thou asham'd to pray but hast thou not a great deal more cause to be ashamed of thy not praying Know for a certain that is a sinful modesty which doth unfit and indispose thee for any part of thy duty Do not say thou art not able to do it thou are not furnished with gifts for such a work But let me ask thee whose fault is that whom wilt thou blame for that God for not giving them or thy self for not getting them not to be able to pray is both thy 〈◊〉 and thy shame and therefore thy shame because thy sin Dost thou know how to beg thy bread and dost thou not know how to beg thy life dost thou know how to ask a kindness of Man and not how to ask mercy of God thou mayst blush to say so thou wouldest be counted a wise man but in this thou dost charge thy self with egregious folly But I desire thee to begin I fear thou hast nottried be persuaded to try now We have a Proverb amongst us pertinent to the case in hand Vse legs and have legs Praying is the ready way to get the gift of Prayer practising is the most effectual way of learning Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Hosea 6. 3. and then shall we seek if we follow on to seek the Lord then shall we pray if we follow on to pray thou didst not know how to go at first when thou wast an infant couldst not set one foot before another but by thy frequent trying thou couldst do it in time yea knowledge and strength comingâ—on thou couldst go and run and leap too by doing thy duty thou wilt attain to an ability and fitness to do it Eighthly Make a wise choice of the time when thou wilt set about this Secret Prayer Let it be done as in a right manner so in the proper season It is true whensoever the wind bloweth we should set up our Sails open when Christ knocks and answer when he calls and go about that which he sets thee to we should be very observant of the Spirit 's motions and comply with them just as it was with the living Creatures and the wheels Ezek. 1. 20. Whithersoever the spirit was to go the living creatures went thither was their spirit to go and the wheels were lifted up over against them for the spirit of the living creatures or of life was in the wheels The spirit of God is to be the Spring and all our Wheels should move as that Spring draws Therefore when he puts thee upon Prayer do not consult with this nor that but apply to it immediately but withal know the Spirit of God is a Spirit of wisdom and knows how to order motions regularly and seasonably Eccl. 3. 1. To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the Heaven a time to plant and a time to pluck up a time to kill and a time to heal a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance c. but man knoweth not his time Eccles. 9. 12. Often he doth not therefore he doth often meet with troubles snares and losses Now the Spirit of God knows these times exactly and moves accordingly therefore if there be any unseasonable impulses and motions reject them as those that are not of God nor his Spirit Always take a fit time make it thy business to nick it God hath in his mercy given thee time enough for all thy work and in his infinite wisdom he hath given thee choice opportunities for every part of it Thou hast thy seasons for labour and for rest seasons for buying and for selling a season for praying and for hearing now look thou carefully to it that thou do every thing in its season that is the excellent property of him whom the Scripture pronounceth a blessed man He is and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season Psal. 1. 3. We cannot well do two things at once and that God who understandeth our frame hath ordered out accordingly concerning us There is but one thing thy duty at one time Now it is thy business to understand what that one thing is and so to do it In short Let not thy secret Prayer hinder thee from waiting upon Publick Ordinances and Publick Worship on God's Holy-day the Church being met together in Christ's name thou oughtest to meet with them if able because thou art a Member of that Body Thou sinnest if thou art praying at home when thou shouldest be hearing abroad So God hath given thee time for the duties of thy general Calling as a Christian and for the business of thy particular Calling too and he would have thee to mind both It is not his will that thou shouldest be cruel to the Body or unnatural to thy Family under a pretence of being tender over thy Soul He that provides not for his own House is so far from being a good Christian that the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Tim. 5. 8. He hath denied the faith i. e. practically and in his deeds and is worse than an Infidel who doth from a natural instinct take care of his own Thou who sittest under the light of the Gospel and hast the Law of God revealed and opened to thee art far worse than the Heathens because thou dost neglect that duty which they perform who have no other Light to direct them than that of Nature Know O man thou sinnest if thou art in thy Closet when it is thy duty to be in thy Shop or thou O woman when thou oughtest to be employed about the affairs of thy Family and thou O Servant when thou shouldest be doing thy Master's or thy Mistris's business thy time to be sure is none of thine own thou must not injure them to serve him He hates robbery for burnt offering Come Christians learn a piece of holy wisdom do righteousness at all times and in all things Keep all the Wheels going and all in their order The right timing of what you do is putting of a glory upon what you do if all men would keep their place and wisely time their actions we should have better men and a better World than now we have Eccles. 3. 11. God hath made every thing beautiful in his time How beautiful is frost in Winter and heat in Summer joys and comfort if need be yea and heaviness by reason of manisold temptations if need be all the Works of God are done with the greatest exactness as to every circumstance in a proper time and in a lovely order so let yours be done too to the best of your knowledge and the utmost of your power I astly When thou art in secret at thy Prayers unto God carry in thine head and heart the cases of others and be an humble Supplicant unto a God in their behalf tho thou shouldest pray alone yet not
since he is of a plasant Plant become no better than a Briar a Thorn dried Stubble fit for the burning how well might guilty Sinners call with them in the 6th of the Revelutions v. 16. to the Mountains and Rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the face of him that sitteth upon the Throne But the beloved and ever-blessed Son of God in a most gracious compliance with and pursuance of his Father's will hath restored unto man freedom of access to God Jesus Christ though He knew full well how great the attempt was and how much it would stand him in did put his life in his hand and engaged his heart to approach unto God and being our peace hath procured for us a liberty of approaching too and of drawing nigh going as near as we will even to his very Throne Heb. 10. 19 20. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Christ entred into the holiest of all he entred in triumph as one that had conquered all his Enemies He entred with joy as one that had finished the work and sate down at the right hand of God to take there his everlasting rest and as you have it in the 9th of the Hebrews v. 12. He entred not by the blood of Calves and Goats but by his own blood He carried that along with him and now by that Blood we may enter too we may enter with safety there is no danger for a gracious person a believing Soul Though the Throne of God be a Throne of Glory yet is it a Throne of Grace a Mercy-seat that hath a Rain-bow round about it and because we enter with safety therefore we may enter with boldness both with a freedom of speech telling God all that is in our hearts and with the full assurance of Faith as those that shall find mercy and grace to accept and help in time of need Now if that any of you do not value this privilege at an high rate if you do not carefully improve it and make use of it now it hath been purchased by Christ for poor Sinners you deal very disingenuously do not well consider the inestimable price which it cost and you offer a most vile and wretched affront to the precious Blood of Iesus as if it were an unholy thing of no more excellency than that of a Beast a common and ordinary man or of a guilty and death-deserving Criminal 3. Thirdly All the sorts of holy Prayer are to be made use of Eph. 6. 