my Ministry as any in London and not like many given to change wandering up and down from place to place by means whereof their itching Ears have been more tickled that their precious Souls advantaged yed some of them running from the Flock to which they-belong and not keeping the place in which God by his Providence had set them have fallen into the hands of Seducers who have led them out of the way Everlasting and then robbed them of their Light and Heat the precious Truths of God and their Zeal for him leaving them wounded both in Head and Heart and wallowing in the Blood of their Apostacy I was in a prudent and very modest Letter desired to preach upon that excellent Duty of Secret Prayer by one of your number who had with grief taken notice what strangers some Professors are to the practice of it yea how some do live in the total neglect of it as if it were altogether unnecessary and unprofitable The motion being made did meet with a very ready and chearful entertainment I stood not debating but presently closed and buckled to the business and the very next Lord's Day begun it A single Sermon only was desired and I intended no more but having once engaged my thoughts they multiplied and grew up into four As soon as I knew the person that sent me the Letter and made the Motion I gave her my Thanks and I do here repeat them because I find that many through the Blessing of God have got good by it When I had finished the Discourses a Letter subscribed by several was presented me desiring That what had been Preached might be Printed which was granted as soon as asked though the Great Work which lieth upon me doth render Printing very tedious to me and alloweth me not that exactness which I delight in and should otherwise endeavour But I am Yours and take pleasure in being so and know not how to deny you any thing And now I wish That what is here sent abroad into the open World might find acceptance there and meet with a kind reception from Others as it did from You and also That it may bring forth much fruit and accomplish that for which it hath been designed even the good of precious Souls the awakening to and quickening in this great piece of practical Godliness those who have totally neglected it or been exceeding remiss Little do Men and Women think how greatly they prejudice themselves by carelesness touching matters of this nature they had better act by halves and triâ—le in the Affairs of this World than in those of Religion How can any think to be supplied fresh that Stock which is laid up in the hand of Christ or to be enriched by his inexhaustible fulness if they do not seek him How can any expect the performance and making good of the Promises to them unless they put them in suit How can any rationally hope that they shall with Ioy draw Water out of the Well of Salvation when they will not take so much pains as to let down their Bucket into it Though great and glorious things be in the heart and purposes of God concerning his People and he hath passed his Word for them which is better than Man's Bond Security sufficient yet he will be enquired of by them to do them for them Well whoever they be who undervalue God making him the Object neither of their Love nor of their Fear whoever they he that say unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy ways nor to maintain any fellowship with thy Majesty whoever they be that taste no sweetness in holy Exercises and see not that God is necessary but hope to pick up a satisfaction for themselves out of inferior and transitory Goods Let your wants drive you to God and your love draw you to him do you seek the Lord and his strength yea seek his face evermore lay hold upon all opportunities of meeting with him bearing from him and pouring out your Souls before him go with Zacheus into the High-way that there you may get a sight of Christ and with the Spouse into the secret places of the stairs and there let him hear your voice Certainly all those that are born of God have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost are entitled to the Glory above and Ioint-heirs with Christ have received and are acted by the Spirit of Adoption which is a Spirit of Grace and Supplication and puts them upon going to him in all cases as to their Father in Christ their God in Covenant They are in the Scripture called The Generation of them that seek him And let men say what they will it will be found That the most praying Christians are the most thriving Christians They are the persons that now get most of Heaven and make the happiest progress in the way thither Do you therefore in the morning direct your Prayer to God and look up do you present Him with the First-fruits so will the whole be sanctified by that means you will secure to your selves his direction in the difficulties of the day his defence against the temptations of it his support under the afflictions of it his assistance in the work and duties of it together with his blessing upon your endeavours to succeed them and upon your enjoyments to sweeten them to you When the evening comes end your day with God make him the Omega as well as the Alpha pay him the tribute of Praise for the Mercies you recieved beg the continuance of his favour so may you lie down in peace and comfortably expect a being shadowed with his wing and having sleep given you as to his beloved Ones while the Hedge of his Protection is set about your Persons Families and all that you have Upon the Lord's day get