in favour with God a man that art very pleasing and delightful to God God loves to lade the wings of private prayer with the sweetest choicest and chiefest blessings Ah how often hath God kissed a poor christian at the beginning of private prayer and spoke peace to him in the midst of private prayer and fill'd him with light and joy and assurance upon the close of private prayer And so Cornelius is highly commended and graciously rewarded upon the account of his private prayer Acts. 10. 1 2 3 4. There was a certain man in Cesarea called Cornelius a Centurion of the Band called the Italian Band a devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much Alms to the people and prayed to God alwayes He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth houre of the day an Angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him Cornelius And when he looked on him he was afraid and said what is it Lord and he said unto him thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God Vers 30. 31. And Cornelius said four dayes agoe I was fasting until this hour that is until about three a clock in the after-noon vers 3. and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house and behold a man stood before me in bright cloathing and said Cornelius thy prayer is heard and thine Alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God Mark as he was praying in his house namely by himself alone a man in bright clothing that was an Angel in mans shape vers 3. appeared to him and said Cornelius thy prayer is heard he doth not mean only that prayer which he made when he fasted and humbled himself before the Lord vers 30. 31. but as vers 2 3 4. shews His prayers his prayers which he made alone for it seemes none else were with him then for he only saw that man in bright cloathing and to him alone the Angel addressed his present speech saying Cornelius thy prayers are heard vers 4 31. Here you see that Cornelius his private prayers are not only heard but kindly remembred and graciously accepted and gloriously rewarded Praying Cornelius is not only remembred by God but he is also visited sensibly and evidently by an Angel and assured that his private prayers and good deeds are an odour a sweet smel a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God And so when had Peter his Vision but when he was praying alone on the house-top Acts 10. 9 10 11 12 13. On the morrow as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the City Peter went up unto the house-top to pray about the sxith hour And he became very hungry and would have eaten but while they made ready he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and a certain Vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air And there came a voice to him Rise Peter kill and eat When Peter was upon the house-top at prayer alone then he fell into a trance and then he saw Heaven opened and then he had his spirit raised his Mind clevated and all the Faculties of his soul filled with a Divine Revelation And so when Paâ—l was at prayer alone he saw in Acts 11 18. a Vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him that he might receive his sight Paul had not been long at private prayer before it was revealed to him that he was a chosen vessel before he was filled with the gifts Graces and Comforts of the Holy Ghost And when John was alone in the Isle of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ whither he was banished by Domitian a most cruel Emperor then he had a glorious Euseb l. 3. c. 18. Rev. 1. 9 ult Rev. 5. 1 to 9. sight of the Son of man and then the Lord discovered to him most deep and profound Mysteries both concerning the present and future state of the Church to the end of the world And when John was weeping in private prayer doubtless then the sealed book was opened to him So when Daniel was at private prayer God dispatches a heavenly messenger to him and his Errand was to open more clearly and fully the blessed Scripture to him Some comfortable encourraging knowledge this holy man Doctor Ames got his learning by privat prayer and so did Solomon his wisdom of God had attain'd unto before by his frequent and constant study in the word and this egges him on to private prayer and private prayer posts an Angel from heaven to give him a clearer and fuller light Private prayer is a Golden-key to unlock the mysteries of the word unto us The knowledge of many choice and blessed Truths are but the returns of private prayer The Word dwells most richly in their hearts who are most in pouring out of their hearts before God in their Closets When Bonaventure that seraphical Doctor as some call him was asked by Aquinas from what books and helps he derived such holy and divine expressions and contemplations He pointed to a Crucifix and said Iste est liber c. Prostrate in prayer at the feet of this Image my soul receiveth greater light from heaven than from all study and disputation Though this be a Monkish tradition superstitious Fiction yet some improvement may be made of it Certainly that Christian or that Minister that in private prayer lyes most at the feet of Jesus Christ he shall understand most of the mind of Christ in the Gospel and he shall have most of heaven and the things of his owne peace brought down into his heart There is no Service wherein christians have such a near familiar and friendly entercourse with God as in this of private prayer neither is there any Service wherein God doth more delight to make known his truth and faithfulness his grace and goodness his mercy and bounty his beauty and glory Bene orasse est bene studuisse Luther to poor Souls than this of private prayer Luther professeth That he profited more in the knowledge of the Scripture by private prayer in a short space than he did by study in a longer space As John by weeping in a corner got the sealed book opened Private prayer crownes God with the Honor and Glory that is due to his Name and God crowns private prayer with a discovery of those blessed weighty Truths to his servants that are a sealed book to others Certainly the soul usually enjoyes most communion with God Nunquam minus solus quam cum solus Never less alone than when alone said the Heathen And may not a Saint say so much more that hath communion with God Jer. 13. 1 2. in secret When a christian is
Jer. 23. 24. Can any man hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Pro. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good or contemplating the evil and the good as the Hebrew may be read Now to contemplate is more than simply to behold for contemplation addeth to a simple apprehension a deeper degree of knowledge entring into the very inside of a matter and so indeed doth God discern the very inward intentions of the heart and the most secret motions of the spirit God is an infinite and immense being whose center is every where and whose circumference is no where Now if our God be omnipresent then wheresoever we are our God is present with us if we are in prison alone with Joseph our God is present with us there or if we are in exile alone with David our God is present with us there or if we are alone in our closets our God is present with us there God seeth us in secret and therefore let us seek his face in secret Though Heaven be Gods Pallace yet it is not his prison But Fifteenthly He that willingly neglects private prayer shall certainly be neglected in his publick prayer he that will not call upon God in secret shall find by sad experience that God will neither hear him nor regard him in publick Want of private duties is the great reason why the hearts of many are so dead and dull so formal and carnal so barren and unfruitful under publick Ordinances O that Christians would seriously lay this to heart Certainly that man or womans heart is best in publick who is most frequent in private They make most yearnings in publick Ordinances that are most conscientiously exercised in closet duties No mans graces rises so high nor no mans experiences rises so high nor no mans communion with God rises so high nor no mans divine enjoyments rises so high nor no mans springs of comfort rises so high nor no mans hopes rises so high nor no mans parts and gifts rises so high c. as theirs do who conscientiously wait upon God in their Closets before they wait upon him in the Assembly of his people and who when they return from publick Ordinances retire into their Closets and look up to Heaven for a blessing upon the publick means 'T is certain that private duties fit the soul for publick ordinances He that makes conscience to wait upon God in private shall finde by experience that God will wonderfully blesse publick Mic. 2. 7. Ordinances to him My designe is not to set up one Ordinance of God above another nor to cause one ordinance of God to clash with another the publick wth the private or the private with the publick but that every Ordinance may have its proper place right The desires of my soul being to prize every Ordinance to praise every ordinance and to practise every Ordinance to improve every ordinance to blesse the Lord for every Ordinance But as ever you would see Psal 63. 