husbands wives apart Zech. 12.11 12. And of gracious souls to be like Doves of the valleys every one mourning for his iniquity Eze. 7.16 There must be joynt-Prayers and separated Prayers together and apart Let not Christians be content to find Christ in a Corner for themselves but let them do what they can that others also may enjoy him this was the frame of the Church or believing Soul Cant. 3.4 When she had found him I held him saith she and would not let him go until I had brought him into my Mothers house i. e. into more publick assemblies And truly Christians that man hath not found Christ at all that would not have all others to find him Oh thinks the Christian in his retirement that others did but feel and injoy what my soul hath sweet experience of would to God my Husband Wife Brother Father Child Neighbour would but try this course a while Oh what advantage would they get by it Though I eat these sweet morsels alone yet fain would I have others to partake with me In things of this world persons are apt to grudge others any benefit by what they have stoln from others a view but in spiritual advantages there 's no envy and if there be it proceeds not from Grace but from corrupt Nature the more grace the less envy and when envy is gone persons will be communicative Take away envy Tolle invidiam mea tua sunt tua mea and mine is thine and thine is mine true Grace or Charity is kind envieth not 1 Cor. 13.4 Now this I am perswading to that they that have found Christ would be so charitable to souls as to communicate the knowledge of him and the way to enjoy him unto others Thus doth Andrew come to Simon and Philip to Nathaniel and both of them were as a man finding a jewel and cannot contain overjoyed and cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found him We have found the Messias Joh. 1.41 45. And when the poor woman of Samaria had been privately conversing with Jesus down she threw at least left behind her her water-pot and all in haste went to the City and said to the men Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ John 4.28 29. Thus do you sirs promote and propagate this choice duty commend it unto others practice and so you may be instruments of good CHAP. VII Concerning the matter or words of Prayer SECT I. THere is one thing yet remains which it may be expected something should be spoken to and that is The matter in praying or words of Prayer Whether it be lawful or requisite to use a form or no Most judge Videas Ames Cas Cons lib. 4. c. 17. p. 190. that as forms are lawful so prescript words may be requisite to some young beginners in Religion and other Christians of weak parts that cannot express their desires to God in fit words to help their rudeness yet Christians ought to press after more growth and proficiency that they may lay aside those Crutches and arrive at that gift of Prayer that may be of singular use As for Closet-Prayer Practical Catech. pag. 277. Dr. Hammond doth assert it that every one may ask his own wants in what form of words he shall think fit And indeed all particular cases incident and variable can scarce be comprehended in one constant form besides in secret Prayer God doth not so much stand upon phrases or pat sentences as the workings of the heart in sighs and groans which are the best Rhetorick in his ears It 's inquired Whether we may use the Lords Prayer I answer we may use it as other prayers in Scripture but I conceive the principal end of it is not to be rehearsed every time we pray but an example platform or directory according to the contents whereof we must direct our prayers Therefore for the further help of young professors I shall briefly touch at the several branches of that admirable compendious rule of Prayer you have in Mat. 6. ver 9. to v. 14. And the rather because it may seem to refer chiefly though not only to Closet-devotion what I shall say to it may be a practical analysing of it in its several parts and branches 1. For the preface Our Father which art in Heaven You may thus make use of it Infinite and Eternal Majesty the Maker of Heaven and Earth who dwellest in the highest Heavens and in the lowest hearts who seest all things here below and art a God that hearest prayers I am a poor worm at thy foot-stool looking up to the Throne of thy Grace cast a Fatherly eye up on me and though I be by Nature a Child of wrath yet through Jesus Christ make me thy child by Grace and Adoption teach me to cry Abba Father with holy reverence and filial confidence raise my heart to Heaven beget in me Faith in thy promises love to my brethren and due apprehensions of thy Soveraign power and gracious condescention that praying by the help of thy Spirit in the name of thy Son I may obtain good at thy Fatherly hands Secondly for the Petitions 1. Petition Hallowed be thy Name Thus O my God I have dishonoured thee all my days by my ignorance pride hardness and unthankfulness and I am unapt and unable to glorifie thee but do thou glorifie thy self in my conversion and salvation help me to know and adore thee to make an high account of thy titles attributes ordinances to believe thy word admire thy works in mercy or judgment help me with spiritual thoughts becoming my holy profession with divine lips speaking good of thy Name and a suitable conversation to walk before the Lord Holy God destroy Atheism Ignorance Idolatry and Profaneness magnifie thy Name through the World and direct and dispose all things to the advancement of thy glory by thy over-ruling providence and thy infinite wisdom 2. Petition Thy Kingdom come Thus improve it Lord I must confess that by nature I am dead in sin and a bond-slave to the Prince of darkness who rules in my heart and leads me captive by ignorance errour disobedience but do thou by the power of thy grace cast out the strong man take possession of my heart sway thy blessed Scepter in me bring my whole man to obedience destroy Satans kingdom propagate the Gospel among all Nations purge thy house furnish thy Church with officers orders and pure ordinances make Kings nursing Fathers to it convert sinners confirm Saints comfort the sad hasten thy second coming to judgement and the blessed Kingdom of Glory 3. Petition Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Thus Holy Majestie I acknowledge my natural ignorance of thy will impotencie to obey it yea enmity and antipathy against it my best services are imperfect my spirit repining under thy hand and my will wilfully resisting grace and rushing into sin but Dear Lord
