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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A71231	Enter into thy closet, or A method and order for private devotion A treatise endeavouring a plain discovery of the most spiritual and edifying course of reading, meditation, and prayer; and so, of self examination, humiliation, mortification, and such most necessary Christian duties, by which we sue out the pardon of our sins from Heaven, and maintain an holy converse with God. Together with particular perswasives thereunto, and helps therein.	Wettenhall, Edward, 1636-1713.	1666 (1666)	Wing W1495B; ESTC R217163	97,436	340

keep all his life as a perpetual Sabbatism Hebr. 4. 10. or holy rest unto God it must needs be an argument of a very profane worldly and unchristian spirit not to afford God this day free from sensual pleasures and worldly cares or labours Wherefore I say the keeping holy of the Lords day I put out of all question and would have no man flatter himself that he is a devout Christian who useth either by idleness or pleasures or unnecessary worldly business to profane what the Church and being that the Church hath done it by good warrant and power transmitted to her by Christ God himself hath allowed Profanation I call it for if the spending it to holy purposes be to sanctifie it then the spending it contrarily upon ordinary or unworthy practices is to profane it And if we may not give that which is holy unto dogs it is then surely most intolerable to take that time which by divine Law ought to be holy unto God and give it to his enemies the devil this world and our own lusts which we do when we spend the Lords day either in idleness pleasures or needless worldly matters Works of charity or mercy are acts of holiness and works of necessity so far forth as they are works of necessity are acts of mercy and consequently the doing of either of these that is works of Charity or Necessity when due occasion calls me thereto is rather sanctifying than unhallowing the Lords day especially if I do them out of duty towards God and in his fear and for this I have his warrant who tels Mat. 9. 13. me that he better accepts Mercy than Sacrifice Chap. VII Of Preparation for the Lords day A preparatory Prayer thereto SEeing then that the Lords day is to be kept holy that is to be spent in the worship and service of God for which it is set apart it concerns me to consider how I may spend it in a way most complying with this its design or intendment And I shall easily upon the very consideration of the nature of Gods worship be convinced that it is in a manner impossible for me duely to sanctifie it if I come unto it hot and wreaking from my worldly business For being I am to worship God in spirit and in truth with all my mind soul and strength and in a word with my whole man evident it is that I am unable so to do while my heart yet remains unemptied of the world and being unfit to worship God I am not while so in a due state to sanctifie this day Wherefore the right sanctification of the Lords day is to begin with Preparation And it is a right wholsome institution that upon the Evening before it there should be Prayers in every Parish Church which is grown now too much into disuse by reason onely that I can imagine of the degeneracy of the age If there be such custome kept up in my Parish I would not but upon necessity be absent from those preparatory prayers At which though I should be supposed to have been present yet would I not content my self therewith but whether I have been imployed publickly in preparations or not in my course of devotion on Saturday night take so much more time than I do ordinarily as might serve for some preparatory Meditations and Prayers The least which I can do to this purpose in my Meditations is First To examine whether there be not some sin or sad miscarriage of the week past which lies unrepented of and so may blast my next daies performances And if any there be secondly to consider of it more particularly its aggravations its nature whether it be not such an one part of the Repentance for which must be Reconciliation Restitution or somewhat like and accordingly to apply my self to what I in my conscience and in the fear of God do judge due repentance Thirdly to endeavour the emptying my head of worldly at least distracting cares to bid them be gone now till a day for them return And lastly so to contrive as neer as I can all my affairs for the next day that both I and my family may have as little avocations or matters to call away our minds from holy duties as may be This by way of Meditation My Prayers must be suitable to my condition If any such sin as before mentioned be found that must be confessed bewailed and pardon craved together with grace for the future against it which may be done by putting in the mention of that sin in the proper space left for such purpose But besides this it will be necessary to add some particular petitions for due preparation or disposition of heart for the duties of the next day First for a quiet setled and composed mind so that I may attend with all my soul my holy concerns or business Secondly for enlivened affections that I may not be dull and heartless but of a tender and melting spirit Thirdly for a pliable ductile yielding and easie mind that I may mix the word with faith and render the obedience of faith Lastly because both my own and the Congregations benefit and edification much depends upon the Ministers due and affectionate discharge