1 2 3. the beauty and glory of God in his sanctuary as ever you would have publick Ordinances to be lovely and lively to your souls as ever you would have your drooping spirits revived and your languishing souls refreshed and your weak graces strengthned and your strong corruptions weakned under publick Ordinances be more careful conscientious in the performance of Closet duties O how strong in grace O how victorious over sin O how dead to the world O how alive to Christ O how fit to live O how prepared to die might many a Christian have been had they been but more frequent serious and conscientious in the discharge of Closet duties Not but that I think there is a truth in that saying of Bede the word Church being rightly understood viz. That he that comes not willingly to Church shall one day go unwillingly to Hell But Sixteenthly Consider the times wherein we live call aloud for secret prayer Hell seems to be broke loose and men turned into incarnate Devils Land-destroying and Soul-damning wickednesses walk up and down the streets with a Whores fore-head without the least check or controul Jer. 3. 3. Thou had'st a Whores fore-head thou refusest to be ashamed Jer. 6. 15. Were they ashamed when they committed abomination nay they were not at allashamed neither could they blush They had Curtius an heathen could say That he was an undone man that knoweth no shame sinned away shame instead of being ashamed of sin Custom in sin had quite banished all sence of sin and all shame for sin so that they would not suffer nature to draw her vail of blushing before their great abominations They were like to Caligula a wicked Emperor who used to say of himself That he loved nothing better in himself than that he could not be ashamed The same words are repeated in Chap. 8. 12. How applicable these Scriptures are to the present times I will leave the prudent reader to judge But what doth the Prophet do now they were as bold in sin and as shameless as so many harlots that you may see in Jer. 13. 17. But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places or secresies for your pride and mine eye shall weep sore Heb. weeping weep or shedding tears shed tears the doubling of the verb notes the bitter and grievous lamentation that he should make for them and run down with tears Now they were grown up to that heighth of sin and wickedness that they were above all shame and blushing now they were grown so proud so hardned so obstinate so rebellious so mad upon mischief that no mercies could melt them or allure them nor no threatnings nor judgements could any wayes terrifie them or stop them the Prophet goes into a corner he retires himself into the most secret places and there he weeps bitterly there he weeps as if he were resolved to drown himself in his own tears When the springs of sorrow rise high a Christian turns his back upon company and retires himself into places of greatest privacy that so he may the more freely and the more fully vent his sorrow and grief before the Lord. Ah England England what pride luxury lasciviousness licentiousness wantonness drunkenness cruelties injustice oppressions fornications adulteries falshoods hypocrisie bribery atheisme horrid blasphemies and hellish impieties are now to be found rampant in the midst of thee Ah England England how are the Lords Sabbaths profaned pure Ordinances despised Scriptures rejected the Spirit resisted and derided the righteous reviled wickedness countenanced and Christ many thousand times in a day by these cursed practises a fresh crucified Ah England England were our forefathers alive how sadly would they blush to see such a horrid degenerate posterity as is to be found in the midst of thee How is our forefathers hospitality converted into riot and luxury their frugallity into
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
being that they are not proper to our purpose I shall pass them by The Rod. The Hebrew word Matte that is here rendred Rod hath these three significations First It denotes Power and strength Psal 2. 9. A Rod of Iron Secondly It denotes Rigid and harsh Government Isa 14. 5. The Lord hath broken the staffe or Rod of the wicked that is their rigorous and cruel Government Nebuchadnezzar sorely afflicted the Children of Judah he was a Rod that brake them in pieces and ruled over them with much rigour in Babilon Thirdly It denotes sore afflictions and heavy Judgements Psal 89. 32. I will visit your transgressions with a Rod. And thus you are to understand the word Rod in the Text. And him that hath appointed it 'T is God that appoints the Rod and ordaines it for the revenge of the quarrel of his Covenant The Hebrew word Jegnadah signifies properly to appoint or constitute 'T is God who appoints the Rod and who constitutes it to do what service he pleaseth 'T is God that hath not only a permissive but also an active hand in all the afflictions that come upon his People And let thus much suffice for the opening of the words Now though this choice Garden affords many sweet Flowers yet I shall only present you with one which is this viz. That all the Afflictions troubles and tryals c. that God layes upon his People are his Rod and that 't is their highest and greatest concernment to hear the voyce of the Rod and to take out those Lessons that God would have them learn by the Rod. For the opening and clearing up of this important Point I shall endeavour these two things First To shew you in what respects Afflictions are like unto a Rod. Secondly To shew you what those special Lessons are that you are to learn by the Rod. For the First In what respects are afflictions like unto a Rod I Answer In these seven respects Afflictions are like unto a Rod. First The Rod is never made use of but when no fair means will prevail with the Child 'T is so here God never takes up the Rod he never afflicts his People till he 2 Chron. 36. 15 ult Mat. 23. 37 38. hath tryed all fair wayes and means to humble them and reform them And when none of the offers of grace the tenders of mercy the wooings of Christ the strivings of the Spirit northe smart debates of Conscience will awaken them nor work upon them then God takes up the Rod and sometimes whips them till the blood comes But Secondly Parents choose what Rods they please to correct their Children with The Child shall not choose what Rod he pleaseth to be corrected with O no 'T is the prerogative of the Father to choose the Rod the Father may choose and use either a great Rod or a little Rod a long Rod or a short Rod a Rod made up of Rosemary branches or a Rod made up of green Birch 'T is so here God chooseth what Rod what Affliction he pleaseth to exercise his people with You Lev. 26. Deut. 28. Lament 3. 9 18. read in the Scripture of very many Rods but they are all of Gods choosing Amos 3. 6. Is there any evil in the City and hath not the Lord done it Though there be many Rods to be found in the City yet there is not one of them but is of Gods choosing Ruth 1. 13. It grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me vers 21. I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty why then call ye me Naomi seeing the Lord hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me Isa 45. 7. I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Mic. 1. 12. For the inhabitants of Maroth waited carefully for good but evil came down from the Lord unto the Gates of Jerusalem David was whipt with many Rods Psal 39. 9. Job 1 but they were all of Gods own choosing And Job was whipt with many Rods but they were all of Gods own choosing But Thirdly Parents take no pleasure they take no delight to use the Rod. Every lash the Father gives the Child fetches blood from his own heart The Father corrects the Child and sighs over the Child he whips the Child and at the same time weeps over the Child Nothing goes more against the Parents heart nor against their hair than the bringing of their Children under the Rod of Correction 'T is so here Lament 3. 3. For he doth not afflict willingly or as the Hebrew runs he doth not afflict Millibbo from his heart nor grieve the Children of men You often read that he delights in mercy but Mich. 7. 15. where do you once read that he delights in severity or in dealing roughly with his People God very rarely takes 2 Chron. 36. 16. Jer. 5. 19. up the Rod but when our sins have put a force upon him 'T is grievous to God to be a grieving his People 't is a pain unto him to be a punishing of them Hos 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together My Justice saith God calls upon me to rain Hell out of Heaven upon thee as once I did upon Sodom and Gomorah but then Mercy interposeth her four several how 's how how how how how shall I give thee up God puts these four pathetical interrogations to himself because none else in Heaven or Earth could answer them The Prophet brings in God speaking after the manner of men who being provoked a thousand thousand wayes by the vanities and follies of their Children think to give them up to take their own courses and to look no more after them but then their bowels begin to work and their hearts begin to melt and they begin to interrogate themselves thus How shall we give up these Children for though they be disobedient Children yet they are Children how can we turn them out of doores how can we disown them how can we disinherit them for though they are rebellious Children yet they are Children c. Afflictions are called Gods work yea his strange work his Isa 28. 21. act yea his strange act as if God were out of his element when he is afflicting or chastising his People But. Fourthly The Rod is smarting grievous and troublesom and so are afflictions to our natures Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Flesh and blood startles and is troubled at the least trouble Affliction is a sort of Physick that makes most sick Some write that Tygres will grow mad and tear their own flesh Plutarch lib. de superstitionâ— and rend themselves in pieces
