the soundness of their sorrow but also to shew their sincerity by their secresie they must mourn apart that their sins may not be disclosed nor discovered one to another Here they are severed to shew that they wept not for company sake but for their own particular sins by which they had pierced and crucified the Lord of glory In secret a Christian may descend into such particulars as in publick or before others he wil not he may not he ought not to mention Ah how many Christians are there who would blush and be ashamed to walk in the streets and to converse with sinners or saints should but those infirmities enormities and wickednesses be written in their fore-heads or known to others which they freely and fully lay open to God in secret There are many sins which many men have fallen into before conversion and since conversion which should they be known to the world would make themselves to stink and Religion to stink and their profession to stink in the nostrils of all that know them Yea should those weaknesses and wickednesses be published upon the house tops which many are guilty of before grace received or since grace received how would weak Christians be staggered young comers on in the wayes of God discouraged and many mouthes of blasphemy opened and many sinners hearts hardened against the Lord his wayes reproofs and the things of their own peace yea how would Satans banner be displayed and his kingdom strengthned and himself infinitely pleased and delighted 'T is an infinite mercy and condescention in God to lay a Law of restraint upon Satan who else would be the greatest Blab in all the world It would be mirth and musick to him to be still a laying open the follies and weaknesses of the Saints Ambrose brings in the Devil boasting against Christ and challenging Judas as his own He is not thine Lord Jesus he is mine his thoughts beat for me he eats with thee but is fed by me he takes bread from thee but mony from me he drinks with thee and sells thy blood to me There is not a sin that a Saint commits but Satan would trumpet it out to all the world if God would but give him leave No man that is in his right wits will lay open to every one his bodily infirmities weaknesses diseases ailments griefs c. but to some near relation or bosom friend or able Physitian So no man that is in his right wits will lay open to every one his soul-infirmities weaknesses diseases ailments griefs c. but to the Lord or to some particular person that is wise faithful and able to contribute something to his souls relief Should a Christian but lay open or rip up all his follies and vanities to the world how sadly would some deride him and scorn him and how severely and bitterly would others censure him and judge him c. When David was alone in the Cave then he poured out his complaint to God and shewed before him his trouble Psal 142. 2. And when Job was all alone then his eyes pour'd out tears to God Job 20. 16. There is no hazzard no danger in ripping up of all before God in a corner but there may be a great deal of hazzard and danger Eccl. 12. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rev. 22. 12. Heb. 10. 6. Psal 126. 5. Luk. 14. 14. Matth. 25. 34 37. in ripping up of all before men Fifthly Secret duties shall have open rewards Matth. 6. 6. And thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly So Vers 18. God will reward his people here in part hereafter in all perfection He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him in a corner They that sow in tears secretly shal reap in joy openly Private prayer shall be rewarded before men and Angels publickly How openly did God reward Daniel for his secret prayer Dan. 6. 10. 23 24 25 26 27 28. Mordecai privately discovered a plot of treason against the person of King Ahasuerus and he is rewarded openly Esther 2. 21 22 23. with Chap. 6. Darius before he came to the kingdom received privately a garment for a gift of one Syloson and when he came to be King he rewarded him openly with the command of his Country Samus God in the great Day will recompense his people before all the world for every secret prayer and secret tear and secret sigh and secret groan that hath come from his people God in the great day will declare to men and Angels how often his people have been in pouring out their souls before him in such and such holes corners and secret places and accordingly he will reward them Ah Christians did you really believe this and seriously dwell on this you would 1. Walk more thankfully 2. Work more chearfully 3. Suffer more patiently 4. Fight against the world the flesh and the devil more couragiously 5. Lay out your selves for God his interest and glory more freely 6. Live with what Providence hath cut out for your portion more quietly and contentedly And 7. You would be in private prayer more frequently more abundantly Sixthly Consider that God hath O Lord I never come to thee but by thee I never go from thee without thee Bern. usually let out himself most to his people when they have been in secret when they have been alone at the Throne of Grace Oh the sweet meltings the heavenly warmings the blessed cheerings the glorious manifestations and the choice communion with God that Christians have found when they have been alone with God in a corner in a closet behind the door When had Daniel that Vision comfortable Message that blessed News by the Angel that he was greatly beloved but when he was all alone at prayer Dan. 9. 20 21 22 23. And while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy Mountain of my God yea while I was speaking in prayer even the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the Vision at the beginning being caused to flie swiftly touched me about the time of the evening oblation And he informed me and talked with me and said O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding At the beginning of thy supplications the commandement came forth and I am come to shew thee for thou art greatly beloved Therefore understand the matter and consider the Vision Whilst Daniel was at private prayer God by the Angel Gabriel reveales to him the secret of his Counsel concerning the Restauration of Jerusalem and the duration thereof even to the Messiah and whilst Daniel was at private prayer the Lord appears to him and in an extraordinary way assures him that he was a man greatly beloved or as the Hebrew Chumudoth hath it a man of desires that is a man whom Gods desires are towards a man singularly beloved of God and highly
James 5. 7 8. wait for the return of his ships and shall the Wife wait for the return of her Husband that is gone a long journey and shall not a Christian wait for the return of his prayers Noah patiently waited for the return of the Dove to the Ark with an Olive branch in his mouth So must you patiently wait for the return of your prayers When children shoot their Arrows they never mind where they fall but when prudent Archers shoot their Arrowes up into the aire they stand and watch where they fall You must deal by your prayers as prudent Archers do by their Arrowes Hab. 2. 1. I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the Tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me The Prophet in the former Chapter having been very earnest in his expostulations and very fervent in his supplications he gets now upon his Watch-Tower to see what becomes of his prayers he stands as a sentinel and watches as vigilantly and as carefully as a spy a scout earnestly longing to hear and see the event the issue and success of his prayers That Christian that in prayer hath one eye upon a divine precept and another upon a gracious promise that Christian will be sure to look after his prayers He that prayes and waits and waits and prayes shall Psal 40. 1 2 3 4. be sure to speed he shall never fail of rich returns He that can want as well as wait and he that can be contented that God is glorified though he be not gratified he that dares not antedate Gods promises but patiently wait for the accomplishment of them he may be confident that he shall have seasonable and suitable answers to all those prayers that he hath posted away to heaven Though God seldome comes at our time yet he never fails to come at his own time He that shall come will come Heb. 10. 