answer It may be thy distemper and indisposition of body is not so great but that thou canst buy and sell and get gaine Notwithstanding thy aking head The body it self if you set too high a price upon it will make a cheap Soul and he is the most unhappy man whose outside is his best side and thy shooting back and thy pained sides and thy feeble knees yet thou canst with Martha cumber thy self about thy worldly affairs In that Cant. 5. 3. Christ calls upon his Spouse to open the door and let him in But sin and shifting coming into the world together see how poorly and unworthily she labours to shift Christ off I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Rather than she will make no excuse for her self she will make a silly excuse a worthless excuse She was past a child and what a great businesse had it been for her to have risen to have let in such a guest that brings every thing with him that heart Rev. 3. 17. 17. can wish or need require She was not grown so decrepid with old age but that she was able to make her self ready at least she might easily have slipt on her morning Coat and stept to the door without any danger of taking cold or of being wet to the skin and so Rev. 22. 12. have let him in who never comes empty handed yea who was now come full of the dew of divine blessings to enrich her for so some sence those words Mine head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night O the frivolous pretences and idle excuses that even gracious persons are apt sometimes to take up to over colour their neglect of duty But some may say It may be the Spouse of Christ was aseep O no for she saith vers 2. I sleep but my heart waketh She slept with open eyes as the Lyon doth she slept but half sleep though her outward man was drowsie yet her in ward man was wakeful though the flesh took a nap yet her spirit did not nod O but it may-be Christ made no noise he gave no notice that he was at the door O yes he knocked he knockt and bounced by the hammer of his word and the hand of his Spirit he knockt by outward corrections and inward admonitions he knockt by providences and he knockt by mercies His importunity and vehemency for admission was very great O but it may-be he did but only knock he should have called as well as knockt for none but mad-men would open their doors in the night except they knew the voice of him that knocketh O yes he did not only knock but cald also O but it may-be she did not know his voice and therefore she would not open No chast wife will at unseasonable hours arise and open her doors unto a stranger especially in her husbands absence O yes she knew his voice vers 2. It is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh She was not so fast asleep but that she knew the voice of her Beloved from all other voices could tell every tittle that he said The calls of Christ were so strong so loud and his pulsations so mighty that she could not but know and confess that it was the voice of her Beloved though she was not so respectful and dutiful as to obey that voice O but it may-be Christ knockt and call'd like a friend in his journey only to enquire how it was with her or to speak to her at the Window O no! he speaks plainly he speaks with authority Open to me O but it may-be she had no power to open the door O yes for when he commands his people to open he Phil. 1. 6 13. 1 Cor. 15. 10. lends them a key to open the door that he may enter in Infused grace is a living principle that will enable the Soul to open to Christ If a man be not a free agent to work and act by the helps of grace received to what purpose are counsels commands exhortations and directions given to perform this and that and t'other work And certainly it is our greatest honour and happinesse in this world to co-operate with God in those things which concern his own glory and our own internal and eternal good O but it may-be Christ had given his Spouse some distast or it may-be he had let fall some hard words or some unkind speeches which made her a little froward and pettish O no! for he owns her as his Beloved and courts her highly with the most winning and amicable tearms of love My Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled or my perfect one he calls her so for her Dove like simplicity purity and integrity All these endearing and honouring Titles are the Rhetorick of Divine love and should have been as so many sacred engagements upon her to open to her Beloved O but it may-be Christ was too quick for her it may-be he gave but a knock and a call and was gone before she could rise and open the door O no! Christ stayed till his head was filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night which most passionate expression notes the tender goodness patience and gentlenesse of our Lord Jesus who endures far greater and harder things for his Spouses sake than ever Jacob did for his Rachels sake After Christ had suffered much for her sake and waited her leasure a long while she very unkindly and very unmannerly and unworthily turns her back upon all his sweet and comfortable compellations and blessed and bleeding embracements and turns him off to look his lodging in some other place so that he might well have said Is this thy kindness to thy Friend thy Husband thy Lord to suffer him to stand bare-headed and that in foul weather yea in the night time wooing intreating and beseeching admittance and yet to turn him off as one in whom thy soul could take no pleasure Now if you will but seriously weigh all these circumstances in the Ballance of the Sanctuary you may run and read the fault and folly the weakness and madness the slightness and laziness of the Spouse and by her you may make a judgement of those sad and sinful distempers that may seize upon the best of Saints and see how ready the flesh is to frame excuses and all to keep the soul off from duty and the doors fast bolted against the Lord Jesus 'T is sad when men are well enough to sit and chat and trade in their shops but are not well enough to pray in their closets Certainly that mans heart is not right with God at least at this time who under all his bodily distempers can maintain and keep up his publick trade with men but is not well enough to maintain his private trade with heaven Our bodies are but dirt handsomly tempered artificially formed we derive our
pedigree from the dirt and are akin to clay One calls the body the blot of nature another calls it the Soul's beast a sack of dung worms-meat another calls it a prison a sepulchre and Paul calls it a body of vileness Now for a man to make so much adoe about the distempers of his body to excuse the neglects of his Soul is an evil made up of many evils But really Sir I am so ill and my body is so distempered and indisposed that I am not able to mind or meddle with the least things of the world Well if this be so then know that God hath on purpose knockt thee off from the things of this world that thou may'st look the more effectually after the things of another world The design of God in all the distempers that are upon thy body is to wind thee more off from thy worldly trade and to work thee to follow thine heavenly trade more close Many a man had never found the way to his Closet if God by bodily distempers had not turn'd him out of his shop his trade his business his all c. Well Christians remember this once for all if your indisposition to Closet-prayer doth really arise from bodily distempers then you may be confident that the Lord will pitty you much and bear with you much and kindly accept of a little You know how affectionately Parents and ingenious Masters doe carry it towards their children and servants when they are under bodyly distempers and indisposition and you may be confident that God will never carry it worse towards you than they doe towards them Ponder often upon that Ezek. 34. 4 16 21 22. vers But Sixthly and lastly I shall answer this Objection by way of distinction thus First There is a contracted indisposition to private prayer and there is an involuntary indisposition to private prayer there is a contracted indisposition and that is when a man by his wilful sinning against light knowledge conviction c. contracts that guilt that lyes as a load upon his Conscience Now guilt makes the Soul shye of God and the greater the guilt is the more shye the Soul is of drawing neer to God in a corner The Child that is sensibly under guilt hides himself as Adam did in the day from his Fathers Gen. 3. 7. 8. eye and at night he slips to bed to avoid either a chiding or a whipping from his Father Guilt makes a man fly from God and fly from Prayer 'T is a hard Job 11. 14 15. Jer. 20. 3 4. thing to look God in the face when guilt stares a man in the face Guilt makes a man a terrour to himself now when a man is a terrour to himself he is neither fit to live nor fit to die nor fit to pray When Poison gets into the body it works upon the spirits and it weakens the spirits and it endangers life and unfits and indisposes a man to all natural actions 't is so here when guilt lyes heavy upon the conscience it works upon the Soul it weakens the Soul it endangers the Soul and it doth wonderfully unfit and indispose the Soul to all holy actions Guilt fights against our Souls our Consciences 1 Pet. 2. 11. our Comforts our Duties yea and our very graces also There is nothing that wounds and lames our graces like guilt there is nothing that weakens and wasts our graces like guilt there is nothing that hinders the activity of our graces like guilt nor there is nothing that clouds our evidences of grace like guilt Look what water is to the fire that our sinnings are to our graces evidences and duties Guilt is like Prometheus Vulture that ever lyes gnawing 'T is better with Evagrius to lye on a Bed of straw with a good Conscience than to lye on a Bed of Downe with a guilty Conscience What the Probationer Disciple said to our Saviour Matth. 8. 19. Master I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest that a guilty Conscience saith to the sinner whithersoever thou goest I will follow thee If thou goest to a fast I will follow thee and fill thy mind with black and dismal apprehensions of God If thou goest to a feast I will follow thee and shew thee the Hand-writing on the Wall If thou goest abroad Dan. 5 5. I will follow thee and make thee afraid of every Leaf that wags thou shalt look upon every Bush as an armed man and upon every man as a Devil If thou stayest at home I will follow thee from room to room and fill thee with horrour and terrour If thou lyest down to rest I will follow thee with fearful dreams and tormenting apparitions If thou goest into thy Closet I will follow thee and make thy very Closet a Hell to hold thee It is storied of King Richard the third that after he had murthered his two Nephews in the Tower guilt lay so hard upon his Conscience that his sleeps were very unquiet for he would often leap out of his Bed in the dark and catching his sword in his hand which hung by his bed side he would goe distractedly about his Chamber seeking for the Traytor So Charls the ninth of France after he had made the streets of Paris run down with the blood of the Protestants he could seldome take any sound sleep nor could he endure to be awakened out of his sleep without musick Judge Morgan that passed the Sentence of Condemnation upon Jane Grey a virtuous Lady shortly after fell mad and in his raving cryed out continualy Take away the Lady Jane from me Take away the Lady Jane from me and in that horrour ended his wretched life James Abyes going to execution for Christ's sake as he went along he gave his money and his cloaths to one and another till he had given all away to his shirt whereupon one of the Sheriffs men fell a-scoffing and deriding of him and told him that he was a mad-man and an heretick and not to be believed but as soon as the good man was executed this wretch was struck mad and threw away his cloaths and cryed out that James Abyes was a good man and gone to Heaven but he was a wicked man and was damned and thus he continued crying out till his death Certainly he that derides or smites a man for walking according to the word of the Lord the Lord will first or last sosmite and wound that mans Conscience that all the Physitians in the world shall not heal it Now if thy indisposition to private prayer springs from contracted guilt upon thy Conscience then thy best way is speedily to renew thy Repentance and greatly to judge and humble thine own soul and so to act Faith afresh upon the blood of Christ both for pardoning mercy and for purging grace When a man is stung with Guilt 't is his highest wisdome in the world to look up to the Brazen Serpent and not to spend his time or create torments to
Prince that ever sat upon a Throne who was guided by an infallible spirit hath delivered it for a standing maxim above 2000 years agoe That the Righteous is more excellent Prov. 12. 26 than his neighbour When Solomon dropt this Aphorism from his royal pen there was not a man in the world that was legally righteous Adam all his posterity being fallen Psal 14. 1 2 3. Rom. 3. 9 10 11 12. Lam. 5. 16. from all their honour glory dignity and excellency into a most woful Gulf of sin and misery and therefore Solomon must be understood of him that is evangelically righteous He that is evangelically righteous be he Master or servant rich or poor bond or free high or low is more excellent then his neighbour And O that all masters would seriously consider of this that they may carry it no more so proudly so loftily so scornfully so frowardly so strangly so sowrly so bitterly so rigorously towards their pious servants as not to afford them a little time to pour out their souls before the Lord in a corner I have read of Ingo an ancient King of the Draves and Veneds who making a stately feast appointed all his Pagan Nobles to sit in the Hall below and at the same time commanded certain poor Christians to be brought up into his presence Chamber to fit with him at Aenaeus Sylvius cap. 20. Europ Aven lib. 3. Annalium his Table that they might eat of his kingly chear at which many wondering he told them That he accounted Christians though never so poor a greater ornament at his Table and more worthy of his company than the greatest Nobles that were not converted to the Christian faith for saith he when these Pagan Nobles shall be thrust down to Hell these poor Christians shall be my consorts and fellow Princes in Heaven Certainly this noble Prince will one day rise in Judgement against all sowre churlish Labans who carry it so harshly and so severely towards their gracious servants as Ephes 69. that they will not allow them a little time to wait upon God in a hole Why should not gracious masters give their gracious servants a little time for closet prayer now considering that they are sharers with them in all the fundamental good that comes by Christ in this world and considering that they shall be partakers with them in all the glory of another world The Every man hath two things to look unto more than all the world be side a body and a soul for the one ery one is either a Fool or a Physitian for the other either a Devil or a Divine saith one poorest servant in a family hath a soul more precious than heaven and earth and the greatest work that lies upon his hand in this world is to look to the eternal safety security of that for if that be safe all is safe if that be well all is well but if that be lost all is lost Every gracious servant though he be never so poor and mean yet hath he the image of God the image of the King of Kings stampt upon him and wo to him that shall wrong or despise or trample upon that image Certainly God himself is wronged by the injury that is done to his image The contempt and despite that is done to the image or coyn of a King is done to the King himself and accordingly he will revenge it If it was a capital crime in Tiberâ—us his dayes to carry the image of Augustus upon a Ring or Coyn into any sordid place as Suetonius saith it was what crime must it be in those masters who despise revile reproach scorn abuse and tread under foot such servants as have the image of the great God stampt upon their souls and all because they look God-ward Christ-ward Heaven-ward Holiness-ward Duty-ward Masters should never twit their servants in the Prov. 22. 