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

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

the same or like punishments as their fathers had and greater Then 2. I cannot but note how slowly and unwillingly God comes to judgment Thus much those words O Jerusalem Jerusalem suggest to me Our Saviour I see cannot foretell this desertion and rejection of the Jews without a lamentable taken up O Jerusalem Jerusalem So unwilling is he to punish that he even weeps at the very thoughts of it This is a very affecting consideration and of special force to quicken me to repentance and is therefore to be noted to that purpose Lastly Examining further according to the rules proposed whether there be no instance of Gods judgments against sinners no threat to deterre me from any sin or the like I find there is and cannot but stay my thoughts a while upon this heavy denunciation of woe against those who were outwardly Gods own people for their rejecting the offers of grace and upon foolish prejudices not acknowledging or not being willing to see the light which yet they could not but see And if God spared not the natural branches how much less will he spare me who am onely grafted in out of the wild olive if I be guilty of the same sin It concernes me therefore in this case to look into my self the very reading of this Scripture ought to be to me a warning And let me see Am I not guilty of the like resisting light and rejecting grace What do I else when I sin presumptuously and onely not wilfully Do not I then shut mine eyes against the light and offer violence to the convictions which come from those Scriptures whose Authors the Jews were rejected for offering violence unto They rejected their living testimony I not onely that for that I have in the Scripture but the very voice of their bloud by which they sealed the truth of their testimony Oh sinful and ungracious wretch Now if any such as this be my case let my meditations here rest a while Let me consider whether in this Scripture which hath thus convinced me of sin there be not somewhat which may reclaim me And truly there is 1. That which hath already been mentioned Gods unwillingness to punish his patience and forbearance And hath not this been great towards me How often have the warm offers of love and pardon invited me as they did them May not I say God would have many a time gathered me under his wings And do not these very warnings that if I am not reclaimed I must be forsaken speak Gods present unwillingness if any thing will work to forsake me Is not this as much as an O Jerusalem Jerusalem Again 2. I here see that though God bore long with his people he would not bear alwayes being that they did persist in resistance of his Grace And truly I know not how soon God may call home from me his opposed Spirit and suffering his Grace no longer to be abused leave me as he did the Jews in my own stubbornness and wilfulness to perish After this sort may I employ a while my thoughts and if time will suffer thus ough● I so long to meditate till my moved heart have taken up full resolutions of following the guidance of Gods Spirit and yielding to his Grace And these warnings or convictions from the Word together with my resolutions upon them should I if able register in that other of my Books which I call my Accomptal or if not take such solemn notice of that I forget not But if any necessary matter force me to depart my privacy before my meditations arive at such a ripeness yet let me not fail to take notice of the warning which I received and set it down in my Accomptal that so upon my * fasting day when I review the actions of that week I may be sure not to forget it but to humble my self for my former miscarriages and consider for the future how I may turn my feet into new wayes But to return to the devotions of this present day So much onely remains now to compleat my present meditations as to conside● what of new from all will be seasonable to be added to my accustomed Prayers And here will be First Matter of confession touching my resisting Grace and not walking according to the light which I have had Secondly Matter of praise 1. For these warnings which are so many calls to repentance and invitations to happiness 2. For the testimony which the Gospel received and doth to this day receive by the doctrine and death of St. Stephen and for the constancy faithfulness patience charity and meekness which shone forth in him Thirdly Matter of Pe●ition 1. For grace that I may from henceforth yield unto all motions of Gods holy Spirit 2. That when ever God shal call me to suffer as he doth frequently by the crosses oppositions frustrations c. which I meet with in the course of my life I may manifest the like meekness patience charity holy resolution and mindfulness of God by prayer and all other seasonable duties All which having considered how I may in some sober and orderly way express or represent before God let me either insert in my wonted prayers or in some short prayer to be added to them compris● as well as I can A pattern whereof very particular it will not be so expedient to set down here but rather so to frame a Prayer with some respect to the foregoing heads as that it may in general be accommodated to or used upon the Feasts of any Saints or Martyrs A short Prayer which may be added to our ordinary prayers upon the feast of any Saint or Martyr by our Church appointed to be kept O Lord the God of truth and holiness who at sundry times and in sundry waies hast revealed thy self unto the world by thy holy Prophets of old and in these last daies by thy Son of whom thou hast since in all ages raised up thy Saints and Servants to be witnesses I humbly bless thee as for all the revelations of thy will confirmations of thy truth so especially for the testimony given thereunto by the life a The word doctrine is chiefly to be used upon the feasts of the blessed Apostles doctrine and b If the feast be not the memorial of a Martyr the word death is to be left out death of thy servant St. S. whom thou madest unto the world not onely a witness of thy truth but a pattern of holiness and I beseech thee to pardon both all my opposing and all my holding in unrighteousness those truths which either he or any other of thy servants have preached or left on record I acknowledge and bewaile may guiltiness herein Keep me blessed Father for the future at least from all such presumptuous sins and grant that the same Spirit resting upon me which dwelt upon them may beget in me the like humility charity * * Here insert the mention of any Christian virtue in which

