the word is necessary and so is this nor must the one justle out the other yea these secret duties help us to profit by publick Ordinances If dung be poured down on heaps in the field it doth no good it must be spread abroad before it make fruitful ground The plaister heals not except it be applyed so the Word must be spread on our hearts by serious and secret Meditation and Application or else it will never make our souls healthful and fruitful and then we must pray over it for the showers of divine grace to wash it and work it into our hearts Many Sermons are lost for want of souls taking them home to their Closets and turning them to Prayer I fear all will be little enough that Ministers can preach or write upon this theam I doubt still this work will be either totally neglected or negligently performed it s an hard work the spirit must travel in it and saith good Mr. Bains the Saints can indure better to hear an hour than to pray a quarter yea our trifling hearts will make any excuse to shift from this duty or shuffle it off nay though it be in exchange for another a sign the work is of God and tending much to the souls good or else Satan and our corrupt hearts would never so much hinder or oppose it Pâ—or Soul it may be thou lookest abroad and seest much wickedness committed holiness persecuted thy God dishonoured many things out of order thou wantest a capacity to bring a remedy I must therefore say to thee as it 's reported Albertus Crantzius said to â—…her when he began to oppose the Pope Frater vade in cellam die Miserere mei Deus Brother go into thy cell and say God be merciful unto me so say I. Alas thy interest and influence reacheth but a little way to mend a wicked world though thou must seek to perform as far as thy place and calling extends but go thy way to thy God in thy Closet bewail thy sins and the sins of others plead with God for thine own soul Busie thy self about thyself set all straight at home take heed of that which the poor Church complains of Cant. 1.6 They made me the keeper of the vinyards but mine own vinyard have I not kept Oh leave other things undone rather than this great matter that concerns the affairs of thine own soul Mr. Fox tells us of one Peter Moyce a German Martyr being called before the Synod at Dornick Acts mon. 2. vol. lib. 8. fol. 1â—2 they began to examine him in certain Articles of Religion to whom as he was about to answer boldly and expresly to every point they interrupting him bad him say in two words Yea or Nay Then said he If you will not suffer me to answer for my self in things of such importance send me to my Prison again among my Toads and Frogs which will not interrupt me while I talk with my Lord my God Oh Christian the time may come or is already when men may stop thy mouth and will not suffer thee to witness a good confession withdraw thy self from men and retire unto thy God who will make thee freely welcom to pour out thy soul to him in secret He 'l neither stop thy mouth nor stop his car he bids thee Open thy mouth wide Psal 81.10 And he tells thee His ear is open to thy cry Psal 34.15 That cast not ask such great things as he can and will give Only see thou beest a Child of God Naturalists tell of a precious Stone of an excellent vertue yet loseth all its efficacy when 't is put into a dead mans mouth so Prayer in the lips of a Saint or a righteous man availeth much but the Prayer of the wicked is not only ineffectual but abominable to God See to your states and then see that you pray aright for manner matter end many ask and receive not because they ask amiss Above all Soul in thy secret addresses to God take heed of a trifling spirit thou'lt find most ado with thy self herein our wanton spirits are loath to be pent up in the narrow room of a spiritual performance we love to take our liberty in ranging abroad to a thousand objects but Christian as thou lovest thy peace thy Soul thy God look to thy spirit in secret Prayer Do not trifle away thy time upon thy knees let not thy words freeze as they come from thee let no discouragements beat thee off the Woman of Canaan as one saith takes the Bullets that Christ shot at her and with an humble boldness of faith sends them back again in Prayer which indeed reach'd his heart and prevailed with God for mercy But I shall inlarge no more at present but refer thee to this small Treatise wherewith I have according to my poor talent laid before thee this great duty What effect it shall have I know not my God knows in whose hands the blessing of our endeavours lyes Get alone and pray over this Book and for the unworthy sinful Author as he desires to do for thee into whose hand this may come let our Prayers daily meet at the throne of Grace till our souls meet before the throne of God if thou receivest any good by this or any other work this poor worm hath handed to thee ascribe nothing to the instrument but all to the agent and efficient our good God from whom comes every good and perfect gift disdains not the work for the plainness of the stile it was purposely put in this dress for the vulgars benefit and if it or my self be exposed to censure for that 't is welcom I write not to please learned Scholars but to profit plain Christians whose spiritual good I prefer above any credit to my self I am sure there is none due there being few of my brethren but they transcend me in parts and learning But by the grace of God I am what I am 1 Cor. 15.10 Nor is that grace altogether in vain for as it hath helped me in labours so he hath in some measure blessed my labours though I be nothing the least of Saints not meet to be called a Minister Did those that read my labours know me they would be ready to despise my undertakings this I speak because my former book hath found such good acceptance and this is so much desired And that no man think of me above what he knoweth to be in me my heart hath been near fainting through discouragements from my great weakness had I not been supported many a time with that word in 2 Cor. 4.7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the Power may be of God and not of Man Whence I gather that God can make use of weak unlearned sinful instruments to do great works and he can use persons of mean abilities to accomplish his glorious ends in converting souls as well as the profoundest Clerks or wisest men on
in their very birth Yet the disentangled soul will more freely resist its enemy when the fetters of impediments are wanting and the sight discerns no allurements and the conflict is more secure when particular affairs pluck nor back the combatant nor the delights of inticing pleasures inebriate or make drunk the mind Thus he But this is the first Reason from the advantages of sâ—… SECT II. The second Reason is From the relation betwixt God and a praying Soul 2. ANother Reason held forth also in the Text is drawn from that relation which is betwixt God and a believing Soul therefore our Saviour bids pray to Thy Father and this Reason hath two parts 1. The poor Soul can more freely open his heart to God in a Closet 2. God will more clearly manifest himself to the Soul in secret 1. A Soul in secret making its addresses to God goes to him as a Father Now we know children cannot be so free in their addresses to their Father in company and before strangers as when no body is present Hence it is that when a child hath any special business to his Father he takes him aside or whispers to him that none may over-hear him And observe it Gods children have an errand to God that none must know of As Ehud said to Eglon I have a secret errand to thee O King Judg. 3.19 So a gracious soul may say Oh my King my God my Father I have a secret errand to thee A lust to confess or mercy to beg or bless thee for that I would not have others to know of It is not fit any should be privy to that which a gracious soul tells God of In this case it may be said Discover not thy secret to another Prov. 25.9 Two may keep counsel but three cannot God and a gracious Soul will be faithful to each other but a third must not know of these matters nay in this case we may say Keep the doors of thy lips from her that lyeth in thy bosom Mic. 7.5 There are many things a Saint tells God of that he will not acquaint either Father or Wife or Friend with that is as his own soul but only his heavenly Father he opens his bosom freely to him and tells him his whole heart best and worst hides nothing from him because he only knows the heart And truly I have often in this admired the wisdom of God that hath so far consulted his peoples credit and modesty as to appoint them place and ways of speaking to him privately designing secret Prayer for this very end that the soul may spread its letter of wants and complaints before its Father and present its petition to the King of Heaven The Spouse of Christ is modest saith an Ancient and cannot so freely let out her self to her beloved before others as in a corner here then comes in the use and advantage of Closet-Prayer that a Christian may as Jonathan and David did unbosom themselves to each other alone open his heart to God where no eyes see or ears hear his secret groans and tears But further 2. God will more familiarly communicate himself to the soul in a corner he also hath something to whisper in the believers ear that none must know of and therefore gets it by it self a lively emblem whereof we have in Josephs making himself known to his Brethren when his bowels were working and he could not refrain himself he cryed Gen. 45.1 2 3 4. Cause every man to go out from me Then he wept aloud and said I am Joseph And oh what endeared reciprocal affections did work in all their breasts towards each other Just thus is it betwixt our Joseph and his brethren Jesus Christ and his members there stands none with him while Jesus makes himself known unto his Brethren And though at first they be as it were troubled at his presence yet when he speaks lovingly and passeth by former unkindnesses and saith Come near unto me I pray you then they come near and he saith convincingly I am Jesus whom ye sold and crucified This melts and humbles their rocky hearts and being broken he pours oyl into their troubled spirits and speaks many sweet heart-reviving words unto them Then then the child of God hath most sweet refreshing in-comes Hos 2.14 When God hath allured the soul into the Wilderness he speaks to its heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Desertum sic dictum per Antiphr quasi locus à sermone remotus A Wilderness is a solitary place where other speech is not heard as the word imports then speaks God to the soul when men cannot speak to it When men are remote God is near at hand yea nearest to help melt comfort quicken when men are furthest off Our Saviour saith of himself Joh. 16.32 You leave me alone yet I am not alone for the Father is with me q. d. When you go away my Father comes to visit me with most familiar endearings Oh blessed exchange Thus it is often with the Saints when men leave them or they withdraw from men they have many times most of God and Is it not infinitely better to have the presence of God than the company of men 'T is worth noting what God saith of Abraham Isa 51.2 I called him alone and blessed him Mark it when God had inticed Abraham from all his friends and got him alone then he blesseth him and you know what the blessing of Abraham was even a Covenant-blessing such God distributes to his Saints when he hath withdrawn them from company into a corner Mihi oppidum carceder est solitudo paradisus Hieronym This is that which made an Ancient profess that a Town was his prison a solitary place his paradise Cities or numerous societies draw a veil betwixt God and the soul which solitariness withdraws and so many times becomes most sweet We often lose God in a croud of business or company but find him when alone Hence a corner of our house may be a little corner of Heaven and in our closets we may find the sweetest cordials and contentment You know Friends do most familiarly injoy one another when others are not present Jonathan sent away the lad when he would be familiar with his friend David And then they kissed one another 1 Sam. 20.40 41. and wept one with another until David exceeded Even so husband and wife alone have the sweetest embraces There lyes a restraint as it were upon God by company which is taken off in a sort by solitariness Oh when God finds a soul alone by it self having set it self purposely to meet him then he reveals his love unvails his face unlocks his blessed chest distributes doles of love and grace kisses it with the kisses of his mouth and sends it not away empty but full of grace and peace Thus that word of Solomon is verified Prov. 14.10 The heart knoweth his own bitterness and a stranger intermeddles not with his
you leave any matters of the world tarrying for your attendance the thought of them will attend you and make you cut your duties short and run away before your hearts be warmed Therefore if it may be dispatch them however rid your hearts of them The Heathen left their shooes at the Temple-doors to shew that all earthly occasions and affections must be left behind when we go to God Let vain or busie thoughts have there no part Bring not thy Plow thy Plots thy Pleasures thither Christ purg'd his Temple so must thou thy heart All worldly thoughts are but thieves met together To couzen thee Herbert SECT II. Two more Preparatives to Secret Prayer 3. SEt your selves in Gods presence Although you be not within the view of any mortal creature yet the eternal God sees what you are a going about So saith the Text Your father sees in secret darkness or clossness hides not from him and 't is more that one God sees you than if all the men on earth gazed at you His eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun and he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Heb. 1.13 Psal 26.6 Psal 66.18 therefore wash your hands in innocency before you compass his altar For if you regard iniquity in your heart God will not hear your prayer Therefore set the Lord always before you especially now you are setting your selves before the Lord if that Caveat was enough to beget reverence in an Heathen Cave spectat Cato Cato sees thee Oh what reverence would the sense of Gods omnipresence beget in thy heart if duly weighed Christians weight your spirits with such meditations as these God's eye is never off me I am daily walking in the Sun but now I am setting my self to pray in secret I come to appear before God in a special manner I may deceive men and my self but God will not be mocked I had need now engage my heart to approach unto God that 's the thing he looks for Oh for a spirit suitable to such a Majesty whom I come to worship Lord draw out my affections unite my heart excite my graces that my whole Soul may be carried after God Thus commit thy works to the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established Psal 37.5 Prov. 16.3 when thou art setting thy face towards a duty where thou art sure to meet Satan and carry with thee a corrupt deceitful heart let God know from thy mouth whither thou art going what thy fears are Never saith one doth the soul march in so good order as when it puts it self under the conduct of God and never is it so awful as when it sets it self under the eye of God Gen. 17.1 I am God Almighty walk before me and be thou perfect When you sensibly discern you are kneeling before God will not this make you perfect sincere and grow holier If you think God be not in your Closets what do you go to pray there for And if you know he sees you there why do you not think so and set your selves as in his presence The child will stand demurely before his Father the Scholar before his Master and so will the gracious Soul before God in duty if sensible of his presence 4. Muster up your thoughts and wayes Our thoughts and affections are like the strings of an Instrument out of tune and therefore we must take some pains to wind and skrue them up This is that which Zophar adviseth to Job 11.13 to prepare the heart and then stretch forth the hands And for this end it would not be amiss when you come into a private room to pray in secret first to read some portion of Scripture which may be of use to compose your spirits and like David's harp to Saul drive away your wild imaginations yea the word read may afford you suitable matter of prayer to God More particularly let me add one experienced Help which is this When you are addressing your selves to God in secret Prayer endeavour to fix your thoughts upon some particular subject to inlarge upon there 's no question but you have sometimes one special errand to God sometimes another if you observe your condition well be sure to mind that whether it be to confess some predominant sin to beg pardon of it power against it You may have in your eye some grace that you need more than ordinarily and see your weakness and defect therein c. Now do not satisfie your selves in running out into generals only but set your selves to plead the cause of your souls in that very case which you have found out by serious inquiry would most ingage you at that time to go to God about expatiate principally upon that subject And this I conceive to be a taking to our selves words which the Holy Ghost directeth us to Hos 14.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum res negotium Vid. Buxt lex in Prayer not a form of such and such phrases but some special subject matter to speak to our God about the word in Hebrew imports so much Now an intent and earnest pursuit of such a special subject at the Throne of Grace is of use in these two respects 1. You will find it an help against distractions wandrings withdrawings from God when you purposely set your selves to mind one thing you 'l be more intent upon it and lay out more pains about it than when you allow your selves liberty in variety of matter When the stream runs one way Vis unita fortior 't is stronger than dispersed into several channels so when the Christian unites his strength to plead with God about a particular business he is usually more warm and affectionate and so less subject to distraction 2. It will help you to enlarge your selves in spreading particular cases before the Lord in pat and proper expressions even before others as you have a call and opportunity and this is that which is called the gift of Prayer which is of singular use when a person can particularly and pathetically lay open a condition plead with God improve promises and rationally expostulate even with the Almighty about a spiritual or temporal concernment This holy Art is got by a frequency in secret Prayer and particular pleading for a mans own soul This is the last preparatory think before-hand what business you have to God in a peculiar manner and drive that nail as it were to the head you cannot think to speak of all things to God at one time but take that which is of present emergent use and importance and set your selves to inlarge upon that follow that home till you feel your hearts be warmed and affected and so have some tokens for good that God will return a sensible answer You 'l say Must we thus prepare our selves before every duty of secret Prayer we have not time for it I shall answer this in the words of my dear and reverend Father Angier His
