in favour with God a man that art very pleasing and delightful to God God loves to lade the wings of private prayer with the sweetest choicest and chiefest blessings Ah how often hath God kissed a poor christian at the beginning of private prayer and spoke peace to him in the midst of private prayer and fill'd him with light and joy and assurance upon the close of private prayer And so Cornelius is highly commended and graciously rewarded upon the account of his private prayer Acts. 10. 1 2 3 4. There was a certain man in Cesarea called Cornelius a Centurion of the Band called the Italian Band a devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much Alms to the people and prayed to God alwayes He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth houre of the day an Angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him Cornelius And when he looked on him he was afraid and said what is it Lord and he said unto him thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God Vers 30. 31. And Cornelius said four dayes agoe I was fasting until this hour that is until about three a clock in the after-noon vers 3. and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house and behold a man stood before me in bright cloathing and said Cornelius thy prayer is heard and thine Alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God Mark as he was praying in his house namely by himself alone a man in bright clothing that was an Angel in mans shape vers 3. appeared to him and said Cornelius thy prayer is heard he doth not mean only that prayer which he made when he fasted and humbled himself before the Lord vers 30. 31. but as vers 2 3 4. shews His prayers his prayers which he made alone for it seemes none else were with him then for he only saw that man in bright cloathing and to him alone the Angel addressed his present speech saying Cornelius thy prayers are heard vers 4 31. Here you see that Cornelius his private prayers are not only heard but kindly remembred and graciously accepted and gloriously rewarded Praying Cornelius is not only remembred by God but he is also visited sensibly and evidently by an Angel and assured that his private prayers and good deeds are an odour a sweet smel a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God And so when had Peter his Vision but when he was praying alone on the house-top Acts 10. 9 10 11 12 13. On the morrow as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the City Peter went up unto the house-top to pray about the sxith hour And he became very hungry and would have eaten but while they made ready he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and a certain Vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air And there came a voice to him Rise Peter kill and eat When Peter was upon the house-top at prayer alone then he fell into a trance and then he saw Heaven opened and then he had his spirit raised his Mind clevated and all the Faculties of his soul filled with a Divine Revelation And so when Paâ—l was at prayer alone he saw in Acts 11 18. a Vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him that he might receive his sight Paul had not been long at private prayer before it was revealed to him that he was a chosen vessel before he was filled with the gifts Graces and Comforts of the Holy Ghost And when John was alone in the Isle of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ whither he was banished by Domitian a most cruel Emperor then he had a glorious Euseb l. 3. c. 18. Rev. 1. 9 ult Rev. 5. 1 to 9. sight of the Son of man and then the Lord discovered to him most deep and profound Mysteries both concerning the present and future state of the Church to the end of the world And when John was weeping in private prayer doubtless then the sealed book was opened to him So when Daniel was at private prayer God dispatches a heavenly messenger to him and his Errand was to open more clearly and fully the blessed Scripture to him Some comfortable encourraging knowledge this holy man Doctor Ames got his learning by privat prayer and so did Solomon his wisdom of God had attain'd unto before by his frequent and constant study in the word and this egges him on to private prayer and private prayer posts an Angel from heaven to give him a clearer and fuller light Private prayer is a Golden-key to unlock the mysteries of the word unto us The knowledge of many choice and blessed Truths are but the returns of private prayer The Word dwells most richly in their hearts who are most in pouring out of their hearts before God in their Closets When Bonaventure that seraphical Doctor as some call him was asked by Aquinas from what books and helps he derived such holy and divine expressions and contemplations He pointed to a Crucifix and said Iste est liber c. Prostrate in prayer at the feet of this Image my soul receiveth greater light from heaven than from all study and disputation Though this be a Monkish tradition superstitious Fiction yet some improvement may be made of it Certainly that Christian or that Minister that in private prayer lyes most at the feet of Jesus Christ he shall understand most of the mind of Christ in the Gospel and he shall have most of heaven and the things of his owne peace brought down into his heart There is no Service wherein christians have such a near familiar and friendly entercourse with God as in this of private prayer neither is there any Service wherein God doth more delight to make known his truth and faithfulness his grace and goodness his mercy and bounty his beauty and glory Bene orasse est bene studuisse Luther to poor Souls than this of private prayer Luther professeth That he profited more in the knowledge of the Scripture by private prayer in a short space than he did by study in a longer space As John by weeping in a corner got the sealed book opened Private prayer crownes God with the Honor and Glory that is due to his Name and God crowns private prayer with a discovery of those blessed weighty Truths to his servants that are a sealed book to others Certainly the soul usually enjoyes most communion with God Nunquam minus solus quam cum solus Never less alone than when alone said the Heathen And may not a Saint say so much more that hath communion with God Jer. 13. 1 2. in secret When a christian is
in a Wilderness which is a very solitary place then God delights to speak friendly comfortably to him Hos 2. 14. Behold I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak friendly or comfortably to her Or as the Hebrew hath it I will speak to her heart When I have her alone saith God in a solitary wilderness I will speak such things to her heart as shall exceedingly cheer her and comfort her and even make her heart leap and dance within her A Husband imparts his mind most freely and fully to his wife when she is alone and so doth Christ to the believing soul O the secret kisses the secret embraces the secret visits the secret whispers the secret chearings the secret sealings the secret discoveries c that God gives to his people when alone when in a hole when under the staires when behind the door when in a dungeon When Jeremiah Jer. 33. 1 2 3. was calling upon God alone in his dark dungeon he had great and wonderful things shew'd him that he knew not of Ambrose was wont to say I am never lesse alone than when I am all alone for then I can enjoy the presence of my God most freely fully and sweetly without interruption And 't was a most sweet and divine saying of Bernard O Saint knowest thou not saith he that thy Husband Christ is bashful and will not be familiar in company Retire thy self therefore by Prayer and Meditation into thy Closet or the Fields and there thou shalt have Christs embraces A Gentlewoman being at private prayer and meditation in her Parlour had such sweet choice and full enjoyments of God that she cried out Oh that I might ever enjoy this sweet communion with God c. Christ loves to embrace his Spouse not so much in the open street as in a closet And certainly the gracious soul hath never sweeter views of glory than when it is most out of the view of the world Wise men give their best their choisest and their richest gifts in secret and so doth Christ give his the best of the best when they are in a corner when they are all alone But as for such as cannot spare time to seek God in a Closet to serve him in secret they sufficiently manifest that they have little fellowship or friendship with God whom they so seldome come at Seventhly Consider the time of this life is the only time for private prayer Heaven will admit of no secret prayer In Heaven there will be no secret sins to trouble us nor no secret wants to pinch us nor no secret temptations to betray us nor no secret snares to entangle us nor no secret enemies to supplant us We had need live much in the practise of that duty here on earth that we shall never be exercised in after death Some duties that are incumbent upon us now as praising of God admiring of God exalting and lifting up of God joying and delighting in God c. will be for ever incumbent upon us in Heaven but this duty of private prayer we must take our leaves of when we come to lay our heads in the dust Eighthly Consider the great prevalency of secret prayer Private prayer is Porta Coeli Clavis Paradisi the Gate of Heaven a Key to let us into Paradise Oh the great things that private prayer hath done with God! Oh the Psal 31. 22 great mercies that have been obtained by private prayer And oh Psal 38. 