Father While the child is in the womb it cannot cry but as soon as it is born it cries Whilst Paul did lie in the womb of his natural estate he could not pray but no sooner was he born of the spirit but the next news is Behold he prayeth Acts. 9. 11. Prayer is nothing but the turning of a mans inside outward before the Lord. The very soul of prayer lyes in the pouring out of a mans soul into the bosome of God Prayer is nothing but the breathing that out before the Lord that was first breath'd into us by the spirit of the Lord Prayer is nothing but a choice a free a sweet and familiar intercourse of the soul with God Certainly it is a great work of the Spirit to help the Saints to pray Gal. 4. 6. Because you are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father God hath no still-born children The Gemination Abba Father notes fiduciall filial and vehement affection The first is an Pareus Hebrew or Syriack word the Second a Greek whereby is signified the union of the Hebrews and Grecians or the Jews and Gentiles in one Church Abba Father What is Abba say others in Hebrew Father and it is added because in Christ the corner stone both peoples are joyned alike becoming sons whence soever they come circumcision from one place whereupon Abba uncircumcision from another whereupon father is named The concord of the walls being the glory of the corner stone The word Abba say others signifies Father in the Syriack Tongue which the Apostle here retaineth because it is a word full of affection which young children retain almost in all Languages when they begin to speak And he adds the word Father not only to expound the same but also the better to express the eager movings and the earnest and vehement desires and singular affection of beleevers in their crying unto God even as Christ himself redoubled the Mark 14. 36. word Father to the same purpose when he was in his greatest distress This little word Father saith Luther lisped forth in prayer by a Child of God exceeds the eloquence of Demosthenes Cicero and all other so famed Orators in the World 'T is certain that the Spirit of God helps the Saints in all their communions with God viz. in their meditations of God in their reading and hearing of the Word of God in their communions one with another and in all their solemn addresses to God And as to this the Apostle gives us a most special instance in that Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered When we are to pray there is in us sometimes an infirmity of ignorance so that we know not what to pray for either in regard of the matter or the manner And there is in us at other times an infirmity of pride and conceitedness so that we cannot pray with that humility and lowliness of spirit as we should spiritual pride having fly-blown our prayers Sometimes there is in us an infirmity of deadness dullness drowsiness c. so that we cannot pray with that warmth heat life spirit and fervency as we should or as we would and at other times there is in us an infirmity of unbelief and slavish fears so that we cannot pray with that faith and holy boldness as becomes Children that draw near to a Throne of Grace to a Throne of Mercy c. But now the Spirit helps these infirmities by way of instruction prompting and teaching us what to pray for and how we should spell our lesson and by telling us as it were within what we should say and how we should sigh and groan and by rousing and quickening and stirring of us up to prayer and by his singular influence and choice assistance opening and enlarging our hearts in prayer and by his tuning the Strings of our affections he prepares us and fits us for the work of Supplication And therefore every one that derides the Spirit of prayer in the Saints saying these are the men and the women that pray by the Spirit blaspheme against the holy Spirit it being a main work of the Spirit to teach the Saints to pray and to help them in prayer Now all the Saints having the Spirit and the Spirit being a Spirit of prayer and supplication there is no reason in the world why a Saint should say I would pray in secret but I can't pray I can't pour out my soul nor my complaint before the Lord in a corner Sixthly and lastly Thou sayest thou canst not pray thou hast not the gifts and parts which others have But thou canst mannage thy callings thy worldly businesse as well as others and why then canst thou not pray as well as others Ah friends did you but love private prayer as well as you love the world and delight in private prayer as much as you delight in the world and were your hearts as much set upon closet prayer as they are set upon the world you would never say you could not pray yea you would quickly pray as well as others 't is not so much from want of ability to pray in secret that you don't pray in secret as 't is from want of a will a heart to pray in secret that you don't pray in secret Jacobs love to Rachel and Sechems love to Dina carried Gen. 29. ch 34. them through the greatest difficulties Were mens affections but strongly set upon private prayer they would quickly find abilities to pray He that sets his affections upon a Virgin though he be not learned nor eloquent will find words enough to let her know how his heart is taken with her The application is easie He in Seneca complained of a Thorn in his foot when his Lungs was rotten So many complain of want of ability to pray in their closets when their hearts are rotten Sirs do but get better hearts and then you will never say you can't pray 'T is one of the saddest sights in all the world to see men strongly parted and gifted for all worldly businesses to cry out that they can't pray that they have no ability to pour out their souls before the Lord in secret You have sufficient parts and gifts to tell men of your sins your wants your dangers your difficulties your mercies your deliverances your duties your crosses your losses your enjoyments your friends your foes and why then are you not ashamed to complain of your want of parts and gifts to tell those very things to God in a corner which you can tell to men even upon the house-top c. But Fourthly Some may further object and say God is very well acquainted with all our wants necessities straits tryals and there is no moving of him to bestow any favours upon us which he
tribulation Rom. 5. 3 4. And not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope Grace alwayes thrives most when Saints are under the Rod. When Christians are under the Rod then their graces do not only bud but blossome and bring forth fruit as Aarons Rod did The Mum. 17. 8 snuffing of the Candle makes it burn the brighter God beats and bruises his links to make them burn the brighter he bruises his spices to make them send forth the greater Aromatical savour Bernard compares Afflictictions to the Tezel which though it be starp and scratching it is to make the Cloath more pure and fine The Jews were alwayes best when they were in an afflicted condition Well-waters arising from deep springs are hotter in the winter than they are in the summer Stars shine brightest in the darkest nights Vines grow the better for bleeding and Gold looks the brighter for scowring Juniper smels sweetest when in the fire Cammomile the more you tread it the more you spread it O Sirs this is a real and a rare truth but seldome thought on viz. that God will sometimes more carry on the growth and improvement of grace by a cross by an affliction than by an ordinance James 1. 3 4. James 4. 8 9. Afflictions ripen the Saints graces 2 Cor. 1. 5. First or last God will make every Rod yea every twig in every Rod to be an Ordinance to every afflicted Saint By Afflictions God many times revives quickens and recovers the decayed graces of his People By Afflictions God many times enflames that love that is cold and he strengthens that faith that is failing and he puts life into those hopes that are languishing and new spirits into those joyes and comforts that are withering and dying Musk say some when it hath lost its sweetness if it be put into the sink amongst filth it recovers its sweetnâ—â—â— again So doth smart afflictions recover and revive our decayed graces I have read a story of a Sexton that went into the Church at night to rob a woman who had been buried the day before with a Gold ring upon her finger according to her desire now when he had opened the Grave and Coffin and loosed the sheet he fell a rubbing and chafing her finger to get off the Gold Ring and with rubbing and chafing of it her spirits returned she having been but in a swoon before and she revived and lived many years after Smart Afflictions are but the rubbing and chafing of our graces The smarting Rod abaseth the loveliness of the world that might entice us it abates the Iustiness of the flesh within that might incite us to vanity and folly and it abets the spirit in his quarrel to the two former All which tend much to the recovering and reviving of decayed graces But The Sixth end to which the Rod serves that is to try the child to make a discovery of the spirit of the child Some Parents never see so much of the badness of the spirits of their Children as they do when they bring them under the Rod and other Parents never see so much of the goodnesse of the spirits of their Children as they do when they chastise them with the Rod 'T is so here when God afflicts some O the pride the stoutness the crosness the hardness the peevishness and stubborness of spirit that they Exod. 5. 2. Jer. 44. 15 16 17 18 19. discover Isa 1. 5. Jer. 5. 3. When he afflicts others O the murmuring the roaring the complaining the howling the fretting the vexing and the Amos 4. 6 13. quarrelling spirit that they discover Num. 14. 27 29 36. Deut. 1. 27. Isa 58. 3 4. Isa 59. 11. Hos 7. 14 15. Jon. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 8 9. Sometimes when God afflicts his dearest People O what a spirit of Faith what a spirit of Prayer what a spirit of Love what a spirit of Patience what a spirit of meekness what a spirit of humbleness what a spirit of submissiveness do they discover Job 13. 15. 2 Chron. 1. 2 3 4 5 6 12. Isa 26. 16 17. Hos 5. 14 15. Job 1. 20 21 22. Lev. 10. 1 2 3. 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 Kings 20. 