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<DATE>2013-03-20</DATE>
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<NAME>Zev Berger</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P> THE Privie Key OF HEAVEN; OR, Twenty Arguments for CLOSET-PRAYER: IN A Select Di&s;cour&s;e on that Subject: With the re&s;olution of &s;everal con&s;iderable Que&s;tions; the main Objections al&s;o again&s;t Clo&s;et-Prayer, are here an&s;wered; Cautions propounded, and the Point improved; with &s;everal other things of no &s;mall importance, in re&s;pect of the inter|nal and eternal welfare of the Chri&s;tian Reader. Twenty &s;pecial Le&s;&s;ons (in the Epi&s;tle De|dicatory to &s;ome afflicted Friends) that we are to learn by that &s;evere rod, the <HI>PESTILENCE,</HI> that now rageth in the mid&s;t of us.</P>
<P>By THOMAS BROOKS, Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P><HI>O my Dove that art in the clefts of the Rock, in the &s;e|cret places of the &s;tairs, let me &s;ee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for &s;weet is thy voyce, and thy countenance is lovely,</HI> Cant. 2. 14.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for, and are to be &s;old by <HI>John Hancock,</HI> at the fir&s;t &s;hop in <HI>Popes-head</HI> Alley, next to <HI>Cornhil.</HI> 1665.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<OPENER><SALUTE>TO My Worthy and E&s;teemed FRIENDS, Mrs. <HI>Elizabeth Drinkwater.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Su&s;an Bell.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Hannah Bourne.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Ma|ry Taylor.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Anne White.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Elizabeth Juxon.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Rebecah Juxon.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Mary Baxter.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Deborah Shepherd.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Anne Clemons.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Mary Sionior.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Anne Snell.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Anne Ellis.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Margaret Cutl&egrave;r.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Patience Cartwrigh.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Mary Shaw.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Phillip Garret.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Margaret Winfield.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Hannah Pippet.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Mary Chanlor.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Mary Scot.</HI> Mrs. <HI>Katherine &V;&s;her.</HI> with their Husbands. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></SALUTE> All Happine&s;s both here, and hereafter:
<SALUTE>Honoured and Beloved in our Dear Lord Je&s;us.</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_I HAVE crowded your names to|gether in one Epi&s;tle, not from any want of re|&s;pect unto you, for I owe to each of you more
<PB REF="3"> than an Epi&s;tle; nor becau&s;e you are in one particular Fel|low&s;hip, for &s;o you are not; but partly becau&s;e the Lord hath made you one with him|&s;elf, in the Son of his love; and partly becau&s;e the Lord at &s;e|veral times, and in &s;everal wayes hath exerci&s;ed you all in the Furnace of Affliction; and partly becau&s;e this Epi&s;tle may reach you all, and &s;peak to you all, when I cannot, or when I may not, or which is more, when I am not.</P>
<P>Dear Friends, many and great have been the breaches that the Lord hath made upon your per&s;ons, upon your neer and dear Relations, and upon your &s;weete&s;t comforts and contentments: There is not one of you but may truly &s;ay with <HI>Job, He breaketh me with breach upon breach,</HI> Job. 16.
<PB REF="3"> 14. God hath cha&s;ti&s;ed you all round with various Rods; and O that the Lord would help you all to hear the Rod, and him who hath appointed it.</P>
<P>Now that you may, give me leave a little to open and apply to your particulars that</P>
<P>Mic. 6. 9.</P>
<Q>The Lords voyce cryeth unto the City, and the man of wi&s;dom &s;hall hear thy Name: Hear ye the Rod, and who hath ap|pointed it.</Q>
<P>The matter that I &s;hall of|fer to your con&s;ideration from this Scripture, will be not on|ly of &s;pecial concernment to your &s;elves, but al&s;o of high concernment to all &s;orts and ranks of men and women, in this &s;ad Day, when the <HI>Sword</HI>
<PB REF="4"> devours on the one hand, &amp; the <HI>Pe&s;tilence</HI> rageth on the other hand.</P>
<P><HI>The Lords voice cryeth unto the City. Tremelius</HI> turns it thus, <HI>The voice of the Lord doth preach unto this City (for what the matter is, thy Name &s;eeth) Hear ye the Rod,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>This City,</HI> viz. <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and &s;o con&s;equently to all the <HI>I&s;|raelites;</HI> for in this City all Offices and duties of godli|ne&s;s and humanity were more religiou&s;ly performed, or to be performed, than in any o|ther place, becau&s;e of the pre|&s;ence and maje&s;ty of God that was among&s;t them: <HI>But thy Maje&s;ty &s;eeth what wickedne&s;s is practi&s;ed among&s;t them,</HI> as is evident in the Ver&s;es follow|ing.</P>
<P><HI>Cryeth,</HI> The word is from <HI>Kara,</HI> which &s;ignifies, Fir&s;t,
<PB REF="4"> <HI>To Cry aloud,</HI> or, <HI>to make a noi&s;e,</HI> I&s;a. 58. 1. <HI>Cry aloud,</HI> there is <HI>Kara:</HI> The word &s;ig|nifies <HI>to Cry</HI> &s;o loud, as that all may hear, that have ears to hear. Secondly, The word &s;ignifies, <HI>Openly to proclaim, preach, or publi&s;h a thing,</HI> Exod. 33. 19. <HI>I will Proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee:</HI> Here is the word <HI>Kara.</HI> Third|ly, The word &s;ignifies, <HI>To Cry out,</HI> Gen. 39. 15. <HI>I lifted up my voyce and cryed:</HI> Here is <HI>Kara.</HI> The Hebrew word <GAP DESC="foreign"> hath nine other &s;ignifica|tions in Scripture; but becau&s;e they are not pertinent to what is in my eye, I &s;hall pa&s;s them by at this time.</P>
<P><HI>And the man of Wi&s;dom &s;hall &s;ee thy name. Vethu&s;hiia</HI> pro|perly &s;ignifies <HI>E&s;&s;ence;</HI> and therefore according to the Hebrew, the words &s;hould be
<PB REF="5"> read thus, <HI>And the man of E&s;|&s;ence &s;hall &s;ee thy Name,</HI> &amp;c. that is, <HI>he that is a man indeed, he that is not a &s;ot, a&s;tock, a &s;tone.</HI> Mo&s;t men are men of folly, and &s;o not worthy of the name of men; but as for &s;uch as are truly wi&s;e, they &s;hall &s;ee thy Name. There is a great mea&s;ure of &s;piritual Art, of Holy and Heavenly Wi&s;dome required, both to enable a man to hear the voice of the Rod, and to under&s;tand the language of the Rod: This Wi&s;dom is too high for a fool, <HI>Prov.</HI> 24. 7.</P>
<P><HI>Shall &s;ee thy Name.</HI> Now the Hebrew word here u&s;ed <GAP DESC="foreign"> may be better derived from <HI>Jare,</HI> which &s;ignifies to <HI>feare,</HI> than from <HI>Raah,</HI> that &s;ignifies to <HI>&s;ee,</HI> and &s;o the words will run &s;moothly thus, <HI>The man of wi&s;dom, or of e&s;&s;ence, &s;hall fear</HI>
<PB REF="5"> <HI>thy Name,</HI> con&s;idering that, 'tis maje&s;ty it &s;elf that cryeth, and that he is immediately to deal with God him&s;elf, and not with a poor, weak, mortal worm.</P>
<P><HI>Hear ye the Rod.</HI> The word <HI>Hear,</HI> is from <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Shamang,</HI> which &s;ignifies, Fir&s;t, <HI>To mark, ob&s;erve, and attend, to what is &s;aid,</HI> Gen. 29. 33. <HI>The Lord hath heard that I was hated;</HI> that is, <HI>he hath marked it, he hath ob&s;erved it.</HI> So here, O mark the Rod, O ob&s;erve the Rod, O attend to what is &s;po|ken by the Rod. Secondly, The word &s;ignifies, <HI>to under|&s;tand what is &s;poken,</HI> &s;o <HI>Gen.</HI> 42. 23. <HI>They knew not that Jo|&s;eph under&s;tood them:</HI> In the Hebrew 'tis, <HI>that Jo&s;eph heard them.</HI> Now to hear the Rod, is to under&s;tand what is &s;po|ken to us by the Rod. Third|ly,
<PB REF="6"> The word &s;ignifies, <HI>to be|lieve a thing reported to be true,</HI> &s;o <HI>Exod.</HI> 6. 9. <HI>They hearkned not unto Mo&s;es,</HI> that is, <HI>they did not believe the re|port that Mo&s;es made. Hear the Rod,</HI> that is, <HI>believe the re|port the Rod makes.</HI> The Rod reports, that of all evils, Sin is the greate&s;t evil; and that of all bitters, Sin is the greate&s;t bitter; O believe the report of the Rod. The Rod reports that God is angry, that God is di&s;plea&s;ed; Oh believe its report. The Rod reports the creatures to be meer vanity and vexation of Spirit; O be|lieve its report. The Rod re|ports our neere&s;t and deare&s;t comforts, contentments, and enjoyments to be mixt, muta|ble, and momentary; O believe its report. The Rod reports Sin to be vile, and the world to be
<PB REF="6"> vain, and Heaven to be glori|ous, and Chri&s;t to be mo&s;t pre|cious; O believe its report. The Hebrew word hath three other &s;ignifications, but being that they are not proper to our purpo&s;e I &s;hall pa&s;s them by.</P>
<P><HI>The Rod.</HI> The Hebrew word <HI>Matte</HI> that is here rendred <HI>Rod,</HI> hath the&s;e three &s;ignifi|cations. Fir&s;t, It denotes <HI>Pow|er</HI> and <HI>&s;trength,</HI> P&s;al. 2. 9. <HI>A Rod of Iron.</HI> Secondly, It de|notes <HI>Rigid</HI> and <HI>har&s;h Govern|ment,</HI> I&s;a. 14. 5. <HI>The Lord hath broken the &s;taffe,</HI> or <HI>Rod of the wicked,</HI> that is, <HI>their rigorous and cruel Government. Nebu|chadnezzar</HI> &s;orely afflicted the Children of <HI>Judah,</HI> he was a Rod that brake them in pie|ces, and ruled over them with much rigour in <HI>Babilon.</HI> Thirdly, It denotes <HI>&s;ore affli|ctions,</HI>
<PB REF="7"> <HI>and heavy Judgements,</HI> P&s;al. 89. 32. <HI>I will vi&s;it your tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions with a Rod.</HI> And thus you are to under&s;tand the word <HI>Rod</HI> in the Text.</P>
<P><HI>And him that hath appoint|ed it.</HI> 'Tis God that appoints the Rod, and ordaines it for the revenge of the quarrel of his Covenant. The Hebrew word <HI>Jegnadah</HI> &s;ignifies pro|perly <HI>to appoint,</HI> or <HI>con&s;titute.</HI> 'Tis God who appoints the Rod, and who con&s;titutes it to do what &s;ervice he plea&s;eth. 'Tis God that hath not only a permi&s;&s;ive, but al&s;o an active hand, in all the afflictions that come upon his People.</P>
<P>And let thus much &s;uffice for the opening of the words.</P>
<P>Now though this choice Garden affords many &s;weet Flowers, yet I &s;hall only pre|&s;ent you with one, which is this, <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<Q><PB REF="7"> <HI>That all the Afflictions, troubles, and tryals,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>that God layes upon his People, are his Rod, and that 'tis their highe&s;t and greate&s;t concern|ment, to hear the voyce of the Rod, and to take out tho&s;e Le&s;&s;ons that God would have them learn by the Rod.</HI></Q>
<P>For the opening and clear|ing up of this important Point, I &s;hall endeavour the&s;e two things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, To &s;hew you in what re&s;pects Afflictions are like un|to a Rod.</P>
<P>Secondly, To &s;hew you what tho&s;e &s;pecial Le&s;&s;ons are, that you are to learn by the Rod.</P>
<P>For the Fir&s;t, In what re|&s;pects are afflictions like unto a Rod?</P>
<PB REF="8">
<P> I An&s;wer, In the&s;e &s;even re&s;pects Afflictions are like un|to a Rod.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, The Rod is never made u&s;e of, but when no fair means will prevail with the Child. 'Tis &s;o here, God never takes up the Rod, he never afflicts his People, till he <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 36. 15,<HI>&mdash;ult.</HI> Mat. 23. 37, 38.</NOTE> hath tryed all fair wayes and means to humble them, and reform them: And when none of the offers of grace, the ten|ders of mercy, the wooings of Chri&s;t, the &s;trivings of the Spirit, northe &s;mart debates of Con&s;cience will awaken them, nor work upon them, then God takes up the Rod, and &s;ometimes whips them till the blood comes. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, Parents choo&s;e what Rods they plea&s;e to cor|rect their Children with. The Child &s;hall not choo&s;e what
<PB REF="8"> Rod he plea&s;eth to be corre|cted with, O no: 'Tis the prerogative of the Father to choo&s;e the Rod; the Father may choo&s;e and u&s;e either a great Rod or a little Rod, a long Rod or a &s;hort Rod, a Rod made up of Ro&s;emary branches, or a Rod made up of green Birch: 'Tis &s;o here, God choo&s;eth what Rod, what Affliction he plea&s;eth to exer|ci&s;e his people with. You <NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev. 26. Deut. 28. Lament. 3. 9,&mdash;18.</NOTE> read in the Scripture of very many Rods, but they are all of Gods choo&s;ing, <HI>Amos</HI> 3. 6. <HI>Is there any evil in the City and hath not the Lord done it?</HI> Though there be many Rods to be found in the Ci|ty, yet there is not one of them, but is of Gods choo&s;ing, <HI>Ruth.</HI> 1. 13. <HI>It grieveth me much for your &s;akes, that the hand of the Lord is gone out</HI>
<PB REF="9"> <HI>again&s;t me.</HI> ver&s;. 21. <HI>I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty; why then call ye me Naomi, &s;ee|ing the Lord hath te&s;tified again&s;t me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? I&s;a.</HI> 45. 7. <HI>I form the light, and create dark|ne&s;s: I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all the&s;e things. Mic.</HI> 1. 12. <HI>For the in|habitants of Maroth, waited carefully for good; but evil came down from the Lord unto the Gates of Jeru&s;alem. David</HI> was whipt with many Rods, <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 39. 9. Job. 1</NOTE> but they were all of Gods own choo&s;ing. And <HI>Job</HI> was whipt with many Rods, but they were all of Gods own choo&s;|ing. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, Parents take no plea&s;ure, they take no de|light to u&s;e the Rod. Every la&s;h the Father gives the
<PB REF="9"> Child, fetches blood from his own heart: The Father cor|rects the Child, and &s;ighs o|ver the Child; he whips the Child, and at the &s;ame time weeps over the Child. No|thing goes more again&s;t the Parents heart, nor again&s;t their hair, than the bringing of their Children under the Rod of Correction; 'Tis &s;o here, <HI>Lament.</HI> 3. 3. <HI>For he doth not afflict willingly</HI> (or as the Hebrew runs, <HI>he doth not af|flict,</HI> Millibbo, <HI>from his heart) nor grieve the Children of men.</HI> You often read, that he delights in mercy; but <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mich. 7. 15.</NOTE> where do you once read, that he delights in &s;everity, or in dealing roughly with his Peo|ple? God very rarely takes <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 36. 16. Jer. 5. 19.</NOTE> up the Rod, but when our &s;ins have put a force upon him. 'Tis grievous to God, to
<PB REF="10"> be a grieving his People; 'tis a pain unto him, to be a puni&s;hing of them, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 11. 8. <HI>How &s;hall I give thee up, Ephra|im? how &s;hall I deliver thee, I&s;rael? how &s;hall I make thee as Admah? how &s;hall I &s;et thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is tur|ned within me, my repentings are kindled together.</HI> My Ju|&s;tice, &s;aith God, calls upon me to rain Hell out of Heaven up|on thee, as once I did upon <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Gomorah;</HI> but then Mercy interpo&s;eth her four &s;everal hows, <HI>how, how, how, how, how &s;hall I give thee up?</HI> God puts the&s;e four patheti|cal interrogations to him&s;elf, becau&s;e none el&s;e in Heaven or Earth could an&s;wer them. The Prophet brings in God &s;peaking after the manner of men, who being provoked a thou&s;and thou&s;and wayes, by
<PB REF="10"> the vanities and follies of their Children, think to give them up to take their own cour&s;es, and to look no more after them; but then their bowels begin to work, and their hearts begin to melt, and they begin to interrogate them|&s;elves thus, <HI>How &s;hall we give up the&s;e Children? for though they be di&s;obedient Children, yet they are Children; how can we turn them out of doores? how can we di&s;own them? how can we di&s;inherit them? for though they are rebellious Children, yet they are Children,</HI> &amp;c. Af|flictions are called Gods work, yea, his &s;trange work; his <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 28. 21.</NOTE> act, yea, his &s;trange act, as if God were out of his element, when he is afflicting or cha|&s;ti&s;ing his People. But.</P>
<PB REF="11">
<P> Fourthly, The Rod is &s;mart|ing, grievous, and trouble&s;om; and &s;o are afflictions to our natures, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 11. <HI>Now no cha&s;tening for the pre&s;ent &s;eem|eth to be joyous but grievous.</HI> Fle&s;h and blood &s;tartles, and is troubled at the lea&s;t trouble. Affliction is a &s;ort of Phy&s;ick, that makes mo&s;t &s;ick. Some write that <HI>Tygres</HI> will grow mad, and tear their own fle&s;h, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Plutarch lib. de &s;u|per&s;tition<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> and rend them&s;elves in piec|es, if they do but hear Drums or Tabours &s;ound about them. Were not <HI>Job</HI> and <HI>Jeremiah</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Job. 3. Jer. 20.</NOTE> &s;uch <HI>Tygres,</HI> who in the day of their afflictions did more than cur&s;e the Day of their birth? O what a bitter cup, what a heavy burden was af|fliction to them! <HI>Job</HI> 10. 1. <HI>My Soul is weary of my life. Job</HI> 7. 15. <HI>My Soul choo&s;eth &s;trangling and death rather</HI>
<PB REF="11"> <HI>than life. P&s;al.</HI> 6. 6. <HI>I am wea|ry with my groaning. P&s;al.</HI> 69. 1, 2, 3. <HI>Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my Soul. I &s;ink in deep mire, where there is no &s;tanding. I am come in|to deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying, my throat is dryed: mine eyes fail, while I wait for my God.</HI> Doubtle&s;s many good men have &s;at under <HI>Eli|as</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kings 19. 4.</NOTE> his <HI>Juniper,</HI> wi&s;hing them|&s;elves out of the World (if it might &s;tand with Divine plea|&s;ure) that they might re&s;t from their &s;ins and &s;or|rows, and be rid of their ma|ny burdens and bondages, looking upon life little better than a Hell, were it not for the hopes of a Heaven hereafter. But,</P>
<P>Fifthly, When Parents take up the Rod into their hands,
<PB REF="12"> they will not lay it down, till <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rodolphus</HI> the Empe|rours Mot|to was, <HI>(Omnia eoe voluntate Dei.) All mu&s;t be as God will have it.</HI> And this &s;hould be every Chri&s;tians Motto un|der the Rod.</NOTE> they have &s;ubdued the &s;pirits of their Children, and brought them to &s;ubmit and to ki&s;s the Rod, and to &s;it &s;till and quiet before them. 'Tis &s;o here, when God takes up the Rod, he will not lay it down, till he hath brought us to lye quiet|ly at his feet, <HI>Lev.</HI> 26. 40, 41, 42. <HI>If they &s;hall confe&s;s their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their tre&s;pas, which they have tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed a|gain&s;t me, and that al&s;o they have walked contrary to me; And that I al&s;o have walked contrary unto them, &amp; brought them into the Land of their enemies; if then their uncir|cumci&s;ed hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the puni&s;hment of their iniquity, Then Will I remember my Co|venant with Jacob, and al&s;o</HI>
<PB REF="12"> <HI>my Covenant with I&s;aac, and al&s;o my Covenant with Abra|ham will I remember: and I will remember the Land.</HI> When God takes up the Rod, his Children mu&s;t either bow or break; they mu&s;t &s;ay, the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 5. 3, 6.</NOTE> Lord is righteous, they mu&s;t ki&s;s the Rod of Correction, or el&s;e de&s;truction will come like a Whirle-wind upon them.</P>
<P>'Tis reported of the Lyon, that he &s;pares tho&s;e creatures, that fall down before him, and &s;ubmit unto him; but as for tho&s;e that endeavour to run from him, or to contend with him, tho&s;e he tears in pieces. 'Tis ju&s;t &s;o with the Lyon of the Tribe of <HI>Judah,</HI> as you may &s;ee in that <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 5. 14, 15.</P>
<P>King <HI>Edward</HI> riding furi|ou&s;ly <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts and Mon. in Edward I.</NOTE> after a &s;ervant of his,
<PB REF="13"> that had highly di&s;plea&s;ed him, with a drawn Sword in his hand as purpo&s;ing to kill him; &s;eeing him &s;ubmit, and on bended knee &s;uing for his life, did not only put up his Sword, but al&s;o &s;pared him, and received him into his favour. The King of Kings will never put up his &s;word when once he hath drawn it, till his People fall on their knees, &amp; &s;ubmit unto him. God never left cha&s;ti&s;ing of <HI>Ephraim</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 31. 18, 19, 20.</NOTE> till he had brought him to his bow, till he had made him &s;ubmit and ki&s;s the Rod. But,</P>
<P>Sixthly, Afflictions are cal|led a Rod, in re&s;pect of the hand that layes them on. Though Affliction be a Rod, it is a Rod in a Fathers hand. <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 18. 11.</NOTE> The Sword is in the Judges hand, and the Cudgel is in the Ma&s;ters hand, but the Rod is in the fathers hand, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.