Redeemer find a soul upon its knees before the Lord Oh the hearty welcom it will give unto its God! This is the time he waited for he was got into a corner was sighing for his sins pleading for mercy breathing after grace and panting for glory and behold what a quick return doth his God make Even while he is speaking and praying the Lord doth send a guard of Angels to conduct the soul into eternal Mansions where God and the soul shall part no more Blessed for ever happy is that soul whom its Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Now consider of it Whether state would you be found in And do not you know his Coming may be sudden and unexpected Would you be found under neglect or in the faithful performance of a duty Would you not be carried from your Closet-devotion to eternal communion with God Oh then take our Lord's most wholsom counsel Take ye heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is Mark 13.33 I might here challenge Christians also not only for their neglect of but careless performance of this duty of Closet-prayer with what sorry shifts do we put off God How hard dead unbelieving distracted are our hearts in secret God takes much pleasure in Adverbs it pleaseth not God that a duty be done except it be well done Many satisfie their own consciences that they have prayed but consider not how they prayed there 's a curse on such as do the work of God negligently Jer. 48.13 Mal. 1.14 and that have in their flock a male and offer to the Lord a corrupt thing And it 's a fearful thing to get a curse upon our knees when we come for a blessing Look to it God takes notice how you pray the Devil stands under your Closet-window and heareth what you say to God in secret all the while studying how he may commence a suit against you for your duty Like those that come to Sermons to carp or catch at what the Preacher saith or as one saith like a cunning opponent in the Schools while his adversary is busie reading his position he is studying to confute it and oh what advantage do we often give Satan to trip us and take us tardy What occasion do we afford him to accuse us to God and to our selves while we have our filthy garments on us Yea remissness in our duties brings decay in grace Tradesmen may go behind hand by being careless in their dealings as well as by being much out of their shops Alas what sad decay is in our souls for want of closs and constant communion with God We have very perverse hearts we have much ado with them when we would do good evil is present it is our great sin we are so much out of order even upon our knees Satan sends his imps to haunt and torment ment us he jogs our hand when we are to write a Letter to Heaven in our prayers so that we can scarce make sense of what we present to God Our thoughts are unfixed ranging abroad like a Spaniel to a thousand objects so that sometimes we have lost our selves and know not where we are Oh let us lament our vain and trifling spirits in secret duties and turn us unto God for help as a Servant when the child he tends is troublesom and will not be ruled by him calls out to the Father to come to him who no sooner speaks the word but all is whist with him our God can set in order our unruly spirits only he will be called upon by earnest Prayer Thus much for this use CHAP. V. The Third Vse is of Instruction SECT I. MY next and main work is to help us in the duty of Closet-Prayer by propounding some helps and rules for our direction which I shall reduce to these four heads viz. 1. Preparatives to it 2. Essentials in it 3. Circumstances about it 4. Consequences upon it 1. Look to your State and standing If you be not real Saints you are not fit for this spiritual duty Your Relation must be changed by converting grace Hence the Text saith Pray to thy Father See then that God be your Father in Jesus Christ else you cannot truly cry Abba Father If we must be reconciled to our Brother before we offer our gift much more to God for how can two walk together except they be agreed I deny not but a carnal soul should retire himself into a corner examine his state fall down on his knees and beg converting and pardoning grace and thus they must acquaint themselves with God that they may come before him for unsound unconverted sinners have no right as children to call to the King of Heaven though as creatures they may and must seek unto God yet they worship afar off 'T is the gracious Christian only that prayeth acceptably wicked mens prayers are abomination an hypocrite shall not come before him John 13.16 And indeed till you be real Saints you 'l have no mind to buckle close to this duty truth of grace will capacitate you for secret approaches to God strength of grace will elevate you to God and evidence of sincerity will make you come boldly to the Throne of Grace Therefore try your state inquire what relation you have to God or else expect no familiarity with him God will not take the wicked by the hand to lead them into these Chambers of communion the throne of iniquity hath no fellowship with him Our Lord Jesus marrieth none but Widows that are divorced from all other Husbands and he opens his heart to none but his betrothed Spouse her he leads into a solitary place and speaks to her heart Oh sirs come over clearly to God by closing with Christ renounce your selves get united to him and then come and welcom to enjoy communion with him in Closet-Prayer 2. Dispatch other things off your hearts and hands Let not your earthly occasions intrude into your Closet-Exercises Say to the cares and affairs of the world as Abraham to his Servants Stay there while I go and worship the Lord yonder Or as Nehemiah in another case I am doing a great work and I cannot come down to you So do thou say I have appointed other times and seasons for attending worldly businesses let me alone with my God every thing is beautiful in its season Communion with God is as much as I can attend at once I must not be diverted by other objects the business I am about is of the greatest importance I must consult how I may attend upon the Lord without distraction and worldly matters have distracted me in God's service and have cost me many a tear therefore get away from me Why should the work of the Lord cease Why should I be hindred from my God What can you afford me that can be worth one hours communion with my God Thus do you actually renounce the world for you cannot mind two things at once And observe it If
commotion a secret conclave or locked Parlor where no company is to come 2. Shut thy door this word imports yet a further degree of secrecy q. d. That thou maist make thy self to be less observed shut up thy self in a room let none come at thee to disturb thee in thy conversings with God bar the door and make it fast yea let none over-hear thee in thy retired devotions For observe it in true Closet-Prayer there should be an including of the voice as well as the body some pray so loud in their chambers that they may be heard into the streets this is not properly Closet-Prayer since it doth not attain the end of this retirement which is an approving the heart only to God and avoiding all shews and occasions of hypocrisie and vain-glory for it is all one as to this end whether the body be seen or the voice be heard Only remember this is spoken of secret Prayer for it doth not exclude publick Prayer in a congregation where the body is seen and voice is heard Yet it doth by a kind of Synecdoche require self-denial singleness and sincerity in all kind of Prayer Unae specie simplicitatis pro toto genere posita publick private secret for one part or sign of uprightness in the duty is put for the whole shutting the door for integrity of heart in the whole management of this great Affair 3. Here 's the object of Prayer Pray to thy Father Thy business is not with men but with God seek therefore to please and injoy him Nor yet art thou to fetch a compass and pray to Saints and Angels but go straight to God in the name of Christ and be sure thou look upon him as under the sweet relation of a tender Father yea Quod nomen nemo nostrum in oratione auderet attingere nisi ipse nobis sic permisset oâ—are Cyprian Serm. de Orat. Dom. p. 414. Thy Father Oh a sweet word a blessed word and such a word as we durst not have taken into our mouths had it not been for Christ's glorious undertaking to purchase for us the adoption and this gracious commission and in the platform of Prayer the prescription and for God the Father's voluntary condescention Come then and fear not poor Disciple of Christ come with filial affections