16 17 18 19. And at other times when God afflicts his poor People O what a spirit of unbelief what a spirit of slavish fear what a spirit of impaciency what a spirit of displeasedness c. do they discover Gen. 15. 2 3. Gen. 12. 13 19. Gen. 20. 2 5. Gen. 26. 7 8 9 10 11. Psal 31. 22. Psal 116 11. 1 Sam. 21. 10 11 12 13 14 15. Job 3. 3 13. Jer. 20. 14 15 16 17 18. By smart Afflictions God tryes the graces of his People and discovers what is in the spirits of his People Deut. 8. 2. Psal 66. 10 11. Rev. 3. 18. 1 Pet 1. 6 7. The fire tryes the Gold as well as the Touch-stone Diseases try the Art of the Physitian and Tempests try the skill of the Pilot. Every smarting Rod is a Touch-stone both to try our graces and to discover our spirits Prudent Fathers will sometimes cross their Children to try to discover the dispositions of their Children Heb. 12. 5 21. And so doth the Father of Spirits deal sometimes with his Children The manner of the Psylli which are a kind of People Plin. lib. 28 of that temper and constitution that no Venom will hurt them is this if they suspect any Child to be none of their own they set an Adder upon it to sting it and if it cry and the flesh swell they cast it away as a spurious issue but if it do not quatch nor cry nor is never the worse for it then they account it for thei own and make very much of it The Application is easie But The seventh and last end of the Rod Is to prepare fit the Isa 48. 10. chastised for greater services favours and mercies Many a Child and many a servant had never been so fit for eminent services as they are had they not been under a smarting Rod. 'T is very usual with God to cast men into very great Afflictions and to lay them under grievous smarting Rods that so he may prepare and fit them for some high and eminent services in this world Joseph had never been so fit to be Governour Gen. 41. 40 41 42 43 44. of Egypt and to preserve the visible Church of God alive in the World if he had not been sold into Egypt if his feet had not been hurt in the Gen. 45. 7 8. stocks and if the Irons had not entred into his soul Nor Moses had never been so fit to be a Leader and a Deliverer of Israel as he was if he had Gen. 50. 20. not been banished Fourty Yeares in the Wilderness before Nor Davids Crown had never sat so well nor so close nor so long on his head as
what temptations a day may bring forth no man knows what liberty a day may bring forth no man knows what bonds a day may bring forth no man knows what good success a day may bring forth no man knows what bad success a day may bring forth and therefore a man had need be every day in his closet with God that he may be prepared and fitted to entertain and improve all the occurrences successes and emergencies that may attend him in the course of his life And let thus much suffice for answer to this first Objection But Object 2. Secondly others may Obiect and say Sir we grant that Private Prayer is an indispensible duty that lies upon the people of God but we are servants and we have no time that we can call our own and our masters business is such as will not allow us any time for private prayer and therefore we hope we may be excused Sol. 1. First the Text is indefinite and not limited to any sort or rank of Private prayer is a duty that lieth upon Saints as Saints persons whether high or low rich or poor bond or free servant or master But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut the door pray to thy Father which is in secret Here are three thou's thou thou thou which are to be understood indefinitely thou servant as well as thou master thou bond-man as well as thou free-man thou poor man as well as thou rich man thou maid as well as thou mistress thou child as well as thou father thou wife as well as thou husband Private prayer is an indispensible duty that lies upon all sorts and ranks of persons A man may as well say that that Pronoun Tu thou that runs through the ten Commandments Thou shalt have no other Exod. 20. 3 18. gods before me Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them nor serve them Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain Six dayes shalt thou labour Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit Adultery Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man servant nor his maid servant nor his oxe nor his ass nor any thing that is thy neighbours c. relates to the rich and not to the poor to masters and not to servants to the free and not to them that are in bonds c. as he may say that the three thou's in the Text relates to the rich and not to the poor to masters and not to servants to those that are free but not to those that are bound but certainly there is no man in his wits that will say so that will affirm such a thing Doubtless this Pronoune Thou reacheth every man of what rank or quality soever he be in this world But Secondly I answer That the first the third the fourth the fifth the sixth the seventh and the eighth Answers that are given to the first Objection are here very applicable and O that all masters and servants were so wise so serious and so ingenious as to lay all those answers warm on their own hearts It might be a means to prevent much sin and to bespeak masters and mistresses to give their pious servants a little more time to lift up their hearts to Christ in a corner But Thirdly I answer If thou art a servant that hast liberty to choose a new Master thou wert better remove Psal 84. 10 Psal 120. 5. thy station than live under such a masters roof who is such an enemy to God to Christ to Religion to himself and to the eternal welfare of thy poor soul as that he will not give thee half an hours time in a day to spend in thy chamber thy closet though the glory of God the good of his own family and the everlasting happiness of thine own soul is concerned in it 'T is better for thee to shift thy master than to neglect thy duty 1 Cor. 7. 21. Art thou called being a servant care not for it but if thou mayest be made free use it rather Justinus the second Fmperours Motto was Libertas res inestimabilis Liberty is unvaluable We lost our liberty by sin and we affect nothing more than liberty by nature The Rabins say of Liberty That if the Heavens were Parchment the Sea Inke and every pile of Grass a Pen the praises of it could not be comprized nor expressed Labans house was full of Idols great houses are often so Jacobs tent was little but the true worship of God was in it 'T is infinitely better to live in Jacobs tent than in Labans house 'T is best being with such Masters where we may have least of sin and most of God where we may have the most helps the best examples and the choisest encouragements to be holy and happy The religious servant should be as careful in the choice of his master as the religious master is careful in the choice of his servant Gracious servants are great blessings to the families where they live and that master may well be called the unhappy master who will rather part with a gracious servant than spare him a little time in a day to pour out his soul before the Lord in a corner But Fourthly I answer If thou art a gracious servant then thou art spirited and principled by God to that very purpose that thou mayest cry Abba Father when thou art Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 6. 19. 2 Tim. 1. 14. alone when thou art in a corner and no eye seeth thee but his who seeth in secret If thou are a gracious servant then thou hast received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now he that hath this tree of life he hath also the fruit that grows upon this tree Gal. 5. 22 23. But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance c. Now grace is called not the works of the Spirit but the fruits of the Spirit 1. Because all grace is derived from the Spirit as the fruit is derived from the root And 2. To note the pleasantness and delightfulness of grace for what is more pleasant and delightful than Cant. 4. 16. Chap. 6. 2. sweet and wholesome fruits 3. To note the profit and advantage that doth redown to them that have the Spirit for as many grow rich by the fruits of their gardens and orchards so many grow rich in grace in holiness in comfort in spiritual experiences by the fruits of the Spirit Now why hath God given thee his Spirit and why hath he laid into thy soul a stock of supernatural graces but that thou mayest be every way qualified disposed and fitted for private prayer and to
the Saints all things that is First He teacheth them all things needful for the salvation of their souls all things necessary to bring John 17. 3. them to heaven Secondly All things needful to life and godlyness 2 Pet. 1. 3. Thirdly all things needful to their places callings sexes ages and conditions Fourthly All things needful for you to know to preserve you in the truth and to preserve you from being deluded and seduced by those false teachers of whom he speaks vers 18 19 22 23 26. And certainly this is the main thing that John hints at in that expression The all things spoken of in Vers 27. according to the ordinary Scripture style must necessarily be interpreted only of all those things which are there spoken of But Sixthly They are all comforted by the Spirit Acts. 9. 31. They John 14. 16 26. and Chap. 15. 26. and Chap. 16. 7. walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and driâ—k but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy-Ghost 1 Thes 1. 6. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy of the holy-Ghost Not that all Christians have alwayes actual comfort or actual joy O no For as the Air is sometimes clear sometimes cloudy and as the Sea is sometimes ebbing sometimes flowing so the comforts and joyes of the people of God are sometimes ebbing and sometimes flowing sometimes clear and sometimes cloudy Hudson the Martyr being deserted at the stake went from under his chain and having prayed earnestly was comforted immediatly and suffered valiantly So Mr. Glover the Martyr was deserted in Prison but as he was going to the stake he lookt back and cried out to his friend He is come he is come meaning the Comforter and so he laid down his life with joy Rachel wept and would not be comforted she gave so much way to weeping that she would not give the least way to comfort and so 't is many times with the choicest Saints My soul refused to be comforted Psal 77. 