2. Chap. 17. 5. teeth with their inferiority penury poverty misery mean parentage or servile condition but remember that these things are more the Creators pleasure than the servants fault and that that God that hath made the master rich and the servant poor can as quickly make the master poor and the servant rich God many times puts down Luke 1. 52. the mighty from their seats and exalts them of low degree Certainly no master nor mistress should dare to insult or triumph over such servants as have souls as noble as their own but they should seriously and frequently consider of Solomons Aphorisme The righteous though a servant though the meanest amongst all the servants is more excellent than his neighbour and accordingly give them a little time and liberty to converse with God in secret And O that all gracious servants would discover themselves to be more excellent than their neighbours by making more conscience of private prayer than their neighbours do and by being more in their closets than their neighbours are and by delighting themselves in their secret retirements more than their neighbours will and by redeeming some time for God for their souls and for eternity more than their neighbours do But Seventhly I answer That God is only the Lord of time Time is Hab. 2. 3. Dan. 11. 27. 29. 35. Job 7. 1. Psal 102. 13 Eccl. 3. 1. Dan. 2. 21 Isa 60. 22. Job 14. 14. more the Lords than 't is thy masters and therefore 't is no neglecting of thy masters business to take a little time daily for private prayer Times do belong to providence as well as issues and as God is the God of our mercies so he is the Lord of our times My times are in thy hands saith David Psal 31. 15. Not only the times of his sorrows but also the times of his comforts not only the times of his miseries but also the times of his mercies not only the times of his dangers but also the times of his duties were in the hands of God 'T is observable the Psalmist doth not say time but times in the plural to shew that every point and period of time depends upon the hand of God One complaining of those who say Come let us talk together to pass away the time with grief of spirit Bernard Serm. de tripl custod cryes out O donec praetereat hora c. O until the hour be gone O until time be past which the mercy of thy maker hath bestowed upon thee to performe repentance to procure pardon to gain grace and to obtain glory That servant that borrows a little time every day to seek the face of God in a corner borrows it rather of God than of his master and therefore why should his master swell or rage or complain considering that God never made him Lord of time But Eighthly I answer That servants should rather redeem time from their sleep their recreations their daily meals than neglect closet duty a day And certainly those servants that out of conscience towards
can easily find out private places for their dogs to lye in and their swine to sleep in and their horses to stand in and their oxen to feed in c. who can't find out a private place to seek the face of God in But did these men but love their God or their souls or private prayer or eternity as well or better than their beasts they would not be such bruiâ—es but that they would quickly find out a hole a corner to wait upon the Lord in But Secondly I Answer If a Christian be on the top of the house with Peter he may pray there or if he be walking in the field with Isaac he may pray there or if he be on the mountain with Christ he may pray there or if he be behind the door with Paul he may pray there or if he be waiting at table with Nehemiah he may secretly pray there or if he be in a wood he may pray there as the primitive Christians in times of persecution did or if he be behind a tree he may pray there or if he be by the Sea side he may pray there as the Apostles did 'T was a choice saying of Austin Every Saint is Gods Temple saith he and he that carryes his temple about him may go to prayer when he pleaseth Some Saints have never had so much of heaven brought down into their hearts as when they have been with God in a corner O the secret manifestations of divine love the secret kisses the secret embraces the secret influences the secret communion with God that many a precious Christian hath had in the most solitary places it may be behind the door or behind the wall or behind the hedge or behind the arbour or behind the tree or behind the rock or behind the bush c. But Thirdly and lastly didst thou never in thy unregenerate estate make use of all thy wits and parts and utmost endeavours to find out convenient seasons and secret corners and solitary places to sin in and to dishonour thy God in and to undoe thine owne and others souls in yes I remember with shame and blushing that 't was so with me when I was dead in Eph. 2. 1 2 3. trespasses and sins and walked according to the course of this world O how much then doth it concern thee in thy renewed sanctified and raised estate to make use of all thy wits and parts and utmost endeavours to find out the fittest seasons and the most secret corners and solitary places thou canst to honour thy God in and to seek the welfare of thine owne and others souls in O that men were but as serious studious and industrious to find out convenient seasons secret places to please and serve and glorifie the Lord in as they have been serious studious and industrious to find out convenient seasons and secret places to displease and grieve the Spirit of the Lord in But Sixthly and lastly others may further object and say we would be often in private with God we would give our selves up to closet prayer but that we can no sooner shut our closet doors but a multitude of infirmities weaknesses and vanities doe face us and rise up against us our hearts being full of distempers and follies and our bodies say some are under great indispositions and our souls say others are under present indispositions and how then can we seek the face of God in a corner how can we wrestle with God in our closets c. Now to this Objâ—ction I shall give these six Answers 1. Iâ— these kinds of reasonings or arguings were sufficient to shut private prayer out of doores where lives that man or woman that husband or wife that father or child that master or servant that Psa 40. 12. Psal 51. 5. Rom. 7. 15 24. Psal 130. 3. 1 Cor. 4. 4. 2 Chr. 6. 36. Phil. 3. 12. would ever bè found in the practise of that duty Where is there a person under heaven whose heart is not full of infirmities weaknesses follies and vanities and whose body and soul is not too often indisposed to closet duties 1 Kings 8. 46. If they sin against thee for there is no man that sinneth not c. Eccl. Grace in this life is like Gold in the ore full of mixture 7. 20. For there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Job 14. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an uncleane not one Job 9. 30 31. If I wash my self with Snow-water and make my hands never so clean Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine owne cloaths shall abhor me Job 9. 20. If I justifie my self my owne mouth shall condemne me If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Psal 143. 2. And enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified James 3. 2. For in many things we offend all 1 John 1. 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Such that affirme that men may be fully perfect in this life or without sin in this life they do affirme that which is expresly contrary to the Scriptures last cited and to the universal experience of all Saints who daily feel and lament over that body of sin and death that they bare about with them yea they do affirme that which is quite contrary to the very state or constitution of all the Saints in this life In every Saint the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that they cannot do the things Gal. 5. 17. that they would In every good Eph. 4. 22 23 24. man there are two men the old man and the new the one must be daily put on and the other daily put off All Saints have a law in their members rebelling against the law of their minds so that the Rom. 7. 23. 15. comp good that they would doe they do not and the evil that they would not do that they do They have two contrary principles in them from whence proceeds two manner of actions motions and inclinations continually opposite one to another hence it is that there is a continual combat in them like the strugling of the Twins in Rebecah's womb An absolute perfection is peculiar to the triumphant state of Gods Elect in Heaven Heaven is the onely priviledged place where no unclean thing can Rev. 23. 21 enter in that 's the only place where neither sin nor Satan shall ever get footing Such as dream of an absolute perfection in this life do confound and jumble heaven Heb. 12. 22 23. and earth together the state of the Church militant with the state of the Church Triumphant which are certainly distinct both in
outside of the house then help runs in then help on all hands is ready He that sins in secret debars himself of all publick Remedy and takes great pains to damn his soul in a corner and to go to Hell in the dark But Secondly Secret sins will make way for publick sins He that makes no Conscience of sinning in the secret Chamber will e're long with Absolom be ready to spread a Tent upon the top of the 2 King 16. 21 22 house and to go in to his Concubines in the sight of all Israel Such as have made no Conscience of stealing a few pins or pence or a few shillings in private have in time come to be so bold as to take a purse on the road at high-noon The Cockatrice must be crushed in the Egge else it will soon become a Serpent The very thought of sin if not thought on will break forth into action action into custom custom into habit and then both body and soul are irrecoverably lost to all eternity If Satan can but wound our heel as the Poets feign of Achilles he will make a hard shift but he will send death from the heel to the heart If this subtile Serpent can but wriggle in his tayl by an ill thought he will soon get in his head by a worse action Hence it is that Christ calls hatred murder and a wanton eye adultery Secret hatred often issues in upon murder and secret wanton glances of the eye do often issue in visible adultery If Ammon be sick with the sinful conceptions of incestuous lust how will his soul be in pain and travail till he hath brought forth And how many are there that in secret have taken now and then but one Cup more than enough who now may be seen at high-noon reeling against every Post Look as secret diseases in the body if not cured will in time openly break forth so secret sins in the soul if not pardoned and purged will in time be openly revealed Covetousness was Judas his secret sin and no sooner doth an occasion or a temptation present it self but he is very ready and forward to betray and sell his Lord and Master for thirty pieces of Silver before all the world Lust having conceived brings forth sin and James 1. 15. that thus First Sin hath its conception and that 's delight and then its formation and that 's design and then its birth and that 's action and then its growth and that 's custome and then its end and that 's damnation But Thirdly Secret sinning puts far more respect fear upon men than upon God Thou wilt be unjust in secret and wanton in secret and unclean in secret and treacherous in secret c. and why but because thou art afraid that such or such men should know it or that such and such Friends should know it or that such and such Relations should know it Ah poor wretch art thou afraid of the eye of a man of a man that shall Isa 51. 12. dye and of the Son of man which shall be made as Grass and yet not tremble under his eye whose eyes are as a flame of fire sharp and terrible such as pierce into the inward Rev. 1. 14. Heb. 4. 13. parts Ah how full of atheisme is that mans heart that tacitly saith If my sins be but hid from the eyes of the world I do not care though the Lord knows them though the Lord strictly observes them though the Lord sets a mark a Memorandum upon them What is this O Man but to brave it out with God and to tempt him and provoke him to to his very face who is Light and in whom there is no darkness at all Ah sinner sinner can man 1 John 1. 5 6. damn thee can man dis-inherit thee can man fill thy Conscience with horrors and terrors can man make thy life a very Hell can man bar the gates of Glory against thee can man speak thee into the Grave by a word of his mouth and after all can man cast thee into endless easeless and remediless torments O no can God do all this O yes why then doth not thy heart stand more in awe of the eye of the great God than it doth of the eye of a poor weak mortal man I have insisted the longer on this particular because there is not any one thing in all the world that doth more hinder secret Communion with God and secret prayer than secret sins And Oh that you would all make it your great business to watch against secret sins and to pray against secret sins and to mourn over secret sins and deeply to judge and condemn your selves for secret sins and carefully and Conscientiously to shun and avoid all occasions and provocations that may be as fuel to secret sins Certainly there are no men or women that are so sincere and serious in Closet-prayer or that are so frequent so fervent so constant in Closet-prayer or that are so delightful so resolulute so undaunted or so unwearied in Closet-prayer as those that keep themselves most cleer and free from secret sins For a Close remember this That though secret sins are in some respects more dangerous than other sins are yet in three respects they are not so bad nor so dangerous as other sins are First In that they do not so scandalize Religion as open sins do Secondly In that they do not shame grieve and wound the hearts of the Saints as open sins do Thirdly In that they are not so infectious to others nor such provocations to others to sin against the Lord as open sins are And thus you may see what those things are that you must carefully take heeed of as ever you would adict your selves to Closet-prayer And as you must take heed of these five things So there are several other things that you must carefully and conscienciously apply your selves to as ever you would be found faithful and constant in this great duty viz. Closet-prayer Now they are these First Lament greatly and mourn bitterly over the neglect of this choice Duty He that doth not make Conscience of mourning over the neglect of this Duty will never make Conscience of performing this Duty O that Jer. 9. 1. your heads were waters and your eyes a Fountain of tears that you might weep day and night for the great neglect of Closet-prayer He that mourns most for the neglect of this Duty will be found most in the practise of this Duty He that makes most Conscience to accuse arraign and condemn himself for neglecting Closet-prayer he will make most Conscience of giving himself up to Closet-prayer 'T is said of Adam that he turned his face towards the Garden of Eden and from his heart bitterly lamented his great fall O that you would turn your faces towards your Closets and bitterly lament your rare going into them But Secondly Habituate your selves accustom your selves to Closet-prayer Make private prayer