and the Spirit of Adoption and thou art sure to speed for this paternal relation imports affection provision condescention and compassion If thou wilt be a Child to him he will be a Father to thee 2 Cor. 6.18 4. Here 's the Arguments and incouragements to this duty of secret Prayer 1 Thy Father sees in secret All 's one to him whether you be in a publick Church or private Closet God whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun sees you in the one place as well as in the other and though men see you not yet content your selves with this That God and your consciences are competent witnesses of your uprightness with whom you have to do and from whom you have your reward 2. He will reward thee openly There 's two things in this expression 1. They shall be rewarded 2. They shall be openly rewarded So that men shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth Psal 58.11 The Scribes and Pharisees do all their works to be seen of men and of men they have that sorry reward you do yours in the sight of God and from him you shall receive your abundant and eternal recompence Though men see you not fear not you shall be seen and accepted by him that searcheth hearts and knoweth the mind of his spirit But of these more anon The sum and design of the Text is this Thou my Disciple seest the plausible practices of thy hypocritical Pharisees to gain credit and applause they perform their private duties in publick places as Markets and Synagogues that they may pass among men for eminent Saints and they are generally so esteemed that 's their reward But thou that hast given up thy name to me in the profession of my Name take my counsel for regulalating this sweet Duty of secret Prayer Let none see what thou goest about steal time from all observers withdraw thy self into some Closet or private place and when thou hast made all fast do thou set thy self in the presence of God approve thy heart to him lay open thy bosom before him tell him all thy grievances and though no creature is privy to thy secret groans yet be sure that all thy desires are before God and thy groaning is not hid from him and he takes notice of thy tears and reserves them in a bottle by him to be rewarded in a visible manner in a seasonable time thy labour is not in vain thy work is with the Lord and thy reward with thy God SECT III. Doctrines raised and cleared THere are many Doctrines lye couched in the words I shall but hint them and pitch upon one 1. Prayer is a choice part of religion it s a piece of natural worship though the right ordering of it is by institution yet 't is a main part of Religion Therefore often put in Scripture for the whole service of God He that calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.13 A prayerless soul is graceless 2. Prayer is a duty much abused There 's scarce any thing so much perverted and corrupted as this choice duty by formality hypocrisie superstition base and by-ends as is clear by these Pharisees many wayes and their younger brethren the Papists at this day Masses Dirges Invocation of Saints c. 3. There are several sorts of Prayer Both as to the kinds modes and circumstances The Apostle distinguisheth of Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks 1 Tim. 2.1 There 's also Publick-Prayer Family-Prayer and Closet-Prayer Now a Christian must pray with all Prayer and Supplication Eph. 6.18 The last is here insisted on 4. A Christian must do nothing for praise or applause especially in matters of Religion It is a base prostituting the highest things of God to our beastly lusts It is to feed an humour and damn the soul with that which should save it Let no Christians as the Pharisees here make Prayer truckle to their credit Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory 5. There are set and stated times of Prayer This is hinted in this word When when thou prayest A time there must be for it though the point of time is not determined yet a time must be set apart for the duty every day a Christian must chuse out the fittest time for the duty by the due use of his liberty and discretion 6. Circumstances are of great use in all our actions The streets are proper places to walk talk buy and sell in but not so fit for Prayer the Church is a fit place for publick devotion not so for a solemn performance of
true Gospelized Christian hath otherwise learned Christ 'T is true in the Old Testament dispensation after the erecting of the Temple Prayer was to be made at it or towards it as it typified Christ by whom our prayers are accepted But that holiness being ceremonial 't is now abolished by the Gospel Now that takes place in John 4.21 Woman believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor at Jerusalem worship the Father i. e. God now doth not so much stand upon the place as the manner of worship that they worship in spirit and truth ver 23.24 Now is the prophecy accomplished Mal. 1.11 In every place Incense shall be offered to my Name Which the Apostle also asserts expresly 1 Tim. 2.8 Much hath been said in controversie concerning the holiness of places but this seems to be an undeniable argument against that Conceit that if some places be holy by the Churches consecration of them to holy uses then it followeth that other places not so consecrated howbeit applyed to the same holy use are more prophane and less apt to divine worship than places consecrated which would directly contradict the Scriptures last mentioned Eccles polit lib. 5. c. 16. Indeed Hooker teacheth that the service of God in places not sanctified as Churches are hath not in it self such perfection of grace and comeliness as when the dignity of the place which it wisheth for doth concur and that the very Majesty and holiness of the place where God is worshipped bettereth even our holiest and best actions Thus he Confer with Hart. c. 8. Divis 4. pag. 491. To whom we dare not subscribe but rather say with Dr. John Reinolds that to us Christians no Land is strange no ground unholy Every coast is Jewry every town Jerusalem and every house Zion and every faithful company yea every faithful body a Temple to serve God in But I shall not undertake a dispute upon this subject The duty of the Text clears it If God command and accept Closet-Prayer then he doth not make so great a matter of the place for this duty as some imagine since it cannot be imagined that Closet-Prayer can be performed ordinarily in a consecrated place as they call it and there being no such place where a duty can be performed to which God hath more expresly promised a reward than what is performed in a Corner or Closet and therefore we have no warrant to expect acceptance meerly upon the account of one place more than another Indeed there is a common practice of some persons which is to perform their private devotions in publick places For you shall see some at their entrance into a Church or Chappel whatever publick worship is in hand fall down upon their knees or put their hats or hands before their faces and so fall to Prayer I will not call this the sacrifice of fools but I judge it very unseasonable for we should joyn with Gods people in the publick Ordinances and prefer them before any thing that we can then undertake The original of this practice was Eo proposito Dominus â—…etat in conventu or are ut à conventu videatur Chrysost Ho. 13. op im perf sup Math. a conceit that the place was more holy than their own houses and that their Prayer shall be heard there rather than at home 'T is too sad a sign they had not prayed before they came