2. 'T is not my purpose at present to insist on the several wayes whereby the people of God refuse comfort and fall short of those strong consolations which God is willing that they should receive The Sun may operate where it doth not shine and a man may be in a state of salvation and yet want consolation a man may fear the Isa 50. 10. 2. Lord and obey the voice of his servant and yet walk in darkness and see no light There is no Christian but may sometime have trouble in his conscience and grief in his heart and tears in his eyes and fears and questionings in his soul whether God be his Father and whether Christ be his Redeemer whether Mercy belongs to him yea whether any Promise in the Book of God belongs to him c. Joy and comfort are those dainties Psal 30. 6 7. those sweet-meets of heaven that God doth not every day feast his people with every day is not a wedding day nor every day is not a harvest day nor every day is not a summers day The fatted Calf is Luke 15. 22 23. Eccl. 3. 4. Rom. 12. 15. not kil'd every day nor the Robe the Ring is not every day put on every day is not a festival day nor a dancing day As there is a time to sing so there is a time to sigh as there is a time to laugh so there is a time to weep and as there is a time to dance so thereis a time to mourn All tears will never be clear wip'd from our eyes till all sinbe quite taken out of our hearts But notwithstanding all this yet gracious â—ouls have alwayes sure and choice grounds of consolation they have the promises they have the first fruits of the Spirit they have union with Christ and they have right to eternal life though they have not alwayes sensible comforts The Job 13. 15. Psal 42. 5. children of God have alwayes cause to exercise faith and hope on God in their darkest condition though they have not alwayes actual joy and consolation The comforter alwayes abides with the Saints though he doth not alway actually comfort the Saints John 14. 16. The Spirit many times carryes on his sanctifying work in the soul when he doth not carry on his comforting work in the soul the Spirit many times acts in a way of humiliation when he doth not act in a way of consolation the Spirit many times fills the soul with Godly sorrow when he doth not fill the soul with holy joy The actings of the Spirit as to his comforting work are all of his own soveraign will and pleasure and therefore he may abide in the soul when he doth not actually comfort the soul But Seventhly The people of God These words saith Zanchy are a inetaphor taken from Merchants who having bâ—ught goods seal them as their own and so transport them to other places Eph. 4. 24. first or last are sealed by the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed by the holy Spirit of promise The nature of sealing consists in the imparting of the image or Character of the Seal to the thing sealed To seal a thing is to stamp the character of the Seal on it Now the Spirit of God doth really and effectually communicate the image of God to us which image consists in righteousness and true holiness Then are we truly sealed by the Spirit of God when the holy Ghost stamps the image of grace and holiness so obviously so evidently upon the soul as that the soul sees it feels it and can run and read it then the soul is sealed by the holy Spirit So Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption The Person of the Holy-Ghost is here set forth in the Greek with a very great energy such as our Tongue is not able fully to express Here are three words that have three Articles every word his several Article by it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit not a Spirit and not holy but the holy nor of God but of that God 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts In these Scriptures you see that the Spirit is a seal Now a seal among men is First For secresie Secondly For distinction Thirdly For authority Fourthly For certainty A writing sealed is authentick and for ensureing In the three Texâ—s last cited if you compare them together you may observe these Six things First The Person sealing and that is the Father Secondly In whom in Christ Thirdly With what seal the Spirit of Promise Where are all the Persons in the Trinity making us sure of our inheritance Fourthly When after ye believed Fifthly
The End which is twofold 1. Subordinate and that is the certainty of our salvation 2. Ultimate and that is the praise of his glory Sixthly The Time how long this seal and earnest shall thus assure us and that is till we have the compleat possession of what it is an earnest To prevent mistakes and disputes about the Sealings of the Spirit on the one hand and to support comfort and encourage the poor people of God on the other hand let me briefly hint at the Spirits â—pecial sealing times As First Conversion times are often the Spirits sealing times Luke 15. 22 23. Upon the Prodigals return the fatted Calf is killed and the best Robe is put upon his back and the Ring is put upon his hand and shooes on his feet Some by the Robe understand the Royalty of Adam others the Righteousness of Christ And by the Ring some understand the pledges of Gods love Rings being given as pledges of love and by the Ring others understand the seal of Gods holy Spirit men useing to seal with their Rings Among the Romans the Ring was an ensigne of vertue honour and nobility whereby they that wore them were distinguished from the common people I think the main thing intended by the Robe and the Ring is to shew us that God sometimes upon the sinners conversion and returning to him is graciously pleased to give him some choice manifestations of his gracious pleasure and good-will and to seal up to him his everlasting love and favour And hence it comes to pass that some that are but babes in Christ are 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. 1. John 2. 12 13 14. Acts 9. 3 4 5 6. so diligent and active in religious duties and so consciencious and dexterous in the exercise of their Graces At first conversion God helps some of his people to read their own names written in legible letters in the Book of Life No sooner are some converted but the Spirit stamps his seale upon them Secondly Beleeving times are sealing times Ephes 1. 13. When they were in the very exercise of their faith when they were acting Rom. 15. 1 Pet. 1. 8. of their faith for so much the Original imports the Spirit came and sealed them up to the day of redemption He that honours Christ by frequent actings of faith on him him will Christ honour by setting his seal and mark upon him Thirdly Humbling times mourning times are sealing times When a holy man was askt which were the joyfullest dayes the comfortablest dayes that ever he enjoyed he answered his mourning dayes His mourning dayes were his joyfullest dayes and therefore he cried out O give me my mourning dayes give me my mourning dayes for they were my joyfullest dayes Those were dayes wherein God sealed up his everlasting love to his soul Job 22. 29. Isa 29. 19. When the Prodigal had greatly humbled himself before his father then the best Robe and the Ring were put upon him Luke 15. 17 24. There are none that long for the sealings of the Spirit like humble souls nor none set so high a price upon the sealings of the Spirit as humble souls nor none make so choice an improvement of the sealings of the Spirit as humble souls And therefore when mens hearts are humble and low the Spirit comes and sets the privy seal of heaven upon them Fourthly Sin-killing sin-mortifying sin-subduing times are the Spirits sealing times Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written that no man knowes saving he that receiveth it God will give to the victorious Christian a secret love-token whereby his soul may rest assured of the unspeakable love of God and of its freedom from condemnation White stones were of very great use among the Romans and among the Athenians and served to acquit the accused in Courts of Justice When Malefactors were accused arraigned and condemned in their Courts they gave them a Black stone in token of condemnation but when they were acquitted they gave them White stones in token of absolution And to this practise the holy Ghost seems to allude He that is victorious over Isa 56. 5. his lusts shall have a new Name that is better than the names of sons and daughters and he shall have the pardon of his sins writ in fair letters upon the white stone so that he may run and read his absolution The victorious Christian shall 1 John 1. 7. have assurance of the full discharge of all his sins he shall have a clear evidence of his Justification and a blessed assurance of his eternal Election all which are hidden and mysterious things to all but those that have experienced and tasted what these sweet meats of Heaven mean Among the Romans there were solemn feasts held in honour of those that were victorious in their sacred Games Now those that were to be admitted to those Feasts were wont to have their names written on white shels and white stones and by these Tickets they were admitted Now some think the holy Ghost alludes to this practise and so would hint to us a privy mark whereby victorious Christians may be known and admitted as bidden guests to the heavenly banquet of the hidden Manna according to Rev. 19. 9. O sirs when predominate lusts are brought under when bosom sins lye slain in the soul then the Spirit comes and seals up love and life and glory to the soul Fifthly Suffering times are sealing times Act. 7. 55 56 59 60. Rev. 1. 9 10. 2 Cor. 4. 15 16 17. The primitive Christians found Acts 5. 40 41 42. Psal 71. 20 21. Psal 94. 19. Rev. 1. 9 10. them so and the suffering Saints in theÌ„ Marian dayes found them so When the Furnace is seven times hotter than ordinary the Spirit of the Lord comes and seals up a mans pardon in his bosom and his peace with God and his title to heaven When the world frowns most then God smiles most when the world puts their iron chains upon the Saints legs then God puts his golden chains about the Saints necks when the world puts a bitter cup into one hand then the Lord puts a cup of consolation into the other hand when the world cries out Crucifiè them crucifie them then commonly they hear that sweet voice from heaven These are my beloved ones in whom I am well pleased Blessed Bradford looked upon his sufferings as an evidence to him that he was in the right way to heaven And saith Ignatius It is better for me to be a Martyr than to be a Monarch Sixthly Self-denying times are the Spirits sealing times Matth. 19. 27 28 29. First There is sinful self which takes in a mans lusts Secondly There is natural self which takes in a mans arts parts gifts with Reason Thirdly There is religious self which takes in all a mans religious duties and services whether ordinary or
