♦4. He will likewise keep a strict guard over his senses themselves; as knowing they are the inlets of temptation, the landing ports of our spiritual enemies, and the feeble parts of our nature, which expose us to continual danger. Particularly, what can be more dangerous than an unguarded eye or ear, while there is every day so much to be seen and to be heard, to provoke to wickedness, and so little to encourage holiness? Over these therefore he keeps a constant guard, to prevent invasion and surprize, especially over the eye, the most dangerous of the two, as being concerned with more objects: praying also to God, without whose keeping the city the watchman waketh but in vain, _To turn away his eyes lest they behold vanity, and to quicken him in his way_; that nothing he sees or hears in this his pilgrimage, may either turn him out of it, or hinder him in it. ♦ point “3.” skipped in text *5. We may, secondly observe, how a prudent Christian pursues improvement by the government of his understanding. Considering, in the first place, what an excellent faculty and great endowment understanding is, and for what great ends it was given him by God, he thinks himself concerned not to let it lie idle, but to employ and improve it as much as possible, that he may hereafter give a good account of his talent: but were no account of it to be given, yet considering himself farther as a traveller in his way to his end, and his understanding as a torch that is to light him in it, he would think it very proper to take care of it, and that not only to preserve it from going out, but to feed it with such supplies of oil, that it might shine the more brightly and clearly.