CHAP. II. The Reasons to prove that Closet-Prayer is a Christian-Duty SECT I. The first Reason of the Point ALl the Reasons that I shall make use of at this time for the proof of this Doctrine and clearing secret Prayer to be a duty shall be fetcht out of the Text and they are these 4. Rea. 1. The conveniency of privacy for Prayer 2. The Relation betwixt God and a Saint 3. Gods Omniscience seeing in secret 4. Gods Munificence rewarding 1. The great conveniency there is in privacy for Prayer and the good providence of God bestowing upon us private Rooms which implicitly call us to the performance of that duty For there is in retirement a great advantage for the managing of any work of wisdom Prov. 18.1 Through desire a man having separated himself seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom i. e. He that is really studious of true Piety will voluntarily sequester himself to prosecute it This was anciently the well-meaning design of a Monastick life which since hath been wofully abused But yet certainly there is a very great advantage in solitariness for carrying on a religious business Take only two at present which are advantages particularly referring to this duty of Prayer whereunto secrecy contributes 1. Self-expostulations and self-abasing gestures and expressions when a Christian in Prayer finds his heart hard dead dull distracted or any way out of order he may in secret make a pause and begin to commune with his own heart examine the matter lament the cause chide his untoward heart and charge his wanton spirit to keep close to his God in duty Thus David Why art thou cast down O my soul Awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early My soul wait thou upon God Nothing more familiar in the Psalms than such intercisions and diversions from the work in hand to raise up the heart to an higher tune in Prayer and Praises And this may be of singular use for by such heart-reasonings and debates a Saint may wind up his spirit and get better prepared for the remaining part of the exercise Now such a work as this would not be so seasonable and convenient when others joyn in the duty So also for bodily postures sometimes for an evidence of greater humiliation a Christian finds it requisite to prostrate himself before the Lord And use such gestures as would not be fit in the sight of others therefore Closet-Prayer is very necessary where a Christian may use his discretion as God shall direct him for the humbling quickning raising and melting of his heart before the Lord alone That 's the first advantage 2. It is a wonderful help against distraction When we are as it were out of the noise of the world we are then fitter for attendance upon God The affairs discourses troubles and confusions of a family if within hearing are a great hindrance to the duties of Meditation and Prayer Experience testifies this a man cannot study or cast accounts in a croud or throng of People When we are intent upon any business how little a noise diverts us It may be this was the reason why that hospitable Gentlewoman in 2 King 4.10 would have a Chamber built for her welcom-guest the Prophet Elisha yea built upon the wall for she might judge him to be a contemplative man and though she might have lodging-rooms in her house yet she might look upon that at a little distance as more commodious for his devotions and meditations as being out of the noise of houshold-business and hurryings An active fancy quickly closeth with any diversion in our attendance upon God Therefore ought we to study to attend upon the Lord without distraction When Abraham went to worship in the Mount he left his servants below in the valley lest they should obstruct his communion with God When Moses was to go up unto the Lord though Aaron Nadab and Abihu and the seventy Elders went further than the People yet the Text saith They should worship afar off but saith God Moses alone shall come near the Lord Exod. 24.1 2. Observe it when Moses had parted with his company and was alone then he should come near the Lord common professors worship not God at all acceptably sincere Saints worshipping God with others are comparatively far off but souls in a corner or Closet are admitted to come near God and have sweet intimacy with him as I shall shew anon Yet mistake me not not as though I preferred secret Prayer alone before publick Prayer with others for as God delights in the joint prayers of his People so a soul may enjoy God in communion of Saints and is ordinarily more carryed out to God than in private according to the helps and advantages he hath with others yet when the heart is in frame there is usually more intimacy exprest betwixt God and the Christian in secret than with others Yet further mistake not not as though solitariness free'd us from all distractions iâ— we take our hearts with us we shall have a principle of diversion and need neither noise nor visible objects to hinder us from God And this those that have magnified solitariness most have found by sad experience and left upon record Take an instance Locus secretus eligitur quia solus Dei judicio â—eâ—unia suut agenda singularem inspectorem adjutoremque Deum volunt haec habere câ—…tamina neque in agon bus aliquibus periculosus militatur Propâ—er hoc Solitudo carent arbitris Eremus assentaterum satellitio vacua à jejunanâ—e Christo el gitur ut non cum carne sanguine sed cum spiritualibus nequiâ—iis dimicâ—tur amotis minorum occasionibus homo cum Diabolo colluctetur soli sint in palastra Christus Antichristus Spiritus Antispiritus Neque putet homo se evasisse pericula cum in eremum venerit quia quanto saltilius tanto difficilius à Teâ—tatore invaditur qui cogitationum foribus assilens omnia virtutum germina in ipso ortu strangulare molitur Cyp. De jejun teâ—tat Christi Prope init pag. 300 301. Verum siberius anima expedita obviat impugnanti ubi compedes impedimentorum defueriat aspectus irritamenta non noveriat Securiorque est congressus ubi singuâ—a non vellicant dimicante nec inebriant animum lenocinio voluptatum vid. plur Cyprian speaking of Christs fasting and being tempted in the Wilderness chusing that place for its secrecy because saith he Fastings are to be observed so as God alone may be Judge and in such contests as these we are to call on God alone as spectator and helper And shews notably the danger of vain-glory and advantages of secrecy yet adds Let not a man imagine he hath escaped all dangers when he comes into a Wilderness or solitary place because he is invaded by the tempter so much the more difficulty because more subtily who sitting before the doors of the thoughts seeks to strangle all the buds of vertue
through Clarks general Martyr c. 29. fol. 243. William Gardiner Martyr in Portugal sought out solitary places for prayer before he attempted that strange act of publick opposition to Idolatry in taking the host out of the Cardinals hand trampling it under his feet and with the other hand overthrew the chalice Which act though it may seem scarce warrantable in an ordinary way yet shewed an heroical spirit for the main obtained by a conscientious attendance upon God in the duty of secret Prayer Ibid. fol. 318. Take one instance more it is Mr. George Wischard or Wise-heart one of the holiest men and choicest Reformers that Scotland ever had One night he gate up and went into a yard there he walked in an Alley for some space breathing forth many sobs and deep groans then he fell upon his knees and his groans increased then he fell upon his face Two men watcht him and heard him weeping and praying near an hour so went to bed again As this Saint was much with God so the Lord was much with him in preaching prophesying acting bravely and suffering death chearfully Surely the Spirit of God and of glory rested upon this man of God if ever upon any the adversaries themselves being Judges This is a great truth they have been most eminent that have been most with God in secret Prayer let Scripture and History speak time and room would fail me to enumerate Who more famous for piety and learning of late years than the great Vsher It was his usual practice to sequester himself into some privacy Dr. Bernard the life and death of Dr. Usher p. 27. and to spend it in strict examination penitential humiliation and ardent supplication and this he found sweet to his soul and others saw the effect SECT VI. The last reward of secret Prayer is at the great Day 4. THe last and chiefest reward that our heavenly Father will bestow on those that have waited on God in secret Prayer will be the open acknowledgment and acceptance of them at that solemn day of Judgment when the whole World shall be summoned before the Lord And every one shall receive the things done in his body according to what he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 Then our blessed Saviour who shall be Judge will single out this seed of Jacob and tell them they have not sought his face in vain he will now solemnly acknowledge them before his Father and all the holy Angels as persons with whom he hath had familiar acquaintance in a corner Oh the joy and triumph in such a publick acknowledgement When our dear Redeemer shall speak such a language as this before those myriads of creatures This or that soul calling it forth with honour though not taken notice of in the World for Religion much less for worldly Greatness hath yet had intimate familiarity with my self and I with him he hath performed many a solemn duty which none but an omniscient eye hath seen though he hath lived obscurely in the World and hath been little known to eminent Preachers or Professors yet he and I have been long and well acquainted I have had his company many times in a corner and now I cannot but remember the kindness of his youth and old age the love of his espousals when he went after me in solitary places rather than want my presence He hath visited me in duty and I have visited him in mercy Oh what mutual embraces and reciprocal exchanges of love have there been betwixt us He hath owned me and I have owned him in the day of adversity When ever he had any doubt or want or fear or affliction I heard from him in a Closet he sent his winged messenger of a believing Prayer to the throne of grace and I took it well from him I did not despise his person or deny his suit when others have been sporting away time in vain recreations or damning their souls in prophane practices this ransomed Believer when he could steal a little time run into a corner and there did make his moan to me and then I gave him something worth his pains I sent him away with a chearful heart and thankful tongue And now take notice all ye Angels and Men I declare that I accept this Soul's labour of love and pardon all its imperfections set him in my immediate presence in eternal mansions He that separated himself from the world shall now be separated from the goats and be set on my right hand he that longed so much to enjoy me shall everlastingly enjoy me without cessation or interruption Oh blessed day Oh transcendent reward Is not this a rewarding openly You 'l say How do you know that Jesus Christ will thus bespeak a praying Soul I reply though we know not the form of words he will speak yet that a discovery shall be made of the acts of piety and charity Mat. 25. evidently declares Yea that secret duties shall be brought to light as well as secret sins the Scriptures declare 1 Cor. 4.5 Who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God Then good men shall receive open approbation and commendation for their holy exercises in secret places Then will God wipe off all reproaching calumnies of black-mouthed lyars wherewith they have bespattered the reputation of praying Saints and clear up their uprightness as the noon-day by letting the world see how the Saints spent their time in corners both alone and with their fellow-Christians not in plotting but praying yea pleading for those that persecuted them Oh blessed day Oh happy Resurrection of bodies and of names Surely then praying souls will not then repent themselves of all their pains in private when they poured out their hearts in prayers and tears since now they are rewarded with such a blessed Euge and are openly entertained into their Master's joy and Father's Kingdom CHAP. III. The first Vse of Information SECT I. Concerning Places of Prayer 1. IF Closet-Prayer be a Christian Duty then it shews us that in Gospel-times God stands not precisely upon places this holy Incense may ascend to Heaven with as much acceptance upon the golden Altar the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ as well in a private Chamber as a publick Church Some have scornfully called private devotions by the derogating title of Chimney-Prayers and think to confine all religion to publick places yea a great Scholar said once God heard Prayer in a consecrated place Non quia precatur sed quia ibi not because men pray but because they pray there as though the conceited holiness of the place added some vertue to the Prayer Judaismus est alligare religionem ad certa loca Hospin de orig Temp. lib. 4. c. 2. or rendred it more acceptable to God This is worse than plain Judaism to tye Religion to places The
Book called An help to better hearts for better times Pag. 196 197. read more of this Subject there are some separating duties that prepare for others as examination meditation prayer and they do prepare by stirring up the grace of God and providing an heavenly assistance to begin with us in the duty If thou canst not always have separating time betwixt other occasions and Gods worship yet have some separating thoughts ere thou enter upon the duty thou art not fit else to meddle with wisdom Thus he 'T is true some have not the leisure that others have yet so much preparation is necessary for every duty as may withdraw the heart from other objects and weight the Spirit with a due sense of the work we have in hand and sometimes this may be done suddenly yet as for such as have more time to work upon their hearts and state their souls case by mustering up themselves to the work neglect a duty and cannot groundedly expect the Lords presence and this I conceive is the reason why the Lords people miss of God in secret Prayer at least one reason is because they do not make such conscience and take such care of preparing their hearts as they ought Ah Christians when you come into your Closet sit down and pause a little before you fall down upon your knees clear up your state shake off other business set your selves in Gods presence and muster up your sins or wants or mercies you purpose to spread before the Lord a Client will consider all his matters before he come to state his case to his advocate a poor patient will bethink himself how he is that he may tell his ailings to his Physitian and a petitioner will not go hand over head unto his Prince but order his cause before hand that he may plead it more effectually And shall not we much more prepare our selves to wait upon the God of Heaven SECT III. Directions concerning the essentials of secret Prayer 2. THe second sort of rules is concerning some things essentially requisite to the right performance of the duty of secret Prayer which you are to look to in the duty and these are such as are required in all sorts of Prayer viz. that it be performed 1. With the heart 2. By the help of the spirit 3. According to Gods will 4. In the name of Christ 1. Secret Prayer must he hearty Prayer an heartless duty is a worthless duty yea the whole heart must be ingaged in it Psal 119.10 With my whole heart have I sought thee It is the heart that God chiefly looks after Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart nothing else can please God if the heart be wanting if the heart be ingaged in the duty he will rather dispense with other weaknesses where there 's not wilful negligence Observe it in that worship of God we perform with others a mans gifts may be of use though his heart go not along with his voice but in Closet-Prayer it doth no good at all except the heart be ingaged therefore God principally requires the heart in other duties in this he only requires the heart for the voice is not necessary To love and serve the Lord our God with all our heart Mark 12.30 33. soul mind strength is a keeping of the Law and more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices We should pray with every faculty of the soul and with the utmost strength of every faculty Mat. 15.8 9. God deserves and requires our strongest affections That 's but a vain worship that 's performed without the heart right attendance on God is an ingaging the heart to approach to God Christians Jer. 30.21 in all your addresses to God mind the object of worship let the subject worshipping and object worshipped be closly united look beyond the duty it 's one thing to have communion with an Ordinance and another thing to have communion with God in an Ordinance Gods dear Children know what this means for sometimes they are more taken up with expressions affections or some accidentals in the performance than with the object of worship they should be intent upon But this is very dangerous for whatsoever interposeth betwixt the soul and God to divert the thoughts from God is an Idol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Ezek. 14.3 These men have set up their Idols in their hearts Sept. reads it they have put their thoughts upon their hearts i e. They have committed Idolatry with their own imaginations instead of worshipping God their minds have stuck upon something short of God after which they have as it were run a whoring even in the duty I shall not deliver that as the sense of the place yet it may be an useful note I fear many of us are guilty of a kind of spiritual fine-spun Idolatry by heterogeneal thoughts in holy duties that pluck us from God when we are approaching to him The Lord humble us for this and fix our thoughts upon God that we may say as the Church Isa 26.8 The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Cyprian saith Cogitatio omnis secularis carnalis at sced nec quicquam tunc animus quam id solum cogitet quod precatur ideo sacerdos ante OrationeÌ„ prefatione praemissa parat sratrum mentes Dicendo sursam corda ut dura respondet plebs Habemus ad Dominum ad moneatur nihil aliud se quam Dominum cogitare debere Câ—p. Serm. de orat Dâ—m p 246. every secular thought must depart and the mind must be taken up with nothing but what we are about he tells the practice of the Church in his time was that the Minister before Prayer prepares the peoples mind saying Sursum corda Lift up your hearts and they answer Habemus ad dominum we have them up to the Lord whereby saith he we are admonished that in Prayer we must think of nothing but the Lord What the Minister said to the People do you say to your selves Sursum corda lift up your hearts Let every one say I am now worshipping an Heart-searching God Oh that my heart were with God Ascensus mentis ad Deum Luth. Collâ—q myst fol. 239. The Ancients saith Luther finely described Prayer to be an ascent of the mind to God Oh that I did experimentally know what this means in Syntaxi i. e. in coupling and joyning of my heart to God Lord gather in my roving and wandring spirit This is the first direction Mind the frame of your hearts 2. Implore and expect the Spirits assistance Prayer must be by the Spirits inlarging influence hence it is called the spirit of grace and supplication Zech. 12.10 Rom. 8.26 it helps our infirmities by making souls to cry out Abba Father with unutterable groans A Christian should spread the sails of his soul for the gales of Gods grace which will carry the praying Saint apace towards God yea and
