way to hire souls to approach to him by holding out promises of reward as we do offer Apples Fruit c. to children to intice them to us nor is it a Bait to couzen and insnare us but real offers of kindness to us whereof we may partake and wherewith we may be happy Suppose a Prince desire a Beggars company with expressions of dear affections and promises of many kindnesses Is it not gross ingratitude if she fling away and scorn the motion Or suppose a potent Person send to a poor man a loving message telling him he hath considered his case and hath appointed time and place that they two together may confer about the necessary concernments of this poor man he shall have free admission and liberty without disturbance to present his petition and ask what he will and it shall be granted none shall be present but only they two shall converse familiarly together for the good of the poor man But instead of a thankful acceptance of this kindness the poor man picks quarrels with the messenger or message grows sullen and perverse runs away and saith I need neither his counsel nor assistance Let him bestow his kindness where he will I will not meddle with him Were not this gross ingratitude And how would it be taken The case is thine Soul that neglectest secret duties the God of Heaven gives thee notice to meet him in such a room to negotiate freely the main concernments of thy precious soul and thou art coy and shy and wilt not come near him but either plainly deniest or heedlesly delayest Oh monstrous folly Oh gross ingratitude Be ashamed of it be humbled for it thy God takes it ill that thou art so loath to be happy that thou even forsakest thine own mercies and wilt go twice as far another way to gratifie a friend rather than go alone into thy Closet to please thy God and profit thy poor soul How long must God watch and wait and strive and sue to have thy company and thou dost still neglect and grow averse thereto Oh be ashamed of it SECT VI. Three more sad Considerations for our Humiliation 8. DO you not by neglect of Secret Prayer resist the motions of the blessed Spirit And is this no fault Is it nothing to neglect communion with God the Father or to improve the intercession of Jesus Christ the Mediator but you must also slight the motions of God the blessed Spirit This is sad How often doth the holy Ghost knock at your doors stir you up spur you forwards unto duty and take you by the hand offering its assistance if you 'l go to God and yet do you refuse Do you make nothing of quenching grieving yea vexing the good Spirit of God Consider what you do as you deal with it so it will deal with you if you do not embrace its call perhaps it will not be present at your call And what can you do in duty without it If you strive against it it will cease striving with you Be it known to you you have not this Heavenly wind at your command and you may toss in the boat of duty long but shall not approach the port without it Nothing but the Spirit of God can carry thy soul to God And what can excite and comfort thee when thy Assistant and Comforter is slighted and sadned Grieve therefore Christian for thy grieving of the Spirit lay to heart thy careless quenching of this holy fire and let those waters of lust or negligence cost thee the waters of godly sorrow and repentance that this sin may not be laid to thy charge Say as that Divine Poet And art thou grieved sweet and sacred Dove When I am sowr And cross thy Love Grieved for me The God of strength and power Griev'd for a worm which when I tread I pass away and leave it dead See the rest in Herbert's Poems on Eph. 5.30 Pag. 128. 9. If you can only pray in company what will you do when your company is gone A time may come when you may be left alone as Christ saith he was You had need ingage the Father to be with you that you may say as the Apostle 1 John 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father 'T is true communion of Saints is desirable but external communion is not always attainable you may be thrust out by divine Providence now it will be sad to be at a loss when persons are alone 'T is a strange expression of some that they know not how to live it such and such Christian friends or godly Relations be taken away why what 's the matter Are they in the place of God Is your spiritual life maintained by the leaden pipes or by the living springs that stream through them Alas sirs if you more understood and used this art of drawing influences from God immediately through Christ by secret Prayer you would not be so discouraged with the loss of friends you would say Indeed 't is true my loss is great such a one had a notable gift in Prayer and spoke my very heart to God but though he be gone is my God gone Is Prayer gone Though I cannot get such moving expressions as such had yet I opened my heart to God as I could in secret formerly and there 's the same refuge now the same road unto this City and Sanctuary I went in and therefore all my comfort is not gone blessed be my God But a poor soul that hath leaned upon the staff of others inlargements will be shrewdly put to it when that staff is gone And Is it not a great disparagement to a noble and immortal Soul that it cannot treat and entertain its God alone What cannot God and an Heaven born soul converse together without Auxiliaries Must another interpose as an instrument without whom you cannot injoy communion with God Be ashamed of it and chide your selves as not acting suitably to your rational spirits much less to a supernatural Principle of grace 10. Lastly let me further demand of you what if our Lord should call you away and find you under the guilt of the neglect of this known duty What confusion grief and jealousie would possess you if death arrest you in such a state What an hurry was forlorn Saul in when the Philistines were upon him and he had not offered sacrifice unto God And what a desperate plunge will you be put to when the King of terrors is upon you and you have not personally and privately been seeking God Though you may be right and safe for the main yet your spirits will be much perplexed and you will suffer shrewd rebukes from your own consciences for your omissions and will be put to that last prayer of a dying Saint eminent in the Church The Lord forgive me my sins of omission and possibly may want that spiritual solace in a dying hour that praying souls may have Oh what a blessed thing will it be if our dear
positive Scripture-warrant to bind my conscience I dare not do otherwise I may say If I be deceived thou hast deceived me but I am sure plain Texts are no cheats I cannot otherwise understand such a Command and oh my God since thou hast thus ingaged me in thy work wilt thou suffer me to miscarry therein 4. He pleads a particular promise I will deal well with thee Surely a comprehensive word containing in it all that Jacob wanted Thus must a Christian search the Scriptures get hold of a promise spread it before the Lord whether for spiritual grace inward comfort or outward supply as thus Lord I find a promise in such a place to a person in my very case pat and pertinent to my very condition as if it had been calculated purposely for me in this juncture now Lord make it good to my Soul and Seed thou hast made it good to others in my state and why not to me Am not I an heir of promise And must not I have a share therein 5. Jacob lays himself under the sense of his own unworthiness I am not worthy saith he of the least of all thy mercies This is the property and excellency of a Saint to nullifie himself and Omnifie God as I may so say thus Abraham in his pleading calls himself dust and ashes and the Centurion judged himself not worthy that Christ should come under his roof Thus then abase thy self Lord I am not worthy to enjoy any common mercy not fit to lift up mine eyes to thee less than the least of thy mercies behold I am vile I am not only destitute of merits but full of demerits Hell is my desert I can challenge nothing as mine but sin and the fruits thereof Lord I condemn my self do not thou condemn me and cast me from thee 6. He is affected with Gods faithfulness in the performance of his promises acknowledging the truth of God shewed to his servant There is mercy in Gods making a promise to Abraham Mic. 7.20 truth in making it good to Jacob. Well then with Jacob thus plead Lord 't is true there was nothing of desert in me to engage thee either to make or keep thy gracious promise but sure the word is gone from thee yea and notwithstanding all my treachery and unfaithfulness thou hast kept it to this day Oh keep it still it depends wholly on thee let not my vanity alter the course of thy mercy but pardon and accept as thou hast done from my Aegypt until now 7. Jacob further recounts his former meanness his low condition With my staff I passed over this Jordan I came hither in a poor contemptible manner a sorry pilgrim thus do you plead Truth it is Lord thy grace is absolutely free there was neither wit nor wealth to move thee to do what thou hast done I can remember the time when I was as sorry and silly a creature as was in all the Countrey there was no capacity in me to do thee any remarkable service thou didst not set thy love upon me for any natural or moral accomplishments even so Father because it pleased thee and wilt thou now forsake me Thou mightest have done that at easier rates 8. Here 's Jacob's Stone of memorial for by-past and present mercies Now saith he I am become two bands i. e. two great companies of wives children servants flocks herds I may say These where had they been 'T is strange to see poor worm Jacob thus rich oh the bounty of God! So do thou say Lord take notice what thou hast done for me must all this be in vain Wilt thou throw away these good things Wilt thou not rather crown these gifts with continuance of thy kindness Wilt thou return to do me hurt after thou hast done me all this good Dost thou not remember my convictions consolations my fears tears doubtings refreshments Oh the passages of love betwixt thee and me Shall I be the grave of these mercies Lord forget me not 9. Here 's his sense of approaching danger Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my Brother for I fear him c. A Brother offended is harder to be won than a strong City Jacob's danger was a spur to his Prayer A pursued Hart runs fast for shelter so do thou Soul when afraid flie to the Lord and say Oh my God I have deadly enemies within without my case is forlorn desperate I have none to run to but thy self Hast not thou said that in thee the fatherless find mercy Other refuge fails me no man cares for my soul Lord relieve deliver this sinful wretch else I go down into the pit 10. Once more doth Jacob plead the promise and inlarge the granted Charter Thou