37. and will not tarry The mercies of God are not styled the swift but the sure mercies of David He that makes as much Conscience to Isa 55. 3. look after his prayers as to pray he shall shortly clap his hands for joy and cry out with that blessed Mr. Glover Acts mon. Martyr He is come Austin he is come he is come Certainly there is little worth in that mans heart or in that mans prayers who keeps up a trade of prayer but never looks what becomes of his prayers When you are in your Closets marshal your prayers see that every prayer keeps his place and ground and when you come out of your closets then look up for an answer only take heed that you be not too hasty and hot with God Though mercy in the promise be yours yet the time of giving it out is the Lords and therefore you must wait as well as pray And thus much by way of counsel and advice for the better carrying on of Closet-prayer I have now but one thing more to do before I shut up this discourse and that is to lay down some means rules or directions that may be of use to help you on in a faithful and conscientious discharge of this great duty viz. Closet-prayer And therefore thus First As ever you would give up your selves to private prayer Take heed of an idle and sloathful spirit If Adam in the state of Innocency must work and dress the Garden and if after his fall when he was Monarch of all the world he must yet labour why should any be idle or sloathful Idleness is a sin against the law of Creation God creating man to labour the idle person violates this Law of Creation for by his idleness he casts off the authority of his Creator who made him for labour Idleness is a contradiction to the August de Gen ad lit lib. 8. cap. 8. principles of our Creation Man in Innocency should have been freed from weariness but not from employment he was to dress the Garden by divine appoyntment And the Lord God took the man and put Gen. 2. 15. him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it All weariness in labour and all vexing tyring and tormenting labour came in by the fall In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat Gen. 3. 19. bread The bread of idleness is neither sweet nor sure An idle person shall suffer Pro. 19. 15. hunger saith Solomon An idle life an holy heart are far enough asunder By doing nothing saith the Heathen man men learn to do evil things It is easie slipping out of an idle life into an evil and wicked life yea an idle life is of it self evil for man was made to be active not to be idle The Cyclopes thought mans happiness did consist in nihil agendo in doing nothing But no excellent thing 1 Cor. 1. 17. Eph. 4. 28. 2 Thes 3. 10 12. can be the child of idleness Idleness is a mother sin a breeding sin 't is pulvinar diaboli the devils cushion on which he sits the devils anvile on which he frames very great and very many sins Look as Toads and Serpents breed most in standing waters so sin thrives most in idle persons Idleness is that which provokes the Lord to forsake mens bodies and the Devil to possess their souls No man hath less means to preserve his body and more temptations to infect his soul than an idle person O shake off sloth The sluggish Christian will be sleeping or idling or trifling when he should be in his closet a praying Sloth is the Green-sickness of the soul get it cured or 't will be your eternal bane Of all Devils 't is the idle Devil that keeps men most out of their Closets There is nothing that gives the devil so much advantage against us as idleness 'T was Hierom. ep 4. good counsel that Jerom gave to his friend Facito aliquid operis ut te semper Diabolus inveniat occupatum that when the Devil comes with a temptation you may answer him you are not at leasure It was the speech of Mr. Greenham sometimes a famous painful preacher of this nation that when the Devil tempted a poor soul she came to him for advice how she might resist the temptation and he gave her this answer Never be idle but be alwayes well employed for in my own experience I have found it when the Devil came to tempt me I told him that I was not at leasure to hearken to his temptations and by this means I resisted all his assaults Idleness is the hour of temptation and an idle person is the Devils Tennis-Ball tossed by him at his pleasure He that labours said the old Hermite is tempted but by one Devil but he that is idle is assaulted by all Cupid complained that he could never fasten upon the Muses because he could never find them idle The Fowler bends his bow and spreads his net for Birds when they are set not when
being that they are not proper to our purpose I shall pass them by The Rod. The Hebrew word Matte that is here rendred Rod hath these three significations First It denotes Power and strength Psal 2. 9. A Rod of Iron Secondly It denotes Rigid and harsh Government Isa 14. 5. The Lord hath broken the staffe or Rod of the wicked that is their rigorous and cruel Government Nebuchadnezzar sorely afflicted the Children of Judah he was a Rod that brake them in pieces and ruled over them with much rigour in Babilon Thirdly It denotes sore afflictions and heavy Judgements Psal 89. 32. I will visit your transgressions with a Rod. And thus you are to understand the word Rod in the Text. And him that hath appointed it 'T is God that appoints the Rod and ordaines it for the revenge of the quarrel of his Covenant The Hebrew word Jegnadah signifies properly to appoint or constitute 'T is God who appoints the Rod and who constitutes it to do what service he pleaseth 'T is God that hath not only a permissive but also an active hand in all the afflictions that come upon his People And let thus much suffice for the opening of the words Now though this choice Garden affords many sweet Flowers yet I shall only present you with one which is this viz. That all the Afflictions troubles and tryals c. that God layes upon his People are his Rod and that 't is their highest and greatest concernment to hear the voyce of the Rod and to take out those Lessons that God would have them learn by the Rod. For the opening and clearing up of this important Point I shall endeavour these two things First To shew you in what respects Afflictions are like unto a Rod. Secondly To shew you what those special Lessons are that you are to learn by the Rod. For the First In what respects are afflictions like unto a Rod I Answer In these seven respects Afflictions are like unto a Rod. First The Rod is never made use of but when no fair means will prevail with the Child 'T is so here God never takes up the Rod he never afflicts his People till he 2 Chron. 36. 15 ult Mat. 23. 37 38. hath tryed all fair wayes and means to humble them and reform them And when none of the offers of grace the tenders of mercy the wooings of Christ the strivings of the Spirit northe smart debates of Conscience will awaken them nor work upon them then God takes up the Rod and sometimes whips them till the blood comes But Secondly Parents choose what Rods they please to correct their Children with The Child shall not choose what Rod he pleaseth to be corrected with O no 'T is the prerogative of the Father to choose the Rod the Father may choose and use either a great Rod or a little Rod a long Rod or a short Rod a Rod made up of Rosemary branches or a Rod made up of green Birch 'T is so here God chooseth what Rod what Affliction he pleaseth to exercise his people with You Lev. 26. Deut. 28. Lament 3. 9 18. read in the Scripture of very many Rods but they are all of Gods choosing Amos 3. 6. Is there any evil in the City and hath not the Lord done it Though there be many Rods to be found in the City yet there is not one of them but is of Gods choosing Ruth 1. 