<PB REF="13"> 6, 7, 8, 9. When <HI>Balaams</HI> A&s;s <NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 22. 29.</NOTE> offended him, he wi&s;hed for a &s;word to &s;lay him: But &s;o doth not God; when we doe mo&s;t highly provoke him, he doth not take up a Sword to &s;lay us, but only a Rod to &s;courge us and cha&s;ti&s;e us, as indulgent Fathers do their deare&s;t Children. But,</P>
<P>Seventhly and La&s;tly, Affli|ctions are called a Rod, in re|gard of the ends to which they &s;erve. A Rod is not to kill, but to cure; 'tis not for de|&s;truction, but for correction. When <HI>David</HI> gave a full com|mi&s;&s;ion to his Souldiers again&s;t <HI>Ab&s;olom,</HI> 'Twas not to &s;lay him, but to re&s;train him; 'twas not to ruine him, but to re|duce him to his former obedi|ence. The Application is ea|&s;ie. We can as well live with|out our daily bread, as with|out
<PB REF="14"> our dayly Rod. Now the ends of taking up the Rod are the&s;e.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t and more generally, 'Tis for the good of the child, and not for his hurt: 'Tis &s;o here, God takes up the Rod, but 'tis for the good of his People, <HI>Gen.</HI> 50. 20. <HI>But as for you, ye thought evil again&s;t me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pa&s;s, as it is this day, to &s;ave much people alive.</HI> Divine goodne&s;s did &s;o over-ma&s;ter the plotted ma|lignity of <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> Brethren, as that it made a ble&s;&s;ed medi|cine of a mo&s;t deadly poy&s;on. <HI>Jer.</HI> 24. 5. <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord the God of I&s;rael, like the&s;e good Figs, &s;o will I acknowledg them that are carried away Captive of Judah, whom I have &s;ent out of this place, into the Land of the Chaldeans for their</HI>
<PB REF="14"> <HI>good.</HI> When <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was di&s;|mi&s;&s;ed out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> 'Twas with <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 11.</NOTE> Gold and Ear-rings. And when <HI>Judah</HI> was di&s;mi&s;&s;ed out of <HI>Babylon,</HI> 'twas with great gifts, Jewels, and all nece&s;&s;ary Uten&s;ils. So <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 28. <HI>And</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezra 1.</NOTE> <HI>we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the Called according to his pur|po&s;e.</HI> This Text like <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his Tree, ca&s;t into the bitter waters of Affliction, may make them &s;weet and whol|&s;ome to drink of. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, and more particu|larly, The Rod is to make the Child &s;en&s;ible of his folly and vanity, <HI>Pro.</HI> 10. 13. <HI>In the lips of him that hath under&s;tand|ing wi&s;dom is found: but the Rod is for the back of him that is void of under&s;tanding.</HI> So 'tis here, God takes up the
<PB REF="15"> Rod, but 'tis to make his Peo|ple &s;en&s;ible of their folly and vanity, 'tis to make them look up to him, and to look into Con&s;cience, and to look out to their Conver&s;ations. <HI>Scho|la Crucis,</HI> is <HI>Schola Lucis.</HI> Gods hou&s;e of correction is his &s;chool of in&s;truction; his la&s;h|es are our le&s;&s;ons, his &s;courges are our School-ma&s;ters, and his cha&s;ti&s;ements are our adver|ti&s;ements. <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 26. 9. P&s;al. 94. 12 Pro. 3. 12, 13. Job. 36. 8, 9, 10.</NOTE> Hence both the Hebrews and Greeks expre&s;s <HI>cha&s;tening</HI> and <HI>teaching</HI> by one and the &s;ame word <HI>(Mu&s;ar Paideia)</HI> becau&s;e the latter is the true end of the former, according to that in the Pro|verb, <HI>Smart makes Wit, and vexation gives under&s;tanding.</HI> Afflictions are a Chri&s;tians Looking-Gla&s;s, by which he may &s;ee how to dre&s;s his own <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Oculos quos peccatum claudit, paena appe|rit.</HI> Greg. <HI>The eye that &s;in &s;huts, af|flictions o|pen.</HI></NOTE> Soul, and to mend what&s;oe|ver
<PB REF="15"> is ami&s;s: They are Pills made up by a heavenly hand, on purpo&s;e to clear our eye|&s;ight. 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 17. 18. <HI>And &s;he &s;aid unto Elijah, what have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my &s;in to remembrance, and to &s;lay my Son?</HI> If God had not taken away her Son, her &s;in had not been brought to remembrance. It was the Speech of an holy man in his &s;ickne&s;s, <HI>In this Di&s;ea&s;e</HI> (&s;aid he) <HI>I have learned how great God is, and what the evil of &s;in is; I never knew to purpo&s;e, what God was before, nor what &s;in was before.</HI> The Cro&s;s opens mens eyes, as the ta&s;ting of Honey did <HI>Jonathans. Here</HI> (as that Martyr phra&s;ed it) <HI>we are &s;till a learning our A B C, and our le&s;&s;on is never pa&s;t Chri&s;ts Cro&s;s, and our walking</HI>
<PB REF="16"> <HI>is &s;till home by weeping Cro&s;s.</HI> But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, The Rod is u&s;ed to prevent further folly, mi&s;|chief, and mi&s;ery, <HI>Prov.</HI> 23. 13, 14, <HI>With-hold not correcti|on from the Child; for if thou beate&s;t him with the Rod, he &s;hall not die. Thou &s;halt beat him with the Rod, and &s;halt de|liver his Soul from Hell.</HI> It is &s;aid of the Ape, that &s;he hug|geth her young ones to death, &s;o many fond Parents by not correcting their Children, they come to &s;lay their Children. The be&s;t way to prevent their being &s;courged with Scorpi|ons in Hell, is to cha&s;ti&s;e them with the Rod here: So God takes up the Rod, he afflicts and cha&s;ti&s;eth his deare&s;t Children, but 'tis to prevent &s;oul-mi&s;chief and mi&s;ery, 'tis to prevent pride, &s;elf-love,
<PB REF="16"> worldline&s;s, <HI>&amp;c. Paul</HI> was <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 12. 7, 8, 9.</NOTE> one of the holie&s;t men that e|ver lived on earth, he was cal|led by &s;ome, an earthly An|gel, and yet he needed the Rod, he needed a thorn in the fle&s;h to prevent pride, witne&s;s the doubling of tho&s;e words in one ver&s;e, <HI>lea&s;t I &s;hould be exalted above mea&s;ure, lea&s;t I &s;hould be exalted above mea|&s;ure.</HI> If <HI>Paul</HI> had not been buffetted, who knows how highly he might have been ex|alted in his own conceit? Pru|dent Phy&s;itians do often give their Patients Phy&s;ick to pre|vent Di&s;ea&s;es; &amp; &s;o doth the Phy&s;itian of &s;ouls by his dear|e&s;t Servants, <HI>Job</HI> 33. 17, 19. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 40. 4, 5. Ho&s;. 2. 6, 7.</NOTE> <HI>He is cha&s;tened al&s;o with pain upon his bed, and the multi|tude of his bones with &s;trong pain. That he may withdraw man from his purpo&s;e, and hide</HI>
<PB REF="17"> <HI>pride from man.</HI> Afflictions are the Lords Drawing-Play|&s;ters, by which he draws out the core of pride, earthline&s;s, &s;elf-love, covetou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Pride was one of mans fir&s;t &s;ins, and is &s;till the root and &s;ource of all other &s;ins. Now to prevent it, God many times cha&s;tens man with pain, yea, with &s;trong pain upon his bed, <HI>Job</HI> 34. 31, 32. <HI>Surely it is meet to be &s;aid unto God, I have born cha&s;ti&s;ement, I will not offend any more. That which I &s;ee not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.</HI> The burnt Child dreads the fire. Sin is but a bitter &s;weet; 'tis an evil wor&s;e than Hell it &s;elf. Look as Salt brine pre&s;erves things from, putrefy|ing &amp; as &s;alt Mar&s;hes keep the Sheep from rotting; &s;o &s;ancti|fied Rods, &s;anctified Afflictions,
<PB REF="17"> pre&s;erves and keeps the Peo|ple of God from &s;inning. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, The Rod is to purge out that vanity and fol|ly that is bound up in the heart of the Child, <HI>Prov.</HI> 22. 15 <HI>Fooli&s;hne&s;s is bound in the heart of a Child, but the Rod of cor|rection &s;hall drive it far from him.</HI> The Rod is an Ordi|nance, as well as the Word; and &s;uch Parents that u&s;e it as an Ordinance (praying and weeping over it) &s;hall find it effectual, for the cha&s;ing away of evil out of their Childrens heart. <HI>Eli</HI> and <HI>David</HI> were two very choice men, and yet by their fondne&s;s on one hand, and neglect of this Ordinance on the other hand, they rui|ned their &s;ons, and whether they did not undo their &s;ouls, I &s;hall not at this time &s;tand to
<PB REF="18"> enquire. When <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> ca&s;t a|way his Rod, it became a Ser|pent; <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 4. 3.</NOTE> and &s;o when Parents ca&s;t away the Rod of corre|ction, 'tis ten to one but that their Children become the brood of the Serpent. <HI>Prov.</HI> 13. 24. <HI>He that &s;pareth his Rod hateth his &s;on; but he that loveth him cha&s;teneth him be|times.</HI> Not only the care, but al&s;o the cure of the Child, &s;o far as the Rod will reach, lyes upon the hands of the Pa|rent.</P>
<P>Now Afflictions are like a Rod in this re&s;pect al&s;o, for as they are &s;anctified, they clean&s; and purge away the dro&s;s, the filth, and the &s;cumb of the daughter of <HI>Zion, I&s;a.</HI> 1. 25. <HI>And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dro&s;s, and take away all thy tinn. I&s;a.</HI> 27. 9. <HI>By this therefore &s;hall the</HI>
<PB REF="18"> <HI>iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his &s;in. Dan.</HI> 11. 35. <HI>And &s;ome of them of under&s;tanding &s;hall fall</HI> (that is, <HI>into great Afflictions) to try them, and to purge them, and to make them white, even to the time of the end.</HI> All the harm the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 3. 23, 24.</NOTE> fire did the three Children (or rather the three Champi|ons) was to burn off their cords. Our lu&s;ts are cords of vanity, but the fire of Affli|ction &s;hall burn them up. <HI>Zech.</HI> 13. 9. <HI>And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as Silver is refined, and will try them as Gold is tryed: they &s;hall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will &s;ay, it is my People, and they &s;hall &s;ay, the Lord is my God.</HI> Sharp Afflictions are a fire to purge out our dro&s;s, and
<PB REF="19"> to make our graces &s;hine; they are a potion to carry away ill humours, they are cold fro&s;ts to de&s;troy the vermine, they are a tempe&s;tuous Sen, to purge the Wine from its lees; they are like the North Wind, that dryeth up the vapours, that purgeth the blood, and quickens the &s;pirits; they are a &s;harp Corro&s;ive to eat out the dead fle&s;h. Afflictions are compared to Baptizing and wa&s;hing, that takes away the filth of the Soul, as water doth the filth of the body, <HI>Mat.</HI> 10. 38, 39. God would not rub &s;o hard, were it not to fetch out the dirt and &s;pots that be in his Peoples hearts.</P>
<P>Fifthly, The Rod &s;erves to improve that good that is in the Child, <HI>Prov.</HI> 29. 15. <HI>The Rod and reproof giveth wi&s;|dom, but a Child left to him|&s;elf</HI>
<PB REF="19"> <HI>bringeth his Mother to &s;hame.</HI> So Afflictions they &s;erve to improve our graces, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 10. <HI>For they verily for a few dayes eha&s;tened us af|ter their own plea&s;ure, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holine&s;s,</HI> that is, <HI>that we might more and more be partakers of his holine&s;s.</HI> Ver&s;. 11. <HI>Now no cha&s;tening for the pre&s;ent &s;eem|eth to be joyous, but grievous: neverthele&s;s, afterward it yield|eth the peaceable fruit of righ|teou&s;ne&s;s, unto them that are exerci&s;ed thereby.</HI> Hence 'tis that the Saints glory in tri|bulation, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5. 3, 4. <HI>And not only &s;o, but we glory in tribu|lations al&s;o, knowing that tri|bulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and ex|perience, hope.</HI> Grace alwayes thrives mo&s;t when Saints are
<PB REF="20"> under the Rod. When Chri|&s;tians are under the Rod, then their graces do not only bud, but blo&s;&s;ome, and bring forth fruit as <HI>Aarons</HI> Rod did. The <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mum. 17. 8,</NOTE> &s;nuffing of the Candle, makes it burn the brighter. God beats and brui&s;es his links, to make them burn the brighter; he brui&s;es his &s;pices, to make them &s;end forth the greater Aromatical &s;avour.</P>
<P><HI>Bernard</HI> compares Afflicti|ctions to the <HI>Tezel,</HI> which though it be &s;tarp and &s;cratch|ing, it is to make the Cloath more pure and fine. The Jews were alwayes be&s;t, when they were in an afflicted con|dition. Well-waters ari&s;ing from deep &s;prings, are hotter in the winter, than they are in the &s;ummer. Stars &s;hine brighte&s;t in the darke&s;t nights. Vines grow the better for
<PB REF="20"> bleeding; and Gold looks the brighter for &s;cowring. Ju|niper &s;mels &s;weete&s;t, when in the fire. <HI>Cammomile</HI> the more you tread it, the more you &s;pread it. O Sirs, this is a re|al, and a rare truth, but &s;el|dome thought on, <HI>viz.</HI> that God will &s;ometimes more car|ry on the growth and improve|ment of grace by a cro&s;s, by an affliction, than by an ordi|nance, <HI>James</HI> 1. 3, 4. <HI>James</HI> 4. 8, 9. Afflictions ripen the Saints graces, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 5. Fir&s;t or la&s;t God will make every Rod, yea, every twig in every Rod, to be an Ordinance to every afflicted Saint. By Afflictions God many times revives, quickens, and recovers, the decayed graces of his People. By Afflictions God many times enflames that love that is cold, and he &s;trengthens that
<PB REF="21"> faith that is failing, and he puts life into tho&s;e hopes that are langui&s;hing, and new &s;pi|rits into tho&s;e joyes and com|forts that are withering and dying. Musk (&s;ay &s;ome) when it hath lo&s;t its &s;weetne&s;s, if it be put into the &s;ink among&s;t filth, it recovers its &s;weetn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters"> again: So doth &s;mart afflicti|ons recover and revive our de|cayed graces.</P>
<P>I have read a &s;tory of a Sexton, that went into the Church at night, to rob a wo|man, who had been buried the day before with a Gold ring upon her finger (accord|ing to her de&s;ire); now when he had opened the Grave and Coffin, and loo&s;ed the &s;heet, he fell a rubbing and chafing her finger to get off the Gold Ring, and with rubbing and chafing of it, her &s;pirits retur|ned
<PB REF="21"> (&s;he having been but in a &s;woon before) and &s;he re|vived, and lived many years after. Smart Afflictions are but the rubbing and chafing of our graces. The &s;marting Rod aba&s;eth the loveline&s;s of the world, that might entice us, it abates the Iu&s;tine&s;s&punc; of the fle&s;h within, that might incite us to vanity and folly, and it abets the &s;pirit in his quarrel to the two former: All which tend much to the recovering and reviving of de|cayed graces. But,</P>
<P>The Sixth end to which the Rod &s;erves, &amp; that is, to try the child, to make a di&s;covery of the &s;pirit of the child. Some Pa|rents never &s;ee &s;o much of the badne&s;s of the &s;pirits of their Children, as they do when they bring them under the Rod; and other Parents ne|ver
<PB REF="22"> &s;ee &s;o much of the good|ne&s;&s;e of the &s;pirits of their Children, as they do when they cha&s;ti&s;e them with the Rod: 'Tis &s;o here, when God afflicts &s;ome, O the pride, the &s;toutne&s;s, the cro&s;ne&s;s, the hardne&s;s, the peevi&s;hne&s;s and &s;tubborne&s;s of &s;pirit that they <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 5. 2. Jer. 44. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.</NOTE> di&s;cover! <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1. 5. <HI>Jer.</HI> 5. 3. When he afflicts others, O the murmuring, the roaring, the complaining, the howling, the fretting, the vexing, and the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 4. 6,&mdash;13.</NOTE> quarrelling &s;pirit that they di&s;cover! <HI>Num.</HI> 14. 27, 29, 36. <HI>Deut.</HI> 1. 27. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 58. 3, 4. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 59. 11. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 7. 14, 15. <HI>Jon.</HI> 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9. Sometimes when God afflicts his deare&s;t People, O what a &s;pirit of Faith, what a &s;pirit of Prayer, what a &s;pi|rit of Love, what a &s;pirit of Patience, what a &s;pirit of meekne&s;s, what a &s;pirit of
<PB REF="22"> humblene&s;s, what a &s;pirit of &s;ubmi&s;&s;ivene&s;s do they di&s;co|ver! <HI>Job</HI> 13. 15. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 1. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 26. 16, 17. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 5. 14, 15. <HI>Job</HI> 1. 20, 21, 22. <HI>Lev.</HI> 10. 1, 2, 3. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 3. 18. 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 20. 16, 17, 18, 19. And at other times when God af|flicts his poor People, O what a &s;pirit of unbelief, what a &s;pi|rit of &s;lavi&s;h fear, what a &s;pi|rit of impaciency, what a &s;pi|rit of di&s;plea&s;edne&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> do they di&s;cover! <HI>Gen.</HI> 15. 2, 3. <HI>Gen.</HI> 12. 13, 19. <HI>Gen.</HI> 20. 2, 5. <HI>Gen.</HI> 26. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 31. 22. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 116, 11. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 21. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. <HI>Job.</HI> 3. 3,&mdash;13. <HI>Jer.</HI> 20. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. By &s;mart Afflictions God tryes the graces of his People, and di&s;|covers what is in the &s;pirits of his People, <HI>Deut.</HI> 8. 2. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 66. 10, 11. <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 18. 1 <HI>Pet</HI> 1. 6, 7. The fire tryes the Gold, as