hast had a sentence of death upon thee and there hath been but a short step between thee and eternity Doubtless that sin which hath lain as a heavy load upon thy Conscience in the dayes of thy former distresse that is the sin that God would have effectually conquered and brought under by his present Rod. But Ninthly Observe what particular sin that is that doth most hinder thee in holy duties and services and that doth most interrupt thee in thy Communion with God enquire what particular sin that is that thy Eze. 33. 31. heart is most apt to run after when thou art on the Mount of holy duties Whilest the Disciples were healing diseases and casting Devils out of other mens bodies the proud white Devil was stirring in their own souls as is evident by that gentle rebuke that our Saviour gives them in Luke 10. 20. In this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven There is no Duty that a Christian performs but one white Devil or another one lust or another will be still dogging and following of him to that Duty There is no publick Duty there is no family duty there is no private duty that a Christian performs but either that white Divel Pride or that white Devil Hypocrisie or that white Divel vain-glory or else some one or another white Devil will follow the Soul hard at heel to it Now mark what that particular sin is that most haunts thy soul when thou art in Religious duties and services and it may be that is the very sin that God would have subdued by the Rod. But Tenthly Observe what sin that is that the rest of your corruptions are most serviceable to and that they most attend upon Mark what sin that is that all other sins doe most bow the knee to Mark that sin that hath a commanding power over all other sins that saith to one go and he goeth to another come and he cometh Mark what sin that is that is still uppermost and that all other sins do most minister to You know when a man hath a great wound in his body all the ill humours will run thither Observe what sin that is that all the ill humours of the soul do most run after for 't is very likely that that is the very sin that God would have brought under by the Rod. But Eleventhly Observe what that sin is that your hearts are most apt to hide and cloak cover over with the most spetious and fair pretences Saul had a covetous desire and he 1 Sam. 15. 20 21. covers it over with fair pretences as that the people would have it so and that what was spared was for sacrifice Caesars favour was the great Mat. 27. 24. darling in Pilates eyes but he covers all over with washing his hands The Scribes and Pharisees were exceeding covetous but their long prayers Mat. 23. as a cloak must cover all Judas also was a man of the same mind and mettle with them What need this wast why was not Mat. 26. 8 9. John 12. 5 6. this oyntment sold for three hundred pence given to the poor This he said not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein Judas as Tertullian thinks was pretty honest till he carried the bag but no sooner was he in office but he puts Conscience out of office but all must be covered over with a cloake of charity Observe what sin that is that you are most apt to cast the Silk or the Satin mantle over and 't is ten to one but that is the sin that God would have brought under by the Rod. But Twelfthly and lastly Observe what that sin is that thou art most easily overcome by Dalilah could easily overcome Sampson when all the world besides could make no conquest upon him The Apostle Heb 12. 1. bids us lay aside the sin that doth so easily beset us There are some sins that find more easie approaches to us and more easie acceptance with us accordingly they do more easily captivate us Observe what that sin is that you doe most readily and easily open the door to and doubtlesse that is the sin that God would have mortified and subdued by the Rod. The Second Lesson that you are to learn by the Rod or by Pray turn to these Scriptures 2 Chron. 28. 10. Jer. 8. 6. Ezek 7. 15 16. the raging Pestilence is deeply to judg your selves and greatly to humble your souls for that sin or sins that hath brought the Rod upon you thus David did in that 2 Sam. 24. 10 17. When you have found out the Achan that hath brought the Rod upon you stone him to death and lye humble and low under the Rod and then the Allmighty will be graciously pacified and sweetly reconciled unto you The Third Lesson that you are to learn by the Rod or by the raging Pestilence is to view the Rod on every side if there be bryers on one side of the Rod there is Rosemary on the other side of the Rod if there be wormwood and gall at one end of the Rod there is sweet honey at the other end of the Rod as there was at the top of Jonathan's 1 Sam. 14. 43. Rod. If we should come into a Painters or a Limners shop and see a Picture half drawn it might trouble us and startle us if it did not fright us and amaze us but yet when the Picture is perfected compleated and finished it may prove a very beauteous lovely taking piece The Application is easie Look as every Judgment every Affliction every Rod hath its black dark side so every Judgement every affliction hath its bright side to Mow 't is the wisdom of a Christian to look on the bright side of the Rod the Cloud as well as 't is his work to look on the dark side of the Rod the Cloud When a Christian looks upon the dark side of the Cloud he should be humbled and abased but when he looks upon the bright side of the Cloud he should be comforted and cheered He James 5. 11. that is still a looking on the briery side of the Rod will be very apt to fret and faint under the Rod but he that looks on the Rosemary side of the Rod as well as the briery side of the Rod he will bear up patiently gallantly and cheerfully under the Rod. The voice of the Rod is Look on both sides Look on both sides But The fourth Lesson that you are to learn by the Rod or by the raging Pestilence is to look on the Rod not abstractly from the hand that holds it but conjunctively with the hand that holds it thus Hezekiah did 2 Kings 20. 16 10 18 19. Thus Aaron did Lev. 10. 1 2 3. Thus Eli did 1 Sam. 3. 11 19. Thus David did Psal 39. 9.
had need be alwayes in an actual readiness to die No man shall die the sooner but much the easier and the better for preparing to die And therefore let us alwayes have our loins girt and our lamps burning As death leaves us so Judgment will find us and there fore we have very great cause to secure our interest in Christ a changed nature and a pardon in our bosomes that so we might have nothing to do but to die Except we prepare to die all other preparations will do us no good In a word Death is a change a great change 't is the the last change till the resurrection 't is lasting yea an everlasting change for it puts a man into an eternall condition of happiness or misery 't is an universal change all persons must pass under this flaming Sword That Statute Law Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return will Gen. 3. 18. sooner or later take hold on all mortals and therefore it highly concerns us to prepare for death And thus I have shewn you these Lessons that you are to learn by the Rod. The Lord grant that your souls may fall under those fresh those choice those full and those constant influences and communications of his holy Spirit as may enable you to take out those twenty Lessons that I have laid open before you I confess the Epistle is large but do but consider your own conditions and the present dispensations under which we are cast then I suppose you will not call it by the name of a tedious Epistle Dear Friends the following discourse on Closet-prayer I heartily recommend to your serious perusal I have many reasons to hope that when you have once read it over you will be more in love with Closet-prayer than ever that you will set a higher price upon Closet-prayer than ever that you will make a better and fuller improvement of Closet-prayer than ever yet you have done Consider what I say in my Epistle to the Reader labour so to manage this little Treatise that now I put into your hands that God may be glorified your own souls edified comfored encouraged in the wayes of the Lord and that you may be my Crown and joy in the great day of our Lord Jesus So 1 Thes 2. 19 20. wishing that the good will of him that dwelt in the bush may abide upon you and yours for ever I take leave and rest Dear Friends Your souls servant in our Dear Lord Jesus THOMAS BROOKS TO THE READER Christian Reader THe Epistle Dedicatory being occasionally so large I shall do little more than give thee the grounds and reasons of sending forth this little piece into the World especially in such a day as this is Now my reasons are these First Because God by his present dispensations calls more loudly for Closet-prayer now than he hath done in those last twenty years that are now past over our heads See more of this in the 16. Argument for Closet-prayer pag. 103 to p. 108. Secondly Because I have several reasons to fear that many Christians do not clearly nor fully understand the necessity excellency and usefulness of this subject and that many O that I could not say any live in too great a neglect of this indispensible duty and that more than a few for want of light erre in the very practice of it Thirdly For the refreshing support and encouragement of all those Churches of Christ that walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost c. especially that particular Church to whom I stand related Fourthly To preserve and keep up the power of Religion and Godliness both in mens houses hearts and lives The power of Religion and Godliness lives thrives or dies as Closet-prayer lives thrives or dies Godliness never rises to a higher pitch than when men keep closest to their Closets c. Fifthly Because Closet-prayer is a most sovereign Remedy a most precious Antidote of Gods own prescribing against the Plague that now rageth in the midst of us 1 Kings 8. 37 38 39 c. Sixthly Because every man is that really which he is secretly Never tell me how handsomly how neatly how bravely this or that man acts his part before others but tell me if thou canst how he acts his part before God in his Closet for the man is that certainly that he is secretly There are many that sweat upon the stage that are key-cold in their Closets Seventhly Though many worthies have done worthily upon all other parts of prayer yet there are none either of a former or later date that have fallen under my eye that have written any Treatise on this Subject I have not a little wondred that so many eminent Writers should pass over this great and princely duty of Closet-prayer either with a few brief touches or else in a very great silence If several Bodies of Divinity are consulted you will find that all they say clearly and distinctly as to Closet-prayer may be brought into a very narrow compass if not into a nut-shell I have also enquired of several old Disciples whether among all the thousand Sermons that they have heard in their dayes that ever they have heard one Sermon on Closet-prayer and they have answered No. I have also enquired of them whether ever they had read any Treatise on that Subject and they have answered No. And truly this hath been no small encouragement to me to make an offer of my mite and if this small attempt of mine shall be so blest as to provoke others that have better heads and hearts and hands than any I have to do Christ and his people more service in the handling of this choice point in a more copious way than what I have been able to reach unto I shall therein rejoyce Eighthly and lastly That favour that good acceptance and fair quarter that my other poor labours have found not onely in this Nation but in other Countryes also hath put me upon putting pen to paper once more and I hope that the good will of him that dwelt in the bush will rest upon this as it hath to the glory of free grace rested upon my former endeavers I could add other reasons but let these suffice Good Reader when thou art in thy Closet pray hard for a poor weak worthless worm that I may be found faithful and fruitful to the death that so at last I may receive a Crown of Life So wishing thee all happiness both in this lower and in that upper World I rest Thine in our Dear Lord Jesus THOMAS BROOKS Books printed and are to be sold by John Hancock at the first shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill NIne Books lately published by Mr. Thomas Brooks late Preacher of the Gospel at St. Margarets New Fish-street 1 Precious Remedies against Satans Devices Or Salve for Believers and Unbelievers sores being a Companion for those that are in Christ or