saidst I will surely do thee good and make thy seed as the sand of the Sea Thus do you still seek out suck sweetness from and put in suit the promises by earnest prayer In this manner Lord hast thou not promised an heart of flesh a broken heart Why then is my heart hardened from thy fear Dost thou not say thou wilt give thy holy Spirit to them that ask it This Lord I want to be a spirit of truth and illumination a spirit of prayer and supplication a spirit of grace and sanctification and of satisfaction Oh bestow this mercy upon me Dost thou not promise to take away my inqiuities by pardoning Grace for thine own Name sake And to subdue my corruption and increase grace and bring me to glory Lord remember thy word unto thy servant in which thou hast caused me to trust Thus much for helps in pleading with God and for that use of Instruction CHAP. VIII An Vse of Exhortation urged SECT I. THe last Use is for Exhortation to put us on to the performance of this sweet duty of Closet-Prayer My beloved friends I beseech you suffer the word of Exhortation you see the work before you you see a plain Scripture-warrant for it you have heard many Instances of Scripture-patterns you see the manner of the performance let none now plead ignorance or look upon it as needless or make excuses or evasions Is it not equal and reasonable Is it not worth the while to converse with your God in a Corner Look over the reasons of the Doctrine and see if there be not some weight in them But besides those I shall propound to you these expostulatory Motives 1. Would you not be such as make conscience of every commanded duty You are no real Saints unless you have respect to all Gods Commandments Psal 119.6 If you pick and chuse in your obedience you are hollow-hearted hypocrites And can you deny this to be a duty And will you stand dodging with God Must he raze this Sentence out of the Bible to humour your conceits and sloth Is not Closet-Prayer a Christian duty Dare you argue against it Out of what Topicks will you fetch your Arguments And do you acknowledge it to be a duty and
you leave any matters of the world tarrying for your attendance the thought of them will attend you and make you cut your duties short and run away before your hearts be warmed Therefore if it may be dispatch them however rid your hearts of them The Heathen left their shooes at the Temple-doors to shew that all earthly occasions and affections must be left behind when we go to God Let vain or busie thoughts have there no part Bring not thy Plow thy Plots thy Pleasures thither Christ purg'd his Temple so must thou thy heart All worldly thoughts are but thieves met together To couzen thee Herbert SECT II. Two more Preparatives to Secret Prayer 3. SEt your selves in Gods presence Although you be not within the view of any mortal creature yet the eternal God sees what you are a going about So saith the Text Your father sees in secret darkness or clossness hides not from him and 't is more that one God sees you than if all the men on earth gazed at you His eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun and he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Heb. 1.13 Psal 26.6 Psal 66.18 therefore wash your hands in innocency before you compass his altar For if you regard iniquity in your heart God will not hear your prayer Therefore set the Lord always before you especially now you are setting your selves before the Lord if that Caveat was enough to beget reverence in an Heathen Cave spectat Cato Cato sees thee Oh what reverence would the sense of Gods omnipresence beget in thy heart if duly weighed Christians weight your spirits with such meditations as these God's eye is never off me I am daily walking in the Sun but now I am setting my self to pray in secret I come to appear before God in a special manner I may deceive men and my self but God will not be mocked I had need now engage my heart to approach unto God that 's the thing he looks for Oh for a spirit suitable to such a Majesty whom I come to worship Lord draw out my affections unite my heart excite my graces that my whole Soul may be carried after God Thus commit thy works to the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established Psal 37.5 Prov. 16.3 when thou art setting thy face towards a duty where thou art sure to meet Satan and carry with thee a corrupt deceitful heart let God know from thy mouth whither thou art going what thy fears are Never saith one doth the soul march in so good order as when it puts it self under the conduct of God and never is it so awful as when it sets it self under the eye of God Gen. 17.1 I am God Almighty walk before me and be thou perfect When you sensibly discern you are kneeling before God will not this make you perfect sincere and grow holier If you think God be not in your Closets what do you go to pray there for And if you know he sees you there why do you not think so and set your selves as in his presence The child will stand demurely before his Father the Scholar before his Master and so will the gracious Soul before God in duty if sensible of his presence 4. Muster up your thoughts and wayes Our thoughts and affections are like the strings of an Instrument out of tune and therefore we must take some pains to wind and skrue them up This is that which Zophar adviseth to Job 11.13 to prepare the heart and then stretch forth the hands And for this end it would not be amiss when you come into a private room to pray in secret first to read some portion of Scripture which may be of use to compose your spirits and like David's harp to Saul drive away your wild imaginations yea the word read may afford you suitable matter of prayer to God More particularly let me add one experienced Help which is this When you are addressing your selves to God in secret Prayer endeavour to fix your thoughts upon some particular subject to inlarge upon there 's no question but you have sometimes one special errand to God sometimes another if you observe your condition well be sure to mind that whether it be to confess some predominant sin to beg pardon of it power against it You may have in your eye some grace that you need more than ordinarily and see your weakness and defect therein c. Now do not satisfie your selves in running out into generals only but set your selves to plead the cause of your souls in that very case which you have found out by serious inquiry would most ingage you at that time to go to God about expatiate principally upon that subject And this I conceive to be a taking to our selves words which the Holy Ghost directeth us to Hos 14.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum res negotium Vid. Buxt lex in Prayer not a form of such and such phrases but some special subject matter to speak to our God about the word in Hebrew imports so much Now an intent and earnest pursuit of such a special subject at the Throne of Grace is of use in these two respects 1. You will find it an help against distractions wandrings withdrawings from God when you purposely set your selves to mind one thing you 'l be more intent upon it and lay out more pains about it than when you allow your selves liberty in variety of matter When the stream runs one way Vis unita fortior 't is stronger than dispersed into several channels so when the Christian unites his strength to plead with God about a particular business he is usually more warm and affectionate and so less subject to distraction 2. It will help you to enlarge your selves in spreading particular cases before the Lord in pat and proper expressions even before others as you have a call and opportunity and this is that which is called the gift of Prayer which is of singular use when a person can particularly and pathetically lay open a condition plead with God improve promises and rationally expostulate even with the Almighty about a spiritual or temporal concernment This holy Art is got by a frequency in secret Prayer and particular pleading for a mans own soul This is the last preparatory think before-hand what business you have to God in a peculiar manner and drive that nail as it were to the head you cannot think to speak of all things to God at one time but take that which is of present emergent use and importance and set your selves to inlarge upon that follow that home till you feel your hearts be warmed and affected and so have some tokens for good that God will return a sensible answer You 'l say Must we thus prepare our selves before every duty of secret Prayer we have not time for it I shall answer this in the words of my dear and reverend Father Angier His
reach the ear of God for he knoweth the mind of the Spirit Phil. 3.3 Jude 20. This is that which is called a worshipping God in the spirit a praying in the holy Ghost i. e. either as to the matter of the Prayer dictated by the Spirit or as to the manner of praying the soul being actuated by the holy Ghost See Mark 11.36 13.11 For I conceive it may import the former as well as the latter as other Scriptures compared hold forth Alas flesh and blood will put up such petitions as God will not accept or in such a manner as is no way suitable to his spiritual Nature The truth is Christians you will but bungle at the work without this help of Gods Spirit and God will take notice of you except he hear his own language do not think you can wrestle out the business your selves you must be beholding to God for help in Prayer as well as for hearing your Prayer your own spirits will not carry you to Heaven that which is from the earth is earthly and riseth no higher than earth but the holy Ghost will elevate your souls to God Therefore I beseech you Sirs beg the Spirit yield to its motions improve its operations say when you are going to duty Lord now stir up thy self and stir up thy grace in my heart Awake oh North-wind and come thou South blow upon thy Garden Cant. 4.16 My Soul that the spices thereof may flow out that graces may be exercised and exerted Lord I am low flat hard send the powerful arm of thy blessed Spirit to work all gracious dispositions in me and raise up my affections to thee I see I am below the duty and infinitely below thee in the duty but thou and thou alone canst raise me up quicken soften my dead and rocky heart come Lord and shew thy powerful Arm let it appear what God can do for a sorry worm Oh lift me up to thee that my soul may enjoy some sweet communion with thee Send thy spirit to fetch in my wanton wandring heart Oh for some fire from Heaven to burn up my sacrifice or else it will lye like a lump of flesh and be no true Holocaust of pure Incense before thee Let thy Spirit scatter these mists of ignorance and drive away these flies of distracting thoughts that my heart may be with thee and my performance