by a specialty and therefore God makes him both of his Court and Counsel Oh how greatly doth God condescend to his People he speaks to them as a man would speak to his friend and there is no secrets of Providence which may be for their advantage but he will reveal them to his faithful servants As all faithful friends have the same friends and the same enemies so they are mutual in the communication of their secrets one to another and so 't was between God and Abraham Secondly There are the secrets of his Kingdom and these he reveals to his people Matth. 13. 11. Vnto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven but unto them it is not given So Matth. 11. 25. At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Hierom. ad Eph. lib. 1. Let us not think saith Hierom. that the Gospel is in the words of Scripture but in the sense not in the outside but in the marrow not in the leaves of words but in the root of reason Augustin humbly begg'd of God That if it were his pleasure he would send Moses to him to interpret some more abstruce and intricate passages in his Book of Genesis There are many choice secret hidden Joel 2. 28. 1 Tim. 3. 9 16. Col. 1 26 27. 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. Eph. 4. 21. and mysterious Truths and Doctrines in the Gospel which Christ reveals to his people that this poor blind ignorant world are strangers to There are many secrets wrapt up in the plainest truths and doctrines of the Gospel which none can effectually open and reveal but the Spirit of the Lord that searcheth all things yea the deep things of God There are many secrets and mysteries in the Gospel that all the learning and labour in the world can never give a man insight into There are many that know the Doctrine of the Gospel the History of the Gospel that are meer strangers to the secrets of the Gospel There is a secret power a secret authority a secret efficacy a secret prevalency a secret goodness a secret sweetness in the Gospel that none experience but those to whom the Lord is pleased to impart Gospel secrets to Isa 29. 11 12. Seal my law among my Disciples The Law of God to wicked men is a sealed book that they cannot understand Dan. 12. 9 10. 'T is as blotted paper that they cannot read Look as a private letter to a friend contains secret matter that no man else may read because it is sealed So the law of grace is sealed up under the privy seal of Heaven so that no man can open it or read it but Christs faithful friends to whom 't is sent The whole Scripture saith Gregory is but one entire letter dispatcht from the Lord Christ to his beloved Spouse on earth The Rabbins say that there are four keys that God hath under his Girdle 1. The key of the Clouds 2. The key of the Womb. 3. The key of the Grave 4. The key of Food And I may add a Fifth key that is under his Girdle and that is the key of the Word the key of the Scripture which key none can turn but he that hath the key of David that opens and no man shuts and that shuts and no man opens Revel 3. 7. O sirs God reveals himself and his mind and will and truth to his people in a more friendly and familiar way than he doth to others Mark 4. 11. And he said unto them unto you 't is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God but unto them that are without all these things are done in parables Luke 8. 10. And he said unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God but to others in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand Though great Doctors and profound Clerks and deep studied but unsanctified Divines may know much of the Doctrines of the Gospel and commend much the doctrines of the Gospel and dispute much for the doctrines of the Gospel and glory much in the doctrines of the Gospel and take a great deal of pains to dress and trim up the doctrines of the Gospel with the flowers of Rhetorick or Eloquence though it be much better to present truth in her native plainness than to hang her ears with counterfeit Pearls the Word without humane adornments is like the stone Garamantides that hath drops of gold in it self sufficient to enrich the believing soul Yet the special spiritual powerful and saving Rom. 16. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 7. knowledge of the doctrines of the Gospel is a secret a mystery yea a hidden mystery to them Chrysostome compares the mystery of Christ in regard of the wicked to a written book that the ignorant can neither read nor spell he fees the cover the leaves and the letters but he understands not the meaning of what he sees He compares the mystery of Grace to an indited Epistle which an unskilful Ideot viewing he cannot read it he cannot understand it he knoweth it is paper and ink but the sense the matter he knows not he understands not So unsanctified persons though they are never so learned and though they may perceive the bark of the mystery of Christ yet they perceive not they understand not the mystery of grace the inward sense of the spirit in the blessed Scriptures Though the Devil be the greatest Scholar in the world and though he have more learning than all the men in the world have yet there are many thousand secrets and mysteries in the Gospel of grace that he knows not really spiritually feelingly efficaciously powerfully throughly savingly c. O but now Christ makes known himself his mind his grace his truth to his people in a more clear full familiar and friendly way 2 Sam. 7. 27. For thou O Lord of hosts God of Israel hast revealed to thy servant so you read it in your Books but in the Hebrew it is thus Lord thou hast revealed this to the ear of thy servant Now the emphasis lieth in that word to the ear which is left out in your Books When God makes known himself to his people he revealeth things to their ear as we use to do to a friend who is intimate with us we speak a thing to his ear There is many a secret which Jesus Christ speaks in the eares of his servants which others never come to be acquainted with 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ The six several gradations that are in this Scripture are worthy of our most serious consideration Here is First Knowledge And Secondly The knowledge of
is a very great enemy to secret prayer Secret prayer is a scourge a hell to Satan every secret prayer adds to the Devils torment and every secret sigh adds to his torment and every secret groan adds to his torment every secret tear adds to his torment When a child of God is on his knees in his secret addresses There is no one thing that many hundred Christians have more sadly lamented and bewailed as many saithful Ministers can witness than the sad interruptions that they have met with from Satan when they have been with God alone in a room in a corner O! how often have they been scared affrighted and amazed by noyses strange apparitions at least to their fancies when they have been alone with God in a corner to God O the strange thoughts the earthly thoughts the wandring thoughts the distracted thoughts the hideous thoughts the blasphemous thoughts that Satan often injects into his soul and all to wean him from secret prayer and to weary him of secret prayer Sometimes he tells the soul that 't is in vain to seek God in secret and at other times he tells the soul 't is too late to seek God in secret for the door of mercy is shut and there is no hope no help for the soul Sometimes he tells the soul that 't is enough to seek God in Publick and at other times he tells the soul that 't is but a precise trick to seek the Lord in private Sometimes he tells the soul that 't is not elected and therefore all his secret prayers shall be rejected and at other times he tells the soul that 't is sealed up unto the day of wrath and therefore secret prayer can never reverse that seal and all this to dishearten and discourage a poor Christian in his secret retirements Sometimes Satan will object to a poor Christian the greatness of his sins at other times he will object against a Christian the greatness of his unworthyness Sometimes he will object against a Christian his want of grace and at other times he will object against a Christian his want of gifts to manage such a duty as it should be managed Sometimes he will object against a Christian his former streightnedness in secret prayer and at other times he will object against a Christian the smal yearnings that he makes of secret prayer and all to work the soule out of love with secret prayer yea to work the soul to loath secret prayer so deadly an enemy is Satan to secret prayer O the strange fears fancies and conceits that Satan often raises in the spirits of Christian when they are alone with God in a corner and all to work them to cast off private prayer 'T is none of Satans least designes to interrupt a Christian in his private trade with God Satan watches all a Christians motions so that he cannot turn into his closet nor creep into any hole to converse privately with his God but he followes him hard at heels will be stil injecting one thing or another into the soul or else objecting one thing or another against the soul A Christian is as well able to tell the stars of Heaven and to number the sands of the sea as he is able to number up the several devices and slights that Satan uses to obstruct the souls private addresses to God Now from that great opposition that Satan makes against private prayer a Christian may safely conclude these five things First The excellency of private prayer Certainly If it were not an excellent thing for a man to be in secret with God Satan would never make such head against it Secondly The necessity of this duty The more necessary any duty is to the internal and eternal welfare of a Christian the more Satan will bestir himself to blunt a Christians Spirit in that duty Thirdly The utility or profit that attends a conscientious discharge of this duty Where we are like to gain most there Satan loves to oppose most Fourthly The prevalency of private prayer If there were not a kind of an omnipotency in it if it were not able to doe wonders in heaven and wonders on earth and wonders in the hearts and lives and wayes of men Satan would never have such an akeing tooth against it as he hath Fifthly That God is highly honoured by this duty or else Satan would never be so greatly enraged against it This is certaine The more Glory God hath from any service we do the more Satan will strive by all his wiles and slights to take us either off from that service or so to interrupt us in that service that God may have no honour nor we no good nor himself no hurt by our private retirements But in the Twentieth and last place consider that you are only the Lords secret ones his hidden ones and therefore if you do not apply your selves to private prayer and to your secret retirements that you may enjoy God in a corner none will 'T is only Gods hidden ones his secret ones that are spirited principled and prepared to waite on God in secret Exod. 19. 