<PB REF="23"> well as the Touch-&s;tone. Di&s;|ea&s;es try the Art of the Phy&s;i|tian, and Tempe&s;ts try the skill of the Pilot. Every &s;marting Rod is a Touch-&s;tone, both to try our graces, and to di&s;cover our &s;pirits. Prudent Fathers will &s;ometimes cro&s;s their Children, to try, to di&s;cover, the di&s;po&s;itions of their Chil|dren: <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 12. 5,&mdash;21.</NOTE> And &s;o doth the Fa|ther of Spirits deal &s;ometimes with his Children.</P>
<P>The manner of the <HI>P&s;ylli</HI> (which are a kind of People <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Plin. lib.</HI> 28</NOTE> of that temper and con&s;tituti|on, that no Venom will hurt them) is this, if they &s;u&s;pect any Child to be none of their own, they &s;et an Adder upon it to &s;ting it, and if it cry, and the fle&s;h &s;well, they ca&s;t it a|way as a &s;purious i&s;&s;ue, but if it do not quatch nor cry, nor is never the wor&s;e for it, then
<PB REF="23"> they account it for thei own, and make very much of it. The Application is ea&s;ie. But,</P>
<P>The &s;eventh and la&s;t end of the Rod, Is to prepare &amp; fit the <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 48. 10.</NOTE> cha&s;ti&s;ed for greater &s;ervices, favours and mercies. Many a Child, and many a &s;ervant had never been &s;o fit for emi|nent &s;ervices as they are, had they not been under a &s;mart|ing Rod. 'Tis very u&s;ual with God, to ca&s;t men into very great Afflictions, and to lay them under grievous &s;mart|ing Rods, that &s;o he may pre|pare and fit them for &s;ome high and eminent &s;ervices in this world. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> had never been &s;o fit to be Governour <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 41. 40, 41, 42, 43, 44.</NOTE> of <HI>Egypt,</HI> and to pre&s;erve the vi&s;ible Church of God alive in the World, if he had not been &s;old into <HI>Egypt,</HI> if his feet
<PB REF="24"> had not been hurt in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 45. 7, 8.</NOTE> &s;tocks, and if the Irons had not entred into his &s;oul. Nor <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had never been &s;o fit to be a Leader, and a Deliver|er of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> as he was, if he had <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 50. 20.</NOTE> not been bani&s;hed Fourty Yeares in the Wilderne&s;s be|fore. Nor <HI>Davids</HI> Crown had never &s;at &s;o well, nor &s;o clo&s;e, nor &s;o long on his head, as it did, had he not for &s;ome years before been hunted, as a Partridge in the Wilder|ne&s;s. Nor the <HI>Three Children</HI> (or rather, the <HI>Three Cham|pions)</HI> would never have been fit for &s;o high a Rule, had <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 3. 29, 30.</NOTE> they not been fir&s;t ca&s;t into the fiery Furnace. Nor <HI>Daniel,</HI> for that exceeding high honour, and glory, and greatne&s;s, to which he was exalted, had he <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 6. 25,<HI>&mdash;ult.</HI></NOTE> not been fir&s;t ca&s;t among the Lyons. And &s;o had <HI>E&s;ther</HI>
<PB REF="24"> never been a poor Captive-Maid, &s;he had never been a Queen, and &s;o had never been in&s;trumental in the pre&s;erva|tion of the Church of God in her day. <HI>Heman</HI> was one of the be&s;t and wi&s;e&s;t men in <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kings 4. 31.</NOTE> the World (in his day), and this God brought him to, by training of him up in the School of Affliction, as you may evidently, &s;ee in that 88. <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> That of the Apo&s;tle in 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 4. de&s;erves to be writ|ten in letters of gold, <HI>Who com|forteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we our &s;elves are comforted of God.</HI> Mark that word, <HI>able.</HI> O 'tis one of the harde&s;t and noble&s;t works in all Chri&s;tia|nity, to be able divinely to comfort others that are in
<PB REF="25"> troubles; and yet by &s;uffer|ings God fits and prepares his People, for this noble and dif|ficult &s;ervice.</P>
<P><HI>Luther</HI> was of Opinion, that to comfort a di&s;tre&s;&s;ed Con|&s;cience, was a greater work, than to rai&s;e the dead to life. And yet by inward and out|ward &s;ufferings, God fits his People for this great work.</P>
<P>And thus you &s;ee, in what re&s;pects Afflictions are compa|red to a Rod.</P>
<P>The &s;econd thing I am to do, is to &s;hew you tho&s;e &s;peci|al Le&s;&s;ons, that you are to learn by the Rod, (or if you plea&s;e,) by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence.</HI></P>
<P>Now they are the&s;e,</P>
<P>The fir&s;t Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod, or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,</HI> is to know, what the particular
<PB REF="25"> me&s;&s;age or errand is, which the Rod hath to deliver to you in the day of your di&s;tre&s;&s;e and trouble. Your fir&s;t work is to do as <HI>David</HI> did, in that 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 21. 1. He humbly en|quires of the Lord, to know the particular rea&s;on why he &s;ent a Famine among&s;t them. You mu&s;t do as <HI>Job</HI> doth, <HI>Job</HI> 10. 2. <HI>Shew me, O Lord, where|fore thou contende&s;t with me. Job</HI> would fain know the rea|&s;ons of the controver&s;ie be|tween God and him. One well ob&s;erves on the Text, <HI>that Job was very de&s;trous to know, whether God did afflict him for &s;in, or for tryal, not to &s;atisfie his curio&s;itie but, his Con&s;ci|ence. Elihu's</HI> coun&s;el to <HI>Job mu&s;t here take place, Job</HI> 34. 31, 32. <HI>Surely it is meet to be &s;aid unto God, I have born cha&s;ti&s;ement, I will not offend</HI>
<PB REF="26"> <HI>any more. That which I &s;ee not teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more. Job</HI> it &s;eems was yet in the dark, as to the particular cau&s;e or rea&s;on, why the Lord had &s;o grievou&s;ly afflicted him; and therefore he is very im|portunate with God, that he would graciou&s;ly point out the &s;in, for which he had &s;o &s;orely &s;mitten him. Thy pro|ceedings, &s;aith <HI>Job,</HI> to my un|der&s;tanding, &s;eem to be very &s;trange and &s;evere; I am more heavily afflicted than others, and yet I do not know where|in I have &s;inned more than others: Why I &s;hould be con|demned and ca&s;t, without a Tryal, why thou art &s;o hot again&s;t me, and why thou ha&s;t multiplied &s;o many un|heard of mi&s;eries upon me, and why thou ha&s;t &s;o greatly
<PB REF="26"> &s;ubjected me to the &s;adde&s;t and &s;oure&s;t cen&s;ures of others, as if I were the wor&s;t of &s;inners, and the ba&s;e&s;t of hypocrites, I know not: And therefore O Lord, I humbly de&s;ire, that thou woulde&s;t not deal with me according to thy ab&s;olute Power, but let me know the true grounds and cau&s;es of all my heavy &s;orrows and mi&s;e|ries. And &s;o he is at it again, in that <HI>Job</HI> 13. 23. <HI>How many are mine iniquities and &s;ins? make me to know my tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ion and my &s;in.</HI> My plagues, O Lord, are unparalel'd; if my &s;ins are &s;uch let me know it, &s;aith <HI>Job.</HI> My calamities tran&s;cend the calamities of all others; if my &s;ins do &s;o, let them not be hid from mine eyes, O Lord. My load, O Lord is heavier than others; and therefore if my &s;ins are
<PB REF="27"> greater than others, let me &s;ee them, let me under&s;tand them: Infirmities and weakne&s;&s;es, I confe&s;&s;e, do hang upon me, they are inherent in me, and they do too often i&s;&s;ue and flow from me; but as for en|ormities or wickedne&s;&s;es, nei|ther my cen&s;orious Friends, nor yet my wor&s;t enemies, no, nor yet my own Con&s;cience, will ever be able to make a|ny ju&s;t, or clear proof again&s;t me: O Lord, I have many &s;pots upon me, but if there be any upon me that are not the &s;pots of thy People, let me &s;ee them, let me know them, that I may abhor my &s;elf, and ju&s;tifie thee, and that I may &s;ay, my Friends are righteous in their cen&s;ures, and I have done wickedly before the Lord. Sometimes Afflictions are &s;ent only for tryal and in&s;truction,
<PB REF="27"> and not at all for &s;in; this is evident in the ca&s;e of <HI>Job,</HI> and in the ca&s;e of the <HI>Blind man,</HI> who&s;e afflictions, though they were very great and grievous, <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 3. 9.</NOTE> yet were they not for &s;in, but for tryal.</P>
<P>Now though this be true, yet it mu&s;t be granted, that <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mic. 1. 5,&mdash;10.</NOTE> commonly &s;in is the meritori|ous cau&s;e, the procuring cau&s;e of all Afflictions. Sin ordina|rily is the Original and Foun|dation of all our troubles <NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 2. 4, 5, 6.</NOTE> and cha&s;ti&s;ements, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 89. 30, 31, 32. <HI>If his Children for|&s;ake my Law, and walk not in my Judgements; if they break my Statutes, and keep not my Commandements: Then will I vi&s;it their tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion with the Rod, and their iniquity with &s;tripes. Jer.</HI> 2. 19. <HI>Thine own wickedne&s;s &s;hall correct thee, and thy back-&s;lidings &s;hall</HI>
<PB REF="28"> <HI>reprove thee: know therefore and &s;ee, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou ha&s;t for &s;a|ken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, &s;aith the Lord God of Ho&s;ts. Amos</HI> 3. 2. <HI>You only have I known of all the Families of the earth; therefore I will puni&s;h you for all your iniquities.</HI></P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>But what cour&s;e mu&s;t we take? what meanes mu&s;t we u&s;e, to find out that particu|lar &s;in, for which God corrects us, or, which hath brought the Rod upon us?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. Ob&s;erve what that &s;in is, that thy Con&s;cience doth mo&s;t upbraid thee with, and check thee for. Con&s;ci|ence is Gods Preacher in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 42. 21. Chap. 50. 15, 16, 17.</NOTE> bo&s;ome. Now ob&s;erve what that particular &s;in is, that Con|&s;cience doth mo&s;t &s;martly and roundly correct, and cha&s;ti&s;e
<PB REF="28"> thee for, for 'tis ten to one but that is the &s;in, that hath brought the Rod upon thee. The voice of Con&s;cience, and the voice of the Rod, do u&s;u|ally eccho one to another. 'Tis very rare to find a differ|ence between the language of Con&s;cience, and the language of the Rod. Con&s;cience is Gods Deputy, Gods Spie, Gods Notary, Gods Viceroy; and therefore do not de&s;pi&s;e the voice of Con&s;cience, do not turn off Con&s;cience, as <HI>Felix</HI> turned off <HI>Paul.</HI> If the &s;e|cret <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 24. 25</NOTE> cry of Con&s;cience be, O this is for thy Pride, or this is for thy Pa&s;&s;ion, or this is for thy Self-love, or this is for thy earthline&s;s, or this is for thy carnalne&s;s, or this is for thy hypocri&s;ie, or this is for thy formality, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> it will be thy wi&s;dome to &s;ub&s;cribe to
<PB REF="29"> the &s;ecret cry of Con&s;cience. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, Seriou&s;ly ob&s;erve what that &s;in is, that thy &s;oul would have &s;pared above all, that thy &s;oul is mo&s;t unwilling to leave, and bid an everla|&s;ting farewel to. Ob&s;erve what thy right hand &s;in, thy <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mic. 6. 6, 7. E&s;t. 5. 13.</NOTE> bo&s;ome &s;in, thy con&s;titution &s;in, thy complexion &s;in is, for 'tis a hundred to one, but that God hath &s;ent the Rod; for the &s;ubduing of that very &s;in. Commonly by the Rod God points at the mortifying of that particular &s;in, to which the heart &s;tands mo&s;t &s;trongly in|clined. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, Ob&s;erve what that &s;in is, that doth mo&s;t maim and mar thy confidence and <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 3. 20, 21.</NOTE> boldne&s;s, in all thy addre&s;&s;es and approaches to God; for doubtle&s;&s;e that is the &s;in,
<PB REF="29"> that God would &s;ubdue and bring under by the Rod. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, Ob&s;erve what the affliction, what the pain, what the di&s;ea&s;e, what the pu|ni&s;hment is, that you are un|der; for &s;ometimes a per&s;on may run and read his &s;in in his very puni&s;hment, <HI>Judges</HI> 1. 7. <HI>Three&s;core and ten Kings ha|ving their thumbs and their great toes cut off gathered their meat under my Table: as I have done, &s;o God hath requited me.</HI> Now &s;hall <HI>Adonibezek,</HI> a Hea|then Prince run and read his &s;in in his puni&s;hment; and &s;hall not a Chri&s;tian much more? &s;hall not grace do as much as blind nature? Look as a man may &s;ometimes gue&s;s at the di&s;ea&s;e of the Patient, by the prudent ob&s;erving of the Phy&s;itians Bill; &s;o may he
<PB REF="30"> &s;ometimes gue&s;s at the parti|cular &s;in that God would have de&s;troyed, by the puni&s;hment that is inflicted. God u&s;ual|ly, fir&s;t or la&s;t, meets with men, and payes them home in their own coyn: Is the Judg|ment &s;hame? then the &s;in was pride; is the Judgment want, fa|mine? <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 2. 8, 9.</NOTE> then the &s;in was abu&s;e of abundance; is the Judg|ment oppre&s;&s;ion? then the &s;in was unmercifulne&s;s; is the Judgment lo&s;s of Children? then the &s;in was inordinate love to them. <HI>Eli</HI> and <HI>David</HI> were too indulgent to their Children; and therefore they were puni&s;hed in them and by them: Is the Judgment &s;ick|ne&s;s, or want of health? then the &s;in was, either the abu&s;e of health, or the non-improve|ment of health: Is the Judgment a famine of the Word? then the
<PB REF="30"> &s;in was, &s;lighting and loath|ing of the word: Is the Judg|ment War? then the &s;in was abu&s;e of peace: Is the Judg|ment a blind, cold, carnal, pro|phane, formal, drunken, &s;u|per&s;titious Clergy? then the &s;in hath been &s;lighting, negle|cting, undervaluing, and de|&s;pi&s;ing, an able, knowing, zea|lous, &s;piritual, and powerful mini&s;try: Is the Judgment, a wor&s;hipping of God in a lazy, dry, dull, dead, formal, cu&s;to|mary way, according to the inventions and traditions of the Elders? then the &s;in hath been mens not wor&s;hipping of <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 4. 23, 24.</NOTE> God in &s;pirit and in truth, and with that zeal, &s;pirit, life, warmth, and fervency, as he requires: Is the Judgment, the breaking of the commu|nion <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 12. 11.</NOTE> of Gods People, and &s;cattering of them into holes
<PB REF="31"> and corners, as it was in <HI>Ahabs,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 6. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.</NOTE> and <HI>Jezabels,</HI> and <HI>Gideons</HI> days? then doubtle&s;s the &s;in hath been a &s;lighting, undervalu|ing, neglecting, or for&s;aking of Chri&s;tian Communion, or el&s;e a non-improvement of Chri&s;tian Communion. But,</P>
<P>Fifthly, Ob&s;erve whether you have not been very faul|ty towards others, in the ve|ry things you now &s;uffer your &s;elves. Do others wrong you in your names, e&s;tates, re|lations, callings, dealings? <HI>&amp;c.</HI> lay your hands upon your hearts, and ask them, whether you have never wronged o|thers, as others now wrong you. Doe others ra&s;hly judg <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 33. 1. Rev. 13. 10. J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">mes <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 13 Gen. 50 15, 16, 17.</NOTE> you, and bitterly cen&s;ure you, and fal&s;ly accu&s;e you, and un|ju&s;tly condemn you? if they do, reflect upon your for|mer carriages towards others;
<PB REF="31"> and if you mu&s;t plead guilty, throw the fir&s;t &s;tone at your <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 7. 1, 2.</NOTE> &s;elves, and &s;ay with <HI>Adonibe|zek, As I have done, &s;o God hath requited me.</HI> Let every la&s;h of God upon you, put you in mind of your deportment towards others, when God hath given them Gall and Wormwood to drink. But,</P>
<P>Sixthly, Ob&s;erve what that &s;in is, that thou can&s;t not en|dure <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 1. 25, 30. Prov. 12. 1. Pro. 17. 10. Prov. 9. 8. Pro. 15. 12.</NOTE> &s;hould be touched, or re|proved, or &s;poken again&s;t. Ah how proud, how impati|ent, how pa&s;&s;ionate, how mad are many, when you come to touch their right-eye-&s;in. When you come to touch them in the tender part, O then they fume, and &s;well, and rage, and take on like men and women out of their wits, as you may &s;ee in the Scribes and Phari&s;ees, who were &s;o
<PB REF="32"> angry and mad with Chri&s;t, that they &s;ought his death; and all becau&s;e he was &s;till a pointing at the Toads in their bo&s;omes, <HI>viz.</HI> pride, vain-glo|ry, hypocri&s;ie, and &s;elf-righ|teou&s;ne&s;s: O they could not endure that the &s;harp Ra&s;or of reproof &s;hould come neer their &s;ore&s;t part. Certainly that Chri&s;tian mu&s;t be under a very high di&s;temper, that cannot but &s;mite a righteous man with reproach, for &s;mit|ing him with a reproof. Though gracious reproofs are choice Phy&s;ick, yet few &s;to|machs can tell how to bear them. Mo&s;t Chri&s;tians are for lenitives, few for are corro|&s;ives. <HI>David</HI> was glad of a healing reproof; but there are <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 141. 5.</NOTE> but few <HI>Davids</HI> alive. Who is angry with the Phy&s;itian for pre&s;cribing a bitter poti|on?