reach the ear of God for he knoweth the mind of the Spirit Phil. 3.3 Jude 20. This is that which is called a worshipping God in the spirit a praying in the holy Ghost i. e. either as to the matter of the Prayer dictated by the Spirit or as to the manner of praying the soul being actuated by the holy Ghost See Mark 11.36 13.11 For I conceive it may import the former as well as the latter as other Scriptures compared hold forth Alas flesh and blood will put up such petitions as God will not accept or in such a manner as is no way suitable to his spiritual Nature The truth is Christians you will but bungle at the work without this help of Gods Spirit and God will take notice of you except he hear his own language do not think you can wrestle out the business your selves you must be beholding to God for help in Prayer as well as for hearing your Prayer your own spirits will not carry you to Heaven that which is from the earth is earthly and riseth no higher than earth but the holy Ghost will elevate your souls to God Therefore I beseech you Sirs beg the Spirit yield to its motions improve its operations say when you are going to duty Lord now stir up thy self and stir up thy grace in my heart Awake oh North-wind and come thou South blow upon thy Garden Cant. 4.16 My Soul that the spices thereof may flow out that graces may be exercised and exerted Lord I am low flat hard send the powerful arm of thy blessed Spirit to work all gracious dispositions in me and raise up my affections to thee I see I am below the duty and infinitely below thee in the duty but thou and thou alone canst raise me up quicken soften my dead and rocky heart come Lord and shew thy powerful Arm let it appear what God can do for a sorry worm Oh lift me up to thee that my soul may enjoy some sweet communion with thee Send thy spirit to fetch in my wanton wandring heart Oh for some fire from Heaven to burn up my sacrifice or else it will lye like a lump of flesh and be no true Holocaust of pure Incense before thee Let thy Spirit scatter these mists of ignorance and drive away these flies of distracting thoughts that my heart may be with thee and my performance may be as sweet savour in the nostrils of God SECT IV. More Essentials in secret Prayer A Third ingredient in Prayer is that it be according to God's will it must have a warrant from the Word a word of Precept or Promise or Example must be the ground of our petitions a command is our warrant a promise our incouragement an example is our tract and the footsteps of the flock wherein we must walk He that asks amiss shall not speed but if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and then we know we have the petitions that we desired of him 1 Joh. 5.14 15. Now we ask according to his will when both the matter of our petition is aright and our end in asking is Gods glory and our own or others spiritual good otherwise if we ask of God what we conceit to be a mercy and have not asked counsel at God's mouth or ask so as to consume it upon our lusts we may well meet with a denial My friends you may not say what you please in the presence of God Consider God is in Heaven you are on Earth therefore be not rash with your mouth and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God let your words be few and well weighed Eccles 5.2 The work you are about is a solemn business do not ramble in extravagant desires of unlawful things think not that God will patronize your lusts and when you have asked that which you conceive is according to his will refer it wholly to his Will say The Will of the Lord be done submit your selves to his dispose for time manner means and all circumstances for giving of it ask temporal mercies conditionally and spiritual Comforts with submission to Gods will learn that petition Thy will be done to pray it as well as say it Indeed Luther could say Let thy will be done but he come off with this My will Lord because my will is melted into thine there 's but one will betwixt us Let God's will be your will 't is fit it should be so our heavenly Father is wiser than we Consider Haec repraesentatio debet esse submissa humilis alias enim non esset precatio religiosa à creatura subdita ad supremum Numen Creatorem directa sed vel imperium superioris ergo inferiorem vel quasi familiaris collocutio quatis est inter aequales Ames medull theol lib. 2.6 p. 255. a man cannot pray in faith for that which he hath no warrant to ask Besides Amesius saith If a man come not with an humble submission to Gods will it were not a religious prayer directed to the supream Creator but a kind of command by a superiour to an inferiour or a familiar discourse as amongst equals Therefore let us humbly plead Gods Will as Abraham did Gen. 18.27 Further consider the design of Prayer is not to incline God before unwilling to our mind and desire for with him there is no variableness nor shadow of change but that we may obtain of him by Prayer what we know afore-hand he is willing to give Lastly consider we Christs example Mat. 26.39 If it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt This is right praying to ground our petition upon a promise yet freely to leave all at Gods feet to dispose of us as he sees good Our prayers and Gods promises should point towards each other as those two figures 9 and 6. Promises do bend downwards and after the same motion must our prayers ascend upwards so will there be a blessed harmony and seasonable return This is the third Direction Let your Prayers be warranted by the Word 4. Improve your Advocate Joh. 14.13 Whatsoever you ask in my name that will I do To ask any thing in his name is not rudely customarily or complementally to conclude with these words Through Jesus Christ our Lord c. but in confidence of his merit and intercession to call upon our heavenly Father as Daniel pleads for the Lords sake Dan. 9.17 For since the Fall none can come immediately to God but through a Mediator nor are we to fetch a compass by the groundless invocation of Saints and Angels I hope you have otherwise learned Christ I am most afraid in the practick part that in particular acts at least precious Souls are in danger to miscarry especially in Closet-Prayer when a Christian is got alone and there finds a sweet gale of the blessed Spirit helping his heart to mourn for sin bewail
inform my mind conquer my will order my affections sweetly to comply with thy mind teach me to do thy will in obedience make me content with thy will concerning me in every providence beget in me those heavenly dispositions that are in the glorious Angels and glorified Saints that with humility chearfulnesse diligence and faithfulnesse zeal sincerity and constancy I may be actively and passively at thy dispose 4. For that Petition Give us this day our daily bread Say in this manner Heavenly Father I must confess that by my wretched apostacie in Adam I have lost my right to every morsel of bread and deserve not to breath in thy air or tread on thy earth my sin hath put a curse and sting into every comfort I can obtain nothing by my industrie yet am prone to desire get and use thy mercies unlawfully thy blessing is only the staff of my bread help me to wait on thy providence in a moderate use of lawful means give me a competencie of outward comforts thy blessing in the use thereof and contentment therewith and above all a right thereto in Christ and prevent needlesse cares and sensual delights 5. As to that petition Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters Thus plead it Lord I am wofully guilty of original and actual sin and am thereby a debter to divine justice I owe millions and cannot pay the least farthing therefore deserve to be cast into the dark dungeon of eternal torments but dear Lord thou hast found a ransome who stands in man's stead to be surety for him O accept me in thy beloved Son Jesus Christ wash away my sins in his blood cloath my naked soul with his glorious robes give me saving faith to embrace him upon his own terms free my soul from guilt and punishment of sin pardon my daily failings and seal an acquittance in my conscience which tells me I do freely forgive all offences against my self 6. The last petition And lead us not into temptation but deliver from evil you may render thus Lord it were righteous with thee to leave me to be assaulted and conquered by Satan my souls cruel enemie my heart is growing wanton proud and careless apt to thrust my self into temptations but unable to resist or overcome them thou maist justly bring me into occasions and leave me to my self therein but oh my God keep my soul from being tempted or assist me in the hour of temptation or recover me out of my foils and falls sanctifie my slips make my standing surer in thy strength tread Satan under my feet conquer the world for me crucifie me unto the world subdue my flesh within and in due time take my soul above all sins and snares into thine immediate presence And then shut up all with such like words as these on that conclusion For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen Oh my God I am unworthy thou shouldst grant my petitions for any thing in my self all my arguments in Prayer and grounds of acceptance I fetch from thy self Thou hast a Kingdom of Grace and Throne of Grace from whence thou hearest prayers and dispensest blessings all the Power is in thine hands to give and forgive to kill or make alive and the Glory shall be thine if thou hear my Prayer and blessed be my God for all my mercies I ascribe to thee and thee alone eternal soveraigntie omnipotencie and glorious excellencie which as I desire all may be given to God so I am humbly emboldened by Faith to rest upon thy power and promise that in due time thou wilt hear my requests And as a token of that my desire and confidence my soul doth eccho forth Amen Even so be it Thus I have given you an hint from the Lords-Prayer of directions for the matter of our prayers I shall but propound another Scripture-Instance concerning Arguments in Prayer Sect. II. An example from Jacob of pleading with God GOD would have his people converse with him in a râ—tional way and Gods children have made use of many pleas in Prayer which they have produced in vehement Expostulations as we may find sprinkled up and down in Scripture as Moses Nehemiah Ezra and Daniel in their approaches to God and above all David through the book of Psalms is exceeding full this way But I shall pass by the rest and fix only upon one Scripture-instance and the rather because it was a secret or solitary prayer of which we are now speaking and there are notable Pleas therein which may possibly suit our condition therefore I shall briefly touch the parts of it and recommend it to our imitation It is that of good Jacob who was trained up in this holy Art of wrestling with God in Gen. 32.9 10 11 12. His plea's there may be reduced to these ten Heads 1. He makes use of suitable Titles of God he calls him Lord or Jehovah which denotes Gods self-existence and giving Being or existence to the promises in first making them and then making them good Thus do you Sirs raise in your hearts suitable apprehensions of God and let your expressions be answerable tell God he is an infinite omniscient omnipotent Majesty able to do beyond what you can ask or think and that you neither need nor desire any more than what his almighty power can effect tell him if All-sufficiency cannot supply you you are content to go unsped but you question neither his hand nor heart you are sure he both can and will help his Children in their need he will make good with his hand what he hath spoken with his mouth for he is Jehovah 2. He pleads Covenant-relation to God O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac and so my God! this is an admirable plea if God own a soul in a Covenant-relation he will certainly do it good though his grace be free yet when God hath chosen a soul to be his he hath as it were ingaged himself to own it now he hath laid his truth to pledge Thus then a soul may plead Lord thou hast been my Fathers God and wilt thou not be my God And wilt thou be my God and with-hold such a mercy from me My Ancestors found grace in thy sight and obtained those very good things I am craving and am not I under the very same Covenant with them Are not promises the same Is there not the same Mediator Lord I come to thee in a Covenant-relation for a Covenant-mercy and wilt thou deny me 3. He pleads a warrant for his undertaking appealing to God that he was in his way saying The Lord which saidst unto me Return unto thy Country Oh with what incouragement may the soul plead for assistance and protection that is in Gods way and work according to his own appointment Thus then plead Lord hast not thou set me about this work Hast thou not given me a charge to do what I do Have I not a plain
God 3. Obj. But I am a Servant and must obey my Master I am kept too hardly at work to get time for secret Prayer I am called to work betimes dogged to it all the day Answ Though you be servants to do mens work yet not slaves to their lusts in that respect you must not be the Servants of Men if you be Servants you are the Lords Free-men if free yet you are Christs servants 1 Cor. 7.22 23. Remember you have a Master in Heaven no mortal creature can discharge you from your attendance on God You must do Gods work as well as your Masters and your Masters work for God's sake Eph. 6.6 7. Oh sirs do not neglect your duty to God to pleasure men Can your superiour answer for your neglect Or interpose betwixt flaming wrath and your sinning souls But I am afraid some lay the blame on Masters when the fault is in themselves Deceive not thy self by accusing others to clear thy self this was Adam's fault Think not that anothers rigour can excuse thy neglect Let me tell you there 's never a servant so strictly watch'd but might steal some time from his Master for his God and yet do him no wrong Only see that you be prudent in chusing such seasons as may not justly provoke your Master or prejudice his occasions And be often in your callings lifting up your hearts to God be content with your condition had you more liberty it may be your hearts would not be in so good a frame But let me bespeak Masters indulgence to poor and pious Servants oh hinder them not in any good work rather put them upon it encourage them in it bless God that you have praying servants this is a hopeful presage of good success Let not your servants fare the worse but the better for being God's servants 4. Obj. But I have no Closet to pray in no convenient room for secret Prayer I have a little house a busie full family and cannot retire my self Answ A good good heart will find room either within doors or without a gracious soul will seek out places to pray in any sorry cote will be a Bethel where it can injoy its God or if he cannot get to it under the roof he will with good Isaac walk out into the fields to meditate and to pray Could Heathens and Idolatrous Jews plant groves for their superstition in an Apish imitation of Abraham's practice And cannot a Bird of Paradise take its flight out of some Wood or Arbour into Heaven But most need not make this silly slight excuse they have good roofs to be in and need not worship God sub Dio in the open air few of us but we have convenient rooms but most of us want affectionate hearts to visit God therein But Christians make good use of your houses to serve God therein else they may justly spue you out and leave you harbourless and then what a dreadful sting and guilt will follow you whither-soever you go Oh consider London's flames and ruines your houses are no better built nor more secured from the like Catastrophe do not weaken their foundations by wilful neglects or scandalous sins 5. Obj. But I know some good Christians that never use it yea that maintain it in their judgements that it is not necessary except in some extraordinary cases What say you to that I Answ I never yet met with such persons that had the face of Religion that ever spoke against the ordinary practise of this duty of Closet-Prayer I confess I have met with some who being urged to Family-Prayer have put it off with this evasion that they would pray in their Closets how well the God of Heaven knows But if any professors judgement be so far bribed to plead for the flesh in this neglect the Lord rebuke them and forgive them they know not what they say This is a lamentation that there 's scarce any truth so sacred or duty so spiritual but it hath been contradicted in these licentious daies Some have pleaded against Family-Prayer Catechising Christian-meetings and what not But they can produce no solid arguments do not you follow their example contrary to plain Scripture precepts and precedents Many were produced for confirmation most whereof were not only in extraordinary cases but were an ordinarie practice And can you find the day that affords not some special matter to occasion you to make addresses to God in secret Prayer If you be sensible and observant surely you will see great need for such retirements in ordinary practice Remember this that you follow no man but as he follows Christ but I am sure our precious Saviour used this practice SECT III. More Objections answered 6. Obj. BUT I find not my heart affected or prepared Is it not a tempting of God to go when the spirit doth not move me I Answ 'T is a dangerous mistake to think you may not go to duty but when the spirit moves you For it may be long before it stir the spirit bloweth where and when it listeth You are therefore to lay your selves in the way of the spirit call in its aid which ordinarily comes when souls do their duty Holy performances are as it were the walk of the spirit the air where he breaths and be sure he is most likely to be found in his own way and walk but you cannot expect him in the neglect of plain duty Try this way put God to 't plead his promise you cannot think to be warm if you run from the fire If you have not an appetite to pray you must pray for an appetite for neglect or omission of a duty never fits but alwaies unfits for a duty If you 'll heed your trifling spirits and accept every excuse which they make you shall never pray If you play the truant one time you 'll have less mind to go to God the next time guilt makes you afraid and you dare not come near that God whom you have wronged as Adam run from God and Peter would thrust Christ from him when conscious of guilt How dare you look God in the face whom you have slighted Besides you 'll find that neglect of duty doth not make the next performance more easie but more difficult It will as one saith require more time and pains for you to tune your instrument than for another to play his lesson And is it not more likely God should come to you in pains-taking than total omission Do you not read in the Psalms how often David begun faintly and ended triumphantly Try the Lord and see if he be not better than you expect 7. Obj. I but saith a poor soul I meet with temptations when I go to God in secret Satan assaults me I am timorous and dare not be alone or in the dark but am afrighted Answ 'T is a sign the duty is good because so bad a spirit opposeth it the more Satan sees a duty is for the souls advantage