alone and do all you can to pray your selves into an holy and heavenly frame fit for the Duties and Ordinances of it beg his Presence with you and in them and a sight of his Power and Glory and that there he would give you of his Loves and Kiss you with the Kisses of his mouth Never dare to come to the publick Assemblies till you have been with the Great Master of them who alone can bless his Provisions to your refreshing and nourishment and fasten his Truths in your Heads and Hearts as a Nail in a sure place Pray that he who hath the Key of David would open the Minister's mouth and your hearts giving him the Tongue of the Learned and you the Ear of the Obedience both prepare the Seed and likewise fit the Soil And when you return from the Congregation to your own Houses there set upon Prayer again and so cover the Seed that is sown and earnestly desire of God That as he did enable you to mingle Faith with the Word that was delivered so he would grant you to live and practice it The Life in Heaven will be a Life of
since he is of a plasant Plant become no better than a Briar a Thorn dried Stubble fit for the burning how well might guilty Sinners call with them in the 6th of the Revelutions v. 16. to the Mountains and Rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the face of him that sitteth upon the Throne But the beloved and ever-blessed Son of God in a most gracious compliance with and pursuance of his Father's will hath restored unto man freedom of access to God Jesus Christ though He knew full well how great the attempt was and how much it would stand him in did put his life in his hand and engaged his heart to approach unto God and being our peace hath procured for us a liberty of approaching too and of drawing nigh going as near as we will even to his very Throne Heb. 10. 19 20. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh Christ entred into the holiest of all he entred in triumph as one that had conquered all his Enemies He entred with joy as one that had finished the work and sate down at the right hand of God to take there his everlasting rest and as you have it in the 9th of the Hebrews v. 12. He entred not by the blood of Calves and Goats but by his own blood He carried that along with him and now by that Blood we may enter too we may enter with safety there is no danger for a gracious person a believing Soul Though the Throne of God be a Throne of Glory yet is it a Throne of Grace a Mercy-seat that hath a Rain-bow round about it and because we enter with safety therefore we may enter with boldness both with a freedom of speech telling God all that is in our hearts and with the full assurance of Faith as those that shall find mercy and grace to accept and help in time of need Now if that any of you do not value this privilege at an high rate if you do not carefully improve it and make use of it now it hath been purchased by Christ for poor Sinners you deal very disingenuously do not well consider the inestimable price which it cost and you offer a most vile and wretched affront to the precious Blood of Iesus as if it were an unholy thing of no more excellency than that of a Beast a common and ordinary man or of a guilty and death-deserving Criminal 3. Thirdly All the sorts of holy Prayer are to be made use of Eph. 6. 18. Praying always with all prayer in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Your Prayers must be in the Spirit that is with your Spirit Prayer must not only be a Lip-labour but the work of the heart the words in Prayer are but the carcase of the duty the fervour and heat of the Affections are the life and soul of it and also it must be with the Holy Spirit whose work it is to help his peoples Infirmities and to make intercession in them Prayer must be by the influence and assistance of the Divine Spirit and with the heat and earnestness of our own spirits so then we are to pray in the Spirit or as Iude saith in the Holy Ghost and happy they who have not fallible men to make their Prayers for them but the Spirit of God but there are two other Expressions in the forementioned Scripture we ought to take a little notice of Praying always Do not understand it as if you were to be day and night at it as if praying were the whole of your duty for you have a great deal of other work to do which must be carefully attended and therefore the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all opportunities in every fit and proper season for prayer in every condition into which Providence casts you and upon every occasion that calls for it The other Expression most pertinent to our present business is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all prayer and supplication i. e. with ordinary prayer and with extraordinary too that which hath fasting joined with it private prayer and publick too ejaculatory prayer when the Soul â—allies out on a sudden unto God gives him a visit and away knocks at his door puts in a short Petition and is gone like one that is engaged about some other business and cannot stay and also composed Prayer in which the Soul fixeth and abides some considerable time with God Family-prayer and Closet-prayer Prayer in conjunction with others and alone by our selves We may and must make use of all these kinds of Prayers as opportunity offers and occasions do require But to come more close to the matter in hand 4. Fourthly Secret Prayer is a duty incumbent upon Christians Now that we call secret Prayer when a person gets alone