<PB REF="32"> and yet, ah how angry are many Chri&s;tians, when they come to fall under holy re|proofs, e&s;pecially if there be any of that &s;harpne&s;s and cut|tingne&s;s in them, that the Apo|&s;tle exhorts to, in that <HI>Tit.</HI> 1. 13. Now doubtle&s;s the voice of the Rod is this, Soul take heed of that &s;in, that thou can&s;t not endure &s;hould be touched Labour mightily with God to get that particu|lar &s;in mortified, that thou can&s;t not endure &s;hould be reproved. But,</P>
<P>Seventhly, Ob&s;erve what &s;in that is, that doth mo&s;t hin|der <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 50. 16, 17.</NOTE> thee from clo&s;ing with the precious promi&s;es, and from living upon precious promi&s;es, and from improving of preci|ous promi&s;es, and from trea|&s;uring up of precious promi|&s;es, and from appropiating of
<PB REF="33"> precious promi&s;es to thine own &s;oul; and it is very pro|bable, that for the &s;ubduing of that &s;in, the Lord hath vi|&s;ited thee with his fatherly Rod. But,</P>
<P>Eighthly, Ob&s;erve what &s;in that is, that did mo&s;t &s;ting and terrefie thee in an evil day, as when thou ha&s;t been <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 42. 21</NOTE> under &s;ome loath&s;ome di&s;ea&s;e, or tormenting pain, be it &s;tone, gout, or burning fea|vour, or when thou ha&s;t been in &s;ome eminent danger, or when thou ha&s;t had a &s;entence of death upon thee, and there hath been but a &s;hort &s;tep be|tween thee and eternity. Doubtle&s;s that &s;in, which hath lain as a heavy load upon thy Con&s;cience in the dayes of thy former di&s;tre&s;&s;e, that is the &s;in that God would have effectually conquered, and
<PB REF="33"> brought under by his pre&s;ent Rod. But,</P>
<P>Ninthly, Ob&s;erve what parti|cular &s;in that is, that doth mo&s;t hinder thee in holy duties and &s;ervices, and that doth mo&s;t interrupt thee in thy Commu|nion with God, enquire what particular &s;in that is, that thy <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eze. 33. 31.</NOTE> heart is mo&s;t apt to run after, when thou art on the Mount of holy duties. While&s;t the Di&s;ciples were healing di&s;ea&s;|es, and ca&s;ting Devils out of other mens bodies, the proud white Devil was &s;tirring in their own &s;ouls, as is evident by that gentle rebuke that our Saviour gives them in <HI>Luke</HI> 10. 20. <HI>In this rejoyce not, that the &s;pirits are &s;ubject un|to you; but rather rejoyce be|cau&s;e your names are written in Heaven.</HI> There is no Du|ty that a Chri&s;tian performs,
<PB REF="34"> but one white Devil or ano|ther, one lu&s;t or another, will be &s;till dogging and following of him to that Duty. There is no publick Duty, there is no family duty, there is no pri|vate duty, that a Chri&s;tian performs, but either that white Divel, Pride, or that white Devil, Hypocri&s;ie, or that white Divel, vain-glory, or el&s;e &s;ome one or another white Devil will follow the Soul, hard at heel to it. Now mark what that particular &s;in is, that mo&s;t haunts thy &s;oul, when thou art in Religious duties and &s;ervices, and it may be that is the very &s;in that God would have &s;ubdued by the Rod. But,</P>
<P>Tenthly, Ob&s;erve what &s;in that is, that the re&s;t of your corruptions are mo&s;t &s;ervice|able to, and that they mo&s;t at|tend
<PB REF="34"> upon: Mark what &s;in that is, that all other &s;ins doe mo&s;t bow the knee to: Mark that &s;in that hath a command|ing power over all other &s;ins, that &s;aith to one, go, and he go|eth, &amp; to another, come, and he cometh: Mark what &s;in that is, that is &s;till uppermo&s;t, and that all other &s;ins do mo&s;t mini|&s;ter to. You know when a man hath a great wound in his bo|dy, all the ill humours will run thither. Ob&s;erve what &s;in that is, that all the ill humours of the &s;oul do mo&s;t run after, for 'tis very likely that that is the very &s;in that God would have brought under by the Rod. But,</P>
<P>Eleventhly, Ob&s;erve what that &s;in is, that your hearts are mo&s;t apt to hide, and cloak, &amp; cover over with the mo&s;t &s;pe|tious, and fair pretences. <HI>Saul</HI>
<PB REF="35"> had a covetous de&s;ire, and he <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 15. 20, 21.</NOTE> covers it over with fair preten|ces, as that the people would have it &s;o, and that what was &s;pared was for &s;acrifice. <HI>Cae|&s;ars</HI> favour was the great <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 27. 24.</NOTE> darling in <HI>Pilates</HI> eyes, but he covers all over with wa&s;hing his hands. The <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> were exceeding co|vetous, but their long prayers, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 23.</NOTE> as a cloak, mu&s;t cover all. <HI>Ju|das</HI> al&s;o was a man of the &s;ame mind and mettle with them, <HI>What need this wast, why was not</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 26. 8, 9. John 12. 5, 6.</NOTE> <HI>this oyntment &s;old for three hun|dred pence, &amp; given to the poor? This he &s;aid, not that he cared for the poor; but becau&s;e he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Ju|das</HI> (as <HI>Tertullian</HI> thinks) was pretty hone&s;t till he carried the bag; but no &s;ooner was he in office, but he puts Con&s;cience
<PB REF="35"> out of office, but all mu&s;t be covered over with a cloake of charity. Ob&s;erve what &s;in that is, that you are mo&s;t apt to ca&s;t the Silk, or the Satin mantle over, and 'tis ten to one, but that is the &s;in that God would have brought under by the Rod. But,</P>
<P>Twelfthly and la&s;tly, Ob|&s;erve what that &s;in is, that thou art mo&s;t ea&s;ily overcome by. <HI>Dalilah</HI> could ea&s;ily overcome <HI>Samp&s;on,</HI> when all the world be&s;ides could make no con|que&s;t upon him. The Apo&s;tle <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb 12. 1.</NOTE> bids us, <HI>lay a&s;ide the &s;in that doth &s;o ea&s;ily be&s;et us.</HI> There are &s;ome &s;ins that find more ea&s;ie approaches to us, and more ea&s;ie acceptance with us, &amp; accordingly they do more ea&s;ily captivate us. Ob&s;erve what that &s;in is, that you doe mo&s;t readily and ea&s;ily open
<PB REF="36"> the door to, and doubtle&s;&s;e that is the &s;in that God would have mortified and &s;ubdued by the Rod.</P>
<P>The Second Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or by <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pray turn to the&s;e Scriptures 2 Chron. 28. 10. Jer. 8. 6. Ezek, 7. 15, 16.</NOTE> the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,)</HI> is deep|ly to judg your &s;elves, and greatly to humble your &s;ouls, for that &s;in or &s;ins that hath brought the Rod upon you, thus <HI>David</HI> did in that 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 24. 10, 17. When you have found out the <HI>Achan</HI> that hath brought the Rod upon you, &s;tone him to death, and lye humble and low under the Rod, and then the Allmighty will be graciou&s;ly pacified, and &s;weetly reconciled unto you.</P>
<P>The Third Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod, (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,)</HI> is to view the Rod on every &s;ide;
<PB REF="36"> if there be bryers on one &s;ide of the Rod, there is Ro&s;emary on the other &s;ide of the Rod; if there be wormwood and gall at one end of the Rod, there is &s;weet honey at the o|ther end of the Rod, as there was at the top of <HI>Jonathan's</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 14. 43.</NOTE> Rod.</P>
<P>If we &s;hould come into a Painters or a Limners &s;hop, and &s;ee a Picture half drawn, it might trouble us and &s;tartle us, if it did not fright us and amaze us; but yet when the Picture is perfected, compleat|ed, and fini&s;hed, it may prove a very beauteous, lovely, tak|ing piece. The Application is ea&s;ie. Look as every Judg|ment, every Affliction, every Rod hath its black, dark &s;ide; &s;o every Judgement, every af|fliction hath its bright &s;ide to. Mow 'tis the wi&s;dom of a
<PB REF="37"> Chri&s;tian to look on the bright &s;ide of the Rod, the Cloud; as well as 'tis his work, to look on the dark &s;ide of the Rod, the Cloud: When a Chri&s;ti|an looks upon the dark &s;ide of the Cloud, he &s;hould be humbled and aba&s;ed; but when he looks upon the bright &s;ide of the Cloud, he &s;hould be comforted and cheered. He <NOTE PLACE="marg">James 5. 11.</NOTE> that is &s;till a looking on the briery &s;ide of the Rod, will be very apt to fret and faint un|der the Rod; but he that looks on the Ro&s;emary &s;ide of the Rod, as well as the briery &s;ide of the Rod, he will bear up pa|tiently, gallantly, and cheerful|ly under the Rod. The voice of the Rod is Look on both &s;ides, Look on both &s;ides. But,</P>
<P>The fourth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod, (or by
<PB REF="37"> the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,)</HI> is to look on the Rod, not ab&s;tract|ly, from the hand that holds it; but conjunctively, with the hand that holds it, thus <HI>Heze|kiah</HI> did, 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 20. 16, 10, 18, 19. Thus <HI>Aaron</HI> did, <HI>Lev.</HI> 10. 1, 2, 3. Thus <HI>Eli</HI> did, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 3. 11,&mdash;19. Thus <HI>David</HI> did, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 39. 9. Thus <HI>Job</HI> did, <HI>Job</HI> 1. 20, 21, 22. Yea, and thus <HI>Je&s;us</HI> did, <HI>John</HI> 18. 11. <HI>Shall I not drink the Cup that my Fa|ther hath given me to drink.</HI> Though the Cup was a bitter Cup, a bloody Cup, yet &s;eeing it was put into his hand by his Father, he drinks it off, with a <HI>Father I thank thee.</HI> The Rod in its &s;elf &s;ounds nothing but &s;mart and blood to the Child; but the Rod in the hand of a Father &s;ounds nothing but love, kindne&s;s, and &s;weetne&s;s, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 19. <HI>Whom he loves he</HI>
<PB REF="38"> <HI>cha&s;tens.</HI> You &s;hould never look upon the Rod, but as it is in the hand of your heavenly Father, and then you will ra|ther ki&s;s it, than murmur un|der it. But,</P>
<P>The Fifth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod, (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,)</HI> is to cleave and cling clo&s;e to God under the Rod. O how doth the Child cling and hang up|on his Father when he takes up the Rod; let &s;uch a Child-like Spirit be found in you, when the Father of Spirits takes up up the Rod. When the Rod was upon <HI>Davids</HI> back, O how doth he cleave to God, even as the Wife cleaves to her Hus|band; for &s;o much the Hebrew word <HI>Dabak</HI> in that <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 63. 8. imports. So when <HI>Job</HI> was un|der the Rod, O how doth he cling about God! <HI>Job.</HI> 13. 21.