may be as sweet savour in the nostrils of God SECT IV. More Essentials in secret Prayer A Third ingredient in Prayer is that it be according to God's will it must have a warrant from the Word a word of Precept or Promise or Example must be the ground of our petitions a command is our warrant a promise our incouragement an example is our tract and the footsteps of the flock wherein we must walk He that asks amiss shall not speed but if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and then we know we have the petitions that we desired of him 1 Joh. 5.14 15. Now we ask according to his will when both the matter of our petition is aright and our end in asking is Gods glory and our own or others spiritual good otherwise if we ask of God what we conceit to be a mercy and have not asked counsel at God's mouth or ask so as to consume it upon our lusts we may well meet with a denial My friends you may not say what you please in the presence of God Consider God is in Heaven you are on Earth therefore be not rash with your mouth and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God let your words be few and well weighed Eccles 5.2 The work you are about is a solemn business do not ramble in extravagant desires of unlawful things think not that God will patronize your lusts and when you have asked that which you conceive is according to his will refer it wholly to his Will say The Will of the Lord be done submit your selves to his dispose for time manner means and all circumstances for giving of it ask temporal mercies conditionally and spiritual Comforts with submission to Gods will learn that petition Thy will be done to pray it as well as say it Indeed Luther could say Let thy will be done but he come off with this My will Lord because my will is melted into thine there 's but one will betwixt us Let God's will be your will 't is fit it should be so our heavenly Father is wiser than we Consider Haec repraesentatio debet esse submissa humilis alias enim non esset precatio religiosa à creatura subdita ad supremum Numen Creatorem directa sed vel imperium superioris ergo inferiorem vel quasi familiaris collocutio quatis est inter aequales Ames medull theol lib. 2.6 p. 255. a man cannot pray in faith for that which he hath no warrant to ask Besides Amesius saith If a man come not with an humble submission to Gods will it were not a religious prayer directed to the supream Creator but a kind of command by a superiour to an inferiour or a familiar discourse as amongst equals Therefore let us humbly plead Gods Will as Abraham did Gen. 18.27 Further consider the design of Prayer is not to incline God before unwilling to our mind and desire for with him there is no variableness nor shadow of change but that we may obtain of him by Prayer what we know afore-hand he is willing to give Lastly consider we Christs example Mat. 26.39 If it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt This is right praying to ground our petition upon a promise yet freely to leave all at Gods feet to dispose of us as he sees good Our prayers and Gods promises should point towards each other as those two figures 9 and 6. Promises do bend downwards and after the same motion must our prayers ascend upwards so will there be a blessed harmony and seasonable return This is the third Direction Let your Prayers be warranted by the Word 4. Improve your Advocate Joh. 14.13 Whatsoever you ask in my name that will I do To ask any thing in his name is not rudely customarily or complementally to conclude with these words Through Jesus Christ our Lord c. but in confidence of his merit and intercession to call upon our heavenly Father as Daniel pleads for the Lords sake Dan. 9.17 For since the Fall none can come immediately to God but through a Mediator nor are we to fetch a compass by the groundless invocation of Saints and Angels I hope you have otherwise learned Christ I am most afraid in the practick part that in particular acts at least precious Souls are in danger to miscarry especially in Closet-Prayer when a Christian is got alone and there finds a sweet gale of the blessed Spirit helping his heart to mourn for sin bewail
husbands wives apart Zech. 12.11 12. And of gracious souls to be like Doves of the valleys every one mourning for his iniquity Eze. 7.16 There must be joynt-Prayers and separated Prayers together and apart Let not Christians be content to find Christ in a Corner for themselves but let them do what they can that others also may enjoy him this was the frame of the Church or believing Soul Cant. 3.4 When she had found him I held him saith she and would not let him go until I had brought him into my Mothers house i. e. into more publick assemblies And truly Christians that man hath not found Christ at all that would not have all others to find him Oh thinks the Christian in his retirement that others did but feel and injoy what my soul hath sweet experience of would to God my Husband Wife Brother Father Child Neighbour would but try this course a while Oh what advantage would they get by it Though I eat these sweet morsels alone yet fain would I have others to partake with me In things of this world persons are apt to grudge others any benefit by what they have stoln from others a view but in spiritual advantages there 's no envy and if there be it proceeds not from Grace but from corrupt Nature the more grace the less envy and when envy is gone persons will be communicative Take away envy Tolle invidiam mea tua sunt tua mea and mine is thine and thine is mine true Grace or Charity is kind envieth not 1 Cor. 13.4 Now this I am perswading to that they that have found Christ would be so charitable to souls as to communicate the knowledge of him and the way to enjoy him unto others Thus doth Andrew come to Simon and Philip to Nathaniel and both of them were as a man finding a jewel and cannot contain overjoyed and cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found him We have found the Messias Joh. 1.41 45. And when the poor woman of Samaria had been privately conversing with Jesus down she threw at least left behind her her water-pot and all in haste went to the City and said to the men Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Christ John 4.28 29. Thus do you sirs promote and propagate this choice duty commend it unto others practice and so you may be instruments of good CHAP. VII Concerning the matter or words of Prayer SECT I. THere is one thing yet remains which it may be expected something should be spoken to and that is The matter in praying or words of Prayer Whether it be lawful or requisite to use a form or no Most judge Videas Ames Cas Cons lib. 4. c. 17. p. 190. that as forms are lawful so prescript words may be requisite to some young beginners in Religion and other Christians of weak parts that cannot express their desires to God in fit words to help their rudeness yet Christians ought to press after more growth and proficiency that they may lay aside those Crutches and arrive at that gift of Prayer that may be of singular use As for Closet-Prayer Practical Catech. pag. 277. Dr. Hammond doth assert it that every one may ask his own wants in what form of words he shall think fit And indeed all particular cases incident and variable can scarce be comprehended in one constant form besides in secret Prayer God doth not so much stand upon phrases or pat sentences as the workings of the heart in sighs and groans which are the best Rhetorick in his ears It 's inquired Whether we may use the Lords Prayer I answer we may use it as other prayers in Scripture but I conceive the principal end of it is not to be rehearsed every time we pray but an example platform or directory according to the contents whereof we must direct our prayers Therefore for the further help of young professors I shall briefly touch at the several branches of that admirable compendious rule of Prayer you have in Mat. 6. ver 9. to v. 14. And the rather because it may seem to refer chiefly though not only to Closet-devotion what I shall say to it may be a practical analysing of it in its several parts and branches 1. For the preface Our Father which art in Heaven You may thus make use of it Infinite and Eternal Majesty the Maker of Heaven and Earth who dwellest in the highest Heavens and in the lowest hearts who seest all things here below and art a God that hearest prayers I am a poor worm at thy foot-stool looking up to the Throne of thy Grace cast a Fatherly eye up on me and though I be by Nature a Child of wrath yet through Jesus Christ make me thy child by Grace and Adoption teach me to cry Abba Father with holy reverence and filial confidence raise my heart to Heaven beget in me Faith in thy promises love to my brethren and due apprehensions of thy Soveraign power and gracious condescention that praying by the help of thy Spirit in the name of thy Son I may obtain good at thy Fatherly hands Secondly for the Petitions 1. Petition Hallowed be thy Name Thus O my God I have dishonoured thee all my days by my ignorance pride hardness and unthankfulness and I am unapt and unable to glorifie thee but do thou glorifie thy self in my conversion and salvation help me to know and adore thee to make an high account of thy titles attributes ordinances to believe thy word admire thy works in mercy or judgment help me with spiritual thoughts becoming my holy profession with divine lips speaking good of thy Name and a suitable conversation to walk before the Lord Holy God destroy Atheism Ignorance Idolatry and Profaneness magnifie thy Name through the World and direct and dispose all things to the advancement of thy glory by thy over-ruling providence and thy infinite wisdom 2. Petition Thy Kingdom come Thus improve it Lord I must confess that by nature I am dead in sin and a bond-slave to the Prince of darkness who rules in my heart and leads me captive by ignorance errour disobedience but do thou by the power of thy grace cast out the strong man take possession of my heart sway thy blessed Scepter in me bring my whole man to obedience destroy Satans kingdom propagate the Gospel among all Nations purge thy house furnish thy Church with officers orders and pure ordinances make Kings nursing Fathers to it convert sinners confirm Saints comfort the sad hasten thy second coming to judgement and the blessed Kingdom of Glory 3. Petition Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Thus Holy Majestie I acknowledge my natural ignorance of thy will impotencie to obey it yea enmity and antipathy against it my best services are imperfect my spirit repining under thy hand and my will wilfully resisting grace and rushing into sin but Dear Lord