8. the great threatnings that have been diverted by private prayer And oh the great judgements that have been removed by private prayer And oh the great judgements that have been prevented by private prayer I have read of a malitious woman who gave her self to the Devil provided that he would do a mischief to such a neighbour whom she mortally hated The Devil went again and again to do his errand but at last he returns and tells her that he could do no hurt to that man for when ever he came he found him either reading the Scriptures or at private prayer Private prayers pierces the Heavens and are commonly blest and loaded with gracious and glorious returns from thence Whilst Hezekiah was praying and weeping in private God sent the Prophet Isaiah to him to assure him that his prayer was heard and that his tears were seen and that he would add unto his dayes fifteen years So when Isaac was all alone meditating and praying Isa 38. 5. and treating with God for a good wife in the fields he meets Robckah So Jacob Gen. 32. 24 25 Gen. 24. 63 64. 26 27 28. And Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him untill the breaking of the day And when he saw that he prevailed not against him he touched the hollow of his thigh and the hollow of Jacobs thigh was out of joynt as he wrestled with him And he said let me go for the day breaketh and he said I will not let thee goe except thou bless me And he said unto him what is thy name and he said Jacob. And he said thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed In this Scripture we have an elegant description of a Duel fought between the Almighty and Jacob and in it there are these things most observable First We have the Combatants or Duellists Jacob and God who appeared in the shape or appearance of a man He that is here said to be a man was the Son of God in humane shape as it appeareth by the whole narration and by Hosea 12. 3 4 5. Now that this man that wrestled with Jacob was indeed God and not really man is most evident by these Reasons First Jacob desires a blessing from him Vers 26. Now it is Gods Prerogative royal to blesse and not angels nor mens Ergo. Secondly He calls him by the name of God thou hast power with God Vers 28. And saith Jacob I have seen God face to face Vers 30. Not that he saw the Majesty and Essence of God for no man can see the essential glory of God and live Exod. 33. 20 23. but he saw God more apparently more manifestly more gloriously than ever he had done before Some created shape some glimpse of glory Jacob saw whereby God was pleased for the present to testifie his more immediate presence but not himself Thirdly The same person that here Jacob wrestles with is he whom Jacob remembreth in his benediction as his deliverer from all evil Gen. 48. 16. 'T was that God that appeared to him at Bethel when he fled from the face of his Brother Gen. 35. 7. Ergo. Fourthly Jacob is reproved for his curious enquiring or asking after the Angels name vers 29. which is a clear argument or demonstration of his majesty and glory God being above all notion and Name God is a super substantial substance an understanding
But many will be ready to object and say We have much business upon our hands and we cannot spare time for private prayer we have so much to doe in our shops and in our ware-houses and abroad with others that we cannot spare time to waite upon the Lord in our Closets Now to this Objection I shall give these Eight Answers that this Objection may never have a resurrection more in any of your hearts First What are all those businesses that are upon your hands to those great businesses weighty affaires that did lye upon the hands of Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses David Daniel Elias Nehemiah See the first Consideration Peter Cornelius and yet you find all these worthies exercising themselves in Private prayers And the King is commanded every day to read some part of Gods word notwithstanding all his great and weighty imployments Deut. 17. 18 19 20. Now certainly Sirs your great businesses are little more than ciphers compared with theirs And if there were any on earth that might have pleaded an exemption from private prayer upon the account of business of much business of great business these might have done it but they were more honest and more noble than to neglect so choice a duty upon the account of much business these brave hearts made all their publick imployments stoop to private prayer they would never suffer their publick imployments to tread private prayer under foot But Secondly I answer no mens outward affaires did ever more prosper than theirs did who devoted themselves to private prayer notwithstanding their many and great worldly employments Witness the prosperity outward flourishing estates of Moses Abraham Isaac Jacob Nehemiah David Daniel and Cornelius these were much with God in their Closets and God blest their blessings to them how Gen. 22. 17 did their cups over flow what signall favours did God heape upon them and theirs No families have been so prospered protected and graced as theirs who have maintained secret communion with God in a Corner Private prayer 1 Chron. 11. 9. doth best expedite our temporal affairs he that prayes well in his Closet shall be sure to speed well in his Shop or at his Plough or 1 Tim. 4. 8. what-ever else he turns his hand unto 'T is true Abimelech was rich as well as Abraham and so was Laban rich as well as Jacob and Saul was a King as well as David and Julian was an Emperour as well as Constantine But 't was only Abraham Jacob David and Constantine who had their blessings blest unto them all the rest had their blessings curst unto them they had many Prov. 3. 33. Mal. 2. 2. good things but they had not the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush with what they had and therefore all their mercies were but bitter-sweets unto them Though all the sons of Jacob returned laden from Gen. 43. Aegypt with corn and money in their sacks yet Benjamin only had the silver cup in the mouth of his sack So though the men of the world have their Corn and their Money c. yet 't is only God's Benjamin's that have the silver Cup the Grace-Cup the Cup of blessing as the Apostle calls 1 Cor. 10. 16 it for their portion O sirs as ever you would prosper and flourish in the world as ever you would have your water turn'd into wine your temporal mercies into spiritual benefits be much with God in your closets But Thirdly I answer 'T is ten to one but that the objecter every day fools away or trifles away or idles away or sins away one hour in a day and why then should he object the want of time There are none that toyle and moyle and busie themselves most in their worldly imployments but doe Myrmecides a famous Artist spent more time in making a Bee than an unskilful workman would do to build a house Plutarch spend an houre or more in a day to little or no purpose either in gazing about or in dallying or toying or dourting or in telling of stories or in busying themselves in other mens matters or in idle visits or in smoaking the Pipe c. And why then should not these men redeem an hours time in a day for private prayer out of that time which they usually spend so vainly and idly can you notwithstanding all your great worldly imployments find an hour in the day to catch flyes in as Domitian the Emperour did and to play the fool in and cannot you find an hour in the day to wait on God in your closets There were three special faults whereof Cato professed himself to have seriously repented one was passing by water when he might have gone by land another was trusting a secret in a womans bosome but the main was spending an hour unprofirably This heathen will one day rise up in Judgment against them who notwithstanding their great imployments spend many hours in a week unprofitably and yet cry out with the Duke of Alva that they have so much to do on earth that they have no time to look up to heaven 'T was a base and sordid spirit in that King Sardanapalus who spent much of his time amongst women in spinning and carding which should have been spent in Ruling and governing his Kingdome So 't is a base sordid spirit in any to spend any of their time in toying and trifling and then to cry out that they have so much business to do in the World that they have no time for closet-prayer they have no time to serve God nor to save their own precious and immortal souls But Fourthly I answer No man dares plead this objection before the Lord Jesus in the great day of account And why then should any man be so childish foolish so â—ccl 11. 9. Rom 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. ignorant impudent to plead that before men which is not pleadable before the Judgment seat of Christ O sirs as you love your souls and as you would be happy for ever never put off your own consciences nor others with any plea's arguments or objections now that you dare not own and stand by when you shall lye upon a dying bed and when you shall appear before the whole court of heaven c. In the great day of account when the secrets of all hearts shall be made manifest and God shall call men to a reckoning before Angels Men and Devils for the neglect of private prayer all giulty persons will be found speechless there will not be a man or woman found that shall dare to stand up and say Lord I would have waited upon thee in my closet but that I had so much business to do in the world that I had no time to enjoy secret communion with thee in a Corner 'T is the greatest wisdom in the world to plead nothing by way of excusein this our day that we dare not plead in the great day But.