by himself and makes his requests known to God When being sequestred from all company whatsoever and withdrawn from his nearest and dearest Relations his most familiar and intimate Friends and by himself in a most close and private retirement he sends out his Soul upon the wings of holy and servent desires and labours with all his might to fetch down his God to him by his gracious presence and to obtain of him those favours and blessings of which he finds a sensible want either in whole or in part It is that by which he knocks at the gate of Heaven and goeth into the Holiest of all and gives his heavenly Father a visit in such a manner as that no body may know of it Noâ— that he is ashamed of what he doth for he is free to own God for his Sovereign Lord Christ for his dearly beloved Prayer as his duty and work before all the World though he be reproached scorned and maligned for it but because he would avoid the suspicion of a Pharisaical vain glorious Spirit and also that he might get as far as ever he can out of the reach of Impediments and Diversions He enters into his Chamber and there shuts his Door upon him that so he might shut out all that would interrupt and disturb that fellowship with his God which he hath so often found an incomparable sweetness in as that he counts it his Heaven upon Earth At other times he will make one of the great Congregation and go to the House of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude that keep holy-day Psal. 42. 4. he loves the Gates of Sion and to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Psal. 27. 4 and also he knows how to go out as Isaac did into the Fields to meditate and in the night season to be abroad and consider with David the Heavens which are the works of God's hand the Moon and the Stars which he hath created and so take
some turns in an holy fellowship and as Enoch did walk with God before he be removed from hence and taken up to the habitation of his Holiness and Glory the Chamber of his presence and in these Walks he finds his heart warmed and an holy fire kindled and then returns with that burning within him then he speaks with his Tongue and sends up a pure flame of earnest supplications Confident I am The excellency of this course will not be in the least question'd by any who believe there is a God and own that absolute and necessary dependence which both as Creatures and Christians we have upon him and who have any sense of Religion upon their Souls yea I believe it will be acknowledged a duty by many very many of those who yet do not themselves live in the performance of it there hath such a clear light broken in upon them as hath convinced their Judgments though that conviction hath not had power enough upon their wills as to bring them to the practice of it And for my own part I do not know so much as the shadow of a reason why it should be question'd and made a point of controversie This I do with a fulness of persuasion assert That if there be any such thing in the World as a duty which we owe to God secret Prayer is so And I do add this wishing those into whose hands this little Piece shall come seriously to think of it those persons that do not make conscience hereof let them make never so great a noise do indeed make conscience of nothing He is not a true Christian that is not a through Christian nor he a real Disciple that hath not a cordial respect to all that Christ commands him and I shall not at all wonder to see or hear that man is remiss and careless and negligent in other things for which at present he pretends a zeal and at the long run to throw up all Yea and I will venture to add this one thing further He that doth not seek God when he is alone hath no reason to promise himself God's gracious meeting with him when he is in Company but if you will exclude and shut God out of your Chamber and Closets you will not to your comfort though indeed you may to your terrour find him in the Congregation The only thing which I shall do more in the doctrinal part will be to prove the Point and in order thereunto I shall endeavour with all convenient breviâ—y to shew That secret Prayer is I. A Duty II. An Advantage I begin with the former of these Private or secret Prayer is a great duty which all that call themselves Christians ought to be much in the performance of For the evidencing of this to you I shall lay down these four things 1. First Secret Prayer was the practice of our blessed Lord Jesus as he came into the World to redeem us so to direct us as his Death was an expiatory Sacrifice so his Life was a leading Example He is that excellent Copy without blot after which we are to write and that most exact and perfect Pattern without blemish or defect the imitation whereof we are obliged to study and endeavour and that to our utmost we must lead his Life as near as ever we can and tread in his steps for that is to foot it right and we must shew forth his virtues there must be an impress of them upon our dispositions and conversations The same mind ought to be in us that was in him Phil. 2. 5. Then is a Christian in his beauty and glory when he is cloathed with Christ and shines with the beams of Christ. Now Christ was very much in the work of secret Prayer and exceedingly frequent at it How did his perfectly pure and precious soul delight to be on the wing and mounting up to his and our Father in his recesses He did not only teach his Disciples to pray giving them in this Chapter a most excellent pattern for them to draw theirs by nor did he only pray with them as Master of the Family but he likewise did many and many a time pray by himself alone a great deal oftner than we do or any in the world ever did know of but something to this purpose hath been by the Divine Spirit who guided the Holy Penmen put upon Record in the Sacred Scripture Thus in Matt. 14. 