of his office it is therefore fit I forget not him but commend him to the assistance of the Spirit To which purpose the following prayer may be either inserted in some fit place towards the end of my prayers or added to them O Lord from whom the preparations of the heart are The day now approacheth which being holy unto thee I am to spend in thy more solemn worship Many sins there are by me not duely repented of which may justly bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing Especially my * Here insert the mention of such particular sinnes which thou hast found thy self guilty of c. may make my very prayers an abomination to thee But accept thou I beseech thee of this my confession of them and at least desired sorrow for them Turn my heart from them for the future and through the bloud of my Saviour so remove the guilt of them that they may not hinder good things from me Let the effusions of thy grace both upon me and all the Congregations of thy people be plentifull Let my heart be fixed and none either vain or worldly thoughts lodge within me this night Quicken me by thy Holy Spirit that I may draw neer unto thee with a true heart and be fervent in Spirit in thy service and with a good and honest heart receiving thy word may understand and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience and unto perfection Remember thou thy servants who are to dispense thy Mysteries unto thy people and especially him upon whose teaching I am to wait Pardon their sins and frailties Open their mouths guide their minds and tongues that they may deliver thy truths in the demonstration of thy Spirit and let thy work so prosper

many are already gone Perhaps one Moyety perhaps more So then all those things which my other time seeks are of a pitifull short and transient concernment But the graces of Gods spirit an holy heart a good conscience reconciliation with my heavenly Father these and such like are not only of concernment for my present happiness but for my eternall The richest honorablest and most worldly-happy Man if devoid of grace an enemy unto God conscious to himself of villany cannot in all his abundance here enjoy or like himself much less either account himself or be accounted an happy person For what can that Man acquiesce in whose own heart calling him a rogue laye● a fatall necessity upon him to hate and to be ever and anon ready to execrate himself Certainly there is no present possible happinesse which is comparable to that blessed calm and quiet which ariseth from the sense of a Mans one upright heart heart and discharged duty Insomuch that were there no such thing as an heaven to come I should not fear to pronounce that that man neglects those things which are of greatest conducement to his present happinesse who neglects to seek unto God to commune with his own heart to set all straight and to reclaim himself to an holy life the great means by which such peace the most reall felicity in the world can be had But suppose we such a person ready to die and it said unto Luk. xii 20. him Thou fool this night shall thy soule be taken from thee his peace being unmade with God himself unacquainted with heaven his conscience telling him that all his time hath been spent on what he must now leave and no provision made but of a treasure of wrath again the day of wrath for that etern● slate into which death is his entrance Rom. 11. 12. is he not now a most unhappy wretch Is it not to him a pa●equal to the paines of death to thi● he must leave all Hath he 〈◊〉 therefore by devoting himself to this world and scraping togeth●● such an ample portion thereof o● made himself more miserable a● that in this present life For is th● any misery here like to that ●●guish which racks such a soul up his now instant departure A●● would I then so spend my time that I might by the spending of become more miserable than a● save those who have lived as Would I so spend it as that the v●● thinking or reflecting how I spent it should then most torm● me when I have most need of co●fort to wit in my dying hour 〈◊〉 yet thus do all men spend their d● who neglect their devotions ot●●ies of daily addresse unto God But further suppose we such a person dead and we have him stript of all even his imaginary happinesse naked of every thing save his sins Of these his bones are full and they shall lye down with him in the dust Job 10. 11. His workes follow him and his wayes meet him Evident therefore it is that what he hath spent his life upon is now of no concernment or moment to him at all any otherwise than to render him for ever as miserable as he can be And is this a desirable end for a man all his dayes to be driving at to be miserable in life by reason of an evill conscience or an impossibility of liking and loving himself to be miserable in death by the advancing of that disquiet his former torment and most miserable after death by the perfection of that and all other mischiefs Whereas if some of those dayes which the world employed been taken up in seeking unto God how might that portion have sanctified all the rest have led him to a right improvement of what he got and that improvement of all been an unspeakable pleasure and content to him here and hereafter have wrought him an eternity of blessedness Not to mention that unspeakable satisfaction which the hearty performance of such devotions through the bloud of Christ would have filled him with which we may hereafter consider Whoso therefore truly loves himself will love his Closet and his Prayers Secondly Let me weigh the Reasonablenesse hereof that God should have a considerable part of my Time who hath given me so much for my self and the unreasonablenesse of the contrary Let me deal ingeniously may not God well expect more of my time than what is by any law set apart or consecrate to this worship And it being the genuine Evangelicall sense of the fourth commandement Keep all thy life an holy rest from doing thy own workes delighting thy self and acquiescing ever in the Lord will it not in a good measure hold thus Rest as much as thou canst to thy devotions spend Isai 58. 