13. It grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me vers 21. I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty why then call ye me Naomi seeing the Lord hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me Isa 45. 7. I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Mic. 1. 12. For the inhabitants of Maroth waited carefully for good but evil came down from the Lord unto the Gates of Jerusalem David was whipt with many Rods Psal 39. 9. Job 1 but they were all of Gods own choosing And Job was whipt with many Rods but they were all of Gods own choosing But Thirdly Parents take no pleasure they take no delight to use the Rod. Every lash the Father gives the Child fetches blood from his own heart The Father corrects the Child and sighs over the Child he whips the Child and at the same time weeps over the Child Nothing goes more against the Parents heart nor against their hair than the bringing of their Children under the Rod of Correction 'T is so here Lament 3. 3. For he doth not afflict willingly or as the Hebrew runs he doth not afflict Millibbo from his heart nor grieve the Children of men You often read that he delights in mercy but Mich. 7. 15. where do you once read that he delights in severity or in dealing roughly with his People God very rarely takes 2 Chron. 36. 16. Jer. 5. 19. up the Rod but when our sins have put a force upon him 'T is grievous to God to be a grieving his People 't is a pain unto him to be a punishing of them Hos 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together My Justice saith God calls upon me to rain Hell out of Heaven upon thee as once I did upon Sodom and Gomorah but then Mercy interposeth her four several how 's how how how how how shall I give thee up God puts these four pathetical interrogations to himself because none else in Heaven or Earth could answer them The Prophet brings in God speaking after the manner of men who being provoked a thousand thousand wayes by the vanities and follies of their Children think to give them up to take their own courses and to look no more after them but then their bowels begin to work and their hearts begin to melt and they begin to interrogate themselves thus How shall we give up these Children for though they be disobedient Children yet they are Children how can we turn them out of doores how can we disown them how can we disinherit them for though they are rebellious Children yet they are Children c. Afflictions are called Gods work yea his strange work his Isa 28. 21. act yea his strange act as if God were out of his element when he is afflicting or chastising his People But. Fourthly The Rod is smarting grievous and troublesom and so are afflictions to our natures Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Flesh and blood startles and is troubled at the least trouble Affliction is a sort of Physick that makes most sick Some write that Tygres will grow mad and tear their own flesh Plutarch lib. de superstitionâ— and rend themselves in pieces
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
Jer. 23. 24. Can any man hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Pro. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good or contemplating the evil and the good as the Hebrew may be read Now to contemplate is more than simply to behold for contemplation addeth to a simple apprehension a deeper degree of knowledge entring into the very inside of a matter and so indeed doth God discern the very inward intentions of the heart and the most secret motions of the spirit God is an infinite and immense being whose center is every where and whose circumference is no where Now if our God be omnipresent then wheresoever we are our God is present with us if we are in prison alone with Joseph our God is present with us there or if we are in exile alone with David our God is present with us there or if we are alone in our closets our God is present with us there God seeth us in secret and therefore let us seek his face in secret Though Heaven be Gods Pallace yet it is not his prison But Fifteenthly He that willingly neglects private prayer shall certainly be neglected in his publick prayer he that will not call upon God in secret shall find by sad experience that God will neither hear him nor regard him in publick Want of private duties is the great reason why the hearts of many are so dead and dull so formal and carnal so barren and unfruitful under publick Ordinances O that Christians would seriously lay this to heart Certainly that man or womans heart is best in publick who is most frequent in private They make most yearnings in publick Ordinances that are most conscientiously exercised in closet duties No mans graces rises so high nor no mans experiences rises so high nor no mans communion with God rises so high nor no mans divine enjoyments rises so high nor no mans springs of comfort rises so high nor no mans hopes rises so high nor no mans parts and gifts rises so high c. as theirs do who conscientiously wait upon God in their Closets before they wait upon him in the Assembly of his people and who when they return from publick Ordinances retire into their Closets and look up to Heaven for a blessing upon the publick means 'T is certain that private duties fit the soul for publick ordinances He that makes conscience to wait upon God in private shall finde by experience that God will wonderfully blesse publick Mic. 2. 7. Ordinances to him My designe is not to set up one Ordinance of God above another nor to cause one ordinance of God to clash with another the publick wth the private or the private with the publick but that every Ordinance may have its proper place right The desires of my soul being to prize every Ordinance to praise every ordinance and to practise every Ordinance to improve every ordinance to blesse the Lord for every Ordinance But as ever you would see Psal 63. 1 2 3. the beauty and glory of God in his sanctuary as ever you would have publick Ordinances to be lovely and lively to your souls as ever you would have your drooping spirits revived and your languishing souls refreshed and your weak graces strengthned and your strong corruptions weakned under publick Ordinances be more careful conscientious in the performance of Closet duties O how strong in grace O how victorious over sin O how dead to the world O how alive to Christ O how fit to live O how prepared to die might many a Christian have been had they been but more frequent serious and conscientious in the discharge of Closet duties Not but that I think there is a truth in that saying of Bede the word Church being rightly understood viz. That he that comes not willingly to Church shall one day go unwillingly to Hell But Sixteenthly Consider the times wherein we live call aloud for secret prayer Hell seems to be broke loose and men turned into incarnate Devils Land-destroying and Soul-damning wickednesses walk up and down the streets with a Whores fore-head without the least check or controul Jer. 3. 3. Thou had'st a Whores fore-head thou refusest to be ashamed Jer. 6. 15. Were they ashamed when they committed abomination nay they were not at allashamed neither could they blush They had Curtius an heathen could say That he was an undone man that knoweth no shame sinned away shame instead of being ashamed of sin Custom in sin had quite banished all sence of sin and all shame for sin so that they would not suffer nature to draw her vail of blushing before their great abominations They were like to Caligula a wicked Emperor who used to say of himself That he loved nothing better in himself than that he could not be ashamed The same words are repeated in Chap. 8. 12. How applicable these Scriptures are to the present times I will leave the prudent reader to judge But what doth the Prophet do now they were as bold in sin and as shameless as so many harlots that you may see in Jer. 13. 