had need be alwayes in an actual readiness to die No man shall die the sooner but much the easier and the better for preparing to die And therefore let us alwayes have our loins girt and our lamps burning As death leaves us so Judgment will find us and there fore we have very great cause to secure our interest in Christ a changed nature and a pardon in our bosomes that so we might have nothing to do but to die Except we prepare to die all other preparations will do us no good In a word Death is a change a great change 't is the the last change till the resurrection 't is lasting yea an everlasting change for it puts a man into an eternall condition of happiness or misery 't is an universal change all persons must pass under this flaming Sword That Statute Law Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return will Gen. 3. 18. sooner or later take hold on all mortals and therefore it highly concerns us to prepare for death And thus I have shewn you these Lessons that you are to learn by the Rod. The Lord grant that your souls may fall under those fresh those choice those full and those constant influences and communications of his holy Spirit as may enable you to take out those twenty Lessons that I have laid open before you I confess the Epistle is large but do but consider your own conditions and the present dispensations under which we are cast then I suppose you will not call it by the name of a tedious Epistle Dear Friends the following discourse on Closet-prayer I heartily recommend to your serious perusal I have many reasons to hope that when you have once read it over you will be more in love with Closet-prayer than ever that you will set a higher price upon Closet-prayer than ever that you will make a better and fuller improvement of Closet-prayer than ever yet you have done Consider what I say in my Epistle to the Reader labour so to manage this little Treatise that now I put into your hands that God may be glorified your own souls edified comfored encouraged in the wayes of the Lord and that you may be my Crown and joy in the great day of our Lord Jesus So 1 Thes 2. 19 20. wishing that the good will of him that dwelt in the bush may abide upon you and yours for ever I take leave and rest Dear Friends Your souls servant in our Dear Lord Jesus THOMAS BROOKS TO THE READER Christian Reader THe Epistle Dedicatory being occasionally so large I shall do little more than give thee the grounds and reasons of sending forth this little piece into the World especially in such a day as this is Now my reasons are these First Because God by his present dispensations calls more loudly for Closet-prayer now than he hath done in those last twenty years that are now past over our heads See more of this in the 16. Argument for Closet-prayer pag. 103 to p. 108. Secondly Because I have several reasons to fear that many Christians do not clearly nor fully understand the necessity excellency and usefulness of this subject and that many O that I could not say any live in too great a neglect of this indispensible duty and that more than a few for want of light erre in the very practice of it Thirdly For the refreshing support and encouragement of all those Churches of Christ that walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost c. especially that particular Church to whom I stand related Fourthly To preserve and keep up the power of Religion and Godliness both in mens houses hearts and lives The power of Religion and Godliness lives thrives or dies as Closet-prayer lives thrives or dies Godliness never rises to a higher pitch than when men keep closest to their Closets c. Fifthly Because Closet-prayer is a most sovereign Remedy a most precious Antidote of Gods own prescribing against the Plague that now rageth in the midst of us 1 Kings 8. 37 38 39 c. Sixthly Because every man is that really which he is secretly Never tell me how handsomly how neatly how bravely this or that man acts his part before others but tell me if thou canst how he acts his part before God in his Closet for the man is that certainly that he is secretly There are many that sweat upon the stage that are key-cold in their Closets Seventhly Though many worthies have done worthily upon all other parts of prayer yet there are none either of a former or later date that have fallen under my eye that have written any Treatise on this Subject I have not a little wondred that so many eminent Writers should pass over this great and princely duty of Closet-prayer either with a few brief touches or else in a very great silence If several Bodies of Divinity are consulted you will find that all they say clearly and distinctly as to Closet-prayer may be brought into a very narrow compass if not into a nut-shell I have also enquired of several old Disciples whether among all the thousand Sermons that they have heard in their dayes that ever they have heard one Sermon on Closet-prayer and they have answered No. I have also enquired of them whether ever they had read any Treatise on that Subject and they have answered No. And truly this hath