The eye that sin shuts afflictions open Soul and to mend whatsoever is amiss They are Pills made up by a heavenly hand on purpose to clear our eye-sight 1 Kings 17. 18. And she said unto Elijah what have I to do with thee O thou man of God art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my Son If God had not taken away her Son her sin had not been brought to remembrance It was the Speech of an holy man in his sickness In this Disease said he I have learned how great God is and what the evil of sin is I never knew to purpose what God was before nor what sin was before The Cross opens mens eyes as the tasting of Honey did Jonathans Here as that Martyr phrased it we are still a learning our A B C and our lesson is never past Christs Cross and our walking is still home by weeping Cross But Thirdly The Rod is used to prevent further folly mischief and misery Prov. 23. 13 14 With-hold not correction from the Child for if thou beatest him with the Rod he shall not die Thou shalt beat him with the Rod and shalt deliver his Soul from Hell It is said of the Ape that she huggeth her young ones to death so many fond Parents by not correcting their Children they come to slay their Children The best way to prevent their being scourged with Scorpions in Hell is to chastise them with the Rod here So God takes up the Rod he afflicts and chastiseth his dearest Children but 't is to prevent soul-mischief and misery 't is to prevent pride self-love worldliness c. Paul was 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. one of the holiest men that ever lived on earth he was called by some an earthly Angel and yet he needed the Rod he needed a thorn in the flesh to prevent pride witness the doubling of those words in one verse least I should be exalted above measure least I should be exalted above measure If Paul had not been buffetted who knows how highly he might have been exalted in his own conceit Prudent Physitians do often give their Patients Physick to prevent Diseases so doth the Physitian of souls by his dearest Servants Job 33. 17 19. Job 40. 4 5. Hos 2. 6 7. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pain That he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man Afflictions are the Lords Drawing-Playsters by which he draws out the core of pride earthliness self-love covetousness c. Pride was one of mans first sins and is still the root and source of all other sins Now to prevent it God many times chastens man with pain yea with strong pain upon his bed 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 The burnt Child dreads the fire Sin is but a bitter sweet 't is an evil worse than Hell it self Look as Salt brine preserves things from putrefying as salt Marshes keep the Sheep from rotting so sanctified Rods sanctified Afflictions preserves and keeps the People of God from sinning But Fourthly The Rod is to purge out that vanity and folly that is bound up in the heart of the Child Prov. 22. 15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a Child but the Rod of correction shall drive it far from him The Rod is an Ordinance as well as the Word and such Parents that use it as an Ordinance praying and weeping over it shall find it effectual for the chasing away of evil out of their Childrens heart Eli and David were two very choice men and yet by their fondness on one hand and neglect of this Ordinance on the other hand they ruined their sons and whether they did not undo their souls I shall not at this time stand to enquire When Moses cast away his Rod it became a Serpent Exod. 4. 3. and so when Parents cast away the Rod of correction 't is ten to one but that their Children become the brood of the Serpent Prov. 13. 24. He that spareth his Rod hateth his son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Not only the care but also the cure of the Child so far as the Rod will reach lyes upon the hands of the Parent Now Afflictions are like a Rod in this respect also for as they are sanctified they cleans and purge away the dross the filth and the scumb of the daughter of Zion Isa 1. 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tinn Isa 27. 9. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Dan. 11. 35. And some of them of understanding shall fall that is into great Afflictions to try them and to purge them and to make them white even to the time of the end All the harm the Dan. 3. 23 24. fire did the three Children or rather the three Champions was to burn off their cords Our lusts are cords of vanity but the fire of Affliction shall burn them up Zech. 13. 9. And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as Silver is refined and will try them as Gold is tryed they shall call on my name and I will hear them I will say it is my People and they shall say the Lord is my God Sharp Afflictions are a fire to purge out our dross and to make our graces shine they are a potion to carry away ill humours they are cold frosts to destroy the vermine they are a tempestuous Sen to purge the Wine from its lees they are like the North Wind that dryeth up the vapours that purgeth the blood and quickens the spirits they are a sharp Corrosive to eat out the dead flesh Afflictions are compared to Baptizing and washing that takes away the filth of the Soul as water doth the filth of the body Mat. 10. 38 39. God would not rub so hard were it not to fetch out the dirt and spots that be in his Peoples hearts Fifthly The Rod serves to improve that good that is in the Child Prov. 29. 15. The Rod and reproof giveth wisdom but a Child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame So Afflictions they serve to improve our graces Heb. 12. 10. For they verily for a few dayes ehastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness that is that we might more and more be partakers of his holiness Vers 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby Hence 't is that the Saints glory in
Thus Job did Job 1. 20 21 22. Yea and thus Jesus did John 18. 11. Shall I not drink the Cup that my Father hath given me to drink Though the Cup was a bitter Cup a bloody Cup yet seeing it was put into his hand by his Father he drinks it off with a Father I thank thee The Rod in its self sounds nothing but smart and blood to the Child but the Rod in the hand of a Father sounds nothing but love kindness and sweetness Rev. 3. 19. Whom he loves he chastens You should never look upon the Rod but as it is in the hand of your heavenly Father and then you will rather kiss it than murmur under it But The Fifth Lesson that you are to learn by the Rod or by the raging Pestilence is to cleave and cling close to God under the Rod. O how doth the Child cling and hang upon his Father when he takes up the Rod let such a Child-like Spirit be found in you when the Father of Spirits takes up up the Rod. When the Rod was upon Davids back O how doth he cleave to God even as the Wife cleaves to her Husband for so much the Hebrew word Dabak in that Psal 63. 8. imports So when Job was under the Rod O how doth he cling about God! Job 13. 21. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job will hang upon a killing God So the Church in that Psal 48. 15 16 17 18 c. So those hundred fourty and four thousand that had their Fathers names written in their foreheads Rev. 14. 1 6. O Friends you never shew so much Child-like love nor so much Child-like ingenuity nor so much Child-like integrity as you do shew when under the smarting Rod you are found clinging about the Lord and hanging upon the Lord by an exercise of grace When Antistenes held up his Staffe as if he intended to beat on of his Scholers out of his School the Scholar told him that he might strike him if he pleased but he should never find a staffe of so hard wood as should ever be able to beat him him from him When no Staff no Rod no Affliction can drive us from Christ it is a sure argument that we have profited much in the School of Christ But The Sixth Lesson that you are to learn by the Rod or by the raging Pestilence is to prepare to meet the Lord whilest the Rod is in his hand Am. 4. 12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel Now there is a two-fold preparation The First is a Negative preparation and this lyes in taking heed of sinning against Light and Conscience for those sins that are against a clear Light and an awakened Conscience are most wounding wasting terrifying and damning Secondly There is a Positive preparation and that consists in repentance returning to the Lord and in abasing and humbling your selves before 2 Chron. 7. 14. the Allmighty As there is no running from God so there is no contending with God for what is the chaff to the Whirlwind or the stubble to a consuming fire And therefore the voyce of the Rod is Prepare to meet the Lord in a way of faith and repentance prepare to meet the Lord in an exercise of grace prepare to meet the Lord with prayers and tears and strong cryes But The Seventh Lesson that you are to learn by the Rod or by the raging Pestilence is to acknowledge Gods soveraign power and authority over the Rod to bow it or break it or burn it or take it off or lay it more or less on as he pleaseth Mic. 6. 13. Deut. 28. 58 59 60 61. All diseases and sicknesses are under the command of God they are all his Sergeants his servants to execute his pleasure That Mat. 8. 