by a specialty and therefore God makes him both of his Court and Counsel Oh how greatly doth God condescend to his People he speaks to them as a man would speak to his friend and there is no secrets of Providence which may be for their advantage but he will reveal them to his faithful servants As all faithful friends have the same friends and the same enemies so they are mutual in the communication of their secrets one to another and so 't was between God and Abraham Secondly There are the secrets of his Kingdom and these he reveals to his people Matth. 13. 11. Vnto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven but unto them it is not given So Matth. 11. 25. At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Hierom. ad Eph. lib. 1. Let us not think saith Hierom. that the Gospel is in the words of Scripture but in the sense not in the outside but in the marrow not in the leaves of words but in the root of reason Augustin humbly begg'd of God That if it were his pleasure he would send Moses to him to interpret some more abstruce and intricate passages in his Book of Genesis There are many choice secret hidden Joel 2. 28. 1 Tim. 3. 9 16. Col. 1 26 27. 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. Eph. 4. 21. and mysterious Truths and Doctrines in the Gospel which Christ reveals to his people that this poor blind ignorant world are strangers to There are many secrets wrapt up in the plainest truths and doctrines of the Gospel which none can effectually open and reveal but the Spirit of the Lord that searcheth all things yea the deep things of God There are many secrets and mysteries in the Gospel that all the learning and labour in the world can never give a man insight into There are many that know the Doctrine of the Gospel the History of the Gospel that are meer strangers to the secrets of the Gospel There is a secret power a secret authority a secret efficacy a secret prevalency a secret goodness a secret sweetness in the Gospel that none experience but those to whom the Lord is pleased to impart Gospel secrets to Isa 29. 11 12. Seal my law among my Disciples The Law of God to wicked men is a sealed book that they cannot understand Dan. 12. 9 10. 'T is as blotted paper that they cannot read Look as a private letter to a friend contains secret matter that no man else may read because it is sealed So the law of grace is sealed up under the privy seal of Heaven so that no man can open it or read it but Christs faithful friends to whom 't is sent The whole Scripture saith Gregory is but one entire letter dispatcht from the Lord Christ to his beloved Spouse on earth The Rabbins say that there are four keys that God hath under his Girdle 1. The key of the Clouds 2. The key of the Womb. 3. The key of the Grave 4. The key of Food And I may add a Fifth key that is under his Girdle and that is the key of the Word the key of the Scripture which key none can turn but he that hath the key of David that opens and no man shuts and that shuts and no man opens Revel 3. 7. O sirs God reveals himself and his mind and will and truth to his people in a more friendly and familiar way than he doth to others Mark 4. 11. And he said unto them unto you 't is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God but unto them that are without all these things are done in parables Luke 8. 10. And he said unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God but to others in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand Though great Doctors and profound Clerks and deep studied but unsanctified Divines may know much of the Doctrines of the Gospel and commend much the doctrines of the Gospel and dispute much for the doctrines of the Gospel and glory much in the doctrines of the Gospel and take a great deal of pains to dress and trim up the doctrines of the Gospel with the flowers of Rhetorick or Eloquence though it be much better to present truth in her native plainness than to hang her ears with counterfeit Pearls the Word without humane adornments is like the stone Garamantides that hath drops of gold in it self sufficient to enrich the believing soul Yet the special spiritual powerful and saving Rom. 16. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 7. knowledge of the doctrines of the Gospel is a secret a mystery yea a hidden mystery to them Chrysostome compares the mystery of Christ in regard of the wicked to a written book that the ignorant can neither read nor spell he fees the cover the leaves and the letters but he understands not the meaning of what he sees He compares the mystery of Grace to an indited Epistle which an unskilful Ideot viewing he cannot read it he cannot understand it he knoweth it is paper and ink but the sense the matter he knows not he understands not So unsanctified persons though they are never so learned and though they may perceive the bark of the mystery of Christ yet they perceive not they understand not the mystery of grace the inward sense of the spirit in the blessed Scriptures Though the Devil be the greatest Scholar in the world and though he have more learning than all the men in the world have yet there are many thousand secrets and mysteries in the Gospel of grace that he knows not really spiritually feelingly efficaciously powerfully throughly savingly c. O but now Christ makes known himself his mind his grace his truth to his people in a more clear full familiar and friendly way 2 Sam. 7. 27. For thou O Lord of hosts God of Israel hast revealed to thy servant so you read it in your Books but in the Hebrew it is thus Lord thou hast revealed this to the ear of thy servant Now the emphasis lieth in that word to the ear which is left out in your Books When God makes known himself to his people he revealeth things to their ear as we use to do to a friend who is intimate with us we speak a thing to his ear There is many a secret which Jesus Christ speaks in the eares of his servants which others never come to be acquainted with 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ The six several gradations that are in this Scripture are worthy of our most serious consideration Here is First Knowledge And Secondly The knowledge of
a keeper of sheep Gen. 4. 2. Noah was a Husbandman Gen. 10. 20. The sons of Jacob were shepherds and keepers of Cattle Gen. 46. 34 c. And all the Apostles before they were called to the work of the Ministry had their particular callings By the law of Mahomet the great Turk himself is bound to exercise some manual Trade or occupation Solon made a Law That the son Plutarch in the life of Solon should not be bound to relieve his father when old unless he had set himself in his youth to some occupation And at Athens every man gave a yearly account to the Magistrate by what trade or course of life he mantained himself which if he could not do he was banished And 't is by all Writers condemned as a very great vanity in Dionysius that would needs be the best Poet. And Caligula that would needs be the best Oratour And in Nero that would needs be the best Fidler and so became the three worst Princes by minding more other mens businesse than their own particular calling But for a man to evade or neglect private prayer under pretence of his particular calling is a greeable to no Scripture yea 't is contrary to very many Scriptures as is evident by the many Arguments formerly cited Certainly no mans calling is a calling away from God or godliness It never entered into the heart of God that our particular callings should ever drive out of doores our general calling of Christianity Look as our general calling must not eat up our particular calling so our particular calling must not eat up our general calling Certainly our partilar calling must give place to our general calling Did not the woman of Samaria leave her water-pot and run into the city and John 4. 28 29. say come see a man that told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ Did not the shepherds leave their flocks in the field and goe to Bethlehem and declare the good tidings of great joy that they had Luke 2. 8 21. heard of the Angel viz. That there was born that day in the citie of David a Saviour which was Christ the Lord And did not Christ commend Mary Luke 10. 