been no small encouragement to me to make an offer of my mite and if this small attempt of mine shall be so blest as to provoke others that have better heads and hearts and hands than any I have to do Christ and his people more service in the handling of this choice point in a more copious way than what I have been able to reach unto I shall therein rejoyce Eighthly and lastly That favour that good acceptance and fair quarter that my other poor labours have found not onely in this Nation but in other Countryes also hath put me upon putting pen to paper once more and I hope that the good will of him that dwelt in the bush will rest upon this as it hath to the glory of free grace rested upon my former endeavers I could add other reasons but let these suffice Good Reader when thou art in thy Closet pray hard for a poor weak worthless worm that I may be found faithful and fruitful to the death that so at last I may receive a Crown of Life So wishing thee all happiness both in this lower and in that upper World I rest Thine in our Dear Lord Jesus THOMAS BROOKS Books printed and are to be sold by John Hancock at the first shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill NIne Books lately published by Mr. Thomas Brooks late Preacher of the Gospel at St. Margarets New Fish-street 1 Precious Remedies against Satans Devices Or Salve for Believers and Unbelievers sores being a Companion for those that are in Christ or
it did had he not for some years before been hunted as a Partridge in the Wilderness Nor the Three Children or rather the Three Champions would never have been fit for so high a Rule had Dan. 3. 29 30. they not been first cast into the fiery Furnace Nor Daniel for that exceeding high honour and glory and greatness to which he was exalted had he Dan. 6. 25 ult not been first cast among the Lyons And so had Esther never been a poor Captive-Maid she had never been a Queen and so had never been instrumental in the preservation of the Church of God in her day Heman was one of the best and wisest men in 1 Kings 4. 31. the World in his day and this God brought him to by training of him up in the School of Affliction as you may evidently see in that 88. Psalm That of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 1. 4. deserves to be written in letters of gold Who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God Mark that word able O 't is one of the hardest and noblest works in all Christianity to be able divinely to comfort others that are in troubles and yet by sufferings God fits and prepares his People for this noble and difficult service Luther was of Opinion that to comfort a distressed Conscience was a greater work than to raise the dead to life And yet by inward and outward sufferings God fits his People for this great work And thus you see in what respects Afflictions are compared to a Rod. The second thing I am to do is to shew you those special Lessons that you are to learn by the Rod or if you please by the raging Pestilence Now they are these The first Lesson that you are to learn by the Rod or by the raging Pestilence is to know what the particular message or errand is which the Rod hath to deliver to you in the day of your distresse and trouble Your first work is to do as David did in that 2 Sam. 21. 1. He humbly enquires of the Lord to know the particular reason why he sent a Famine amongst them You must do as Job doth Job 10. 2. Shew me O Lord wherefore thou contendest with me Job would fain know the reasons of the controversie between God and him One well observes on the Text that Job was very destrous to know whether God did afflict him for sin or for tryal not to satisfie his curiositie but his Conscience Elihu's counsel to Job must here take place Job 34. 31 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job it seems was yet in the dark as to the particular cause or reason why the Lord had so grievously afflicted him and therefore he is very importunate with God that he would graciously point out the sin for which he had so sorely smitten him Thy proceedings saith Job to my understanding seem to be very strange and severe I am more heavily afflicted than others and yet I do not know wherein I have sinned more than others Why I should be condemned and cast without a Tryal why thou art so hot against me and why thou hast multiplied so many unheard of miseries upon me and why thou hast so greatly subjected me to the saddest and sourest censures of others as if I were the worst of sinners and the basest of hypocrites I know not And therefore O Lord I humbly desire that thou wouldest not deal with me according to thy absolute Power but let me know the true grounds and causes of all my heavy sorrows and miseries And so he is at it again in that Job 13. 