the more diligent he is to hinder the performance but must Satan be gratified rather than God glorified or thy soul edified Wilt thou give way to him Resist the devil and he will flee from thee think not thou canst perform a flesh-displeasing duty when Satan is quiet and doth not molest he will be busie to tempt when thou art going to thy God this is no new thing he will jog thy hand when thou art writing thy letter to thy Friend in Heaven think not to be more exempted than even thy Saviour himself he was set upon by the Devil in his solitary recesses in the wildernesse and oh the horrible nature of those temptations Mat. 4. When Joshua the High-Priest prayed Satan stood at his right hand to resist him but the issue was good God rebuk'd him Zech. 3.1 2. And thus he will do for thee he will tread Satan under thy feet and make thee a conqueror only when thou art annoyed with this foul spirit turn to thy God leave not thy work let not Satan take thee off duty then he hath attained his end fall closer to the work consider fasting and prayer cast out the devil Matt. 26.4 Eph 6.18 watching and prayer are preservatives from infection yea Prayer it self is a chief piece of a Christians Armour if you be beat off this you are routed this ingageth God for you without this you are but like other men and the Philistin will put out your eyes lead you captive and make sport of you stick close to this what ever you do though all the devils in hell roar upon you yet run to your God in Prayer they are sluggards or cowards that say there 's a Lion in the way when they are called out to hard service or difficult duty nay rather say as he once in an arduous undertaking Here 's a work fit for the spirit of an Alexander so here 's a duty that becomes a Christian to manage By your God you may run through a Troop and leap over a Wall But more of that anon 8. Obj. But I get no good by Closet-Prayer I have used it so long and still my heart is as cold hard dead as ever I will give over now Answ Is not this too like the language of those that say It is in vain to serve God Mal. 3.14 And are you like those Atheists that think Prayer is to no purpose I hope not You think it doth good to some but not to you Well what 's the reason Is it not because you do not pray aright Therefore search your selves see how you prayed mourn over your defects and mend the matter It 's true one who sees the Well dry breaks or throws away his Pitcher but Is God a barren wilderness Is it not good for you to draw near to God Were they ever ashamed that waited on him Hast not thou sometimes found benefit by secret Prayer God is good to the soul that seeks him try again you will not lose your labour be not weary of well-doing in due time you shall reap if you faint not let not your hands hang down let not your knees grow feeble the Text tells you your Father that sees in secret will reward you openly and dare you not trust him beyond sense and experience There may be more advantage by this dutie than you are aware of you shall not yet know the profit you have by secret Prayer you must keep on in a patient continuance in well-doing and not give over till you receive a full reward but oh take heed of giving over prayer because you think you want present profiâ— You cannot do Satan greater service or your souls more prejudice But more of this anon 9. Obj. But I am weak in parts and know not what to say Fain I would but alas I cannot open my wants to God in Prayer I want gifts abilities Answ I am glad to hear thee thus complain thou art fitter for praying when thou canst lie under the sense of thy inabilitie to pray that 's an useful disposition in dutie But thou saist thou canst not pray then I 'll tell thee what to do Go thy waies alone and fall down upon thy knees and plainly tell the Lord thou canst not pray and intreat him to help thee by his blessed Spirit which he hath promised to them that ask it tell the Lord that thou canst not think a good thought or speak a good word without that blessed Spirit but it shall help thine infirmities and teach thee what to say oh beg hard for that holy Spirit and then let some means be used to get matter of Prayer you know it consists of confession of sin petition for good things deprecation of evil and thanksgiving for mercies Well then sit down and think with thy self what sins thou art guilty of original or actual of omission or commission this is too too fruitful a subject take them home tell God of them by ingenious confession Then bethink thy self what thou wantest at the hands of God as Pardon Grace Peace Heaven and begg these consider also what thou art afraid of as guilt strength effects of sin Gods wrath Satans malice and desire the Lord to prevent and remove these for Christ's sake And lastly recollect what mercies thou hast had from God and reckon them up to God with expressions of thankfulness Do this with plainness and seriousness heed not so much for exact method or fine phrases the gilt of the key makes it not open the door a jot the better and a Prayer doth not work upon God any rather because of the neat language therein but unbosome thy self plainly and seriously before thy God and thou shalt find present assistance and acceptance and future inlargement and incouragement Be honest though never so homely in Prayer 10. Obj. But I like not this stir it 's an hard and difficult work I would rather do any thing than this my spirit is wonderful averse to it say what you will it will not down with me to make all this ado in Closet-Prayer it 's pretty fair if I can keep up such duties as Church and Family require Answ This is the pleading of flesh and blood this is the bottom of the former objections I expected this all along if the tongue speak not thus the heart doth let a duty be pressed never so home a carnal heart will make some evasions though the mouth be stopped yet a cavilling heart will have something to say against a spiritual duty And if it cannot be mad with reason it grows mad without reason and against Scripture 'T is easier to bring arguments to convince the judgement than to draw the will and affections to a through obedience But soul wilt thou plead for Baal Wilt thou take the devils part and yield to carnal reason or wilt thou baulk any divine commands to gratifie a lazie humour or a base lust God forbid methinks if thou canst not obey as thou ought'st yet
earth yea sometimes be layeth aside these and rather useth the former that all the glory might be his And that no flesh might glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.29 But such as I am or have is all devoted to the honour of our Redeemer and welfare of Souls Octob. 31. 1668. Whiles I am Oliver Heywood Books to be sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Golden-Bible at the lower end of Cheapside AN Exposition of Temptation on Mat. 4. ver 1. to the end of the eleventh by Dr. Tho. Taylor fol. Daille on the Epistle to the Colossians containing 49. Sermons fol. A practical Exposition on the third Chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians with the Godly Mans Choice on Psa 4. v. 6 7 8. By Anthony Burgess fol. The view of the holy Scriptures By Hugh Broughton fol. These six Treatises next following are written by Mr. George Swinnock 1. The Christian Mans Calling or a Treatise of making Religion ones business in Religious Duties Natural Actions his Particular Vocation his Family Directions and his own Recreation to be read in Families for their Instruction and Edification The first part 2. Likewise a second Part wherein Christians are directed to perform their Duties as Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants in the conditions of Prosperity and Adversity 3. The third and last part of the Christian Mans Calling wherein the Christian is directed how to make Religion his business in his dealings with all Men in the Choice of his Companions in his carriage in good Company in bad Company in solitariness or when he is alone on a week-day from morning to night in visiting the sick on a Dying-bed as also the means how a Christian may do this and some motives to it 4. The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration 5. Heaven and Hell Epitomized And the True Christian characterized 6. The Fading of the Flesh and the flourishing of Faith Or One cast for Eternity with the only way to throw it well All these by George Swinnock M. A. Large Octavo's An Exposition on the five first Chapters of Ezekiel with useful observations thereupon By Will. Greenhil 4to The Gospel-Covenant or the Covenant of Grace opened Preached in New-England by Peter Bulkely 4to God's holy Mind touching Matters Moral which himself uttered in ten words or ten Commandments Also an Exposition on the Lords Prayer By Edward Elton B. D. 4to Fiery Jesuite or an Historical Collection of the Rise Increase Doctrines and Deeds of the Jesuites Exposed to view for the sake of London 4to Horologiographia Optica Dialling Universal and Particular Speculative Practical By Sylvanus Morgan 4to The Rebuilding of London encouraged and improved in several Meditations By Samuel Rolles The sure way to Salvation or a Treatise of the Saints Mystical Union with Christ wherein that great Mysterie and Priviledge is opened in the nature properties and the necessity of it By R. Steedman M. A. A defence against the fear of Death By Zuch Croston Gods Soveraignty displayed By Will. Geering The Godly Mans Ark or City of Refuge in the day of his distress in five Sermons with Mrs. Moor's Evidences for Heaven By Edm. Calamy The Almost Christian discovered or the false Professor tryed and cast By Mr. Mead. Spiritual Wisdom improved against Temptation By Mr. Mead. 1. A Divine Cordial 2. A word of comfort for the Church of God 3. A Plea for Alms in a Sermon at the Spittle 4. The Godly Mans Picture drawn with a Scripture-pensil 5. The Doctrine of Repentance 6. Heaven taken by Storm 7. The Holy Eucharist or The Sacrament of the Lords Supper briefly opened These seven by Mr. Tho. Watson The true bounds of Christian Freedom or a Discourse shewing the extents and restraints of Christian liberty wherein the truth is setled many errors confuted out of John 8. ver 36. Comfortable Crumbs of Refreshment by Prayers Meditation Consolation and Ejaculations with a Confession of Faith and sum of the Bible Aurifodina Linguae Gallicae or the Golden Mine of the French Language opened By Ed. Costlin Gent. Sins Sinfulness By Ralph Venning Sober Singularity By R. Steedman The Parable of the great Supper By John Crump late of Maidstone The Christians daily Monitor By Joseph Church A Memento to young men and old By J. Maynard A Little Book for Little Children By Tho. White The History of Moderation or the Life Death Resurrection of Moderation The Conversion of a Sinner explained and applied from Ezek. 33.11 Worthy Walking By Nat. Vincent Method of Meditation By Tho. White Antidote against Quakerism The Contents of the Book Sect. 1. THe context cleared 1 Sect. 2. The words explaind 4 Sect. 3. Doctrines raised 7 Sect. 4. Instances for Closet-Prayer 1 Abraham 12 2 Isaac ibid. 3 Jacob 13 4 Moses 14 5 David ibid. Sect. 5. More Instances of 6 Elijah 15 7 Jeremiah 16 8 Daniel 17 9 Peter ibid. 10 Jesus Christ 18 CHAP. II. Sect. 1. Reason 1. Conveniency of Privacy 20 For 1 Expostulation 21 2 Act distraction ibid. Sect. 2. Reas 2. Relation betwixt God and Soul 24 1 The hearts free opening to a Father ibid. 2 God communicates himself to it ibid. Sect. 3. Reas 3. God sees in secret i. e. 1 He takes notice whether thou Pray 27 2 He hath seen thy secret sins 28 3 Thou losest not thy labour 29 4 Thou ownest Gods omnipresence 30 Sect. 4. Reas 4. God rewards openly foâ—… ways 31 1 Returning visible Answers 32 2 Discriminating providences 33 Sect. 5. 