5. is an observable Text Christ tells the Centurion that he would come and heal his servant the Centurion tells him that he was not worthy that he should come under his roof only if he would but speak the word his servant should be healed For saith he vers 9. I am a man under Authority having Souldiers under me I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my servant do this and he doth it Now when Jesus heard this he marvelled and said to them that followed Verily I say unto you I have not found so great faith no not in Israel vers 10. But wherein did the greatness of the Centurions faith appear why in this very acknowledgment that all diseases were to Christ as servants and that they were as much under the command of Jesus Christ as any servant under heaven is under the command of his Master When Christ bids them go and afflict such a man they go and torment such a man they go and kill such a man they go and so when he calls them off they come off at his call Dear Friends it is a very great point of faith to believe these five things First that God is the author of all the diseases malladies and sicknesses that be in the World and that he sets them on and call them off at his own good will and pleasure Amos Lev. 26. Deut. 28. 3. 6. Is there any evil in the City and hath not the Lord done it He speaks of the evil of punishment and not of the evil of sin It was a mad Principle among the Manichees who refer'd all calamities to the Devil for their author as if there could be evil in the City and the Lord have no hand in it Secondly It is a great point of Faith to believe that all diseases and sicknesses are limited by God in respect of places God sent diseases of all sorts into Egypt but he forbad them Goshen Exod. 8. 20 21 22 23. Chap. 9 23 24 25 26. Ponder seriously upon these Scriptures Gods shooting his arrows into one Town and not into another into one City and not into another into one Kingdome and not into another into one family not into another doth sufficiently evidence that all diseases and sicknesses are limited by the Holy One of Israel in respect of places Thirdly It is a very great point of Faith to believe that all sicknesses and diseases are limited by God in respect of persons that they are so is evident in that Psal 91. 3 8. Isa 65. 12. But who lives in the faith of this truth Sometimes in the same house one is infected and the other is not sometimes in the same bed the one is smitten and the other is not sometimes at the same table the one is taken away and the other is left c. and this doth roundly evidence and witness that all sicknesses and diseases are limited by God in respect of persons as well as in respect of places But Fourthly It is a great point of Faith to believe
an Allegory they say that in these words there are two Allegories First the Chamber Door is the Sense Shut the Door that is say they thy Sense lest vain imaginations and worldly thoughts distract thy mind in praying Secondly The Door say they is our Mouth Shut thy Door that is thy Lips say they and let thy Prayer be like the Prayer of Hannah conceived in thy mind but not uttered with thy mouth 'T is usual with Papists and other monkish men that lye in wait to deceive to turn the blessed Scriptures into a Nose of Wax under pretence of Allegories and Mysteries Origen was a great admirer Euseb Eccl. Hist Lib. 6. chap. 8. of Allegories by the strength of his parts and wanton wit he turn'd most of the Scriptures into Allegories and by the just Judgement of God upon him he foolishly understood and absurdly applied that Matth. 19. 12. litterally Some have made themselves chaste for the Kingdom of Heaven and so gelded himself And indeed he might as well have pluck't out one of his eyes upon the same account because Christ saith It is better to go to Heaven with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into Hell fire Matth. 18. 9. In all Ages Hereticks have commonly defended their Heresies by translating of Scriptures into Allegories The Apostle speaks of such as denying the Resurrection of the body turn all the testimonies of the Resurrection into an Allegory meaning thereby only the spiritual Resurrection of the soul from sin of which sort was Hymeneus and Philetus who destroyed the faith of some saying the Resurrection was past already 2 Tim. 2. 17 18. And are there not many among us that turn the whole History of the Bible into an Allegory and that turn Christ and Sin and Death and the Soul and Hell and Heaven and all into an Allegory Many have and many do miserably pervert the Scriptures by turning them into vain and groundless Allegories Some wanton wits have expounded Paradise Philo Judaeus and others of a later date to be the Soul Man to be the Mind the Woman to be the Sense the Serpent to be Delight the Tree of knowledge of good and evil to be Wisdome and the rest of the Trees to be the Vertues and Endowments of the Mind O friends it is dangerous to bring in Allegories where the Scripture doth not clearly and plainly warrant them and to take those words Figuratively which should be taken properly The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the Text rendred Closet hath only three most usual significations amongst Greek Authors First it may be taken for a secret Chamber or close and locked Parlour Secondly for a Safe or Cupbord to lay Victuals in Thirdly for a locked Chest or Cupbord wherein Treasure usually is reserved The best and most judicious Interpreters that I have cast mine eye upon both of a former and later date do all expound my Text of Private Prayer in retired places and with them I close And so the main Doctrine that I shall gather from the words is this That Closet-Prayer or Private-Prayer is an indispensible duty that Doct. Christ himself hath laid upon all that are not willing to lye under the woful brand of being Hypocrites I beseech you seriously to lay to heart these five things First If any Prayer be a duty then secret Prayer must needs be a duty for secret Prayer is as much Prayer as any other Prayer is Prayer and secret Prayer prepares and fits the soul for Family-Prayer and for Publick-Prayer Secret-Prayer sweetly enclines strongly disposes a Christian to all other religious duties and services Ergo. But Secondly If Secret Prayer be not an indispensible duty that lyes upon thee by what authority doth Conscience so upbraid thee and so accuse thee and so condemn thee and so terrifie thee as it often doth for the neglect of this duty But Thirdly Was it ever the way or method of God to promise again and again a reward an open reward for that work or service which himself never commanded Surely No. Now to this duty of Secret Prayer the Lord hath again and again promised an open reward Matth. 6. 6. 18. And therefore without all peradventure this is a duty incumbent upon all Christians Fourthly Our Saviour in the Text takes it for granted that every child of God will be frequent in praying to his heavenly Father and therefore he encourages them so much the more in the work of Secret Prayer When you Pray As if he had said I know you can as well hear without eares and live without food and fight without hands and walk without feet as you are able to live without Prayer And therefore when you go to wait on God or to give your heavenly Father a visit Enter into your Closet and shut your doors c. Fifthly If Closet Prayer be not an indispensible duty that Christ hath laid upon all his people why doth Satan so much oppose it why doth he so industriously and so unweariedly labour to discourage Christians in it to take off Christians from it Certainly Satan would never make such a fierce constant war as he doth upon private Prayer were it not a necessary duty a reall duty and a soul-enriching duty But more of this you will find in the following discourse and therefore let this touch suffice for the present c. Now these five things do very clearly and evidently demonstrate that secretly and solitarily to hold entercourse with God is the undoubted duty of every Christian But for a more full opening and confirmation of this great and important Point I shall lay down these Twenty Arguments or Considerations c. First The most eminent Saints both in the Old and New Testament have applied themselves to Private-Prayer Moses was alone in the Mount with God forty dayes and fourty nights Exod. 34. 28. So Abraham fills his mouth with Arguments and reasons the case out alone with God in Prayer to prevent Sodoms desolation and destruction and never leaves off pleading and praying till he had brought God down from fifty to ten Gen. 18. 22-32 and in Gen. 21. 33. you have Abraham again at his private prayers And Abraham planted a Grove in Beer-sheba and called there on the name of the Lord the everlasting God Why did Abraham plant a Grove but that he might have a most private place to pray and poure out his soul before the Lord in So Isaac Gen. 24. 63. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide The Hebrew word Lasuach that is here rendred Meditate signifies to pray as well as to meditate and so it is often used 'T is a comprehensive word that takes in both Prayer and Meditation So you shall find Jacob at his private-prayer Gen. 32. 24 25 26 27 28. And Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day When Jacob was all alone and in a