out of Christ that sleight or neglect Ordinances under pretence of living above them that are growing in spirituals or decaying that are tempted or deserted afflicted or opposed that have assurance or want it on 2 Cor. 2. 11. 2 Heaven on Earth Or A serious Discourse touching a well-grounded Assurance of mans everlasting happiness and blessedness discovering the nature of assurance the possibility of attaining it the Causes Springs and Degrees of it with the resolution of several weighty Questions on the 8. of the Romans 32 33 34. verses 3 The Vnsearchable Riches of Christ Or Meat for strong Men and Milk for Babes held forth in two and twenty Sermons from Ephes 3. 8. Preached on his Lecture-nights at Fish-street-hill 4 His Apples of Gold for Young Men and Women And A Crown of Glory for Old Men and Women Or the Happiness of being Good betimes and the Honour of being an Old Disciple clearly and fully discovered and closely faithfully applied With the young mans objections answered the old mans doubts resolved 5 A String of Pearls Or The best things reserved till last delivered in a Sermon preached in London June 8. 1657. at the funeral of that Triumphant Saint Mrs. Mary Blake late Wife to his worthy friend Mr. Nicholas Blake Merchant 6 The Silent Soul with Soveraign Antidotes against the most miserable Exigents Or A Christian with an Olive-leaf in his mouth when he is under the greatest afflictions the sharpest and sorest trials and troubles the saddest and darkest providences and changes with Answers to divers Questions and Objections that are of greatest importance to win and work souls to be still quiet calm and silent under all changes that have or that may pass upon them in this world c. 7 The Crown and glory of Christianity Or Holiness the onely way to happiness discovered in 58. Sermons on Heb. 12. 14. 8 An Ark for all Gods Noah's in a stormy day Wherein is shewed the transcendent excellency of a Believers portion on Lam. 3. 24. 9 The Privy Key of Heaven Or A Discourse of Closet-prayer twenty Arguments for it with the resolution of several considerable Questions c. Eight Treatises lately publish'd by Mr Ralph Venning 1 A Warning to back sliders with means for the recovery of faln ones on Rev. â— 5. 2 The way to Happiness or way to Heaven opened on Mat 7. 21. 3 Mercies Memorial or a thankful Remembrance for Gods merciful Deliverance on the 5. of November 1605. on Psal 1â—6 23. 4 Canaans Flowing or Milk and Honey being a Collation of many Christian Experiences Savings and Sentences printed in an Alphabetical order to which is added 125. Heathen Speeches spiritually improved 5 His 543. Orthodox and Miscellanious Paradoxes concerning God Christ the Spirit Election the Scriptures the Creation Angels Men Sin the Law Grace the Sacraments the Resurrection Heaven and Hell 6 The new Command renewed or love one another 7 Mysteries and Revelations or the Explication of several Allusions and Metaphors in the Scriptures 8 Things worth thinking on or Helps to Piety being 412. Meditations with a Sermon of The beauty of Holiness Several useful Treatises published by Mr. Nicholas Lockyer and others 1 Christs Communion with his Church-Militant on John 14. 18. 2 His Divine Discovery of Sincerity on 2 Cor. 1. 12. 3 His seasonable Instructions for suffering Christians on Col. 2. 11. The Godly Mans Ark Or City of Refuge in the day of his distress discovered in divers Sermons The first of which was preached at the Funeral of Mrs E. Moor. Whereunto are annexed Mris. Moors Evidences for Heaven composed and collected by her in the time of her health for her comfort in the time of sickness By Edmund Calamy B. D. and Pastor of the Church at Aldermanbury Helps to improve the Holy Scriptures For our spiritual Comfort and Benefit Viz. Scripture Prophesies Promises Precepts Threatnings Drawn from their Stability and inviolable Authority By Robert Perrot Minister of Gods Word Dr. Thomas Taylor his Treatise of Circumspect Walking on Eph. 5. 15. A Treatise on the Sabbath by Mr. Thomas Shepheard Mr. Turners Breast-plate for the Heart Mr. Culverwels White stone of Assurance Mr. Fenor on Wilful Impenitency And his four profitable Treatises Spiritual Experiences of sundry Beleevers recommended to the Christian Reader by Vavasor Powel The wise Virgin a Narration of Mrs. Martha Hatfield a Childe of a eleven years old how God inabled her to utter many glorious truths concerning Christ Faith and other subjects The Diligent School-Boys Directory Being certain plain and profitable Rules and Directions for the better understanding of the English Orthography by Thomas Hunt Master of Art School-Master at St. Saviours in Southwark The Expert Physitian Learnedly treating of all Agues and Feavers essential whether simple or compound confused Erratick and malignant shewing their different Nature Cause Sign and Cure written Originally by that famous Doctor in Phisick Bricius Bauderon and translated into English by Dr. Wells Licentiate in Physick by the University of Oxford A Book of Short-Writing the most easie exact lineal and speedy method fitted to the meanest capacity composed by Mr. Theophylus Metcalf Professor of the said Art Also a School-Master explaining the Rules of the said Book with many new additions very useful Another Book of new Short-hand by Tho. Crosse A Copy-Book of the newest and most useful hands All to be sold by John Hancock at the first shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill FINIS THE PRIVY KEY OF HEAVEN Or a Discourse of CLOSET-PRAYER Matth. 6. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy Door Pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly THese words of our Saviour are plain and to be taken litterally and not Allegorically for he speaketh of shutting the Door of the Chamber In this chapter there is a manifest opposition between the Pharisees praying in the Synagogues and corners of the streets and others praying in secret In the Text you have a positive Precept for every Christian to pray alone But thou when thou prayest he saith not when you pray but thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet c. as speaking not so much of a joynt duty of many praying together as of a duty which each person is to do alone The command in the Text sends us as well to the Closet as to the Church and he is a hypocrite in grain that chooses the one and neglects the other for thereby he tells the world he cares for neither he makes conscience of neither He that puts on a religious habit abroad to gain himself a great Name among men and at the same time lives like an Atheist at home shall at the last be uncas't by God and presented before all the world for a Bellarm. de Sanctis lib. 3. cap. 4. c. most egredious hypocrite Bellarmine and some others turn the Text into
an Allegory they say that in these words there are two Allegories First the Chamber Door is the Sense Shut the Door that is say they thy Sense lest vain imaginations and worldly thoughts distract thy mind in praying Secondly The Door say they is our Mouth Shut thy Door that is thy Lips say they and let thy Prayer be like the Prayer of Hannah conceived in thy mind but not uttered with thy mouth 'T is usual with Papists and other monkish men that lye in wait to deceive to turn the blessed Scriptures into a Nose of Wax under pretence of Allegories and Mysteries Origen was a great admirer Euseb Eccl. Hist Lib. 6. chap. 8. of Allegories by the strength of his parts and wanton wit he turn'd most of the Scriptures into Allegories and by the just Judgement of God upon him he foolishly understood and absurdly applied that Matth. 19. 12. litterally Some have made themselves chaste for the Kingdom of Heaven and so gelded himself And indeed he might as well have pluck't out one of his eyes upon the same account because Christ saith It is better to go to Heaven with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into Hell fire Matth. 18. 9. In all Ages Hereticks have commonly defended their Heresies by translating of Scriptures into Allegories The Apostle speaks of such as denying the Resurrection of the body turn all the testimonies of the Resurrection into an Allegory meaning thereby only the spiritual Resurrection of the soul from sin of which sort was Hymeneus and Philetus who destroyed the faith of some saying the Resurrection was past already 2 Tim. 2. 17 18. And are there not many among us that turn the whole History of the Bible into an Allegory and that turn Christ and Sin and Death and the Soul and Hell and Heaven and all into an Allegory Many have and many do miserably pervert the Scriptures by turning them into vain and groundless Allegories Some wanton wits have expounded Paradise Philo Judaeus and others of a later date to be the Soul Man to be the Mind the Woman to be the Sense the Serpent to be Delight the Tree of knowledge of good and evil to be Wisdome and the rest of the Trees to be the Vertues and Endowments of the Mind O friends it is dangerous to bring in Allegories where the Scripture doth not clearly and plainly warrant them and to take those words Figuratively which should be taken properly The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the Text rendred Closet hath only three most usual significations amongst Greek Authors First it may be taken for a secret Chamber or close and locked Parlour Secondly for a Safe or Cupbord to lay Victuals in Thirdly for a locked Chest or Cupbord wherein Treasure usually is reserved The best and most judicious Interpreters that I have cast mine eye upon both of a former and later date do all expound my Text of Private Prayer in retired places and with them I close And so the main Doctrine that I shall gather from the words is this That Closet-Prayer or Private-Prayer is an indispensible duty that Doct. Christ himself hath laid upon all that are not willing to lye under the woful brand of being Hypocrites I beseech you seriously to lay to heart these five things First If any Prayer be a duty then secret Prayer must needs be a duty for secret Prayer is as much Prayer as any other Prayer is Prayer and secret Prayer prepares and fits the soul for Family-Prayer and for Publick-Prayer Secret-Prayer sweetly enclines strongly disposes a Christian to all other religious duties and services Ergo. But Secondly If Secret Prayer be not an indispensible duty that lyes upon thee by what authority doth Conscience so upbraid thee and so accuse thee and so condemn thee and so terrifie thee as it often doth for the neglect of this duty But Thirdly Was it ever the way or method of God to promise again and again a reward an open reward for that work or service which himself never commanded Surely No. Now to this duty of Secret Prayer the Lord hath again and again promised an open reward Matth. 6. 6. 18. And therefore without all peradventure this is a duty incumbent upon all Christians Fourthly Our Saviour in the Text takes it for granted that every child of God will be frequent in praying to his heavenly Father and therefore he encourages them so much the more in the work of Secret Prayer When you Pray As if he had said I know you can as well hear without eares and live without food and fight without hands and walk without feet as you are able to live without Prayer And therefore when you go to wait on God or to give your heavenly Father a visit Enter into your Closet and shut your doors c. Fifthly If Closet Prayer be not an indispensible duty that Christ hath laid upon all his people why doth Satan so much oppose it why doth he so industriously and so unweariedly labour to discourage Christians in it to take off Christians from it Certainly Satan would never make such a fierce constant war as he doth upon private Prayer were it not a necessary duty a reall duty and a soul-enriching duty But more of this you will find in the following discourse and therefore let this touch suffice for the present c. Now these five things do very clearly and evidently demonstrate that secretly and solitarily to hold entercourse with God is the undoubted duty of every Christian But for a more full opening and confirmation of this great and important Point I shall lay down these Twenty Arguments or Considerations c. First The most eminent Saints both in the Old and New Testament have applied themselves to Private-Prayer Moses was alone in the Mount with God forty dayes and fourty nights Exod. 34. 28. So Abraham fills his mouth with Arguments and reasons the case out alone with God in Prayer to prevent Sodoms desolation and destruction and never leaves off pleading and praying till he had brought God down from fifty to ten Gen. 18. 22-32 and in Gen. 21. 33. you have Abraham again at his private prayers And Abraham planted a Grove in Beer-sheba and called there on the name of the Lord the everlasting God Why did Abraham plant a Grove but that he might have a most private place to pray and poure out his soul before the Lord in So Isaac Gen. 24. 63. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide The Hebrew word Lasuach that is here rendred Meditate signifies to pray as well as to meditate and so it is often used 'T is a comprehensive word that takes in both Prayer and Meditation So you shall find Jacob at his private-prayer Gen. 32. 24 25 26 27 28. And Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day When Jacob was all alone and in a
dark night and when his joynts were out of joynt he so wrestles and weeps and weeps and wrestles in private Prayer that as a Prince at last he prevailes with God Hos 12. 3 4. So David Psal 55. 16 17. As for me I will call upon God and the Lord shall save me Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voyce So Daniel was three times a day in private prayer Dan. 6. 10. Now when Daniel knew that the Writing was sign'd he went into his house and his Windows being open in his Chamber toward Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime Daniel had accustomed himself to private prayer he went to his closet before he went to his publick employment and State affairs and at his return to dinner he turned first into his Chamber to serve his God and refresh his soul before he set down to feast his body and at the end of the day when he had dispatcht his business with men he made it his business to wait upon God in his Chamber So Jonah keeps up private prayer when he was in the Fishes belly yea when he was in the belly of Hell Jonah 2. 1 2 c. So we have Elias at prayer under the Juniper Tree 1 Kings 19. 4. So Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 13. Now Hannah she speaks in her heart only her lips moved but her voice was not heard The very soul of prayer lyes in the pouring out of the soul before God as Hannah did vers 15. Neither was Rebecah a stranger to this duty who upon the Babes strugling in her womb went to enquire of the Lord Gen. 25. 22. that is she went to some secret place to pray saith Calvin Musculus Mercer and others So Saul is no sooner converted but presently he falls upon private prayer Acts 9. 11. And the Lord said unto him arise and go into the street which is called Strait and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth Though he was a strict Pharisee yet he never prayed to purpose before nor never prayed in private before The Pharisees used to pray in the corners of the Streets and not in the corners of their houses And after his conversion he was frequently in private prayer as you may see by comparing of these Scriptures together Rom. 1. 9. Ephes 1. 15 16. 1 Phil. 3 4. 2 Tim. 1. 3. So Epaphras was a warm man in closet prayer Phil. 4. 12 13. So Cornelius had devoted himself to private prayer Acts 10. 