18. Praying always with all prayer in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Your Prayers must be in the Spirit that is with your Spirit Prayer must not only be a Lip-labour but the work of the heart the words in Prayer are but the carcase of the duty the fervour and heat of the Affections are the life and soul of it and also it must be with the Holy Spirit whose work it is to help his peoples Infirmities and to make intercession in them Prayer must be by the influence and assistance of the Divine Spirit and with the heat and earnestness of our own spirits so then we are to pray in the Spirit or as Iude saith in the Holy Ghost and happy they who have not fallible men to make their Prayers for them but the Spirit of God but there are two other Expressions in the forementioned Scripture we ought to take a little notice of Praying always Do not understand it as if you were to be day and night at it as if praying were the whole of your duty for you have a great deal of other work to do which must be carefully attended and therefore the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all opportunities in every fit and proper season for prayer in every condition into which Providence casts you and upon every occasion that calls for it The other Expression most pertinent to our present business is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all prayer and supplication i. e. with ordinary prayer and with extraordinary too that which hath fasting joined with it private prayer and publick too ejaculatory prayer when the Soul â—allies out on a sudden unto God gives him a visit and away knocks at his door puts in a short Petition and is gone like one that is engaged about some other business and cannot stay and also composed Prayer in which the Soul fixeth and abides some considerable time with God Family-prayer and Closet-prayer Prayer in conjunction with others and alone by our selves We may and must make use of all these kinds of Prayers as opportunity offers and occasions do require But to come more close to the matter in hand 4. Fourthly Secret Prayer is a duty incumbent upon Christians Now that we call secret Prayer when a person gets alone by himself and makes his requests known to God When being sequestred from all company whatsoever and withdrawn from his nearest and dearest Relations his most familiar and intimate Friends and by himself in a most close and private retirement he sends out his Soul upon the wings of holy and servent desires and labours with all his might to fetch down his God to him by his gracious presence and to obtain of him those favours and blessings of which he finds a sensible want either in whole or in part It is that by which he knocks at the gate of Heaven and goeth into the Holiest of all and gives his heavenly Father a visit in such a manner as that no body may know of it Noâ— that he is ashamed of what he doth for he is free to own God for his Sovereign Lord Christ for his dearly beloved Prayer as his duty and work before all the World though he be reproached scorned and maligned for it but because he would avoid the suspicion of a Pharisaical vain glorious Spirit and also that he might get as far as ever he can out of the reach of Impediments and Diversions He enters into his Chamber and there shuts his Door upon him that so he might shut out all that would interrupt and disturb that fellowship with his God which he hath so often found an incomparable sweetness in as that he counts it his Heaven upon Earth At other times he will make one of the great Congregation and go to the House of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude that keep holy-day Psal. 42. 4. he loves the Gates of Sion and to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Psal. 27. 4 and also he knows how to go out as Isaac did into the Fields to meditate and in the night season to be abroad and consider with David the Heavens which are the works of God's hand the Moon and the Stars which he hath created and so take
shalt make to thy self no graven Image Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day So here Thou when thou prayest Christ would have every one that nameth his Name that takes upon him the Profession of being one of his People to make a particular application of this to himself and to look upon this counsel as given and this charge as laid upon him Thou Thomas when thou prayest do this and thou Iohn when thou prayest do this and so thou Matthew and thou Andrew and so every one that was then alive or that shall live in any Age or place of the World It is spoken to you and to me and to all do thou enter into thy Chamber thou alone and shut the door upon thee not upon others with thee but upon thee and so pray unto thy Father get alone saith Christ and pray alone do it when there is no body by none to see thee none to overhear thee God and an holy Soul are very good company when it goes out with tears and he meets it with smiles when it draws up its Confessions and he seals its Pardons it breathes out holy desires and longings and he affords it gracious answers and in them satisfactions it states its case tells its Diseases open its Sores and he applies easing and healing remedies In a word When the Soul fires its Sacrifice and then in the holy flame thereof the blessed Angel of the Covenant doth wonderfully It is oftentimes good for the Saints to go one with another into the presence of their Father they have been called upon to strive together in prayer and that in Family duties or in publick Ordinances or in cases of common concernment but there is no Christian who hath not his own wants and his own pressures and his own bitternesses and upon these accounts it is best for him to go alone and thou canst not tell O holy Soul what special favour God may shew thee what token of love he may put into thy hand when there is no body by When disconsolate Hannah had been watering her plants weeping greatly alone pouring out her Soul in tears and prayers before the Lord she had such an impress upon her Spirit such a message of peace whisper'd to her as made her glad at heart and on a sudden dried up all her tears so that her countenance was no more sad Thou if thou engagest in this work in thine uprightness mayst believingly and comfortably expect the same in God's time However set this down with thy self and act accordingly That Secret Prayer is thy unquestionable duty by virtue of a Divine Command 4. Lastly There is a very gracious promise made to Secret Prayer and here I shall lay down this Assertion as worthy your taking notice of That the great God doth not make promises to any thing which he doth not require and which is not acceptable and pleasing to him and which accordingly is not duty in man Promises do follow Precepts and are designed for the strengthening of our hearts and hands the encouraging us to Acts of Obedience and the sweetning those Obediential Acts to us He is angry at those who offer to do those things in matters of his Worship for which they have not his Warrant Hence such enquiry as this Isa. 1. 12. Who hath required this at your hands viz. to come in such a manner And hence also that Complaint and Charge That they burn their Sons and Daughters in the fire made a Sacrifice of them which as he saith Ier. 7. 31. He commanded them not neither entred it into his heart David's Design was good and it pleased God that he had an heart so set for his honour yet it was a rebuke and check to him that God sent him this message by Nathan 2 Sam. 7. 