thou should'st take God's part and plead for obedience Paul doth so Rom. 7.15 16. Though he saith What I would that do I not But what I hate that do I yet saith he I consent to the Law that it is good i. e. I take patt with God and joyn with Gods will against my corrupt and carnal affections that would draw my neck from under this heavenly yoke And if you have not something within you that takes part with Gods revealed will you are not of God But a principle of grace doth facilitate and make easie the hardest duties because there is a likeness betwixt holy hearts and holy performances Love makes every thing easie hence it comes to pass that Christs yoke is easie Mat. 11.30 His ways pleasant and his commandments not grievous 1 Joh. 5.3 If thy heart were right duties would be sweet to thy soul 't is no burden to eat drink sleep the acts of nature are delightful to persons in a right temper if they be not nature is opprest and out of order A child of God in duty so far as regenerated is like a man in his calling or a creature in its proper Element Besides wert thou more accustomed to duty in secret it would be more familiar to thee and less irksom We see by experience Use makes heavy things light we hardly feel the weight of our cloaths because fitted to us and constantly carried by us when as the same weight upon our shoulders would trouble us Christians consider all Christian duties are not of equal difficulty yet withal observe it Duties that are hardest to go through many times bring in the sweetest income And so is this the profit of it will abundantly recompence for your pains in it Be sure when a duty is lined with difficulty and your corrupt hearts draw back and have most averseness to it there is something of God in that duty and God aims you more than ordinary advantage by it Therefore do not say a word against it but stir up your selves spur on your hearts shake off sloth and run to God whatever Satan the World or Flesh say to the contrary thus much for the Objections SECT V. Some Cases of Conscience briefly answered THere are yet four Cases of conscience I shall briefly propound and Answer 1. Case Whether may not an hypocrite or graceless soul perform this duty of Closet-prayer and what difference is there betwixt a real Saint and an unregenerate person in this work I Ans It is possible a carnal man may pray in secret but with these differences 1. He is urged to it by the challenges of an accusing conscience he is as it were dogg'd to 't he dare not but do it but a Child of God hath a gracious principle inclining him to it from love to God and a desire to please and enjoy him Yet through the remainders of corruption there 's much unwillingness in the best so that sometimes a Saint must even force himself to the performance 2. An hypocrite will not thus pray always Job 27.9 10. 'T is but in some pang or under some pressing affliction and when this good mood is over he takes his leave of God till whipt to him again by the like But a child of God is in some measure constant and diligent in the duty though he may have sinful omissions and intermissions yet never a total cessation from duty Grace works the heart God-ward and the soul is not content without Him 3. An hypocrite doth not make conscience to get his heart up to God in the duty he is content with the work done words said but a real Saint hath most ado with his heart that 's the hardest piece of the work he dare not leave that behind him and he hath much ado to get it up 4. A carnal man keeps his round in formal duty but gets nothing he prays to little profit or purpose and indeed doth not much study to gain a spiritual good But a child of God is a great gainer he gets at sometimes communion with God communications from God Oh what good doth his soul meet with Though not always yet at sometimes 2. Case Whether may a Christian bind himself to the performance of this duty of Closet-Prayer at stated times Or suppose a Christian miss his times designed for that work what must he then do Ans To the former that in general thou mayst and must swear and vow that thou wilt keep Gods Commandments Psal 119.106 so doth David And in Scripture we are bid to make vows and pay them to the Lord Psal 76.11 Vowing our selves and all that we have to God is necessary Sequestring some part of our time to his service is requisite And in some cases for some persons it may be expedient to bind and task our selves by an holy resolution to take so much time at least every day for Gods worship yea at such a time as may be judged most commodious by our experiences And this may be a good help to keep in our treacherous hearts from delay or dallying But to ingage our selves to a particular hour so punctually and unalterably as not to take another may not be so safe partly because our times are in Gods hands and we know not what intervening Providence may fall in to prevent our performance whereby conscience may be intangled in a perplexing labyrinth besides our outward occasions and the frame of our Spirits may discover a greater fitness at another season Yet though I would not have Christians bring a snare upon their souls by Vowing yet I humbly conceive that they may consult conveniences and design some time for that work and purpose God willing to keep an hour of Prayer And if they be hindered by a journey or any unexpected unavoidable occasions they must mourn for it as their burden redouble their diligence another time not plead needless diversions lift up ejaculations to God keep a praying frame of spirit and God will graciously pardon and entertain them 3. Case How may a Christian know that he enjoyeth communion with God in Closet-prayer Ans Communion with God is twofold 1. As to Graces 2. As to Comforts Sometimes a Christian may feel the joy of Gods salvation have the sweet kisses of his mouth smiles of his face seals of the Spirit and the lively springings of joy and ravishing pleasures these carry their own evidence along with them But all have not these nor any at all times therefore the surest way is to inquire after communion with God with reference to the exercise of grace in duty then hath a child of God true fellowship with God when by the sweet assistance of Gods Spirit his mind is knit to the object of worship the understanding is fruitful in spiritual and suitable thoughts when the will and affections are carried out in strong and panting desires and longings after God When the heart is throughly broken in the sense of sin melted into godly sorrow
commotion a secret conclave or locked Parlor where no company is to come 2. Shut thy door this word imports yet a further degree of secrecy q. d. That thou maist make thy self to be less observed shut up thy self in a room let none come at thee to disturb thee in thy conversings with God bar the door and make it fast yea let none over-hear thee in thy retired devotions For observe it in true Closet-Prayer there should be an including of the voice as well as the body some pray so loud in their chambers that they may be heard into the streets this is not properly Closet-Prayer since it doth not attain the end of this retirement which is an approving the heart only to God and avoiding all shews and occasions of hypocrisie and vain-glory for it is all one as to this end whether the body be seen or the voice be heard Only remember this is spoken of secret Prayer for it doth not exclude publick Prayer in a congregation where the body is seen and voice is heard Yet it doth by a kind of Synecdoche require self-denial singleness and sincerity in all kind of Prayer Unae specie simplicitatis pro toto genere posita publick private secret for one part or sign of uprightness in the duty is put for the whole shutting the door for integrity of heart in the whole management of this great Affair 3. Here 's the object of Prayer Pray to thy Father Thy business is not with men but with God seek therefore to please and injoy him Nor yet art thou to fetch a compass and pray to Saints and Angels but go straight to God in the name of Christ and be sure thou look upon him as under the sweet relation of a tender Father yea Quod nomen nemo nostrum in oratione auderet attingere nisi ipse nobis sic permisset oâ—are Cyprian Serm. de Orat. Dom. p. 414. Thy Father Oh a sweet word a blessed word and such a word as we durst not have taken into our mouths had it not been for Christ's glorious undertaking to purchase for us the adoption and this gracious commission and in the platform of Prayer the prescription and for God the Father's voluntary condescention Come then and fear not poor Disciple of Christ come with filial affections and the Spirit of Adoption and thou art sure to speed for this paternal relation imports affection provision condescention and compassion If thou wilt be a Child to him he will be a Father to thee 2 Cor. 6.18 4. Here 's the Arguments and incouragements to this duty of secret Prayer 1 Thy Father sees in secret All 's one to him whether you be in a publick Church or private Closet God whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun sees you in the one place as well as in the other and though men see you not yet content your selves with this That God and your consciences are competent witnesses of your uprightness with whom you have to do and from whom you have your reward 2. He will reward thee openly There 's two things in this expression 1. They shall be rewarded 2. They shall be openly rewarded So that men shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth Psal 58.11 The Scribes and Pharisees do all their works to be seen of men and of men they have that sorry reward you do yours in the sight of God and from him you shall receive your abundant and eternal recompence Though men see you not fear not you shall be seen and accepted by him that searcheth hearts and knoweth the mind of his spirit But of these more anon The sum and design of the Text is this Thou my Disciple seest the plausible practices of thy hypocritical Pharisees to gain credit and applause they perform their private duties in publick places as Markets and Synagogues that they may pass among men for eminent Saints and they are generally so esteemed that 's their reward But thou that hast given up thy name to me in the profession of my Name take my counsel for regulalating this sweet Duty of secret Prayer Let none see what thou goest about steal time from all observers withdraw thy self into some Closet or private place and when thou hast made all fast do thou set thy self in the presence of God approve thy heart to him lay open thy bosom before him tell him all thy grievances and though no creature is privy to thy secret groans yet be sure that all thy desires are before God and thy groaning is not hid from him and he takes notice of thy tears and reserves them in a bottle by him to be rewarded in a visible manner in a seasonable time thy labour is not in vain thy work is with the Lord and thy reward with thy God SECT III. Doctrines raised and cleared THere are many Doctrines lye couched in the words I shall but hint them and pitch upon one 1. Prayer is a choice part of religion it s a piece of natural worship though the right ordering of it is by institution yet 't is a main part of Religion Therefore often put in Scripture for the whole service of God He that calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.13 A prayerless soul is graceless 2. Prayer is a duty much abused There 's scarce any thing so much perverted and corrupted as this choice duty by formality hypocrisie superstition base and by-ends as is clear by these Pharisees many wayes and their younger brethren the Papists at this day Masses Dirges Invocation of Saints c. 3. There are several sorts of Prayer Both as to the kinds modes and circumstances The Apostle distinguisheth of Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks 1 Tim. 2.1 There 's also Publick-Prayer Family-Prayer and Closet-Prayer Now a Christian must pray with all Prayer and Supplication Eph. 6.18 The last is here insisted on 4. A Christian must do nothing for praise or applause especially in matters of Religion It is a base prostituting the highest things of God to our beastly lusts It is to feed an humour and damn the soul with that which should save it Let no Christians as the Pharisees here make Prayer truckle to their credit Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory 5. There are set and stated times of Prayer This is hinted in this word When when thou prayest A time there must be for it though the point of time is not determined yet a time must be set apart for the duty every day a Christian must chuse out the fittest time for the duty by the due use of his liberty and discretion 6. Circumstances are of great use in all our actions The streets are proper places to walk talk buy and sell in but not so fit for Prayer the Church is a fit place for publick devotion not so for a solemn performance of
joy i. e. No creature on earth is privy to the secret groans or sweetest solace of a retired Saint That 's the second Reason SECT III. The third Reason is drawn from God seeing in secret ANother Reason is drawn from Gods Omniscience and Omnipresence the Text saith Thy Father sees in secret And the strength or force of this argument lyes in these four particulars 1. God sees in secret Therefore he takes notice whether thou pray in secret yea or no He looks after thee as it were when thou goest into such a chamber and solitary place and saith That soul hath now an opportunity a convenient place and fit occasion to wait upon me and will he not Will he be always so busie in other company that I must have none of his fellowship Must his converse be so much with men that he can spare no time for communion with God Nay will he go so often into such a room to do such and such a business and can he never find a time to go down upon his knees and visit me Hath he so much to do in the world that he hath no leisure to look up to Heaven Do his worldly occasions still thrust out spiritual meditations Will he never set himself solemnly to transact betwixt my self and him in Prayer and Meditation the most important business of his soul Ah sirs the Omnipresent God takes notice of all your motions into and out of your chambers and expects that sometimes at least your souls should wait upon him And why should Christians frustrate his expectation 2. God sees in secret Therefore he hath seen thy secret sins and sins in secret Thy closs and Closet-wickedness is naked and open before the piercing eyes of an all-seeing God therefore should thy Closet-tears and Prayers testifie thy sound and saving repentance For this is a rule in practical divinity that sorrow for sin must bear some proportion to the nature and circumstances of the sin both as to degree and circumstances of time and place Manassch humbled himself greatly for his great abominations So for place and manner them that sin openly must be rebuked before all and testifie their repentance before the Church 1 Tim. 5.20 So if the sin be private or less known the rule in Mat. 18.15.16 is to be observed for private admonition and confession And consequently secret sins must be secretly mourned for When thy sins are known to none but to God and thine own conscience thou art not bound to discover them to any other but to God in an hearty secret repentance except in some few cases Here then comes in secret prayer and godly sorrow Well then there 's none of us without our secret sins and God sees them all though never so privily committed we may hide sin from men we cannot hide it from the Lord he sets our secret sins in the sight of his countenance Psal 90.8 His eyes are open upon all the wayes of man and who knows all the errors of his life Job 34.21 21. Jer. 32.19 Pro. 5.10 Therefore must we get alone and enumerate all the sins we know of and desire God to shew us what we do not know and with holy David breath out that devout Petition Psal 19.12 Cleanse thou me from secret faults 3. God sees in secret Therefore thou dost not lose thy labour though men know not where thou art or what thou art a doing yet thy God takes notice of thee thou dost not thy good works incognito though thy groans are not seen or heard by men yet they are well known to thy God Psal 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee As if David should say Lord I many times withdraw my self into a Closet or retired place and there I open before the Lord the sorrows of my soul I pour out my heart like water before the face of the Lord Lam. 2.19 Sometimes in the night-watches or in solitary places none knows what I am doing no eye sees no ear hears my briny trears or bitter out-cryes but the all-seeing God hides not his eyes from my tears stops not his ears to my cryes but knows my groans yea my very desires Observe it There is not a believing Prayer but it is upon the file and on record in Heaven though offered up by an obscure person in an obscure place yea God knoweth the meaning of his spirit in the hearts of his people Rom. 8.17 though the troubled Saint cannot tell whether it be indeed the spirit of God or no But this know that secret prayers in a chamber are as well known to God as open prayers in a publick Church heart-ejaculations are owned by God as well as loudest acclamations God took notice of Hezekiah when he turned his face toward the wall and wept and prayed and saith God I have heard thy Prayer I have seen thy Tears Isa 38.5 Though men did not much take notice God did yea more he expresseth his approbation and acceptation of these sacrifices in secret But of that anon 4. God sees in secret Therefore Closet-Prayer is a solemn acknowledgment of Gods omniscience and omnipresence When you pray in a corner you testifie your faith in Gods ubiquity and look upon him as filling Heaven and Earth and this God commands us to believe yea would have us to lye under the sense hereof Hence that vehement expostulation 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 Yes saith the believing soul I know thou art every where no thought can be with-holden from thee therefore I wait on thee here all 's one where I am for wherever I am I cannot run away from thee and wherever I am I may approach unto thee And the Lord is nigh to broken hearts and praying souls Psal 34.15 17 18. He is not far from every one of us but his special presence is with his Saints in duty David composeth a Psalm of God's Immensity Psal 139. Wherein he shews 1. Gods omniscience in the six first verses Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up rising c. 2 Gods omnipresence ver 7. to ver 14. Whither shall I go from thy spirit If to Heaven thou art there c. Darkness and light are both alike to thee And what use doth holy David make of this Heavenly doctrine surely if God will be with him wherever he is he is resolved to be with God v. 18. When I awake I am still with thee i. e. by secret prayer and meditation when I lye down I commend my soul and body to thee and when I rise up I meditate of thee when I go to sleep I pray when I awake I am with God by holy and precious thoughts So that I am still with God all my dayes in all places conditions relations companies I am still with my God and as a good man