2 4. And so Peter gets up to the house top to pray vers 9. On the morrow as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the City Peter went up upon the house-top to pray about the sixth hour Peter got up upon the Leads not only to avoid destraction but that he might be the more secret in his private devotion Eusebius tells us of James called Justus that his knees were grown hard and brawny with kneeling so much in private prayer And Nazianzen reports of his Sister Gorgonia that her knees seemed to cleave to the earth by her often praying in private And Gregory saith of his Aunt Trucilla that her Elbows was as hard as horn by often leaning upon her Desk at private prayer I have read of a devout person who when the set time for his private devotion was come whatever company he was in he would break from them with this neat and handsome come off I have a friend that stayes for me Farewel And there was once a great Lady of this Land who would frequently withdraw from the company of Lords and Ladies of great quality who came to visit her rather than she would lose her set times of waiting upon God in her Closet she would as they call'd it rudely take her leave of them that so she might in private attend the Lord of Lords She would spare what time she could to express her favours civilities and courtesies among her Relations and Friends but she would never suffer them to rob God of his time nor her soul of that comfort and communion which she used to enjoy when she was with God in her Closet And indeed one hours communion with God in ones closet is to be preferr'd before the greatest and best company in the World And there was a child of a Christian Gentle-woman that was so given to prayer from its infancy that before it could well speak it would use to get alone and go to prayer and as it grew it was more frequent in prayer and retiring of it self from company and he would ask his Mother very strange questions far above the capacity of one of his years but at last when this child was but five years old and whipping of his top on a sudden he flung away his Scourge-stick and Top and ran to his Mother and with great joy said unto her Mother I must go to God will you go with me She answered My dear Child how dost thou know thou shalt go to God he answered God hath told me so for I love God and God loves me She answered Dear Child I must go when God pleaseth But why wilt thou not stay with me The Child answered I will not stay I must go to God And the Child did not live above a moneth after but never cared for play more but falling sick he would alwayes be saying that he must go to God he must go to God And thus sometimes out of the Mat. 21. 16. mouthes of Babes and Sucklings God hath perfected praise Certainly such persons will be ripe for Heaven betimes who begin betimes to seek God in a Closet in a Corner And Eusebius reports of Constantine the Emperour that every day he used to shut up himself in some secret place in his Palace and there on bended knees did make his devout Prayers and Soliloquies to God My God and I are good company said famous Dr. Sibbs A man whose soul is conversant with God in a Closer in a Hole behind the Door or in a Desart a Den a Dungeon shall find more real pleasure more choice delight and more full content than in the Pallace of a Prince By all these famous Instances you see that the People of God in all Ages have addicted themselves to private prayer O friends these pious examples should be very awakning very convincing and very encouraging to you Certainly 't is as much your duty as 't is your glory to follow these pious patterns that are now set before you Witness these following Scriptures Prov. 2. 20. That thou mayest walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ Phil. 3. 17. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an
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
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
6 7 8. So Luther perceiving the Cause of God and the work of Reformation to be greatly straitned and in danger he went into his Closet and never left wrestling with God till he had received a gracious answer from Heaven upon which he comes out of his closet to his friends leaping and triumphing with Vicimus vicimus we have overcome we have overcome in his mouth At which time it is observed that there came out a Proclamation from Charls the Fifth that none should be further molested for the Profession of the gospel At another time Luther being in private prayer for a sick friend of his who was very comfortable and useful to him had a particular answer for his recovery whereupon he was so confident that he sent word to his friend that he should certainly recover and so it fell out accordingly And so Latimer prayed with great zeale for three things 1. That Queen Elizabeth might come to the Crown 2. That he might seale the truth with his heart blood And 3. That the Gospel might be restored once again once again which he expressed with great vehemency of spirit All which three God heard him in Constantine commanded that his Effigies should be engraven not as other Emperours in their Armour leaning but as in a posture of prayer kneeling to manifest to the world that he won more by secret prayer than by open Battles Mr. Dod reports that when many good people had often sought the Lord in the behalf of a woman that was possessed with the Devil and yet could not prevaile at last they appointed a day for fasting and prayer at which time there came a poor woman to the chamber door where the exercise was begun and craved entrance but she being poor they would not admit her in upon that the poor woman kneeled down behind the door and sought God by prayer But she had not prayed long before the evil spirit raged roared and cried out in the possessed woman take away the old woman behind the doore for I must be gone take away the old woman behind the door for I must be gone And so by the old womans prayers behind the doore he was cast out Oh the prevalency of prayer behind the door And thus you see by all these great instances the great prevalency of private prayer Private prayer like Sauls sword and Jonathans Bow when duely qualified as to the person and act never returns empty it hits the marke it carries the day with God it pierceth the walls of Heaven though like those of Gaza made of brass and Iron Isa 45. 2. O who can express the powerfull oratory of private prayer c. Ninthly consider that secret duties are the most soul-enriching duties Look as secret meales make fat bodies so secret duties make fat souls and as secret Trades brings in great earthly riches so secret prayers makes many rich in spiritual blessings and in heavenly riches Private prayer is that privy key of heaven that unlocks all the Treasures of glory to the soule The best riches and the sweetest mercies God usually gives to his people when they are in their closets upon their knees Look as the warmth the Chickens find by close sitting under the Hens wings cherisheth them so are the graces of the Saints enlivened and cherished and strengthned by the sweet secret influences which their souls fall under when they are in their closet-communion with God Private prayer conscienciously performed is the privie key of heaven that hath unlocked such treasures and such secrets as hath past the skill of the cunningest Devil to find out Private prayer Midwifes the choicest mercies and the chiefest riches in upon us Certainly there are none so rich in gracious experiences as those that are most exercised in closet duties Ps 34. 6. This poor man cried saith David and the Lord saved him out of all his troubles David pointing to himself tells us that he cried that is silently and secretly as Moses did at the red sea and as Exod. 14. 15. Neh. 1. 11. 2. 4. Nehemiah did in the presence of the King of Persia and the Lord saved him out of all his troubles And O what additions were these deliverances to his experiences O my friends look as the tender dew that falls in the silent night makes the grass and herbs and flowers to flourish and grow more abundantly than great showrs of raine that fall in the day so secret prayer will more abundantly cause the sweet herbs of grace and holiness to grow and flourish in the soul than all those more open Publick and visible duties of Religion which too too often are mingled and mixt with the sun and wind of pride and hypocrisie Beloved you know that many times a Favourite at Court gets more by one secret motion by one private request to his Prince than a Trades-man or a Merchant gets in twenty years labour and paines c. So a Christian many times gets more by one secret motion by one private request to the King of Kings than many others doe by Trading long in the more publick Duties of Religion O Sirs remember that in private prayer we have a far greater advantage as to the exercise of our own gifts and graces and parts than we have in Publick for in Publick we only hear others exercise their parts and gifts c. in Publick duties we are more passive but in private duties we are more active Now the more our gifts and parts and graces are exercised the more they are strengthned and increased All acts strengthen habits The more sin is acted the more 't is strengthned And so 't is with our gifts and graces the more they are acted the more they are strengthned But Tenthly Take many things together All Christians have their secret Sins Psal 19. 12. Who can understand his errors cleanse thou me from secret faults Secret not only to other men but himself even such secret sins as grew from errours which he understood not 'T is incident to every man to erre and then to be ignorant of his errours Many sins I see in my self saith he and more there are which I cannot espy which I cannot find out nay I think saith he that every mans sins do arise beyond his accounts There is not the best the wisest nor the holiest man in the world that can give a full and entire list of his sins Who can understand his errors This interrogation hath the force of an affirmation Who can No man no not the most perfect and innocent man in the world O friends who can reckon up the secret sinfull imaginations the secret sinful inclinations or the secret pride the secret blasphemies the secret hypocrisies the secret Atheistical risings the secret murmurings the secret repinings the secret discontents the secret insolencies the secret filthynesses the secret unbelievings c. that God might every day charge upon his soul Should the best and holiest man on earth have
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
then sixthly and lastly they pray for a good night after their day Certainly these very Moors will one day rise in judgement against them who cast off prayer who live in a total neglect of prayer who suffer so many Suns and Moons to rise and set upon their heads without any solemn calling upon God I have read of a man who being sick and afraid of death fell to his prayers and to move God to hear him told him That he was no common beggar and that he had never troubled him with his prayers before Heil Mic. p. 376. and if he would but hear him at that time he would never trouble him again This world is full of such prophane blasphemous atheistical wretches But Thirdly This truth looks very sourly and sadly upon such who are all for publick prayer but never regard private prayer who are â—ll for going up to the Temple but never care for going into their Closets This is most palpable hypocrisie for a man to be very zealous for publick prayer but very cold and careless as to private prayer He that pretends conscience in the one and makes no conscience of the other is an hypocrite in grain Matth. 23. 5. Matth. 6. 1 2 5. And the Devil knowes well enough how to make his markets of all such hypocrites that are all for the prayers of the Church but perfect Gallio's as to private prayer Acts 18. 17. Such as perform all their private devotion in the Church but not in the Chamber do put too great a slight upon the authority of Christ who saith When thou prayest enter into thy Chamber he doth not say when thou prayest Go to the Church but when thou prayest go into thy Chamber But Fourthly This truth looks sadly and sourly upon such who in their Closets pray with a loud clamorous voice A Christian should shut both the door of his Closet and the door of his Lips so close that none should hear without what he saith within Enter into thy Closet saith Christ and when thou hast shut thy door pray But what need a man shut his Closet door if he may pray with a clamorous voice if he make such a noise as all in the street or all in the house may hear him The Hen when she lays her Eggs gets into a hole a corner but then she makes such a noise with her cackling that she tells all in the house where she is and about what she is Such Christians that in their Closets do imitate the Hen do rather pray to be seen heard and observed by men than out of any noble design to glorifie God or to pour out their souls before him that seeth in secret Sometimes children when they are vext or afraid of the rod will run behind the door or get into a dark hole and there they will lye crying and sighing and sobbing that all the house may know where they are O 't is a childish thing so to cry and sigh and sob in our Closets as to tell all in the house where we are and about what work we are Well Christians for an effectual redress of this evil frequently and seriously consider of these five things First That God seeth in secret Secondly That God hath a quick ear and is taken more with the voice of the heart than he is with the clamour of the mouth God can easily hear the most secret breathings of thy soul God is more curious in observing the messages delivered by the heart than he is those that are only delivered by the mouth He that prays aloud in private seems to tell others that God doth not understand the secret desires and thoughts and workings of his peoples hearts Thirdly 'T is not meet 't is not convenient nor expedient that any should be acquainted with our secret prayers but God and our own souls Now 't is as much our duty to look to what is expedient as 't is 2 Cor. 8. 10 Chap. 12. 1. to look to what is lawful 1 Cor. 6. 12. All things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient So Chap. 10. 23. All things are lawful for me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for me but all things edifie not Now 't is so far from being expedient that 't is very high folly for men to lay open their secret infirmities unto others that will rather deride them than lift up a prayer for them Fourthly Loud prayers may be a hinderance and disturbance to others that may be busied near us in some Religious or Civil exercises Fifthly and lastly Hannah prayed and yet spoke never a word her heart was full but her voice was not heard 1 Sam. 1. 11. Moses prayes and cries and yet le ts fall never a word Exod. 14. 15. And the Lord said unto Moses wherefore cryest thou unto me Moses did not cry with any audible voice but with inward sighs and secret breathings and wrestlings of soul and these inward and secret cries which made no noise carried the day with God for Moses is heard and answered and his people are delivered O the prevalency of those prayers that make no noise in the ears of others Fifthly and lastly This truth looks sourly and sadly upon those that do all they can to hinder and discourage others from this duty of duties Private prayer and that either by deriding or vilifying of the duty or else by denying of it to be a duty or else by their daily neglect of this duty or else by denying them that are under them time and opportunity for the discharge of this duty In Matth. 23. 13. You have a woe pronounced against those that will neither goe to Heaven themselves nor suffer others to goe that are willing to enter into an everlasting rest And so I say woe to those Parents and woe to those Husbands and woe to these Masters and Mistrises that will neither pray in their closets themselves nor suffer their children nor their wives nor their servants to pour out their souls before the Lord in a corner O Sirs how will you answer this to your consciences when you shall lye upon a dying bed and how will you answer it to the Judge of all the world when you shall stand before a Judgment seat Certainly all their sins and all their neglects and all their spiritual losses that might have been prevented by their secret prayers by their closet communion with God will one day be charg'd upon your accounts And O that you were all so wise as to lay these things so to heart that you may never hinder any that are under your care or charge from private prayer any more But Secondly This may serve to exhort us to keep close to our Closets to be frequent and constant in Private prayer to be often with God in a corner The 20 Considerations already laid down may serve as so many motives to provoke your hearts to this noble and necessary duty Objection