consult Chap. III. Of the substance of every dayes private devotion To persons of leisure Reading Meditation and Prayer THe private devotion of every day will be different to particular persons according as their conditions differ from such who are servants or lead a servile life I mean all those who get their living by their daily labour whose abilities of mind are therefore meaner and and whose privacy more difficult from such I say no more than this may seem to be expected that both in the morning being risen and at night being about to lye down they in the fear of God fall down before him and pray unto him touching which directions will a non follow From those whose way of life being more liberal their abilities and opportunities are greater more may seem justly to be looked for according to that rule To whom Luk 12. 48. much is given from them shall much be required Speaking therefore to to such who have estates and leisure and so may have opportune privacy ●●suppose their daily private devotion cannot be compleat except consisting of Reading Meditation and Prayer Touching private Prayer it hath been before spoken and nothing now can by such whom the present consultation concerneth be said for the dispensing with it being it is even their duty who are of meaner qualily and capacity and therefore much more theirs who are of greater Touching Reading and Meditation if any suspicion arise it will easily be removed by those commands which enjoyn us that we Search diligently the Scriptures that John 5. 39 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coloss 3. 16. the word of God dwell plentifully inus and by such Characters of righteous persons as that they are such whose delight is in the Law of the Lord and who meditate therein day and night And certainly such commands Psai 1. being capable to be intended or remitted I mean being to be construed with some regard and according to that general rule aforementioned to whom much is given from him much shall be required cannot but be interpreted to require greater and more diligent Searching that is more of Reading and Meditating upon Scripture from those who have greater opportunity and ability to do it than they do from others who are meaner in both Of such an one therefore who hath not time every day or if he haply have yet cannot read it may be thought he dischargeth his duty of searching the Scripture if in a way proportionable to his ability he endeavour to acquaint himself with Scripture to wit by a diligent attention to it and inquiring of it ashe hath conveniency when it is read on preached But of such an one who can read and hath time to meditate on what he reads and whom it may be it concerns to instruct others in the knowledg of Scripture as being over them of such an one I say being that more is required than of the other it cannot in reason be thought that he hath done his duty by bare attention unto Scripture read except he himself read and meditate therein And he will very hardly we may not fear to say not at all approve himself to be a Godly man if he behave not himself as Godly men did of old that is if he delight not in the Law of the Lord and therein daily meditate If I should doubt therefore whether it be strictly my duty day and night morning and evening to read the Scriptures and meditate I cannot doubt for I see plain evidence for it that it is a Godly mans Character one part of his practice as he is a Godly man to road and meditate if therefore intend to be a Godly man it must be my care and practice too Wherefore of these three Reading Meditation and Prayer seeing that none may be well omitted at least not ordinarily neglected it is requisite more particular consideration be had Chap. IIII. Of Reading the Holy Scripture The most edifying method and manner of Reading it consulted of BY Reading here I understand reading the sole word of God and this as it should constantly for the main at least if not ever have a place in my daily devotions in private so therein me-thinks will most conveniently take place in the beginning of them on this wise Being entered into my Closet for my devotions sake it becomes me first in all humility and out of the fear of God not out of custome to fall down before him and in short according to former direction to beg his blessing upon me and presence with me there presenting my self to worship before his majesty To which purpose the Form * Part. 1. Chap. 3. already delivered may be proper either for use or further direction according as I shall see sit This being done forthwith let me apply my self to the reading soine portion of the word according to my prefixed course And what course shall that be Modesty would presently answer The same which the wisdome of the Church hath prescribed for publick use And the truth is the Church consulting herein as she ought the edification of the people this order hath in this point the advantage of all other that it will lead us to read over all the most usefull parts of Scripture and those most frequently to wit the New Testament excepting onely some Chapters of the Revelation three times a year the Psalmes once a month the Old Testament excepting onely the two books of Chroni les which are for the most part extant in the Kings and Samuel and some other Chapters of other books cheifly relating to the Jewish state once in a year But then if we consider its complyance with our present designe it hath these two exceptions lying against it First that the portions of Scripture by that order to be read daily are greater than what every mans or most mens conveniency will afford time to read and meditate upon as it is supposed at present best for a devout Christian to do And then Secondly that by this means a considerable part of the Old Testament and some part of the New will be left out which parts are not questionless without their use though comparitively not so necessary for the publick commonalty as the other And to the Churches prescription it may be said that it was never the Churches intention to prescribe this order for mens Closets in private where she can neither take notice of their observing nor neglecting it but onely for publick edification and uniformity This order therefore being taken not to be so proper for our present purpose the next which will offer it self will be the natural order of the books in which they lye Now this though not liable to the exceptions which we found against the former being that nothing then will be omitted nor the Reader over burdened with too great a portion being he is left to himself yet hath this inconveniency that it will detain the observer of it a great while in those