7. In all the places wherein I have walked with the Children of Israel spake I a word with any of the Tribes of Israel whom I commanded to feed my poople Israel saying Why build ye not me an house of Cedar From whence saith Peter Martyr we learn that David failed in attempting such a thing when he had not a word for it from God from whom he ought to have expected and waited for a peculiar command as to the thing and time and place Those that run on such Errands as God never sent them on and presume to do such works as God never set them about or will venture to do his work in a way of their own cannot with any shadow of reason expect a reward from his hand let them get one where they can Why should God pay them for doing that which is none of his work or for doing it after their own fashion Nadab and Abihu did the work of God in offering Incense but they did it after their own fashion in making use of strange fire and it cost them their lives they found God not a bountiful Rewarder but a dreadful Revenger When Promises are made by God to any thing they do plainly speak that thing to which those Promises are made a duty Now we find here in the Text a great and gracious promise made by our Lord Iesus to secret Prayer Do this saith he when thou prayest enter into thy chamber and shut thy door about thee study all possible privacy and retirement let no body know of that which thou goest about if thou canst help it do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in secret there is Christ's Counsel and it must needs be good because given by him in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and whose name is Wonderful Counsellour now take with you the Promise annexed to this Counsel Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly God will not send one single Petitioner empty from his Throne of Grace though thou goest begging yet thou shalt return rejoycing Abraham the Father of the Faithful had bowels of compassion yearning over his wicked Neighbours he prayed in secret for â—ilthy Sodom There was no body to back him in that Suit nor to plead together with him that City was indeed so bad that he was both ashamed and afraid to appear as an Advocate for them and therefore he did more than once deprecate the Divine displeasure Oh let not the Lord be angry yet observe how mighty he was with God He lifted up prayer after prayer and God condescended to him again and again Single and solitary Abraham had such a great interest and success that the glorious and provoked God did not give over granting until Abraham had given over praying By what hath been said I hope the first thing promised is performed namely it is made plain and evident That secret-Secret-prayer is the Christian's duty We now proceed to the Second which is to prove That if it be rightly managed it will be his advantage and to that end I shall only shew that it will afford him these two
my Ministry as any in London and not like many given to change wandering up and down from place to place by means whereof their itching Ears have been more tickled that their precious Souls advantaged yed some of them running from the Flock to which they-belong and not keeping the place in which God by his Providence had set them have fallen into the hands of Seducers who have led them out of the way Everlasting and then robbed them of their Light and Heat the precious Truths of God and their Zeal for him leaving them wounded both in Head and Heart and wallowing in the Blood of their Apostacy I was in a prudent and very modest Letter desired to preach upon that excellent Duty of Secret Prayer by one of your number who had with grief taken notice what strangers some Professors are to the practice of it yea how some do live in the total neglect of it as if it were altogether unnecessary and unprofitable The motion being made did meet with a very ready and chearful entertainment I stood not debating but presently closed and buckled to the business and the very next Lord's Day begun it A single Sermon only was desired and I intended no more but having once engaged my thoughts they multiplied and grew up into four As soon as I knew the person that sent me the Letter and made the Motion I gave her my Thanks and I do here repeat them because I find that many through the Blessing of God have got good by it When I had finished the Discourses a Letter subscribed by several was presented me desiring That what had been Preached might be Printed which was granted as soon as asked though the Great Work which lieth upon me doth render Printing very tedious to me and alloweth me not that exactness which I delight in and should otherwise endeavour But I am Yours and take pleasure in being so and know not how to deny you any thing And now I wish That what is here sent abroad into the open World might find acceptance there and meet with a kind reception from Others as it did from You and also That it may bring forth much fruit and accomplish that for which it hath been designed even the good of precious Souls the awakening to and quickening in this great piece of practical Godliness those who have totally neglected it or been exceeding remiss Little do Men and Women think how greatly they prejudice themselves by carelesness touching matters of this nature they had better act by halves and triâ—le in the Affairs of this World than in those of Religion How can any think to be supplied fresh that Stock which is laid up in the hand of Christ or to be enriched by his inexhaustible fulness if they do not seek him How can any expect the performance and making good of the Promises to them unless they put them in suit How can any rationally hope that they shall with Ioy draw Water out of the Well of Salvation when they will not take so much pains as to let down their Bucket into it Though great and glorious things be in the heart and purposes of God concerning his People and he hath passed his Word for them which is better than Man's Bond Security sufficient yet he will be enquired of by them to do them for them Well whoever they be who undervalue God making him the Object neither of their Love nor of their Fear whoever they he that say unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy ways nor to maintain any fellowship with thy Majesty whoever they be that taste no sweetness in holy Exercises and see not that God is necessary but hope to pick up a satisfaction for themselves out of inferior and transitory Goods Let your wants drive you to God and your love draw you to him do you seek the Lord and his strength yea seek his face evermore lay hold upon all opportunities of meeting with him bearing from him and pouring out your Souls before him go with Zacheus into the High-way that there you may get a sight of Christ and with the Spouse into the secret places of the stairs and there let him hear your voice Certainly all those that are born of God have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost are entitled to the Glory above and Ioint-heirs with Christ have received and are acted by the Spirit of Adoption which is a Spirit of Grace and Supplication and puts them upon going to him in all cases as to their Father in Christ their God in Covenant They are in the Scripture called The Generation of them that seek him And let men say what they will it will be found That the most praying Christians are the most thriving Christians They are the persons that now get most of Heaven and make the happiest progress in the way thither Do you therefore in the morning direct your Prayer to God and look up do you present Him with the First-fruits so will the whole be sanctified by that means you will secure to your selves his direction in the difficulties of the day his defence against the temptations of it his support under the afflictions of it his assistance in the work and duties of it together with his blessing upon your endeavours to succeed them and upon your enjoyments to sweeten them to you When the evening comes end your day with God make him the Omega as well as the Alpha pay him the tribute of Praise for the Mercies you recieved beg the continuance of his favour so may you lie down in peace and comfortably expect a being shadowed with his wing and having sleep given you as to his beloved Ones while the Hedge of his Protection is set about your Persons Families and all that you have Upon the Lord's day get alone and do all you can to pray your selves into an holy and heavenly frame fit for the Duties and Ordinances of it beg his Presence with you and in them and a sight of his Power and Glory and that there he would give you of his Loves and Kiss you with the Kisses of his mouth Never dare to come to the publick Assemblies till you have been with the Great Master of them who alone can bless his Provisions to your refreshing and nourishment and fasten his Truths in your Heads and Hearts as a Nail in a sure place Pray that he who hath the Key of David would open the Minister's mouth and your hearts giving him the Tongue of the Learned and you the Ear of the Obedience both prepare the Seed and likewise fit the Soil And when you return from the Congregation to your own Houses there set upon Prayer again and so cover the Seed that is sown and earnestly desire of God That as he did enable you to mingle Faith with the Word that was delivered so he would grant you to live and practice it The Life in Heaven will be a Life of