3. Increase of Graces 35 Sect. 6. 4. Solemn owning at the great Day 36 CHAP. III. Sect. 1. Vse 1. Of information concerning places of Prayer 42 Sect. 2. The nature of Prayer 1 It is an immediate Worship 45 2 Cannot be interrupted ib Sect. 3. 3. The power of Prayer 48 Sect. 4. 4. The property of a Christian 50 CHAP. IV. Sect. 1. Vse of Reprehension 1 Of Wicked 53 Sect. 2. 2 Of Godly for neglecting this herein 56 1 They are unlike Jesus Christ ibid. 2Vnlike the Saints of God 57 3Vnlike themselves formerly 58 Sect. 3. 4 They lose much spiritual good 59 5 Expose themselves to temptation 60 6 They express little love to God 61 7 Gross ingratitude to him ibid. Sect. 4. 8 They contradict the Spirits motions 63 9 May be deprived of Helps 64 10 What if Christ surprize them in neglect 65 CHAP. V. Sect. 1. 3. Vse of Instruction about Closet-Prayer wherein are 1. preparatives to it 1 Look to your state 68 2 Lay aside other business 69 Sect. 2. 3 Set your selves in Gods sight 70 4 Muster up your thoughts wants 71 Sect. 3. 2 Essentials required in secret Prayer 1 Ingage the heart in it 74 2 Beg the Spirits assistance 77 Sect. 4. 3 Pray according to Gods will 78 4. In the name of Jesus Christ 80 CHAP. VI. Sect. 1. 3 Circumstances about Closet-Prayer Referring to Place 8 Referring to Posture 84 Referring to Season 85 Referring to Voyce
place so fit for that great duty as a Closet or some closs Chamber therefore he being to deal with his God in good hard earnest about this important business saith the Text He carried him up into a loft where he abode and laid him upon his own bed and then he cryed to the Lord ver 19 20. It was not the first time Elijah had there wrestled with God if it was his lodging room it was his praying room And here God heard him and wrought the miracle what he did for Elijah he can and will do for us if he see fit for Elijah was no more than a man and subject to like passions as we are 7. Jeremiah is a remarkable Instance he was a Prophet of the Lord sanctified from his Mothers womb yet he met with so many discouragements that he hath a mind to leave his people Jer. 9.1 2. and he wisheth for a lodging-place in the Wilderness i. e. some solitary retirement that there he might take his fill of weeping however he resolves at present that wherever he is he will get retired and saith he My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride Jer. 13.17 Yet more punctually to the business of secret Prayer see Jer. 15.17 Saith he I sate alone because of thy hand But what did he alone Did he only pore and muse upon the Churches sins and sufferings No he had something to say to his God ver 18. Why is my pain perpetual And God then hath something to say to him by way of gracious answer ver 19. If thou return then will I bring thee again and thou shalt stand before me This is the result of his secret Prayer a restauration of him to and his confirmation in his office and function and to the publick exercise thereof This is worth praying for 8. Daniel is a famous pattern of the resolute and couragious performance of this duty against all opposition Although he might have pleaded if ever any There 's a Lion in the way I shall be slain in the Streets or Den for my work in my Chamber yet he feared nothing he ventured upon a severe Law his Princes displeasure the loss of his Preferment the rage of his Competitors and the Lions hungry stomachs rather than he will omit or intermit his accustomed course of Chamber-worship he will endure the Lions cruelty rather than neglect a known duty Nay he is so far from gratifying his proud adversaries that he will not in the least abate his wonted frequency or visibility in the duty But his windows being open toward Jerusalem be kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed Dan 6.10 But did Daniel hold out a Flag or blow a Trumpet by setting open his windows to declare to men what he was a going to do Was not this contrary to the rule in the Text Are we here commanded to shut our door and may Daniel open his window Is not that all one Surely that good man did not open his windows out of hypocrisie and vain-glory but to shew his resolution courage and constancy out-daring these impious impudent commands of men he did not fear to be seen now in so plain a case What spirit are they of that will rather give themselves to the roaring Lion and incur the wrath of the King of Heaven which is more terrible than a thousand hungry Lions than solemnly perform this useful duty of secret Prayer Let careless souls consider this 9. Peter a famous Apostle shall be another instance in the case Act. 9.40 When Tabitha or Dorcas lay dead in an upper Chamber and the Widows stood weeping by her and he was to raise her He put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed and turning him to the body said Tabitha arise and she opened her eyes See here another miracle like Elijah's upon secret Prayer But this was upon an extraordinary case did Peter use to pray alone Yes turn but to the next Chapter Act. 10.9 Peter went up upon the house-top to pray about the sixth hour Which was about noon another praying season Psal 55.17 certainly he missed not morning and night for such devotion He went to the top of the flat-rooft house which was a private place and equivalent to a Closet there Peter prayed and in that prayer he fell into a trance and in that trance he had a Vision concerning the calling in of the Gentiles a glorious mystery and transcendent mercy towards us poor Out-casts Rom. 16.25 Col 1.26 27. Eph. 2.4 6. a mysterie which was kept secret since the world began hid fromages generations this blessed mysterie that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel yet this transcendent design of love was manifested to a choice Apostle while he was in the performance of this duty of secret Prayer This is very remarkable and worth observation 10. The last Instance is of our blessed Saviour our dear Lord Jesus was very conversant in this Duty Mark 1.35 In the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed Our precious Redeemer went about doing good and the day time he usually spent in preaching conferring healing diseases c. And the night he spent in prayer meditation and such other holy exercises he had scarce time to eat or sleep for doing his fathers work he spent not one moment of time unprofitably in a above thirty years How early doth he rise and earnestly doth he follow his business for communion with his Father and for the work of our redemption Yea Luk. 6.12 He continued all night in prayer to God i. e. in a mountain Mar. 26.36 in secret Prayer and frequently elsewhere we shall find him alone and in this work and wherefore was all this Was it not principally for our sakes For our salvation and imitation Yes certainly he designed our good in all he prayed that we might pray and reap the profit of his prayers and purchases Nec verbis tantum sed factis Dominus orare nos docuit ipse orans frequentorâ— deprecans quid facere noâ— oportet exempli sui contestatione demonstrans Cyp. Serm. De orat Dom. p. 425. Hear we Cyprian sweetly He taught us to pray not in words only but deeds himself praying frequently and deprecating and so demonstrating what we are to do by the witness giving of his own example Thus he Most Divines hold the obligatory power of Scripture-examples in things not forbidden especially being so laudable a practice and implyed in other Scriptures all the former instances seem cogent Arguments but the last concerning Jesus Christ hath the force of a possitive precept and command But there is few or none that have the face of Christians dare deny this to be a duty but I fear many that would go for Christians live in the ordinary neglect of it
and are safe Prov. 18.10 A soul hid with God cannot be hurt by men If any be secured in a day of danger 't is those that are most with God in a corner Floods of great Waters shall not come nigh to praying Saints Psal 32.6 Hence saith David ver 7. Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble Some way or other God will attest and testifie the integrity of his praying servants before the World See Psal 31.19 20 91.15 Thus he dealt in the case of Job God's Children may be long concealed from the view of men both as to their persons and actions but in God's good time he brings them out with honour as he did with Elijah Sometimes God gives clear demonstrations of his tender affection to his despised Saints in the view of the world Rev. 3.9 I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee This is not a religious adoration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sese ad pede◠alicujus subjectionis causa provolvere qualiter catelli heris suit adblandiuntur but a civil reverence due to real Saints as an evidence of repentance or special respect as dogs fawn upon their Masters laying themselves at their feet As the word imports Natural conscience sometimes doth homage to the image of God in the Saints However this is a well-known truth that as God hath brought forth wicked mens secret works of darkness into open light to their confusion in this world So he hath clearly discovered his Saints upright services in secret corners to their honour and safety in the nick of time Jaddus hearing of Alexander's approach to Jerusalem set himself to pray then put on his priestly garments and met the Conqueror who fell down on his face before him Parmenio askt him why he adored the Jews High-Priest See Clarks general Martyrol Fol. 5. when as other men adored him Alexander answered I do not adore him but that God whom the High-Priest worshippeth for in my sleep I saw him in such an habit when I was in Macedonia But examples of this nature are frequent everywhere what strange effects prayer hath brought forth both for defence to the Saints and offence to their Enemies so that the clear evidence hereof hath wrested from many