Fifthly I answer That 't is our 'T is said of blessed Pooper that he was spare of diet spare of words and sparest of Time duty to redeem time from all our secular businesses for private prayer All sorts of Christians whether bond or free rich or poor high 〈◊〉 low superiours or inferiours are expresly charged by God to redeem time for prayer for private prayer as well as for other holy exercises Col. 4. 2 3. Continue inprayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving withal praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds But here some may Object and say we have so much business to do in the world that we have no time for prayer The Apostle answers this Objection in Vers 5. Walk in wisdom towards them that are without redeeming the time So Ephes 5. 16. Redeeming the time because the dayes are evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or buying out or gaining the time The words are a metaphor taken from Merchants who prefer the least profit that may be gained before their pleasures or delights closely following their business whilst the markets are at best A Merchant when he comes to a â—art or Fair takes the first season and opportunity of buying his commodities he puts it not off to the hazard of an evening or to the next morning in hopes to have a better bargain but he improves the present season and buyes before the Market is over Others carry the words thus Purchase at any rate all occasions and opportunities of doing good that so ye may thereby in some sort redeem that precious Jewel of Time which you have formerly lost As Travellers that have loytered by the way or staid long at their Inn when they find night coming upon them they mend their pace and go as many miles in an hour as they did before in many Though time let slip is physically irrecoverable yet in a moral consideration it is accounted as regained when men double their care diligence and endeavours to redeem it The best Christian is he that is the greatest momopolizer of time for private prayer No Christian to him that redeems time from his worldly occasions and his lawful comforts and recreations to be with God in his Closet David having tasted of the sweetness goodness and graciousness of God cannot keep his bed but will borrow some time from his sleep that he might take some turns in Paradise and pour out his soul in prayer and Psal 63. 6. praises when no eye was open to see him nor no ear open to hear him but all were asleep round about him Psal 119. 62. At midnight will I arise to give thanks unto thee Vers 147. I have prevented the dawning of the morning and cried David was up and at private prayer before day-break David was no sluggish Christian no sloathful Christian no lazy Christian he used to be in his closet when others were sleeping in their beds So Vers 148. Mine eyes prevent the night-watches that I might meditate in thy word So Psal 130. 6. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Look as the weary Sentinel in a dark cold wet night waits and peeps and peeps and waits for the appearance of the morning so David did wait and peep and peep and wait for the first and fittest season to pour out his soul before God in a corner David would never suffer his worldly business to justle out holy exercises he would often borrow time from the world for private prayer but he would never borrow time from private prayer to bestow it upon the world Mr. Bradford the Martyr counted that hour lost wherein he did not some good either with his pen tongue or purse Ignatius when he heard a Clock strike would use to say Now I have one hour more to answer for So the Primitive Christians would redeem some time from their sleep that they might be with God in their Closets as Clemens observes Clemens And I have read of Theodosius the Emperour that after the variety Nicephorus of worldly imployments relating to his civil affaires in the day time were over how he was wont to consecratethe greatest part of the night to the studying of the Scriptures and private prayer to which purpose he had a Lamp so artificially made that it supplied it self with oyl that so he might no way be interrupted in his private retirements That Time ought to be redeemed is a lesson that hath been taught by the very Heathens themselves 'T was the saying of Pittacus one of the seven wise men Know time lose not a minute And so Theophrastus used to say That Time is of precious cost And so Seneca Time is the only thing saith he that we can innocently be covetous of and yet there is nothing of which many are more lavishly and profusely prodigal And Chresius a Sophister or Byzantium in the time of Hadrianus the Emperour he was much given to Wine yet he alwayes counted time so precious that when he had mis-spent his time all the day he would redeem it at night When Titus Vespatian who revenged Christs blood on Jerusalem returned Victor to Rome remembring Suetonius one night as he sate at supper with his friends that he had done no good that day he uttered this memorable and praise-worthy Apothegme Amici diem perdidi My friends I have lost a day Chilo one of the seven Sages being asked what was the hardest thing in the world to be done answered To use and employ a mans time well Cato held That an account must be given not only of our labour but also of our leisure And Aelian gives this testimony of the Lacedemonians That they were hugely covetous of their time spending it all about necessary things and suffering no Citizen either to be idle or play And saith another We trifle with that which is most precious and throw away that which is our greatest interest to redeem Certainly these Heathens will tise in Judgment not only against Domitian the Roman Emperour who spent much of his time in killing of flyes nor only against Archimedes who spent his time in drawing lines on the ground when Syracuse was taken nor against Artaxerxes who spent his time in in making hafts for knives nor only against Solyman the great Turk who spent his time in making notches of horn for bows nor only against Eroâ—â—s a Macedonian king who spent his time in making of Lanthorns nor only against Harcatus the king of Parthia who spent his time in catching of Moles But also against many Professors who in stead of redeeming of precious time do trifle and fool away much of their precious time at the Glass the Combe the Lute the Viol the Pipe or at vain sports and foolish pastimes or by idle jestings immoderate
sleeping and superfluous feasting c. O Sirs good hours and blessed opportunities for closet prayer are merchandise of the highest rate and price and therefore whosoever hath a mind to be rich in grace and to be high in glory should buy up that merchandize they should be still a redeeming precious time O Sirs we should redeem time for private prayer out of our eating time our drinking time our sleeping time our buying time our selling time our sinning time our sporting time rather than neglect our Closet communion with God c. But Sixthly I answer Closet prayer is either a duty or 't is no duty Now that 't is a duty I have so strongly proved I suppose that no man nor devil can fairly or honestly deny it to be a duty And therefore why do men cry out of their great business alass duty must be done what ever business is left undone duty must must be done or the man that neglects it will be undone for ever 'T is a vaine thing to object business when a required duty is to be performed and indeed if the bare objecting of business of much business were enough to excuse men from duty I am afraid that there are but few duties of the Gospel but men would endeavour to evade under a pretence of business of much business He that pretends business to evade private prayer will be as ready to pretend business to evade family prayer and he that pretends business to evade family prayer will be as ready to pretend business to evade publick prayer Well sirs remember what became of those that excused themselves out of heaven by their carnal Apologies secular businesses I have bought a peice of ground and I Luke 14. 16 15. must needs goe and see it I pray thee have me excused saith one I have bought saith another five yoke of Oxen and I go to prove them I pray thee have me excused And I have married a Wife saith another and therefore I cannot come The true reason why they would not come to the supper that the King of Kings had invited them to was not because they had bought Farms and Oxen but because their Farms and Oxen had bought them The things of the world and their carnal relatitions had taken up so much room in their hearts and affections that they had no stomack to heavens danties and therefore it is observable what Christ adds at the end of the parable He that hateth not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters Vers 26. yea and his own Life also much more his Farm and his Oxen he cannot be my disciple By these words 't is evident that 't was not simply the Farm nor the Oxen nor the Wife but a foolish inordinate carnal love and esteeme of these things above better and greater blessings that made them refuse the gracious invitation of Christ They refused the grace and mercy of God offered in the Gospel under a pretence of their worldly business and God peremptorily concludes that not a man of them should tast of his supper And indeed what can be more just and righteous than that they should never so much as tast of spiritual eternal blessings who prefer their earthly business before heavens dainties who with the Reubenites prefer a countrey commodious Num. 23. for the feeding of their Cattle before an interest in the Land of Promise Private prayer is a work of absolute necessity both to the bringing of the heart into a good frame and to the keeping of the heart in a good frame 'T is of absolute necessity both for the discovery of sin and for the preventing of sin and for the imbittering of sin and for the weakning of sin and for the purging away of sin 'T is of absolute necessity both for the discovery of grace and for a full exercise of grace and for an eminent increase of grace 'T is of absolute necessity to arme us both against inward and outward temptations afflictions and sufferings 'T is of absolute necessity to fit us for all other duties and services c. For a man to glorifie God to save his own soul and to further his own everlasting happiness is a work of the greatest necessity Now private prayer is such a work and therefore why should any man plead business great business when a work of such absolute necessity is before him If a mans child or wife were dangerously sick or wounded or near to death he would never plead I have business I have a great deale of business to doe and therefore I cannot stay with my child my wife and I have no time to goe or send to the Physitian c. O! no but he would rather argue thus 'T is absolutely necessary that I should looke after the preservation of the life of my child my wife and this I will attend whatever becomes of my business O sirs your souls are of greater concernment to you than the lives of all the wives and children in the world and therefore these must be attended these must be saved whatever business is neglected But Seventhly I answer That God did never appoint or designe any mans ordinary particular calling to thrust private prayer out of door That 't is a great sin for any professor to neglect his particular calling under any religious pretence is evident enough by Paradise was mans work-house as well as his store-house Gen. 2. 15. Man should not have lived idly though he had not fallen from his innocency these Scriptures Exod. 20. 9. Six dayes shall thou labour and doe all thy work 1 Cor. 7. 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was câ—lled 2 Thess 4. 10 11. 12. For even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work neither should he eate For we hear that there are some which walke among you disorderly working not at all but are busit-bodies Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread 1 Thess 4. 11 12. And that ye studie to be quiet and to doe your own business and to work with your own hands as we commanded you That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without and that ye may have lack of nothing Ephes 4. 28. But rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth 1 Tim. 5. 8. But if any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel Yea our Lord Jesus Christ was a plain downright Carpenter and was laborious in that particular calling Mark 6. 3. Matth. 13. 55 56. till he entred upon the publick ministry as all the Ancients do agree And we read also that all the Patriarchs had their particular callings Abei was
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