17. But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places or secresies for your pride and mine eye shall weep sore Heb. weeping weep or shedding tears shed tears the doubling of the verb notes the bitter and grievous lamentation that he should make for them and run down with tears Now they were grown up to that heighth of sin and wickedness that they were above all shame and blushing now they were grown so proud so hardned so obstinate so rebellious so mad upon mischief that no mercies could melt them or allure them nor no threatnings nor judgements could any wayes terrifie them or stop them the Prophet goes into a corner he retires himself into the most secret places and there he weeps bitterly there he weeps as if he were resolved to drown himself in his own tears When the springs of sorrow rise high a Christian turns his back upon company and retires himself into places of greatest privacy that so he may the more freely and the more fully vent his sorrow and grief before the Lord. Ah England England what pride luxury lasciviousness licentiousness wantonness drunkenness cruelties injustice oppressions fornications adulteries falshoods hypocrisie bribery atheisme horrid blasphemies and hellish impieties are now to be found rampant in the midst of thee Ah England England how are the Lords Sabbaths profaned pure Ordinances despised Scriptures rejected the Spirit resisted and derided the righteous reviled wickedness countenanced and Christ many thousand times in a day by these cursed practises a fresh crucified Ah England England were our forefathers alive how sadly would they blush to see such a horrid degenerate posterity as is to be found in the midst of thee How is our forefathers hospitality converted into riot and luxury their frugallity into
the Saints all things that is First He teacheth them all things needful for the salvation of their souls all things necessary to bring John 17. 3. them to heaven Secondly All things needful to life and godlyness 2 Pet. 1. 3. Thirdly all things needful to their places callings sexes ages and conditions Fourthly All things needful for you to know to preserve you in the truth and to preserve you from being deluded and seduced by those false teachers of whom he speaks vers 18 19 22 23 26. And certainly this is the main thing that John hints at in that expression The all things spoken of in Vers 27. according to the ordinary Scripture style must necessarily be interpreted only of all those things which are there spoken of But Sixthly They are all comforted by the Spirit Acts. 9. 31. They John 14. 16 26. and Chap. 15. 26. and Chap. 16. 7. walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and driâ—k but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy-Ghost 1 Thes 1. 6. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy of the holy-Ghost Not that all Christians have alwayes actual comfort or actual joy O no For as the Air is sometimes clear sometimes cloudy and as the Sea is sometimes ebbing sometimes flowing so the comforts and joyes of the people of God are sometimes ebbing and sometimes flowing sometimes clear and sometimes cloudy Hudson the Martyr being deserted at the stake went from under his chain and having prayed earnestly was comforted immediatly and suffered valiantly So Mr. Glover the Martyr was deserted in Prison but as he was going to the stake he lookt back and cried out to his friend He is come he is come meaning the Comforter and so he laid down his life with joy Rachel wept and would not be comforted she gave so much way to weeping that she would not give the least way to comfort and so 't is many times with the choicest Saints My soul refused to be comforted Psal 77. 2. 'T is not my purpose at present to insist on the several wayes whereby the people of God refuse comfort and fall short of those strong consolations which God is willing that they should receive The Sun may operate where it doth not shine and a man may be in a state of salvation and yet want consolation a man may fear the Isa 50. 10. 2. Lord and obey the voice of his servant and yet walk in darkness and see no light There is no Christian but may sometime have trouble in his conscience and grief in his heart and tears in his eyes and fears and questionings in his soul whether God be his Father and whether Christ be his Redeemer whether Mercy belongs to him yea whether any Promise in the Book of God belongs to him c. Joy and comfort are those dainties Psal 30. 6 7. those sweet-meets of heaven that God doth not every day feast his people with every day is not a wedding day nor every day is not a harvest day nor every day is not a summers day The fatted Calf is Luke 15. 22 23. Eccl. 3. 4. Rom. 12. 15. not kil'd every day nor the Robe the Ring is not every day put on every day is not a festival day nor a dancing day As there is a time to sing so there is a time to sigh as there is a time to laugh so there is a time to weep and as there is a time to dance so thereis a time to mourn All tears will never be clear wip'd from our eyes till all sinbe quite taken out of our hearts But notwithstanding all this yet gracious â—ouls have alwayes sure and choice grounds of consolation they have the promises they have the first fruits of the Spirit they have union with Christ and they have right to eternal life though they have not alwayes sensible comforts The Job 13. 15. Psal 42. 5. children of God have alwayes cause to exercise faith and hope on God in their darkest condition though they have not alwayes actual joy and consolation The comforter alwayes abides with the Saints though he doth not alway actually comfort the Saints John 14. 16. The Spirit many times carryes on his sanctifying work in the soul when he doth not carry on his comforting work in the soul the Spirit many times acts in a way of humiliation when he doth not act in a way of consolation the Spirit many times fills the soul with Godly sorrow when he doth not fill the soul with holy joy The actings of the Spirit as to his comforting work are all of his own soveraign will and pleasure and therefore he may abide in the soul when he doth not actually comfort the soul But Seventhly The people of God These words saith Zanchy are a inetaphor taken from Merchants who having bâ—ught goods seal them as their own and so transport them to other places Eph. 4. 24. first or last are sealed by the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed by the holy Spirit of promise The nature of sealing consists in the imparting of the image or Character of the Seal to the thing sealed To seal a thing is to stamp the character of the Seal on it Now the Spirit of God doth really and effectually communicate the image of God to us which image consists in righteousness and true holiness Then are we truly sealed by the Spirit of God when the holy Ghost stamps the image of grace and holiness so obviously so evidently upon the soul as that the soul sees it feels it and can run and read it then the soul is sealed by the holy Spirit So Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption The Person of the Holy-Ghost is here set forth in the Greek with a very great energy such as our Tongue is not able fully to express Here are three words that have three Articles every word his several Article by it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit not a Spirit and not holy but the holy nor of God but of that God 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts In these Scriptures you see that the Spirit is a seal Now a seal among men is First For secresie Secondly For distinction Thirdly For authority Fourthly For certainty A writing sealed is authentick and for ensureing In the three Texâ—s last cited if you compare them together you may observe these Six things First The Person sealing and that is the Father Secondly In whom in Christ Thirdly With what seal the Spirit of Promise Where are all the Persons in the Trinity making us sure of our inheritance Fourthly When after ye believed Fifthly