5. Then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people The Hebrew word Segullah signifieth Gods special Jewels Gods proper ones or Gods secret ones that he keeps in store for himself and for his own special service and use Princes lock up with their own hands in secret their most precious and costly Jewels and so doth God his Psal 135. 4. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar treasure or for his secret Gem. Psal 83. 3. They have taken craftie counsel against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones or thy secret ones so called partly because God hides them in the secret of his Tabernacle partly because God sets Psal 31. 20. as high a value upon them as men do upon their hidden treasure their secret treasure yea he makes more reckoning of them than he doth of all the world besides And so the world shall know when God shall arise to revenge the wrongs and injuries that hath been done to his secret ones Neither are there any on earth that knowes so much of the secrets of his love of the secrets of his counsels of the secrets of his purposes of the secrets of his heart as his secret ones do Neither are there any in all the world that are under those secret influences those secret assistances those secret incomes those secret anointings of the Spirit as his secret ones are under And therefore no wonder if God calls them again and gain and again his secret ones Now what can be more comely or more desireable than to see their natures and their practices to answer to their names They are the Lords secret ones his hidden ones and therefore how highly doth it concern them to be much with God in secret and to hide themselves with God in a corner Shall
his own heart Look as the holy Spirit is not always a teaching Spirit nor always a leading Spirit nor always a comforting Spirit nor alwayes a sealing Spirit nor alwayes a witnessing Spirit nor alwayes an assuring Spirit to any of the Saints so he is not alwayes a supplicating Spirit in any of the Saints When he is grieved vexed quenched provoked he may suspend his gracious influences and deny the soul his assistance and what can a Christian then say or do But Secondly I answer Thou canst not pray but canst thou not sigh nor groan neither there may be the spirit of Adoption in sighs and groans as well as in vocal prayer Rom. 8. 26. The force the vertue the efficacie the excellency of prayer doth not consist in the number and flourish of words but in the supernatural motions of the spirit in sighs and groans and pangs and strong affections of heart that are unspeakable and unutterable Certainly the very soul of prayer lyes in the pouring out of a mans soul before the Lord though it be but in sighs groans and tears 1 Sam. 1. 13 19. One sigh and groan from a broken heart is better pleasing to God than all humane eloquence But Thirdly I answer Beg of God to teach thee to pray O beg the holy spirit that is a spirit of prayer God hath promised his holy spirit to them that ask it Luk. 11. 13. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask him Ezek. 36. 26 27. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will takeaway the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and doe them Ezek. 11. 19. And I will give them one heart I will put a new Spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh Zech. 12. 10. I will pour upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication Now Gracious promises are Gods bonds and he loves to see his people put them in suit God expects Isa 62. 6 7. Isa 42. 25 26. that we should be his Remembrancers and that we should pray over his promises When he had promised great things to his people concerning Justification Sanctification Preservation he subjoynes Yet I will for this be enquired of by Ezek. 36. 37. the house of Israel to doe it God looks that we should spread his gracious promises before him as Hezekiah Isa 37. 14. did Seanacheribs letter God is never better pleased than when his people importune him in his own words and urge him with arguments taken from his owne promises Though God be a very affectionate father and a very liberal father yet he is not a prodigal father for he will never throw away his mercies on such as will not stoutly and humbly plead out his promises with him God loves to take state upon him and will be sought unto both for his giving in of mercies and for his making good of precious promises Thou sayest thou can'st not pray why can'st thou not goe into a corner and spread the Promises last cited before the Lord and tell him how much it concernes his honour glory as well as thy own internal eternal good to make good those gracious promises that he hath made concerning his giving of his Spirit to them that ask him and his putting his Spirit within them and his pouring out a Spirit of grace and supplication upon them We read of Tamar that when Gen. 38. 18 25. Judah her father-in-law lay with her she took as a pledge his signet bracelets and staffe and afterwards when she was in great distress and ready to be burnt as an Harlot she then brought out her staff and signet and Bracelets and said by the man whose these are am I with child and thereby she saved her life The promises are as so many rich Mines they are as so many choice flowers of paradise they are the food life and strength of the soul They are as a staffe to support the soul and they are as a signet and Bracelets to adorne the soul and to enrich the soul and therefore poor sinners should bring them forth and lay them before the Lord and urge God with them there being no way on earth to save a mans soule and to prevent a burning in Hell like this Concerning precious promises let me give you these eight hints First that they are truly propounded stated by God Mark 10. 30. Secondly That they shall certainly be performed 2 Cor. 1. 20. they being all made in and thorow Christ they are made first to Christ and then to all that have union and communion with him Sirtorius saith Plutarch paid what he promised with fair words but so doth not God Men many times say and unsay they often eate their words as soon as they have spoken them but God will never eat the words that are gone out of his mouth Isa 46. 10 11. My counsel shall stand and I will doe all my pleasure yea I have spoken it I will also bring it to pass I have purposed it I will also doe it Thirdly That they all issue from free grace from special love Hos 14. 4. from divine goodness Fourthly That they are all as Jer. 31. 3. unchangable as he is that made them Fifthly That they are all bottomed and Mal. 3. 6. founded upon the truth faithfulness and all sufficiency of God Sixthly That they are pledges and pawnes of great things that Heb. 13. 5. God will doe for his people in time Seventhly That they are most Heb. 6. 12. sure and certain evidences of divine favour and a declaration of the Num. 23. 19. heart and good will of God to his poor people Eighthly That they are the price of Christs blood Now how should all these things encourage poor souls to be still a pressing of God with his promises But Fourthly You say you cannot pray c. O that you would leave off objecting and fall upon praying If you cannot pray as you would nor as you should pray as well as you can Josephs brethren stood so long dallying delaying and trifling out the time that having a Journey to goe to buy corn they might have bought and returned twice before they went and bought once When Eliah called Elizeus he goes about the bush 1 Kings 19. 20. and he must needs goe bid his father and mother farewel before he could follow the Prophet O friends take heed of dallying delaying trifling going about the bush when you should be a faling upon the work of prayer What though