Praise O let our Life on Earth be a Life of Prayer There our Souls will have an Eternal Repose in him Here let our Souls fâ—llow hard after him But this Epistle sâ—vells too big 't is high time to draw to a Close My hearts desire and Prayer for you all is That you may be saved and that you may work out your Salvation with fear and trembling If you and I get to Heaven at last it matters not what storms we meet with here It is but a little while and all our hard work and sharp conflicts and sour afflictions will have an end and then we shall see God and manage Everlasting Triumphs sinning and sighing wanting and weeping no more Watch while you live in the midst of Enemies walk while you have the light and mind your work while you have any to do Husband your time improve your seasons trade with your Talents fill your Relations with Duty and in all things adorn the Doctrine of our God and Saviour It is your professed desire to enjoy pure Ordinances and an holy Communion Oh that there may be none among you that profane those Ordinances and pollute that Communion First look to your hearts then to your ways and make and keep both as clean as you can Be much in minding your selves not in censuring others their infirmities do you pity and labour to get your own healed Your stay and mine here is not like to be long and we mine here is not like to be long and we need not care how short it is so the great work for which we were sent be finished before we go When we are once in Heaven we shall not need the World and the Church will not need us for God hath the residue of the Spirit and can set others in our places who shall fill them better than we have done While I am continued among you I shall by Grace assisting make it my business to help your Faith and Ioy do you work together with me and God with us all Be friends to your selves and one another why are you brought into an holy Communion but in order to mutual edification And our life is not to be measured so much by the multitude of days or plenty of enjoyments as by usefulness He that doth most service shall have the greatest commendation and weightiest Crown Now commending you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them which are satisfied I rest Your Servant for Jesus sake SAMUEL SLATER From my Study Novemb. 24. 1690 MATTHEW VI. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret THese words are a little part of our dear Saviour's first Sermon and the longest that ever he Preached full of excellent matter most worthy of the Preacher most proper and profitable for the Hearers it abounds with wholesom and excellent Counsels and affords most precious and cordial Comforts They that would taste his Comforts must follow his Counsels and as they desire that Christ would admit them into Heaven when they dye they must be very careful while they live to observe and practice what he taught while he was here upon Earth Learn of him as a Prophet if you would be advanced by him as King In the beginning of this Chapter he commands his Disciples and Followers to take heed Caution becomes Christians their Case calls loudly for it the life which they live in the flesh requires a great deal of caution for the leading of it that it might not be a vain and empty life a low and unworthy life and the duties of Religion to the doing of which they are engaged requires as much that they may not be spoiled by them nor rejected by God nor thrown as dung into their faces Take heed O Professors how you live and walk and carry in the World weigh all your actions and ponder the path of your feet Take heed what you hear and how you hear take heed how you pray for what and in what manner take heed how you converse and with whom take heed how you eat and drink and buy and sell how you think and speak Take heed that you avoid all sinful things and that you do not sin in any lawful things There is a great deal of unseen danger there is a multitude of snares subtilly and privily laid and we are very prone to miscarry to fall into those dangers and be caught in those snares We have need to be circumspect and wary Take heed therefore remembering and considering He gives the charge who loves you dearly and knows better than you what need there is of it Our Lord in particular gives this direction and caution concerning the ordinary works of Alms-giving and Prayer and that extraordinary duty of Fasting all which are so good and excellent in themselves that he would not have them spoil'd by any of his Servants whatever they are by others who will needs pretend to him while they have no more of him than the name and that which as to these things he doth in general caution them about is That they be not as the Hypocrites Hypocrisy is a thing exceeding odious unto God An Ape is most like a Man but is not one and of all creatures he is most deformed An Hypocrite is of all others most like a Saint but is not and of all Sinners he is most hateful He shall not stand before God but be banished furthest from him The worst darkest hottest place in Hell is his apartment God doth so much loath Hypocrites that he doth not allow his Children to resemble them He would not have them to be Hypocrites nay he would not have them to be as Hypocrites When thou giâ—est Alms do not sound a Trumpet as the Hypocrites do Instead of letting the world do not let thy left hand know what thy â—ight hand doth When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues They do not love to do good without having many Witnesses of the good they do As if that Duty were lost from which they do not reap the praise of Men. When thou fastest be not as the Hypocrites of a sad countenance They love to put on a sour face but never look after nor care for a broken and contrite heart Thus our Lord and Master would not have his followers to conform to them Do not fashion your selves like them get not into their mode and dress though it seem great and handsome Be ye followers of God as dear Children in all things Keep as close to him as ever you can Put on the Lord Jesus be ye cloathed all over with Christ That as near as may be nothing but Christ and his Spirit and Vertues may be seen in you but be not like the Hypocrites in any thing An Hypocrite
hence when Sickness Arrests you and you find that the King of terrors is at your very door that will be a dismal time and it will cause many thoughts and tremblings of heart and then if ever you will stand in need of Cordials and happy the Man that hath his comfortable Reflections and Prospects to support his Spirits who can look back to his Life past with peace and look forward to Eternity with hope When a Child of God that hath maintain'd a close and intimate Communion with his God and given himself unto Prayer comes to lie upon his Death-bed he is so roughly handled by that last enemy that he cannot pray his heart is so faint within him and his pains are so strong upon him that he hath not any leisure for that work in which he hath found so much sweetness and for which he hath so dear a love Alas then his case his weakness his agonies his tumblings and tossings are such that he cannot pray as he was wont only sigh and groan and lift up an eye and give a look toward God's Holy Temple and dart up a short ejaculation Poor Soul that is the utmost length he can go and it is no small grief to him that he is so straitned and confined Holy Asaph put this among the Reasons of his bitter complaints Psal. 77. 4 That he was so troubled that he could not speak But at that very time he can relieve and comfort himself with his former praying and former walking and Communion with God his former seeking of God and conversing with him When there was a message of death by the Prophet brought to Hezekiah he could send this short Petition up again to Heaven Isa. 38. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight He could do but very little then his strength was gone and his breath was short but he could with comfort remember and desire God himself to remember how he had walked and what he had done in his Halcion and healthful days So when a gracious person is disabled for his work he can think thus There is a stock of Prayers which I have laid up in Heaven against such a time of need as this is and the thought thereof will be a singular support and comfort to him But what do you think will become of you at such a time you that have been all your days strangers to this work When you come to dye you cannot pray your distempers and pains will not lâ—t you and you do not know how to go about it nor how to do one stroke at it and it will then be a sting and horrour to you to think that when you were in health and strength and all things well with you you would not pray You were called upon often by your godly Ministers and by your gracious Friends and Relations but you would not At a dying hour you will have no fitness for that work and all the time that you lived before you had no heart to it But possibly you will comfort your selves with this that when you are sick and full of fears and inward disquiets and you are not in a capacity of praying for your selves then you or some of your Friends for you will send for some godly Minister or other and desire him to pray for you Well suppose that is done and the Minister sent for comes if he knows what a wretch thou hast been and how much thou hast neglected God and thy Duty all thy days What straitnings of Soul must he of necessity be under as to thee With what holy confidence and hope may we go to God in Prayer on the behalf of a godly person when sick if we can say to God as they did to Christ on the behalf of Lazarus John 11. 