23. How many are mine iniquities and sins make me to know my transgression and my sin My plagues O Lord are unparalel'd if my sins are such let me know it saith Job My calamities transcend the calamities of all others if my sins do so let them not be hid from mine eyes O Lord. My load O Lord is heavier than others and therefore if my sins are greater than others let me see them let me understand them Infirmities and weaknesses I confesse do hang upon me they are inherent in me and they do too often issue and flow from me but as for enormities or wickednesses neither my censorious Friends nor yet my worst enemies no nor yet my own Conscience will ever be able to make any just or clear proof against me O Lord I have many spots upon me but if there be any upon me that are not the spots of thy People let me see them let me know them that I may abhor my self and justifie thee and that I may say my Friends are righteous in their censures and I have done wickedly before the Lord. Sometimes Afflictions are sent only for tryal and instruction and not at all for sin this is evident in the case of Job and in the case of the Blind man whose afflictions though they were very great and grievous John 3. 9. yet were they not for sin but for tryal Now though this be true yet it must be granted that Mic. 1. 5 10. commonly sin is the meritorious cause the procuring cause of all Afflictions Sin ordinarily is the Original and Foundation of all our troubles Amos 2. 4 5 6. and chastisements Psal 89. 30 31 32. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgements if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements Then will I visit their transgression with the Rod and their iniquity with stripes Jer. 2. 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast for saken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hosts Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the Families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Quest But what course must we take what meanes must we use to find out that particular sin for which God corrects us or which hath brought the Rod upon us Answ 1. Observe what that sin is that thy Conscience doth most upbraid thee with and check thee for Conscience is Gods Preacher in the Gen. 42. 21. Chap. 50. 15 16 17. bosome Now observe what that particular sin is that Conscience doth most smartly and roundly correct and chastise thee for for 't is ten to one but that is the sin that hath brought the Rod upon thee The voice of Conscience and the voice of the Rod do usually eccho one to another 'T is very rare to find a difference between the language of Conscience and the language of the Rod. Conscience is Gods Deputy
time and place and in order measure and concomitants This dangerous opinion of absolute perfection in this life shakes the very foundation of Religion and overthrows the Gospel of grace it renders the satisfaction of Christ and all his great transactions null and void it tells the world that there is no need of faith of repentance of ordinances of watchfulness They that say they have no sin say they have no need of the blood of Christ to cleanse them 1 John 1. 7 from sin Such as say they have no sin say they have no need of Faith to rest upon Christ for imputed Righteousness to justifie their persons Such as say they have no Mat. 1. 21. 1 Thes 1. ult sin say they have no need of Christ as King to subdue their lusts nor as Priest to expiate offences nor as Prophet to teach and instruct them nor as a Saviour to save them from their sins or from wrath to come They that have a perfect righteousnesse of their own need not be be holden to Christ for his pure perfect spotless matchlesse Righteousnesse Such as are without sin have no cause to repent of sin nor yet to watch against sin Such as are perfect can't say we are unprofitable servants But are they indeed just then they must live by faith Heb. 2. 4. Are they men and not Angels then they must repent Acts â—7 30. For now he commands all men every where to repent Surely the best of men are but men at the best O how bad must those men be who make God himself a lyar 1 John 1. 10 But if these men are absolutely perfect how comes it to passe that they are afflicted and diseased as other men how comes it to passe that they eate and drink and sleep and buy and sell and die as other men are these things consistent with an absolute perfection surely no. An absolute perfection is not a step short of heaven 't is heaven on this side heaven and they that would obtain it must step to heaven before they have it But Secondly I answer That this Objection lyes as strong against Family prayer and against all other kind of prayer as it doth against closet prayer He that shall upon any grounds make this Objection a great bug-bear to scare his soul from Closet Prayer he may upon the same ground make it a great bug-bear to scare his soul not only from all other kind of prayer but from all other duties of Religion also whether private or publick The Spirit of this Objection fights against all Religion at once and therefore you should say to it as Christ said to Peter Get thee behind me Sathan But Thirdly I answer 'T is not the infirmities and weaknesses of a Christian which are seen lamented bewailed and resisted that can A Spiritual infirmity is the sickness or indisposition of the Soul that arises from weakness of Grace obstruct or hinder the efficacy and successe of his prayers Let me clear up this in a few instances Jonah you know was a man full of sinful passions and other weaknesses c. and yet his prayer was very prevalent with God Jonah 2. 