Temple Alas poor Jonah knew not now which way the Temple stood he had but a short prospect in that dark and narrow Prison yes faith can set Jonah upon one of the Mountains of Israel that thence he may see as far as Mount Zion and reach as high as Heaven he prayes yea cryes God hears and delivers as low as he was he knocks at Heaven gates and his Prayer doth pierce the Clouds it makes bold and steps in My prayer saith he came in unto thee into thine holy Temple Jonah 2.2 7. Oh the strange and swift motion of a believing Prayer Let the praying soul be where it will the Prayer will come to God's ear and get an answer 2. A Child of God that cannot speak a word may put up an acceptable Prayer suppose the tongue which is the organ of speech were cut out yet a Saint cannot thereby be obstructed in his access to God by Prayer For as Amesius saith Oratio formaliter est actus voluntatis Prayer is formally the act of the Will desire is the soul of Prayer which God may hear though it be not expressed for he knows the heart Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble A Saints desire is a real Prayer if the desire be right words are but the outward garb habit or cloaths as I may so say of Prayer the carcass or shell of the duty ardent desires are the life kernel Exod. 14.15 1 Sam. 1.13 Neh. 2.4 marrow of the performance Hence we find that Moses Hannah and Nehemiah are said to pray when Scripture doth not express a word they speak nor is it probable they did make an articulate sound I speak not this to indulge carnal men in their lazy conceited ejaculations Deus exaudit non solum preces indicativas sed optativas Luth. as though they could pray well enough and never speak or while they are working walking talking Let me hint a word by the way to these Consider silly soul God hath given thee a body and thou must offer it to God as a reasonable sacrifice thou art bound in conscience to pray and praise God with thy tongue which is thy glory yea let me tell thee if thou hast those members of body and an opportunity to pray thus solemnly with thy tongue upon thy knees and dost never do it I question whether thou prayest at all or no since thou livest in the apparent neglect of a known duty What I speak of the Saints real though sometimes without vocal Prayers is to commend the duty and comfort those Saints that may be put to these exigencies that though they cannot speak yet they may pray and be heard and answered SECT III. Shewing the Power of Prayer I Might from hence take occasion to discover the strength and efficacy of this duty of Prayer from the consideration of Closet-Prayer though but a poor single person get upon his knees in a Corner and have no creature to help him yet he can even undertake to grapple with the omnipotent and eternal God yea by his strength may have power with God as we heard of Jacob who by single wrestling with him hand to fist as it were wrestled a blessing from him One poor single Elijah could stand against at least four hundred Prophets of Baal 1 King 18.36 and prevail having recourse to the living God by Prayer yea the Apostle tells us that this Elijah though but a mortal man yet he shut up and opened Heaven that it rained and rained not according to his Prayer hence he infers an universal Maxim that the effectual servent Prayer of a righteous man avails much and illustrates it by that notable instance James 5.16 17 18. But some may object Elijah was a great Prophet an extraordinary person he might prevail when we cannot he answers He was no more than a man a Man subject to like passions as we are a sinful creature he prevailed not for any merits of his own but through faith in the Mediator of the Covenant and so may we There 's not the meanest Child of God but hath the same plea Mr. Gurnal on Eph. 6.10 p. 42. God hath strength enough to give saith one but he hath no strength to deny Here the Almighty himself with reverence be it spoken is weak even a child the weakest in grace of his family that can but say Father is able to overcome him for Prayer is in a sort omnipotent it can conquer the invincible Jehovah Vincit invincibilem ligat omnipotentem and bind the hands as it were of an omnipotent God so that God is fain to cry out to wrestling Moses Let me alone 'T is said of Luther That man could do with God even what he would Prayer hath a kind of commanding compulsive power That 's a strange Text Isa 45.11 Ask me of things to come concerning my Sons and concerning the work of my hands command ye me So some take it ye shall find me as ready to do you service as if ye had me at command yet this must be warily received not as though God were forced to any thing against his will but when Gods people pray aright in the name of Christ according to his will 1 Joh. 5.14 he heareth them and this he attributes to Prayer for the credit of that duty and incouragement of praying souls That 's a notable Text to shew the readiness of God to answer Prayer Joh. 16.26 27. I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you for the father himself loveth you Christ in this place doth not simply deny that he will intercede for them but shews how ready God is of his own accord to grant the Saints petitions They shall not be put to any great trouble about it but shall be quickly dispatcht in their errand to the Throne of Grace For as * Exiguus gemitus in auribus Dei fortissimas est clamor ita coelum terram replet ut praeter eum Deus nihil audiat atcompescit omnes omnium aliarum rerum clamores Luth. tom 4. Luther speaks a poor groan in the ears of God is a mighty noise and doth so fill Heaven and earth that God can hear nothing besides it and silenceth all other tumults to hearken to it Of what an easie quick access My blessed Lord art thou how suddenly May our requests thy ear invade To shew that State dislikes not easiness If I but lift mine eyes my suit is made Thou canst no more not hear than thou canst dye See more in Herberts Poems pag. 95. SECT IV. Shewing the property of a true Christian ONce more I might shew the duty and property of a sincere Christian that can make this excellent use of solitariness Carnal persons love not to be alone except they be such whose constitution inclines them to Melancholy and then they sit poring on things without profit 't is only the gracious soul that can tell how
to make the right use of solitariness by having recourse to God No man cares for being alone but the serious person and no man cares for going to God when alone but the sincere Christian Man is a sociable creature and naturally we have no mind to entertain our selves by our selves A carnal heart hates a domestical audit men that have shrewish wives love not to be at home and persons that have guilty consciences cannot endure to hold discourse with them left they be tormented before the time Oh but a Christian that is upright and down-right would know all that concerns his own heart the best and worst therefore he communes with his own heart Psal 77.6 as David did and left he miss or mistake in his search he turns him to the heart-searching God by Prayer and cryes out to him to search his heart and discover him to himself The life of Religion consists in a souls communion with God in secret a man hath so much Religion as he hath betwixt God and his own Soul and no more A true Saint dares approve his heart to God in a Corner He is there exercising himself like a Souldier by himself handling his Pike and keeping his postures that he may be better fitted for a more solemn onset Yea a Christian doth purposely withdraw himself from company that he may converse with God Papists are true Christians Apes hence comes the solitary life of Monks pretending to imitate Eliah and Elisha John Baptist and the Apostles but 't is acknowledged by Hierom and great sticklers for a monastick life that this practice begun not till about the year 260 or 300. Some say Hilarion others Paulus Thebaeus others Antonius begun this manner of conversation But certainly there is a vast difference betwixt those ancient Christians solitary life and the Papists way of Monastick living 1. Those first Christians lived solitary of necessity that they might lye hid more safely in a time of persecution 2. They were not compelled to give all to the poor 3. They were not bound to a certain Rule nor did they ingage themselves by a perpetual Vow to that place and state Vid. Perk. Demonstr problem Monach. p. 227 228. but might change their manner of life if they saw good they were not bound as to meats marriage fasting 4. These ancient Monks were of the Laity not of the Clergy nay not so much as Deacons or Presbyters 5. They had no conceit of merit in a Monastick life till these latter ages I may add 6. Clarks Eccles Hist fol. 13. Those ancient Monks had a particular Calling and did work as the Monks of Bangor that lived by the sweat of their brows and 7. They were not tyed up from conversing abroad as there was occasion and occasions there are manifold 'T is not fit persons should be always coopt up in a Corner but that they be of use to others in their places and capacities We were not born for our selves nor must we live only within our selves which would contradict the Law of Love and Charity Vita solitaria communi inferior est quia importunis cogitationibus plena quae tanquam muscae minutissimae de timo surgentes volunt in oculos coâ—dis interrumpunt Sabbathum mentis Ivo Carnatensis Epist 258. Videsis plura in Perk Ubi supra demonstrat Monasteria veterum ut plurimum faisse scholas publicas i. e. communitates docentium discentium A constant solitariness exposeth persons to a world of temptations it is not good to be alone saith Solomon An ancient could speak it from his own experience that a solitary life is inferiour to a common conversing because 't is full of importunate cogitations which like little flyes arising from dung fly in the eyes of the heart and interrupt the Sabbath of the mind Thus he But I need not trouble you with the mention of Popish Fopperies A right-bred Christian that hath learned the truth as it is in Jesus being thrust into a Corner knows how to improve solitariness for soul-advantage and voluntarily doth withdraw himself into a Corner that he may set himself to the work of God in good earnest Hence saith the Apostle concerning Husband and Wife 1 Cor. 7.5 Defraud ye not one the other except it be with consent for a time that you may give your selves to fasting and prayer Thence note that it 's convenient sometimes for Christians to sequester themselves from nearest Relations Vide Pareum in loc that they may have freer communion with God in holy Duties Only let these four cautions and limitations of the Text be observed 1. That it be with mutual consent 2. But for a Season 3. The end an advantage for Fasting and Prayer 4. That they come together again This respects not every days ordinary performances but some solemn undertakings of stated and extraordinary Fasts in a day of danger or calamity at which time the Bridegroom is to go forth of his Chamber and the Bride out of her Closet Joel 2.16 i. e. to sequester themselves from conjugal delights to afflict their souls by Fasting and Prayer But in these cases a sound Christian's due discretion regulated by the general rules laid down in Scripture will help in such performances that he may not dash on either rock of Superstition or Negligence but maintain a closs and constant communion with God both in the duties of his general and particular calling in publick Ordinances and in private and secret duties Thus much for the first Use CHAP. IV. The Second Vse viz. of Reprehension SECT I. Wicked men reproved 1. HEre is just ground of sharp rebuke to all graceless prayerless persons who understand nothing of this duty they know not what it is to tug and struggle with the Lord in Closet-Prayer David saith The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts Psal 10.4 He cannot pray aright any where much less in secret the same Psalm tells us what he doth in secret ver 8 9 10. In the secret places doth he murder the innocent his eyes are privily set against the poor The Apostle saith It is a shame even to speak of those things that are done of them in secret Eph. 5.12 Oh the abominable practices of prophane spirits in a corner Their consciences can tell them sad stories of secret sins which none but the God of Heaven and themselves know of yea because they see not God they think God sees not them like the silly bird because she thrusts her head into a bush thinks she is hid from the Fowler though her body be exposed to open view carnal mens Maxim is like that Monkish one Caute si non Caste Carry it warily if not chastly if they can hide their sin from men they take no notice whether God see them or no and from wishing that he did not see begin to suspect whether he do see or no and
at last arrive to those mens arrogant demand Who seeth us Or that positive conclusion Psal 97.4 The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard But what saith the Psalmist to these brutish Soâ—s He that planted the ear shall he not hear He that formed the eye shall he not see ver 9. Let these Atheists know that God sees and sets down all their secret wickedness and will bring it forth before Angels and Men at the great day of reckoning The sin of Judah is written with a pen of Iron Jer. 17.1 and with a point of a Diamond it can never be razed out but by the blood of Christ and though by multiplyed acts of notorious sinning some may blur the engravings of sin on the table of their heart yet it shall be as writing with the juice of Lemmons being held to the fire of Gods wrath 't is as legible to the conscience as the first moment when the sin was committed Oh the secret wickednesses that wicked men have to reckon for But where are the secret Prayers Alas how rarely or how formally do they wait on God alone Custom vain glory and carnal interest may put them on joyning in publick Prayer or Family-duty but they are strangers to this spiritual self-denying duty of Closet-Prayer The carnal hypocrite exposeth all to open view he is like an house with a beautiful Frontispiece but every room within is dark as one saith he is a rotten Post fairly guilded he hath dressed himself in the garb of Religion and will be as devout as the best in Temple-worship but follow him to his Closet he cannot afford God one hour in a week he doth not make conscience of secret Prayer this gains him no credit with men and therefore is little used This rightly performed opens the heart to God which the unsound professor dare not do I shall shew hereafter whether the Hypocrite may use Closet-Prayer and wherein he is distinguisht from a sincere soul in that duty At present I am reproving those that never use it that look upon it as below them they either dare not be alone or scorn to stoop so low and sigh out their hearts to God in a corner as though they would not be beholding to the great God for any mercy but in their hearts and practice speak the language of those proud Atheists in Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more unto thee But let such know they shall dye like Men and be damn'd like Devils that imagine they are gods and will not be beholding to our God for mercy Lord have mercy on these poor prayerless sinners that understand not the necessity and mystery of Closet-Prayer but look upon it as needless and are ready to say It s more ado than needs but let these prepare to make good that desperate assertion at the Bar of Gods justice with flames about their ears and let such know that God will answer their cavils against plain duty after another manner than his Ministers can do now To which dreadful Judgment we leave them except prevented by a speedy and sincere Repentance SECT II. The Godly reproved BUt the persons to be principally reproved at present are the professors of Religion that acknowledge this to be a duty but grievously neglect it I fear God's Children are not so constant and conscientious in the performance of this duty of Closet-Prayer as they ought to be Are not good Souls guilty of frequent omissions intermissions at least negligent performance of this duty It was one of old Mr. Dod's Instructions that at night we should ask our selves Have I twice this day humbled my self before God in private Who goes to bed and doth not pray Maketh two nights to every day Herbert And again How did I pray in Faith and Love I am afraid many of us should give but a sorry account of these serious inquiries Let 's be ashamed lay it to our hearts and give God glory by repentance and reformation For the humbling of our hearts in this case let me propound these ten awakning Interrogatories that we may mourn for our neglect of this duty of Closet-Prayer 1. Are you not very unlike Jesus Christ Is not he the perfect copy that we should write after And do we not find him often in private Prayer We meet with him in this solitary duty sometimes in the day Luk. 6.12 Mat. 26.36 sometimes in the night sometimes all night in a Garden in a Mountain he took all opportunities to go to his Father All the dayes of his flesh he offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears Heb. 5.7 As he was a man of sorrows so he was a man of Prayers and the sharper his sorrows the stronger his cryes Luk. 22.44 Being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly And was not this for our example And for our advantage Should we not learn of him Nay doth not our very Christianity consist in our conformity to Christ Alas how unlike him are most of us Shall we pass for Christians that follow not his steps Was it not blessed Paul's study and ambition to be conformed to this blessed Pattern Can we imitate a better person Was it necessary Christ should wrestle for us and is it not as necessary we should wrestle with God for our own souls Or doth Christs praying for us excuse our pleading for our selves No no as it was for our example and benefit in the days of his flesh so his present intercession in Heaven doth both imply and incourage our praying for we are to ask in his name and imploy our dear Advocate that we may speed And shall not we as it were set him awork and send up our Prayers to be mixt with his sweet incense The Lord humble us for and pardon to us our neglects and omissions 2. Are you not herein very unlike the Saints of God The seed of Jacob are wrestlers with God God hath no Children still-born they all cry Abba Father Jacob wrestled with God in secret Prayer and ever since all the Saints in all ages have born that name Psal 24.6 This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Jacob Selah i. e. That seek the God of Jacob as Jacob did Psal 32.6 And indeed every one that is godly will thus pray There might be brought a cloud of witnesses in all ages of praying Saints that conversed with God in secret 't is recorded of the Apostle James that his knees were as hard as Camels feet with praying Some have sought out for private places to pray in others have risen out of their beds to pray others have set days apart to humble themselves in secret by Fasting and Prayer others would never adventure on business without seeking God Such as are acquainted with Ecclesiastical Histories or Christian Experiences may find store of instances of this sort And why should we be unlike our Brethren Have we not