extraordinary Fourthly There is moral self which includes a freedome from gross hainous enormous wickednesses and a fair sweet harmless behaviour towards men Fifthly There is relative self which takes in our nearest and dearest relations in the flesh as Psal 45. 7 8 9 10 11. Wife Children Father Mother Brothers Sisters c. Now when a man comes thus universally to deny himself for Christ's sake and the Gospels sake and Religion sake then the Spirit of the Lord comes and seals him up unto the day of redemption This is a truth confirmed by the experiences of many Martyrs now in Heaven and by the testimony of many Christians still alive Seventhly Sacrament times are sealing times In that feast of fat things God by his Spirit seals up his love to his people and his covenant to his people and pardon of sin to his people and heaven and happiness to his people There are many precious souls that have found Christ in this Ordinance when they could not find him in other Ordinances though they have sought him sorrowingly In this Ordinance many a distressed soul hath been strengthned comforted and sealed I might give you many instances take one for all There was a gracious woman who after God had filled her soul with comfort and sealed up his everlasting love to her fell under former fears and trouble of Spirit and being at the Lords Supper a little before the bread was administred to her Satan seemed to appear to her and told her that she should not presume to eat but at that very nick of time the Lord was pleased to bring into her mind that passage in the Canticles Eat O my friends Cant. 5. 1. But notwithstanding this Satan still continued terrifying of her and when she had eaten he told her that she should not drink but then the Lord brought that second clause of the Verse to her remembrance Drink yea drink abundantly or be drunk as the Hebrew hath it my beloved or my loves as the Hebrew hath it All faithful souls are Christs Loves and so she drank also and presently was filled with such unspeakable joyes that she hardly knew how she got home Which soul-ravishing joyes continued for a fortnight after and filled her mouth with songs of praise so that she could neither sleep nor eat more than she forced her self to do out of conscience of duty At the fortnights end when God was pleased to abate her measure of joy she came to a setled peace of conscience and assurance of the love of God so that for twenty years after she had not so much as a cloud upon her spirit or the least questioning of her interest in Christ But Eighthly When God calls his people to some great and noble work when he puts them upon some high services some difficult duties some holy and eminent imployments then his Spirit comes and sets his seal upon them Jer. 1. 5. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctifyed thee and I ordained thee to be a prophet unto the Nations The Lord sending the Prophet Jeremiah to denounce most dreadful judgements against a rebellious people an impudent brazen-faced Nation he assures him of his eternal election and of his choice presence and singular assistance in that work that he set him about vers 8 17 18 19. Thus the Lord dealt with Peter James and John Matth. 17. 1 to the 6th and thus he dealt with Paul Acts 9 to 23. Ninthly When they are taken up into more than ordinary communion with God then is the Spirits sealing time When was it that the Spouse cried out My beloved is mine and I am his but when Christ brought her to his banquetting house and his banner over her was love Cant. 2. 16. 3 4 5 6. compared c. Tenthly and lastly When Christians give themselves up to private prayer when Christians are more than ordinarily exercised in secret prayer in Closet duties then the Spirit comes and seals up the Covenant and the Love of the Father to them When Daniel Dan. 9. 20 21 22 23. had been wrestling and weeping and weeping and wrestling all day long with God in his Closet then the Angel tells him that he was a man greatly beloved of God or a man of great desires as the Original hath it There was a gracious Woman who after much frequenting of Sermons and walking in the ways of the Lord fell into great desertions but being in secret prayer God came in with abundance of light and comfort sealing up to her soul that part of his Covenant viz. I will take the stony heart out of Ezek. 11. 19 20. their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes and keep mine ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God And thus I have given you a brief account of the Spirits special sealing times Now mark This seal God sets upon all his wares upon all his adopted children for sooner or later there are none of his but are sealed with this seal God sets his John 3. 3. 2 Thess 2. 13. Heb. 12. 14. seal of Regeneration he stamps his Image of Holiness upon all his people to difference and distinguish them from all prophane moral and hypocritical persons in the World Doubtless the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost imprinting the draughts and lineaments of Gods Image of Righteousness and Holiness upon Man as a seal or signet doth leave an impression and stamp of its likeness upon the thing sealed is the seal of the Spirit spoken of in Scripture 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity But to prevent mistakes you must remember that though the Spirit of the Lord first or last will set his seal upon every real Saint yet the impression of that seal is not alike visible in all for some bear this impression as Babes others as men grown up to some maturity All Gods adopted children bear this impression truly but none of them bear it perfectly in this life Sometimes this seal of Regeneration this seal of Holiness is so plain and obvious that a man may run read it in himself and others and at other times 't is so obscure and dark that he can hardly discern it either in himself or others This seal is so lively stampt on some of Gods people that it discovers it self very visibly eminently gloriously but on others it is not alike visible And thus I have made it evident by these seven particulars that all the children of God have the Spirit of God Now mark The Spirit of God that is in all the Saints is a Spirit of prayer and supplication Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba
can easily find out private places for their dogs to lye in and their swine to sleep in and their horses to stand in and their oxen to feed in c. who can't find out a private place to seek the face of God in But did these men but love their God or their souls or private prayer or eternity as well or better than their beasts they would not be such bruiâ—es but that they would quickly find out a hole a corner to wait upon the Lord in But Secondly I Answer If a Christian be on the top of the house with Peter he may pray there or if he be walking in the field with Isaac he may pray there or if he be on the mountain with Christ he may pray there or if he be behind the door with Paul he may pray there or if he be waiting at table with Nehemiah he may secretly pray there or if he be in a wood he may pray there as the primitive Christians in times of persecution did or if he be behind a tree he may pray there or if he be by the Sea side he may pray there as the Apostles did 'T was a choice saying of Austin Every Saint is Gods Temple saith he and he that carryes his temple about him may go to prayer when he pleaseth Some Saints have never had so much of heaven brought down into their hearts as when they have been with God in a corner O the secret manifestations of divine love the secret kisses the secret embraces the secret influences the secret communion with God that many a precious Christian hath had in the most solitary places it may be behind the door or behind the wall or behind the hedge or behind the arbour or behind the tree or behind the rock or behind the bush c. But Thirdly and lastly didst thou never in thy unregenerate estate make use of all thy wits and parts and utmost endeavours to find out convenient seasons and secret corners and solitary places to sin in and to dishonour thy God in and to undoe thine owne and others souls in yes I remember with shame and blushing that 't was so with me when I was dead in Eph. 2. 1 2 3. trespasses and sins and walked according to the course of this world O how much then doth it concern thee in thy renewed sanctified and raised estate to make use of all thy wits and parts and utmost endeavours to find out the fittest seasons and the most secret corners and solitary places thou canst to honour thy God in and to seek the welfare of thine owne and others souls in O that men were but as serious studious and industrious to find out convenient seasons secret places to please and serve and glorifie the Lord in as they have been serious studious and industrious to find out convenient seasons and secret places to displease and grieve the Spirit of the Lord in But Sixthly and lastly others may further object and say we would be often in private with God we would give our selves up to closet prayer but that we can no sooner shut our closet doors but a multitude of infirmities weaknesses and vanities doe face us and rise up against us our hearts being full of distempers and follies and our bodies say some are under great indispositions and our souls say others are under present indispositions and how then can we seek the face of God in a corner how can we wrestle with God in our closets c. Now to this Objâ—ction I shall give these six Answers 1. Iâ— these kinds of reasonings or arguings were sufficient to shut private prayer out of doores where lives that man or woman that husband or wife that father or child that master or servant that Psa 40. 12. Psal 51. 5. Rom. 7. 15 24. Psal 130. 3. 1 Cor. 4. 4. 2 Chr. 6. 36. Phil. 3. 12. would ever bè found in the practise of that duty Where is there a person under heaven whose heart is not full of infirmities weaknesses follies and vanities and whose body and soul is not too often indisposed to closet duties 1 Kings 8. 46. If they sin against thee for there is no man that sinneth not c. Eccl. Grace in this life is like Gold in the ore full of mixture 7. 20. For there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Job 14. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an uncleane not one Job 9. 30 31. If I wash my self with Snow-water and make my hands never so clean Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine owne cloaths shall abhor me Job 9. 20. If I justifie my self my owne mouth shall condemne me If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Psal 143. 2. And enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified James 3. 2. For in many things we offend all 1 John 1. 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Such that affirme that men may be fully perfect in this life or without sin in this life they do affirme that which is expresly contrary to the Scriptures last cited and to the universal experience of all Saints who daily feel and lament over that body of sin and death that they bare about with them yea they do affirme that which is quite contrary to the very state or constitution of all the Saints in this life In every Saint the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that they cannot do the things Gal. 5. 17. that they would In every good Eph. 4. 22 23 24. man there are two men the old man and the new the one must be daily put on and the other daily put off All Saints have a law in their members rebelling against the law of their minds so that the Rom. 7. 23. 15. comp good that they would doe they do not and the evil that they would not do that they do They have two contrary principles in them from whence proceeds two manner of actions motions and inclinations continually opposite one to another hence it is that there is a continual combat in them like the strugling of the Twins in Rebecah's womb An absolute perfection is peculiar to the triumphant state of Gods Elect in Heaven Heaven is the onely priviledged place where no unclean thing can Rev. 23. 21 enter in that 's the only place where neither sin nor Satan shall ever get footing Such as dream of an absolute perfection in this life do confound and jumble heaven Heb. 12. 22 23. and earth together the state of the Church militant with the state of the Church Triumphant which are certainly distinct both in
