your affections are upon the things of the earth? Will
ye seek heavenly things, or care much for communion with God, when a
present world is so much in your eye? Prayer must be wersh(519) and
unsavoury when the world is sweet; and religion turns a compliment, when
your hearts are here. Prayer is a special point of your conversation in
heaven, and the love of this world keeps your hearts beneath heaven. Your
treasure is here, and your hearts can be nowhere else willingly. Ye must
then be mortified to the world before ye can pray aright. But we would
likewise consider,

_Secondly_, That sobriety is a great furtherance to watching, and
therefore they are usually joined together, 1 Pet. v. 8; 1. Thess. v. 6-9.
This is clear. For if a man be not sober, but drink too much of the
creature's sweetness, or bitterness, till he lose his feet, he cannot
watch, and the enemy will make invasion when he sleeps. Sobriety is the
mother of security. A surfeit of any thing indisposes the body for any
action. When the mind goes without the bounds of moderation, and stretches
its Christian liberty beyond the bounds of edification, it cannot hold
waking, a little sleep and slumber overtakes, till poverty and destruction
come like an armed man. (2.) When a man hath drunk to excess of the
creature and hath his heart engaged to it, he is in an incapacity to
discern a friend from an enemy; whatever comes in with his predominant or
idol will get fair quarters; though it may be, it will betray him. The
love of the world when it stands centry at a man's heart, will keep out
true friends. It will hold out Jesus Christ and spiritual things, all that
seems to come in contrary terms with itself, and will let in the enemy
that will destroy the soul. (3.) Insobriety entangles a man with the
snares of the world, and so he cannot be a good soldier of Jesus. I think
the conjunction here is expressed more fully, 2 Tim. ii. 2-4. The good
soldier of Jesus Christ that wars a good warfare, must not entangle
himself with the affairs of this life. H