thither I am sure it favours rankly of a Pharisaical spirit for this is the fault our Saviour here rectifies which was their private praying in publick places and in opposition thereunto directs his Disciples to the duty of the Text which is to pray in their Closets SECT II. The Nature of Prayer 2. WE may hence be informed concerning the nature usefulness excellency and efficacy of the duty of Prayer I speak not now of Prayer in general but in reference to Closet-Prayer And on that account there are two Consectaries hence concerning Prayer 1. It follows that Prayer is an immediate worship of God For what hath been said shews that we have to do immediately with God yea that a man alone singly hath to do with God therein it 's different from other parts of Gods instituted worship which doth necessarily require company as in preaching of the Word there must be hearers in the seals of the Covenant as in Baptism and the Lords-Supper there must be a society such a number as may be called a Church Hence the latter is called a Communion because saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.16 17. We being many are one bread and one body But it is not absolutely or essentially requisite to Prayer that there be a society one man or woman by him or her self alone may perform this duty of Prayer as acceptably to God as if in the company of a thousand Saints We deny not the publick or private Meetings of Gods people for Prayer but withal affirm that the nature of the duty is such that it may be performed solitary and alone Hence Schoolmen distinguish of Prayer Aq. 2 2ae q. 83 Art 12. that it is either Communis or Singularis Common or Singular Both have their place and use Though they lay great stress upon Christs promise in Mat. 18.20 promising to be where two or three are met in his Name which as we deny not so we assert the force of this Prayer of a single person according to the Text We give both their due without comparisons 2. Prayer cannot be stopt in its ascent to God All the persecutors on earth cannot hinder a soul's praying This is demonstrated two wayes 1. A Child of God banisht out of all human society may pray still Suppose a man were rejected by men and ejected out of all companies of men and were shut up in the Closest Prison or shut out in the remotest Wilderness suppose a man were in the Caves and Dens of the Earth yet still he might pray and be heard according to Solomon's Prayer that If Gods People were carried captive into the Land of their Enemies far or near yet if they repented and prayed unto God towards their Land and that House of God then he begs that God would hear them and God testifies that he did hear this Prayer of Solomon 1 King 8.46 48. with chap. 9.3 The passage to Heaven is as near and open from one part of the earth as another therefore David saith he will cry to God from the end of the Earth Psal 61.2 A notable instance for this we have in Jonah he was got into the bottom of the Sea as far from Heaven locally as one could imagine into a great Fishes belly which he calls the very belly of Hell and as he was then far from men so he looks upon himself as cast out of the sight of God and he pathetically expresseth his misery and hopeless state What doth he in this doleful plight Why he will look towards Gods holy
all one Spirit as well as all one Father And is not this a Spirit of Grace and Supplication And is it not that which on all occasions draws the Soul to its Father 'T is said of Paul when newly converted Behold he prayeth Act. 9.11 Others do not see it but I know it there he is in a corner sighing and seeking me Go Ananias enquire for him he is now one of you a real Convert for Behold he prayeth A Soul praying in secret is worthy observation there 's an Ecce put upon it Behold he prayeth And why should we that pretend to be Saints be unlike our brethren 3. Are you not herein unlike your selves in former times When God did at first work upon your hearts did you not then run to God in a corner Did you not set your selves intently to the duty of secret Prayer How often did God find you by your selves sighing sorrowing weeping bleeding breathing after God pouring out your hearts like water before the face of the Lord And your heavenly Father pitied you spoke very kindly to you wiped off your tears cheared your hearts heard your prayers and made those dayes of grief times of love Oh the sweet embraces that then were betwixt your souls and God Have you forgotten such a Chamber Such a Closet such a Barn such a Wood Where you sometimes walkt and meditated sometimes fell prostrate and wept before the Lord till you had no more power to weep If you have forgotten those blessed days your God hath not He remembers thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine spousals when thou wentest after him in a solitary Wilderness Jer. 2.2 Canst not thou remember the day when thou wouldst rather have been with thy God in a private Room than upon a Princes Throne Yea thou thoughtest thou wast to do nothing else but cry and pray in secret thou wast at it every day yea many times a in day How comes it to pass that there 's such a change That thou dost so rarely go to visit thy old friend in a Corner Is he changed Is he not so good and kind as he was wont to be Hast thou found any fault in God Or art not thou blame-worthy What 's become of thy ancient Spirit of Prayer Why dost thou forget thy sweetest wrestling-place Why dost thou not inquire for these good old wayes of communion with thy God SECT III. Saints neglects further reproved 4. LEt me further expostulate with Gods Children that are rarely exercised in this duty of Secret-Prayer Do you not deprive your selves of many sweet refreshments Have not your souls had sweet experience of ravishing incomes in secret duties How many pleasant morsels have you eaten alone Have not these stolen waters been sweet And would they not be so again if you would open the same sluice Oh what hints of love might your souls have that no creature would know of Secret influences are conveyed to souls in secret duties these you block up by neglect Ah sirs Are the consolations of God small to you Is communion with God of no worth Why are you so unwilling to take pains to go to your Father Especially when you know he hath a kindness for you Have you ever lost by such duties Will not your gains infinitely countervail your pains Ask those that use it most they will tell you it is the sweetest time they spend Yea cannot your own experience attest it Did you ever lose your labour when you set your selves about the work in good earnest Hath not this closs and privy trading with God brought in much spiritual profit Beloved friends you little consider the good you miss of for want of performing this excellent duty But that 's not all 5. Do you not by neglect of secret prayer expose your selves to many sad temptations Watching and Prayer are singular helps against temptation Mat. 26.41 I have heard that Satan hath openly professed that he hath watched when some of Gods children have gone out without Closet-Prayer and that day he hath gotten great advantage against them sometimes by tripping up their heels and casting them down from their excellency into some gross iniquity sometimes tormenting their hearts with blasphemous or soul-perplexing injections Sometimes God hath left them to fall into some afflictive snare laid by this subtil Fowler which hath cost them many bitter pangs all this and much more hath been the fruit of such neglects Christians Have you not found this