<PB REF="38"> <HI>Though he &s;lay me, yet will I tru&s;t in him. Job</HI> will hang up|on a killing God. So the Church in that <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 48. 15, 16, 17, 18, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So tho&s;e hundred fourty and four thou&s;and that had their Fathers names written in their foreheads, <HI>Rev.</HI> 14. 1,&mdash;6. O Friends, you never &s;hew &s;o much Child-like love, nor &s;o much Child-like ingenuity, nor &s;o much Child-like inte|grity, as you do &s;hew when under the &s;marting Rod, you are found clinging about the Lord, and hanging upon the Lord by an exerci&s;e of grace. When <HI>Anti&s;tenes</HI> held up his Staffe, as if he intended to beat on of his Scholers out of his School, the Scholar told him, <HI>that he might &s;trike him if he plea&s;ed, but he &s;hould never find a &s;taffe of &s;o hard wood, as &s;hould ever be able to beat him</HI>
<PB REF="39"> <HI>him from him.</HI> When no Staff, no Rod, no Affliction, can drive us from Chri&s;t, it is a &s;ure ar|gument that we have profited much in the School of Chri&s;t. But,</P>
<P>The Sixth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod, (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,)</HI> is to prepare to meet the Lord whi|le&s;t the Rod is in his hand, <HI>Am.</HI> 4. 12. <HI>Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O I&s;rael: and be|cau&s;e I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O I&s;ra|el.</HI> Now there is a two-fold preparation.</P>
<P>The Fir&s;t is a Negative pre|paration, and this lyes in tak|ing heed of &s;inning again&s;t Light and Con&s;cience; for tho&s;e &s;ins that are again&s;t a clear Light, and an awakened Con|&s;cience, are mo&s;t wounding, wa|&s;ting, terrifying, and damn|ing.</P>
<PB REF="39">
<P> Secondly, There is a Po&s;i|tive preparation, and that con|&s;i&s;ts in repentance &amp; returning to the Lord, and in aba&s;ing and humbling your &s;elves before <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 7. 14.</NOTE> the Allmighty. As there is no running from God, &s;o there is no contending with God; for what is the chaff to the Whirlwind, or the &s;tubble to a con&s;uming fire? And therefore the voyce of the Rod is, Pre|pare to meet the Lord in a way of faith, and repentance; pre|pare to meet the Lord in an exerci&s;e of grace; prepare to meet the Lord with pray|ers, and tears, and &s;trong cryes. But,</P>
<P>The Seventh Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,)</HI> is to acknowledge Gods &s;overaign power and authority over the Rod, to bow it, or break it, or
<PB REF="40"> burn it, or take it off, or lay it more or le&s;s on, as he plea&s;|eth. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mic. 6. 13. Deut. 28. 58, 59, 60, 61.</NOTE> All di&s;ea&s;es and &s;ickne&s;|&s;es are under the command of God, they are all his Sergeants, his &s;ervants, to execute his plea&s;ure: That <HI>Mat.</HI> 8. 5. is an ob&s;ervable Text; Chri&s;t tells the Centurion, that he would come and heal his &s;er|vant; the Centurion tells him, that he was not worthy that he &s;hould come under his roof, only if he would but &s;peak the word, his &s;ervant &s;hould be healed; <HI>For</HI> (&s;aith he <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 9.) <HI>I am a man under Authority, having Souldiers under me: &amp; I &s;ay to this man go, and he go|eth; and to another come, and he cometh; and to my &s;ervant do this and he doth it. Now when Je&s;us heard this, he mar|velled, and &s;aid to them that followed, Verily, I &s;ay unto you,</HI>
<PB REF="40"> <HI>I have not found &s;o great faith, no not in I&s;rael,</HI> ver&s;. 10. But wherein did the greatne&s;s of the Centurions faith appear? why, in this very acknowledg|ment, that all di&s;ea&s;es were to Chri&s;t as &s;ervants, and that they were as much under the command of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as a|ny &s;ervant under heaven is under the command of his Ma&s;ter: When Chri&s;t bids them go and afflict &s;uch a man, they go; and torment &s;uch a man, they go; and kill &s;uch a man, they go; and &s;o when he calls them off, they come off at his call. Dear Friends, it is a very great point of faith to believe the&s;e five things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, that God is the author of all the di&s;ea&s;es, malladies, and &s;ickne&s;&s;es, that be in the World, and that he &s;ets them on and call them off at his own
<PB REF="41"> good will and plea&s;ure, <HI>Amos</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev. 26. Deut. 28.</NOTE> 3. 6. <HI>Is there any evil in the Ci|ty, and hath not the Lord done it?</HI> He &s;peaks of the evil of puni&s;hment, and not of the e|vil of &s;in. It was a mad Prin|ciple among the <HI>Manichees,</HI> who refer'd all calamities to the Devil for their author, as if there could be evil in the City, and the Lord have no hand in it.</P>
<P>Secondly, It is a great point of Faith to believe, that all di&s;ea&s;es and &s;ickne&s;&s;es are li|mited by God, in re&s;pect of places. God &s;ent di&s;ea&s;es of all &s;orts into <HI>Egypt,</HI> but he forbad them <HI>Go&s;hen, Exod.</HI> 8. 20, 21, 22, 23. Chap. 9, 23, 24, 25, 26. Ponder &s;eriou&s;ly upon the&s;e Scriptures. Gods &s;hoot|ing his arrows into one Town, and not into another, into one City, and not into another, in|to
<PB REF="41"> one Kingdome, and not in|to another, into one family, &amp; not into another, doth &s;uffici|ently evidence, that all di&s;ea&s;|es, and &s;ickne&s;&s;es, are limited by the Holy One of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> in re&s;pect of places.</P>
<P>Thirdly, It is a very great point of Faith, to believe that all &s;ickne&s;&s;es, and di&s;ea&s;es, are limited by God in re&s;pect of per&s;ons; that they are &s;o, is evident in that <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 91. 3,&mdash;8. <HI>I&s;a</HI> 65. 12. But who lives in the faith of this truth? Some|times in the &s;ame hou&s;e one is infected, and the other is not; &s;ometimes in the &s;ame bed, the one is &s;mitten, and the other is not; &s;ometimes at the &s;ame table, the one is taken away, and the other is left, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and this doth roundly evidence and witne&s;s, that all &s;ickne&s;&s;es and di&s;ea&s;es are limited by
<PB REF="42"> God in re&s;pect of per&s;ons, as well as in re&s;pect of places. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, It is a great point of Faith, to believe that all di&s;ea&s;es and &s;ickne&s;&s;es are li|mited by God in re&s;pect of the degrees to which they &s;hall a|ri&s;e. That God that &s;ets bounds to the raging Sea, and that &s;aith unto it, <HI>Thus far &s;halt thou go, and no further;</HI> that God &s;ets bounds to all raging di&s;ea&s;es and &s;ickne&s;&s;es, and &s;aith unto them, thus far you &s;hall go, and no further: He &s;ets bounds to the Feaver; he &s;aith to it, go and &s;corch and burn up &s;uch a body &s;o much, and no more; and to the Drop|&s;ie, go and drown &s;uch a body &s;o much, and no more; and to the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,</HI> go and weaken &s;uch a body &s;o much, and no more; and to the
<PB REF="42"> Stone, go and torment &s;uch a body &s;o much, and no more. But,</P>
<P>Fifthly, It is a very great point of Faith, to believe that all di&s;ea&s;es and &s;ickne&s;&s;es are limited by God, as to their con|tinuance: God &s;aith to one di&s;ea&s;e, go hang upon &s;uch a man, &s;o many years; to another, go hang up &s;uch a man but a few years; and to another, go hang upon &s;uch a man but a year; and to another, go hang upon &s;uch a man but a few months; and to another, go hang upon &s;uch a man but a few weeks; and to another, go hang upon &s;uch a man but a few dayes; and to another, go hang upon &s;uch a man but a few hours, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and accord|ingly it cometh to pa&s;s. But,</P>
<P>The eighth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod, (or
<PB REF="43"> by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence)</HI> is, to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 24. 1 Cor. 7. 29, 30, 31. Eccl. 1. 2. Prov. 23. 5. Jer. 45. 4, 5</NOTE> get more weaned, and more mortified affections to all worldly comforts, content|ments, and enjoyments. A man never comes to experience &s;o much of the emptine&s;s, the no|thingne&s;s, the u&s;ele&s;ne&s;s, the vanity, the mutability, the im|potency, the in&s;ufficiency, and the uncertainty of all worldly comforts, and enjoyments, as when he comes to fall under the Rod. The con&s;tant cry of the Rod is, Be dead to the profits, plea&s;ures, honours, and applau&s;es of the world, be dead to relations, be dead to friends, be dead to every thing below a living Je&s;us. But,</P>
<P>The ninth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence)</HI> is, to get a&s;&s;urance of greater, and better things, than any this
<PB REF="43"> world doth afford. That &s;ay|ing <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 10. 33, 34.</NOTE> is as true, as it is old, <HI>viz. That the a&s;&s;urance of an eter|nal life, is the life of this tem|poral life:</HI> But having &s;poke &s;o much of this particular in my Treati&s;e on <HI>A&s;&s;urance,</HI> which is now in your hands, I &s;hall &s;atisfie my &s;elf with this hint at pre&s;ent. But,</P>
<P>The tenth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,)</HI> is, not to de&s;pi&s;e the Rod, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 5. <HI>My Son, de&s;pi&s;e not thou the cha&s;tening of the Lord.</HI> The Greek Word <GAP DESC="foreign"> that is tran&s;lated <HI>de&s;pi&s;e,</HI> &s;ignifies the littling of a thing: O do not little the Rod, do not le&s;&s;en it, do not &s;light it, do not make a tu&s;h at it, do not &s;et light by it, do not &s;ay, I will not regard it, he that doth, &s;hews him|&s;elf, rather to be a <HI>Roman,</HI> than
<PB REF="44"> a <HI>Chri&s;tian.</HI> Now becau&s;e there is &s;uch a de&s;perate aptne&s;s &amp; prone&s;s in many to make light of the Rod, it will be your wi&s;dom &s;eriou&s;ly to lay to heart the&s;e four particulars.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, That it is an immedi|ate hand of God; and there|fore not to be de&s;pi&s;ed: 'Tis a <NOTE PLACE="marg">Am. 3. 6. Deut. 28. 58, 59, 60, 61.</NOTE> &s;ad and &s;inful thing to de&s;pi&s;e the mediate hand of God; but 'tis more &s;ad and &s;inful to de|&s;pi&s;e the immediate hand of God. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, 'Tis a mighty hand of God, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 6. <HI>Hum|ble your &s;elves under the migh|ty hand of God, that he may ex|alt you in due time.</HI> Certainly <NOTE PLACE="marg">Am. 4. 10. 11. Ez. 38. 22, 23.</NOTE> that heart mu&s;t be mightily wicked, that dares de&s;pi&s;e the mighty hand of God. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, 'Tis an angry hand of God; and therefore do not de&s;pi&s;e it, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 90. 7. <HI>For we</HI>
<PB REF="44"> <HI>are con&s;umed by thy anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.</HI> Ver&s;. 11. <HI>Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even ac|cording to thy fear, &s;o is thy</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 16. 46. Ez. 33. 27, 28. 29, Deut 29. 22. 23, 24. 25</NOTE> <HI>wrath.</HI> Shall Devils tremble under his angry hand? Yea &s;hall they roar, as the Sea un|der his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> wrathful hand, as that Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign">. im|ports, in that <HI>James</HI> 2. 19. And will you pre&s;ume to de&s;pi&s;e his angry hand? the Lord for|bid. but,</P>
<P>Fourthly and la&s;tly, Con&s;i|der, that it is a holy hand, it is a ju&s;t and righteous hand, it is a faithful hand of God; and therefore do not de&s;pi&s;e it, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 29. 17, 18, 19. Lev. 26. 25. Jer 14. 12, 13, 14. 15. 16</NOTE> <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 75. <HI>I know, O Lord, that thy Judgmentt are right,</HI> (or <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s) and that thou in faithfulne&s;s hast affli|cted me.</HI> Ver&s;. 137. <HI>Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright</HI>
<PB REF="45"> <HI>are thy Judgments.</HI> Certainly none but unholy per&s;ons will be &s;o impudent, as to de&s;pi&s;e Gods holy hand. Well,</P>
<P>The Eleventh Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,)</HI> is, not to be di&s;couraged un|der the Rod, <HI>Heb.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">2. <HI>Nor</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 27. 13. 2 Sam. 24. 10, 17.</NOTE> <HI>faint when thou art rebuked of him.</HI> Fir&s;t, It is a Rod in a fathers hand; and therefore do not faint under it. Secondly, God will do much good by the Rod; and therefore do not faint un|der the Rod. Thirdly, You could not have been without the Rod; and therefore do not faint under the Rod.</P>
<P>Fourthly, The Rod that is now upon, is not according to the greatne&s;s of Gods anger, nor according to to the great|ne&s;s of his power, nor accord|ing to the &s;trictne&s;s of his Ju|&s;tice,
<PB REF="45"> nor according to the de|merits of your &s;ins, nor accord|ing to the malitious de&s;ires of Satan, nor according to the de|&s;ignes, plots, and contrivances, of wicked and unrea&s;onable men, nor according to the ex|ten&s;ivene&s;s of your fears, for you have feared wor&s;e things than you feel, nor according to that Rod that hath been upon the Primitive Saints, nor accor|ding to that Rod, that many thou&s;ands of the precious &s;ons and daughters of <HI>Zion</HI> are un|der in other parts of the world, and therefore do not faint un|der the Rod, do not be di&s;cou|raged under the Rod.</P>
<P>Fifthly, by fainting under the Rod, you will gratifie Satan, re|proach religion, render your &s;elves un&s;erviceable, and make work for future Repentance; and therefore do not faint un|der the Rod. But,</P>
<PB REF="46">
<P> The Twelfth Le&s;&s;on that you <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 32. 25, 26. Lev. 26. 40, 41, 42. Mic. 7. 9. Lam. 3. 30. Luke 21. 10.</NOTE> are to learn under the Rod (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence)</HI> is, humbly to ki&s;s the Rod, and patiently &amp; qui|etly to lye under the Rod, till the Lord &s;hall either give you a graci|ous or a glorious deliverance from it. What is the Rod, and what is the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence,</HI> to the horrors of Con&s;cience, to the flames of hell, or to an everla&s;ting &s;eparation from the pre&s;ence of the Lord, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 1. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> 8, 9.</NOTE> from the glory of his power? And therefore put your mouths in the du&s;t, and be &s;ilent before the Lord. He that hath de&s;erved a hanging, if he e&s;cape with a whipping, hath no cau&s;e to murmur or complain; and we that have de&s;erved a dam|ning, have little cau&s;e to murmur or complain of a whipping, yea, though it &s;hould be with a <HI>Pe&s;tilen|tial-Rod.</HI> But,</P>
<P>The thirteenth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence)</HI> is, highly, fully, freely, and &s;ignally to ju&s;tifie the Lord, and to think well of the
<PB REF="46"> Lord, &amp; to &s;peak well of the Lord, under the Rod; to that purpo&s;e con&s;ult the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 75, 137. <HI>Neh.</HI> 9. 33. <HI>Ezr.</HI> 9. 13. <HI>Lam.</HI> 1. 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 4, 15, 18. <HI>Dan.</HI> 9. 12. 14. 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 20. 16, 17, 18, 19. <HI>Jer.</HI> 12. 1, 2. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 129. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. <HI>P&s;al</HI> 22. 1, 2, 3. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 97. 2. But,</P>
<P>The fourteenth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence)</HI> is, per&s;onal refor|mation. When the Rod &s;marts, &amp; the <HI>Pe&s;tilence</HI> rageth, God expects that every man &s;hould &s;mite upon his thigh, and turn from the evil of his doings, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 7. 13, 14. <HI>If I &s;hut up heaven, that there be no rain, or if I command the locu&s;ts to devour the Land, or if I &s;end Pe&s;tilence among my people: If my people which are called by my name, &s;hall humble them&s;elves, and pray, &amp; &s;eek my face, &amp; turn from their wicked wayes; then will I hear from hea|ven, &amp; will forgive their &s;in, &amp; will heal their Land;</HI> that is, <HI>I will remove the judgments that are upon the Land, &amp; I will confer upon my reforming people all tho&s;e favours &amp; ble&s;&s;ings that they &s;tand</HI>
<PB REF="47"> <HI>in need of.</HI> Con&s;ult the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>Ezr.</HI> 10. 14, 19. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 30. 8, 9. And chap. 29. 8, 10, 15, 16. But,</P>
<P>The Fifteenth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence)</HI> is, to make God your habitation, your &s;helter, your refuge. Ponder &s;eriou&s;ly upon the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 91. 2, 9, 10. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 90. 1. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 71. 3. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 57. 1. They dwell mo&s;t &s;afely, mo&s;t &s;ecurely, mo&s;t nobly, who dwell in God, who live under the &s;hadow of the All|mighty, and who every day lodge their &s;ouls in the bo&s;ome of eternal loves. But,</P>
<P>The Sixteenth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or the ra|ging <HI>Pe&s;tilence)</HI> is, to &s;et up God as the great object of your fear, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 119, 120. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 8. 7, 8, 13, 14. com|pared. When the Judgments of God are either threatned or executed, feared or felt, it highly concerns us to lift up God, as the main object of our fear; we &s;hould fear the hand that layes on the Rod, more than <NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 13. 11. Jer. 36. 24.</NOTE> the Rod it &s;elf. When God takes up
<PB REF="47"> the Rod, when he draws his &s;word, and when he &s;hoots his <HI>Pe&s;tilential</HI> arrows among&s;t us, O how highly doth it concern us to fear before him with a child-like fear, with a reverential fear, with a fear that for|tifies the heart again&s;t &s;in, and with a fear that fits the Soul for duty, &amp; that draws, yea drives the &s;oul to duty. But,</P>
<P>The &s;eventeenth le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence)</HI> is, to expect Gods &s;ingular pre&s;ence with you, and his admirable protection over you. Con&s;ult the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 43. 2. <HI>Dan.</HI> 3. 24, 25. <HI>Gen.</HI> 39. 39, 40. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 23. 4, 5. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 91. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 63. 9. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 26. 20, 21. <HI>Ezek.</HI> 9. 4, 6. God is above his peo|ple, and beneth them, <HI>Deut.</HI> 33. 25, 26, 27. He is under them, and over them, <HI>Cant.</HI> 2. 6. He is before them, &amp; behind them, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 52. 12. &amp; chap. 58. 8. He is on the right hand of his people, and he is on the left hand of his people, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 16. 8. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 121. 5. <HI>P&s;.</HI> 118. 15, 16 <HI>Exod.</HI> 14. 22, 29. God is round about his people, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 34. 7.