possible that such a backsliding wretch as my self should ever be renewed again unto repentance or thereby restored But forasmuch as I understand that to turn thus desperate and to neglect repentance and amendment of life would be worse than all the wickedness which I have hitherto wrought I am here prostrate before thee to bewail my self and with sorrow and grief of heart for my former wayes do I here cast my self upon thee If thou wilt have mercy thou canst still save me If thou wilt not Lord I perish But doest thou use to suffer those to perish who thus with such repentance as they can submit and humble themselves at thy footstool crying unto thee for help Far be it from thee thou Father of Mercies Notwithstanding inasmuch as I being much worse than ordinary sinners do more justly deserve to find no place for repentance and have therefore more reason to fear how thou maist deal with me deal with me as thou wilt † through thy grace I will sin no more no more knowingly and presumptuously as I have done And to that end I have here in thy presence this day considered my wayes † I have endeavoured to find out those wiles and methods by which the Devil and mine own lusts have ensnared me in such grievous sins † I have resolved upon impartial diligence as well in my endeavours against these particular evils as against all other and in performing unto thee hearty and intire obedience These Resolutions I here humbly present before thee sacredly engaging my self to do my utmost to keep them and beseeching thee by thy grace to engage my heart more firmly to them And Lord let not any dulness or want of that affection with which I ought to have confessed my sins to have bewailed my guilt and to have passed these resolutions hinder that this my serious humiliation of my self should not be accepted before thee Such contrition as thou hast enabled me to I have endeavoured sorrowing that I am not more deeply humbled Such which is wanting do thou bestow For it is no less thy property to bestow than to accept the contrite heart The broken spirit is O Lord from thee When thou of old commandedst water out of the flinty Rock it forthwith yielded obedient streams nor can my heart dry and hard as it is but dissolve into holy tears if thou wilt bid it melt Give forth then the word O God Speak thy servant is here ready to hear Turn thou me and I shall be turned Send out thy good Spirit let it inlighten the eyes of my mind in the knowledge both of my self and thee let it savingly perswade me of the truth of all that thou hast spoken and especially of the defiling cursed and damning nature of sin of the sufficiency and efficacy of the merits of Christ Jesus unto all those who by a right faith apply themselves to thee through him I do O Lord believe help my unbelief And grant that this sight and perswasion both of my sin and Saviour may affect mine heart so that I may sorrow after a godly sort and that sorrow may bring forth in me those wholesome fruits which after all my endeavours of repentance I cannot but lament to be much wanting in me to wit carefulness against sin vehement desire and zeal of holiness indignation and an holy revenge against my self by all which I may for the future clear my self and ever approve mine heart honest upright and sincere before thee Suffer not this my righteousness to be onely as a morning cloud or early dew soon passing away but let thy grace alwayes dwelling in me keep open in my soul an ever flowing fountain of such penitence that I may go on thus mourning to mourn over my sins and perfecting holiness in thy fear accounting all little enough if so be I may but in the end obtain mercy And this my penitent return at least hearty endeavour of such return accompanied with persevering study of impartial obedience to thee do thou however most unworthy in it self through the perfect merits of thy Son accept washing away all my sins both the iniquities of my youth and transgressions of my riper years as well known as unknown especially Here mention thy chiefest sin or sins my ** in his bloud and reckoning according to thy gracious Covenant this my faith which by such works as these shall discover it self to be alive and true unto me for righteousness And if thine infinite Wisdome shall see it to be good for me do thou grant me this further happiness that I thus living in thy fear may be ever filled with peace and joy through a comfortable assurance of thy favour and hopes of eternal glory As to all my outward affaires by thy good providence be thou pleased so to overrule all events that whatsoever befals me may work together to me for good My sins indeed O Lord deserve quite contrary even the severest inflictions of thy wrath and fiery displeasure And I do most seriously acknowledge that in all the judgments which thou hast at any time laid upon me thou hast used much mercy All the paines which my body hath felt all the losses which have impaired my estate all the slanders which have blasted my name particularly ** I embrace as infinitely less than my deserts That † I am in any straits ** that I Here mention any particular afflictions suffer otherwise in my body relations c. ** were all a thousand sold to what it is I should confess it to be most just Were I to enjoy no more good than I do deserve I should have just nothing Righteous therefore art thou O Lord when I plead with thee Yet if thou wilt be intreated by thy repenting servant to † withdraw * These and such like expressions are to be used according to persons particular conditions or withhold thy hand to remove the punishment I feel or not to inflict the punishments which I fear but through the bloud of Christ to deliver me from thy present wrath as well as from the wrath to come thy servant shall ever bless and praise thee and be able to serve thee with more chearful diligence However Lord thy Will be done Bring me surely to thy self let it be by what means thou wilt Please thy self thy servant will endeavour to be content Deny me what things thou wilt onely deny me not Grace Pardon and thy Self And not onely upon me O Lord but upon all men do thou have mercy according to the gracious pleasure of thine own most holy Will Especially upon the universal Church Enlarge thou its bounds provide for its safety and purity delivering any part of it which is in danger and reforming whatsoever of it is corrupted Do thou with all suitable mercies bless this particular Church Forgive the publick sinnes ** Heal the publick Here mention such sins or calamities Calamities ** Preserve and every way be gracious unto