dark night and when his joynts were out of joynt he so wrestles and weeps and weeps and wrestles in private Prayer that as a Prince at last he prevailes with God Hos 12. 3 4. So David Psal 55. 16 17. As for me I will call upon God and the Lord shall save me Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voyce So Daniel was three times a day in private prayer Dan. 6. 10. Now when Daniel knew that the Writing was sign'd he went into his house and his Windows being open in his Chamber toward Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime Daniel had accustomed himself to private prayer he went to his closet before he went to his publick employment and State affairs and at his return to dinner he turned first into his Chamber to serve his God and refresh his soul before he set down to feast his body and at the end of the day when he had dispatcht his business with men he made it his business to wait upon God in his Chamber So Jonah keeps up private prayer when he was in the Fishes belly yea when he was in the belly of Hell Jonah 2. 1 2 c. So we have Elias at prayer under the Juniper Tree 1 Kings 19. 4. So Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 13. Now Hannah she speaks in her heart only her lips moved but her voice was not heard The very soul of prayer lyes in the pouring out of the soul before God as Hannah did vers 15. Neither was Rebecah a stranger to this duty who upon the Babes strugling in her womb went to enquire of the Lord Gen. 25. 22. that is she went to some secret place to pray saith Calvin Musculus Mercer and others So Saul is no sooner converted but presently he falls upon private prayer Acts 9. 11. And the Lord said unto him arise and go into the street which is called Strait and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth Though he was a strict Pharisee yet he never prayed to purpose before nor never prayed in private before The Pharisees used to pray in the corners of the Streets and not in the corners of their houses And after his conversion he was frequently in private prayer as you may see by comparing of these Scriptures together Rom. 1. 9. Ephes 1. 15 16. 1 Phil. 3 4. 2 Tim. 1. 3. So Epaphras was a warm man in closet prayer Phil. 4. 12 13. So Cornelius had devoted himself to private prayer Acts 10. 2 4. And so Peter gets up to the house top to pray vers 9. On the morrow as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the City Peter went up upon the house-top to pray about the sixth hour Peter got up upon the Leads not only to avoid destraction but that he might be the more secret in his private devotion Eusebius tells us of James called Justus that his knees were grown hard and brawny with kneeling so much in private prayer And Nazianzen reports of his Sister Gorgonia that her knees seemed to cleave to the earth by her often praying in private And Gregory saith of his Aunt Trucilla that her Elbows was as hard as horn by often leaning upon her Desk at private prayer I have read of a devout person who when the set time for his private devotion was come whatever company he was in he would break from them with this neat and handsome come off I have a friend that stayes for me Farewel And there was once a great Lady of this Land who would frequently withdraw from the company of Lords and Ladies of great quality who came to visit her rather than she would lose her set times of waiting upon God in her Closet she would as they call'd it rudely take her leave of them that so she might in private attend the Lord of Lords She would spare what time she could to express her favours civilities and courtesies among her Relations and Friends but she would never suffer them to rob God of his time nor her soul of that comfort and communion which she used to enjoy when she was with God in her Closet And indeed one hours communion with God in ones closet is to be preferr'd before the greatest and best company in the World And there was a child of a Christian Gentle-woman that was so given to prayer from its infancy that before it could well speak it would use to get alone and go to prayer and as it grew it was more frequent in prayer and retiring of it self from company and he would ask his Mother very strange questions far above the capacity of one of his years but at last when this child was but five years old and whipping of his top on a sudden he flung away his Scourge-stick and Top and ran to his Mother and with great joy said unto her Mother I must go to God will you go with me She answered My dear Child how dost thou know thou shalt go to God he answered God hath told me so for I love God and God loves me She answered Dear Child I must go when God pleaseth But why wilt thou not stay with me The Child answered I will not stay I must go to God And the Child did not live above a moneth after but never cared for play more but falling sick he would alwayes be saying that he must go to God he must go to God And thus sometimes out of the Mat. 21. 16. mouthes of Babes and Sucklings God hath perfected praise Certainly such persons will be ripe for Heaven betimes who begin betimes to seek God in a Closet in a Corner And Eusebius reports of Constantine the Emperour that every day he used to shut up himself in some secret place in his Palace and there on bended knees did make his devout Prayers and Soliloquies to God My God and I are good company said famous Dr. Sibbs A man whose soul is conversant with God in a Closer in a Hole behind the Door or in a Desart a Den a Dungeon shall find more real pleasure more choice delight and more full content than in the Pallace of a Prince By all these famous Instances you see that the People of God in all Ages have addicted themselves to private prayer O friends these pious examples should be very awakning very convincing and very encouraging to you Certainly 't is as much your duty as 't is your glory to follow these pious patterns that are now set before you Witness these following Scriptures Prov. 2. 20. That thou mayest walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ Phil. 3. 17. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an
but his secret sins every day written in his fore-head it would not only put him to a crimson blush but it would make him pull his hat over his eyes or cover his face with a double scarfe So 1 Kings 8. 38. What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart c. Sin is the greatest plague in the world but never more dangerous than when it reaches the heart Now secret sins commonly ly nearest the Heart the Fountain from whence they take a quick immediate and continual supply Secret sins are as near to original Sin as the first droppings are to the spring head And as every secret sin lyes nearest the heart so every secret sin is the plague of the heart Now as secret diseases are not to be laid open to every one but only to the prudent Physitian So our secret sins which are the secret plagues the secret diseases of our souls are not to belaid open to every one but only to the Physitian of souls that is only able both to cure them and pardon them And as all Christians have their secret sins so all Christians have their secret temptations 2 Corin. 12. 8 9. And as they have their secret temptations so they have their secret wants Yea many times they have such particular and personal wants that there is not one in the congregation nor one in the family that hath the like And as they have their secret wants so they have their secret fears and secret snares and secret streights and secret troubles and secret doubts and secret jealousies c. And how do all these things call aloud upon every Christian to be frequent and constant in secret prayer Eleventhly Consider Christ is very much affected and delighted in the secret prayers of his people Cant. 2. 14. O my dove that art in the clefts of the Rock in the secret places of the staires let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Christ observes his Spouse when she is in the clefts of the rock when she is gotten into a Corner a praying he looks upon her with singular delight and with special intimations of his love Nothing is more sweet delightful and welcome to Christ than the secret services of his people Their secret breathings are like lovely songs to him their Mal. 3. 4. secret prayers in the clefts of the rock or under the staires are as sweet incense to Jesus The Spouse retires to the secret places of the stairs not only for security but also for secrecy that so she might the more freely without suspition of hypocrisie pour out her soul into the bosome of her beloved The great delight that Parents take in the secret lispings and whisperings of their children is no delight to that which Christ takes in the secret prayers of his people And therefore as you would be friends and and furtherers of Christs delight be much in secret prayer Twelfthly Consider you are the only persons in all the world that God hath made choice of to reveale his secrets to John 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father I have made known unto you Every thing that God the father had communicated to Christ as Mediator to be revealed to his servants he did make known to his disciples as to his bosome friends Christ loves his people as friends and he uses them as friends and he opens his heart to them as friends There is nothing in the heart of Christ that concerns the internal and eternal 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. John 1. 9. Rom. 16. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 7. Ephes 3. 