Father While the child is in the womb it cannot cry but as soon as it is born it cries Whilst Paul did lie in the womb of his natural estate he could not pray but no sooner was he born of the spirit but the next news is Behold he prayeth Acts. 9. 11. Prayer is nothing but the turning of a mans inside outward before the Lord. The very soul of prayer lyes in the pouring out of a mans soul into the bosome of God Prayer is nothing but the breathing that out before the Lord that was first breath'd into us by the spirit of the Lord Prayer is nothing but a choice a free a sweet and familiar intercourse of the soul with God Certainly it is a great work of the Spirit to help the Saints to pray Gal. 4. 6. Because you are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father God hath no still-born children The Gemination Abba Father notes fiduciall filial and vehement affection The first is an Pareus Hebrew or Syriack word the Second a Greek whereby is signified the union of the Hebrews and Grecians or the Jews and Gentiles in one Church Abba Father What is Abba say others in Hebrew Father and it is added because in Christ the corner stone both peoples are joyned alike becoming sons whence soever they come circumcision from one place whereupon Abba uncircumcision from another whereupon father is named The concord of the walls being the glory of the corner stone The word Abba say others signifies Father in the Syriack Tongue which the Apostle here retaineth because it is a word full of affection which young children retain almost in all Languages when they begin to speak And he adds the word Father not only to expound the same but also the better to express the eager movings and the earnest and vehement desires and singular affection of beleevers in their crying unto God even as Christ himself redoubled the Mark 14. 36. word Father to the same purpose when he was in his greatest distress This little word Father saith Luther lisped forth in prayer by a Child of God exceeds the eloquence of Demosthenes Cicero and all other so famed Orators in the World 'T is certain that the Spirit of God helps the Saints in all their communions with God viz. in their meditations of God in their reading and hearing of the Word of God in their communions one with another and in all their solemn addresses to God And as to this the Apostle gives us a most special instance in that Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered When we are to pray there is in us sometimes an infirmity of ignorance so that we know not what to pray for either in regard of the matter or the manner And there is in us at other times an infirmity of pride and conceitedness so that we cannot pray with that humility and lowliness of spirit as we should spiritual pride having fly-blown our prayers Sometimes there is in us an infirmity of deadness dullness drowsiness c. so that we cannot pray with that warmth heat life spirit and fervency as we should or as we would and at other times there is in us an infirmity of unbelief and slavish fears so that we cannot pray with that faith and holy boldness as becomes Children that draw near to a Throne of Grace to a Throne of Mercy c. But now the Spirit helps these infirmities by way of instruction prompting and teaching us what to pray for and how we should spell our lesson and by telling us as it were within what we should say and how we should sigh and groan and by rousing and quickening and stirring of us up to prayer and by his singular influence and choice assistance opening and enlarging our hearts in prayer and by his tuning the Strings of our affections he prepares us and fits us for the work of Supplication And therefore every one that derides the Spirit of prayer in the Saints saying these are the men and the women that pray by the Spirit blaspheme against the holy Spirit it being a main work of the Spirit to teach the Saints to pray and to help them in prayer Now all the Saints having the Spirit and the Spirit being a Spirit of prayer and supplication there is no reason in the world why a Saint should say I would pray in secret but I can't pray I can't pour out my soul nor my complaint before the Lord in a corner Sixthly and lastly Thou sayest thou canst not pray thou hast not the gifts and parts which others have But thou canst mannage thy callings thy worldly businesse as well as others and why then canst thou not pray as well as others Ah friends did you but love private prayer as well as you love the world and delight in private prayer as much as you delight in the world and were your hearts as much set upon closet prayer as they are set upon the world you would never say you could not pray yea you would quickly pray as well as others 't is not so much from want of ability to pray in secret that you don't pray in secret as 't is from want of a will a heart to pray in secret that you don't pray in secret Jacobs love to Rachel and Sechems love to Dina carried Gen. 29. ch 34. them through the greatest difficulties Were mens affections but strongly set upon private prayer they would quickly find abilities to pray He that sets his affections upon a Virgin though he be not learned nor eloquent will find words enough to let her know how his heart is taken with her The application is easie He in Seneca complained of a Thorn in his foot when his Lungs was rotten So many complain of want of ability to pray in their closets when their hearts are rotten Sirs do but get better hearts and then you will never say you can't pray 'T is one of the saddest sights in all the world to see men strongly parted and gifted for all worldly businesses to cry out that they can't pray that they have no ability to pour out their souls before the Lord in secret You have sufficient parts and gifts to tell men of your sins your wants your dangers your difficulties your mercies your deliverances your duties your crosses your losses your enjoyments your friends your foes and why then are you not ashamed to complain of your want of parts and gifts to tell those very things to God in a corner which you can tell to men even upon the house-top c. But Fourthly Some may further object and say God is very well acquainted with all our wants necessities straits tryals and there is no moving of him to bestow any favours upon us which he
doth not intend to bestow upon us whether we pray in our closets or no and therefore to what purpose do you presse secret prayer so hard upon us c. To this Objection I shall give these Answers First That this Objection lyes as strong against Family Prayer and Publick Prayer as it doth against Private Prayer God knows all thy wants and necessities all thy straits and tryals c. and therefore what needest thou pray in thy Family what needest thou attend Publick Prayers in the Communion of Saints There is no wringing of any mercy out of the hands of Heaven which God doth not intend to bestow This Objection faces all kind of Prayer and fights against all kinds of Prayer But Secondly I answer That Private Prayer is that piece of Divine Worship and Adoration 't is a part of that homage which we owe to God upon the account of a Divine Command as I have already proved Now all Objections must bow before the face of Divine Commands As Josephs Brethren bowed before him Or as King Ahasuerus Gen. 42. 6. Esth 3. 2. his servants bowed before Haman Indeed every Objection that is formed up against a Divine Command should fall before it as Dagon fell before the Ark or as Goliah fell before David He that casts off Private Prayer under any pretence whatsoever he casts off the Dominion of God the Authority of God and this may be as much as a mans life and soul is worth But Thirdly I answer Though Prayer be not the ground the cause of obtaining favours and mercies from God yet 't is the means 't is the Silver Channel 't is the Golden Pipe through which the Lord is Isa 55. 6. Jam. 1. 5. Isa 62. 7. Psal 22. 24. pleased to convey to his people all temporal Spiritual and eternal favours Ezek 36. from the 26. verse to the 37. verse of that Chapter God promises to give them the cream the choycest the sweetest of all spiritual eternal and temporal blessings but mark verse 37. I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them Though God be very prompt and ready to bestow upon his people the best and the greatest of blessings yet the will by prayer be sought unto for the actual enjoyment of them He that hath no heart to pray for a mercy he needs he hath no ground to believe that ever God will give him the mercy he needs There is no receiving without asking no finding without seeking no opening without knocking The threefold promise annexed to the threefold precept in Matth. 