13 14. as many houres as thou canst with God Or suppose that this law would not in equity bind me hereunto which yet it seems to do is it not reasonable that there should be free will offerings of our time as well as of our estates And will there be any better way found for the imploying of what we can spare thereof than the thus sanctifiing and devoting it unto God I am confident whatever mens practices may be their consciences cannot gainsay but do highly approve and commend to them what is pressed We may complain fondly of the shortnesse of time but evident it is that we spend much upon this world much upon our games much upon our pleasures much upon our ambitions much also upon those necessary acts of life Eating Drinking Sleeping and much to upon God knowes we know not what Now let those who account themselves to have least leisure find but time enough to consider when they go to bed every night how much time they have lost or trifled away that day and setting it down every night reckon at the weeks end and see to how many hours it will amount Do so but one week o● two and see if you do not blush at the ordinary excuse for neglect of prayer that you have not time Fo● the issue will be of these two the own either my whole time hath been really imployed and that upon my common affaires and necessary care of my body or else some part of it to wit so much as hath not been imployed hath been trifled away Now utrum horum Let me take which I please If it be supposed all to have been imployed is it not most unreasonable that worldly businesse and my body should have all and God and my soul have none or next to none Did God make me for himself and allot me such a measure of time for his glory and for provision for my soul and are they only some few minutes which I can find either for him or it Was I say every day given me for these ends and can I spend all without considerable seeking either as I do if I allow nothing to private devotion Ought I not therefore to lessen my

in their hands that both themselves and others may be built up in our most holy faith to the perfecting thy Church and the eternal glory of thy name thereby through our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus Amen Chap. VIII Of the true manner of sanctifying the Lords day Sect. 1. Generally before I go to Church NOw as to my Closet duties upon this day least the sole consideration of them should breed any neglect forgetfulness or disturbance of the duties to be performed in the family and in the publick assembly it will be most expedient to consider the whole duties of that day both publick private and secret and set down each in their natural order First then as upon no day we suppose our Christian to be slothfull so least of all upon the Lords day but to be up in a convenient season both himself and if any are under his charge to see that they are so to A convenient season I call that which every mans health and occasions being considered will agree therewith and leave time sufficient for the discharge of the duties of the day And supposing the publick service to begin generally about nine of the clock between six and seven will be a good hour and all things being well ordered may consist very well with most mens health and occasions And of this time which passeth between my rising and going to Church if an hour and the odd parts be divided between the devotions of the family and the closet so that half an hour be spent in the one and the other half with the odd time in my closet it may do very well and the common occasions of most houses being considered so much time may be allowed If so much cannot be afforded to this work yet let some and what day soever I spend with double prayers I mean prayer in my closet and prayer in my family yet this day let me omit neither It is a bad omen to begin the sanctification of the Lords day by the breach of my ordinary course of devotion and an argument it is likely to be but negligently sanctified by me Besides many in my family may perhaps make no other preparation for the worship of God than what they make by joyning in the family-devotions it will be therefore the more necessary to make sure of thus much Sect. 2. Of secret devotion in the Closet before going to Church NOw my private devotions will be for the main the same this day as others Only in my Meditations it is to be remembred that I examine my self touching my preparations for the solemn worship of God that day and if any thing in my preparatory devotion be wanting any sin unconfessed unrepented of c. in these my morning devotions let that be done And how compleat soever I may conceive my preparations to have been yet let me not in my prayers in private that morning forget to send up some petitions for preparing and assisting grace to the end I may more spiritually go through the duties of the day for the doing of which I cannot Chap. 7. now want directions