_Particular Directions far the Government of the Eyes._
_Direct._ I. Know the uses that your sight is given you for. As, 1. To
see the works of God, that thereby your minds may see God himself. 2.
To read the word of God, that therein you may perceive his mind. 3. To
see the servants of God whom you must love, and the poor whom you must
relieve or pity, and all the visible objects of your duty; to conduct
your body in the discharge of its office about all the matters of the
world.[379] And in special often to look up towards heaven, the place
where your blessed Lord is glorified, and whence he shall come to take
you to his glory.
_Direct._ II. Remember the sins which the eye is most in danger of,
that you may be watchful and escape. 1. You must take heed of a proud,
and lofty, and scornful eye; which looketh on yourselves with
admiration and delight, as the peacock is said to do on his tail, and
on others as below you with slighting and disdain.[380] 2. You must
take heed of a lustful, wanton eye, which secretly carrieth out your
heart to a befooling piece of dirty flesh, and stealeth from beauty
and ornaments a spark to kindle that fire which prepareth for
everlasting fire.[381] 3. Take heed of a greedy, covetous eye, which
with Achan and Gehazi looketh on the bait to tempt you to unlawful
love and desire, and to bring you by their sin unto their ruin.[382]
4. Take heed of a luxurious, gluttonous, and drunken eye;[383] which
is looking on the forbidden fruit, and on the tempting dish, and the
delicious cup, till it have provoked the appetite of that greedy worm,
which must be pleased, though at the rate of thy damnation. 5. Take
heed of a gazing, wandering eye,[384] which, like a vagrant, hath no
home, nor work, nor master, but gaddeth about to seek after death, and
find out matter for temptation. Prov. xvii. 24, "Wisdom is before him
that hath understanding, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the
earth." 6. Take heed of an envious eye, which looketh with dislike and
discontent at the prosperity of others, especially such as stand cross
to your own interest.[385] Matt. xx. 15, "Is thine eye evil because I
am good?" It is the envious eye that in Scripture most usually is
called by the name of an evil eye, πονηρος οφθαλμος. It is an eye that
would see evil rather than good upon another:[386] as Deut. xv. 9,
"Lest thine eye be evil against thy poor brother," &c. Prov. xxiii. 6,
it is an eye that grudgeth another any thing that is ours. So Prov.
xxviii. 22; Mark vii. 22. 7. Take heed of a passionate, cruel eye,
that kindleth the hurting or reviling fire in thy breast, or is
kindled by it; that fetcheth matter of rage or malice from all that
displeaseth thee in another.[387] 8. Take heed of a self-conceited and
censorious eye, that looketh on all the actions of another with
quarrelling, undervaluing, censure, or reproach.[388] 9. Take heed of
a fond and fanciful eye, that falls in love too much with houses, or
friend, or child, or goods, or whatsoever pleaseth it. 10. Take heed
of a sleepy, sluggish eye, that is shut to good, and had rather sleep
than watch, and read, and pray, and labour.[389] 11. Abhor a malignant
eye, which looketh with hatred on a godly man, and upon the holy
assemblies and communion of saints, and upon holy actions; and can
scarce see a man of exemplary zeal and holiness, but the heart riseth
against him, and could wish all such expelled or cut off from the
earth.[390] This is the heart that hath the image of the devil in most
lively colours, he being the father of such, as Christ calleth him,
John viii. 44. 12. Abhor a hypocritical eye, which is lifted up to
heaven, when the heart is on earth, on lusts, on honours, on sports,
or pleasure, or plotting mischief against the just.[391] Know the evil
and danger of all these diseases of the eye.
_Direct._ III. Remember that the eye being the noblest, and yet the
most dangerous sense, must have the strictest watch. Sight is often
put in Scripture for all the senses; and living by sight is opposed to
living or walking by faith. "We walk by faith, not by sight," 2 Cor.
v. 7 And a sensual life is called, a "walking in the ways of our heart
and in the sight of the eyes," Eccles. xi. 9. An ungoverned eye doth
show the power of the ungoverned senses. Abundance of good or evil
entereth in by these doors: all lieth open if you guard not these.
