the time is.”  “And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.”  “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”  “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same, with thanksgiving.”  “Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.”  “Let us watch and be sober.”  “Watch then in all things.”  “Watch unto prayer.”  “Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”  “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”  If we were in a house surrounded by a band of robbers, and especially if we knew there were persons in it who held a secret correspondence with them, we should be continually on our guard.  Every moment we should be watching, both within and without.  But such is the state of our hearts.  Surely, no ordinary danger would have called forth from our Lord and his apostles such repeated warnings.  We are directed to watch in all things.  Keep a continual guard over your own heart, and over every word and action of your life.  But there are particular seasons when we should set a double watch.

1.  We are directed to watch unto prayer.  When you approach the mercy seat, watch against a careless spirit.  Suffer not your mind to be drawn away by anything, however good and important in itself, from the object before you.  If the adversary can divert your mind on the way to that consecrated place, he will be almost sure to drive you away from it without a blessing.

2.  We are required to watch not only unto but in prayer.  Satan is never more busy with Christians than when he sees them on their knees.  He well knows the power of prayer; and this makes him tremble.

  “Satan trembles when he sees
  The weakest saint upon his knees.”

You should, therefore, with the most untiring vigilance, watch in prayer against all wandering thoughts and distraction of mind.  You will often experience, on such occasions, a sudden and vivid impression upon your mind of something entirely foreign from what is before you.  This is no doubt the temptation of Satan.  If you are sufficiently upon your watch, you can banish it, without diverting your thoughts or feelings from the subject of your prayer, and proceed as though nothing had happened.  But, if the adversary succeeds in keeping these wild imaginations in view, so that you cannot proceed without distraction, turn and beseech God to give you help against his wiles.  You have the promise, that if you resist the devil he will flee from you.  These remarks apply both to secret prayer and public worship.

3.  We have need of special watchfulness when we have experienced any comfortable manifestations of God’s presence.  It is then that Satan tempts us to consider the conflict over, and relax our diligence.  If we give way to him, we shall bring leanness upon our souls.