<PB REF="48"> <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 125. 2. And God is in the mid&s;t of his people, <HI>Zech.</HI> 2. 5. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 46. 5. <HI>P&s;al,</HI> 12. 6 O the &s;afety, the &s;ecurity of the poor people of God, for God is above his people &amp; beneth them, he is under them &amp; over them, he is before them &amp; behind them, he is in the front, &amp; in the rear, and he is round about them, and in the mid&s;t of them. But,</P>
<P>The eighteenth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence)</HI> is to live every day in a fre&s;h, choice, &amp; frequent excer|ci&s;e of grace. Con&s;ult the&s;e Scrip|tures, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 91. 2, 3, 4. <HI>Jer.</HI> 39. 17, 18. <HI>Mic.</HI> 7. 7, 8, 9. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 40. 1, 2. <HI>Hab.</HI> 2. 1, 2, 3, 4. <HI>Jer.</HI> 30. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">1. That man that lives dayly in an exerci&s;e of grace, that man lives every day in heaven on this &s;ide heaven, what-ever af|fliction or judgment he is under.</P>
<P>The Ninteenth Le&s;&s;on that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging <HI>Pe&s;tilence)</HI> is, to quicken up your hearts to &s;eek the Lord by ex|traordinary wayes &amp; means, <HI>viz.</HI> by fa&s;ting &amp; prayer. Con&s;ult the&s;e
<PB REF="48"> Scriptures, <HI>Num.</HI> 16. 46,<HI>&mdash;ult. P&s;al.</HI> 106. 23, 29, 30. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 22. 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13. <HI>Jon.</HI> 3. 5,<HI>&mdash;ult.</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 12. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 21. 21,<HI>&mdash;ult. Joel</HI> 2. 12, 13, 14, 15. 16, 17. But,</P>
<P>The Twentieth, and &s;o the la&s;t Le&s;&s;on, that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging pe&s;tilence) is, <HI>To prepare for death, it is to be in actual readine&s;s to dye.</HI> Ah Friends, every ach, every pain, every di&s;ea&s;e, is one of deaths warning pieces. There is not a head-ach, not a tooth-ach, not a gripe, not a grief, not a fall, not a wrench, not a plague-&s;ore; but is a divine warning to man, to prepare to die. <HI>'Tis a &s;oleemn work to die, and therefore we had need prepare to die. 'Tis a work that is to be done but once; and therefore we had need prepare to do that work well, that is to be done but once.</HI> In this world, we hear often, &amp; pray often, &amp; read often, and medi|tate often, &amp; eat often, &amp; drink of|ten, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 14. 14. Heb. 9. 27.</NOTE> and that which is wor&s;t, we &s;in often; <HI>but we mu&s;t die but once. Death will try all our graces, &amp; all our experi|ences, &amp; all our evidences, &amp; all our com|forts,</HI>
<PB REF="49"> <HI>&amp; all our attainments, and all our</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">He that would &s;ee more of this, may read my <HI>String of Pearls,</HI> and the Fune|ral Sermon that is at the end of my Book of <HI>A&s;&s;u|rance.</HI></NOTE> <HI>enjoyments; and therefore we had need to prepare to die.</HI> Though there is no|thing more certain than death, yet there is nothing more uncertain than, 1. The time when we &s;hall die. 2. The place where we &s;hall die. And 3. The manner how we &s;hall die; as whether we &s;hall die a &s;udden death, or a lingring death, or a violent death; or whether we &s;hall fall by the &s;word abroad, or by famine or pe&s;tilence at home, or whether we &s;hall fall by this di&s;|ea&s;e or that; and therefore we had need be alwayes in an actual readi|ne&s;s to die. <HI>No man &s;hall die the &s;ooner, but much the ea&s;ier, and the better, for preparing to die: And therefore let us alwayes have our loins girt, and our lamps burning.</HI> As death leaves us &s;o Judgment will find us; and there fore we have very great cau&s;e to &s;e|cure our intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, a chang|ed nature, and a pardon in our bo|&s;omes; that &s;o we might have no|thing to do, but to die. <HI>Except, we prepare to die, all other preparations will</HI>
<PB REF="49"> <HI>do us no good.</HI> In a word, <HI>Death is a change, a great change, 'tis the the la&s;t change till the re&s;urrection, 'tis la&s;ting, yea, an everla&s;ting change; for it puts a man into an eternall condition of happi|ne&s;s or mi&s;ery; 'tis an univer&s;al change, all per&s;ons mu&s;t pa&s;s under this flaming Sword.</HI> That Statute Law, <HI>Du&s;t thou art, and unto du&s;t thou &s;halt return,</HI> will <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3. 18.</NOTE> &s;ooner or later take hold on all mortals; and therefore it highly concerns us to prepare for death.</P>
<P>And thus I have &s;hewn you the&s;e Le&s;&s;ons that you are to learn by the Rod. The Lord grant that your &s;ouls may fall under tho&s;e fre&s;h, tho&s;e choice, tho&s;e full, and tho&s;e con&s;tant influences and communi|cations of his holy Spirit, as may enable you to take out tho&s;e twen|ty Le&s;&s;ons that I have laid open before you. I confe&s;s the Epi&s;tle is large, but do but con&s;ider your own conditions, and the pre&s;ent di&s;pen|&s;ations under which we are ca&s;t, &amp; then I &s;uppo&s;e you will not call it by the name of, a tedious Epi&s;tle.</P>
<P>Dear Friends, the following di&s;|cour&s;e
<PB REF="50"> <HI>on Clo&s;et-prayer,</HI> I heartily re|commend to your &s;erious peru&s;al: I have many rea&s;ons to hope, that when you have once read it over, you will be more in love with <HI>Clo|&s;et-prayer</HI> than ever, &amp; that you will &s;et a higher price upon <HI>Clo&s;et-prayer</HI> than ever, &amp; that you will make a better and fuller improvement of <HI>Clo&s;et-prayer,</HI> than ever yet you have done. Con&s;ider what I &s;ay in my <HI>Epi&s;tle to the Reader,</HI> &amp; labour &s;o to manage this little Treati&s;e, that now I put into your hands, that God may be glorified, your own &s;ouls edified, comfored &amp; encoura|ged in the wayes of the Lord, and that you may be <HI>my Crown and joy, in the great day of our Lord Je&s;us.</HI> So <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 2. 19, 20.</NOTE> wi&s;hing that the good will of him that dwelt in the bu&s;h, may abide upon you and yours for ever, I take leave and re&s;t,</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>Dear Friends,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your &s;ouls &s;ervant in our Dear Lord Je&s;us. <HI>THOMAS BROOKS.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="50">
<HEAD>TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Chri&s;tian Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P><HI>_THe Epi&s;tle Dedicatory</HI> being (occa&s;ionally) &s;o large, I &s;hall do little more than give thee the <HI>grounds</HI> and <HI>rea|&s;ons</HI> of &s;ending forth this <HI>little piece</HI> into the <HI>World,</HI> e&s;pecially in &s;uch a <HI>day</HI> as this is. Now my <HI>rea&s;ons</HI> are the&s;e,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e God by his <HI>pre&s;ent di|&s;pen&s;ations</HI> calls more loudly for <HI>Clo&s;et-prayer</HI> now, than he hath done in tho&s;e la&s;t twenty years that are now pa&s;t over our heads. <HI>See more of this in the</HI> 16. <HI>Argument for Clo&s;et-prayer,</HI> pag. 103, to <HI>p.</HI> 108.</P>
<P>Secondly, Becau&s;e I have &s;everal rea&s;ons to fear that many <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> do not clearly nor fully under&s;tand the nece&s;&s;ity, excellency, and u&s;efulne&s;s of this &s;ubject, and that many (O that I could not &s;ay any) live in too great a neg|lect of this indi&s;pen&s;ible <HI>duty,</HI> and that more than a few, for want of light, erre in the very practice of it.</P>
<PB REF="51">
<P> Thirdly, For the refre&s;hing, &s;upport, and encouragement of all tho&s;e Churches of Chri&s;t that walk in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Gho&s;t, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> e&s;pecially that particular Church to whom I &s;tand related.</P>
<P>Fourthly, To pre&s;erve and keep up the power of Religion and Godline&s;s both in mens hou&s;es, hearts, and lives. The power of Religion and Godline&s;s lives, thrives or dies as <HI>Clo&s;et-prayer</HI> lives, thrives, or dies. <HI>Godline&s;s</HI> never ri&s;es to a higher pitch than when men keep clo|&s;e&s;t to their Clo&s;ets, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly, Becau&s;e <HI>Clo&s;et-prayer</HI> is a mo&s;t &s;overeign Remedy, a mo&s;t precious Antidote of Gods own pre&s;cribing again&s;t the <HI>Plague</HI> that now rageth in the mid&s;t of us, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 8. 37, 38, 39, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Sixthly, Becau&s;e every man is that really, which he is &s;ecretly. Never tell me, how hand&s;omly, how neatly, how bravely, this or that man acts his part before others; but tell me (if thou can&s;t) how he acts his part before God in his Clo&s;et: for the man is that certainly, that he is &s;ecretly. There are many that &s;weat upon the &s;tage, that are key-cold in their Clo&s;ets.</P>
<PB REF="51">
<P> Seventhly, Though many worthies have done worthily upon all other parts of prayer, yet there are none either of a former or later date, that have fallen under my eye, that have written any <HI>Treati&s;e</HI> on this <HI>Subject.</HI> I have not a little wondred that &s;o many eminent Wri|ters &s;hould pa&s;s over this great and princely duty of <HI>Clo&s;et-prayer,</HI> either with a few brief touches, or el&s;e in a ve|ry great &s;ilence. If &s;everal Bodies of <HI>Di|vinity</HI> are con&s;ulted, you will find that all they &s;ay clearly and di&s;tinctly as to <HI>Clo&s;et-prayer,</HI> may be brought into a ve|ry narrow compa&s;s, if not into a nut-&s;hell. I have al&s;o enquired of &s;everal old <HI>Di&s;ci|ples,</HI> whether among all the thou&s;and Sermons that they have heard in their dayes, that ever they have heard one Ser|mon on <HI>Clo&s;et-prayer?</HI> and they have an&s;wered <HI>No.</HI> I have al&s;o enquired of them, whether ever they had read any <HI>Treati&s;e</HI> on that <HI>Subject?</HI> and they have an&s;wered <HI>No.</HI> And truly this hath been no &s;mall encouragement to me, to make an offer of my <HI>mite,</HI> and if this &s;mall at|tempt of mine &s;hall be &s;o ble&s;t, as to pro|voke others that have better heads, and
<PB REF="52"> hearts, and hands, than any I have, to do Chri&s;t and his people more &s;ervice, in the handling of this choice point in a more copious way than what I have been able to reach unto: I &s;hall therein rejoyce.</P>
<P>Eighthly and la&s;tly, That favour, that good acceptance, and fair quarter, that my other poor labours have found, not onely in this Nation, but in other Coun|tryes al&s;o, hath put me upon putting pen to paper once more: and I hope that the good will of him that dwelt in the bu&s;h, will re&s;t upon this, as it hath (to the glory of free grace) re&s;ted upon my former en|deavers. I could add other rea&s;ons, but let the&s;e &s;uffice.</P>
<P><HI>Good Reader,</HI> when thou art in thy Clo&s;et, pray hard for a poor weak, worthle&s;s worm, that I may be found faithful and fruitful to the death, that &s;o at la&s;t I may receive a <HI>Crown</HI> of <HI>Life.</HI> So wi&s;h|ing thee all happine&s;s both in this lower and in that upper World; I re&s;t</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thine in our Dear Lord Je&s;us, THOMAS BROOKS.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<PB REF="52">
<HEAD>Books printed, and are to be &s;old by <HI>John Hancock,</HI> at the fir&s;t &s;hop in <HI>Popes-head-Alley,</HI> next to <HI>Cornhill.</HI></HEAD>
<P>NIne Books lately publi&s;hed by Mr. <HI>Thomas Brooks,</HI> late Preacher of the Go&s;pel at St. <HI>Margarets</HI> New <HI>Fi&s;h-&s;treet.</HI></P>
<P><LABEL>1 <HI>Precious Remedies again&s;t Sa|tans Devices:</HI> Or,</LABEL></P>
<P>Salve for Believers and Unbelievers &s;ores, being a Companion for tho&s;e that are in Chri&s;t, or out of Chri&s;t; that &s;leight or neglect Ordinances, under pretence of living above them that are growing in &s;piritu|als, or decaying; that are tempted, or de&s;erted; afflicted, or oppo&s;ed; that have a&s;&s;urance, or want it; on 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 11.</P>
<P><LABEL>2 <HI>Heaven on Earth:</HI> Or,</LABEL></P>
<P>A &s;erious Di&s;cour&s;e touching a well-grounded A&s;&s;urance of mans
<PB REF="53"> everla&s;ting happine&s;s and ble&s;&s;ed|ne&s;s, di&s;covering the nature of a&s;&s;u|rance, the po&s;&s;ibility of attaining it, the Cau&s;es, Springs, and Degrees of it; with the re&s;olution of &s;everal weighty Que&s;tions, on the 8. of the <HI>Romans</HI> 32, 33, 34. <HI>ver&s;es.</HI></P>
<P><LABEL>3 <HI>The &V;n&s;earchable Riches of Chri&s;t:</HI> Or,</LABEL></P>
<P>Meat for &s;trong Men, and Milk for Babes, held forth in two and twenty Sermons, from <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3. 8. Preached on his Lecture-nights at <HI>Fi&s;h-&s;treet-hill.</HI></P>
<P><LABEL>4 <HI>His Apples of Gold for Young Men and Women;</HI> And</LABEL></P>
<P>A Crown of Glory for Old Men and Women; Or, the Happine&s;s of being Good betimes, and the Ho|nour of being an Old Di&s;ciple; clearly and fully di&s;covered, and clo&s;ely &amp; faithfully applied. With the young mans objections an&s;wer|ed, &amp; the old mans doubts re&s;olved.</P>
<P><LABEL>5 <HI>A String of Pearls;</HI> Or,</LABEL></P>
<P>The be&s;t things re&s;erved till la&s;t; delivered in a Sermon preached in <HI>London,</HI> June 8. 1657. at the funeral
<PB REF="53"> of (that Triumphant Saint) Mrs. <HI>Mary Blake,</HI> late Wife to his worthy friend Mr. <HI>Nicholas Blake,</HI> Merchant.</P>
<P><LABEL>6 <HI>The Silent Soul, with Soveraign An|tidotes again&s;t the mo&s;t mi&s;erable Exigents:</HI> Or,</LABEL></P>
<P>A Chri&s;tian, with an Olive-leaf in his mouth when he is under the greate&s;t afflictions, the &s;harpe&s;t and &s;ore&s;t trials and troubles, the &s;adde&s;t and darke&s;t providences and chan|ges: with An&s;wers to divers Que&s;ti|ons and Objections that are of greate&s;t importance, to win and work &s;ouls to be &s;till, quiet, calm, and &s;ilent, under all changes, that have, or that may pa&s;s upon them in this world, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><LABEL>7 <HI>The Crown and glory of Chri&s;tianity:</HI> Or,</LABEL></P>
<P>Holine&s;s the onely way to hap|pine&s;s, di&s;covered in 58. Sermons on <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 14.</P>
<P><LABEL>8 <HI>An Ark for all Gods</HI> Noah's <HI>in a &s;tormy day;</HI></LABEL></P>
<P>Wherein is &s;hewed the tran&s;cen|dent excellency of a Believers por|tion; on <HI>Lam.</HI> 3. 24.</P>
<PB REF="54">
<P><LABEL>9 <HI>The Privy Key of Heaven:</HI> Or,</LABEL></P>
<P>A Di&s;cour&s;e of Clo&s;et-prayer, twenty Arguments for it, with the re&s;olution of &s;everal con&s;iderable Que&s;tions, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><LABEL>Eight Treati&s;es, <HI>lately publi&s;h'd by Mr&punc;</HI> Ralph Venning,</LABEL></P>
<P N="1">1 A Warning to back &s;liders, with means for the recovery of faln ones; on <HI>Rev.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. 5.</P>
<P N="2">2 The way to Happine&s;s, or way to Heaven opened; on <HI>Mat&punc;</HI> 7. 21.</P>
<P N="3">3 Mercies Memorial; or a thank|ful Remembrance for Gods merci|ful Deliverance on the 5. of <HI>Novem|ber,</HI> 1605. on <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">6. 23.</P>
<P N="4">4 <HI>Canaans</HI> Flowing, or Milk and Honey, being a Collation of many Chri&s;tian Experiences Savings&punc; and Sentences, printed in an Alphabeti|cal order&punc; to which is added 125. Heathen Speeches, &s;piritually im|proved.</P>
<P N="5">5 His 543. Orthodox and Mi&s;|cellanious Paradoxes, concerning God, Chri&s;t, the Spirit, Election,
<PB REF="54"> the Scriptures, the Creation, An|gels, Men, Sin, the Law, Grace, the Sacraments, the Re&s;urrection, Hea|ven and Hell.</P>
<P N="6">6 The new Command renewed, or love one another.</P>
<P N="7">7 My&s;teries and Revelations; or the Explication of &s;everal Allu&s;ions and Metaphors in the Scriptures.</P>
<P N="8">8 Things worth thinking on, or Helps to Piety, being 412. Medita|tions, with a Sermon, of <HI>The beauty of Holine&s;s.</HI></P>
<P><LABEL><HI>Several u&s;eful Treati&s;es publi&s;hed by Mr.</HI> Nicholas Lockyer <HI>and others.</HI></LABEL></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 Chri&s;ts Communion&punc; with his Church-Militant; on <HI>John</HI> 14. 18.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 His Divine Di&s;covery of Sin|cerity, on 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 12.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 His &s;ea&s;onable In&s;tructions for &s;uffering Chri&s;tians; on <HI>Col.</HI> 2. 11.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P><LABEL><HI>The Godly Mans Ark:</HI> Or,</LABEL></P>
<P>City of Refuge, in the day of his di&s;tre&s;s, di&s;covered in divers Ser|mons; The fir&s;t of which was prea|ched at the Funeral of Mrs <HI>E. Moor.</HI></P>
<PB REF="55">
<P> Whereunto are annexed Mris. <HI>Moors</HI> Evidences for Heaven, com|po&s;ed and collected by her in the time of her health, for her comfort in the time of &s;ickne&s;s. By <HI>Edmund Calamy,</HI> B. D. and Pa&s;tor of the Church at <HI>Aldermanbury.</HI></P>
<P>Helps to improve the Holy Scriptures.</P>