stout opposers that acknowledgment of the Queen of Scots that she feared more the prayers of John Knox than an Army of ten thousand fighting men But this is the second branch of this last reason God openly rewards by manifest deliverances in time of danger SECT V. The third way of rewarding secret Prayer is Increase of Grace 3. GOd rewards secret Prayer openly by conferring upon secret wrestlers more eminent gifts and graces of his Spirit and such as shall be taken notice of by others They that are most constant in secret Prayer shall be most eminent in open Prayer Such as with Moses converse with God in the Mount shall have shining faces The beauty of the Lord shall be upon them When a soul hath been with its God in a corner the effects are so remarkable that others shall take knowledge of him that hath been with Jesus And it must needs be so for conversing with God is of a transforming nature 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord God's appointments are as glasses through which we may see the face of God Now there are two sorts of glasses broader and narrower the broader glasses are publick Ordinances and the narrower glasses are these private Duties In both these a soul may seek and see the face of God and so become like him for seeing here is assimilating as the Vision of God hereafter is glorifying Oh 't is a beautifying and beatifical fight to see God! Fulness of grace is the best thing in glory peace and joy are but as it were the gloss and varnish of this fulness of grace Now the more a soul enjoys God the more God-like and Heaven-like he is for his graces shine brighter and he is still mounting higher And private or secret duties are notable wayes of communion with God yea sometimes a soul may miss of Christ in publick Ordinances and find him in secret so some interpret that place in Cant. 3.24 See Mr. Cotton in loc The Soul had sought her beloved in the bed of Temple-worship and publick Ordinances In the streets and broad wayes of Synagogues and communion of Saints still she found not her beloved then she seeks him in conferences and occasional meeting with the watchmen but she can yet hear no tydings of Jesus Christ but saith she It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth Observe it this was not when she was past all means in a way of neglect of or being above Ordinances for she was seeking him still which implyes the use of means only she had past the publick without finding and now she is in the use of private helps the after-duties of Meditation Self-examination secret Prayer and therein the soul finds God not that this reflects disparagement on the publick Ordinances but to shew that God is a free Agent and to be an ingagement and incouragement to us in the use of all Gods appointments And when the soul thus finds God in a corner it carries away something of God that casts a sweet perfume upon his person and acting that is taken notice of by others It may be said of such a soul as Isaac spoke of his son Jacob Gen. 27.27 See the smell of my Son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed So when a serious Christian comes down from his Closet where he hath met with his God oh what a sweet perfume of well-scented graces doth he cast forth The savour of Religion is upon him some breathing odours of holiness break from his lips hands and feet the power of Godliness doth manifest it self in his expressions actions conversation Where hath such an one been Surely he hath been conversing with God there is the lively image and inscription of God upon him and while that blessed frame continues he is not like himself as he excels carnal men at all times so now he excels himself Yea observe it A soul conversing much with God in the duties of Meditation and secret Prayer grows taller by head and shoulders than other ordinary Christians As all godly men are more excellent than their neighbours so a soul that waits much on God in secret Prayer is more excellent than most of his Godly neighbours and it appears so at present by his gifts in Praying and may appear in his support and comfort in the day of suffering Oh what a mighty man in Closet-Prayer was magnanimous Luther And what noble atchievements did he go
all one Spirit as well as all one Father And is not this a Spirit of Grace and Supplication And is it not that which on all occasions draws the Soul to its Father 'T is said of Paul when newly converted Behold he prayeth Act. 9.11 Others do not see it but I know it there he is in a corner sighing and seeking me Go Ananias enquire for him he is now one of you a real Convert for Behold he prayeth A Soul praying in secret is worthy observation there 's an Ecce put upon it Behold he prayeth And why should we that pretend to be Saints be unlike our brethren 3. Are you not herein unlike your selves in former times When God did at first work upon your hearts did you not then run to God in a corner Did you not set your selves intently to the duty of secret Prayer How often did God find you by your selves sighing sorrowing weeping bleeding breathing after God pouring out your hearts like water before the face of the Lord And your heavenly Father pitied you spoke very kindly to you wiped off your tears cheared your hearts heard your prayers and made those dayes of grief times of love Oh the sweet embraces that then were betwixt your souls and God Have you forgotten such a Chamber Such a Closet such a Barn such a Wood Where you sometimes walkt and meditated sometimes fell prostrate and wept before the Lord till you had no more power to weep If you have forgotten those blessed days your God hath not He remembers thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine spousals when thou wentest after him in a solitary Wilderness Jer. 2.2 Canst not thou remember the day when thou wouldst rather have been with thy God in a private Room than upon a Princes Throne Yea thou thoughtest thou wast to do nothing else but cry and pray in secret thou wast at it every day yea many times a in day How comes it to pass that there 's such a change That thou dost so rarely go to visit thy old friend in a Corner Is he changed Is he not so good and kind as he was wont to be Hast thou found any fault in God Or art not thou blame-worthy What 's become of thy ancient Spirit of Prayer Why dost thou forget thy sweetest wrestling-place Why dost thou not inquire for these good old wayes of communion with thy God SECT III. Saints neglects further reproved 4. LEt me further expostulate with Gods Children that are rarely exercised in this duty of Secret-Prayer Do you not deprive your selves of many sweet refreshments Have not your souls had sweet experience of ravishing incomes in secret duties How many pleasant morsels have you eaten alone Have not these stolen waters been sweet And would they not be so again if you would open the same sluice Oh what hints of love might your souls have that no creature would know of Secret influences are conveyed to souls in secret duties these you block up by neglect Ah sirs Are the consolations of God small to you Is communion with God of no worth Why are you so unwilling to take pains to go to your Father Especially when you know he hath a kindness for you Have you ever lost by such duties Will not your gains infinitely countervail your pains Ask those that use it most they will tell you it is the sweetest time they spend Yea cannot your own experience attest it Did you ever lose your labour when you set your selves about the work in good earnest Hath not this closs and privy trading with God brought in much spiritual profit Beloved friends you little consider the good you miss of for want of performing this excellent duty But that 's not all 5. Do you not by neglect of secret prayer expose your selves to many sad temptations Watching and Prayer are singular helps against temptation Mat. 26.41 I have heard that Satan hath openly professed that he hath watched when some of Gods children have gone out without Closet-Prayer and that day he hath gotten great advantage against them sometimes by tripping up their heels and casting them down from their excellency into some gross iniquity sometimes tormenting their hearts with blasphemous or soul-perplexing injections Sometimes God hath left them to fall into some afflictive snare laid by this subtil Fowler which hath cost them many bitter pangs all this and much more hath been the fruit of such neglects Christians Have you not found this too true by sad experience When you have gone abroad without calling on God hath not God secretly withdrawn from you Hath not Satan obtained his designs upon you Have not your hearts been growing out of frame Some lust increasing grace decaying and your souls at the brink of some astonishing fall When you have gone out in the morning without a good breakfast with God Have you not been apt to gather wind and vanity to the prejudice of your souls health If you ingage not God by Prayer to go with you What security have you for that day If God leave you the Devil may do what he list with you and hamper you in a thousand snares and sins 6. Doth not your neglect of secret Prayer argue little love to God Or delight to be in his Company When persons have a dear affection to each other they love to be together Love delights in union and communion Yea when persons love intirely they withdraw from other company that they may injoy each other with more indeared familiarity the presence of a third mixeth the streams of Communication and mars their intimate communion And if you did passionately love the Lord would you not withdraw from others that your souls might injoy some fresh and refreshing intercourse with your best Beloved How can you say you love him when you have no mind of his company If you did indeed love him Cant. 3.5 you would hold him and not let him go Amor meus pondus meum until you had with the Spouse brought him into the Chambers of intimate communion and solitary recesses Love is the weight of the soul and draws it to the object beloved If your hearts were ravisht with him you would take more pleasure in conversing with him you would bless God for an opportunity of injoying him But this strangeness speaks a great defect in this noble grace And would you be esteemed such as love not God What a sad thing is it to be low and scant in love to God under such strong engagements to love Poor soul have not those silken silver cords of love which have been cast about thee drawn thee nearer and bound thee faster to thy God than thus Have not such bellows and incentives kindled and increased thy spark of love into a flame Lament thy sin and shame thy self before thy God for this decay of love and dangerous neglect 7. Do not you by these omissions declare your selves ingrateful to the grace of God It 's Gods