3 4 9. welfare of his friends but he reveales it to them he reveales himself his love his eternal good-will the misteries of Faith and the secrets of his Covenant to his friends Christ loves not to entertaine his friends with things that are commonly and vulgarly knowne Christ will reveal the secrets of his mind the secrets of his love the secrets of his thoughts the secrets of his heart and the secrets of his purposes to all his bosome friends Sampson could not hide his mind his secrets from Dalilah Judg. 16. 15 16 17. though it cost him his life and do you think that Christ can hide his mind his secrets from them for whom he hath laid down his life surely no. O sirs Christ is 1. A universal friend 2. An omnipotent friend an Almighty friend He is no less than thirty times called Almighty in that book of Job he can do above all expressions and beyond all apprehensions 3. He is an omniscient friend 4. He is an omnipresent friend 5. He is an indeficient friend 6. He is an independant friend 7. He is an unchangable friend 8. He is a watchful friend 9. He is a tender and compassionate friend 10. He is a close and faithful friend And therefore he can't but open and unbosom himself to all his bosom friends To be reserved and close is against the very law of friendship Faithful friends are very free in imparting their thoughts their minds their secrets one to another A real friend accounts nothing worth knowing unless he makes it known to his friends He rips up his greatest and most inward secrets to his friends Job calls Job 19. 19. his friends inward friends or the men of his secrets All Christs friends are inward friends they are the men of his secrets Prov. 3. 32. His secrets are with the righteous that is his covenant and fatherly affection which is hid and secret from the world He that is righteous in secret where no man sees him he is the righteous man to whom God will communicate his closest secrets as to his dearest bosom friend It is only a bosom friend to whom we will unbosom our selves So Psal 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Now there are three sorts of divine secrets First There are secrets of Providence Psal 107. ult Hos 14. 9. and these he reveals to the righteous and to them that fear him The Prophet Amos speaks of these secrets of Providence Amos 3. 7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the Prophets Micaiah knew the secret of the Lord touching Ahab which neither Zedekiah 1 King 2 4. nor any other of the false Prophets knew So Gen. 18. 17. And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do The destruction of Sodom was a secret that lay in the bosom of God but Abraham being a bosom friend God communicates this secret to him Vers 19 20 21. Abraham was a Jam. 2. 23. friend a faithful friend a friend
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
Nabals nature and practise answer to his name 1 Sam. 25. 25. Let not my Lord I pray thee regard this man of Belial even Nabal for as his name is so is he Nabal is his name and folly is with him Nabal signifies a fool a sot a Churle it notes one that is void of wisdome and goodness it signifieth one whose Mind Reason Judgment Understanding is withered and decayed Now if you look into the story you shall find that as face answers to face so Nabals nature and practise did Eccho and answer to his name And why then should not our natures and practises answer to our names also We are called the Lords secret ones his hidden ones and how highly therefore doth it concern us to be much with God in secret Why should their be any jarring or discord between our names and our practises It is observable that the practise and carriage of other Saints have been answerable to their names Isaac signifies laughter Gen. 18. and Isaac was a gracious son a dutiful son a son that kept clear of those abominations with which many of the Patriarchs had defiled themselves a son that proved matter of laughter to his Father and Mother all their dayes So Josiah signifies the fire of the Lord and his practise did answerto his name witness the pulling down of Jeroboams 1 King 13. 2. Altar and his burning of the Vessels that were made for Baal and his pulling down the Idolatrous Priests whom the Kings of 2 King 23. 4 21. Judah had set up and his burning the Grove at the brook Kidron and his stamping it to powder and his breaking down the houses of the Sodomites and his defiling of the high places where the Priests had burnt incense and his breaking in pieces the Images and cutting down the Groves and filling their places with the bones of men c. So Joshua signifies a Saviour and his practise was answerable to his name Though he could not save his people from their sins yet he often saved them from their sufferings Great and many were the deliverances the salvations that were instrumentally brought about by Joshua as all know that have read the book of Joshua So John signifies gracious and his practise was answerable to his name he was so gracious in his teachings and in his walkings that he gained favour in the very eyes of his enemies By all these Instances and by many more that might be given you see that other Saints practises have answered to their names And therefore let every one of us look that our practises do also answer to our names that as we are called the Lords secret ones so we may be much with God in secret that so there may be a blessed harmony between our names and our practises we may never repent another day that we have been called Gods secret ones his hidden ones but yet never made conscience of maintaining secret communion with God in our closets And thus you see that there are no less than Twenty arguments to perswade you to closet prayer and to maintain private communion with God in a Corner The use and Application of all follows Is it so that Closet Prayer or Private Prayer is such an indispensible duty that Christ himself hath laid upon all that are not willing to lye under the the woful brand of being hypocrites then this truth looks very sourely and sadly upon these five sorts of persons First It looks sourly and sadly upon all those that put off secret prayer private prayer till they are moved to it by the Spirit for by this sad delusion many have been kept from secret prayer many weeks many moneths O that I might not say many years Though it be a very fit season to Isa 62. 1. Psal 123. 1 2 Gal. 4. 6. pray when the Spirit moves us to pray yet 't is not the only season to pray He that makes Religion his business will pray as daily for daily grace as he doth pray daily for daily bread Luke 18. 1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint 1 Thes 5. 17. Pray without ceasing Ephes 6. 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Rom. 12. 12. Continuing instant in prayer The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In every season as occasion and opportunity offers it self we must pray a Metaphor taken from hunting Dogs that never give over the game till they have got their prey A Christian must not only pray but hold on in prayer till he hath got the heavenly prize We are wanting alwayes and therefore we had need be praying alwayes The world is alwayes alluring and therefore we had need be alwayes a praying Satan is alwayes a tempting and therefore we had need be alwayes a praying and we are alwayes a sinning and therefore we had need be alwayes a praying and we are in dangers alwayes and therefore we had need be praying alwayes and we are dying alwayes and therefore 1 Cor. 15. 31 we had need be praying alwayes Mans whole life is but a lingring death man no sooner begins to live but he begins to die When one was ask't why he prayed six times a day he only gave this answer I must die I must die I must die Dying Christians had need be praying Christians and they that are alwayes a dying had need be alwayes a praying Certainly prayerless families are graceless families and prayerless persons are graceless persons It were better Jer. 10. 25. ten thousand times that we had never been born into the world than that we should go still-born out of the world But Secondly This truth looks sourly and sadly upon those that pray not at all neither in their Families nor in their closets Among all Gods Children there is not one possest with a dumb devil Prayerlesse persons are forsaken of God blinded by Satan hardned in sin every breath they draw liable to all temporal spiritual and eternal Judgements Prayer is that part of natural worship due to God which none will deny but stark Atheists Psal 14. 1. It is observable that amongst the That wicked men ought to pray and the grand objection against their prayers answered at large in my Treatise called The Crown and glory of Christianity from Page 326. to pag. 337. worst of men Turks and the worst of Turks the Moors it is a just exception against any witness by their Law that he hath not prayed six times in every natural day it being usual with them to pray six times a day 1. Before the day-break they pray for day 2. When it is day they give thanks for day 3. At noon they thank God for half the day past 4. After that they pray for a good Sun-set 5. And after that they thank God for the day past And