<P>For our &s;piritual Comfort and Benefit.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Viz.</HI> Scripture
<LIST>
<ITEM>Prophe&s;ies.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Promi&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Precepts.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Threatnings.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Drawn from their Stability, and inviolable Authority. By <HI>Robert Perrot,</HI> Mini&s;ter of Gods Word.</P>
<P>Dr. <HI>Thomas Taylor,</HI> his Treati&s;e of Circum&s;pect Walking; on <HI>Eph.</HI> 5. 15.</P>
<P>A Treati&s;e on the Sabbath, by Mr. <HI>Thomas Shepheard.</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Turners</HI> Brea&s;t-plate for the Heart.</P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Culverwels</HI> White &s;tone of A&s;&s;urance.</P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Fenor</HI> on Wilful Impeniten|cy. And his four profitable Trea|ti&s;es.</P>
<PB REF="55">
<P> Spiritual Experiences of &s;undry Beleevers, recommended to the Chri&s;tian Reader, by <HI>Vava&s;or Pow|el.</HI></P>
<P>The wi&s;e Virgin, a Narration of Mrs. <HI>Martha Hatfield,</HI> a Childe of a eleven years old, how God inabled her to utter many glorious truths concerning Chri&s;t, Faith, and other &s;ubjects.</P>
<P>The Diligent School-Boys Di|rectory: Being certain plain, and profitable Rules and Directions for the better under&s;tanding of the <HI>Eng|li&s;h</HI> Orthography, by <HI>Thomas Hunt,</HI> Ma&s;ter of Art, School-Ma&s;ter at St. <HI>Saviours</HI> in <HI>Southwark.</HI></P>
<P><LABEL>The Expert Phy&s;itian.</LABEL></P>
<P>Learnedly treating of all Agues and Feavers e&s;&s;ential, whether &s;im|ple or compound, confu&s;ed, Erra|tick, and malignant, &s;hewing their different Nature, Cau&s;e, Sign, and Cure; written Originally by that famous Doctor in Phi&s;ick, <HI>Bricius Bauderon,</HI> and tran&s;lated into <HI>Eng|li&s;h</HI> by Dr. <HI>Wells,</HI> Licentiate in Phy|&s;ick, by the Univer&s;ity of <HI>Oxford.</HI></P>
<PB REF="56">
<P> A Book of Short-Writing, the mo&s;t ea&s;ie, exact, lineal, and &s;peedy method, fitted to the meane&s;t capa|city, compo&s;ed by Mr. <HI>Theophylus Metcalf,</HI> Profe&s;&s;or of the &s;aid Art.</P>
<P>Al&s;o a School-Ma&s;ter, explaining the Rules of the &s;aid Book, with many new additions, very u&s;eful.</P>
<P>Another Book of new Short|hand, by <HI>Tho. Cro&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>A Copy-Book of the newe&s;t and mo&s;t u&s;eful hands. All to be &s;old by <HI>John Hancock,</HI> at the fir&s;t &s;hop in <HI>Popes-head-Alley,</HI> next to <HI>Cornhill.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="doctrine">
<PB N="1" REF="56" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE PRIVY KEY OF HEAVEN, Or, a Di&s;cour&s;e of <HI>CLOSET-PRAYER.</HI></HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Matth. 6. 6.</BIBL>
<Q>But thou when thou praye&s;t, enter into thy Clo&s;et; and when thou ha&s;t &s;hut thy Door, Pray to thy Father which is in &s;ecret, and thy Father which &s;eeth in &s;ecret &s;hall reward thee openly.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THe&s;e words of our Savi|our are plain, and to be taken litterally, and not Allegorically, for he &s;peaketh of &s;hutting the Door of the Chamber. In this chapter there is a manife&s;t oppo&s;ition between
<PB N="2" REF="57"> the Phari&s;ees praying in the Syna|gogues and corners of the &s;treets, and others praying in &s;ecret.</P>
<P>In the Text you have a po&s;itive Precept for every Chri&s;tian to pray alone; <HI>But thou, when thou praye&s;t:</HI> he &s;aith not, when <HI>(you)</HI> pray, but <HI>(thou) when (thou) praye&s;t, enter into thy clo&s;et,</HI> &amp;c. as &s;peaking not &s;o much of a joynt duty of many praying toge|ther, as of a duty which each per|&s;on is to do alone. The command in the Text &s;ends us as well to the Clo&s;et as to the Church; and he is a hypocrite in grain that choo&s;es the one and neglects the other; for thereby he tells the world he cares for neither, he makes con&s;ci|ence of neither. He that puts on a religious habit abroad, to gain him|&s;elf a great Name among men, and at the &s;ame time lives like an Athei&s;t at home, &s;hall at the la&s;t be uncas't by God, and pre|&s;ented before all the world for a <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Bellarm. de Sanctis, lib.</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI> 4. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> mo&s;t egredious hypocrite.</P>
<P><HI>Bellarmine,</HI> and &s;ome others, turn the Text into an Allegory; they &s;ay
<PB N="3" REF="57"> that in the&s;e words there are two Allegories. Fir&s;t, the Chamber Door is the Sen&s;e: <HI>Shut the Door,</HI> that is (&s;ay they) thy Sen&s;e, le&s;t vain imaginations, and worldly thoughts di&s;tract thy mind in pray|ing. Secondly, The Door, &s;ay they, is our Mouth. <HI>Shut thy Door,</HI> that is, thy Lips (&s;ay they) and let thy Prayer be like the Prayer of <HI>Hannah,</HI> conceived in thy mind, but not uttered with thy mouth. 'Tis u&s;ual with Papi&s;ts, and other monki&s;h men, that lye in wait to deceive, to turn the ble&s;&s;ed Scri|ptures into a No&s;e of Wax, under pretence of Allegories and My&s;te|ries. <HI>Origen</HI> was a great admirer <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Eu&s;eb. Eccl. Hi&s;t. Lib.</HI> 6. <HI>chap.</HI> 8.</NOTE> of Allegories; by the &s;trength of his parts and wanton wit, he turn'd mo&s;t of the Scriptures into Alle|gories; and by the ju&s;t Judgement of God upon him, he fooli&s;hly un|der&s;tood and ab&s;urdly applied that <HI>Matth.</HI> 19. 12. litterally <HI>(Some have made them&s;elves cha&s;te for the Kingdom of Heaven)</HI> and &s;o gelded him&s;elf. And indeed he might as
<PB N="4" REF="58"> well have pluck't out one of his eyes upon the &s;ame account, be|cau&s;e Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>It is better to go to Heaven with one eye, than having two eyes to be ca&s;t into Hell fire</HI> Matth. 18. 9. In all Ages Hereticks have commonly defended their Here|&s;ies by tran&s;lating of Scriptures in|to Allegories. The Apo&s;tle &s;peaks of &s;uch, as, denying the Re&s;urrecti|on of the body, turn all the te&s;ti|monies of the Re&s;urrection into an Allegory; meaning thereby only the &s;piritual Re&s;urrection of the &s;oul from &s;in; of which &s;ort was <HI>Hymeneus</HI> and <HI>Philetus,</HI> who de&s;troyed the faith of &s;ome, &s;aying <HI>the Re&s;urrection was pa&s;t already,</HI> 2 Tim. 2. 17, 18. And are there not many among us that turn the whole Hi&s;tory of the Bible into an Allegory; and that turn Chri&s;t, and Sin, and Death, and the Soul, and Hell, and Heaven, and all into an Allegory? Many have and many do mi&s;erably pervert the Scrip|tures, by turning them into vain and groundle&s;s Allegories. Some
<PB N="5" REF="58"> wanton wits have expounded Pa|radi&s;e <NOTE PLACE="marg">Philo&punc; Ju|daeus, and others of a later date.</NOTE> to be the Soul, Man to be the Mind, the Woman to be the Sen&s;e, the Serpent to be Delight, the Tree of knowledge of good and evil to be Wi&s;dome, and the re&s;t of the Trees to be the Vertues and Endowments of the Mind. O friends it is dangerous to bring in Allegories, where the Scripture doth not clearly and plainly war|rant them; and to take tho&s;e words Figuratively, which &s;hould be taken properly.</P>
<P>The word <GAP DESC="foreign">, that is in the Text rendred Clo&s;et, hath on|ly three mo&s;t u&s;ual &s;ignifications among&s;t Greek Authors. Fir&s;t, it may be taken for a &s;ecret Cham|ber, or clo&s;e and locked Parlour. Secondly, for a Safe or Cupbord, to lay Victuals in. Thirdly, for a locked Che&s;t or Cupbord, wherein Trea&s;ure u&s;ually is re&s;erved.</P>
<P>The be&s;t and mo&s;t judicious In|terpreters that I have ca&s;t mine eye upon, both of a former and later date, do all expound my Text of
<PB N="6" REF="59"> Private Prayer in retired places, and with them I clo&s;e: And &s;o the main Doctrine that I &s;hall gather from the words is this:</P>
<Q>That Clo&s;et-Prayer (or Private-Prayer) is an indi&s;pen&s;ible duty, that <NOTE PLACE="marg">Doct.</NOTE> Chri&s;t him&s;elf hath laid upon all that are not willing to lye under the woful brand of being Hypocrites.</Q>
<P>I be&s;eech you &s;eriou&s;ly to lay to heart the&s;e five things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, If any Prayer be a duty, then &s;ecret Prayer mu&s;t needs be a duty; for &s;ecret Prayer is as much Prayer as any other Prayer is Pray|er; and &s;ecret Prayer prepares and fits the &s;oul for Family-Prayer, and for Publick-Prayer. Secret-Prayer &s;weetly enclines, &amp; &s;trong|ly di&s;po&s;es a Chri&s;tian to all other religious duties and &s;ervices. <HI>Ergo.</HI> But,</P>
<P>Secondly, If Secret Prayer be not an indi&s;pen&s;ible duty that lyes upon thee, by what authority doth Con&s;cience &s;o upbraid thee, and &s;o accu&s;e thee, and &s;o condemn thee, and &s;o terrifie thee, as it often doth
<PB N="7" REF="59"> for the neglect of this duty? But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, Was it ever the way or method of God to promi&s;e a|gain and again a reward, an open reward for that work or &s;ervice which him&s;elf never commanded? Surely No. Now to this duty of Secret Prayer, the Lord hath again and again promi&s;ed an open re|ward, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 6. 18. And there|fore without all peradventure this is a duty incumbent upon all Chri|&s;tians.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Our Saviour in the Text takes it for granted, that eve|ry child of God, will be frequent in praying to his heavenly Father, and therefore he encourages them &s;o much the more in the work of Secret Prayer. <HI>When you Pray;</HI> As if he had &s;aid, I know you can as well hear without eares, and live without food, and fight without hands, and walk without feet, as you are able to live without Pray|er. And therefore when you go to wait on God, or to give your hea|venly Father a vi&s;it, <HI>Enter into your</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="60"> <HI>Clo&s;et, and &s;hut your doors,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Fifthly, If Clo&s;et Prayer be not an indi&s;pen&s;ible duty that Chri&s;t hath laid upon all his people, why doth Satan &s;o much oppo&s;e it, why doth he &s;o indu&s;triou&s;ly and &s;o un|weariedly labour to di&s;courage Chri&s;tians in it, &amp; to take off Chri|&s;tians from it? Certainly, Satan would never make &s;uch a fierce &amp; con&s;tant war, as he doth upon pri|vate Prayer; were it not a nece&s;&s;a|ry duty, a reall duty, and a &s;oul-en|riching duty. But more of this you will find in the following di&s;cour&s;e; and therefore let this touch &s;uffice for the pre&s;ent, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now the&s;e five things do very clearly and evidently demon&s;trate that &s;ecretly and &s;olitarily to hold entercour&s;e with God is the un|doubted duty of every Chri&s;tian. But for a more full opening and confirmation of this great and im|portant Point, I &s;hall lay down the&s;e Twenty Arguments or Con|&s;iderations, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="argument">
<P>Fir&s;t, The mo&s;t eminent Saints,
<PB N="9" REF="60"> both in the Old and New Te&s;ta|ment, have applied them&s;elves to Private-Prayer. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was alone in the Mount with God forty dayes and fourty nights, <HI>Exod.</HI> 34. 28. So <HI>Abraham</HI> fills his mouth with Ar|guments, and rea&s;ons the ca&s;e out alone with God in Prayer, to pre|vent <HI>Sodoms</HI> de&s;olation and de&s;tru|ction, and never leaves off pleading and praying till he had brought God down from fifty to ten, <HI>Gen.</HI> 18. 22-32. and in <HI>Gen.</HI> 21. 33. you have <HI>Abraham</HI> again at his pri|vate prayers, <HI>And Abraham planted a Grove in Beer-&s;heba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everla&s;ting God.</HI> Why did <HI>Abraham</HI> plant a Grove, but that he might have a mo&s;t private place to pray and poure out his &s;oul before the Lord in? So <HI>I&s;aac, Gen.</HI> 24. 63. <HI>And I&s;aac went out to meditate in the field at even|tide.</HI> The Hebrew word <HI>La&s;uach,</HI> that is here rendred Meditate, &s;ig|nifies to pray as well as to me|ditate, and &s;o it is often u&s;ed. 'Tis a comprehen&s;ive word, that
<PB N="10" REF="61"> takes in both Prayer and Meditati|on. So you &s;hall find <HI>Jacob</HI> at his private-prayer, <HI>Gen.</HI> 32. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. <HI>And Jacob was left alone: and there wre&s;tled a man with him until the breaking of the day.</HI> When <HI>Ja|cob</HI> was all alone, and in a dark night, and when his joynts were out of joynt, he &s;o wre&s;tles and weeps, and weeps and wre&s;tles in private Prayer, that as a Prince at la&s;t he prevailes with God. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 12. 3, 4. So <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 55. 16, 17. <HI>As for me, I will call upon God: and the Lord &s;hall &s;ave me. Evening, and morn|ing, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud, and he &s;hall hear my voyce.</HI> So <HI>Daniel</HI> was three times a day in private prayer, <HI>Dan.</HI> 6. 10. <HI>Now when Daniel knew that the Writing was &s;ign'd, he went into his hou&s;e; and his Windows being open in his Chamber to|ward Jeru&s;alem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did afore|time. Daniel</HI> had accu&s;tomed him|&s;elf to private prayer; he went to his clo&s;et, before he went to his pub|lick
<PB N="11" REF="61"> employment and State affairs: and at his return to dinner, he turn|ed fir&s;t into his Chamber to &s;erve his God, and refre&s;h his &s;oul, before he &s;et down to fea&s;t his body: and at the end of the day, when he had di&s;patcht his bu&s;ine&s;s with men, he made it his bu&s;ine&s;s to wait upon God in his Chamber. So <HI>Jonah</HI> keeps up private prayer, when he was in the Fi&s;hes belly, yea, when he was in the belly of Hell, <HI>Jonah</HI> 2. 1, 2, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> So we have <HI>Elias</HI> at prayer under the Juniper Tree, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 19. 4. So <HI>Hannah,</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 1. 13. Now <HI>Hannah</HI> &s;he &s;peaks in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. The very &s;oul of prayer lyes in the pouring out of the &s;oul before God, as <HI>Hannah</HI> did, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 15. Neither was <HI>Rebecah</HI> a &s;tranger to this duty, who upon the Babes &s;trugling in her womb, went to enquire of the Lord, <HI>Gen.</HI> 25. 22. that is, &s;he went to &s;ome &s;ecret place to pray, &s;aith <HI>Calvin, Mu&s;culus, Mercer,</HI> and others. So <HI>Saul</HI> is no &s;ooner converted, but pre|&s;ently
<PB N="12" REF="62"> he falls upon private prayer, <HI>Acts</HI> 9. 11. <HI>And the Lord &s;aid unto him, ari&s;e, and go into the &s;treet which is called</HI> Strait, <HI>and enquire in the hou&s;e of Judas for one called Saul of Tar&s;us: for behold he prayeth.</HI> Though he was a &s;trict <HI>Phari&s;ee,</HI> yet he never prayed to purpo&s;e before, nor never pray|ed in private before. The <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> u&s;ed to pray in the corners of the Streets, and not in the corners of their hou&s;es. And after his conver|&s;ion he was frequently in private prayer, as you may &s;ee by compa|ring of the&s;e Scriptures together, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 9. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 15, 16. 1 <HI>Phil.</HI> 3, 4. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 3. So <HI>Epaphras</HI> was a warm man in clo&s;et prayer, <HI>Phil.</HI> 4. 12, 13. So <HI>Cornelius</HI> had de|voted him&s;elf to private prayer, <HI>Acts</HI> 10. 2, 4. And &s;o <HI>Peter</HI> gets up to the hou&s;e top to pray, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 9. <HI>On the morrow as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the City, Peter went up upon the hou&s;e-top to pray, about the &s;ixth hour. Peter</HI> got up up|on the Leads, not only to avoid de&s;traction, but that he might be
<PB N="13" REF="62"> the more &s;ecret in his private devo|tion. <HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> tells us of <HI>James</HI> cal|led <HI>Ju&s;tus,</HI> that his knees were grown hard and brawny with kneeling &s;o much in private pray|er. And <HI>Nazianzen</HI> reports of his Si&s;ter <HI>Gorgonia,</HI> that her knees &s;eem|ed to cleave to the earth, by her of|ten praying in private. And <HI>Grego|ry</HI> &s;aith of his Aunt <HI>Trucilla,</HI> that her Elbows was as hard as horn by often leaning upon her Desk at private prayer. I have read of a devout per&s;on, who when the &s;et time for his private devotion was come, whatever company he was in, he would break from them with this neat and hand&s;ome come off, <HI>I have a friend that &s;tayes for me: Farewel.</HI> And there was once a great Lady of this Land, who would frequently withdraw from the company of Lords and Ladies of great quality (who came to vi|&s;it her) rather than &s;he would lo&s;e her &s;et times of waiting upon God in her Clo&s;et; &s;he would, as they call'd it, rudely take her leave of