7. 7. should encourage all Christians to be instant fervent and constant in prayer The proud beggar gets nothing of men and the dumb sinner gets nothing of God As there is no mercy too great for God to give so there is no mercy too little for us to crave Certainly that man hath little worth in him that thinks any mercy not worth a seeking But Fourthly and lastly I answer Every Christian should labour to enjoy his mercies in mercy he should labour to have his blessings blest unto him he should labour Gen. 22. 17. to have the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush with all he hath Now this is an everlasting truth a maxim to live and die with that whatsoever mercy comes not in upon the wing of prayer is not given in mercy O how sweet is that mercy that comes flying in upon the wing of prayer How sweet was that water to Sampson which streamed to him in the channel of private prayer Judg. 15. 19. he called the name of it En-hakkore the Well of him that prayed Sampson prayed as for life and that water that was handed to him was as sweet as life Every mercy that is gathered by the hand of prayer is as sweet as the Rose of Sharon But Can. 2. 1. that mercy that comes not in at the door of prayer comes not in at the right door and that mercy that comes not in at the right door will do a man no good such mercies will make themselves wings and fly from us Every Christian should Pro. 23. 5. narrowly look that all his mercies 1 Tim. 4. 4 5. are sanctified mercies now every mercy is sanctified by the word prayer Prayer prepares and fits us for mercy and mercy for us 'T is Prayer that gives us a right and holy use of all our mercies Such mercies are but great miseries that come not in upon the wing of prayer Prayerless mens mercies are all given in wrath Psal 76. 23 32. Yea their blessings are curst unto them Prov. 3. 33. Mal. 2. 2. Look as every sacrifice was to be seasoned with salt so every mercy is to be sanctified by prayer Look as Gold sometimes is laid not only upon cloath and silks but also upon Silver it self So Prayer is that Golden duty that must be laid not only upon all our natural and civil actions as eating drinking buying selling c. but also upon all our Silver duties upon all our most religious and spiritual performances as hearing reading meditating conference church-fellowship breaking of bread c. Certainly prayer is very necessary to make every providence and every ordinance and every mercy to be a blessing to us Every mercy that comes in upon the wing of private prayer is a double mercy 't is a great-bellied mercy 't is a mercy that hath many mereies in the womb of it Happy is that Christian that can lay his hand upon every mercy that he enjoyes and say of them all as once Hannah said of her Samuel 1 Sam. 1. 27. For this child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him But Fifthly Some may further object and say I would drive a private trade with God I would exercise my self in secret prayer but I want a convenient place to retire into I want a private corner to unbosome my soul to my Father in c. To this Objection I shall give these three short Answers First I suppose this Objection concernes but a few Christians in our dayes That God that hath given a Christ to Believers doth commonly give them a convenient corner Rom. 8. 32. to enjoy private communion with himself in Most Christians I am afraid do rather want a heart for private prayer than a convenient place for private prayer What men set their hearts upon they will find time and place to effect it whether it be good or whether it be evil whether it concerns temporals or spirituals whether it concerns this world or another world this life or a better life If most men would but get better hearts they would quickly find or make convenient places for private prayer He who hath an inflamed love to God will certainly find out a corner to enjoy secret communion with God True lovers will find out corners to enjoy one another in How many men are there that
beast in Sacrifice to the gods but when the beast was opened it was without a heart which the South-sayers looked upon as an ill omen 'T is a sad omen that thou wilt rather provoke the Lord than prevail with him who art habitually heartlesse in thy Closet-duties Of the heart God seemeth to say to us as Joseph did to his Brethren concerning Benjamin Ye shall not see my face without it It was the speech of blessed Bradford that he would never leave a Duty till he had brought his heart into the frame of the duty he would not leave confession of sin till his heart was broken for sin he would not leave petitioning for grace till his heart was quickened and enlivened in a hopeful expectation of more grace he would not leave gratulation till his heart was enlarged with the sence of the mercies he enjoyed and quickened in the return of praise My sixth advice and counsel is this Be fervent be warm be importunate with God in all your Closet-duties and performances James 5. 17. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much or as the Greek hath it the working prayer that is such working 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayer as sets the wholeman on work as sets all the faculties of the soul and all the graces in the Psal 55. 1. Psal 61. 1. Psal 64. 1. Psal 88. 1 13. Psal 119. 164. Jon. 2. 1 2. Joel 2. 13. Psal 119. 145 147. Psal 119. 20. soul at work the word signifies such a working as notes the liveliest activity that can be Certainly all those usual phrases of crying wrestling and striving with God which are scattered up and down in Scripture do strongly argue that holy importunity and sacred violence that the Saints of old have expressed in their addresses to God Fervency feathers the wings of prayer and makes them fly the swifter to Heaven An Arrow if it be drawn up but a little way flyes not far but if it be drawn up to the head it will fly far and pierce deeply So fervent Qui timide rogat docet negare saith the Philosopher prayer flyes as high as Heaven and will certainly bring down blessings from thence Cold prayers bespeak a denyal but fervent prayers offer a sacred violence both to heaven and earth Look as in a painted fire there is no heat so in a cold prayer there is no heat no warmth no omnipotency no devotion no blessing Cold prayers are like Arrows without heads as swords without edges as Birds without wings they pierce not they cut not they fly not up to heaven Such prayers as have no heavenly fire in them do alwayes freez before they reach as high as heaven But fervent prayer is very prevalent with God Acts 12. 5. Peter therefore was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies instant prayer earnest prayer stretched-out prayer prayer stretched-out upon the tenters as it were These gracious souls did in prayer strain and stretch themselves as men do that are running in a race they prayed with all the strength of their souls and with all the fervency of their spirits and accordingly they carryed the day with God as you may see in the following verses So Acts 26. 7. Vnto which promise our Twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night or rather as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a stretched-out manner serving God day and night These Twelve Tribes or the godly Jews of the Twelve Tribes of Israel stretched out their hearts their affections their graces to the utmost in prayer In all your private retirements do as the Twelve Tribes did Rom. 12. 