38 ult for that holy neglect of her particular calling when she sat at his seet and heard his word And what do all these instances shew but that our particular callings must give the right hand to the general calling of christianity Certainly the works of our general calling are far more great and glorious more eminent and excellent more high and noble than the works of our particular callings are and therefore 't is much more to lerable for our general calling to borrow time of our particular calling than 't is for our particular calling to borrow time of our general calling Certainly those men are very ignorant or very prophane that either think themselves so closely tied up to follow their particular callings six dayes in the week as that they must not intermeddle with any religious services or that think their particular callings to be a gulf or a grave designed by God to swallow up private prayer in God who is the Lord of time hath reserved some part of our time to himself every day Though the Jews Deut. 6. 6 7 8. were commanded to labour six dayes of the week yet they were Exod. 29. 38 39. Num. 28. 3. commanded also to offer up morning and evening sacrifice daily The Jews divided the day into three parts The first to Prayer The second for the reading of the Law And the third for the works of their lawful callings As bad as the Jews were yet they every day set a part of the day apart for religious exercises Certainly they are worse than Jews that spend all their time about their particular callings and shut closet prayer quite out of doors Certainly that mans soul is in a very ill case who is so entangled with the incumbrances of the world that he can spare no time for private prayer If God be the Lord of thy mercies the Lord of thy time and the Lord of thy soul how can'st thou with any equity or honour put off his service under a pretence of much business that man is lost that man is curst who can find time for any thing but none to meet with God in his Closet That man is doubtless upon the brink of ruine whose worldly business eats up all thoughts of God of Christ of Heaven of Eternity of his Soul and of his soul concernments But Eighthly lastly I answer The more worldly business lyes upon thy hand the more need hast thou to keep close to thy closet Much business layes a man open to many sins and to many snares and to many temptations Now the more sins snares and temptations a mans business lays him open to the more need that man hath to be much in private prayer that his soul may be kept pure from sin and that his foot may not be taken in the Devils trap and that he may stand fast in the hour of temptation Private prayer is so far from Psal 1. 2 3. Psal 127. 1 2. Psal 128. 1. 2. being a hinderance to a mans business that 't is the way of wayes to bring down a blessing from heaven upon a mans business as the first fruits that Gods people gave to him brought down a blessing from heaven upon all the rest Deut. 26. 10 11. Whet is no let Prayer and Provender never hinders a Journey Private prayer is like to Jacob Gen. 30. 27 30. that brought down a blessing from heaven upon all that Laban had Private prayer gives a man a sanctified use both of all his earthly comforts and of all his earthly business and this David and Daniel found by experience and therefore 't was not their great publick imployments that could take them off from their private duties Time spent in heavenly imployments is Deut. 28. 1 to 8. no time lost from worldly business Private prayer makes all we take in hand successful Closet prayer hath made many rich but it never made any man poor or beggarly in this world No man on earth knows what may be the emergencies or the occurrences of a day Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Every day is as it it were a great-belly'd day Every day is as it were with child of something but what it will bring forth whether a cross or a comfort no man can tell as whilst a woman is with child no man can tell what kind of birth it will be No man knows what mercies a day may bring forth no man knowes what miseries a day may bring forth no man knows what good a day may bring forth no man knows what evil a day may bring forth no man knowes what afflictions a day may bring forth no man knows
his own soul by perpetual poring upon his guilt When Guilt upon the Conscience works a man to water the earth with tears to make Heaven ring with his groans then it works kindly When the sence of Guilt drives a man to God to Duty to the Throne of Grace then it will not be long night with that man He that thinks to shift off Private Prayer under the pretence of Guilt doth but in that increase his own Guilt Neglect of Duty will never get Guilt off the Conscience But then there is an involuntary indisposition to private prayer as in a sick man who would work and walk but cannot being hindered by his disease or as it is with a man that hath a great chain on his leg he would very fain walk or get away but his chain hinders him Now if your indisposition to private prayer be an involuntary indisposition then God will in mercy in course both pardon it remove it Secondly There is a total indisposition to private prayer there is a partial indisposition to private prayer A total indisposition to private prayer is when a man hath no Jer. 4. 22. Chap. 44. 17 18 19. mind at all to private prayer nor no will at all to private prayer nor no love at all to private prayer nor no delight nor no heart at all to private prayer now where this frame of heart is there all is naught very naught stark naught A partial indisposition to private prayer is when a man hath some will to private prayer though not such a will as once he had and some mind to private prayer though not such a mind as once he had and some affections to private prayer though not such warm and burning affections as once he had Now if your indisposition to private prayer be total then you must wait upon the Lord in all his appointments for a changed nature and for union with Christ but if your indisposition to private prayer be only partial then the Lord will certainly pardon it and in the very use of holy means in time remove it But Thirdly and lastly there is a transient accidental occasional or fleeting indisposition to private prayer and there is a customary a constant or permanent indisposition to private prayer Now a transient accidental occasional or fleeting indisposition to that which is good may be found upon the best of Saints as you may see in Moses Exod. 4. 10 11 12 13 14. and in Jeremiah Jer. 1. 5 6 7 8 17 18. 19. and Chap. 20. 9. and in Jonah chap. 1 and in David Psal 39. 2 3. Now if this be the indisposition that thou art under then thou mayest be confident that it will certainly work off by degrees Isa 65. 2. Jer. 9. 3. as theirs did that I have last cited But then there is a customary a constant or permanent indisposition to private prayer and to all other holy Duties of Religion Now if this be the indisposition that thou art under then I may safely conclude that thou art in the very gall of bitternesse and in Acts 8. 21 22 23. the bond of iniquity and thy work lyes not in complaining of thy indisposition but in repenting and believing and in labouring for a change of thy heart and state for till thy heart thy state be changed thou wilt remain for ever indisposed both to Closet-Prayer and to all other Duties of Religion and godlinesse To see a sinner sailing Hell-ward with Wind and Tide on his side to alter his course and Tack about for Heaven to see the earthly man become heavenly the carnal man become spiritual the proud man become humble the vain man become serious to see a sinner move contrary to himself in the wayes of Christ and holiness is as strange as to see the earth fly upward or the Bowl run contrary to its own Byass and yet a divine power of God upon the Soul can effect it and this must be effected before the sinner will be graciously inclined and sincerely disposed to Closet-prayer And let thus much suffice by way of Answer to this Objection also Now for the better management of this great Duty viz. Closet-prayer I beseech you take my advice and counsel in these 11. following particulars First Be frequent in Closet-prayer and not now and then only He will never make any yearnings of Closet-prayer that is not frequent in Closet-prayer Now that this Counsel may stick Consider First Other eminent Servants of the Lord have been frequent in this blessed work Nehem. 1. 6. Let thine earnow be attentive and thine eyes open that thou mayest hear the Prayer of thy Servant which I pray before thee day and night So Daniel he kneeled Dan. 6. 