beast in Sacrifice to the gods but when the beast was opened it was without a heart which the South-sayers looked upon as an ill omen 'T is a sad omen that thou wilt rather provoke the Lord than prevail with him who art habitually heartlesse in thy Closet-duties Of the heart God seemeth to say to us as Joseph did to his Brethren concerning Benjamin Ye shall not see my face without it It was the speech of blessed Bradford that he would never leave a Duty till he had brought his heart into the frame of the duty he would not leave confession of sin till his heart was broken for sin he would not leave petitioning for grace till his heart was quickened and enlivened in a hopeful expectation of more grace he would not leave gratulation till his heart was enlarged with the sence of the mercies he enjoyed and quickened in the return of praise My sixth advice and counsel is this Be fervent be warm be importunate with God in all your Closet-duties and performances James 5. 17. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much or as the Greek hath it the working prayer that is such working 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayer as sets the wholeman on work as sets all the faculties of the soul and all the graces in the Psal 55. 1. Psal 61. 1. Psal 64. 1. Psal 88. 1 13. Psal 119. 164. Jon. 2. 1 2. Joel 2. 13. Psal 119. 145 147. Psal 119. 20. soul at work the word signifies such a working as notes the liveliest activity that can be Certainly all those usual phrases of crying wrestling and striving with God which are scattered up and down in Scripture do strongly argue that holy importunity and sacred violence that the Saints of old have expressed in their addresses to God Fervency feathers the wings of prayer and makes them fly the swifter to Heaven An Arrow if it be drawn up but a little way flyes not far but if it be drawn up to the head it will fly far and pierce deeply So fervent Qui timide rogat docet negare saith the Philosopher prayer flyes as high as Heaven and will certainly bring down blessings from thence Cold prayers bespeak a denyal but fervent prayers offer a sacred violence both to heaven and earth Look as in a painted fire there is no heat so in a cold prayer there is no heat no warmth no omnipotency no devotion no blessing Cold prayers are like Arrows without heads as swords without edges as Birds without wings they pierce not they cut not they fly not up to heaven Such prayers as have no heavenly fire in them do alwayes freez before they reach as high as heaven But fervent prayer is very prevalent with God Acts 12. 5. Peter therefore was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies instant prayer earnest prayer stretched-out prayer prayer stretched-out upon the tenters as it were These gracious souls did in prayer strain and stretch themselves as men do that are running in a race they prayed with all the strength of their souls and with all the fervency of their spirits and accordingly they carryed the day with God as you may see in the following verses So Acts 26. 7. Vnto which promise our Twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night or rather as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a stretched-out manner serving God day and night These Twelve Tribes or the godly Jews of the Twelve Tribes of Israel stretched out their hearts their affections their graces to the utmost in prayer In all your private retirements do as the Twelve Tribes did Rom. 12. 11. Fervent in spirit serving the Lord. The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies seething hot God loves to see his people zealous and warm in his service Without fervency of spirit no service finds acceptance in heaven God is a pure act and he loves that his people should be lively and active in his service vers 12. Continuing instant in prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continuing with all your might in prayer 'T is a Metaphor from hunting dogs that will never give over the game till they have got it Rom. 15. 30. That ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strive mightily strive as Championsstrive even to an Agony as the word imports 'T is a military word and notes such fervent wrestling or striving as is for life and death Col. 4. 12. Alwayes labouring fervently for you in prayer The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here used signifies to strive or wrestle as those do that strive for mastery it notes the vehemency and fervour of Epaphras his prayers for the Colossians Look as the wrestlers do bend and writhe and stretch and strain every joynt of their bodies that they may be victorious so Epaphras did bend writh and stretch strain every joynt of his soul if I may so speak that he might be victorious with God upon the Colossians account So when Jacob was with God alone ah how earnest Gen. 32. 24 27. Hos 12. 4 5. and fervent was he in his wrestlings with God! he wrestles and weeps and weeps and wrestles he tugs hard with God he holds his hold and he will not let God go till as a Prince he had prevailed with him Fervent prayer is the Souls contention the Souls strugling with God it is a sweating work it is the sweat and blood of the soul it s a laying out to the uttermost all the strength and powers of the Soul He that would gain victory over God in private prayer must strain every string of his heart he must in beseeching God besiedge him and so get the better of him he must be like importunate beggars that will not be put off with frowns or silence or sad answers Those that would be masters of their requests must like the importunate Widdow press God so far as to put him to an holy blush as I may say with reverence They must with an holy impudence as Basil speaks make God ashamed to look them in the face if he should deny the importunity of theirs souls Had Abraham had a little more Dor. Don. Fol. p. 522. Gen. 18. 22 23. of this impudence saith one when he made suit for Sodom it might have done well Abraham brought down the price to ten righteous and there his modesty staid him had he gone lower God only knows what might have been done for God went not away saith the Text till he had left communing with Abraham that is till Abraham had no more to say to God Abraham left over asking before God left over granting he left over praying before God left over bating and so Sodom was lost O the heavenly fire the holy fervency that was in Daniels Closet-prayer O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and
cover me even the night shall be light about me Yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee 'T is not the thickest Clouds that can bar out his observance whose eyes fill Heaven and earth What is the Curtain or the darkest night or the double lock or the secret Chamber to him who cleerly observes all things in a perfect nakedness God hath an eye upon the most inward intentions of the heart and the most subtile motions of the spirit Those Philosophers were out that held the eye and care of God descended no lower than the heavens Certainly there is not a creature not a thought not a thing but lyes open to the all-seeing eye of God The Lord knows our secret sinnings as exactly as our visible sinnings Psal 44. 21. He knoweth the secrets of our hearts Would not a malector speak truly at the Bar did he know did he believe that the Judge had Windows that did look into his breast Athenodorus a Heathen could say that all men ought to be carefull in the actions of their life because God was every where and beheld all that was done Zeno a wise Heathen affirmed that God beheld even the thoughts 'T was an excellent saying of Ambrose If thou canst not hide thy self Ambros Offic. l. 1. c. 14. from the Sun which is Gods Minister of light how impossible will it be to hide thy self from him whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun Though a sinner may baffle his Conscience yet he cannot baffle the eye of Gods omnisciency Oh that poor souls would remember that as they are never out of the reach of Gods hand so they are never from under the view of his eye God is totus oculus all eye Jer. 16. 17. For mine eyes are upon all their wayes they are not hid from my face neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes Job 34. 21 22. For his eyes are upon the wayes of man and he seeth all his goings There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves Jer. 32. 19. For thine eyes are open upon all the wayes of the sons of men to give every one according to his wayes and the fruit of his doings You know what Ahasuerus that great Monarch said concerning Haman when coming in he found him cast upon the Queens Bed on which she sate What saith he will he force Est 7. 