maintain secret communion with God in a corner Certainly God never gave any poor servant a talent of gifts or a talent of grace but in order to his driving of a secret trade heaven-ward Fifthly I answer Though King Darius had made a degree that none should ask any Petition of any God or man for thirty dayes upon the Penalty of being cast into the Den of Lyons yet Daniel who was both a subject and a servant to King Darius and one upon whose Dan. 6. 7 8 9 10. hands the chiefest and greatest affaires of the Kingdom did lye did keep up his private Devotions In the first second verses of that 6th of Daniel you will find that Daniel had abundance of great and weighty imployments upon his hands he was set over the whole affairs of the whole Empire of Persia and he with two other Presidents of whom himself was chief were to receive the accounts of the whole Kingdome from all those hundred and twenty Princes which in the Persian Monarchy were imployed in all publick businesses And yet notwithstanding such a multiplicity of business as lay upon his hands and notwithstanding his servile condition yet he was very careful to redeem time for private prayer yea 't is very observable that the heart of Daniel in the mid'st of all his mighty businesses was so much set upon private prayer upon his secret retirements for Religious exercises that he runs the hazard of losing all his honours profits pleasures yea and life it self rather than he would be deprived of convenient time opportunities to wait upon God in his chamber Certainly Daniel will one day rise in Judgment against all those subjects and servants who think to evade private prayer by their plea's of much business and of their being servants c. But Sixthly I answer If you who are gracious servants notwithstanding your Masters businesses cannot redeem a little time to wrestle with God in a corner what singular thing doe you what doe you more than others Doe you hear So do others Do you read so doe others Do you follow your Masters to publick prayers So do others Doe you joyn with your Masters in family prayers so do others O but now gracious servants should goe beyond all other servants in the world they should do singular things for God Math. 5. 47. What doe you more then others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What extraordinary thing doe you what more ordinary than to find servanâ—s follow their Masters to Publick Prayers and to Family Prayers O but now to finde poor servants to redeem a little time from their Masters business to pour out their souls before the Lord in a corner this is not ordinary yea this is extraordinary and this doth wonderfully well become gracious servants O that all mens servants who are servants to the most high God would seriously consider First How singularly they are priviledged by God above all other servants in the world They are 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. called adopted reconciled pardoned justified before the throne of God which other servants are not c. And why then should not such servants be singular in their services who are so singular in their priviledges Secondly Gracious servants are made partakers of a more excellent nature than other servants are 2 Peter 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be made partakers of the divine nature The Apostle None but Familists will say that we are made partakers of the substance of the Godhead for that is incommunicable to any creature The Essence of God cannot be imparted to any created beings in this expression doth not aime at any essential change and conversion of our substance into the nature of God and Christ but only at the elevation and dignifying of our nature by Christ Though that reall that neer that dear that choice that mysterious that peculiar that singular union that Christians have with Christ doth raise them up to a higher similitude and likeness of God and Christ than ever they had attained to in their primitive perfection yet it doth not introduce any real transmutation either of our bodies or souls into the divine nature 'T is certain that our union and conjunction with Christ doth neither mingle persons nor unite substances but it doth conjoyne our affections and brings our wills into a League of Amity with Christ To be made partaker of of the divine nature notes two things say some First A fellowship with God in his holiness Secondly A fellowship with God in his blessedness viz. In the beatifical vision and brightness of glory To be made partakers of the divine nature say others is to be made partakers of those holy graces those divine qualities which sometimes are called The Image of God the likeness of God the life of God Eph. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. c. whereby we resemble God not only as a picture doth a man in outward lineaments but as a child doth his father in countenance and conditions Now take the words which way you will how highly doth it concern those servants that are made partakers of the divine nature to doe singular things for God to doe such things for God that other servants that are not partakers of the divine nature have no mind no heart no spirit to do yea that they refuse and scorn to do Thirdly Gracious servants are worthily descended they have the most illustrious extraction and honourable original 1 John 5. 19. John 3. 8. James 2. 5. Fourthly Gracious servants are worthily attended they are nobly guarded Psal 34. 14. Heb. 1. ult Deu. 33. 26 27. Zach. 2. 5. Fifthly Gracious servants are worthily dignified they are dignified with the highest and most honourable Titles Peter 1. 2 9. Rev. 1. 5 6. Rev. 5 10. Sixthly Take many things in one Gracious servants have more excellent graces experiences comforts communions promises assurances discoveries hopes helps principles diet rayment portion than all other servants in the world have and therefore God may well expect better and greater things from them than from all other servants in the world God may very well expect that they should doe singular things for his Glory who hath done such singular things for their good Certainly God expects that gracious servants should be a blessing of him when other servants are a blaspheming of him that they should be a magnifying of him when other servants are a debasing of him that they should be a redeeming of precious time when other servants are a trifling fooling playing or sinning away of procious time that they should be a weeping in a corner when other servants are a sporting and making themselves merry among their jovall companions that they should be a mourning in secret when other servants are a sinning in secret and that they should be at their private devotion when other servants are sleeping and snorting c. Sâ—lâ—mon That was the wisest
private prayer will most clearly and abundantly evidence the singular love the great delight and the high esteem that he hath of private prayer We say those children love their books well and delight much in learning who will be at their books when others are gone to their beds and who will be at their books before others can get out of their beds Certainly they love private prayer well and they delight much in closet communion with God who will be a praying when others are a sleeping and who will be addressing their souls before God in a corner before their mistress is a dressing of her self at the Glass or their fellow-servants a dressing themselves in the shop But Fourthly Because the servants redeeming of time for private prayer from his sleep set meales recreations c. may be of most use to other fellow servants both to awaken them and to convince them that the things of Religion are of the greatest and highest importance and that there is no trade for pleasure or profit to that private Trade that is driven between God and a mans own soul and also to keep them from trifling or fooling away of that time which is truly and properly their Masters time and by the Royal law of heaven ought to be spent solely and wholly in their service business For what ingenious servant is there in the world but will argue thus I see that such and such of my fellow servants will redeem time for private prayer and for other closet services from their very sleep meales recreations c. rather than they will borrow or make bold with that time which my Master saith is his c. and why then should I be so foolish so bruitish so mad to trifle or idle or play or toy away that time wnich should be spent in my masters service and for my masters advantage But Fifthly and lastly Because the servants redeeming of time for private prayer from his Sleep his Meales his Recreations c. cannot but be infinitely pleasing to God and that which will afford him most comfort when he comes to die The more any poor heart acts contrary to flesh and blood the more he pleases God the more any poor heart denyes himself the more he pleases God the more any poor heart acts against the streame of sinful examples the more he pleases God the more difficulties and discouragements a poor heart meets with in the discharg of his duty the more love he shewes to God and the more love a poor heart shewes to God the more he pleases God Jer. 2. 2 3. Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem saying thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the wilderness in a Land that was not sown Israel was holiness unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase all that devour him shall offend evil shall come upon them saith the Lord. God was very highly pleased and greatly delighted with the singular love and choice affections of his people towards him when they followed after him and kept close to him in that tedious and uncouth passage through the waste howling wilderness How all these things do comport with that poor pious servant that redeemes time for private prayer upon the hardest termes imaginable I shall leave the ingenious Reader to judge And certainly upon a dying bed no tongue can express nor heart conceive but he that feeles it the unspeakable comfort that closet duties will afford to him that hath been exercised in them upon those hard termes that are under present consideration But Ninthly I answer If thou art a gracious servant then the near and dear relations that is between God and thee and the choice priviledges John 8. 32 33 36. that thou art interested in calls aloud for private prayer As thou art thy Masters servant so thou art the Lords free-man 1 Cor. 7. 22 23. For he that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lords free-man Likewise also he that is called being free is Christs servant Ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men Either when they command you things forbidden by Christ or forbid you things commanded by Christ or when they would exercise a dominion over your faith or a lord-ship over your consciences Suffer not your selves in spiritual things to be brought into such bondage by any men or Masters in the world as not to use that freedom Gal. 5. 1. Col. 2. 20. Gal. 2. 4. and liberty that Christ hath purchased for you with his dearest blood No servants are to serve their masters in opposition to Christ nor no servants are to serve their masters as spiritual masters Nor no servants are to serve their masters as supream masters but as subordinate masters Ephes 6. 5 6 7. And as every gracious servant is the Lords free-man so every gracious servant is the Lords friend Isa 41. 8. James 2. 23. John 15. 13 14 15. And as every gracious servant is the Lords friend so every gracious servant is the Lords son Gal. 4. 5 6. Rom. 8. 16. And as every gracious servant is the Lords son so every gracious servant is the Lords spouse Hos 2. 19 20. 2 Cor. 11. 2. And now I appeal to the consciences of all that have tasted that the Lord is gracious whether the near and dear relations that is between the Lord and pious servants doth not call aloud upon them to take all opportunities and advantages that possibly they can to pour out their souls before the Lord in secret and to acquaint him in a corner with all their secret wants weaknesses wishes c. And as gracious servants are thus nearly and dearly related to God so gracious servants are very highly priviledged by God Gracious servants are as much freed from the reign of sin the dominion of sin and the damnatory Rom. 6. 14. power of sin as gracious masters are Gracious servants are as Rom. 8. 1. much freed from hell from the curse of the Law and from the wrath of God as their gracious masters are Gracious servants are Gal. 3. 13. as much adopted as much reconciled as much pardoned as much justified and as much redeemed as their gracious masters are Gracious servants are as much heirs 1 Thes 1. 10. Col. 3. 11. Gal. 5. 6. Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 6. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 9. heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ as their gracious masters are Gracious servants are as much a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people called out of darkness into his marvelous light as their gracicious masters are And therefore they being all alike interested in all these great and glorious priviledges which belong to Saints as Saints they are without all peradventure alike obliged and engaged to all those duties which lies upon Saints as Saints among which private prayer
his Commission that he can hardly forbear murmuring Must we bring water out of the Rock Mark Num. 12. 3. that word must we O how is the meekest man in all the world transported into passion anger unbelief and hurried into sad indecencies yet there was not a man on earth whose prayers were so powerful and prevalent with God as Moses his were Psal 106. 23. Exod 32. 9 -15. Chap. 33. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Exod. 14. 13 14 15 16 c. So King Asa was a man full of infirmitities and weaknesses he relyes on the King of Syria and 2 Chron. 16. 7 13. on the Lord he is very impatient and under a great rage upon the Seers reproof He imprisons the Seer he oppressed some of the people or as the Hebrew hath it He crushed or he trampled upon some of the people at the same time And being greatly diseased in his feet he sought to the Physitians and not to the Lord and yet this mans prayer was wonderful prevalent with God 2 Chron. 14. 11 12 13 14 15. The Saints infirmities can never Psal 50. 15. Isa 30. 19. Ch. 65. 24. make void those gracious promises by which God stands engaged to hearken to the prayers of his people Gods hearing of our prayers doth not depend upon sanctification but upon Christ's intercession not upon what we are in our selves but upon what we are in the Lord Jesus both our persons and our prayers are acceptable in the beloved Ephes 1. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 5. When God hears our prayers 't is neither for our own sakes nor yet for our prayers sake but 't is for his own sake and his sons sake and his glory sake and his promise sake c. Certainly God will never cast off his people for their infirmities First 'T is the glory of a man to Pro. 19. 11. passe by infirmities O how much more then must it be the glory of God to pass by the infirmities of his people Secondly Saints are children and what father will cast off his children for their infirmities and Psal 103. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 12. 27. weaknesses Thirdly Saints are members of Christ's body and what man will cut off a member because of a scab or wart that is upon it What man will cut off his Nose saith Luther because there is some filth in it Fourthly Saints are Christ's purchase they are his possession Ephes 1. 22 23. 1 Cor. 6. u't Ch. 7. 23 1 Pet. 13. 18 19 20. his inheritance Now what man is there that will cast away or cast off his purchase his possession his inheritance because of thorns bushes or bryars that grow upon it Fifthly Saints are in a marriage Hos 2 19 20. covenant with God Now what husband is there that will cast off his wife for her failings and infirmities So long as a man is in covenant with God his infirmities can't cut him off from Gods mercy and grace Now 't is certain a man may have very many infirmities upon him and yet not break his covenant with God for no sin breaks a mans covenant with God but such as unties the marriage knot As in other marriages every offence or infirmity doth not disanul the marriage union it i◠only the breach of the marriage vow viz. adultery that untyes the marriage knot So here 't is only those sins which breaks the covenant which unties the marriage knot between God and the Soul 1. When men freely subject to any lust as a new master Or 2. When men take another husband Isa 28 15. 18. and this men doe when they enter into a league with sin or the world eh … they make a new covenant with hell and deach Now from these mischiefs God secures his chosen ones In a word If God should cast off his people for their infirmities then none of the sons or daughters of Adam could be saved For there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccl. 7. 