23. after he had wrought that great and amazing Miracle of feeding five thousand Men beside Women and Children when he had no more provision than five Loaves and two Fishes He sent the Multitude away and not being satisfied with their absence alone he would have his very Disciples go by Ship to the other side it is said he constrained them to go poor hearts they loved him dearly and nowhere enjoyed themselves so well as they did when they were in his company and therefore they were loath to leave him but he would have it so he order'd and commanded them to be gone but what was the matter what did our Lord do when they were all gone That Text tells you He went up into a mountain a-part to pray and when the evening was come he was there alone He had his Father with him and doubtless a multitude of the heavenly Hoast the glorious Angels attending and waiting but nobody else none of the multitude not so much as one single Disciple Now let me desire you to think seriously of this that it was far otherwise with Christ than it is with the best of us He had another manner of command over his mind and heart his thoughts and Affections than the most gracious Man or Woman upon Earth hath He could with the greatest ease imaginable keep his Soul close to and intent upon the business which was before him without the smallest diversion and extravagancy and yet he chose to be a-part from all and alone by himself when he prayed unto his Father and shall not we go and do likewise Sure that which Christ did was very well done You have another Scripture which holds out the same and refers to another time when he had healed Simon 's Wife's Mother who lay sick of a Fever and many others that were diseased and had cast out many Devils Mark 1. 35. In the morning rising up a great while before day â—e went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed Hypocrites as you have heard chuse the corners of the Streets places of concourse go into the Abbeys and Cathedrals and there you will see them by a Pillar at their devotion but Christ chose solitariness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a desert lonely place where there was no body there he loved to meet his Father Take but one Text more which you have in Luke 22. 39 40. He came out and went as he was wont to the Mount of Olives and his Disciples followed him and when he was come to the place he
not part with thee if thou wilt not take me up to thee thou shalt not deny to go along with me unless desires and longings are grown insignificant unless Prayers and Tears have lost their wonted power I will have thee to my House to my Family to my Chamber I am now set for the greatest privacy and for the sweetest intimacy there will I pour out my fervent Prayers and there I will humbly and patiently yet with inflamed longings attend thy pleasure and wait thy gracious Answers We find that holy Abraham did erect Altars to God abroad in the several places to which he came God had his Tables for Abraham and Abraham would have his Altars for God God was very gracious Abraham very ingenuous God was bountiful and Abraham grateful At Sichem the Lord appeared to him and there he built an Altar and another he made near unto Bethel and another in the Plain of Mamre and doubtless as he had his Altars so his Sacrifices as all places were witnesses of God's kindness to Abraham so he would have them witnesses of his mindfulness of God Yea and as he had his Altars abroad so as you have already heard he had his Grove at home an Oratory a place of Prayer where he called on the Name of the Lord the Everlasting God There are those in the world and among our selves who can find Altars abroad and if there be none they will make some they had as lieve be without Churches as without Altars And oh how do they admire them as the most holy places tho' there be no Sacrifice and how do they plead for them and stoop and bow to them and herein they place a main piece of their Religion tho' it be but a piece of foolish Superstition if not something worse from which God deliver England and other Reformed Churches which do yet need a further Reformation Well these people have these things abroad but suppose one should ask them what they have at home May they not say We have rich Tables full Cups stately Chambers Down-beds yea and Cards and Dice Healthing and Ranting Chambering and Wantonness Yes it is very probable But what is there of the Service of God of the Worship of God of any Honour done to God Nothing of all this no nothing at all And art thou one of this number then I earnestly desire thee to think with thy self and seriously consider what a profane place is thy Closet in which there is no Prayer how it stinks in God's nostrils Whatever other Sweets thou maist have where there is no holy Duty to perfume it what a wicked place what an Hell is thy Chamber out of which the Glorious Majesty of Heaven is so far as thou canst do it excluded If there be no Prayer there then for certain there is no God there I mean by his gracious presence and if there be no God there then there are a thousand Devils But my chief design is not