But many will be ready to object and say We have much business upon our hands and we cannot spare time for private prayer we have so much to doe in our shops and in our ware-houses and abroad with others that we cannot spare time to waite upon the Lord in our Closets Now to this Objection I shall give these Eight Answers that this Objection may never have a resurrection more in any of your hearts First What are all those businesses that are upon your hands to those great businesses weighty affaires that did lye upon the hands of Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses David Daniel Elias Nehemiah See the first Consideration Peter Cornelius and yet you find all these worthies exercising themselves in Private prayers And the King is commanded every day to read some part of Gods word notwithstanding all his great and weighty imployments Deut. 17. 18 19 20. Now certainly Sirs your great businesses are little more than ciphers compared with theirs And if there were any on earth that might have pleaded an exemption from private prayer upon the account of business of much business of great business these might have done it but they were more honest and more noble than to neglect so choice a duty upon the account of much business these brave hearts made all their publick imployments stoop to private prayer they would never suffer their publick imployments to tread private prayer under foot But Secondly I answer no mens outward affaires did ever more prosper than theirs did who devoted themselves to private prayer notwithstanding their many and great worldly employments Witness the prosperity outward flourishing estates of Moses Abraham Isaac Jacob Nehemiah David Daniel and Cornelius these were much with God in their Closets and God blest their blessings to them how Gen. 22. 17 did their cups over flow what signall favours did God heape upon them and theirs No families have been so prospered protected and graced as theirs who have maintained secret communion with God in a Corner Private prayer 1 Chron. 11. 9. doth best expedite our temporal affairs he that prayes well in his Closet shall be sure to speed well in his Shop or at his Plough or 1 Tim. 4. 8. what-ever else he turns his hand unto 'T is true Abimelech was rich as well as Abraham and so was Laban rich as well as Jacob and Saul was a King as well as David and Julian was an Emperour as well as Constantine But 't was only Abraham Jacob David and Constantine who had their blessings blest unto them all the rest had their blessings curst unto them they had many Prov. 3. 33. Mal. 2. 2. good things but they had not the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush with what they had and therefore all their mercies were but bitter-sweets unto them Though all the sons of Jacob returned laden from Gen. 43. Aegypt with corn and money in their sacks yet Benjamin only had the silver cup in the mouth of his sack So though the men of the world have their Corn and their Money c. yet 't is only God's Benjamin's that have the silver Cup the Grace-Cup the Cup of blessing as the Apostle calls 1 Cor. 10. 16 it for their portion O sirs as ever you would prosper and flourish in the world as ever you would have your water turn'd into wine your temporal mercies into spiritual benefits be much with God in your closets But Thirdly I answer 'T is ten to one but that the objecter every day fools away or trifles away or idles away or sins away one hour in a day and why then should he object the want of time There are none that toyle and moyle and busie themselves most in their worldly imployments but doe Myrmecides a famous Artist spent more time in making a Bee than an unskilful workman would do to build a house Plutarch spend an houre or more in a day to little or no purpose either in gazing about or in dallying or toying or dourting or in telling of stories or in busying themselves in other mens matters or in idle visits or in smoaking the Pipe c. And why then should not these men redeem an hours time in a day for private prayer out of that time which they usually spend so vainly and idly can you notwithstanding all your great worldly imployments find an hour in the day to catch flyes in as Domitian the Emperour did and to play the fool in and cannot you find an hour in the day to wait on God in your closets There were three special faults whereof Cato professed himself to have seriously repented one was passing by water when he might have gone by land another was trusting a secret in a womans bosome but the main was spending an hour unprofirably This heathen will one day rise up in Judgment against them who notwithstanding their great imployments spend many hours in a week unprofitably and yet cry out with the Duke of Alva that they have so much to do on earth that they have no time to look up to heaven 'T was a base and sordid spirit in that King Sardanapalus who spent much of his time amongst women in spinning and carding which should have been spent in Ruling and governing his Kingdome So 't is a base sordid spirit in any to spend any of their time in toying and trifling and then to cry out that they have so much business to do in the World that they have no time for closet-prayer they have no time to serve God nor to save their own precious and immortal souls But Fourthly I answer No man dares plead this objection before the Lord Jesus in the great day of account And why then should any man be so childish foolish so â—ccl 11. 9. Rom 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. ignorant impudent to plead that before men which is not pleadable before the Judgment seat of Christ O sirs as you love your souls and as you would be happy for ever never put off your own consciences nor others with any plea's arguments or objections now that you dare not own and stand by when you shall lye upon a dying bed and when you shall appear before the whole court of heaven c. In the great day of account when the secrets of all hearts shall be made manifest and God shall call men to a reckoning before Angels Men and Devils for the neglect of private prayer all giulty persons will be found speechless there will not be a man or woman found that shall dare to stand up and say Lord I would have waited upon thee in my closet but that I had so much business to do in the world that I had no time to enjoy secret communion with thee in a Corner 'T is the greatest wisdom in the world to plead nothing by way of excusein this our day that we dare not plead in the great day But.
private prayer will most clearly and abundantly evidence the singular love the great delight and the high esteem that he hath of private prayer We say those children love their books well and delight much in learning who will be at their books when others are gone to their beds and who will be at their books before others can get out of their beds Certainly they love private prayer well and they delight much in closet communion with God who will be a praying when others are a sleeping and who will be addressing their souls before God in a corner before their mistress is a dressing of her self at the Glass or their fellow-servants a dressing themselves in the shop But Fourthly Because the servants redeeming of time for private prayer from his sleep set meales recreations c. may be of most use to other fellow servants both to awaken them and to convince them that the things of Religion are of the greatest and highest importance and that there is no trade for pleasure or profit to that private Trade that is driven between God and a mans own soul and also to keep them from trifling or fooling away of that time which is truly and properly their Masters time and by the Royal law of heaven ought to be spent solely and wholly in their service business For what ingenious servant is there in the world but will argue thus I see that such and such of my fellow servants will redeem time for private prayer and for other closet services from their very sleep meales recreations c. rather than they will borrow or make bold with that time which my Master saith is his c. and why then should I be so foolish so bruitish so mad to trifle or idle or play or toy away that time wnich should be spent in my masters service and for my masters advantage But Fifthly and lastly Because the servants redeeming of time for private prayer from his Sleep his Meales his Recreations c. cannot but be infinitely pleasing to God and that which will afford him most comfort when he comes to die The more any poor heart acts contrary to flesh and blood the more he pleases God the more any poor heart denyes himself the more he pleases God the more any poor heart acts against the streame of sinful examples the more he pleases God the more difficulties and discouragements a poor heart meets with in the discharg of his duty the more love he shewes to God and the more love a poor heart shewes to God the more he pleases God Jer. 2. 2 3. Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem saying thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the wilderness in a Land that was not sown Israel was holiness unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase all that devour him shall offend evil shall come upon them saith the Lord. God was very highly pleased and greatly delighted with the singular love and choice affections of his people towards him when they followed after him and kept close to him in that tedious and uncouth passage through the waste howling wilderness How all these things do comport with that poor pious servant that redeemes time for private prayer upon the hardest termes imaginable I shall leave the ingenious Reader to judge And certainly upon a dying bed no tongue can express nor heart conceive but he that feeles it the unspeakable comfort that closet duties will afford to him that hath been exercised in them upon those hard termes that are under present consideration But Ninthly I answer If thou art a gracious servant then the near and dear relations that is between God and thee and the choice priviledges John 8. 