20. Now if God will not cast off his people for their infirmities then certainly he will not cast off the prayers of his people because of those invincible infirmities that hang upon them and therefore our infirmities should not discourage us or take us off from Closet-prayer or from any other Duties of Religion But Fourthly I answer The more infirmities and weaknesses hang upon us the more cause have we to keep close and constant to our Closet duties If grace be weake The omission of good diet breeds diieases the omission of private prayer will make it weaker Look as he that will not eat will certainly grow weaker and weaker So he that will not pray in his c … et will certainly grow weaker and weaker If corruptions be strong the neglect of private prayer will make them stronger The more the remedy is neglected the more the disease is strengthned Whatsoever the distempers of a mans heart be they will never be abated but augmented by the omission of private prayer The more bodily infirmities hang upon us the more need we have of the Physitian and so the more sinful infirmities hang upon our souls the more need we have of private prayer All sinful omissions will make work for repentance for hell or for the Physitian of souls Sinful omissions lead to sinful commissions as you may see in the Angels that fell from heaven to hell and in Adams fall in Paradise Origen going to comfort and encourage a martyr that was to be tormented was himself apprehended by the Officers and constrained either to offer to the Idols or to have his body abused by a Black amore that was ready for that purpose of which hard choice to save his life he bowed unto the Idol but afterwards making a sad confession of his foul fact he said That he went forth that morning before he had been with God in his Closet and so peremptorily concludes that his neglect of Prayer was the cause of his falling into that great sin The neglect of one day of one duty of one hour would undoe us for ever if we had not an Advocate 1 John 2. 1 2. with the father Those years those months those weeks those days those hours that are not filled up with God with Christ with grace with duty will certainly be filled up with vanity and folly All omissions of duty will more and more unfit the soul for duty A Key thrown by gathers rust A Pump not used will be hardly got to go And Armour not used will be hardly made bright c. Look as sinful commissions will stab the Soul so sinful omissions will starve the Soul Such as live Isa 24. 16. Job 16. 8. in the neglect of private prayer may well cry out Our leanness our leanness And therefore away with all these plea's and reasonings about infirmities and weaknesses and indispositions address your selves to Closet-prayer But Fifthly I
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
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
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
blind I will and yet rebel I hate and yet I love I follow and yet I fall I press forward yet I faint I wrestle yet I halt then he may be confident that he hath had communion with God in his Closet He that comes off from Closet-duties in a self-debasing way and in laying of himself low at the foot of God he certainly hath had communion with God but when men come out of their Closets with their Luke 18. 11 12. hearts swelled and lifted up as the hearts of the Pharisees were 't is evident that they have had no communion with God God hath not been neer to their souls who say stand by thy self come not neer to me for I am holier than thou Isa 65. 5. But Eighthly and lastly VVhen a man finds such a secret vertue and power running through his Closet-duties as wounds and weakens his beloved corruption as breaks the strength and the power of his special sin as sets his heart more fully resolutely and constantly against his darling lust as stirs up a greater rage and a more bitter hatred and a more fierce indignation against the Toad in the bosome then certainly he hath had communion with God in his Closet-duties Consult these Scriptures Isa 2. 20. In that day a man shall cast his Idols of Silver and his Idols of Gold which they have made each one for himself to worship to the Moles and to the Bats In the day wherein God should take these poor hearts vers 3. into communion with himself their hearts should be filled with such rage and indignation against their most delectable and desireable Idols that they should take not only those made of trees and stones but even their most precious and costly Idols those that were made of Silver and Gold and cast them to the moles and to the bats to note their horrible hatred and indignation against them Idolatry was the darling sin of the Jews their hearts were so exceedingly affected and delighted with their Idols that they did not care what they spent upon them Isa 46. 6. They lavish Gold out of the bag and weigh Silver in the ballance and hire a Goldsmith and he maketh it a God they fall down yea they worship The word here used for lavish in the Hebrew signifies properly to wast or spend riotously they set so light by their treasure that they cared not what they spent upon their Idols God gave them Gold and Silver as pledges of his favour and bounty and they lavish it out upon their Idols as if God had hired them to be wicked O but when God should come and take these poor wretches into a close and neer communion with himself then you shall find their wrath and rage to rise against their Idols as you may see in that Isa 30. vers 19 20 21. Their communion with God is more than hinted but mark verse 22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of Silver and the ornament of thy molten images of Gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstrous cloath thou shalt say unto it get thee hence None defile deface detest and disgrace their Idols like those that are taken into communion with God Fellowship with God will make a man cast away as a menstrous cloath those very Idols in which he hath most delighted and with which he hath been most pleased and enamoured Idols were Ephraims bosom sin Hos 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned or glewed as the Hebrew hath it to Idols let him alone O but when you find Ephraim taken into a close communion with God as you do in that Hos 14. 4 5 6 7. then you shall find another spirit upon him v. 8. Ephraim shall say what have I to do any more with Idols I have had too much to do with them already I will never have to do with them any more O how doth my Soul detest and abhor them and rise up against them O how do I now more loath and abominate them than ever I have formerly loved them or delighted in them After the return of the Jews out of Babilon they so hated and abhorred Idols that in the time of the Romans they chose rather to die than suffer the Eagle which was the imperial arms to be set up in their Temple Though Closet-duties are weak in themselves yet when a man hath Communion with God in them then they prove exceeding powerful to the casting down of strong holds and vain imaginations â— Cor. 10. 4 5. and every high thing and thought that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God When a man comes out of his Closet with a heart more fully and stedfastly set against every known sin but especially against his bosome sin his darling sin his Dalilah that he played and sported himself most with and that he hath hugged with pleasure and delight in his bosome then certainly he hath had private Communion with God After Moses had enjoyed fourty dayes private communion with God in the Mount how did his heart rise and his anger wax hot against the Molten Calf that his people had made Exod. 32. 19 20. And it came to pass as soon as he came nigh unto the Camp that he saw the Calf and the dancing and Moses anger waxed hot and he cast the Tables out of his hands and brake them beneath the mount and he took the Calf which they had made and burnt it in the fire and ground it to powder strawed it upon the water made the children of Israel drink of it Moses had never more intimate fellowship with God than now and he never discovered so much holy zeal anger and indignation against sin as now When a man comes off from the mount of Closet-duties with a greater hatred anger wrath and indignation against bosom sins darling sins complexion sins that were once as dear to him as right hands or right eyes or as Dalilah was to Sampson or Herodias to Herod or Isaac to Abraham or Joseph to Jacob then certainly he hath had communion with God in those Duties When a man finds his beloved sins his Dalilahs which like the Prince of Devils command all other sins to fall before his closet-duties as Dagon fell before the Ark or as Goliah fell before David then assuredly he hath had fellowship with God in them Pliny writes of some Families that had privy marks on their Bodies peculiar to those of that Line Certainly there are no Families no persons but have some sin or sins some privy marks on their souls that may in a peculiar way be called theirs Now when in private duties they find the bent of their hearts and the purposes resolutions and inclinations of their souls more raised inflamed and set against these they may safely and comfortably conclude that they have had communion with God in them O Sirs there is no bosome sin so sweet or profitable that is worth burning in hell for or worth shutting
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
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-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
eight wayes p. 352 to p. 384. Six Arguments to prove that all Christians do not enjoy a like Communion with God in their Closets p. 356 to p. 363. Of Curiosity  Curiosity is a very great hinderance to Closet-prayer p. 410 to p. 418. E  Of Examples  We are bound to follow the best Examples p. 16 to p. 19. Christ's Example is for our imitation p. 22 23. Of Eternity  As ever you would keep close to Closet-Prayer be frequent in the consideration of Eternity p. 470 to the end Of Experiences  He that would keep close to Closet-Duties must keep a diary of his Closet-Experiences p. 453 to p. 457. F  Of a Friend or Friends  VVhat a Friend Christ is shewed in Ten particulars p. 76 77 78. H  Of Hypocrites  No Hypocrites make secret Prayer their ordinary trade or work p. 27. to p. 30. I  Of Idleness  Idleness is a very great hinderance to Closet-Prayer and therefore take heed of it p. 400 to p. 408. L  Of Love  He that would be much with God in his Closet must labour to Love Christ with a more enflamed Love p. 460 461 462. M  Eight special Meanes to help on that great Duty of Closet-Prayer from p. 451 to the end of the Book N  Of Neglecting Prayer  He that willingly Neglects private Prayer shall certainly be neglected in his Publick prayer p. 100 to p. 103. O  Objections  Object 1. We have much business upon our hands and we cannot spare time for Closet-Prayer c. Eight Answers are given to this Objection that it might never more have a resurrection p. 134 to p. 162. Object 2. Sir We grant that Closet-Prayer is an indispensable Duty that lyes upon the People of God but we are servants and have no time that we can call our own and our Masters businesse is such as will not allow us any time for private Prayer and therefore we hope we may be excused  Ten Answers are given to this Objection from p. 162. to p. 202. Object 3. O but we cannot pray alone we want those gifts and endowments which others have we are shut up and know not how to pour out our souls before God in a corner  Six Answers are given to this Objection from p. 202 to p. 251. Object 4. God is very well acquainted with all our wants necessities straits and 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.  Four Answers are given to this Objection p. 251 to p. 257. Object 5. I would drive a private trade wtth 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  Three Answers are given to this Objection p. 257 to p. 261. Object 6. VVe would be often in private with God we would give our selves up to Closet-Prayer but that we can no sooner shut our Closet-doores buâ— a multitude of infirmities weaknesses and vanities doe face us and rise up against us besiâ—es both our bodies and souls are under great indispositions and how then can we seek the face of God in a corner  Six Answers are given to this Objection from p. 261 to p. 297. Of Gods Omnipresence  God is Omnipresent p. 96 to p. 100. Oâ— Prayer  First Such are reproved that put off Private Prayer till they are moved to it by the Spirit p. 123 124 125. Secondly Such that pray not at all neither in their families nor in their Closets p. 125 126 127 Thirdly Such as are all for publick Prayer for going up to the Temple but never care to go into their Closets p. 127 128. Fourthly Such who in their Closets pray with a loud and clamorous voice p. 128 129. Five Arguments to redresse this evil p. 130 131 132 Fifthly Such are reproved that do all they can to hinder and discourage others from Private Prayer p. 232 133. Of the Promises  Eight considerable hints about the Promises p. 207 208 209. R  Of the Rod.  In seven particulars Afflictions resemble a Rod in the Epistle Dedicary  Twenty special Lessons we are to learn by the Rod in the Epistle Dedicatory  Of Rewards  Secret Duties shall have open Rewards p. 34 35. Of Resolutions  He that would be much in his Closet he must be a man of high through and fitted Resolutions p. 462 463 464 465. S  Of the Spirit  Seven Arguments to prove that all the Children of God have the Spirit of God p. 216 to p. 228. He that would keep close to Closet-Duties had need labour for a greater effusion of the Spirit p. 466 to p. 470. Of the Spirits Sealing  Ten special Sealing times of the Spirit p. 228 to p. 249. Of Secret Prayer  Secret Prayer is most enriching p. 67 to p. 70. Secret Prayer is a Christians meat and drink it is his chief City of refuge in times of Affliction and Persecution p. 91 to p. 96. Our neer and dear relations to God calls aloud for Secret Prayer p. 107 to p. 111. God hath set a special mark of favour and honour upon those that have Prayed in Secret p. 111 to p. 113. Satan is a great enemy to Secret Prayer p. 113 to p. 116. Five things we may infer from thence p. 116 117. See Closet-Prayer  Of Secret Sins  All Christians have their Secret Sins p. 70 to p. 73. Four Arguments to take heed of Secret Sins p. 421 to p. 451. Of Secrets  God reveales his Secrets only to his People p. 75 to p. 78. There are three sorts of divine Secrets that God reveals to his People p. 78 to p. 91. Of Gods Secret ones  The Saints are only the Lords Secret ones p. 117 to p. 123. T  The Text opened p. 1 to p. 6. Of the Times and of Time  The times wherein we live calls aloud for Secret Prayer p. 103 to p. 107. We must take heed of spending too much of our precious Time about the little things of Religion p. 408 409 410. About Redeeming of Time  Five Reasons why Servants should Redeem Time for Private Prayer from their sleep recreations or set meals c. p. 185 to p. 193. W  Of the World  A man that would exercise himself in Closet-Prayer must take heed of engaging himself in a crowd of Worldly businesses p. 418 to p. 421. FINIS