Book called An help to better hearts for better times Pag. 196 197. read more of this Subject there are some separating duties that prepare for others as examination meditation prayer and they do prepare by stirring up the grace of God and providing an heavenly assistance to begin with us in the duty If thou canst not always have separating time betwixt other occasions and Gods worship yet have some separating thoughts ere thou enter upon the duty thou art not fit else to meddle with wisdom Thus he 'T is true some have not the leisure that others have yet so much preparation is necessary for every duty as may withdraw the heart from other objects and weight the Spirit with a due sense of the work we have in hand and sometimes this may be done suddenly yet as for such as have more time to work upon their hearts and state their souls case by mustering up themselves to the work neglect a duty and cannot groundedly expect the Lords presence and this I conceive is the reason why the Lords people miss of God in secret Prayer at least one reason is because they do not make such conscience and take such care of preparing their hearts as they ought Ah Christians when you come into your Closet sit down and pause a little before you fall down upon your knees clear up your state shake off other business set your selves in Gods presence and muster up your sins or wants or mercies you purpose to spread before the Lord a Client will consider all his matters before he come to state his case to his advocate a poor patient will bethink himself how he is that he may tell his ailings to his Physitian and a petitioner will not go hand over head unto his Prince but order his cause before hand that he may plead it more effectually And shall not we much more prepare our selves to wait upon the God of Heaven SECT III. Directions concerning the essentials of secret Prayer 2. THe second sort of rules is concerning some things essentially requisite to the right performance of the duty of secret Prayer which you are to look to in the duty and these are such as are required in all sorts of Prayer viz. that it be performed 1. With the heart 2. By the help of the spirit 3. According to Gods will 4. In the name of Christ 1. Secret Prayer must he hearty Prayer an heartless duty is a worthless duty yea the whole heart must be ingaged in it Psal 119.10 With my whole heart have I sought thee It is the heart that God chiefly looks after Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart nothing else can please God if the heart be wanting if the heart be ingaged in the duty he will rather dispense with other weaknesses where there 's not wilful negligence Observe it in that worship of God we perform with others a mans gifts may be of use though his heart go not along with his voice but in Closet-Prayer it doth no good at all except the heart be ingaged therefore God principally requires the heart in other duties in this he only requires the heart for the voice is not necessary To love and serve the Lord our God with all our heart Mark 12.30 33. soul mind strength is a keeping of the Law and more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices We should pray with every faculty of the soul and with the utmost strength of every faculty Mat. 15.8 9. God deserves and requires our strongest affections That 's but a vain worship that 's performed without the heart right attendance on God is an ingaging the heart to approach to God Christians Jer. 30.21 in all your addresses to God mind the object of worship let the subject worshipping and object worshipped be closly united look beyond the duty it 's one thing to have communion with an Ordinance and another thing to have communion with God in an Ordinance Gods dear Children know what this means for sometimes they are more taken up with expressions affections or some accidentals in the performance than with the object of worship they should be intent upon But this is very dangerous for whatsoever interposeth betwixt the soul and God to divert the thoughts from God is an Idol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Ezek. 14.3 These men have set up their Idols in their hearts Sept. reads it they have put their thoughts upon their hearts i e. They have committed Idolatry with their own imaginations instead of worshipping God their minds have stuck upon something short of God after which they have as it were run a whoring even in the duty I shall not deliver that as the sense of the place yet it may be an useful note I fear many of us are guilty of a kind of spiritual fine-spun Idolatry by heterogeneal thoughts in holy duties that pluck us from God when we are approaching to him The Lord humble us for this and fix our thoughts upon God that we may say as the Church Isa 26.8 The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Cyprian saith Cogitatio omnis secularis carnalis at sced nec quicquam tunc animus quam id solum cogitet quod precatur ideo sacerdos ante OrationeÌ„ prefatione praemissa parat sratrum mentes Dicendo sursam corda ut dura respondet plebs Habemus ad Dominum ad moneatur nihil aliud se quam Dominum cogitare debere Câ—p. Serm. de orat Dâ—m p 246. every secular thought must depart and the mind must be taken up with nothing but what we are about he tells the practice of the Church in his time was that the Minister before Prayer prepares the peoples mind saying Sursum corda Lift up your hearts and they answer Habemus ad dominum we have them up to the Lord whereby saith he we are admonished that in Prayer we must think of nothing but the Lord What the Minister said to the People do you say to your selves Sursum corda lift up your hearts Let every one say I am now worshipping an Heart-searching God Oh that my heart were with God Ascensus mentis ad Deum Luth. Collâ—q myst fol. 239. The Ancients saith Luther finely described Prayer to be an ascent of the mind to God Oh that I did experimentally know what this means in Syntaxi i. e. in coupling and joyning of my heart to God Lord gather in my roving and wandring spirit This is the first direction Mind the frame of your hearts 2. Implore and expect the Spirits assistance Prayer must be by the Spirits inlarging influence hence it is called the spirit of grace and supplication Zech. 12.10 Rom. 8.26 it helps our infirmities by making souls to cry out Abba Father with unutterable groans A Christian should spread the sails of his soul for the gales of Gods grace which will carry the praying Saint apace towards God yea and
God 3. Obj. But I am a Servant and must obey my Master I am kept too hardly at work to get time for secret Prayer I am called to work betimes dogged to it all the day Answ Though you be servants to do mens work yet not slaves to their lusts in that respect you must not be the Servants of Men if you be Servants you are the Lords Free-men if free yet you are Christs servants 1 Cor. 7.22 23. Remember you have a Master in Heaven no mortal creature can discharge you from your attendance on God You must do Gods work as well as your Masters and your Masters work for God's sake Eph. 6.6 7. Oh sirs do not neglect your duty to God to pleasure men Can your superiour answer for your neglect Or interpose betwixt flaming wrath and your sinning souls But I am afraid some lay the blame on Masters when the fault is in themselves Deceive not thy self by accusing others to clear thy self this was Adam's fault Think not that anothers rigour can excuse thy neglect Let me tell you there 's never a servant so strictly watch'd but might steal some time from his Master for his God and yet do him no wrong Only see that you be prudent in chusing such seasons as may not justly provoke your Master or prejudice his occasions And be often in your callings lifting up your hearts to God be content with your condition had you more liberty it may be your hearts would not be in so good a frame But let me bespeak Masters indulgence to poor and pious Servants oh hinder them not in any good work rather put them upon it encourage them in it bless God that you have praying servants this is a hopeful presage of good success Let not your servants fare the worse but the better for being God's servants 4. Obj. But I have no Closet to pray in no convenient room for secret Prayer I have a little house a busie full family and cannot retire my self Answ A good good heart will find room either within doors or without a gracious soul will seek out places to pray in any sorry cote will be a Bethel where it can injoy its God or if he cannot get to it under the roof he will with good Isaac walk out into the fields to meditate and to pray Could Heathens and Idolatrous Jews plant groves for their superstition in an Apish imitation of Abraham's practice And cannot a Bird of Paradise take its flight out of some Wood or Arbour into Heaven But most need not make this silly slight excuse they have good roofs to be in and need not worship God sub Dio in the open air few of us but we have convenient rooms but most of us want affectionate hearts to visit God therein But Christians make good use of your houses to serve God therein else they may justly spue you out and leave you harbourless and then what a dreadful sting and guilt will follow you whither-soever you go Oh consider London's flames and ruines your houses are no better built nor more secured from the like Catastrophe do not weaken their foundations by wilful neglects or scandalous sins 5. Obj. But I know some good Christians that never use it yea that maintain it in their judgements that it is not necessary except in some extraordinary cases What say you to that I Answ I never yet met with such persons that had the face of Religion that ever spoke against the ordinary practise of this duty of Closet-Prayer I confess I have met with some who being urged to Family-Prayer have put it off with this evasion that they would pray in their Closets how well the God of Heaven knows But if any professors judgement be so far bribed to plead for the flesh in this neglect the Lord rebuke them and forgive them they know not what they say This is a lamentation that there 's scarce any truth so sacred or duty so spiritual but it hath been contradicted in these licentious daies Some have pleaded against Family-Prayer Catechising Christian-meetings and what not But they can produce no solid arguments do not you follow their example contrary to plain Scripture precepts and precedents Many were produced for confirmation most whereof were not only in extraordinary cases but were an ordinarie practice And can you find the day that affords not some special matter to occasion you to make addresses to God in secret Prayer If you be sensible and observant surely you will see great need for such