too true by sad experience When you have gone abroad without calling on God hath not God secretly withdrawn from you Hath not Satan obtained his designs upon you Have not your hearts been growing out of frame Some lust increasing grace decaying and your souls at the brink of some astonishing fall When you have gone out in the morning without a good breakfast with God Have you not been apt to gather wind and vanity to the prejudice of your souls health If you ingage not God by Prayer to go with you What security have you for that day If God leave you the Devil may do what he list with you and hamper you in a thousand snares and sins 6. Doth not your neglect of secret Prayer argue little love to God Or delight to be in his Company When persons have a dear affection to each other they love to be together Love delights in union and communion Yea when persons love intirely they withdraw from other company that they may injoy each other with more indeared familiarity the presence of a third mixeth the streams of Communication and mars their intimate communion And if you did passionately love the Lord would you not withdraw from others that your souls might injoy some fresh and refreshing intercourse with your best Beloved How can you say you love him when you have no mind of his company If you did indeed love him Cant. 3.5 you would hold him and not let him go Amor meus pondus meum until you had with the Spouse brought him into the Chambers of intimate communion and solitary recesses Love is the weight of the soul and draws it to the object beloved If your hearts were ravisht with him you would take more pleasure in conversing with him you would bless God for an opportunity of injoying him But this strangeness speaks a great defect in this noble grace And would you be esteemed such as love not God What a sad thing is it to be low and scant in love to God under such strong engagements to love Poor soul have not those silken silver cords of love which have been cast about thee drawn thee nearer and bound thee faster to thy God than thus Have not such bellows and incentives kindled and increased thy spark of love into a flame Lament thy sin and shame thy self before thy God for this decay of love and dangerous neglect 7. Do not you by these omissions declare your selves ingrateful to the grace of God It 's Gods
way to hire souls to approach to him by holding out promises of reward as we do offer Apples Fruit c. to children to intice them to us nor is it a Bait to couzen and insnare us but real offers of kindness to us whereof we may partake and wherewith we may be happy Suppose a Prince desire a Beggars company with expressions of dear affections and promises of many kindnesses Is it not gross ingratitude if she fling away and scorn the motion Or suppose a potent Person send to a poor man a loving message telling him he hath considered his case and hath appointed time and place that they two together may confer about the necessary concernments of this poor man he shall have free admission and liberty without disturbance to present his petition and ask what he will and it shall be granted none shall be present but only they two shall converse familiarly together for the good of the poor man But instead of a thankful acceptance of this kindness the poor man picks quarrels with the messenger or message grows sullen and perverse runs away and saith I need neither his counsel nor assistance Let him bestow his kindness where he will I will not meddle with him Were not this gross ingratitude And how would it be taken The case is thine Soul that neglectest secret duties the God of Heaven gives thee notice to meet him in such a room to negotiate freely the main concernments of thy precious soul and thou art coy and shy and wilt not come near him but either plainly deniest or heedlesly delayest Oh monstrous folly Oh gross ingratitude Be ashamed of it be humbled for it thy God takes it ill that thou art so loath to be happy that thou even forsakest thine own mercies and wilt go twice as far another way to gratifie a friend rather than go alone into thy Closet to please thy God and profit thy poor soul How long must God watch and wait and strive and sue to have thy company and thou dost still neglect and grow averse thereto Oh be ashamed of it SECT VI. Three more sad Considerations for our Humiliation 8. DO you not by neglect of Secret Prayer resist the motions of the blessed Spirit And is this no fault Is it nothing to neglect communion with God the Father or to improve the intercession of Jesus Christ the Mediator but you must also slight the motions of God the blessed Spirit This is sad How often doth the holy Ghost knock at your doors stir you up spur you forwards unto duty and take you by the hand offering its assistance if you 'l go to God and yet do you refuse Do you make nothing of quenching grieving yea vexing the good Spirit of God Consider what you do as you deal with it so it will deal with you if you do not embrace its call perhaps it will not be present at your call And what can you do in duty without it If you strive against it it will cease striving with you Be it known to you you have not this Heavenly wind at your command and you may toss in the boat of duty long but shall not approach the port without it Nothing but the Spirit of God can carry thy soul to God And what can excite and comfort thee when thy Assistant and Comforter is slighted and sadned Grieve therefore Christian for thy grieving of the Spirit lay to heart thy careless quenching of this holy fire and let those waters of lust or negligence cost thee the waters of godly sorrow and repentance that this sin may not be laid to thy charge Say as that Divine Poet And art thou grieved sweet and sacred Dove When I am sowr And cross thy Love Grieved for me The God of strength and power Griev'd for a worm which when I tread I pass away and leave it dead See the rest in Herbert's Poems on Eph. 5.30 Pag. 128. 9. If you can only pray in company what will you do when your company is gone A time may come when you may be left alone as Christ saith he was You had need ingage the Father to be with you that you may say as the Apostle 1 John 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father 'T is true communion of Saints is desirable but external communion is not always attainable you may be thrust out by divine Providence now it will be sad to be at a loss when persons are alone 'T is a strange expression of some that they know not how to live it such and such Christian friends or godly Relations be taken away why what 's the matter Are they in the place of God Is your spiritual life maintained by the leaden pipes or by the living springs that stream through them Alas sirs if you more understood and used this art of drawing influences from God immediately through Christ by secret Prayer you would not be so discouraged with the loss of friends you would say Indeed 't is true my loss is great such a one had a notable gift in Prayer and spoke my very heart to God but though he be gone is my God gone Is Prayer gone Though I cannot get such moving expressions as such had yet I opened my heart to God as I could in secret formerly and there 's the same refuge now the same road unto this City and Sanctuary I went in and therefore all my comfort is not gone blessed be my God But a poor soul that hath leaned upon the staff of others inlargements will be shrewdly put to it when that staff is gone And Is it not a great disparagement to a noble and immortal Soul that it cannot treat