to deal at present with the gross and openly flagitious I have no cause to wonder that they have no such thing as Prayer in their Chambers and Closets who do by their loose vicious and abominable Lives proclaim to all that know them that there is no fear of God before their Eyes I would indeed speak a thousand words to do their Souls good and think my time and labour well bestowed But now my business lieth among Professors those of them who live in the shameful neglect of Secret Prayer to whom I shall propound these four Questions and let them consider what Answer they can give First Art thou a Christian indeed or art thou not Secondly Dost thou make Religion thy business or dost thou not Thirdly What account dost thou make of God Fourthly Doth not thy Conscience charge thee with the omission of a Duty I desire to deal faithfully with you as one that must answer before my Judge and oh that you would deal faithfully with your own Souls for it is your great and everlasting Concern First Art thou a Christian or art thou not I mean not in Profession only but in reality not in shew only but in sincerity not in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth thou wilt answer yes I am a Christian God forbid I should be otherwise Thou sayst well but the great business is to make it out How dost thou prove it Thou wilt perhaps answer Thou hast been baptized that is well too that thy Parents did their duty in bringing thee to that sacred and solemn Ordinance of initiation and thereby binding thee to the faith fear and service of thy great Creator and Lord Redeemer But my Friend Is that all thou hast to say for thy Christianity Is that all the Evidence thou art able to produce I cannot forbear telling thee That Baptism where there is that and no more doth make a company of pitiful Christians There was an Israelite in shew and an Israelite in deed Wilt thou observe and make due use of that which Paul saith Rom. 2. 28 29. He is not a Iew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outwordly in the flesh But he is a Iew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God And in the same sense I may say that is not Baptism which is only outward that is not enough to give the denomination upon that single account Christ will not own a person for a Sheep of his Fold a Member of his Body that lays indeed on all them that receive it an obligation unto holiness and it will greatly aggravate the sins which they afterward live in the wilful commission of but it will not entitle them to Salvation and everlasting happiness 1 Pet. 3. 21. Baptism doth now save us by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ possibly now thou thinkest thou hast enough Baptism saveth and what do I need more but stay let the Apostle explain himself which he doth in the very same Verse Not the putting away the filth of the flesh by sprinkling water upon the face according to most or dipping in it according to others or plunging the whole body in it over head and ears according to some neither this nor that way will be sufficient and saving alone The unregenerate Children of Israel though circumcised were unto God as the Children of the Ethiopians Amos 9. 7. And as one saith A man may go to Hell with the water of Baptism upon his face But saith Peter the answer of a good Conscience toward God When Conscience is able to give this testimony of a man that he hath been baptized by the Holy Ghost renewed in the spirit of his mind that it is his desire to answer the Engagements in Baptism to attain the blessed Ends of Baptism and to approve himself to God â—y walking as becomes one of his Covenant-â—eople Now then let
he comes armed with Authority from the Chief Priests to bind all that call on thy Name Well Ananias do what thou art bidden for though it is true that he hath been a vile Wretch a cruel and malicious Enemy fear him not the Wolf is turned into a Lamb It is no matter what formerly he was he is now quite another thing and is acted by a far better Spirit He is a new man and thou mayst take this for a certain and undoubted evidence of it He is a Praying-man He that before spake nothing but blasphemies and outrages against Christ and breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord did now that he was converted and sanctified speak supplications It is the fashion of a great many when the Lord's day comes they will go out to hear and they are for variety this man and that and twenty more possibly three Sermons upon a day peradventure four and I do not blame any for being swift to hear it is an excellent thing to see Christians hungry and of good appetites so that they do but allow themselves necessary time for concoction and be not wanting to personal and Family duties but Conscience do thou speak and that loud enough to make guilty Persons hear and feel too be there not some of these who at home are never upon their knees before God If a man could look into their Houses and into their Chambers he would find that Prayer is quite shut out from thence And for my part I cannot but tell you That let these Persons hold their heads never so high and have obtained never so great a name I can look upon them as being no better than a company of walking Ghosts such as do really want an inward vital principle and are carried up and down from one Congregation to another by some external consideration Prayer is a breathing in Heaven's Air it is the breathing of the Soul in the bosome of God it draws in spirit and life from him and then again it pours out and empties it self into him and it is full out as possible for a man to live a natural life without natural breathing as it is for him to live a spiritual life without spiritual breathing I mean without Prayer You know when God promiseth his Spirit Zechar. 