after a preparatory prayer already considered upon And these my closet devotions it will be necessary be first performed for that they will very well fit me to perform my devotions in my family with more fervency Sect. 3. Of Private devotion in the family before going to Church A digression touching what our devotion in the family is alwaies to consist of THese therefore being done and it being now somewhat above half an hour till the time we usually go to Church I am to call all my family except in extraordinary cases of sickness c. together to prayer at which time all of them who that day can go to Church which should be as many as may be should appeare dressed as they are to go that so after the family devotions performed within a very short space we might all together resort to the publick place of Gods worship Now if question be made what the devotions of the family are to consist of the answer is they cannot well consist of more or less than these two parts Reading and Prayer By Reading here I understand chiefly the reading of the Word of God and that it is the duty of the head of the family either himself to read or cause by some other to be read the holy Scriptures in the hearing of the family none can question who considers those frequent Commands to the ancient people of God to teach their children the Law of God and his judgments and dealings Deut. 4. 9. c. with them Now how they can be taught those things by their parents from whom they never hear of them cannot be understood nor will any reasonable person think thefe commands fulfilled by the meer teaching their children the Belief Lords prayer and ten Commandements though this must be most sure to be done for we find of old they were to acquaint their children of Gods wonderful works in delivering them out of the Land of Egypt And in like manner we Christians to teach our children Gods Miracles of grace in freeing us by his Son out of the bondage of sin which how it can be better done than as God hath thought fit to teach it to the world to wit by the Holy Scriptures none will easily find out Now for the method to be observed in reading the Scriptures in our family that which was above commended for use in the Closet may haply be most proper And if I so order it that I read the same portion of Scripture in my family and in my closet it may be much for my edification the double reading it will set it deeper both in my memory and in my understanding But then least I read faster and more in my family than in my closet and for other reasons it will be necessary that either my Closet devotions go before my Family devotions or that at least I so contrive my readings that what I last read in my Closet I the next time read in my Family Instead of Meditation which was one part of my Closet devotion if in my family I use to examine my people what they have learnt or observed out of what hath been read and where none takes notice of what is mainly observable there suggest it to them it may not be amiss provided it be done soberly without a long deal of prate and medling with curious matters and without vain-glory The Prayers which I use in my family except upon some very eminent occasions may best be the Prayers of the Church These are easie and best understandable and the use of them in our families will sit the plainest people in our family to use them with more devotion and understanding in the publick Notwithstanding I confess my judgment in this case to be that the Injunction of them doth not in strictness reach to private families but there is a liberty le●st

yet if we use that liberty only thus so as freely and of our own accord to prefer the Prayers of the Church I really judge generally it will be the best Some particular cases there may be as when any great judgment lies upon a family or the like which may be admitted as exceptions to the general rule and in which cases it may be expedient to use either other or more Prayers than those extant in our Church Liturgy The general course then of my family devotions will be this First he who prayes begins with the last clause of that Exhortation thus I pray and beseech you as many as c. Then follows the Confession Almighty and most Merciful The Absolution is to be left out except he be a Minister who read Then comes the Lords Prayer and Versicles Which being done all rising give attention to one reading a Psalm and a Chapter or so much of them as the chief of the family shall appoint This being ended if the Master of the family or any by him deputed will at that time examine or briefly as beforesaid instruct any touching what hath been read here such examination will most seasonably come in After which he who reads the prayers saying Let us pray all kneel down and he begins with the Versicles O Lord shew thy mercy c. and so proceeds with the Prayers in their order as they stand morning and evening Upon the Lords day in the morning after the prayer for the Bishops Clergy and people that is just before the Blessing it may be convenient to add for preparing grace unto all the prayer in the beginning of the Communion service Almighty God to whom c. or if there be any sitter in the Liturgy found and that at the end of the Communion service Prevent us O Lord in all our doings with c. And in the evening upon the Lords day after the same prayer for the Bishops c. to add that prayer for fruitfulness by the means of grace which is in the end of the Communion service Grant we beseech thee Almighty God that c. Thus much