and entertain its God alone What cannot God and an Heaven born soul converse together without Auxiliaries Must another interpose as an instrument without whom you cannot injoy communion with God Be ashamed of it and chide your selves as not acting suitably to your rational spirits much less to a supernatural Principle of grace 10. Lastly let me further demand of you what if our Lord should call you away and find you under the guilt of the neglect of this known duty What confusion grief and jealousie would possess you if death arrest you in such a state What an hurry was forlorn Saul in when the Philistines were upon him and he had not offered sacrifice unto God And what a desperate plunge will you be put to when the King of terrors is upon you and you have not personally and privately been seeking God Though you may be right and safe for the main yet your spirits will be much perplexed and you will suffer shrewd rebukes from your own consciences for your omissions and will be put to that last prayer of a dying Saint eminent in the Church The Lord forgive me my sins of omission and possibly may want that spiritual solace in a dying hour that praying souls may have Oh what a blessed thing will it be if our dear
Book called An help to better hearts for better times Pag. 196 197. read more of this Subject there are some separating duties that prepare for others as examination meditation prayer and they do prepare by stirring up the grace of God and providing an heavenly assistance to begin with us in the duty If thou canst not always have separating time betwixt other occasions and Gods worship yet have some separating thoughts ere thou enter upon the duty thou art not fit else to meddle with wisdom Thus he 'T is true some have not the leisure that others have yet so much preparation is necessary for every duty as may withdraw the heart from other objects and weight the Spirit with a due sense of the work we have in hand and sometimes this may be done suddenly yet as for such as have more time to work upon their hearts and state their souls case by mustering up themselves to the work neglect a duty and cannot groundedly expect the Lords presence and this I conceive is the reason why the Lords people miss of God in secret Prayer at least one reason is because they do not make such conscience and take such care of preparing their hearts as they ought Ah Christians when you come into your Closet sit down and pause a little before you fall down upon your knees clear up your state shake off other business set your selves in Gods presence and muster up your sins or wants or mercies you purpose to spread before the Lord a Client will consider all his matters before he come to state his case to his advocate a poor patient will bethink himself how he is that he may tell his ailings to his Physitian and a petitioner will not go hand over head unto his Prince but order his cause before hand that he may plead it more effectually And shall not we much more prepare our selves to wait upon the God of Heaven SECT III. Directions concerning the essentials of secret Prayer 2. THe second sort of rules is concerning some things essentially requisite to the right performance of the duty of secret Prayer which you are to look to in the duty and these are such as are required in all sorts of Prayer viz. that it be performed 1. With the heart 2. By the help of the spirit 3. According to Gods will 4. In the name of Christ 1. Secret Prayer must he hearty Prayer an heartless duty is a worthless duty yea the whole heart must be ingaged in it Psal 119.10 With my whole heart have I sought thee It is the heart that God chiefly looks after Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart nothing else can please God if the heart be wanting if the heart be ingaged in the duty he will rather dispense with other weaknesses where there 's not wilful negligence Observe it in that worship of God we perform with others a mans gifts may be of use though his heart go not along with his voice but in Closet-Prayer it doth no good at all except the heart be ingaged therefore God principally requires the heart in other duties in this he only requires the heart for the voice is not necessary To love and serve the Lord our God with all our heart Mark 12.30 33. soul mind strength is a keeping of the Law and more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices We should pray with every faculty of the soul and with the utmost strength of every faculty Mat. 15.8 9. God deserves and requires our strongest affections That 's but a vain worship that 's performed without the heart right attendance on God is an ingaging the heart to approach to God Christians Jer. 30.21 in all your addresses to God mind the object of worship let the subject worshipping and object worshipped be closly united look beyond the duty it 's one thing to have communion with an Ordinance and another thing to have communion with God in an Ordinance Gods dear Children know what this means for sometimes they are more taken up with expressions affections or some accidentals in the performance than with the object of worship they should be intent upon But this is very dangerous for whatsoever interposeth betwixt the soul and God to divert the thoughts from God is an Idol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Ezek. 14.3 These men have set up their Idols in their hearts Sept. reads it they have put their thoughts upon their hearts i e. They have committed Idolatry with their own imaginations instead of worshipping God their minds have stuck upon something short of God after which they have as it were run a whoring even in the duty I shall not deliver that as the sense of the place yet it may be an useful note I fear many of us are guilty of a kind of spiritual fine-spun Idolatry by heterogeneal thoughts in holy duties that pluck us from God when we are approaching to him The Lord humble us for this and fix our thoughts upon God that we may say as the Church Isa 26.8 The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Cyprian saith Cogitatio omnis secularis carnalis at sced nec quicquam tunc animus quam id solum cogitet quod precatur ideo sacerdos ante OrationeÌ„ prefatione praemissa parat sratrum mentes Dicendo sursam corda ut dura respondet plebs Habemus ad Dominum ad moneatur nihil aliud se quam Dominum cogitare debere Câ—p. Serm. de orat Dâ—m p 246. every secular thought must depart and the mind must be taken up with nothing but what we are about he tells the practice of the Church in his time was that the Minister before Prayer prepares the peoples mind saying Sursum corda Lift up your hearts and they answer Habemus ad dominum we have them up to the Lord whereby saith he we are admonished that in Prayer we must think of nothing but the Lord What the Minister said to the People do you say to your selves Sursum corda lift up your hearts Let every one say I am now worshipping an Heart-searching God Oh that my heart were with God Ascensus mentis ad Deum Luth. Collâ—q myst fol. 239. The Ancients saith Luther finely described Prayer to be an ascent of the mind to God Oh that I did experimentally know what this means in Syntaxi i. e. in coupling and joyning of my heart to God Lord gather in my roving and wandring spirit This is the first direction Mind the frame of your hearts 2. Implore and expect the Spirits assistance Prayer must be by the Spirits inlarging influence hence it is called the spirit of grace and supplication Zech. 12.10 Rom. 8.26 it helps our infirmities by making souls to cry out Abba Father with unutterable groans A Christian should spread the sails of his soul for the gales of Gods grace which will carry the praying Saint apace towards God yea and