10 upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did before time So David My voyce shalt thou hear in the morning and in the evening will Psal 5. 3. I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up So Psal 88. 13. But unto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee So Psal 119. 147. I prevented the Psal 119. 164. dawning of the morning and cryed unto the Lord. So Psal 55. 17. Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud Yea he Exod. 29 38 39. Numb 28. 3. Mat. 6. 11. was Vir orationis for his frequency in it Psal 109. 4. For my love they are my adversaries But I give my self unto prayer Or as the Hebrew may be read But I am a man of prayer Of Carolus Magnus it was said Carolus plus cum Deo quam hominibus loquitur that he spake more with God than with men Secondly Consider the blessed Scripture doth not only enjoyn this Duty but it requires frequency in it also Luke 18. 1. 1 Thes 5. 17. Col. 4. 2. In the former part of this discourse I have given light into these Scriptures and therefore the bare citing of them must now suffice Thirdly Christ was frequent in Private Prayer as you may easily see by comparing of these Scriptures together Mark 1. 35. Mat. 14. 23. Luke 22. 39. John 18. 2. In my second Argument for Private Prayer you may see these Scriptures opened and amplified But Fourthly Consider that you have the examples of the very worst of men in this case Papists are frequent in their private Devotions And the Mahometans what occasion soever they have either by profit or pleasure to divert them will yet pray five times every day Yea the very Heathens sacrificed to Hercules morning and evening upon the great Altar at Rome Now shall blind nature do more than grace But Fifthly Consider you cannot have too frequent Communion with God you cannot have too frequent intercourse with Jesus you cannot have your hearts too frequently filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory and with that peace that passes understanding you cannot have heaven too frequently brought
and lively seasons for Closet-prayer is the mornings before a mans spirit be blunted or cooled deadned damped or flatted by worldly businesses A man should speak with God in his Closet before he speaks with his worldly affairs and occasions A man should say to all his worldly businesseg as Abraham said unto his young men when he went to offer up his only Isaac abide you here and I will goe yonder and worship and then return to you again He that will attend Closet-prayer without distraction or disturbance must not first slip out of the world into his Closet but he must first slip into his Closet before he be compassed about with a crowd of worldly employments It was a Precept of Pythagoras that when we enter into the Temple to worship God we must not so much as speak or think of any worldly business least we make Gods service an idle perfunctory and lazy recreation The same I may say of Closet-prayer Jerome complains very much of his distractions dulness and indisposedness to prayer and chides himself thus What dost thou think that Jonah prayed thus when he was in the Whales belly or Daniel when he was among the Lyons or the Thief when he was upon the Cross Thirdly When men or women are under rash and passionate 1 Tim. 2. 8. distempers for when passions are up holy affections are down and this is a very unfit season for Closet-prayer for such prayers will never reach Gods eare which do not first warm our own hearts In the Muscovy Churches if the Minister mistake in reading or stammer in pronouncing his words or speak any word that is not well heard the hearers doe very much blame him and are ready to take the book from him as unworthy to read therein And certainly God is no less offended with the giddy rash passionate precipitate and inconsiderate prayers of those who without a deliberate understanding do send their petitions to heaven in post-hast Solomons advice is worthy of all commendation and acceptation Be not Eccl. 5 2. rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God Or as the Hebrew may be read Let not thy heart through hast be so troubled or disturbed as to tumble over and throw out words without wisdome or premeditation Good men are apt many times to be too hasty rash and unadvised in their prayers complaints and deprecations Psal 31. 2. 2 Psal 116. 11 Job 10. 1 2 3. Jer. 18. 15. 18. Jon. 4. 2 3 4. Matth. 20. 20 21. witness David Job Jeremiah Jonah and the Disciples No Christian to him that doth wisely seriously weigh over his prayers and praises before he pours out his soul before the Lord. He never repents of his requests who first duly deliberates what to request but he that blurts out whatsoever lyes uppermost and that brings into the presence of God his rash raw tumultuary and indigested petitions confessions complaints c. he doth but provoke God he doth but brawl with God instead of praying to him or wrestling with him Suiters at Court observe their fittest times and seasons of begging they commonly take that very nick of time when they have the King in a good mood and so seldome or never come off but with good success Sometimes God strongly enclines the heart to Closet-prayer sometimes he brings the heart before hand into a praying frame sometimes both body and soul are more enlivened quickned raised and divinely enflamed than at other times sometimes Conscience is more stirring working and tender c. O now strike while the Iron is hot O now lay hold on all such blessed opportunities by applying of thy self to private prayer O Sirs can you take your fittest times seasons and opportunities for plowing and sowing and reaping and buying and selling and eating and drinking and marrying c. And can't you as well take your fittest times and seasons to seek the Lord in your Closets Must the best God be put off with the least and worst of your time the Lord forbid Neglect not the seasons of grace slip not your opportunities for Closet-prayer thousands have lost their seasons and their souls together My Third Advice and counsel is this Be marvelous careful that you do not perform Closet Duties meerly to still your Consciences you must perform them out of Conscience but you must not perform them only to quiet Conscience Some have such a light set up in their understandings that they cannot omit An ill Conscience saith Austin is like a scolding wife a man saith he that hath an ill Conscience he cares not to be at at home he cares not to look into his own soul but loves to be abroad Closet-prayer but Conscience is upon their backs Conscience is still upbraiding and disquieting of them and therefore they are afraid to neglect Closet-prayer least Conscience should question arraign and condemn them for their neglects Sometimes when men have greatly sinned against the Lord Conscience becomes impatient and is still accusing condemning and terrifying of them and now in these Agonies they will run to their Closets and cry and pray and mourn and confess and bitterly bewail their transgressions but all this is only to quiet their Consciences and sometimes they find upon their performances of Closet-duties that their Consciences are a little allayed and quieted and for this very end and purpose do they take up Closet-prayer as a charm to allay their Consciences and when the storm is over and their Consciences quieted then they lay aside Closet-prayer as the Monk did the net when the fish was caught and are ready to transgresse again O Sirs take heed of this for this is but plain hypocrisie and will be bitternesse in the end He that performs Closet-prayer only to bribe his Conscience that it may not be clamorous or to stop the mouth of Conscience that it may not accuse him for sin he will at length venture upon such a trade such a course of sinning against Conscience as will certainly turn his troubled Conscience into a seared Conscience And a seared Conscience is like a sleepy Lyon when 2 Tim. 4. 2. he awakes he roars and tears his prey in pieces and so will a seared Conscience when 't is awakened roar and tear the secure sinner in pieces When Dionysius Conscience was awakened he was so troubled with fear and horrour of Conscience that not daring to trust his best friends with a razor he used to singe his beard with burning coals as Cicero reports All the mercy that a seared a benummed Conscience doth afford the sinner when it doth most befriend him when it deals most seemingly kind with him is this that it will not cut that it may kill it will not convince that it may confound it will not accuse that it may condemn it will spare the sinner a while that it may torment him for ever it will spare him here that it may gnaw