all one Spirit as well as all one Father And is not this a Spirit of Grace and Supplication And is it not that which on all occasions draws the Soul to its Father 'T is said of Paul when newly converted Behold he prayeth Act. 9.11 Others do not see it but I know it there he is in a corner sighing and seeking me Go Ananias enquire for him he is now one of you a real Convert for Behold he prayeth A Soul praying in secret is worthy observation there 's an Ecce put upon it Behold he prayeth And why should we that pretend to be Saints be unlike our brethren 3. Are you not herein unlike your selves in former times When God did at first work upon your hearts did you not then run to God in a corner Did you not set your selves intently to the duty of secret Prayer How often did God find you by your selves sighing sorrowing weeping bleeding breathing after God pouring out your hearts like water before the face of the Lord And your heavenly Father pitied you spoke very kindly to you wiped off your tears cheared your hearts heard your prayers and made those dayes of grief times of love Oh the sweet embraces that then were betwixt your souls and God Have you forgotten such a Chamber Such a Closet such a Barn such a Wood Where you sometimes walkt and meditated sometimes fell prostrate and wept before the Lord till you had no more power to weep If you have forgotten those blessed days your God hath not He remembers thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine spousals when thou wentest after him in a solitary Wilderness Jer. 2.2 Canst not thou remember the day when thou wouldst rather have been with thy God in a private Room than upon a Princes Throne Yea thou thoughtest thou wast to do nothing else but cry and pray in secret thou wast at it every day yea many times a in day How comes it to pass that there 's such a change That thou dost so rarely go to visit thy old friend in a Corner Is he changed Is he not so good and kind as he was wont to be Hast thou found any fault in God Or art not thou blame-worthy What 's become of thy ancient Spirit of Prayer Why dost thou forget thy sweetest wrestling-place Why dost thou not inquire for these good old wayes of communion with thy God SECT III. Saints neglects further reproved 4. LEt me further expostulate with Gods Children that are rarely exercised in this duty of Secret-Prayer Do you not deprive your selves of many sweet refreshments Have not your souls had sweet experience of ravishing incomes in secret duties How many pleasant morsels have you eaten alone Have not these stolen waters been sweet And would they not be so again if you would open the same sluice Oh what hints of love might your souls have that no creature would know of Secret influences are conveyed to souls in secret duties these you block up by neglect Ah sirs Are the consolations of God small to you Is communion with God of no worth Why are you so unwilling to take pains to go to your Father Especially when you know he hath a kindness for you Have you ever lost by such duties Will not your gains infinitely countervail your pains Ask those that use it most they will tell you it is the sweetest time they spend Yea cannot your own experience attest it Did you ever lose your labour when you set your selves about the work in good earnest Hath not this closs and privy trading with God brought in much spiritual profit Beloved friends you little consider the good you miss of for want of performing this excellent duty But that 's not all 5. Do you not by neglect of secret prayer expose your selves to many sad temptations Watching and Prayer are singular helps against temptation Mat. 26.41 I have heard that Satan hath openly professed that he hath watched when some of Gods children have gone out without Closet-Prayer and that day he hath gotten great advantage against them sometimes by tripping up their heels and casting them down from their excellency into some gross iniquity sometimes tormenting their hearts with blasphemous or soul-perplexing injections Sometimes God hath left them to fall into some afflictive snare laid by this subtil Fowler which hath cost them many bitter pangs all this and much more hath been the fruit of such neglects Christians Have you not found this too true by sad experience When you have gone abroad without calling on God hath not God secretly withdrawn from you Hath not Satan obtained his designs upon you Have not your hearts been growing out of frame Some lust increasing grace decaying and your souls at the brink of some astonishing fall When you have gone out in the morning without a good breakfast with God Have you not been apt to gather wind and vanity to the prejudice of your souls health If you ingage not God by Prayer to go with you What security have you for that day If God leave you the Devil may do what he list with you and hamper you in a thousand snares and sins 6. Doth not your neglect of secret Prayer argue little love to God Or delight to be in his Company When persons have a dear affection to each other they love to be together Love delights in union and communion Yea when persons love intirely they withdraw from other company that they may injoy each other with more indeared familiarity the presence of a third mixeth the streams of Communication and mars their intimate communion And if you did passionately love the Lord would you not withdraw from others that your souls might injoy some fresh and refreshing intercourse with your best Beloved How can you say you love him when you have no mind of his company If you did indeed love him Cant. 3.5 you would hold him and not let him go Amor meus pondus meum until you had with the Spouse brought him into the Chambers of intimate communion and solitary recesses Love is the weight of the soul and draws it to the object beloved If your hearts were ravisht with him you would take more pleasure in conversing with him you would bless God for an opportunity of injoying him But this strangeness speaks a great defect in this noble grace And would you be esteemed such as love not God What a sad thing is it to be low and scant in love to God under such strong engagements to love Poor soul have not those silken silver cords of love which have been cast about thee drawn thee nearer and bound thee faster to thy God than thus Have not such bellows and incentives kindled and increased thy spark of love into a flame Lament thy sin and shame thy self before thy God for this decay of love and dangerous neglect 7. Do not you by these omissions declare your selves ingrateful to the grace of God It 's Gods
way to hire souls to approach to him by holding out promises of reward as we do offer Apples Fruit c. to children to intice them to us nor is it a Bait to couzen and insnare us but real offers of kindness to us whereof we may partake and wherewith we may be happy Suppose a Prince desire a Beggars company with expressions of dear affections and promises of many kindnesses Is it not gross ingratitude if she fling away and scorn the motion Or suppose a potent Person send to a poor man a loving message telling him he hath considered his case and hath appointed time and place that they two together may confer about the necessary concernments of this poor man he shall have free admission and liberty without disturbance to present his petition and ask what he will and it shall be granted none shall be present but only they two shall converse familiarly together for the good of the poor man But instead of a thankful acceptance of this kindness the poor man picks quarrels with the messenger or message grows sullen and perverse runs away and saith I need neither his counsel nor assistance Let him bestow his kindness where he will I will not meddle with him Were not this gross ingratitude And how would it be taken The case is thine Soul that neglectest secret duties the God of Heaven gives thee notice to meet him in such a room to negotiate freely the main concernments of thy precious soul and thou art coy and shy and wilt not come near him but either plainly deniest or heedlesly delayest Oh monstrous folly Oh gross ingratitude Be ashamed of it be humbled for it thy God takes it ill that thou art so loath to be happy that thou even forsakest thine own mercies and wilt go twice as far another way to gratifie a friend rather than go alone into thy Closet to please thy God and profit thy poor soul How long must God watch and wait and strive and sue to have thy company and thou dost still neglect and grow averse thereto Oh be ashamed of it SECT VI. Three more sad Considerations for our Humiliation 8. DO you not by neglect of Secret Prayer resist the motions of the blessed Spirit And is this no fault Is it nothing to neglect communion with God the Father or to improve the intercession of Jesus Christ the Mediator but you must also slight the motions of God the blessed Spirit This is sad How often doth the holy Ghost knock at your doors stir you up spur you forwards unto duty and take you by the hand offering its assistance if you 'l go to God and yet do you refuse Do you make nothing of quenching grieving yea vexing the good Spirit of God Consider what you do as you deal with it so it will deal with you if you do not embrace its call perhaps it will not be present at your call And what can you do in duty without it If you strive against it it will cease striving with you Be it known to you you have not this Heavenly wind at your command and you may toss in the boat of duty long but shall not approach the port without it Nothing but the Spirit of God can carry thy soul to God And what can excite and comfort thee when thy Assistant and Comforter is slighted and sadned Grieve therefore Christian for thy grieving of the Spirit lay to heart thy careless quenching of this holy fire and let those waters of lust or negligence cost thee the waters of godly sorrow and repentance that this sin may not be laid to thy charge Say as that Divine Poet And art thou grieved sweet and sacred Dove When I am sowr And cross thy Love Grieved for me The God of strength and power Griev'd for a worm which when I tread I pass away and leave it dead See the rest in Herbert's Poems on Eph. 5.30 Pag. 128. 9. If you can only pray in company what will you do when your company is gone A time may come when you may be left alone as Christ saith he was You had need ingage the Father to be with you that you may say as the Apostle 1 John 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father 'T is true communion of Saints is desirable but external communion is not always attainable you may be thrust out by divine Providence now it will be sad to be at a loss when persons are alone 'T is a strange expression of some that they know not how to live it such and such Christian friends or godly Relations be taken away why what 's the matter Are they in the place of God Is your spiritual life maintained by the leaden pipes or by the living springs that stream through them Alas sirs if you more understood and used this art of drawing influences from God immediately through Christ by secret Prayer you would not be so discouraged with the loss of friends you would say Indeed 't is true my loss is great such a one had a notable gift in Prayer and spoke my very heart to God but though he be gone is my God gone Is Prayer gone Though I cannot get such moving expressions as such had yet I opened my heart to God as I could in secret formerly and there 's the same refuge now the same road unto this City and Sanctuary I went in and therefore all my comfort is not gone blessed be my God But a poor soul that hath leaned upon the staff of others inlargements will be shrewdly put to it when that staff is gone And Is it not a great disparagement to a noble and immortal Soul that it cannot treat and entertain its God alone What cannot God and an Heaven born soul converse together without Auxiliaries Must another interpose as an instrument without whom you cannot injoy communion with God Be ashamed of it and chide your selves as not acting suitably to your rational spirits much less to a supernatural Principle of grace 10. Lastly let me further demand of you what if our Lord should call you away and find you under the guilt of the neglect of this known duty What confusion grief and jealousie would possess you if death arrest you in such a state What an hurry was forlorn Saul in when the Philistines were upon him and he had not offered sacrifice unto God And what a desperate plunge will you be put to when the King of terrors is upon you and you have not personally and privately been seeking God Though you may be right and safe for the main yet your spirits will be much perplexed and you will suffer shrewd rebukes from your own consciences for your omissions and will be put to that last prayer of a dying Saint eminent in the Church The Lord forgive me my sins of omission and possibly may want that spiritual solace in a dying hour that praying souls may have Oh what a blessed thing will it be if our dear
Rule 3. For the Season The Apostle saith Pray continually or without ceasing yet there are some as it were canonical hours of Prayer wherein a Christian's discretion must interpose only in this case take the fittest seasons for secret Prayer as when you are most at leisure from worldly business most free from company least in danger of drouziness Oh Christians if it be possible put not off your secret devotions too long till you go to bed then you are fitter for rest and sleep than for wrestling with God on your knees And then for the frequency no certain rule can be given David and Daniel prayed three times a day Psal 55.17 Dan. 6.10 mourning noon and night Noon-time was the sixth hour which was also a time of Prayer Act. 10.9 others also observed the ninth hour which was three a clock in the afternoon Act. 3.1 Dr. Ham. pract Cat. l. 3. Sect. 2. p. 274. Certainly the third hour i. e. nine in the morning was an hour of Prayer Acts 2.15 and so was evening six at night say some David adds a seventh in Psal 119.164 Seven times a day will I praise thee which may only denote frequency in the duty Some of these may seem extraordinary cases The ordinary seasons the Saints have taken Exod. 29.38 39. Psal 5.3 88.13 141.2 have been morning and evening according to the Jews sacrifice of a Lamb at those seasons In the morning our spirits are fresh and lively at evening we may find the by-past matters of the day a fit occasion for Prayer and Praise it would do well to take Isaac's season for devotion even about sun-set or the shutting in of the day but I shall not too peremptorily impose in these undetermined circumstances only take that general rule 1 Pet. 4.7 Watch unto Prayer That 's the third 4. For the Voice The articulate sound of words is not absolutely necessary in Prayer and it may be not so convenient in Closet-Prayer which should be managed privately betwixt God and a mans own soul approving the heart to God as sole witnesse of his sincerity except through some extasie and strong motion of the affections the soul's desires break out in the lips beyond its first intentions I know Mr. John Carter that eminent man of God did purposely use his voice in secret prayer for these two reasons Mr. Clark in his life 1 Because he sound it an help to his affections 2. Because it was an example to his family I must not therefore lay any necessity in these variable circumstances only I humbly conceive it is most suitable to the nature of Closet-Prayer to perform it so as none else may take notice thereof Give me leave to mention a few passages out of Cyprian to this purpose Nam ut impudentis eis clamoribus strepere itae contra congruit verocundo modestis precibus or are Quia Deus non vocis sed cordis auditor est Et Paulo post Quod Anni in primo Regno um libro Ecclesiae typum portans custodit servat Quae Dominum non clamosa petitione sed tacite modeste intrae ipsas pectoris latebras precabatuâ— Loquebatur prece occulta sed man feâ—a fide Cypr. Serm. de Orat. Dom. p. 409. 410. 't is a token of unmannerly impudence to make a noise with loud clamours but 't is most suitable to a modest spirit to pray with silent grones For God is the hearer not of the voice but of the heart He makes Hannah a type of the Church who prayed not with clamorous petitions but with working affections within the lurking holes as it were of her breast she spake with hidden Prayer but manifest faith So he Thus much for circumstances of Closet-Prayer wherein I am more short and shie in imposing any thing on the people of God which God hath left free in his Word Only in general take notice that though accidental circumstances that concern a duty be mutable yet by the wise ordering of those circumstances they will become singular helps in the managing of a duty SECT II. Duties concomitant to Closet-Prayer 4. THE last sort of duties and directions concerning Closet-Prayer are such as are to be practised after the duty is performed which I call consequent or concomitant duties These are four Viz. 1. Observing God's appearances 2. Walking suitably 3. Waiting for returns 4. Communicating experiences 1. When you have been before the Lord in Closet-Prayer observe how God hath been dealing with your hearts that you may be suitably disposed and affected If the Lord hath with-drawn himself from you left you under hardness deadnesse distraction uncomfortablenesse you are to mourn for it inquire the cause of it reflect upon your selves see what guilt there is upon conscience which separates betwixt God and your souls And then if time permit fall to 't again lament the sin be ingenuous in confession make stronger resolutions remove all obstructions that God and your souls may not be at any distance reckon streight and make up your accounts part friends that you may meet friends the next time you go to him If you find that God hath helped melted and graciously manifested himself to your souls take special notice of it record that for time to come slight not the least appearances of God own him in praise him for these sweet manifestations of his love Learn this lesson even of Hagar the bond-woman when she was in a solitary Wildernesse the Angel of the Lord comforts her tells her God had heard her affliction she was with child her seed should be multiplied she in an answerable return to God for his kindnesse sets an Asterism of Observation upon the place as a memorial of God's seeing and looking after her So the well was called Beer-la-hai-roi i. e. the Well of him that liveth and seeth me Gen. 16.13 14. Thus do you think and think again Oh who or what am I that God should look after me or take notice of me in this desolate state and place I shall remember this time of love whilest I live in such a room I met with God such a Chamber or Câ—oset was a Bethel a Mount Nebo a Sycomore-tree where I beheld my Jesus and took a blessed view of the promised land Thus Christians reflect upon and recollect your experiences in Gods presence which may be of use unto you all your daies 2. Let your cariages at all times be sutable to your closet prayers let it appear that you are wholly devoted to God cross not your prayers with your practises pray much live well Let it appear you have been with God that you have been drawing your influences from the spring-head walk with men as those that walk with God Let the smell and savour of your heavenly conversings break forth in your gracious expressions and exemplary conversations Live not after the ordinary rate of professors As your heart is God-wards so let your light be Men-wards that