12. 10. he doth it in these Expressions I will pour out upon the House of David and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplications Wheresoever the Spirit of God comes and dwells in the Soul as a Spirit of Grace there he doth certainly act as a Spirit of Supplications and the Apostle Paul saith Rom. 8. 15. That the Sons of God receive the Spirit of Adoption whereby they cry Abba Father Which imports a filial boldness and confidence in dealing with him by fervent Prayer I remember what you may meet in 1 Cor. 13. 1 c. Though I speak with the tongues of men and Angels though I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all knowledge though I have all faith so as to remove mountains though I bestow all my goods on the poor and give my body to be burned yet if I have not Charity it profits me nothing I am nothing but as a meer sounding brass and â—inkling cymbal What he there speaks of Charity or Love which doth indeed make Actions lovely in the sight of God and men and puts a lustre and beauty upon them the very same may be affirmed concerning Prayer Let a man be never so well accomplished never so raised in his attainments never so fluent and warm in his discourses never so eminent for his profession never so frequent and attentive in his hearing never so abundant in acts of Charity yet if he be a prayerless Person he is nothing nothing in Religion nothing to purpose all his parts and performances though many and specious will amount to nothing in Heaven's Arithmetick they will be of no more significancy than so many Cyphers without a Figure to put a value into them That which I have said amounts to thus much To live without Prayer is utterly inconsistent with a gracious and holy frame and all that such an one doth will never turn him to a good account You may as soon live a spiritual life without Faith as live by Faith without Prayer for as was before observed they that believe will speak When God hath kindled a spark of Grace in the Soul it will be working in a way of Prayer that spark will fly upward and carry the Soul along with it Thus we find it in Psal. 39. 3. My heart was hot within me while I mused the fire burned then spake I with my tongue What did he speak Prayers Lord make me to know my end and the measure of my days Therefore my advice is that you would either take up Prayer and follow it as a principal part of a Christians work or else lay down your Profession boast not of a filial Relation to God while thou art not possessed with a filial spirit and disposition Never talk of your being acquainted with God and some of his Friends when in all your lives you never spake one serious hearty word to him If you are resolved to live without Prayer be so just and reasonable as to put off the honourable name Christian which doth by no means belong to you and call your selves Heathens Beasts nay which is worse though not too bad for you down-right practical Atheists Secondly Your Condition at the present is very miserable though you know it not so long as you live without Prayer you live without a blessing whatsoever may light upon you the blessing of God is the portion of a praying People If you will look into the Book of God which I believe you seldom do for those that will not beg his mercy will not labour to know his will you may see how much it cost Esau to get a blessing from his Father Isaac he shed many tears and lifted up loud cries Gen. 27. 33 34. Isaac told him that one had brought him Venison which he had eaten of and he blessed him and he should be blessed It is said When Esau heard the words of his Father he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry and said unto his Father Bless me even me also O my Father and when Isaac answered vers 37. Behold I have made him thy Lord and all his Brethren have I given to him for Servants and with corn and wine have I sustained him and what shall I do now unto thee my Son Vers. 38. Esau said unto his Father Hast thou but one blessing my Father Bless me even me also O my Father and Esau lifted up his voice and wept What art thou so poor O my Father as that in giving one blessing thou hast given away all Hast thou not reserved one And all this he was fain to do before he could obtain Yea and it
the little things which did speak the unsoundness of their hearts so what shall we think of them who spend all or the greatest part of their care and heat about those things which come not under any express command of the Divine Law They that are most curious about their Bodies are as it is to be feared most careless about their Souls they spend so much time at their Glass that they have none for the Bible they are so careful that a Pin be not stuck amiss in their Cloaths that they leave every thing amiss in their Hearts by the Garbs and unreasonable Dresses in which some sillily proud persons come into the Assemblies it is easie for Spectators to determine how they spent and profan'd the Morning of the Sabbath at home and we may apprehend and fear the same in the present case that those persons who are so much set for such things as this are at least very apt and prone to bestow none of their care about that which deserves