11. Fervent in spirit serving the Lord. The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies seething hot God loves to see his people zealous and warm in his service Without fervency of spirit no service finds acceptance in heaven God is a pure act and he loves that his people should be lively and active in his service vers 12. Continuing instant in prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continuing with all your might in prayer 'T is a Metaphor from hunting dogs that will never give over the game till they have got it Rom. 15. 30. That ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strive mightily strive as Championsstrive even to an Agony as the word imports 'T is a military word and notes such fervent wrestling or striving as is for life and death Col. 4. 12. Alwayes labouring fervently for you in prayer The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here used signifies to strive or wrestle as those do that strive for mastery it notes the vehemency and fervour of Epaphras his prayers for the Colossians Look as the wrestlers do bend and writhe and stretch and strain every joynt of their bodies that they may be victorious so Epaphras did bend writh and stretch strain every joynt of his soul if I may so speak that he might be victorious with God upon the Colossians account So when Jacob was with God alone ah how earnest Gen. 32. 24 27. Hos 12. 4 5. and fervent was he in his wrestlings with God! he wrestles and weeps and weeps and wrestles he tugs hard with God he holds his hold and he will not let God go till as a Prince he had prevailed with him Fervent prayer is the Souls contention the Souls strugling with God it is a sweating work it is the sweat and blood of the soul it s a laying out to the uttermost all the strength and powers of the Soul He that would gain victory over God in private prayer must strain every string of his heart he must in beseeching God besiedge him and so get the better of him he must be like importunate beggars that will not be put off with frowns or silence or sad answers Those that would be masters of their requests must like the importunate Widdow press God so far as to put him to an holy blush as I may say with reverence They must with an holy impudence as Basil speaks make God ashamed to look them in the face if he should deny the importunity of theirs souls Had Abraham had a little more Dor. Don. Fol. p. 522. Gen. 18. 22 23. of this impudence saith one when he made suit for Sodom it might have done well Abraham brought down the price to ten righteous and there his modesty staid him had he gone lower God only knows what might have been done for God went not away saith the Text till he had left communing with Abraham that is till Abraham had no more to say to God Abraham left over asking before God left over granting he left over praying before God left over bating and so Sodom was lost O the heavenly fire the holy fervency that was in Daniels Closet-prayer O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and
like Communion with God in their Closets some enjoy much Communion with God in their Closets and others enjoy but little Communion with God in their Closets Moses had a more cleer glorious Exod. 33. 11. Deut. 5. 4. Num. 12. 7 8. and constant Communion with God in his dayes than any others had in those times wherein he lived God spake to none face to face as he did to Moses And Abraham in his time had a more close Gen. 18. friendly and intimate Communion with God than holy Lot or any others had in that day And though all the Disciples Judas excepted had sweet Communion with Christ in the days of his flesh Mat. 17. 1 2 3 4. yet Peter James and John had a more cleer choice and full Communion with him than the rest had Among all the Disciples John had John 13. 23 John 20. 2. and Chap. 21. 20. most bosome Communion with Christ he was the greatest favourite in Christ's Court he leaned on Christ's bosome he could say any thing to Christ and he could know any thing of Christ and he could have any thing of Christ now that all Christians do not enjoy Communion with God alike in their Closets may be thus made evident First All Christians do not prepare alike to enjoy Closet-Communion with God and therefore all Christians do not enjoy Communion with God alike in Eccl. 5. 1. Psal 10. 17. their Closets Commonly he that prepares and fits himself most for Closet-Communion with God he is the man that enjoyes most Closet-Communion 2 Chron. 30. 17 18 19 20. with God Secondly All Christians do not alike prize Communion with God in their Closets some prize Communion with God in their closets before all above all other things As that noble Man 〈◊〉 said Cursed Job 23. 12. Psal 119. 127. Mat. 13. 45 46. be he that prefers all the world to one hours Communion with God They look upon it as that pearl of price for the enjoyment of which they are ready to sell all and part with all others prize it at a lower rate and so enjoy less of it than those that set a higher price and value upon it Thirdly All Christians do not a-like press after Communion with God in their Closets some press after Communion with God in their Closets as a condemned man presses after a pardon or as a close prisoner presses after enlargment or as a poor beggar presses after an almes now you know Psal 73. 8. Isa 26. 8 9. these press on with the greatest earnestness the greatest fervency and the greatest importunity immaginable But others press after Communion with God in their Closets more coldly more carelesly more slightly more lazily I have put off my Coat how shall I put Cant. 5. 3. it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them 〈◊〉 â—ow they that press hardest after Communion with God in their Closets they are usually blest with the highest degrees of Closet-Communion with God Fourthly All Christians don 't a-like improve their Communion with God in their Closets and therefore all Christians don't enjoy Communion with God a-like in their Closets Some Christians do make a more wise a more humble a more holy a more faithful a more fruitful and a more constant improvement of their Closet-Communion with God than others do and therefore they are blest with higher degrees of Communion with God than others are Some Christians do more improve their Closet-Communion with God against the world the flesh and the Devil than others doe and therefore no wonder if they do enjoy more Communion with God in their Closets than others do Fifthly All Christians do not a-like need Communion with God in their Closets and therefore all Christians have not a-like Communion with God in their Closets All Christians have not alike place in the mystical body of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 14 ult some rule and others are ruled now every man stands in more or less need of Communion with God according to the place that he bears in the body of Christ Again all Christians have not a-like burdens to bear nor a-like difficulties to encounter with nor a like dangers to escape nor a-like temptations to wrestle with nor a-like passions and corruptions to mortifie nor a-like mercies and experiences to improve c. and therefore all Christians don't need alike Communion with God in their Closets Now commonly God lets himself out more or lesse in wayes of Communion according as the various necessities and conditions of his people doth require Sixthly and lastly All Christians do not a-like meet with outward interruptions nor inward interruptions and therefore all Christians have not a-like Communion with God in their Closets Some Christians meet with a world of outward and inward interruptions more than others doe some Christians outward Callings Relations Conditions and Stations c. do afford more plentiful matter and occasions to interrupt them in their Closet-Communion with God than other Christians Callings Relations Conditions and Stations doe c. Besides Satan is more busie with some Christians than he is with other Christians and corruptions work more strongly and violently in some Christians than they do in other Christians c. and let me add this to all the rest that the very natural tempers of some Christians are more averse to closet duties than the natural tempers of other