affected with the sweetness of pardoning grace and ardently pleads with God for acceptance again when the graces of the Spirit are acted in the duty as an holy awe and fear of God faith love humility zeal and fervency and a willingness to forgive others as well as to be forgiven by the Lord Lastly a soul may know when it hath communion with God by the consequences of duty as when the Christian is more vile in his own eyes as Abraham was gives God all the glory sees and bewails his defects in greatest inlargements when the spirit is left in a better frame and fitter to bear crosses and perform after-duties c. I do but hint these things 4. Case Suppose I have prayed and prayed and find not my heart affected 't is dead dull distracted I do no good get no good in duty I fear I offend God What shall I do Ans Such a case is sad yet consider 1. It may be the case of gracious hearts David was so depressed and troubled that he could not speak Psal 77.3 4. Gods best Children are sometimes out of frame their spirits unfit for duty 2. A total neglect will not mend the matter nor help the frame of your hearts one sin will never cure another running from the fire is not the way to be warm your hearts will not be better but worse by forbearance omission indisposeth 3. Who knows but God may come in the next time Keep upon the Royal Exchange still ply the oars give God no rest gratifie not Satan by neglect Tradesmen keep their Markets though for small gains you 'l get something at last worth your pains they never were ashamed that have waited on him The issue will be good 4. God may graciously accept thy obedience though thou have not sweet inlargement the obedience is thine the inlargement God's he is a free Agent and works when he pleaseth he loves to see poor souls tug and struggle with their own hearts though they can get little forward yet they would be better and do better The Father takes it well when the Child is striving to obey him though it fall very far short He sees the Spirit is willing though the flesh be weak and accepts of upright endeavours Nay observe it a Christians conscientious attendance upon God without inlargements may be more acceptable to God than when he hath the sweetest inlargements because there is most obedience in those duties but in the other a Christian is as it were hired to performances by the Earnest-peny of inlargements Oh 't is a brave thing to persevere in duty under discouragements he that can trade when times are so dead that all his wares lye upon his hand yet trades more surely his stock is great So 't is an evidence of much Faith Love Sincerity when the Soul can maintain this Heavenly Trade when his sensible incomes are small Yet when God thus withdraws from you you must deeply lay it to heart inquire the cause make your peace with him and ply the Throne of Grace with greater importunity Thus much briefly for these Cases of Consciences And now beloved friends I have dispatcht this Subject concerning Closet-prayer What remains but that we should all fall closs to the constant practice of this duty What do Ministers preach Sermons or print Books for Is it to be seen and heard in publick Is it to be applauded Or is it not rather to do good to peoples souls And can people get any good by hearing a sound of words or a complemental reading what is written Is there not something else required of you now even a setting about the conscientious practice of what is before you What say you sirs to this Point Is Closet-Prayer a Christian duty or is it not If it be not why doth Christ direct us to the right manner of performance and assure us that our Father will reward it openly Will God reward any thing but commanded duty There 's no question but 't is a duty I challenge any man to disprove it now and to stand to his assertion another day before the God of Heaven But I think none will deny it to be a duty and sirs dare any man that professeth Religion live in the gross neglect of plain duty Do you think it 's fit it should be done and will you not do it Shall your own tongues be brought in as witnesses against your selves Will you be like that Son that said I go sir but went not Shall God wait your leisure and you 'l not give him a visit Will you go into your Closets to make up your accounts And will you not reckon streight betwixt God and your Souls Dare you go from day to day under the guilt of a known sin If you do not what you have read this Book will flie in the face of conscience another day But I am most afraid lest Christians trifle about this work and shuffle it off after any fashion and so put off God with a meer outside performance to pacifie conscience without that warmth and life we should have in our Closets 'T is recorded of Luther that he prayed every day three hours and even then when his spirits were most lively Per tres horas easq ad studia aptissimas Nor were his Closet-Prayers dull careless heartless be so fervent and ardent saith Melancthon that they which stood under his window where he stood praying might see his tears falling and dropping down Oh but where is this zeal and ardency in our secret devotion Are we not ready to drop asleep even upon our knees Alas how formal are we The fire of God is wanting in our sacrifices Nay do we not take Gods Name in vain many times and know not what we say Oh why do we thus forget Gods omnipresence and omniscience Doth not he know our hearts And should not we approve our selves to God in our Closets Yea doth not Satan stand under our Closet-window or rather at our Elbow and hears what we say to God in our Closets If you take not notice of your mistakes in Closet-Prayer Satan doth and takes advantage by them Indeed I have heard some make this a scruple whethey should in secret confess heart-sins lest Satan should be acquainted with what he knew not before and so be furnishd with matter to accuse them of but an ingenious confession prevents Satans accusation because we have a promise of remission annexed thereunto Rom. 8.33 And who shall lay any thing to the charge of justified persons He hath little reason to take your confessions and dash them in your teeth since that was both the means and evidence of pardon But if you fear that you may do as Hannah in Prayer speak in your hearts and then Satan cannot tell what you say but your God doth However neglect not the duty for this you may be sure that Satan will catch more advantage by omission or negligent performance than by an ingenuous acknowledgment of heart-sins though he do hear you Sirs Awake to righteousness Rouze up your selves to the work put not off God or conscience with a negative answer you may as well say Nay as pretend and promise to do it and not perform fall to the practice of it therefore this day there 's danger in delays if you do it not to day you 'l be more unfit to morrow At this instant fall upon thy knees beg a blessing upon this book for the good of thy soul and others look upon Closet-Prayer as thy priviledge as well as thy duty 'T is a mercy thou mayst go to God as often as thou wilt and for what thou needest 'T is no small favour that God hath allowed thee the use of this privy Key to open Heaven-gates when thou hast not the more publick key of others help in Prayer yet this is thy incouragement Thy Father that sees in secret will reward thee openly I shall shut up all with a piece of