retirements in ordinary practice Remember this that you follow no man but as he follows Christ but I am sure our precious Saviour used this practice SECT III. More Objections answered 6. Obj. BUT I find not my heart affected or prepared Is it not a tempting of God to go when the spirit doth not move me I Answ 'T is a dangerous mistake to think you may not go to duty but when the spirit moves you For it may be long before it stir the spirit bloweth where and when it listeth You are therefore to lay your selves in the way of the spirit call in its aid which ordinarily comes when souls do their duty Holy performances are as it were the walk of the spirit the air where he breaths and be sure he is most likely to be found in his own way and walk but you cannot expect him in the neglect of plain duty Try this way put God to 't plead his promise you cannot think to be warm if you run from the fire If you have not an appetite to pray you must pray for an appetite for neglect or omission of a duty never fits but alwaies unfits for a duty If you 'll heed your trifling spirits and accept every excuse which they make you shall never pray If you play the truant one time you 'll have less mind to go to God the next time guilt makes you afraid and you dare not come near that God whom you have wronged as Adam run from God and Peter would thrust Christ from him when conscious of guilt How dare you look God in the face whom you have slighted Besides you 'll find that neglect of duty doth not make the next performance more easie but more difficult It will as one saith require more time and pains for you to tune your instrument than for another to play his lesson And is it not more likely God should come to you in pains-taking than total omission Do you not read in the Psalms how often David begun faintly and ended triumphantly Try the Lord and see if he be not better than you expect 7. Obj. I but saith a poor soul I meet with temptations when I go to God in secret Satan assaults me I am timorous and dare not be alone or in the dark but am afrighted Answ 'T is a sign the duty is good because so bad a spirit opposeth it the more Satan sees a duty is for the souls advantage
affected with the sweetness of pardoning grace and ardently pleads with God for acceptance again when the graces of the Spirit are acted in the duty as an holy awe and fear of God faith love humility zeal and fervency and a willingness to forgive others as well as to be forgiven by the Lord Lastly a soul may know when it hath communion with God by the consequences of duty as when the Christian is more vile in his own eyes as Abraham was gives God all the glory sees and bewails his defects in greatest inlargements when the spirit is left in a better frame and fitter to bear crosses and perform after-duties c. I do but hint these things 4. Case Suppose I have prayed and prayed and find not my heart affected 't is dead dull distracted I do no good get no good in duty I fear I offend God What shall I do Ans Such a case is sad yet consider 1. It may be the case of gracious hearts David was so depressed and troubled that he could not speak Psal 77.3 4. Gods best Children are sometimes out of frame their spirits unfit for duty 2. A total neglect will not mend the matter nor help the frame of your hearts one sin will never cure another running from the fire is not the way to be warm your hearts will not be better but worse by forbearance omission indisposeth 3. Who knows but God may come in the next time Keep upon the Royal Exchange still ply the oars give God no rest gratifie not Satan by neglect Tradesmen keep their Markets though for small gains you 'l get something at last worth your pains they never were ashamed that have waited on him The issue will be good 4. God may graciously accept thy obedience though thou have not sweet inlargement the obedience is thine the inlargement God's he is a free Agent and works when he pleaseth he loves to see poor souls tug and struggle with their own hearts though they can get little forward yet they would be better and do better The Father takes it well when the Child is striving to obey him though it fall very far short He sees the Spirit is willing though the flesh be weak and accepts of upright endeavours Nay observe it a Christians conscientious attendance upon God without inlargements may be more acceptable to God than when he hath the sweetest inlargements because there is most obedience in those duties but in the other a Christian is as it were hired to performances by the Earnest-peny of inlargements Oh 't is a brave thing to persevere in duty under discouragements he that can trade when times are so dead that all his wares lye upon his hand yet trades more surely his stock is great So 't is an evidence of much Faith Love Sincerity when the Soul can maintain this Heavenly Trade when his sensible incomes are small Yet when God thus withdraws from you you must deeply lay it to heart inquire the cause make your peace with him and ply the Throne of Grace with greater importunity Thus much briefly for these Cases of Consciences And now beloved friends I have dispatcht this Subject concerning Closet-prayer What remains but that we should all fall closs to the constant practice of this duty What do Ministers preach Sermons or print Books for Is it to be seen and heard in publick Is it to be applauded Or is it not rather to do good to peoples souls And can people get any good by hearing a sound of words or a complemental reading what is written Is there not something else required of you now even a setting about the conscientious practice of what is before you What say you sirs to this Point Is Closet-Prayer a Christian duty or is it not If it be not why doth Christ direct us to the right manner of performance and assure us that our Father will reward it openly Will God reward any thing but commanded duty There 's no question but 't is a duty I challenge any man to disprove it now and to stand to his assertion another day before the God of Heaven But I think none will deny it to be a duty and sirs dare any man that professeth Religion live in the gross neglect of plain duty Do you think it 's fit it should be done and will you not do it Shall your own tongues be brought in as witnesses against your selves Will you be like that Son that said I go sir but went not Shall God wait your leisure and you 'l not give him a visit Will you go into your Closets to make up your accounts And will you not reckon streight betwixt God and your Souls Dare you go from day to day under the guilt of a known sin If you do not what you have read this Book will flie in the face of conscience another day But I am most afraid lest Christians trifle about this work and shuffle it off after any fashion and so put off God with a meer outside performance to pacifie conscience without that warmth and life we should have in our Closets 'T is recorded of Luther that he prayed every day three hours and even then when his spirits were most lively Per tres horas easq ad studia aptissimas Nor were his Closet-Prayers dull careless heartless be so fervent and ardent saith Melancthon that they which stood under his window where he stood praying might see his tears falling and dropping down Oh but where is this zeal and ardency in our secret devotion Are we not ready to drop asleep even upon our knees Alas how formal are we The fire of God is wanting in our sacrifices Nay do we not take Gods Name in vain many times and know not what we say Oh why do we thus forget Gods omnipresence and omniscience Doth not he know our hearts And should not we approve our selves to God in our Closets Yea doth not Satan stand under our Closet-window or rather at our Elbow and hears what we say to God in our Closets If you take not notice of your mistakes in Closet-Prayer Satan doth and takes advantage by them Indeed I have heard some make this a scruple whethey should in secret confess heart-sins lest Satan should be acquainted with what he knew not before and so be furnishd with matter to accuse them of but an ingenious confession prevents Satans accusation because we have a promise of remission annexed thereunto Rom. 8.33 And who shall lay any thing to the charge of justified persons He hath little reason to take your confessions and dash them in your teeth since that was both the means and evidence of pardon But if you fear that you may do as Hannah in Prayer speak in your hearts and then Satan cannot tell what you say but your God doth However neglect not the duty for this you may be sure that Satan will catch more advantage by omission or negligent performance than by an ingenuous acknowledgment of heart-sins though he do hear you Sirs Awake to righteousness Rouze up your selves to the work put not off God or conscience with a negative answer you may as well say Nay as pretend and promise to do it and not perform fall to the practice of it therefore this day there 's danger in delays if you do it not to day you 'l be more unfit to morrow At this instant fall upon thy knees beg a blessing upon this book for the good of thy soul and others look upon Closet-Prayer as thy priviledge as well as thy duty 'T is a mercy thou mayst go to God as often as thou wilt and for what thou needest 'T is no small favour that God hath allowed thee the use of this privy Key to open Heaven-gates when thou hast not the more publick key of others help in Prayer yet this is thy incouragement Thy Father that sees in secret will reward thee openly I shall shut up all with a piece of Herberts Poetry called Artillery AS I one Evening sate before my cell Methought a Star did shoot into my lap I rose and shook my cloaths as knowing well That from small fires comes oft no small mishap When suddenly I heard one say Do as thou usest disobey Expel good motions from thy brest Which have the face of fire but end in rest I who had heard of Musick in the Sphears But not of speech in Stars began to muse But turning to my God whose Ministers The Stars and all things are if I refuse Dread Lord said I so oft my good Then I refuse not even with blood To wash away my stubborn thought For I will do or suffer what I ought But I have also Stars and Shooters too Born where thy Servants both Artilleries use My Tears and Prayers night and day do woe And work up to thee yet thou dost refuse Not but I am I must say still Much more oblig'd to do thy will Than thou to grant mine but because Thy promise now hath even set Thee Laws Then we are shooters both thou dost deign To enter combate with us and contest With thine own clay But I would parley fain Shun not my Arrows and behold my brest Yet if thou shunnest I am thine I must be so if I am mine There is no articling with thee I am but finite yet thine infinitely FINIS