resting place 't is his free grace 't is his singular mercy 't is his infinite love that is your resting place 't is the bosome of Christ the favour of Christ the satisfaction of Christ and the pure perfect spotlesse marchless and glorious righteousnesse of Christ that is your resting place and therefore say to all your Closet-duties and performances farewell prayer farewell reading farewell fasting farewell tears farewell sighs and groanes farewell meltings and humblings I will never trust more to you I will never rest more on you but I will now return to my resting place I will now rest only in God and Christ I will now rest wholly in God and Christ I will now rest for ever in God and Christ It was the saying of a precious Saint that he was more afraid of his duties than of his sins for the one made him often proud the other made him always humble But My fifth advice and counsel is this Labour to bring your hearts into all your Closet-prayers and performances Look that your tongues and your hearts keep time tune Psal 17. 1. Give ear unto my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips or as it is in the Hebrew without lips of deceit Heart and tongue must goe together word and work lip and life prayer and practise must eccho one to another or else thy prayers and thy soul will be lost together the labour of the lips and the travail of the heart must go together The Egyptians of all fruits made choice of the Peach to consecrate Plutark to their Goddess and for no other cause but that the fruit thereof is like to ones heart and the leaf like to ones tongue These very Heathens in the worship of their gods thought it necessary that mens hearts and tongues should go together Ah Christians when in your Closet-duties your hearts and your tongues go together then you make that sweet and delightful melody that is most taking and pleasing to the King of Kings The very soul of prayer lyes in the 1 Sam. 1. 15. pouring out of the Soul before God Psal 42. 4. When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me So the Israelites poured out their souls like water before the Lord So the Church The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee VVith my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Isa 26. 8 9. So Lament 3. 41. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens So Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw neer with a true heart c. So Rom. 1. 9. For God is my witnesse whom I serve in the Spirit 1 Cor. 14 15. I will pray with the spirit and sing with the spirit Phil. 3. 3. VVe are the Circumcision which worship God in the spirit Under the Law the inward parts were only to be offered to God in sacrifice the skin belonged to the Priests whence we may easily gather that truth in the inward parts is that which is most pleasing in a sacrifice When the Athenians would know of the Oracle the cause of their often unprosperous successes in battel against the Lacedemonians seeing they offered the choycest things they could get in sacrifice to the gods which their enemies did not the Oracle gave them this answer that the gods were better pleased with their inward supplication without ambition than with all their outward pomp in costly Sacrifices Ah Sirs the reason why so many are so unsuccessful in their Closet-duties and services is because there is no more of their hearts in them No man can make sure work or happy work in prayer but he that makes heart work on it When a mans heart is in his prayers then great and sweet will be his returns from heaven that is no prayer in which the heart of the person bears no part When the Soul is separated from the body the man is dead and so when the heart is separated from the lip in prayer the prayer is dead The Jews at this day write upon the walls of their Synagogues these words Tephillah belo cavannah ceguph belo neshamah that is a prayer without the heart or without the intention of the affection is like a body without a soul In the Law of Moses the Priest was commanded to wash the inwards and the feet of the Sacrifices in water and this was done saith Philo not without a mystery to teach us to keep our hearts and affections clean when we draw nigh to God In all your Closet-duties God looks first and most to your hearts My Son Pro. 23. 26. give me thy heart It is not a piece it is not a corner of the heart that will satisfie the maker of the heart the heart is a treasure a bed of spices a royal throne wherein he delights God looks not at the clegancy of your prayers to see how neat they are nor yet at the Geometry of your prayers to see how long they are nor yet at the Arithmetick of your prayers to see how many they are nor yet at the Musick of your prayers nor yet at the sweetness of your voice nor yet at the Logick of your prayers but at the sincerity of your prayers how hearty they are There is no prayer acknowledged approved accepted recorded or rewarded by God but that wherein the heart is sincerely and wholly The true mother would not have the Psal 51. 17. James 1. 8. child divided As God loves a broken and a contrite heart so he loaths a divided heart God neither loves halting nor halving he will be served truly and totally The Royal Law is Thou shalt love and serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Among the Heathens when the beasts were cut up for sacrifice the first thing the Priest looked upon Pro. 21. 27. Isa 1. 11 12. Chap. 29. 13. Mat. 15. 7 8 9. Ezek. 33. 30 31 32. Zech. 7. 4 5 6. 2 Chron. 25 1 2. Psal 78. 36 37. was the heart and if the heart was naught the sacrifice was rejected Verily God rejects all those services and sacrifices wherein the heart is not as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margent together Prayer without the heart is but as sounding brass or a tinckling Cymbal Prayer is only lovely and weighty as the heart is in it and no otherwise It is not the lifting up of the voyce nor the wringing of the hands nor the beating of the breasts nor an affected tone nor studied notions nor seraphical expressions but the stirrings of the heart that God looks at in prayer God hears no more than the heart speaks if the heart be dumb God will certainly be deaf no prayer takes with God but that which is the travel of the heart The same day Julius Caesar came to the imperial dignity sitting in his Golden Chair he offered a
do defer Dan. 9. 19. not for thine own sake Look as there be two kinds of Antidotes against Poyson viz. hot and cold so there are two kinds of Antidotes against all the troubles of this life viz. fervent prayers and holy patience the one hot the other cold the one quickening and the other quenching and holy Daniel made use of them both Fervency to prayer is as the fire was to the spices in the Censor or as wings to the Bird or as oyl to the wheels and this Daniel found by experience God looks not for any James with horny knees through assiduity of prayer nor for any Bartholomew with a Century of prayers for the morning and as many for the evening but for fervency of spirit in prayer which alone carryes all with God Feeble prayers like weak pangs go over and never brings a mercy to the birth Cold prayers are still-born Children in whom the Father of spirits can take no pleasure Look as a painted man is no man and as painted fire is no fire so a cold prayer is no prayer Such prayers never win upon the heart of God that do not first warm our own hearts As a body without a soul much wood without fire a Bullet in a Gun without powder so are all prayers without fervency of Spirit Luther termes Prayer Bombarda Christianorum the Gun or Canon of Christians or the Christians Gun-shot The hottest springs send forth their waters by ebullitions Cold prayers make a smoak a smother Isa 1. 15. Ch. 65 5. in the eyes of God Lazy prayers never procure noble answers Lazy beggars may starve for all their begging Such as have a male in their flock and offer to the Lord a female Such as offer to the Lord the torn and the lame and the sick such as turn off God with their cold lazy sleepy and formal Mal. 1. 13 14. devotions are condemned cast and cursed by God David compares his prayers to incense and no incense was offered without Psal 141. 2. fire it was that that made the smoke of it to ascend 'T is only fervent prayer that hits the mark and that pierces the walls of heaven though like those of Gaza Isa 45. 