most they are so much for the place that they forget and neglect the heart they are so thoughtful where they pray that they do not mind how they pray they are so set for a form they do not mind nay possibly they hate the Power But by the way letâ—me whisper this in the ear of these persons That the Altar will not Sanctify a corrupt thing If you bring dead formal lifeless Prayers though you offer them up in your Consecrated Churches nay at your adored Altars they will not come up with a sweet smelling favour and acceptance before God I would not have any body think that I do God forbid that I should say A Form of Prayer and Formality of Heart are inseparable Companions I do not doubt but meer formal Professors are most for forms but I dare not affirm that all those who make use of Forms are meer formal Professors I do not doubt but some looking upon Forms as lawful and out of modesty and an humble sense of the lowness of their own parts do make use of Forms when they pray with others and are conscientious in the use of them and they do accompany the Petitions Confessions and Thanksgivings contained in them with sincere affections and do meet with a gracious acceptance with God and do enjoy a communion with his Holy Majesty But this I will also be bold to say and if any be offended at it upon them be it That constant stated forms of Prayer and Formality are borderers upon one another they live at no such great distance but that they frequently yea commonly meet together in the same Service and in the same Persons And really I am of the mind that it stands them in hand who make use of forms to be very cautious and look warily to themselves lest they do even before they are aware fall into formality that indifferency and lukewarmness of Spirit which God cannot endure When in the forequoted Scripture the Woman of Samaria fell into discourse with Christ about the place of Worship whether it ought to be at Ierusalem or in that Mountain viz. Gerizim our Saviour did wisely and graciously take her off from that as a matter not so momentous as to deserve either her Enquiry or his Resolution and fell to acquainting her with directing her to and putting herâ— upon the Spirituality of that Worship which is to be performed as that which she and every one ought principally to attend unto because it is that which the heart of God is most for and upon which his pure eyes are chiefly set 4 Iohn 23 24. The hour cometh and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Spiritual Worship is most congruous and agreeable to God Childish Toys please Children who have no more wit outward Pomp and Ceremonies please vain men who have not so good hearts as they should but spiritual Worship is acceptable to that God who is himself a Spirit such Worshippers he seeks others he rejects when he finds them therefore you must be such if you would find favour or receive a Blessing And to shut up this particular I will only add That if men were once set as they should be for the spirituality of Worship they would not be so unreasonably eager as they are for nor so tetchy froward and contentious about Places Modes and Forms which can fetch their pedigree and original no higher than meer human Invention and Appointment Enough of that and it will be well if some persons do not think this a little too much VSE In the third and last branch of this Use of Reprehension my work will be to awaken rouze and startle to convince and bring those to judge and condemn themselves who live without secret Prayer I hear from some and I do more than partly believe it That there are many Professors and those too of some Name and Eminency who live under the dreadful guilt of this sinful omission and if there be some such how great may we suppose the total number to be of them who are this way chargeable tho' let them be never so many every one of them Man Woman and Child is known to that God who observes our down-lying and our up-rising and is acquainted with all our ways There are those that will come to publick Ordinances that they may not be counted Heathens nor suspected to be Papists which Party now blessed be God is under great infamy and reproach tho' not greater than they do deserve upon account of the very Principles of that cursed Religion which they have embraced and do profess Yea and they will attend upon those Ordinances which they think are most purely administred and also join themselves in Communion with those Churches which they look upon as being of the most Scriptural Constitution that so they may be reckoned among Christians of the highest Form and chiefest Rank yea and peradventure they will set up Family-duties they will call their Children and Servants together and all under their â—oof and Charge to seek the Lord lest upon a discontent or remove some-body within doors should tell tales by means whereof their reputation should be blasted and the truth of their Religion called in question by any of those to whom they are desirous yea ambitious of approving themselves But wretches as they are as for Prayer by themselves either in Chamber or in Closet or any where else they do lay it aside altogether God himself will be a swift Witness against them that He and they never so met together They find much other work and can do many other things when they are alone They can spend a great deal of time at the Glass viewing and dressing themselves they can tell their Money and read over their Bills and Bonds but as for Soul-searching