32 33 36. that thou art interested in calls aloud for private prayer As thou art thy Masters servant so thou art the Lords free-man 1 Cor. 7. 22 23. For he that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lords free-man Likewise also he that is called being free is Christs servant Ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men Either when they command you things forbidden by Christ or forbid you things commanded by Christ or when they would exercise a dominion over your faith or a lord-ship over your consciences Suffer not your selves in spiritual things to be brought into such bondage by any men or Masters in the world as not to use that freedom Gal. 5. 1. Col. 2. 20. Gal. 2. 4. and liberty that Christ hath purchased for you with his dearest blood No servants are to serve their masters in opposition to Christ nor no servants are to serve their masters as spiritual masters Nor no servants are to serve their masters as supream masters but as subordinate masters Ephes 6. 5 6 7. And as every gracious servant is the Lords free-man so every gracious servant is the Lords friend Isa 41. 8. James 2. 23. John 15. 13 14 15. And as every gracious servant is the Lords friend so every gracious servant is the Lords son Gal. 4. 5 6. Rom. 8. 16. And as every gracious servant is the Lords son so every gracious servant is the Lords spouse Hos 2. 19 20. 2 Cor. 11. 2. And now I appeal to the consciences of all that have tasted that the Lord is gracious whether the near and dear relations that is between the Lord and pious servants doth not call aloud upon them to take all opportunities and advantages that possibly they can to pour out their souls before the Lord in secret and to acquaint him in a corner with all their secret wants weaknesses wishes c. And as gracious servants are thus nearly and dearly related to God so gracious servants are very highly priviledged by God Gracious servants are as much freed from the reign of sin the dominion of sin and the damnatory Rom. 6. 14. power of sin as gracious masters are Gracious servants are as Rom. 8. 1. much freed from hell from the curse of the Law and from the wrath of God as their gracious masters are Gracious servants are Gal. 3. 13. as much adopted as much reconciled as much pardoned as much justified and as much redeemed as their gracious masters are Gracious servants are as much heirs 1 Thes 1. 10. Col. 3. 11. Gal. 5. 6. Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 6. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 9. heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ as their gracious masters are Gracious servants are as much a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people called out of darkness into his marvelous light as their gracicious masters are And therefore they being all alike interested in all these great and glorious priviledges which belong to Saints as Saints they are without all peradventure alike obliged and engaged to all those duties which lies upon Saints as Saints among which private prayer
answer It may be thy distemper and indisposition of body is not so great but that thou canst buy and sell and get gaine Notwithstanding thy aking head The body it self if you set too high a price upon it will make a cheap Soul and he is the most unhappy man whose outside is his best side and thy shooting back and thy pained sides and thy feeble knees yet thou canst with Martha cumber thy self about thy worldly affairs In that Cant. 5. 3. Christ calls upon his Spouse to open the door and let him in But sin and shifting coming into the world together see how poorly and unworthily she labours to shift Christ off I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Rather than she will make no excuse for her self she will make a silly excuse a worthless excuse She was past a child and what a great businesse had it been for her to have risen to have let in such a guest that brings every thing with him that heart Rev. 3. 17. 17. can wish or need require She was not grown so decrepid with old age but that she was able to make her self ready at least she might easily have slipt on her morning Coat and stept to the door without any danger of taking cold or of being wet to the skin and so Rev. 22. 12. have let him in who never comes empty handed yea who was now come full of the dew of divine blessings to enrich her for so some sence those words Mine head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night O the frivolous pretences and idle excuses that even gracious persons are apt sometimes to take up to over colour their neglect of duty But some may say It may be the Spouse of Christ was aseep O no for she saith vers 2. I sleep but my heart waketh She slept with open eyes as the Lyon doth she slept but half sleep though her outward man was drowsie yet her in ward man was wakeful though the flesh took a nap yet her spirit did not nod O but it may-be Christ made no noise he gave no notice that he was at the door O yes he knocked he knockt and bounced by the hammer of his word and the hand of his Spirit he knockt by outward corrections and inward admonitions he knockt by providences and he knockt by mercies His importunity and vehemency for admission was very great O but it may-be he did but only knock he should have called as well as knockt for none but mad-men would open their doors in the night except they knew the voice of him that knocketh O yes he did not only knock but cald also O but it may-be she did not know his voice and therefore she would not open No chast wife will at unseasonable hours arise and open her doors unto a stranger especially in her husbands absence O yes she knew his voice vers 2. It is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh She was not so fast asleep but that she knew the voice of her Beloved from all other voices could tell every tittle that he said The calls of Christ were so strong so loud and his pulsations so mighty that she could not but know and confess that it was the voice of her Beloved though she was not so respectful and dutiful as to obey that voice O but it may-be Christ knockt and call'd like a friend in his journey only to enquire how it was with her or to speak to her at the Window O no! he speaks plainly he speaks with authority Open to me O but it may-be she had no power to open the door O yes for when he commands his people to open he Phil. 1. 6 13. 1 Cor. 15. 10. lends them a key to open the door that he may enter in Infused grace is a living principle that will enable the Soul to open to Christ If a man be not a free agent to work and act by the helps of grace received to what purpose are counsels commands exhortations and directions given to perform this and that and t'other work And certainly it is our greatest honour and happinesse in this world to co-operate with God in those things which concern his own glory and our own internal and eternal good O but it may-be Christ had given his Spouse some distast or it may-be he had let fall some hard words or some unkind speeches which made her a little froward and pettish O no! for he owns her as his Beloved and courts her highly with the most winning and amicable tearms of love My Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled or my perfect one he calls her so for her Dove like simplicity purity and integrity All these endearing and honouring Titles are the Rhetorick of Divine love and should have been as so many sacred engagements upon her to open to her Beloved O but it may-be Christ was too quick for her it may-be he gave but a knock and a call and was gone before she could rise and open the door O no! Christ stayed till his head was filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night which most passionate expression notes the tender goodness patience and gentlenesse of our Lord Jesus who endures far greater and harder things for his Spouses sake than ever Jacob did for his Rachels sake After Christ had suffered much for her sake and waited her leasure a long while she very unkindly and very unmannerly and unworthily turns her back upon all his sweet and comfortable compellations and blessed and bleeding embracements and turns him off to look his lodging in some other place so that he might well have said Is this thy kindness to thy Friend thy Husband thy Lord to suffer him to stand bare-headed and that in foul weather yea in the night time wooing intreating and beseeching admittance and yet to turn him off as one in whom thy soul could take no pleasure Now if you will but seriously weigh all these circumstances in the Ballance of the Sanctuary you may run and read the fault and folly the weakness and madness the slightness and laziness of the Spouse and by her you may make a judgement of those sad and sinful distempers that may seize upon the best of Saints and see how ready the flesh is to frame excuses and all to keep the soul off from duty and the doors fast bolted against the Lord Jesus 'T is sad when men are well enough to sit and chat and trade in their shops but are not well enough to pray in their closets Certainly that mans heart is not right with God at least at this time who under all his bodily distempers can maintain and keep up his publick trade with men but is not well enough to maintain his private trade with heaven Our bodies are but dirt handsomly tempered artificially formed we derive our