they may see your good works and glorifie God Carry something out of your Closets that may hold forth the word of life and work of grace be able to say in works what David speaks in words Ps 119.55 56. After he had said He remembred Gods name in the night he adds This I had because I kept thy precepts He tells not what it was but certainly something it was worth having Possibly it was some strength to obey the will of God some power over a corruption Oh Christians let your actions demonstrate what you get in Gods presence What a sin and shame is it when persons do that morally that Moses did literally Even come down from the mount and break the tables of God's Law as soon as they are off the place Oh how sad is' t for a soul to come down from Closet-prayer and be proud passionate envious or covetous And observe it then you are most in danger for then doth Satan tempt most and your hearts are then most apt to be secure conceited and carnally confident as though you had done enough and might now sit down and take your ease And having sweat at duty and suddenly cooling the gracious soul doth contract a dangerous surfeit and fall into a languishing condition Be jealous therefore of your selves when you have been with God in secret and have an eye upon the devil who is like a cheater who strikes in with a young heir when he hath newly received his rents and never leaves him till he hath eased him of his money Oh now walk warily and watchfully consider where you have been and do nothing contrary to your communion or profession Let it never be said of you as some are apt to say I wonder what such persons do so much alone unless they lived better and carried themselves after another order they pretend devotion but there 's little seen in their conversation they will talk as vainly live as wantonly be as hard and false in their way of trading and be as proud scornful perfidious and injurious as others are Ah Christians let it never be said thus at least give no occasion of such speeches Let the world see your Prayers have some efficacy that you get some strength in duties which you lay out in your practices SECT III. Further duties after Closet-Prayer 3. ANother duty after you have been with God in secret is To expect a seasonable return Stand upon your watch hearken what God will speak Vnto thee saith David will I direct my Prayer and will look up Psal 5.3 So do you Christians look up to see what becomes of your Prayers observe what answers God gives in It is an unmannerly mocking another Pilate-like to ask a question and expect no answer and is not this a gross soloecism in Religion to speak many things to God and expect no return 'T is certainly a great fault among Christians to pray and pray and never to consider or gather up the fruits of Prayer Is it not a strange piece of folly for men to be alwayes sowing and never to look for an harvest Surely Christians have more harvests than they are aware of Therefore Sirs observe how you reap take special notice of any thing that looks like a Return of Prayer examine it throughly gather something out of it catch at what comes from the King of Heaven as Benhadad's servants did by the King of Israels words and if there be but an hint lay it up make much of it improve it praise God for it and hope for more It is the negligence or unwarrantable modesty of some Christians to think that they can expect no fruit of their Prayers because of the imperfection of their duties forgetting Gods gracious Promise to upright-hearted seekers by remembring his strict Justice to such as seek him not in the due order But sirs you must so be humble as also to believe so deny your own righteousness as also to improve Christs intercession you are to renounce all conceits of merit in your selves and yet look up for mercy from God God hath graciously annexed his promise of acceptance to the performance of the condition and if God have assisted you to pray right for the main you may expect his audience 1 Joh. 1.9 2 Tim. 4.8 for God is faithful and merciful both in forgiving our iniquities and giving us mercies Gods answers are larger than our askings when we truly pray for a piece of bread God giveth a whole acre of Land as Luther saith and tells us That when his wife was sick he prayed to God that she might live Luth. Colloq mens fol. 245. so saith he He not only granted that request but also therewith he hath given us a goodly Farm at Zolfdorf and thereto hath blessed us with a fruitful year Instances of this sort are endless There 's never a sincere Prayer lost God always gives in returns only we either do not observe or mistake them and lose the comfort of them An answer of Prayer doth not alwayes come in the way we expect it we look for it at the fore-door and it comes in at the back-door and while we are still expecting the friend we look for he is in the house the mercy we desired is received only it comes in a way we thought not of and are therefore apt to overlook it Therefore take heed of confining God to your way or limiting him to your time That 's the third 4. Communicate your experiments And thereby commend this duty to others Thus David Come saith he and I will declare what he hath done for my soul Psal 66.16 This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him Psal 34.6 Do you as I have done and you shall speed as I have sped Do not mistake this I would not have you tell every one when you go to Closet-Prayer or when you have been at it that 's a Pharisaical blowing a Trumpet but you must at some times to such persons as you can confide in or that you have some grounded hopes of doing good to tell them your experiences for their direction and incouragement in this case acquaint them how God is wont to deal with your hearts what good you have found from God in that duty and you question not but upon a conscientious use thereof they may find the like advantage And this would be of singular use for hereby they have not only a rule for it but the exemplifying of it in a Precedent and we know Examples are of a prevailing nature Especially see that you put your families upon this practice Oh what a blessed thing were it if every person in several rooms of the House were at work with God in secret Prayer How bravely would that house be perfumed How well would the Trade of godliness thrive Surely such an House were a more blessed beautiful edifice than any Princes Palace under Heaven It 's the disposition of Gospel-penitents to mourn every family apart
will not practise it Your own mouths will condemn you What needs any more Witnesses But if you be real Saints I dare say you do approve of it and practise it sometimes and why are you not constant in your obedience Is it not the property of a Saint to do righteousness at all times Psal 106.3 Oh consider this and do not either neglect a command or omit this known duty 2. Would you not have the truth of grace cleared up in your souls Surely there 's no Christian but would arrive at Assurance and this is one way to evidence sincerity being much with God in secret duty As he grieves truly that grieves without witness Ille doâ—…t vere qui sine teste dolet so those religious actings are most evidential of grace that are least obvious to the view of men and whereby a Christian approves his heart only to the heart-searching God Here 's the true Israelite that can Rom. 2.28 with Jacob converse with God alone and seeks his praise not of men but of God Observe it a Christian ordinarily hath not that comfort in a duty exposed to others view which he hath in that he performs betwixt God and his own Soul For there 's most danger of selfishness in the former and more self-denial in the latter The wind of applause may blow men far in a creditable performance but humility and sincerity is most evident in secret Appeals to God Consider this Christians you run to Sermons Ministers good Books and take much pains to try your state by marks and signs make tryal of this more compendious course to clear your state be much with God in Closet-Prayer 3. Would you not be found in the practice of the power of godliness Oh then fall closs to Closet-Prayer Alas sirs hearing Sermons reading Scriptures discoursing religiously praying in the family may be done only for fashion sake and the person that doth them may have no more than the form of godliness Mistake me not I do not condemn the practice of these nor them that do them as formalists for that God forbid they are Scripture duties but the outward part of these may be done without the power of godliness but to struggle with a man 's own heart to wrestle with God in a Corner to meditate and give up a mans self to these duties as in the presence of God oh this shews something of the power of grace and life of holiness This is heart-work and that 's hard work costly duties spiritual exercises which is more than to offer God thousands of Rams or a first-born Son David would not offer that to God that cost him nothing and shall we be content with the ordinary duties which may be consistent with an easie plodding formality 4. Would you not have your hearts cased under pressing burdens Are you in love with your sorrows would you not be rid of them Behold I shew unto you an excellent way to get ease which is a recourse to God in secret Prayer I have heard some precious Christians say that when any thing hath lyen upon their hearts ready to overwhelm them they have run to God in a corner and there have left their load and thence have gone with good Hannah and have been no more sad And experience tells us that when any pressing affliction lies upon us if we can unbosom our selves to an intimate friend though not a word of counsel or comfort pass from him yet that opening of our hearts doth ease as vomiting doth an oppressed stomack And hence saith Job I will speak that I may be refreshed And Scripture backs this in Phil. 4.6 Be careful in nothing but in every thing make your requests known to God and unload your cares and fears into the bosom of God but how Why by Prayer and Supplication in Thanksgiving lay your load on God by Prayer and he will bear it 5. Would you not obtain boldness in access to God and familiarity with him Oh go often to God in Closet-Prayer Princes take more state upon them when conversing with their favourites before others but when none are present they open their hearts more familiarly to them I know Abraham saith God he and I are well acquainted he is my friend he visits me often and shall I hide any thing from Abraham I 'll take him to a side and tell him my whole heart so will God to you he will communicate much to you and you may say any thing to him you are not strangers to him but may come into his presence boldly and he will make you welcom Heb. 4.16 On the contrary what a dreadful thing will it be to have strange thoughts of God in duty or at death Strangeness betwixt God and a soul is a sad uncomfortable thing Wicked men are total strangers to God gracious souls little imployed in secret prayer are little acquainted with God and worship afar off but sincere souls conversing much with God in secret attain to abundance of intimacy with the Lord and is not that a mercy worth a World 6. Would you not have the sins of others to bring wrath and judgment on the place Oh then let your souls weep and pray in secret places as Jeremiah did Chap. 13.17 This is the last and safest way to be delivered from the guilt of open crying sins in the Land even a mourning for them in prayer before the Lord thus did Lot and David Paul and all Saints Yea Moses's solitary prayer interposed betwixt flaming wrath and offending Israel thus did he stand in the gap and you may make an attonement for the Nation a gift in secret may pacifie that wrath that 's already broken out against us Wicked men sin in secret let us mourn in secret yea they sin openly let us lament privately The truth is 2 Kings 17.9 secret sins may undo a Nation except the cry of the Saints secret prayers be louder than the cry of wicked mens secret sins Oh fall to it Arise cry out in the night in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord Lam. 2.19 7. Would you not have your own secret sins set in the light of God's countenance Psal 90.8 then repent and pray alone humble your souls in secret for your secret sins Are you not conscious to your selves of much secret guilt And doth not God expect that you should set your selves to mourn over them and cry to God for pardoning grace in secret Eccl. 12.13 Do you not know that God will bring every secret thing to light in the great day of accounts Nay God may punish you openly 2 Sam. 12.12 as he did David for his secret sin Well then anticipate that sad severe judgment by judging your selves and deprecating his righteous judgment I may say to thee Soul as Solomon bespeaks Shimei Thou knowest all the wickedness which thy heart is privy to and where are thy prayers and
tears and groanings in secret Oh sirs if others sins draw you not to secret Prayer let your own which may afford matter of abundant grief in your Closets and retirement 8. Would you not prevent and circumvent wicked mens secret plots Be sure then you undermine them by secret Prayer The Devil and the Pope have many closs and conclave consultations to undermine the Protestant Religion and to root out the name of Israel from under Heaven they are working under ground to do us mischief we have seen by the light of London's flames their hellish devices in their dark vaults Wicked men lye in wait secretly as a Lion in his den to catch the poor and murder the innocent Psal 10. Psal 64.1 2 4 5. 8 9. And now what course is to be taken for preventing these horrid designs Alas we have no other remedy but the ancient Christians weapons Prayers and Tears these may break their nets and blunt their weapons good Jeremiah knew not that they had devised devices against him but he reveals his cause to God in prayer and then God shews him their doings and prevents their attempts Jer. 11.18 19 20. Saints Closet-prayers may break wicked mens Closet-plots Fall closs then to this great duty 9. Would you not be condemned by the Heathens Chamber-Idolatry Oh then do you perform Chamber and Closet-Duties They had their Divos penetrales or Penates their Houshold-gods and Closet-images they had their opertanea and tenebrosa sacra their covered vailed and mysterious exercises in secret places And the Jews borrowed several mystical rites of the Heathens hence we read in Ezek. 8.12 of Chambers of imagery as the Papists at this day have their Crucifixes their petty-Chamber Closet deities where they drop their Beads and do homage to their Idols and shall these in their blind superstition condemn our irreligion Shall it be said of a devout Philosopher that in so many years he spoke more with the gods than with men And shall it be said of any of us that God even the true God is not in all our thoughts or so little in our lips at least in secret solemn addresses to him Let not poor ignorant Papists out-strip us in devotion Since there is such vast difference 10. Would you not be suitable to Gods dispensations When the Lord our God puts us to silence and into solitary places he expects that we should visit him there Cant. 2.14 Oh my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret place of the stairs i. e. in an afflicted persecuted and desolate condition Let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice i. e. in the duties of Prayer praise and Gospel-Ordinances For then was her voice sweet and countenance comely when they are cast out then doth God expect and entertain them And this advantage have Gods children had by privacy into which they were cast as we heard before of Jeremiah Chap. 15.15 So the afflicted Church Lam. 3.28 29. When she sitteth alone in solitariness then she putteth her mouth in the dust in fasting and prayer and so a particular person as there Now a man is at leisure for it While persons have their full imployment or enjoyments they are too busie but when persons are taken off other wayes 't is time to retire themselves and retreat to God The less comfort persons find in publick Ordinances the more serious must they be in Closet-performances that the loss may be supplied some way SECT II. Several Objections Answered T Is strange if our carnal hearts and cavilling spirits have not something to say against this difficult duty I shall therefore mention what Objections I can foresee may be made and briefly answer them 1. Obj. We pray in our families and is not that enough What needs all this ado Answ 1. This Objection cannot be made by all some have no Families to pray with but if thou dost pray in thy family 't is well there 's many graceless heads and prayerless houses Of which it may be said The fear of God is not in this place Oh the wrath that shall be poured out on such Families But suppose thou dost Family-prayer is one thing and Closet-prayer is another and let me tell thee God never made one duty to supersede another you must not justle out one work because you are bound to perform another Every thing is beautiful in its place and season Gods Commandments are exceeding broad and take in a great compass of duties You must worship God in your Houses that exempts you not from worshipping God in your Closets no more than in the publick Assemblies There 's equal commands for all necessity of all neglect any at your peril Besides I told you a Child of God hath a secret errand to his Father that it is not fit his family should know of and upon this account God hath appointed Closet-Prayer as tendering the credit of his people that they might not discover their spiritual nakedness to any but to that God who knows their secrets and will keep their counsel And I must tell thee Soul thou art very little sensible of thy spiritual state or wants if thou have nothing to say to God that thou wouldst not have others to hear 2. Obj. But I am a poor man and busie in my calling and cannot take so much time in Closet-Prayer I have other occasions Answ Friend hast thou any greater business than the affairs of thy soul let thy calling stand still rather than thy soul should be damned Cursed be those occasions that eat out Religion But consider you may follow both Callings if you be observant our general and particular callings must not interfere Clean creatures divided the hoof considerate Christians are such as rightly proportion works to their particular seasons A chief part of David's Arithmetick of numbring daies was in that which we call Division to cast the account of this our short life so as to divide the little total sum thereof into the several portions of time due for performing every duty in The hand-maid may not thrust out the Mistress nor the Shop have all and Chamber none of our time You are flat Atheists if you think Praying will hinder your work No no Nobis pietate peculâ—a Câ—escunt Mant. it blesseth and expediteth temporal affairs We use to say Meat and Mattins hinder no work Canst thou not get time for eating sleeping Yea dost thou not spend as much time in idleness and vain discourse as would be required every day for this duty If thou hadst an honest heart thou wouldst redeem time from thy meat or sleep or recreations for Prayer rather than neglect a duty or damn thy soul The truth is we complain we want time but we waste time There 's not the poorest Labourer but he mis-spends more time than Prayer-time comes to And why should any water be left off when there 's little enough in the channel to turn the Mill for or towards our