2. made of Brass and Iron While the Child only whimpers and whines in the Cradle the Mother lets it alone but when once it sets up its note and cryes out right then she runs and takes it up So 't is with a Christian Psal 34. 6. This poor man cryed there is his fervency he cryed but it was silently and secretly in the presence of King Achish as Moses did at the Red-Sea and as Nehemiah did in the presence of the King of Persia and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles here is his prevalency So Latimer plyed the Throne of grace with great fervency crying out Once again Lord once again restore the Gospel to England and God heard him Hudson the Martyr deserted at the Stake went from under his Chain and having prayed fervently he was comforted immediately and suffered valiantly I have read of one Giles of Bruxels a Dutch Martyr who was so fervent in his prayer kneeling by himself in some secret place of the Prison where he was that he seemed to forget himself and being called to his meat he neither heard nor saw who stood by him till he was lifted up by the armes and then he would speak gently to them as one awaked out of a Trance So Gregory Nazianzen speaking Paulin. Epist lib. 1. Epist 4. of his sister Gorgonia saith that in the vehemency of her prayer she came to a Religious impudency with God so as to threaten heaven and tell God that she would never depart from his Altar till she had her petition granted Let us make it our businesse to follow these noble examples as ever we would so Prince it in prayer as to prevail with God An importunate soul in prayer is like the poor beggar that prayes and knocks that prayes and waits that prayes and works that knocks and knits that begs and patches and will not stir from the door till he hath an alms Well Friends remember this God respects no more luke-warm prayers than he doth luke-warm persons and they are such that he hath threatned to spue out of his mouth Those prayers that are but lip-labour are lost-labour And therefore in all your Closet-prayers look to the fervency of your spirits My Seventh Advice and counsel is this Be constant as well as servent in Closet-prayer look that you hold on and hold out and that you persevere to the end in private prayer 1 Thes 5. 17. Pray without ceasing A man must alwayes pray habitually though not actually he must have his heart in a praying disposition in all estates and conditions Though Closet-prayer may have an intermission yet it must never have a cessation Luke 18. 1. And he spake a Parable unto them to this end that men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint or as the Greek hath it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shrink back as sluggards in work or cowards in war Closet-prayer is a fire like that on the Altar that was never to go out day nor Lev. 12. 6. night 1 Thes 3. 10. Night and day praying exceedingly Paul speaks like a man made up all of prayer like a man that minded nothing so much as prayer So Ephes 6. 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance Calvin makes this difference between praying alwayes in the beginning of this Verse and praying with perseverance in the end of this Verse By praying alwayes saith he he exhorts us to pray in prosperity as well as in adversity and not to quit the duty of prayer in a prosperous estate because we are not driven to it by outward pressing necessities and miseries and by praying with perseverance he admonisheth us that we be not weary of the work but continue instant and constance in its performance though we have not presently what we pray for So that praying alwayes is opposed to a neglect of the Duty in its proper times and seasons and praying with perseverance is opposed to a fainting in our spirits in respect of this or that particular suit or request that we put up to God When God turns a deaf ear to our prayers we must not fret nor faint we must not be dismayed nor discouraged but we must hold up and hold on in the Duty of prayer with invincible patience courage and constancy as the Church did Lament 3. 8 44 55 56 57. compared Col. 4. 2. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving We must be constant and instant in Closet-prayer we must wait upon it and lay all aside for it He that is only in his Closet by fits and starts will neither glorifie God nor advantage his own soul If we do not make a
sprinkled before the Mercy-Seat Now that blood typified Christ's satisfaction and the Cloud of Incense his Intercession Some of the learned think that Christ intercedes only by vertue of his merits others that 't is done only with his mouth I conjecture it may be done both wayes the rather because Christ hath a tongue as also a whole body but glorified in Heaven and is it likely that that mouth which pleaded so much for us on earth should be altogether silent for us in Heaven There is no coming to the Father John 14. 6. but by the Son Christ is the true Jacobs Ladder by which we must ascend to Heaven Joseph Gen. 43. you know commanded his Brethren that as ever they looked for any good from him or to see his face with joy that they should be sure to bring their Brother Benjamin along with them O Sirs as ever you would be prevalent with God as ever you would have sweet choice and comfortable returns from Heaven to all your Closet-prayers be sure that you bring your Elder Brother the Lord Jesus Christ in the arms of your faith be sure that you treat and trade with God only in the name of the Lord Jesus 'T is a notable speech that Luther hath upon the 130. Psalm Often Dulce nomen Christi and willingly saith he do I inculcate this that you should shut your eyes and your ears and say you know no God out of Christ none but he that was in the lap of Mary and sucked her breasts He meanes none out of him When you go to Closet-prayer look that you pray not in your own names but in the name of Christ and that you plead not in your own names but in the name of Christ and that you believe and hope not in your own names but in the name of Christ and that you look not to speed in your own names but in the name of Christ Col. 3. 17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Whatsoever we do we are to do it by the authority of Christ and through the assistance of Christ and in the name of Christ and for the sake and glory of Christ Christ's name is so precious and powerful with the Father that it will carry any suit obtain any request at his hands Jesus in the China Tongue signifies the rising Sun When a man writes the name of Jesus upon his Closet-prayers then he shall be sure to speed though God will not give a man a drop a sip a crum a crust for his own sake yet for Jesus sake he will give the best the choycest and the greatest blessings that heaven affords that name is still mighty and powerful prevalent and precious before the Lord. The prayers that were offered up with the incense upon the Altar were pleasing Rev. 8. 3. and came up with acceptance vers 4. Josephs Brethren were kindly used for Benjamins sake O Sirs all our duties and services are accepted of the Father not for their own sakes nor for our sakes but for Christ's sake There are no prayers that are either hard owned accepted regarded or rewarded but such as Christ puts his hand to If Christ doth not mingle his blood with our sacrifices our services they will be lost and never ascend as incense before the Lord. No coyn is currant that hath not Caesars stamp upon it nor no prayers goe currant in heaven that have not the stamp of Christ upon them There is nothing more pleasing to our heavenly Father than to use the mediation of his Son Such shall be sure to find most favour and to speed best in the Court of Heaven who still present themselves before the Father with Christ in their armes But My eleventh and last advice and counsel is this VVhen you come out of your closets narrowly watch what becomes of your private prayers look at what door in what way and by what hand the Lord shall please to give you an answer to the secret desires of your souls in a corner It hath been the custome of the people of God to look after their prayers to see what successe they have had to observe what entertainment they have found in heaven Psal 5. 