3. Lord he whom thou lovest is sick But what a damp must it needs be to us when we think we are going to God for a sick and dying Man but such an one as neglected God and hated him and lived without him and in open rebellion against him I fear I fear there are too many among us that befool and deceive themselves with this That if they can get a Minister to Pray by them especially if it be such an one as will give them the Sacrament too oh then all is well and their Souls go immediately to Heaven without any stop by the way and the Gate of Glory is opened to them and entrance granted but it is probable that will not do and that these Men build their high hopes upon a Sandy-foundation that will fail them And I would fain know what great encouragement or what sufficient ground we have to believe that we shall carry them in the Arms of our Prayers safe to Heaven who would not themselves take one right step in the way that leads thither would never be humble Petitioners for the pardon of their Sins or for the Life and Salvation of their own Souls That I look upon as exceeding worthy of your observation and repeated thoughts which we meet with in the 1st of Samuel chap. 12. After that good Man had faithfully reproved the people for their great wickedness in asking a King and likewise put them into a great consternation by a Storm of Thunder and Rain in the time of Wheat-Harvest which was unusual in that Countrey they became humble Suitors to him saying in verse 19. Pray for by servants unto the Lord thy God that we die not That request he was most freely wilâ—ing to grant God forbid saith he that I should sin in ceasing to pray for you He had prayed for them and would continue to pray for them But now mark and remember that which followeth in vers 24. Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart Which is as if he had said I will not be wanting to my Duty you are a people that I dearly love and heartily wish welfare and prosperity to I will speak for you and plead for you and wrestle with God for you but do not you lay too great stress upon my Prayers look to it that you be not found sinning against God whil'st I am praying to him for you left you do your selves more mischief than I can do you good My Prayers will not prevail on your behalf unless you will resolve to fear God your selves and to seek and serve him your selves and pray and honour and obey him your selves By warrant of that Scripture I do now say to you when you are sick and in distress and fear you shall dye you will call the Ministers to pray for you and we are ready to do it when you send for us we will come only I wish that we may be sent for sooner than we are by some of you viz. while you are able to give us an account of your selves and in
he was careful of and busie at his home-trade Psal. 55. 17. Evening morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud And yet that was not enough for him at that rate of working he could neither live nor lay up as he would therefore you read in Psal. 119. 164. It was his constant practice to be at his praises of God seven times a day Thirdly I would ask thee this Question What dost thou think of God what figure doth he make I know notwithstanding his unmatchable Excellencies and infinite Perfections he is very low in the thoughts of many yea most but I am now speaking to thee who art a Professor and pretendest to a knowledge of him and a love to him But prithee What room dost thou give him where dost thou place him dost thou deal becomingly with him dost thou value and esteem him as a God ought to be valued dost thou believe that he alone is more than all the Angels in Heaven and all the Men on Earth put together dost thou think that to have his Eye upon thee is a far greater matter than to have the Eyes of the best and greatest Persons upon Earth upon thee It really is so for what is all the World to God what is Heaven and Earth to God what is their loving thee if he hate thee what is their liking thee if he loath thee what is their approving and justifying thee if he reject and condemn thee but I ask now what thy thoughts are and again I ask dost thou think that to have his presence with thee is more than to be in the most frequent and numerous Assembly the most thronged Congregation and certainly it is so the presence of God alone should be more awing and it is more delighting than that of any other Now if thou hast this high esteem for God if thou makest this account of his presence then remember that He seeth in secret So our Saviour tells us in the Text. His Eyes run to and fro in the Earth not only in the High-ways and broad Streets but they look into Nooks and Corners also He doth not only walk in the golden Candlesticks but steps into Chambers and Closets too as in Ezek. 9. 8. he order'd the Prophet to dig in the wall and commanded him to go in and see the Abominations that were done there And Verse 12. He speaks of what the Ancients of the house of Israel did in the dark every one in the chambers of his imagery Idolaters act their idolatry and ungodly Men their wickedness as close as they can they have darkness and walls to conceal it but to God the darkness is as the light and the night shineth as the day and in the wall there is an hole through which God's Eye looks and discovers all and he that can find an hole in the wall hath also a window in the Chamber Now if the Eyes of Men will make thee pray in thy Family if they have such a powerful influence on thee as to fetch thee out of thy House and draw thee to join with the Congregation iâ— the Acts of Publick Worship give me a reason if thou hast one worth the giving why the All-seeing Eye of the glorious and holy God should not make thee pray in thy Chamber by thy self since he doth most curiously observe thee there though no body else doth I think my self bound to tell thee whether thou wilt believe and consider it or not I must leave to thy self That if thou dost neglect Secret Prayer it is an evident sign that thou undervaluest God It is no less than a base slight put upon God and those that despise him shall be lightly esteemed Fourthly Let me once more inquire of thee what agreement is there between thee and thy Conscience When you do not seek God do you find and enjoy peace within is Concience quiet doth it not quarrel with you and make you feel its anger I remember what the Apostle saith in Rom. 14. 22. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth that is satisfied about the thing which he doth whatever others say against him he is not self-condemned So I may say Happy is the man who condemneth not himself in the thing that he omitteth Thou never prayest in secret but art thou not in that wanting to thy duty art not thou injurious both to God and thine own Soul dost thou not withhold from him that which is his due doth not thy Conscience tell thee thou art wanting to thy duty doth it not vote for it doth it not upbraid thee with the neglect doth it not sometimes flee in thy face and charge it upon thee and put thee into a Little-ease I think I have said enough in the Doctrinal part for the proving it to be thy Duty And hath not thy Conscience gone along with those things and subscribed to them as the Truths of God And if so what account wilt thou be able to give unto thy supream Lord for thy not giving ear to his Vicegerent that he himself had appointed and set up in thy bosome How wilt thou answer him when he shall say Why didst thou not attend to the dictates of thy Conscience why didst thou not do that which thy Conscience told thee thou wast bound to do How dost thou think to come off what plea wilt thou use at the last and great day when thy heavenly Master shall say I have not found thy works perfect before me they have not been filled up here hath been an huge Chasâ—e a great vacancy I have been forgotten and neglected by thee when thou wast alone thou wouldest not do me service when thou hadst nothing else to do thou wouldest rather sit still nodding in thy Chair than take the pains to give me a visit We are commanded always to ahound in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. verse last How darest thou then to omit so considerable so sweet and so necessary a part thereof especially when thy Conscience persuaded and called thee to it Conscience will be heard sooner or later in one way or other if you will not hear its softer Counsels you shall its louder Thunders if you will not follow its Directions it will pursue you with its Terrors In a word if you will not attend to the Dictates of Conscience you shall feel the Fury of it and when you feel it you will find it intollâ—rable Having thus ordered out those Reproofs which I judged necessary upon occasion of this Text and begging they may take place and be accompanied with a blessing upon those who are guilty before God in one of these respects or other I come to speak unto you in a way of hearty and serious exhortation I do in the Bowels of Love and with great earnestness intreat and beseech you who are yet altogether or too great strangers to it to set forthwith upon this excellent Duâ—y of Secret Prayer and oh that by the