the more diligent he is to hinder the performance but must Satan be gratified rather than God glorified or thy soul edified Wilt thou give way to him Resist the devil and he will flee from thee think not thou canst perform a flesh-displeasing duty when Satan is quiet and doth not molest he will be busie to tempt when thou art going to thy God this is no new thing he will jog thy hand when thou art writing thy letter to thy Friend in Heaven think not to be more exempted than even thy Saviour himself he was set upon by the Devil in his solitary recesses in the wildernesse and oh the horrible nature of those temptations Mat. 4. When Joshua the High-Priest prayed Satan stood at his right hand to resist him but the issue was good God rebuk'd him Zech. 3.1 2. And thus he will do for thee he will tread Satan under thy feet and make thee a conqueror only when thou art annoyed with this foul spirit turn to thy God leave not thy work let not Satan take thee off duty then he hath attained his end fall closer to the work consider fasting and prayer cast out the devil Matt. 26.4 Eph 6.18 watching and prayer are preservatives from infection yea Prayer it self is a chief piece of a Christians Armour if you be beat off this you are routed this ingageth God for you without this you are but like other men and the Philistin will put out your eyes lead you captive and make sport of you stick close to this what ever you do though all the devils in hell roar upon you yet run to your God in Prayer they are sluggards or cowards that say there 's a Lion in the way when they are called out to hard service or difficult duty nay rather say as he once in an arduous undertaking Here 's a work fit for the spirit of an Alexander so here 's a duty that becomes a Christian to manage By your God you may run through a Troop and leap over a Wall But more of that anon 8. Obj. But I get no good by Closet-Prayer I have used it so long and still my heart is as cold hard dead as ever I will give over now Answ Is not this too like the language of those that say It is in vain to serve God Mal. 3.14 And are you like those Atheists that think Prayer is to no purpose I hope not You think it doth good to some but not to you Well what 's the reason Is it not because you do not pray aright Therefore search your selves see how you prayed mourn over your defects and mend the matter It 's true one who sees the Well dry breaks or throws away his Pitcher but Is God a barren wilderness Is it not good for you to draw near to God Were they ever ashamed that waited on him Hast not thou sometimes found benefit by secret Prayer God is good to the soul that seeks him try again you will not lose your labour be not weary of well-doing in due time you shall reap if you faint not let not your hands hang down let not your knees grow feeble the Text tells you your Father that sees in secret will reward you openly and dare you not trust him beyond sense and experience There may be more advantage by this dutie than you are aware of you shall not yet know the profit you have by secret Prayer you must keep on in a patient continuance in well-doing and not give over till you receive a full reward but oh take heed of giving over prayer because you think you want present profiâ— You cannot do Satan greater service or your souls more prejudice But more of this anon 9. Obj. But I am weak in parts and know not what to say Fain I would but alas I cannot open my wants to God in Prayer I want gifts abilities Answ I am glad to hear thee thus complain thou art fitter for praying when thou canst lie under the sense of thy inabilitie to pray that 's an useful disposition in dutie But thou saist thou canst not pray then I 'll tell thee what to do Go thy waies alone and fall down upon thy knees and plainly tell the Lord thou canst not pray and intreat him to help thee by his blessed Spirit which he hath promised to them that ask it tell the Lord that thou canst not think a good thought or speak a good word without that blessed Spirit but it shall help thine infirmities and teach thee what to say oh beg hard for that holy Spirit and then let some means be used to get matter of Prayer you know it consists of confession of sin petition for good things deprecation of evil and thanksgiving for mercies Well then sit down and think with thy self what sins thou art guilty of original or actual of omission or commission this is too too fruitful a subject take them home tell God of them by ingenious confession Then bethink thy self what thou wantest at the hands of God as Pardon Grace Peace Heaven and begg these consider also what thou art afraid of as guilt strength effects of sin Gods wrath Satans malice and desire the Lord to prevent and remove these for Christ's sake And lastly recollect what mercies thou hast had from God and reckon them up to God with expressions of thankfulness Do this with plainness and seriousness heed not so much for exact method or fine phrases the gilt of the key makes it not open the door a jot the better and a Prayer doth not work upon God any rather because of the neat language therein but unbosome thy self plainly and seriously before thy God and thou shalt find present assistance and acceptance and future inlargement and incouragement Be honest though never so homely in Prayer 10. Obj. But I like not this stir it 's an hard and difficult work I would rather do any thing than this my spirit is wonderful averse to it say what you will it will not down with me to make all this ado in Closet-Prayer it 's pretty fair if I can keep up such duties as Church and Family require Answ This is the pleading of flesh and blood this is the bottom of the former objections I expected this all along if the tongue speak not thus the heart doth let a duty be pressed never so home a carnal heart will make some evasions though the mouth be stopped yet a cavilling heart will have something to say against a spiritual duty And if it cannot be mad with reason it grows mad without reason and against Scripture 'T is easier to bring arguments to convince the judgement than to draw the will and affections to a through obedience But soul wilt thou plead for Baal Wilt thou take the devils part and yield to carnal reason or wilt thou baulk any divine commands to gratifie a lazie humour or a base lust God forbid methinks if thou canst not obey as thou ought'st yet
affected with the sweetness of pardoning grace and ardently pleads with God for acceptance again when the graces of the Spirit are acted in the duty as an holy awe and fear of God faith love humility zeal and fervency and a willingness to forgive others as well as to be forgiven by the Lord Lastly a soul may know when it hath communion with God by the consequences of duty as when the Christian is more vile in his own eyes as Abraham was gives God all the glory sees and bewails his defects in greatest inlargements when the spirit is left in a better frame and fitter to bear crosses and perform after-duties c. I do but hint these things 4. Case Suppose I have prayed and prayed and find not my heart affected 't is dead dull distracted I do no good get no good in duty I fear I offend God What shall I do Ans Such a case is sad yet consider 1. It may be the case of gracious hearts David was so depressed and troubled that he could not speak Psal 77.3 4. Gods best Children are sometimes out of frame their spirits unfit for duty 2. A total neglect will not mend the matter nor help the frame of your hearts one sin will never cure another running from the fire is not the way to be warm your hearts will not be better but worse by forbearance omission indisposeth 3. Who knows but God may come in the next time Keep upon the Royal Exchange still ply the oars give God no rest gratifie not Satan by neglect Tradesmen keep their Markets though for small gains you 'l get something at last worth your pains they never were ashamed that have waited on him The issue will be good 4. God may graciously accept thy obedience though thou have not sweet inlargement the obedience is thine the inlargement God's he is a free Agent and works when he pleaseth he loves to see poor souls tug and struggle with their own hearts though they can get little forward yet they would be better and do better The Father takes it well when the Child is striving to obey him though it fall very far short He sees the Spirit is willing though the flesh be weak and accepts of upright endeavours Nay observe it a Christians conscientious attendance upon God without inlargements may be more acceptable to God than when he hath the sweetest inlargements because there is most obedience in those duties but in the other a Christian is as it were hired to performances by the Earnest-peny of inlargements Oh 't is a brave thing to persevere in duty under discouragements he that can trade when times are so dead that all his wares lye upon his hand yet trades more surely his stock is great So 't is an evidence of much Faith Love Sincerity when the Soul can maintain this Heavenly Trade when his sensible incomes are small Yet when God thus withdraws from you you must deeply lay it to heart inquire the cause make your peace with him and ply the Throne of Grace with greater importunity Thus much briefly for these Cases of Consciences And now beloved friends I have dispatcht this Subject concerning Closet-prayer What remains but that we should all fall closs to the constant practice of this duty What do Ministers preach Sermons or print Books for Is it to be seen and heard in publick Is it to be applauded Or is it not rather to do good to peoples souls And can people get any good by hearing a sound of words or a complemental reading what is written Is there not something else required of you now even a setting about the conscientious practice of what is before you What say you sirs to this Point Is Closet-Prayer a Christian duty or is it not If it be not why doth Christ direct us to the right manner of performance and assure us that our Father will reward it openly Will God reward any thing but commanded duty There 's no question but 't is a duty I challenge any man to disprove it now and to stand to his assertion another day before the God of Heaven But I think none will deny it to be a duty and sirs dare any man that professeth Religion live in the gross neglect of plain duty Do you think it 's fit it should be done and will you not do it Shall your own tongues be brought in as witnesses against your selves Will you be like that Son that said I go sir but went not Shall God wait your leisure and you 'l not give him a visit Will you go into your Closets to make up your accounts And will you not reckon streight betwixt God and your Souls Dare you go from day to day under the guilt of a known sin If you do not what you have read this Book will flie in the face of conscience another day But I am most afraid lest Christians trifle about this work and shuffle it off after any fashion and so put off God with a meer outside performance to pacifie conscience without that warmth and life we should have in our Closets 'T is recorded of Luther that he prayed every day three hours and even then when his spirits were most lively Per tres horas easq ad studia aptissimas Nor were his Closet-Prayers dull careless heartless be so fervent and ardent saith Melancthon that they which stood under his window where he stood praying might see his tears falling and dropping down Oh but where is this zeal and ardency in our secret devotion Are we not ready to drop asleep even upon our knees Alas how formal are we The fire of God is wanting in our sacrifices Nay do we not take Gods Name in vain many times and know not what we say Oh why do we thus forget Gods omnipresence and omniscience Doth not he know our hearts And should not we approve our selves to God in our Closets Yea doth not Satan stand under our Closet-window or rather at our Elbow and hears what we say to God in our Closets If you take not notice of your mistakes in Closet-Prayer Satan doth and takes advantage by them Indeed I have heard some make this a scruple whethey should in secret confess heart-sins lest Satan should be acquainted with what he knew not before and so be furnishd with matter to accuse them of but an ingenious confession prevents Satans accusation because we have a promise of remission annexed thereunto Rom. 8.33 And who shall lay any thing to the charge of justified persons He hath little reason to take your confessions and dash them in your teeth since that was both the means and evidence of pardon But if you fear that you may do as Hannah in Prayer speak in your hearts and then Satan cannot tell what you say but your God doth However neglect not the duty for this you may be sure that Satan will catch more advantage by omission or negligent performance than by an ingenuous acknowledgment of heart-sins though he do hear you Sirs Awake to righteousness Rouze up your selves to the work put not off God or conscience with a negative answer you may as well say Nay as pretend and promise to do it and not perform fall to the practice of it therefore this day there 's danger in delays if you do it not to day you 'l be more unfit to morrow At this instant fall upon thy knees beg a blessing upon this book for the good of thy soul and others look upon Closet-Prayer as thy priviledge as well as thy duty 'T is a mercy thou mayst go to God as often as thou wilt and for what thou needest 'T is no small favour that God hath allowed thee the use of this privy Key to open Heaven-gates when thou hast not the more publick key of others help in Prayer yet this is thy incouragement Thy Father that sees in secret will reward thee openly I shall shut up all with a piece of Herberts Poetry called Artillery AS I one Evening sate before my cell Methought a Star did shoot into my lap I rose and shook my cloaths as knowing well That from small fires comes oft no small mishap When suddenly I heard one say Do as thou usest disobey Expel good motions from thy brest Which have the face of fire but end in rest I who had heard of Musick in the Sphears But not of speech in Stars began to muse But turning to my God whose Ministers The Stars and all things are if I refuse Dread Lord said I so oft my good Then I refuse not even with blood To wash away my stubborn thought For I will do or suffer what I ought But I have also Stars and Shooters too Born where thy Servants both Artilleries use My Tears and Prayers night and day do woe And work up to thee yet thou dost refuse Not but I am I must say still Much more oblig'd to do thy will Than thou to grant mine but because Thy promise now hath even set Thee Laws Then we are shooters both thou dost deign To enter combate with us and contest With thine own clay But I would parley fain Shun not my Arrows and behold my brest Yet if thou shunnest I am thine I must be so if I am mine There is no articling with thee I am but finite yet thine infinitely FINIS
CLOSET-PRAYER A Christian Duty OR A TREATISE UPON MAT. VI. VI. Tending to prove that the Worship of God in Secret is the indispensible duty of all Christians both by sundry Examples and Arguments TOGETHER With a severe rebuke of Christians for their neglect of or negligence in the duty of Closet-Prayer And many Directions for the managing thereof Exhortations to it Objections answered Cases of Conscience cleared By O. HETWOOD Minister of the Gospel Jer. 13.17 But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride and mine eye shall weep sore and run down with tears because the Lords Flock is carried away captive â—â—ndon Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and â—…ce Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside 1671. There is of this Author two other Books Printed 1. Heart-Treasure from Mat. 12.35 2. The sure Mercies of David Explained and Applied in several Sermons from Isa 55.3 The Epistle to the Reader Especially to the strict and serious Professor of Christianity Christian Friend THE power of Godliness is much spoken of but I am afraid very rarely to be found amongst even famous professors Most content themselves with external visible duties which Formalists may carry on with as much seeming zeal and applause as sincere worshippers A formal spirit is the disease of the present day The beams of Gospel-light in the late noon-tyde-dispensations have so far extracted an assent to fundamental truths and the necessity of some practical duties that 't is a shame in some places not to have a form of Godliness Many will be found Orthodox in their judgments and externally conformable in their practises yet without a principle of Grace in their hearts or the life of Religion in their lives in the day of accounts witness the foolish Virgins Thousands do finally miscarry besides the grosly prophane Some go to hell with a candle in their hands Christ's Colours in their hats his Word in their mouths and in the habit of Religion Every one is not a Saint that looks like one a painted picture makes a fair shew but wants life A Formalist will be comely indeed if animated with the truth of grace But the leaven of hypocrise spoyls many good duties This was that leaven of the Pharisees that sowred their prayers and rendred them distastful to God They made Religious duties a stage to act vain glory upon their Prayers had a thick shell and little kernel Our Saviour would not have the Saints like them Christs Disciples must do some singular thing more than others Their righteousness must go beyond that of the Scribes and Pharisees Sincerity is that spirit and life that is to run through Religion else it is a Body without a Soul or Cloaths without the Man This is the chief drift of our Saviours teaching and main design of Gospel-commands to render Professors sincere and spiritual approving their hearts to God in Evangelical performances I have many times bewailed the condition of those who are very busie in Externals of Religion abroad and are grosly negligent of the main Essentials at home They are like those who are propping up some remote members of their body while their Vitals are wasting in a languishing Consumption These are like a Man in a Feaver his face and hands burn but his heart shakes and quivers for cold These I may call Pepper-professors hot in the mouth but cold at the stomack There are thousands in the World will run many miles to hear a Sermon will countenance the best Preachers will read the Scriptures and good Books will pray in their families yea keep days of Fasting and Prayer with others that yet will not set about heart-work and flesh-displeasing duties of mortifying beloved lusts loving forgiving and praying for enemies yea that will not set themselves solemnly to the duties of Meditation Self-examination and secret Prayer The Vessel will not stir except the wind of applause blow the sails these are like the Nightingale in the wood of which it is recorded that she sings most sweetly when she thinks any is near her An Hypocrite can pray best when taken notice of by men you shall seldom see him at work with his heart in a Closet he is of the mind of those carnal persons of Christs natural kindred Joh. 7.4 who said to Christ If thou do these things shew thy self to the World for saith the Text ver 5. Neither did his brethren believe in him q. d. Such as carry on duties or counsel others to such undertakings as may expose them to publick view for ostentation declare plainly they want true grace which makes persons Jews inwardly Whose circumcision is of the heart in the Spirit whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.29 The main trade of a Christian is his Home-trade as one saith Jurnal Christian Armour Chap. 12. Sect. 3. p. 304. which is spent in secret betwixt God and his own soul here he drives an unknown Trade he is at Heaven and home again richly laden in his thoughts with heavenly meditations before the World knows where he hath been The consideration of these things hath ingaged me to spend some thoughts concerning this great and much neglected Duty of Closet Prayer which when I had delivered and several had got Copies thereof it was judged fit for the Press some hopes conceived of its further usefulness I perused it again and methodized it into this form and communicated my thoughts to some concerning the publication of it A friend gave me notice there was a Book extant upon the same Subject which I enquired after and found one of Mr. Brooks on the same Text That Book I look'd over and was ready to think it would save me a labour but upon second thoughts I considered that this might fall into some hands that that would not that several men writing on the same Subject may be useful is ordinary that our Method and most of our Matter is different for I had finish'd mine before I saw the other except two or three leaves in the close Besides that the other is larger this a small Piece and more portable as a pocket-book or Vade mecum let it be then a short Appendix to that excellent Piece I am heartily glad any of Gods servants have set themselves to promote this part of practical piety 't is an excellent design and I am well assuâ—… if Christians were more in their Closets with God their own souls would thrive better and things would succeed better abroad Mr. Rogers being silenced from publick work desired his Hearers to spend that time they were want to come to his Lecture in in serious Prayer and Meditation in their Closets and he was confident Satan would be a loser and their souls gainers by that providence And this I can affirm that if persons would spend part of that time in secret Prayer they take to run abroad to Sermons in they would be better proficients Not but that hearing