1 2 7 10. compared So Elias his prayers were exceeding prevalent with God he could open and shut heaven at his pleasure and yet Jam. 3. 17. subject to like passions as we are Elias was a man of extraordinary sanctity and holinesse a man that 1 King 19. 8. Rom. 11 2 3. lived in heaven whilest he dwelt on earth Enech-like he walked with God and yet subject to like passions as we are God did in an eminent way communicate to him his counsel and secrets he lay in the bosome of the father and yet was a man subject to like passions as we are He was a very powerful and prevalent Prophet his very name imports as much Eli-jah signifies my strong God In that 1 Kings 17. 1. it is Eli-jahu that is the Lord he is my strong God and yet subject to like passions as we are He was a man much in fasting and prayer he was an inferiour mediator between God and his people and yet subject to like passions as we are Now because some from hence might object and say no wonder if such a man as he was could by his prayers open and shut heaven at his pleasure but I am a poor weak low sinful and unworthy creature I am full of infirmities weaknesses and passions and shall my prayers ever find access to God and acceptance with God or gracious answers and returnes from God Now to obviate this objection and to remove this discouragement out of the thoughts and hearts of poor sinners the Holy-Ghost addeth this clause that he was not a God nor an Angel but a man and such a man as was not exempted from common infirmities for he had his passions frailties weaknesses as well as other Saints intimating to us that infirmities in the meanest Saints should no more prejudice the acceptance and success of their prayers with God than they did in Elias himself The word Pession sometimes signifies First a motion of the sensual appetite arising from the imagination of good or ill with some commotion of the body Secondly Sometimes Passions signisie sinful infirmities sinful perturbations of the mind And Thirdly Sometimes Passion is taken more strictly for the special affection of sinful anger and wrath which Chrysostome calls Brevis Daemon a short Divel It makes a man speak he knows not what as you may see in Jonah and to do he knows not what as you may see in Saul Now in these two last sences Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and yet a man so potent with God that by private prayer he could do even what he listed in the Court of Heaven In that 1 Sam. 21. chap. You may read of Davids round lyes and of his other failings infirmities and unseemly carriages before Achish King of Gath and for which he was turned out of the Kings presence under the notion of a Mad-man and yet at that very time he prayes and prevails with God for savour mercy and deliverance Psal 34. 4. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me out of all my fears But when was this read the Title of the Psalm and you shall find it A Psalm of David who changed his behaviour before Abimilech who drove him away and he departed In that Numb 20. 10 11 12. Moses his infirmities are pointed out First You have there his immoderate anger 2. His speaking to the people when he should have spoke to the Rock vers 8. 3. His smiting of it when he should only have spoken to it with the Rod in his hand and smiting it twice as in a pang of passion and impatiency 4. his distrusting of the Lords word vers 12. 5. His reviling of the people when he should have convinced them hear ye Rebels 6. He seemes to be so offended at
his Commission that he can hardly forbear murmuring Must we bring water out of the Rock Mark Num. 12. 3. that word must we O how is the meekest man in all the world transported into passion anger unbelief and hurried into sad indecencies yet there was not a man on earth whose prayers were so powerful and prevalent with God as Moses his were Psal 106. 23. Exod 32. 9 -15. Chap. 33. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Exod. 14. 13 14 15 16 c. So King Asa was a man full of infirmitities and weaknesses he relyes on the King of Syria and 2 Chron. 16. 7 13. on the Lord he is very impatient and under a great rage upon the Seers reproof He imprisons the Seer he oppressed some of the people or as the Hebrew hath it He crushed or he trampled upon some of the people at the same time And being greatly diseased in his feet he sought to the Physitians and not to the Lord and yet this mans prayer was wonderful prevalent with God 2 Chron. 14. 11 12 13 14 15. The Saints infirmities can never Psal 50. 15. Isa 30. 19. Ch. 65. 24. make void those gracious promises by which God stands engaged to hearken to the prayers of his people Gods hearing of our prayers doth not depend upon sanctification but upon Christ's intercession not upon what we are in our selves but upon what we are in the Lord Jesus both our persons and our prayers are acceptable in the beloved Ephes 1. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 5. When God hears our prayers 't is neither for our own sakes nor yet for our prayers sake but 't is for his own sake and his sons sake and his glory sake and his promise sake c. Certainly God will never cast off his people for their infirmities First 'T is the glory of a man to Pro. 19. 11. passe by infirmities O how much more then must it be the glory of God to pass by the infirmities of his people Secondly Saints are children and what father will cast off his children for their infirmities and Psal 103. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 12. 27. weaknesses Thirdly Saints are members of Christ's body and what man will cut off a member because of a scab or wart that is upon it What man will cut off his Nose saith Luther because there is some filth in it Fourthly Saints are Christ's purchase they are his possession Ephes 1. 22 23. 1 Cor. 6. u't Ch. 7. 23 1 Pet. 13. 18 19 20. his inheritance Now what man is there that will cast away or cast off his purchase his possession his inheritance because of thorns bushes or bryars that grow upon it Fifthly Saints are in a marriage Hos 2 19 20. covenant with God Now what husband is there that will cast off his wife for her failings and infirmities So long as a man is in covenant with God his infirmities can't cut him off from Gods mercy and grace Now 't is certain a man may have very many infirmities upon him and yet not break his covenant with God for no sin breaks a mans covenant with God but such as unties the marriage knot As in other marriages every offence or infirmity doth not disanul the marriage union it i◠only the breach of the marriage vow viz. adultery that untyes the marriage knot So here 't is only those sins which breaks the covenant which unties the marriage knot between God and the Soul 1. When men freely subject to any lust as a new master Or 2. When men take another husband Isa 28 15. 18. and this men doe when they enter into a league with sin or the world eh … they make a new covenant with hell and deach Now from these mischiefs God secures his chosen ones In a word If God should cast off his people for their infirmities then none of the sons or daughters of Adam could be saved For there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccl. 7. 20. Now if God will not cast off his people for their infirmities then certainly he will not cast off the prayers of his people because of those invincible infirmities that hang upon them and therefore our infirmities should not discourage us or take us off from Closet-prayer or from any other Duties of Religion But Fourthly I answer The more infirmities and weaknesses hang upon us the more cause have we to keep close and constant to our Closet duties If grace be weake The omission of good diet breeds diieases the omission of private prayer will make it weaker Look as he that will not eat will certainly grow weaker and weaker So he that will not pray in his c … et will certainly grow weaker and weaker If corruptions be strong the neglect of private prayer will make them stronger The more the remedy is neglected the more the disease is strengthned Whatsoever the distempers of a mans heart be they will never be abated but augmented by the omission of private prayer The more bodily infirmities hang upon us the more need we have of the Physitian and so the more sinful infirmities hang upon our souls the more need we have of private prayer All sinful omissions will make work for repentance for hell or for the Physitian of souls Sinful omissions lead to sinful commissions as you may see in the Angels that fell from heaven to hell and in Adams fall in Paradise Origen going to comfort and encourage a martyr that was to be tormented was himself apprehended by the Officers and constrained either to offer to the Idols or to have his body abused by a Black amore that was ready for that purpose of which hard choice to save his life he bowed unto the Idol but afterwards making a sad confession of his foul fact he said That he went forth that morning before he had been with God in his Closet and so peremptorily concludes that his neglect of Prayer was the cause of his falling into that great sin The neglect of one day of one duty of one hour would undoe us for ever if we had not an Advocate 1 John 2. 1 2. with the father Those years those months those weeks those days those hours that are not filled up with God with Christ with grace with duty will certainly be filled up with vanity and folly All omissions of duty will more and more unfit the soul for duty A Key thrown by gathers rust A Pump not used will be hardly got to go And Armour not used will be hardly made bright c. Look as sinful commissions will stab the Soul so sinful omissions will starve the Soul Such as live Isa 24. 16. Job 16. 8. in the neglect of private prayer may well cry out Our leanness our leanness And therefore away with all these plea's and reasonings about infirmities and weaknesses and indispositions address your selves to Closet-prayer But Fifthly I