and dread upon thy spirit with as great â—umility and reverence in thy carriage and deportment as if thou hadst the eyes of all the World upon thee though thou mayest in thy retirements be more free and open in giving an account of thy self and thy condition thy burthens wants and desires because no body sees thee yet thou must not be rude unmannerly and sawcy because God sees thee When thou art in a Corner God is in Heaven upon a Throne of Glory attended by innumerable Angles who in his presence cover their Faces with their Wings as knowing their distance their inability and unworthiness to behold him Remember thou hast to do with Majesty yea with an Infinite and Glorious Majesty and Shall not his excellency make you afraid and his dread fall upon you Job 13. 11. And indeed then are we most excellent when we do most fear God's Excellency David began Psalm 8. with the admiration of God's Excellency O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth And then in the same Psalm he fell to humbling and vilifying thoughts and expressions of Man What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Abraham was the Father of the faithful and the Friend of God yet how low was he in his own eyes and how much fill'd with an awe of God when he alone stood before him pleading for wicked Sodom Observe how he carried and what he said Genesis 18. 27. Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes And vers 30. O let not the Lord be angry and I will speak And yet again verse 32. O let not the Lord be angry and I will speak yet but this once By all this you see how much he was afraid of offending God and this is that which God expects from his creatures yea from his dearest Children he stands upon his honour and looks to be treated like himself Levit. 10. 3. Moses said unto Aaron This is that the Lord spake I will be sanctified in all them that come nigh me See then that you have grace to serve him with reverence and godly fear as knowing that your God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 28 29. Nadab and Abihu found him so when destroyed by fire that came from his presence upon their not observing his order in matter of worship they brought with them strange fire and met with devouring fire Therefore do you fear before him when you pray to him and though no-body be by remember and consider that God is by as to hear your Prayers so curiously to observe both the frame of your spirits and the manner of your deportments before him as he is of pitiful eyes so of pure and piercing eyes which cannot indure to behold iniquity and from which nothing can be hid all is naked and open before him with whom you have to do Secondly When thou settest about the work of Secret-Prayer study and endeavour secrecy to the utmost and be as secret as ever thou canst do not tell others the business thou art taking in hand What though none know of it let it be enough for thee that thy Father doth for that is enough he alone is sufficient to be thy witness and to do for thee all that thou desirest Never go to it with a design nor in such manner that others may take notice of it for thy commendation A Christian indeed may do Alms and pray so as to be taken notice of and let his light shine before Men in order to the alluring of others and drawing them to the like acts of piety and charity But to give others by any means an item of our private Duties in order to our own applause that we might have praise with Men and be by them accounted in the number of serious strict and eminent Christians is too low a pitch for the Children of God to fly it is Pharisaically wicked and abominable And sure I am you your selves will find it true at the last That a name thus obtained will not pay the charge but cost you a great deal more than it is worth It is far better for us to take care of our duty and leave it to God to take care of our names If we can please God and get to Heaven we shall be glad to be there though no-body knew all the steps we took in the way thither When thou art in the work and warm at it when the Fire burns speak with thy tongue it is thy friend in Prayer and thy glory in Praises but command it to keep a due decorum be not so loud that others may hear do not like some make the street ring I readily grant that the lifting up of the voice is sometimes the effect of an oppressed spirit whom speaking will not serve there must be crying and that aloud sometimes it is the effect of a soul fir'd and inflam'd with holy longings and it may be allowed to be an help to the raising up of the spirit and affections Only when thou dost make use of it get as far as thou canst out of the hearing of others that thou mayest not be as the hypocrites are If thou hast not conveniency for that neither within doors nor without then go to God as he came to Elijah in a soft and still voice Thy Father can hear thy whispers for thou always speakest in his ear yea more Romans 8. 27. He that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the spirit He had in the Verse before spoken of groans that could not be utter'd desires that are in the Soul which it knoweth not how to express but though thou canst utter neither sighs nor groans nor words God knoweth your minds what your spirits are working out after when you say nothing he can tell what you would have All my desire is before thee He understands the language of thy sighs yea thy very tears are to him articulate when he doth not hear the words of thy mouth We do not find that Woman said any thing who washed Christ's Feet with her tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head but in those tears and actions Christ saw love and thankfulness much is forgiven her therefore she loveth much yea he doth know what you have a mind to by your very looks Hence it was that when the floods compassed Ionah about and all the billows and waves passed over him and he looked upon himself as being in a perishing condition he resolved upon giving God a look before he was quite lost Ionah 2. 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple and that look saved him Verse 6. Thou hast brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God He looks pitifully up to God and God looks graciously down upon him do thou so act the Saint as carefully to avoid every
and compendious way mingling with it faith in Christ to provide for your own peace and comfort when you do humbly and freely load your selves with the acknowledgment of the sins you are guilty of you may find them lie more light upon you Consciences when you bind them upon your selves you may find God loosing them and taking them off by the assurance of a gracious and full pardon Till David came to this poor man he was in a most dismal condition Psal. 32. 3. While he kept silence his bones waxed old through his roaring all the day he kept silence i. e. he did not confess sin and then he was fain to spend all his time in roaring because of the torment and anguish which he felt and so long as he did not carry toward God in a way of ingenuity God carried toward him in a way of severity Vers. 24. Day and night thy hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer He was sunk under the weight of that hand and broken almost to shivers and dried up like a potsherd But now see what a comfortable change was wrought and how God appeared to his joy when he brake off that sinful silence yea as soon as he took up a resolution of doing it Ver. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin So then this is the way to remove Judgements to pacifie the wrath and displeasure of God to quiet the Conscience to recover the sense of Divine Favour and to get for broken bones the joy of God's Salvation Fifthly When thou art in secret keep a strict watch over thy self Watch over both thy Body and Soul watch over thy body that it may not sleep as the Disciples did very unseasonably when they had the greatest reason to keep awake You know what our Saviour said That the body is weak where the spirit is willing It is a great sin and therefore a great shame for people yea such as profess godliness when they are about the Work and Service of God in these Assemblies hearing and praying to sleep away so much of that precious time as they do as if these things were none of their business and they were not at all concerned in it Sure I am this is not to sit here as God's People sitteth this is no sign of a serious Christâ—an coming to hear for Life and to pray for Life and working out Salvation with fear and trembling and yet they sleep in the midst of Observers when they have some on all sides to give them an awakening jog and I desire you to make conscience of doing it it is an act of Duty and of Love it is a friendly jog and the party to whom you give it is obliged to take it thankfully at your hands as a kindness He doth not know how much he may lose by a little Nap some precious Truth may then be spoken and passed in which he was greatly concerned and by which he might have been greatly benefited but it is gone and lost as to him he slept it away But when thou art all alone thou hast none by to do that friendly Office to bestow a jog upon thee then thou must do all the work thy self and look to thy self therefore thou shouldst be the more thine own Friend and take the more care and pains And also watch thy Soul thine heart keep it as thou art commanded with all diligence And as Deborah said to her self when she was in the midst of her work Iudges 5. 12. Awake awake Debroah awake awake utter a Song so do you call upon your selves in your Duties Awake awake O my Soul awake awake lift up a Prayer Thou hast now wrestling-work in hand do not be dull heavy and lazy at it watch thine heart for it needs it and two things in particular it is very subject to wandrings and coolings the heart of man is a wandering heart will not keep its way nor dwell upon its proper Object David could say My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed But could he say so always or canst thou No tho' it is fixed in its choice of God in its affection to him in its resolution for him yet it hath not that fixation of thoughts and meditations upon him nor that fixedness of fellowship and communion with him which should be Thou thinkest thou carriest thy heart with thee to thy duty but dost thou not often find it hath given thee the slip and is gone before thou hast done Therefore look to it keep thine eye upon it that it may keep its place and to its business But then again the heart of man hath its coolings as well as its wandrings As it should keep its way so it should carefully keep its heat Be much therefore and frequent in stirring up thy self when thou goest by thy self to take hold of God beware of all deadness and dulness when thou art going to serve a living God When fire-brands are together they will help one another and burn to the last but he that would keep a single one alive had need to tend it carefully and be often blowing it yea and adding some fewel too Watchfulness is as great and necessary a Duty as any the Christian hath to do he must watch unto Prayer that he may not go about it unseasonably that he may not lose a fit opportunity but set up his sail as soon as the wind blows and that he also might make use of all advantages for the tuning of his instrument and getting his heart into a right frame and he must watch likewise in prayer that when he is at the work he may not idle in it and so lose his duty by losing himself for want of looking to Alas what is Prayer without the heart unprofitable to man abominable to God it is like a Carcase when the Soul hath once forsaken it a stinking and offensive thing who would make a Present of it to a great King Sixthly When thou art upon thy knees engaged in secret Prayer unto God be sure that thou double thy diligence and put thy strength forth to the utmost When a great many are lifting at an heary weight every one may spare himself and put forth the less strength because there is such a number to assist but when there is no more than one single person tugging at it he had need strain and labour hard else he must leave it where and as he found it When we are joined together with others in Prayer when with a Church of Christ an Assembly of Saints there is a number of Supplicants a great many besieging the Throne of Grace wrestling with God and pulling down the Blessings which are desired and then we may speak in the same manner as David did Psal. 7. 6 7. Arise O Lord in thine anger lift up
thy self because of the rage of mine enemies awake for me to the judgment which thou hast commanded so shall the congragation of the people compass thee about 〈◊〉 for their sakes therefore return thou on high Yea when there is a Congregation of God's People compassing him about we may say Lord for their sakes shew thy self be exalted in thy strength and in thy goodness and mercy Yet know this is no Argument why any one single Member of that Church or Congregation should be remiss and abate of his zeal and endeavours for we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15. 30. When we are together in Prayer we must strive together in Prayer the word is very emphatical When we are together we must not be in Prayer only but in an agony too we must not only seek Mercy but strive for it strive mightily as Wrestlers do and Champions in the field It is saith Beza a Metaphor taken from Military Affairs and signifies such fervency and zeal as is used in matters of Life and Death there must be a laying hold on God's strength and a putting forth of ours an acting to the utmost Tho we are together and that a great number together yet we must every one strive else it would be our shame as in a School if all the Boys are studying and conning their Lessons any one should not mind it but be toying and loitering or as in a Work-house many should be labouring hard till the sweat run off their faces but in the midst of that industrious Company there should be one sleeping and there another trifling and also it will be to your loss for tho the Church may obtain a gracious Answer and prevail for a Blessing and delight themselves in the goodness of the Lord yet the lazy lukewarm Christian who did nothing or at best out of an indifferency of Spirit will an hundred to one fall short and miss of a share being one of those foolish slothful seekers that are not able And while a Iacob after his wrestling is commended and rewarded hath his Name changed to his honour from weak Iacob to mighty Israel from Iacob a Worm to Israel a Prince with God While resolved and importunate Souls are most graciously smil'd upon and sent away as the Woman of Canaan was with their desires fulfilled and their joys running over Be it to you even as you will I can I will deny you nothing thou maist be sent away with a severe rebuke from God Thou wicked and slothful servant And what shall I say with a flea in thine ear no no with a sting in thy Conscience Bu◠now if there be such joint endeavours required such utmost striving when you go before God with your united forces surely there is no reason why you should be cold and freeze why you should trifle and be careless when you are alone and in secret with God No no then it doth nearly concern you to summon all the powers of your Souls to muster all your forces and to put all your affections into a lively and fervant frame and every grace to its post and business Being you have to do all your work your selves get as much strength from Heaven as you can and employ all you get whatsoever thy hand findeth to do thine own single hand be sure that thou do it with all thy might Christians you must seek mercy diligently if you would be succesful in your seeking Seventhly Let not thy secret Prayer shut Prayer out of thy Family do not make use of that performance as a sufficient excuse for this neglect and omission neither think to stop the mouth of conscience now with that which will not pass for a good plea when thou shalt come to appear before the Tribunal of an holy God It is indeed thy duty to pray alone and if thou dost do it thou doest well yet thou must not only pray alone but with others also yea this is an indispensible duty incumbent upon you who are Governours of Families you should see to it that your Houses be Churches not Bethavens Houses of vanity but Bethels the Houses of God We read of a Church that was in the House of Precilla and Aquila 16 Rom. 5. and a Church which was in the House of Nymphus Coloss. 