_Direct._ IV. Remember that as your sin or duty, so your sorrow or
joy, do depend much on the government of your eyes; and their present
pleasure is the common way to after-sorrow. What a flood of grief did
David let into his heart by one unlawful look!
_Direct._ V. Remember that your eye is much of your honour or
dishonour, because it is the index of your minds. You see that which
is next the mind itself, or the most immediate beam of the invisible
soul, when you see the eye. How easily doth a wandering eye, a wanton
eye, a proud eye, a luxurious eye, a malicious eye, a passionate eye,
bewray the treasure of sin which is in the heart![392] Your soul lieth
opener to the view of others in your eye, than in any other part: your
very reputation therefore should make you watch.
_Direct._ VI. Remember that your eye is of all the senses most subject
to the will, and therefore there is the more of duty or sin in it; for
voluntariness is the requisite to morality, both good and evil. Your
will cannot so easily command your feeling, tasting, hearing, or
smelling, as it can your sight; so easily can it open or shut the eye
in a moment, that you are the more unexcusable if it be not governed;
for all its faults will be proved the more voluntary. Ham was cursed
for not turning away his eyes from his father's shame, and Shem and
Japheth blessed for doing it. The righteous is thus described, "He
that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes
from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high," &c. Isa. xxxiii. 15. Men's
idols which they are commanded to cast away are called, "The
abomination of their eyes," Ezek. xx. 7. Covetousness is called, "The
lust of the eyes," 1 John ii. 16. It is said of the unclean, that they
have "eyes full of adultery," 2 Pet. ii. 14. And as sin, so punishment
is placed on the eye:[393] "The eyes of the lofty shall be humbled,"
Isa. v. 15. Yea, the whole bodies of the daughters of Zion are
threatened to be dishonoured with nakedness, scabs, and stink, and
shame, because they walked with "wanton eyes, haughtily, and mincing
as they go," &c. Isa. iii. 16.
_Direct._ VII. Therefore let believing reason, and a holy, resolved,
fixed will, keep a continual law upon your eyes, and let them be used
as under a constant government. This Job calleth, the "making a
covenant with them," Job xxxi. 1. Leave them not at liberty; as if a
look had nothing in it of duty or sin; or as if you might look on what
you would. Will you go to foolish, tempting plays, and gaze on vain,
alluring objects, and think there is no harm in all this? Do you think
your eye cannot sin as well as your tongue? undoubtedly it is much sin
that is both committed by it, and entereth at it: keep away therefore
from the bait, or command your eye to turn away.
_Direct._ VIII. Remember still how much more easy and safe it is, to
stop sin here at the gates and outworks, than to beat it out again
when it is once got in: if it have but tainted your very fantasy or
memory, (as tempting sights will almost unavoidably do,) it hath there
spawned the matter for a swarm of vain and sinful thoughts. It is
almost impossible to rule the thoughts without ruling the eye: and
then the passions are presently tainted; and the citadel of the heart
is taken before you are aware. You little know when a lustful look, or
a covetous look, beginneth the game, to how sad a period it tendeth.
Many a horrid adultery, and murder, and robbery, and wickedness, hath
begun but with a look: a look hath begun that which hath brought many
a thousand to the gallows, and many millions to hell!
_Direct._ IX. Keep both eye and mind employed in continual duty, and
let them not be idle, and have leisure to wander upon vanity. Idleness
and neglect of spiritual and corporal duty is the beginner and the
nurse of much sensuality. Let your spiritual work and your lawful
bodily labours, take up your time and thoughts, and command and keep
your senses in their services.
_Direct._ X. Beg daily of God the preserving assistance of his grace
and providence. Of his inward grace to confirm you and assist you in
your resolutions and watch; and of his providence and gracious
disposals of you and objects, to keep the temptations from before your
eyes: and when others will run and go on purpose, to gaze on vain or
tempting shows, or to admire like children the vanities of the
playful, pompous world, do you go to God with David's prayer, "Turn
away mine eyes from beholding vanity: and quicken me in thy way,"
Psal. cxix. 37. And imitate him: "Mine eyes prevent the night watches,
that I might meditate in thy word," ver. 148. And make every look a
passage to thy mind, to carry it up to God, and pray, "Open thou mine
eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law," Psal. cxix.
18. Observe these, with the general directions forenamed.