then as to the order of devotion in the family both ordinarily and upon the Lords day Sect. 4. Of resorting to the Church THese devotions both in my Family and Closet being thus performed it will soon be time to appear before God in the Church And I am to account no celebrating of the Lords day like to that in publick with a full Congregation of Christian people Hither therefore I early with as many of my family as possibly at least conveniently I can resort both my self taking with me if I can read my Bible and Common-prayer book and seeing that the rest of my family who can read do the same And especially if the way be long I watch very narrowly over my self and those of mine with me that our discourse be not vain and idle much less purely worldly so as to unfit our hearts and as to my private self the same care am I to have of my thoughts Seasonable it will be to think of the happiness which I enjoy in that I come into the Courts of God and feed upon the fat things of his House and to praise God in my heart that I have such freedome of access unto him In which case many happy and proper Ejaculations may I furnish my self with out of Holy David's Psalmes Sect. 5. Of due behaviour in the Church BEing come to the place which is holy to Gods worship I enter it with all reverence bare if my sex so require remembring that though God be present every where yet is he more specially in the places where his people are worshipping him and any postures of reverence that I use there are acts of worship unto his unseen but present Majesty and therefore cannot but be mistaken very much if judged by any superstitious Having therefore orderly taken my place I should not out of custom but devotion how to God my knees and beg his gracious presence and blessing towards me and the congregation of his people that shall there meet that day which I may do in this or the like form O Lord who though thou dwellest not in Temples made with hands yet hast promised to meet and bless thy people wherever thou hast recorded thy Name be pleased to be graciously present to thy servant here worshipping before thee and to the Congregation of thy people which shall here assemble themselves this day for thy worship Pardon every one who hath not prepared himself according to the preparation of the Sanctuary Quicken us all for thy Names sake teach us to do thy Will and build us up in our most holy faith through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen I know there are some who object against this practice but I could never yet see any reason in their pretensions This therefore being done if the Congregation be not yet fully met it is not for me to employ my self in vain discourse with any of my neighbours but either to meditate on somewhat which may be seasonable or if I can to read And it may not be improper till I am well verst in it and know my duty therein well to read the Church Liturgy Rubrick that is the directions which are mingled with the prayers for their use and all taking one day some part of it and another day another till I have gone through it wholly By this means discreetly used I shall be able mere readily to join with the publick in the use thereof But if the Congregation be fully met and service beginning or begun I am to yield all possible attention remembring God requires my whole man all mine heart soul and mind yea and my very body too Where fore so am I to place and order even that I mean my very body as the worship of God and the Churches instructions for the worship of that God require kneeling standing and answering still wheresoever I ought Nor am I to censure any thing if I do not yet understand its use for by so much as I do understand I cannot but in a good measure see the Wisdom and pious intentions of the Church By those answers which I with the rest of the people are to make I find my self much quickened and my wandring heart many times call'd home the use therefore of these as I should not omit so should the benefit which I have found by them be an argument to me to conform my self to every other practice injoined not doubting but that all of them will in the end have as good an effect as this upon me During the celebration of Gods worship if my mind at any time be run away from my work I am as soon as ever I perceive it secretly to check my self to call it home and in my heart say Lord pardon and help thy servant or some such thing and in a word to imploy it as fully as I can

the seventh day will scarce rest that seventh day unto God without distraction as seems to be suggested to us by those words Six daies shalt thou labour being put into the fourth Commandement much less will he be able to allow himself constantly more time in a week than a seventh day comes to to wit some part of every day and a considerable part besides of one of the six daies which is to be his fast to the service of God I would therefore have every man not to incumber himself in this world more than he needs must We should learn to know when we have enough and allow our selves some part of our time to enjoy as well as all to get But this is preparation very far off The first act of more immediate preparation for these my fasting daies will be prudently to contrive upon foresight and consideration of my weeks business what day or daies they are in which I can best spare time for this work and those daies or that day will be the fittest to be pitched upon in which I may the most freely converse with God without the disturbance which much