4. 15. and a Church that was in Philemon's House Philemon 2. It is a common Saying and a true one That every man is to be a Prophet Priest and King in his own House You do well enough remember your being Kings and as such do insist much upon your Authority and Power and know how to Lord it enough only by the way take this short Advice which I shall give you So rule as Kings as not to degenerate into Tyrants You are Heads and to be honoured for such but let not your Crowns be Thorns rending and tearing afflicting and vexing those that live under your shadow and should rejoyce in it And withal do not forget that you are to be Prophets too teaching and instructing those that are under your Charge and Care Gen. 8. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. Yea and you are to be Priests also Praying for your Families and with them What is more reasonable than this what more decent and comely Do you not live together do you not love together do you not eat and drink together do you not rejoice and make merry together and I appeal to your own judgments Conscience what saist thou should not ought not these persons to worship God together ought they not to pray together and to seek the face of God together This is the way to make your Communion an holy Communion to sweeten your comforts and converse and to sanctifie all your enjoyments 1 Tim. 4. 4 5. Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Prayer Family-Prayer is needful for the sanctifying of Family-enjoyments without it you sit down at unsanctified Tables and you lie down in unsanctified Beds and I do heartily commend to your consideration and imitation the holy and brave Resolution of Ioshua He was a great Man a Prince Captain-General and Leader of Israel do you see how much he was fixed in this gracious purpose Iosh. 24. 15. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord not only I but we not only we a-part but also we together And let every one of you lay aside your vain pretences and weak reasons against a great duty Never pretend modesty in the case thou art ashamed to pray before others but this is such a Fig-leaf as cannot cover thy nakedness be ashamed of thy folly and sins of thy vain words and frothy talk but be not ashamed of thy work be ashamed that thou dost it no better but be not ashamed to do it art
things 1. Safety 2. Comfort 1. First Secret Prayer is a choice and excellent means of Security would a Man be safe when he is alone then let him pray when he is alone On this side of Heaven there is not any one place to be sound in which a person may rationally look upon himself as quite out of the reach of danger I heard one once wittily say He did not upon the Road fear Highway-men so long as be was alone But there are other enemies from whom we may apprehend mischief when we are most alone The subtil Serpent wrigled himself into Paradise it self and there he did mortally sting our first Parents and undid them and all their posterity in them Holy Paul was perfectly safe while he continued in the third Heaven the malicious Tempter could not come at him there since he was cast down from that blessed place He never yet could and for the future he never shall make a re-entry nor is his Arm strong enough to shoot an Arrow or throw a fiery Dart so high But no sooner was that eminent Apostle come down again but he was desperately set upon worse than the Philistins were upon him there was a Thorn stuck in his flesh which could not but put him to pain and a Messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him who without peradventure gave him no small blows One would conclude a person safe enough when no-body is with him as there is none to help so there is none to hurt yet even then he may be in danger for though there be no Man with him yet there is a Devil with him yea more than one possibly more than a Legion It might have been rationally concluded That David walking upon the top of his House did not stand in need of his Life-guard about him Who was that should or could do the King a mischief there Yet even there a Naked Woman conquered that Man of War and a malicious Devil let fly one of his envenom'd Arrows and wounded him to the very heart by the eye It had been well for that good Man if instead of gazing about and viewing every object that presented he had been looking up to his God and praying in secret Know and consider O thou poor Soul the Devil hath a mind to thee not out of any Love he bears thee for there is no such thing in Devils they must cease to be Devils before they can have any kindness for Men But he hath a mind to you as a roaring Lion hath to his prey and in pursuance of his bloody design he is restless though he can do himself no good he reckons it worth his while to do thee a mischief and therefore he doth not only walk with thee up and down in the Street and from this private or publick House to that nor only follow thee to the publick Congregation there to divert thy thoughts or deaden thy affections or direct thine eye to some vain and wanton object or pick up the seed which is sown that though it be cast in at the ear yet it may never reach so far as the heart to root there and bring forth precious fruit in the Life and Conversation but he will also dog you into your Chambers and intrude into your Closets when the Door is shut he will get in you cannot while here get clear of the old Man and the old Serpent and where-ever he is you may be sure He comes for no good He is wholly set upon mischief that is his constant imploy his beloved work his heart is set upon it he follows it close and with all his might Therefore my advice is That thou wouldest make Prayer thy Closet-business that when this implacable Enemy of thine finds thee alone he may not have an advantage against thee When in Ephes. 6. the Apostle Paul had told you of the Enemies you must contend with that they are not only flesh and blood but also principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places he advised you to put on the whole Armour of God and over and above he directed you to this excellent and necessary work of Prayer as knowing that both your security and victory depend as much upon that as any thing Your Armour will not do without your God and him you cannot expect without Prayer If then you would not fall both into temptation and by it your care and work must be to watch and pray and I do not in the least doubt but Prayer hath laid many a restraint upon the Devil and kept him off from medling with a Child of God when his fingers have itch'd at him and blunted his tools often and often so that he could not do the work he intended with them and broken the neck of many a cursed design which he was most industriously carrying on 2. Secondly Secret Prayer is a special way for the making of your retirement comfortable and pleasant to you Solitariness is looked upon as having Melancholly for its usual Companion and a Life of loneliness and retirement is reckon'd a very disconsolate Life The Prophet made this a part of his bitter complaint Psal. 102. 7. That he was as a sparrow alone upon the house top And Solomon saith Eccles. 4. 10. Wo be to him that is alone Hence one said He that loves to be alone is either a Beast or a God But Secret-Prayer is an excellent way to sweeten solitariness and take off the uncomfortableness of it If thou dost but in thine uprightness apply thy self heartily to this work when thou art without any Company thou shalt not be without matter of rejoycing but with Hagar in the Wilderness find a Spring opened to thee That was a great saying of one Nunquam minus solus quam cum maxime solus I am never less alone than when I am most alone He did never find less want of Company than when he had none then a Man enjoys his God and himself and he that hath indeed that enjoyment needs no body Iohn 16. 32. Our Saviour spake thus to his Disciples The hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the father is with me Not alone when alone I shall be altogether without you but not without my Father who doth more infinitely more than fill up those vacancies as at noon-day we do not want the Stars though they be all obscur'd and disappear because we have the glorious Light and Beams of the Sun who doth abundantly supply their absence David tells us in Psalm 145. 18. which is a Psalm of Praise That the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth Sincere Prayer will fetch God down from Heaven to stand at thy right hand Our Heavenly Father is more ready than the most affectioâ—ate tender-hearted Mother upon Earth to arise and come in at the cry