Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A60343
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A discourse of closet (or secret) prayer from Matt. VI 6 first preached and now published at the request of those that heard it / by Samuel Slater.
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Slater, Samuel, d. 1704.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing S3960; ESTC R25761
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88,954
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200
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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
me put the Question to â—hee again Art thou a Christian hast thou been baptized into Christ hast thou â—ut on Christ hath he got the possession â—f thine heart and the supreme power and â—ommand in it If thou art a Christian be â—niform let thy whole life be of a piece â—insey-woolsey Christians bear with the â—xpression are abominable both to God â—nd Men. What thou art that be in all â—laces having put Christ on keep him on â—nd walk up and down every-where as a â—an in Christ expressive of Christ making â—im visible in thy life and all the passages of it Do not thou carry like a Christian in the Congregation and like an Heathen in the Closet Since God is so very gracious as to admit thee into his House to tread in his Courts to sit down at his Table to feast it with his Children upon marrow and fatness dainties and spiced wine be not thou so disingenuous and ungrateful as to shut him out of thy Chamber when thou lettest in the World and Sin Holy Paul speaking of himself and others of the true Apostles he saith 2 Cor. 2. 14. That God made manifest the savour of his knowledge by them in every place that was a very great and excellent work they were not moral Preachers but Gospel-preachers They did not preach Plutarch but Iesus The Spouse had said Cant. 1. 3. That the name of her Beloved was as an ointment poured forth Now said Paul I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified and all the Apostles were acted by the same Spirit and inflamed with the same love to Christ they took his name as a box of most precious Ointment and whereever they came they opened it and made Christ known and whereas the Gentile World was exceeding unsavoury and all places did stink most wretchedly of their Idolatry the Apostles perfum'd and sweetned and brought into them the most delightful savour of the knowledge of the true God in Christ. Now accordingly I would have you act if you be professors make every place where you come to savour of Religion let all your Discourses have a savour of it carry that savour with you into your Friends Houses and publick Houses of entertainment and be sure that in your own Houses in your Chambers and Closets you do make manifest the savour of that knowledg which you have of God and of that true sincere love which you have for God If you be Christians be uniform practice Christianity always every-where Secondly I would seriously propound this Question to thee Dost thou make Religion thy business I have not lived above Threescore Years in the World without making some Observations and getting some knowledge of it and I must needs say I know a great deal more than is good I have read many Books and I have read Men too though indeed many of them are crabbed pieces not easie to be understood But this I have found and still do to my sorrow and to their shame that many Persons among us do make a profession of Religion who never indeed took it up nor buckel'd to it as their Trade they are not altogether strangers but will be doing something but here 's the mischief it is only as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 business by the bye their thoughts and cares and studies are carried another way their main work doth lie somewhere else namely in the World that is the thing they are devoted to and set their hearts upon and spend their time and strength in the pursuit of how they should get it how they shall increase it how they shall secure it and how they shall inebriate themselves with the comforts delights and pleasures of it Whereas the gracious Soul that is sound at the bottom and that in truth which he would go for in the account and esteem of men makes his Religion his great and principal work David said Psal. 109. 4. I give my self unto prayer others give themselves over to sin God gives them up to a reprobate mind and to vile affections and to their own hearts lusts and they give themselves up one to his drunkeâ—ness and another to his uncleaâ—ness Now David gave himself to prayer and what he saith of Prayer in particular is true as to Godliness in general a godly Man gives himself up to it he is addicted and devoted to it he is all for that and the truth is none but such an one will do good upon it Believe it O Professors for your own experiences will in the end make my words good none but such as do indeed make Religion their Trade will thrive upon it and grow rich toward God Now then if thou dost indeed make Religion thy business thou wilt heartily study and do all thou canst to promote it as you know the promoting of Trade is the matter of common discourse among men and they are greatly set for it they are glad to hear of any thing that will contribute thereunto Now there is nothing in the World that doth forward a Christian more in this his great business and that doth more promote the Trade of Godliness and Religion than Secret Prayer doth I am not willing to compare one Duty with another or one Ordinance with another â—â—ir they are all of God they are all stampt with his Authority they are all greaâ— advantages to them that walk uprightly God is more wise and gracious than to set his Servants about any unnecessary 〈…〉 You know that many Persons who are wâ—llâ— moneyed men have a stock going with others as in the African and East-India Company but not satisfied with that they will have their Secret Stock also and will trade by themselves So here the Saints and People of God should be trading and have a great deal going in the common Stock in publick Worship in the Assemblies and Congregations of the Saints Psal. 42. 4. Holy David did reckon it a brave time when he went with the multitude to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude that kept holy day Psal. 122. 1. He was glad when they said unto him Let us go into the house of the Lord. And it is prophesied and promised as a choce and singular blessing Isa. 2. 3. That many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths But it is not to be expected that they should thrive amain and grow very rich toward God unless they have a Secret Stock going too and will be trading by themselves in private and keeping up that communion correspondency and intercourse with God and Christ which others do not know of David was very much for Sanctuary sights and enjoyments when he was deprived of them he did seek and thirst and long for them Psal 63. 1 2. but still