Herberts Poetry called Artillery AS I one Evening sate before my cell Methought a Star did shoot into my lap I rose and shook my cloaths as knowing well That from small fires comes oft no small mishap When suddenly I heard one say Do as thou usest disobey Expel good motions from thy brest Which have the face of fire but end in rest I who had heard of Musick in the Sphears But not of speech in Stars began to muse But turning to my God whose Ministers The Stars and all things are if I refuse Dread Lord said I so oft my good Then I refuse not even with blood To wash away my stubborn thought For I will do or suffer what I ought But I have also Stars and Shooters too Born where thy Servants both Artilleries use My Tears and Prayers night and day do woe And work up to thee yet thou dost refuse Not but I am I must say still Much more oblig'd to do thy will Than thou to grant mine but because Thy promise now hath even set Thee Laws Then we are shooters both thou dost deign To enter combate with us and contest With thine own clay But I would parley fain Shun not my Arrows and behold my brest Yet if thou shunnest I am thine I must be so if I am mine There is no articling with thee I am but finite yet thine infinitely FINIS
reach the ear of God for he knoweth the mind of the Spirit Phil. 3.3 Jude 20. This is that which is called a worshipping God in the spirit a praying in the holy Ghost i. e. either as to the matter of the Prayer dictated by the Spirit or as to the manner of praying the soul being actuated by the holy Ghost See Mark 11.36 13.11 For I conceive it may import the former as well as the latter as other Scriptures compared hold forth Alas flesh and blood will put up such petitions as God will not accept or in such a manner as is no way suitable to his spiritual Nature The truth is Christians you will but bungle at the work without this help of Gods Spirit and God will take notice of you except he hear his own language do not think you can wrestle out the business your selves you must be beholding to God for help in Prayer as well as for hearing your Prayer your own spirits will not carry you to Heaven that which is from the earth is earthly and riseth no higher than earth but the holy Ghost will elevate your souls to God Therefore I beseech you Sirs beg the Spirit yield to its motions improve its operations say when you are going to duty Lord now stir up thy self and stir up thy grace in my heart Awake oh North-wind and come thou South blow upon thy Garden Cant. 4.16 My Soul that the spices thereof may flow out that graces may be exercised and exerted Lord I am low flat hard send the powerful arm of thy blessed Spirit to work all gracious dispositions in me and raise up my affections to thee I see I am below the duty and infinitely below thee in the duty but thou and thou alone canst raise me up quicken soften my dead and rocky heart come Lord and shew thy powerful Arm let it appear what God can do for a sorry worm Oh lift me up to thee that my soul may enjoy some sweet communion with thee Send thy spirit to fetch in my wanton wandring heart Oh for some fire from Heaven to burn up my sacrifice or else it will lye like a lump of flesh and be no true Holocaust of pure Incense before thee Let thy Spirit scatter these mists of ignorance and drive away these flies of distracting thoughts that my heart may be with thee and my performance may be as sweet savour in the nostrils of God SECT IV. More Essentials in secret Prayer A Third ingredient in Prayer is that it be according to God's will it must have a warrant from the Word a word of Precept or Promise or Example must be the ground of our petitions a command is our warrant a promise our incouragement an example is our tract and the footsteps of the flock wherein we must walk He that asks amiss shall not speed but if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and then we know we have the petitions that we desired of him 1 Joh. 5.14 15. Now we ask according to his will when both the matter of our petition is aright and our end in asking is Gods glory and our own or others spiritual good otherwise if we ask of God what we conceit to be a mercy and have not asked counsel at God's mouth or ask so as to consume it upon our lusts we may well meet with a denial My friends you may not say what you please in the presence of God Consider God is in Heaven you are on Earth therefore be not rash with your mouth and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God let your words be few and well weighed Eccles 5.2 The work you are about is a solemn business do not ramble in extravagant desires of unlawful things think not that God will patronize your lusts and when you have asked that which you conceive is according to his will refer it wholly to his Will say The Will of the Lord be done submit your selves to his dispose for time manner means and all circumstances for giving of it ask temporal mercies conditionally and spiritual Comforts with submission to Gods will learn that petition Thy will be done to pray it as well as say it Indeed Luther could say Let thy will be done but he come off with this My will Lord because my will is melted into thine there 's but one will betwixt us Let God's will be your will 't is fit it should be so our heavenly Father is wiser than we Consider Haec repraesentatio debet esse submissa humilis alias enim non esset precatio religiosa à creatura subdita ad supremum Numen Creatorem directa sed vel imperium superioris ergo inferiorem vel quasi familiaris collocutio quatis est inter aequales Ames medull theol lib. 2.6 p. 255. a man cannot pray in faith for that which he hath no warrant to ask Besides Amesius saith If a man come not with an humble submission to Gods will it were not a religious prayer directed to the supream Creator but a kind of command by a superiour to an inferiour or a familiar discourse as amongst equals Therefore let us humbly plead Gods Will as Abraham did Gen. 18.27 Further consider the design of Prayer is not to incline God before unwilling to our mind and desire for with him there is no variableness nor shadow of change but that we may obtain of him by Prayer what we know afore-hand he is willing to give Lastly consider we Christs example Mat. 26.39 If it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt This is right praying to ground our petition upon a promise yet freely to leave all at Gods feet to dispose of us as he sees good Our prayers and Gods promises should point towards each other as those two figures 9 and 6. Promises do bend downwards and after the same motion must our prayers ascend upwards so will there be a blessed harmony and seasonable return This is the third Direction Let your Prayers be warranted by the Word 4. Improve your Advocate Joh. 14.13 Whatsoever you ask in my name that will I do To ask any thing in his name is not rudely customarily or complementally to conclude with these words Through Jesus Christ our Lord c. but in confidence of his merit and intercession to call upon our heavenly Father as Daniel pleads for the Lords sake Dan. 9.17 For since the Fall none can come immediately to God but through a Mediator nor are we to fetch a compass by the groundless invocation of Saints and Angels I hope you have otherwise learned Christ I am most afraid in the practick part that in particular acts at least precious Souls are in danger to miscarry especially in Closet-Prayer when a Christian is got alone and there finds a sweet gale of the blessed Spirit helping his heart to mourn for sin bewail