8. the Queen before me in the House There was the killing emphasis in the words before me will he force the Queen before me what will he dare to commit such villany and I stand and look on O Sirs to sin in the sight of God to do wickedly under the eye of God is a thing that he looks upon as the greatest affront and as the highest indignity that can possibly be done unto him What saith he wilt thou be drunk before me wilt thou swear and blaspheme before me wilt thou be wanton and unclean before me wilt thou be unjust and unrighteous under mine eye wilt thou prophane my Sabbaths and polute my Ordinances before my face wilt thou despise and persecute my Servants in my presence c. This then is the killing aggravation of all sin that it is done before the face of God that it is committed in the Royal presence of the King of Kings whereas the very consideration of Gods Omnipresence should bravely arm us against sin and Satan the consideration of his all-seeing eye should make us shun all occasions of sin and make us shy of all appearances of sin Shall the eye of the Master keep the Scholar from blotting his Copy shall the eye of the Judge keep the Malefactor from picking and stealing shall the eye of the Master keep the Servant from idling and trifling shall the eye of the Father keep the Child from wandring and gadding shall the eye of the Husband keep the Wife from extravagancies and indecencies shall the sharp eye of wise Cato oâ— the quick eye of a neer Neighbour or the severe eye of a bosom Friend keep thee from many enormities vanities shall not the strict the pure the jealous eye of an All-seeing God keep thee from sinning in the secret Chamber when all Curtains are drawn doors bolted and every one in the house a bed or abroad but thee thy Dalilah Oh what dreadful Atheisme is bound up in that mans heart who is more afraid of the eye of his Father his Pastor his Child his Servant than he is of the eye the presence of the eternal God O that all whom this concerns would take such serious notice of it as to judge themselves severely for it as to mourn bitterly over it as to strive mightily in prayer with God both for the pardon of it and for power against it The Apostle sadly complains of some in his time who wallowed in secret sins Ephes 5. 2. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret He speaks of such as lived in secret fornications and uncleanness there were many that had put on a form of godliness who yet did allow themselves in the secret actings of abominable wickedness and filthiness as if there were no God to behold them nor Conscience to accuse them nor Judgement day to arraign them nor Justice to condemn them nor Hell to torment them O how infiniitely odious must they be in the eyes of a holy God who can highly court and complement him in publick and yet are so bold as to provoke him to his face in private these are like those whores who pretend a great deal of affection and respect to their Husbands abroad and yet at home will play the Harlots before their Husbands eyes Such as perform Religious duties only to cloak and colour over their secret filthinesses their secret wickednesses such as pretend to Pro. 7. 13 14 15. Job 24. 15. pay their vows and yet wait for the twilight such as commit wickedness in a corner and yet with the Harlot wipe their mouths and say What have we done such shall at last find the Chambers the Stones Hab. 2. 11. out of the Wall the Beame out of the Timber the Seats they sit on and the Beds they lye on to witness against all their want on daliances and lascivious carriages in secret Heb. 13. 4. Who remongers and Adulterers God will judge He will sentence them himself and why but because such sinners carry it so closely and craftily that oftentimes none but God can find them out Magistrates often neglect the punishing of such sinners when their secret wickedness is made known and therefore God himself will sit in judgment upon them Though they may escape the eyes of men yet they shall never escape the judgment of God Heart-iniquities fall not under any humane sentence Usually Whoremongers and Adulterers are
of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplications vers 12 13 14. And the Land shall mourn every family apart the family of the House of David apart and their Wives apart the family of the House of Nathan apart and their Wives apart The family of the House of Levi apart and their Wives apart the family of the House of Shimei apart and their VVives apart All the families that remain every family apart and their VVives apart Mark in the Joel 2. 28 29. Isa 44 3. last of the last dayes when men shall be generally under a greater effusion of the Holy Spirit than ever then they shall be more given up to secret prayer than ever There will never be such praying apart and such mourning apart as there will be when the Lord shall pour out most richly gloriously abundantly of his Spirit upon his poor people now every one shall pour out his tears and his soul before God in a corner to shew the soundness of their sorrow and to shew their sincerity by their secrecy for Ille dolet vere qui sine teste dolet He grieves with a witness that grieves without a witness Certainly the more any man is now under the blessed pouring out of the Spirit of Christ the more that man gives himself up to secret Communion with Christ Every man is more or less with Christ in his Closet as he is more or less under the anointings of the Spirit of Christ The more any man hath of the Spirit of Christ the more he loves Christ and the more any man loves Christ the more he delights to be with Christ alone Lovers love to be alone The more any man hath of the Spirit of Christ the more his heart will be set to please Christ Now nothing pleaseth Christ more than the secret prayers of his people Cant. 2. 14. O my Dâ—ve that art in the clefts of the Rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voyce and thy countenance is comely And therefore such a one will be much in secret prayer The more any man hath of the Spirit of Christ the more his heart will be set upon glorifying and exalting Christ Now nothing glorifies Christ more nor exalts him more than secret prayer and therefore the more any man hath of the Spirit of Christ the more that man will be found in secret prayer There are many persons who say they would be more in their Closets than they are but that they meet with many hinderances many occasions many diversions many temptations many oppositions many difficulties many discouragements which prevent them Ah Friends had you a greater measure of the Holy Spirit upon you none of these things should ever be able to hinder your secret trade Heaven-ward Had you a more rich anointing of the Spirit upon you you would never plead there is a Lyon in the way a Lyon in the Streets but were there a thousand Pro. 26. 13. Lyons between you and your Closets you would either step over them or make your way through them that so you might enjoy Communion with Christ in your Closets But Eighthly and Lastly As ever you would keep close to private prayer Be frequent in the serious Consideration of Eternity O see Eternity standing at the end of every Closet-Prayer and this will make you pray to purpose in your Closets O Sirs every work you doe is a step to a blessed or to a cursed Eternity Every motion every action in this life is a step toward Eternity As every step that a Traveller takes brings him forward to his journeys end So every step that a man takes in the secret wayes of Righteousness and Holiness such as Closet-Duties are they bring him neerer to his journeys end they bring him neerer to a blessed Eternity Look as every step the sinner takes in a way of wickedness brings him neerer to Hell so every step that a Saint takes in a way of Holiness brings him neerer to Heaven Look as every step that a wicked man takes in the wayes of unrighteousness brings him nearer to a cursed Eternity so every step that a godly man takes in a way of Righteousness brings him neerer to a blessed Eternity Zeuxis the famous Painter was so exceeding careful and curious in drawing all his Lines that he would let no Piece of his go abroad into the World to be seen of men till he had turn'd it over and over and viewed it on this side and that side again and again to see if he could spie any fault in it and being asked the reason why he was so curious and so long in drawing his Lines answered Aeternitati pingo I paint for Eternity O Sirs we all pray for Eternity we fast for Eternity we read for Eternity we hear for Eternity we wait for Eternity we weep for Eternity and therefore O how curiously how exactly how wisely how faithfully how carefully how diligently how unweariedly should we be in all our Closet-Duties and services seeing that all we do is in order to Eternity Friends you must all e're long be eternally blest or eternally curst eternally happy or eternally miserable eternally saved or eternally damned eternally accepted or eternally rejected And therefore what infinite cause have you frequently to shut to your Closet Doors and to plead mightily with God in in a corner for the lives of your poor precious and immortal souls that they may be eternally saved in the great day of our Lord Jesus O Sirs when any hinderances to Closet-prayer present themselves to you seriously remember Eternity and that will remove them It is related of one Pachomius that whensoever he felt any unlawful Drex de Eternit consid 8. desires to arise in his mind he was wont to drive them away with the remembrance of Eternity The same Author relates a story out of Benedictus Rhrexanus of an ungodly fellow who on a certain Ibid. con 5. night could not sleep who up on the serious Consideration of Death and Eternity and the damned lying in Hell could not be at rest but Eternity did still run in his mind faâ—n would he have shaken off the thoughts thereof as gnawing worms therefore he followed sports and pastimes and merry meetings and sought out Companions like himself and sat oftentimes so long at his Cups that he laid his Conscience asleep and so seemed to take some rest but when he was awakened his Conscience flew in his face and would still be a suggesting sad thoughts of Eternity to him of all things in the world he could not bear it to be kept awake in the night but so it happened that being sick he was kept awake one night and could not sleep at all whereupon these thoughts rise in him VVhat is it so tedious then to be kept from sleep one night and to lye a few hours in the dark