First she looked—and then she lusted!

(Thomas Watson, "The Lord's Prayer")

"Watch!" Mark 13:37

Many have lost heaven, for lack of watchfulness.
Our hearts are ready to decoy us into sin, and
the devil lies in ambush with his temptations.
We must every day keep sentinel in our souls.
"I will stand upon my watch." Habakkuk 2:1.

Watch your eyes! "I made a covenant with my
eyes." Job 31:1. Much sin comes in by the eye.
First Eve saw that the tree was good for food,
and pleasant to the eyes—then she took and ate
it! First she looked—and then she lusted. The
eye, by beholding an impure object, sets the heart
on fire. The devil often creeps in, at the window
of the eye! Watch your eyes!

Watch your ears! Much poison is conveyed through
the ear. Let your ear be open to God—and shut to sin!

Watch your hearts! "The human heart is most
deceitful and desperately wicked." Jeremiah 17:9.

Watch your heart when you are about holy things—it
will be slipping out to vanity. When Christ had been
praying and fasting, the devil tempted Him. Mt. 4:3.
After combating with Satan in prayer, we are apt to
grow secure and take our spiritual armor off—and
then the devil falls on us and wounds us!

Watch your hearts when you are in bad company.
The breath of the wicked is infectious. Nay, watch
your hearts when you are in good company. The
devil is subtle, and he can as well creep into the
dove—
as he did once into the serpent. Satan
tempted Christ by an apostle.

Watch your hearts in prosperity. Now you are in
danger of pride! The higher men's estates rise—the
higher their hearts are lifted up in pride. It is hard
to carry a full cup without spilling. Just so, it is hard
to carry a full, prosperous estate without sinning.
As Samson fell asleep in Delilah's lap—so many
have fallen so fast asleep in the lap of prosperity,
that they never awoke until they awoke in hell!

Oh, if you would get to heaven, be always upon your
watch-tower! Keep close sentinel in your souls. Who
would not watch—when it is for a glorious kingdom!