Christians are and therefore all Christians have not a-like Communion with God in their Closets but some have more and some have less according as God in his infinite Wisdome sees best Now let no Christian say that he hath no Communion with God in Closet-prayer because he hath not such a full such a choice such a sweet such a sensible and such a constant Communion with God in Closet-prayer as such and such Saints have had or as such and such Saints now have for all Saints do not alike enjoy Communion with God in their Closets some have more some have less some have a higher degree others a lower some are wrapt up in the third heaven when others are but wrapt up in the clouds What man is there so childest and babish as to argue thus That he hath no wisdome because he hath not the wisdome of Solomon or that he hath no strength because he hath not the strength of Sampson or that he hath no life because he hath not the swiftness of Ahimaaz or that he hath no estate because he hath not the riches of Dives and yet so childish and babish many weak Christians are as to argue thus viz. that they have no Communion with God in their Closets because they have not such high such comfortable and such constant Communion with God in their Closets as such and such Saints have had or as such and such Saints now have whereas they should seriously consider that though some Saints have a great Communion with God yet other Saints have but a
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
your constant trade Frequency begets familiarity and familiarity confidence we can go freely boldly into that friends house whom we often visit What we are habituted to we do with ease and delight A man that is habituted or accustomed to write to read to ride to run or to play on this or that musical Instrument c. he doth it all with delight and ease and so a man that doth habituate himself to Closet-prayer he will manage it with delight and ease But Thirdly Keep a Diary of all Deut. 7. 18 19. Psal 66. 12. your Closet-experiences O carefully record and book down all your closet-Closet-mercies O be often in reading over your Closet-experiences and be often in meditating and in pondering upon your Closet-experiences There is no way like this to enflame your love to Closet-prayer and to engage your hearts in this secret trade of private prayer O remember that at such a time you went into your Closets with hard hearts and dry eyes but before you came out of your Closets Psal 6. 6. Psal 39. 12. Psal 56. 8. ah how sweetly how evangelically how powerfully were you melted and humbled before the Lord O remember how that at another time you went into your Closets clouded and benighted but came out of your Closets with as glorious a shine of God upon your souls as Moses had upon his face Exod. 34. 28 29. when he came down from the Mount from communing with God! O remember how often you have gone into your Closets Luke 24. 31 32. Isa 4. 4. with cold frozen spirits but before you come out of your Closets what a fire hath God kindled in your souls what a spirit of burning have you found in your hearts O remember how often you have gone into your Closets streightned and shut up but before you have come out how hath your souls been like the Charriots of Aminnadab O remember what Can. 6. 12. power God hath given you against corruptions in your Closets and what strenth God hath given you against temptations in your Closets O remember the sweet discoveries of divine love that you have had when in your Closets O remember the secret visits the secret kisses the secret embraces the secret whispers the secret love-tokens that Christ hath given you in your Closets O seriously ponder upon these things and then Closet-duties will be sweet unto you 'T was a sweet saying of Bernard O Saint knowest thou not that thy Husband Christ is bashful and will Can. 7. 11 12. not be familiar in company retire thy self by Meditation into thy Closet or into the fields and there thou shalt have Christ's embraces Meditatio nutrix orationis Meditation is the Nurse of Prayer O the more any man Gerson meditates upon his Closet-experiences the more he shall find his heart engaged to Closet-duties the more you ponder upon Closet-experiences the sweeter will Closet-experiences be to your souls and the sweeter Closet-experiences are to your souls the more your souls will delight to be with God in your Closets Pliny tells us of one Messala Corvinus lib. 7. c. 24. whose memory was so bad that he forgot his own name And I am afraid that many of your memories are so bad that you forget your Closet-mercies your Closet-experiences I have read of such a Pestilential disease once at Athens as took away the memories of those that were infected with it so that they forgat their own names O that I had not cause to fear that some Pestilential Disease or other hath so taken away the memories of many that they have quite forgot their Closet-experiences Well Friends remember this though stony hearts are bad yet Iron memories are good and O that you would all labour after Iron memories that so you may remember and ponder upon your Closet-experiences I have read of the Heathens how they made use of white and black stones for these two ends First They gave them to persons at their arraignment before the Judges if any were condemned to death they gave him a black Stone but if absolved and set free a white Stone To which custome the Holy-Ghost seemes to allude in that Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give a VVhite Stone A second use of those Stones was this that by them they might keep an account of all the good dayes or evil dayes they had met withal in their lives Hence Giacopo Senzaro having been long in love and much crossed about his match he filled a Pot full of black Stones putting only one white Stone among them and being asked the reason answered There will come one VVhite Day meaning his Marriage Day which will make amends for all my Black Dayes Ah Friends how often hath God given you the White Stone in your Closets Certainly you have had more White Stones than Black Stones your Closet-mercies and experiences have been more than your publick crosses and miseries O Sirs did you but reckon your good dayes according to the White Stones you have had in your Closets it would make you more in love with Closet-prayer than ever But Fourthly Be sure that you do not spend so much of your precious time in publick Duties and Ordinances as that you can spare none for private Duties for secret services Though Pharoah's Kine eat up one another yet our Gen. 41. 4. Duties must not eat up one another publick Duties must not eat up family duties nor family-duties must not eat up publick duties nor neither of them must not eat up Closet-duties The wisdom of a Christian doth most eminently sparkle shine in giving every duty its proper time and place I was going to say that either he was Eccl. 8. 5. no Christian or at least no excellent Christian that is all eye to read or all ear to hear or all tongue to speak or all knee to bow to kneel to pray Ah how many are there that spend so much time in hearing of this man and that and in running up and down from meeting to meeting that they have no time to meet with God in their Closets O Sirs your Duties are never so amiable and lovely they are never so orient and beautiful as when they are seasonably and orderly performed Oh how wise are the men of this world so to order all their civil affairs that no one business shall interferre with another they set apart for each business a convenient proportion of time they allot an hour for one business two for another three for another c. O that we were as wise for our souls as wise for eternity as they are for this world O that our hearts would so consult with our heads that we may never want a convenient time to seek God in a corner That Devil that loves to set one man against another and one Nation against another and one Christian against another that Devil loves to set one Ordinance against another and one Duty against