business necessarily brings Besides the time spent in my ordinacy course of devotions which are not upon my fasts to be omitted under pretence of making amends for them or running them up into my penitentiary performances I cannot upon those daies when I allow least allow less than two hours and upwards to the peculiar work of my fasts So much time therefore at the least I say I must resolve such a day to devote Which being resolved upon it will be sit as a second act of my more immediate preparation in the devotions of the evening before to spend a petition or two in my prayers to God that he would by his gracious Spirit prepare me for the work which I intend the next day softning my heart and giving me to understand my errours that I may duely ●●ment them and truly amend them which petitions I may easily see a fit place to insert in my prayers And the day being come unto my morning devotions it will be expedient to add some such short prayer as this which follows O Lord who sees the purposes of all hearts and hast been privy to the intentions of thy servant touching calling himself this day to an account of his waies and humbling himself before thee for all his transgressions Be thou in mercy present to me by the preventings and assistance of thy grace that I may with a true heart and contrite spirit perform what I intend Grant that no worldly cares or business may so take off my mind from thee but that I may be able forthwith to return and without distraction to employ my whole soul in my designed devotions to the glory of thy Name my own amendment and comfort here and everlasting blessedness hereafter in and through thy Son Jesus Christ my Lord Amen And lastly my morning devotions being thus finished untill the time come that I have resolved to retire I must endeavour to converse and behave my self in my ordinary affairs so warily as that nothing may discompose disorder or disturb me no worldly design too much possess my thoughts according as above I have prayed Chap. VI. The order of Humiliation or Renitentiary Devotions Sect. 1. The entrance unto the work THat time being now come which I appointed to spend with God in my Closet I must religiously observe mine appointment For albeit the resolve was onely private and never proceeded without my own breast or closet yet hath God taken notice of it and it stands on record in his omniscience and by breaking these my private and as happily I may judge less material resolutions I shall soon learn to break my word and vows too in other matters both with God and man Coming therefore at my time appointed into my Closet I reverently kneel down before God and having the sense of his presence and all-seeing eye upon mine heart humbly begin in some such short prayer as is this which follows I Am come O Lord into thy presence upon work which no one hath more need to do than my self to consider my wayes and repent of my sins and turn to thee But I have an hard heart not apt to relent and dry eyes such at least which seldom shed tears for my sins O that thou would'st bow the Heavens and come down and melt my soul that it might kindly flow forth before thee in godly sorrow which might work repentance not to be repented of Open mine eyes and help me to see into mine heart B●ing my sins to my remembrance and set them in order before me that an holy shame and confusion may cover my face for them and thou beholding my contrition maist accept it and both pardon me and assist me hereafter by thy grace that I may live more godlily righteously and soberly in this present world and attain unto blessedness with thy self in the world to come through the merits of Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour Amen Sect. 2. Of Reading so as to fit my self for self-examination SOme such supplication being with a●l my heart made unto God I may haply find it not to be alwayes the best course forthwi●h to fall upon the examina●ion of my self For for this I shall be the fitter when awakened and made more attentive to my self by some other exercise It may be proper therefore to spend and hour in the reading some honest practical Book which treateth severally of those duties which we owe both to God others and our selves to wit upon that particular Book which knowing to be very good I have chosen and singled out to my self to read and practice such as are the never enough commended Doctor Hammond's Practical Catechisme or if that seem to any too difficult that excellent Book The whole Duty ●f Man And in reading hereof I must endeavour to read First with understanding so that it is not so much the repeating to my self the words as considering and digesting the substance of them which I must account reading of them I must therefore read and study the Book as Schollars do their Books and if there be any material thing which I do not understand mark it so that I may inform my self by advising with some more able person than my self Secondly I must read all with application to my self remembring that all this concerns me and endeavouring to see how it concerns me whether I perform the duty I read of as I should or how I neglect it c. By this means taking upon every of my fasting dayes a part my Book will in convenient season be read over which when it is it must not be thrown aside but read through again and again with the same diligence till I am perfect in it Nor ought the third or fourth reading of a good profitable and practical Treatise to be tedious or unpleasant to me for that Christian duties