3. My voyce shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up In the words you may observe two things First Davids posture in prayer Secondly His practise after prayer First His posture in prayer I will direct my prayer unto thee Secondly His practise after prayer And I will look up The Prophet in these words makes use of two military words First he would not only pray but martial up his prayers he would put them it battel-aray so much the Hebrew word Gnarach imports Secondly when he had done this then he would be as a spy upon his VVatch-Tower to see whether he prevailed whether he got the day or no and so much the Hebrew word Tsaphah imports When David had set his prayers his petitions in rank and file in good aray then he was resolved he would look abroad he would look about him to see at what door God would send in an answer of prayer He is either a fool or a mad-man he is either very weak or very wicked that prayes and prayes but never looks after his prayers that shootes many an Arrow towards Heaven but never minds where his Arrows a light Psal 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints If David would have God to hearken to his prayers he must then hearken to what God will speak and upon this point it seemes he was fully resolved The Prophets prayer you have in the seaven first verses of this Psalm and his gracious resolution you have in the 8th verse I will hear what the God Lord will speak As if he had said Certainly it will not be long before the Lord will give me a gracious answer a seasonable and a suitable return to my present prayers Psal 130. 1 2 5 6. Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord. Lord hear my voyce let thine ears be attentive to the voyce of my supplications I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Those that watch abroad in dangerous times and tedious weather look frequently after peep of day How doth the weary Sentinel that is wet with the rain of heaven or with the dew of the night wait and watch look and long for the morning light Now this was the frame and temper of Davids spirit when he came off from praying he falls a waiting for a gracious answer Shall the husbandman wait for the precious fruits of the earth and shall the Merchant-man
things of God He that affects to read the Revelations of John more than his plain Epistles or Daniels prophesies more than Davids Psalms and is more busie about reconciling difficult Scriptures than he is about mortifying of unruly lusts or that is set more upon vain speculations than upon things that make most for edification he is not the man that is cut out for Closet-prayer Such as affect sublime notions obscure expressions and are men of abstracted conceits are but a company of wise fools that will never take any delight to be with God in a corner Had many men spent but half that time in secret prayer that they have spent in seeking after the Phylosophers Stone how happy might they have been O how holy how happy how heavenly how humble how wise how knowing might many men have been had they spent but half that time in Closet-prayer that they have spent in searching after those things that are hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3. 16. But Fourthly Take heed of engageing your selves in a crowd of worldly businesses Many have so much to do on earth that they have no time to look up to Heaven As much earth puts out the fire so much worldly business puts out the fire of heavenly affections Look as the earth swallowed up Korah Dathan and Abiram so much Num. 22. 32 worldly business swallows up so much precious time that many men have no leasure to be with God in their Closets this business is to be done and that business cannot be omitted and t'other necessary occasion must be attended so that I have no leasure to step out of my shop into my Closet saith Phil. 3. 19. the earthly minded man thus a crowd of worldly businesses crowds Closet-prayer quite out of doors Many drive so great a trade in their shops that their private trade to Heaven is quite laid by There is nothing that hath kept men more from Christ and Closet-prayer than the shop the Exchange the Farm and the Oxen Luke 14. 16. 22. c. The Stars which have least circuit are neerest the Pole and men that are least perplexed with worldly businesses are commonly neerest to God to Christ to Heaven and so the fitter for Closet-prayer 'T is sad when men grasp so much business that they can have no leasure for Communion with God in a corner The noise is such in a mill as hinders all private intercourse between man and man and so a multitude of worldly businesses make such a noise as that it hinders all private entercourse between God and the soul If a man of much business should now and then slide into his Closet yet his head and his heart will be so filled and distracted with the thoughts of his employments that God shall have little of him but his bodily presence or at most but bodily presence or at most but bodily exercise 1 Tim. 4. 8. which profits little If Christ blamed Martha for the multitude of her domestical employments Luke 10. 40 41 42. though they were undertaken for the immediate service and entertainment of himself because they hindred her in her soul-concernments Oh how will he one day blame all those who by running themselves into a crowd of worldly businesses do cut themselves off from all opportunities of pouring out their souls before him in secret But Fifthly Take heed of secret sins There is no greater hinderance to secret prayer in all the world than secret sins and therefore stand upon your watch and arme your selves with all your might against them There is an Antipathy betwixt secret sinning and secret praying partly from guilt which makes the soul shy of coming under Gods secret eye and partly from those fears doubts disputes and disorders that secret siâ—â— raise in the heart Light is not more opposite to darkness Christ to Belial nor Heaven to Hell than secret prayer is to secret sins and therefore what ever you do look that you keep clear of secret sins To that purpose consider these four things First That God is privy to our most secret sins his eye is as much upon secret sins as it is upon open Psal 139. 1 2 3 4. Jer. 13. 27. Chap. 29. 23. Psal 39. 1. 1 Kings 20. 39. Jer. 20. 20 Job 10. 12. sins Psal 90. 8. Thou host set our iniquities before thee our secret sins in the light of thy countenance God hath an eye upon our inmost evils he seeth all that is done in the dark Jer. 23. 24. Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Prov. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good To say that God doth not see the most secret sins of the children of men is not only derogatory to his omniscience but also to his mercy for how can God pardon those sins which he doth not see to be sins There is no cloud nor curtain nor moment of darkness that can stand betwixt the eyes of God and the wayes of men Prov. 5. 21. The wayes of men are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings In this Scripture Solomon mainly speaks of the wayes of the Adulterer which usually are plotted with the most cunning secrecy yet God seeth all those wayes Look as no boldness can exempt the Adulterer from the justice of God so no secrecy can hide him from the eye of God Though men labour to hide their wayes from others and from themselves yet 't is but labour in vain to endeavour to hide them from God Men that labour to hide God from themselves can never hide themselves from God I have read that Paphnutius converted Thais and Ephron two famous Strumpets from uncleanness only with this Argument That God seeth all things in the dark when the doors are fast the windows shut and the curtains drawn Heb. 4. 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened anotamized even to the eyes of him with whom we have to do 'T is an allusion to the Priests under the Law who when they killed a beast all things that were within the beast were laid open and naked before the Priest that he might see what was sound and what was corrupted Though evil be done out of the eye of all the world yet it is naked and manifest in his sight with whom we have to do Those sins which lye closest and are most secretly lurking in the heart are as obvious and odious to God as those that are most fairly written upon a mans forehead God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all eye so that he sees all the most secret turnings and windings of our hearts Our most secret sins are as plainly seen by him as any thing can be by us at noon-day Psalm 139. 11 12 If I say surely the darkness shall