<PB N="14" REF="63"> them, that &s;o &s;he might in private attend the Lord of Lords. She would &s;pare what time &s;he could, to expre&s;s her favours, civilities, and courte&s;ies, among her Relati|ons and Friends; but &s;he would ne|ver &s;uffer them to rob God of his time, nor her &s;oul of that comfort and communion which &s;he u&s;ed to enjoy, when &s;he was with God in her Clo&s;et. And indeed one hours communion with God in ones clo|&s;et, is to be preferr'd before the greate&s;t and be&s;t company in the World. And there was a child of a Chri&s;tian Gentle-woman, that was &s;o given to prayer from its infancy, that before it could well &s;peak, it would u&s;e to get alone and go to prayer; and as it grew, it was more frequent in prayer, and retir|ing of it &s;elf from company; and he would ask his Mother very &s;trange que&s;tions, far above the ca|pacity of one of his years: but at la&s;t, when this child was but five years old, and whipping of his top, on a &s;udden he flung away his
<PB N="15" REF="63"> Scourge-&s;tick and Top, and ran to his Mother, and with great joy &s;aid unto her, <HI>Mother, I mu&s;t go to God; will you go with me?</HI> She an&s;wered, My dear Child, how do&s;t thou know thou &s;halt go to God? he an|&s;wered, <HI>God hath told me &s;o, for I love God and God loves me.</HI> She an&s;wered, Dear Child, I mu&s;t go when God plea&s;eth. But why wilt thou not &s;tay with me? The Child an&s;wer|ed, <HI>I will not &s;tay, I mu&s;t go to God.</HI> And the Child did not live above a moneth after, but never cared for play more; but falling &s;ick he would alwayes be &s;aying, that he mu&s;t go to God, he mu&s;t go to God. And thus &s;ometimes, out of the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 21. 16.</NOTE> mouthes of Babes and Sucklings God hath perfected prai&s;e. Cer|tainly &s;uch per&s;ons will be ripe for Heaven betimes, who begin be|times to &s;eek God in a Clo&s;et, in a Corner. And <HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> reports of <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> the Emperour, that eve|ry day he u&s;ed to &s;hut up him&s;elf in &s;ome &s;ecret place in his Palace, and there on bended knees, did
<PB N="16" REF="64"> make his devout Prayers and So|liloquies to God. My God and I are good company, &s;aid famous Dr. <HI>Sibbs.</HI> A man who&s;e &s;oul is con|ver&s;ant with God in a Clo&s;er, in a Hole, behind the Door, or in a De&s;art, a Den, a Dungeon, &s;hall find more real plea&s;ure, more choice delight, and more full con|tent, than in the Pallace of a Prince. By all the&s;e famous In&s;tances you &s;ee that the People of God in all Ages have addicted them&s;elves to private prayer. O friends, the&s;e pi|ous examples &s;hould be very awak|ning, very convincing, and very encouraging to you. Certainly 'tis as much your duty as 'tis your glo|ry to follow the&s;e pious patterns that are now &s;et before you: Wit|ne&s;s the&s;e following Scriptures, <HI>Prov.</HI> 2. 20. <HI>That thou maye&s;t walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.</HI> 1 Cor. 11. 1. <HI>Be ye followers of me, even as I al&s;o am of Chri&s;t.</HI> Phil. 3. 17. <HI>Brethren, be fol|lowers together of me, and mark them which walk &s;o, as ye have us for an en|&s;ample.</HI>
<PB N="17" REF="64"> <HI>Phil.</HI> 4. 9. <HI>Tho&s;e things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and &s;een in me, do: and the God of peace &s;hall be with you.</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 1. 6. <HI>And ye became fol|lowers of us, and of the Lord, having re|ceived the word in much affliction.</HI> Heb. 6. 12. <HI>That ye be not &s;loathful, but fol|lowers of them, who through faith and patience inher it the Promi&s;es.</HI> So, 2 Tim. 3. 10, 11, 12, 14. Titus 2. 7. 'Twas an excellent Law that the <HI>Ephe&s;ians</HI> made, <HI>viz.</HI> That men &s;hould propound to them&s;elves the be&s;t patterns, and ever bear in mind &s;ome eminent man. Bad men are wonderful in love with bad exam|ples. <HI>Jer.</HI> 44. 16, 17. The <HI>Indian</HI> hear|ing <NOTE PLACE="marg">Praecepto docent, Ex|empla mo|vent.</NOTE> that his Ance&s;tors were gone to Hell, &s;aid, That then he would go thither too. Some men have a mind to go to hell for company-&s;ake. Oh that we were as much in love with the Examples of good men, as others are in love with the examples of bad men; and then we &s;hould be oftner in our clo&s;ets than now we are. Oh that our eyes were
<PB N="18" REF="65"> more fixed on the pious examples of all that have in them <HI>(aliquid Chri&s;ti)</HI> any thing of Chri&s;t, as <HI>Bucer</HI> &s;pake. Shall we love to look upon the Pictures of our Friends? and &s;hall we not love to look upon the pious examples of tho&s;e that are the live|ly and lovely Picture of Chri&s;t? The pious examples of others &s;hould be the looking-gla&s;&s;es by which we &s;hould dre&s;s our &s;elves. He is the be&s;t and wi&s;e&s;t Chri&s;tian, that writes after the faire&s;t Scripture Copy, that imitates tho&s;e Chri&s;ti|ans, that are mo&s;t eminent in grace, and that have been mo&s;t exerci&s;ed in Clo&s;et-prayer, and in the mo&s;t &s;ecret duties of Religion.</P>
<P><HI>Hierome</HI> having read the Life and Death of <HI>Hilarion</HI> (one that lived mo&s;t Chri&s;tianly, and died mo&s;t comfortably) folded up the Book &s;aying, Well, <HI>Hilarion</HI> &s;hall be the Champion that I will follow, his good life &s;hall be my example, and his godly death my pre&s;ident. 'Tis brave to live and die by the exam|ples of the mo&s;t eminent Saints. But,</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="argument">
<PB N="19" REF="65">
<P> Secondly, con&s;ider, when Chri&s;t was on earth, he did much exerci&s;e him&s;elf in &s;ecret prayer, he was often with God alone, as you may &s;ee in the&s;e famous Scriptures. <HI>Matth.</HI> 14. 23. <HI>And when he had &s;ent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray; and when the evening was come, he was there alone.</HI> Chri&s;ts choo&s;ing &s;olitudes for pri|vate prayer doth not only hint to us the danger of di&s;traction and deviation of thoughts in prayer, but how nece&s;&s;ary it is for us to choo&s;e the mo&s;t convenient places we can for private prayers. Our own ficklene&s;s and Satans re&s;tle&s;ne&s;s, calls upon us to get into &s;uch cor|ners, where we may mo&s;t freely pour out our &s;ouls into the bo|&s;om of God. <HI>Mark</HI> 1. 35. <HI>And in the morning ri&s;ing up a great while be|fore day, he went out and departed in|to a &s;olitary place, and there prayed.</HI> As the morning time is the fitte&s;t time for prayer, &s;o &s;olitary places are the fitte&s;t places for prayer. <HI>Mark</HI> 6. 46. <HI>And when he had &s;ent them away,</HI>
<PB N="20" REF="66"> <HI>he departed into a mountain to pray.</HI> He that would pray to purpo&s;e had need be quiet when he is alone. <HI>Luke</HI> 5. 16. <HI>And he withdrew him&s;elf into the wilder|ne&s;s and prayed. (Gr.</HI> He was de|parting and praying; to give us to under&s;tand that he did thus often) When Chri&s;t was neither exerci&s;ed in teaching nor in working of mi|racles, he was then very intent on private prayer. <HI>Luke</HI> 6. 12. <HI>And it came to pa&s;s in tho&s;e dayes, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and conti|nued all night in prayer to God.</HI> Did Chri&s;t &s;pend whole nights in pri|vate prayer to &s;ave our &s;ouls; and &s;hall we think it much to &s;pend an hour or two in the day for the fur|therance of the internal and eternal welfare of our &s;ouls? <HI>Luke</HI> 21. 37. <HI>And in the day time he was teaching in the Temple, and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives.</HI> Chri&s;t frequent|ly joynes praying and preaching together; and tho&s;e whom Chri&s;t hath joyn'd together, let no man pre&s;ume to put a&s;under. <HI>Luke</HI> 22.
<PB N="21" REF="66"> 39, 41, 44, 45. <HI>And he came out, and went as he was wont, to the Mount of Olives, and his Di&s;ciples al&s;o followed him. And he was with-drawn from them about a &s;tones ca&s;t, and kneeled down and prayed. And being in an ago|ny he prayed more earne&s;tly, and his &s;weat was as it were great drops of blood</HI> (clotted or congealed blood) <HI>fal|ling down to the ground</HI> (never was Garden watred before or &s;ince with blood as this was) <HI>And when he ro&s;e up from prayer, and was come to his di&s;|ciples, he found them &s;leeping for &s;orrow.</HI> Ah what &s;ad pieces of vanity are the be&s;t of men in an hour of trial and temptation. The&s;e very men that a little before did &s;toutly pro|fe&s;&s;e and promi&s;e, that they would never leave him nor for&s;ake him, and that they would to pri&s;on for Chri&s;t, and die for Chri&s;t, yet when the day of trial came, they could nor &s;o much as watch with him one hour; they had neither eyes to &s;ee, nor hands to wipe off Chri&s;ts bloody &s;weat. So <HI>John</HI> 6. 15, 16, 17. Thus you &s;ee by all the&s;e famous
<PB N="22" REF="67"> In&s;tances that Chri&s;t was frequent in private prayer. Oh that we would daily propound to our &s;elves this noble pattern for our imitation and make it our bu&s;ine&s;s, our work, our heaven, to write after this ble&s;|&s;ed Copy that Chri&s;t hath &s;et us, <HI>viz.</HI> To be much with God alone. Certainly Chri&s;tianity is nothing el&s;e but an imitation of the divine nature, a reducing of a mans &s;elf to the Image of God, in which he was created, in righteou&s;ne&s;s and true holine&s;s. A Chri&s;tians whole life &s;hould be nothing but a vi&s;ible re|pre&s;entation of Chri&s;t. The Hea|thens had this notion among&s;t them (as <HI>Lactantius</HI> reports) That the wayes to honour their gods was to be like them. Sure I am, that the highe&s;t wayes of honour|ing Chri&s;t, is to be like to Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>John</HI> 2. 6. <HI>He that &s;aith he abideth in him, ought him&s;elf al&s;o to walk, even as he walked.</HI> Oh that this ble&s;&s;ed Scripture might alwayes lye warm upon our hearts. Chri&s;t is the Sun, and all the watches of our lives
<PB N="23" REF="67"> &s;hould be &s;et by the Dial of his motion. Chri&s;t is a pattern of pat|terns; his example &s;hould be to us in &s;tead of a thou&s;and examples. 'Tis not only our liberty, but our duty and glory to follow Chri&s;t in all his moral vertues ab&s;olutely: other patterns be imperfect and defective, but Chri&s;t is a perfect pattern; and of all his Children they are the happie&s;t that come neare&s;t to this perfect pattern.</P>
<P><HI>Heliogabalus</HI> loved his Children the better for re&s;embling him in &s;in: But Chri&s;t loves his children the more for re&s;embling him in &s;anctity. I have read of &s;ome Springs that change the colour of the Cattel that drink of them, in|to the colour of their own waters, as <HI>Du Bartus</HI> &s;ings.</P>
<LG>
<L>Cerona, Xanth and Cephi&s;us do make</L>
<L>The thir&s;ty flocks, that of their waters take,</L>
<L>Black, Red and White, and near the Crim&s;on deep,</L>
<L>The Arabian Fountain maketh Crim&s;on &s;heep.</L>
</LG>
<PB N="24" REF="68">
<P> Certainly, Je&s;us Chri&s;t is &s;uch a Fountain, in which who&s;oever bathes, and of which who&s;oever drinks, &s;hall be changed into the &s;ame likene&s;s, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 18.</P>
<Q>But why was our Lord Je&s;us &s;o much <MILESTONE UNIT="Que&s;t."> in private prayer, why was he &s;o often with God alone?</Q>
<P>Fir&s;t, 'Twas to put a very high <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="An&s;w."> honour and value upon private prayer; 'twas to enhance and rai&s;e the price of this duty. Men natu|rally are very apt and prone to have low, and under-valuing thoughts of &s;ecret prayer. But Chri&s;t by exerci&s;ing him&s;elf &s;o fre|quently in it, hath put an everla&s;t|ing honour, and an ine&s;timable va|lue upon it. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, He was much in pri|vate prayer, he was often with God alone, that he might not be &s;een of men, and that he might avoid all &s;hews and appearances of o&s;tenta|tion and popular applau&s;e. He that hath commanded us to ab&s;tain
<PB N="25" REF="68"> from all appearance of evil, 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5. 22. would not him&s;elf, when he was in this world, venture upon the lea&s;t appearance of evil. Chri&s;t was very &s;hie of every thing that did but look like &s;in; he was very &s;hie of the very &s;hew and &s;hadow of pride or vain-glory.</P>
<P>Thirdly, To avoid interrupti|ons in the duty. Secre&s;ie is no &s;mall advantage to the &s;erious and lively carrying on of a private duty. In|terruptions and di&s;turbances from without are often-times quench-coals to private prayer. The be&s;t Chri&s;tians do but bungle when they meet with interruptions in their private devotions.</P>
<P>Fourthly, To &s;et us &s;uch a ble&s;|&s;ed pattern and gracious example, that we &s;hould never plea&s;e nor content our &s;elves with publick-prayers onely, nor with family-prayers only, but that we &s;hould al&s;o apply our &s;elves to &s;ecret pray|er, to clo&s;et prayer. Chri&s;t was not alwayes in publick, nor alwayes in his family, but he was often in pri|vate
<PB N="26" REF="69"> with God alone, that by his own example he might encourage us to be often with God in &s;ecret; and happy are they that tread in his &s;teps, and that write after his Copy.</P>
<P>Fifthly, That he might approve him&s;elf to our under&s;tandings and con&s;ciences to be a mo&s;t ju&s;t and faithful High-Prie&s;t. Chri&s;t was <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 17. <HI>John</HI> 17. <HI>per totum.</HI></NOTE> wonderful faithful and careful in both parts of his Prie&s;tly Office, <HI>viz</HI> Satisfaction, and Interce&s;&s;ion, he was his Peoples only Spokes|man. Ah! how earne&s;t, how fre|quent was he in pouring out pray|ers, and tears, and &s;ighes, and groans for his people in &s;ecret, when he was in this world, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5. 7. And now he is in Heaven, he is &s;till a making Interce&s;&s;ion for them, <HI>Heb.</HI> 7. 25.</P>
<P>Sixthly, To convince us that his Father hears and ob&s;erves our pri|vate prayers, and bottles up all our &s;ecret tears, and that he is not a &s;tranger to our clo&s;et de&s;ires, wre&s;t|lings, breathings, hungrings and thir&s;tings.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="argument">
<PB N="27" REF="69">
<P> Thirdly, Con&s;ider, that the or|dinary exerci&s;ing of your &s;elves in &s;ecret prayer, is that which will difference and di&s;tingui&s;h you from hypocrites, who do all they do to be &s;een of men, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 1, 2. <HI>Take heed that you do not your alms be|fore men, to be &s;een of them; otherwi&s;e ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doe&s;t</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">They &s;ay of the Night|ingale that when &s;he is &s;olitary in the woods &s;he is care|le&s;s of her note, but com+po&s;es her &s;elf more quaintly and ele|gantly, if &s;he con|ceives there be any audi|tors, or if &s;he be near hou&s;es. Ju&s;t &s;o 'tis with hypocrites in religious duties.</NOTE> <HI>thine alms, do not &s;ound a Trumpet be|fore thee, as the hypocrites do in the Sy|nagogues, and in the &s;treets, that they may have glory of men. Verily, I &s;ay unto you, they have their reward.</HI> Self is the on|ly oyl that makes the Chariot-wheels of the hypocrite move in all religious concernments. <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 5. <HI>And when thou praye&s;t, thou &s;halt not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to &s;tand praying in the Synagogues, and in the corners of the &s;treets, that they may be &s;een of men: Verily I &s;ay unto you, they have their reward.</HI> Ver&s;. 16. <HI>Moreover, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a &s;ad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may ap|pear unto men to fa&s;t. Verily I &s;ay unto</HI>
<PB N="28" REF="70"> <HI>you, they have their reward.</HI> Thus you &s;ee that the&s;e hypocrites look more at men, that at God in all their duties. When they give alms, the trumpet mu&s;t &s;ound; when they pray, it mu&s;t be in the Syna|gogues, and in the corner of the &s;treets; and when they fa&s;ted, they disfigured their faces, that they might appear unto men to fa&s;t. Hypocrites live upon the prai&s;es and applau&s;es of men. Naturali&s;ts report of the <HI>Chelydonian</HI> &s;tone, that it will retain its vertue no longer than it is enclo&s;ed in gold. So hy|pocrites will keep up their duties no longer than they are fed, and en|couraged, and enclo&s;ed with the golden prai&s;es and applau&s;es of men. Hypocrites are like blazing Stars, which &s;o long as they are fed with Vapours, &s;hine as if they were fixed Stars; but let the Va|pours dry up, and pre&s;ently they vani&s;h and di&s;appear.</P>
<P>Clo&s;et duty &s;peaks out mo&s;t &s;in|cerity. He prayes with a witne&s;s that prayes without a witne&s;s.
<PB N="29" REF="70"> The more &s;incere the &s;oul is, the more in Clo&s;et duty the &s;oul will be, <HI>Job</HI> 31. 33. Where do you read in all the Scripture, that <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> or <HI>Saul,</HI> or <HI>Judas,</HI> or <HI>Demas,</HI> or <HI>Si|mon Magus,</HI> or the Scribes and Pha|ri&s;ees, did ever u&s;e to pour out their &s;ouls before the Lord in &s;ecret? Se|cret prayer is not the Hypocrites ordinary walk, his ordinary work or trade. There is great cau&s;e to fear that his heart was never right with God, who&s;e whole devotion is &s;pent among men, or among many: Or el&s;e our Saviour in drawing the hypocrites picture, would never have made this to be the very ca&s;t of his countenance, as he doth in <HI>Mat.</HI> 6. 5. 'Tis very ob|&s;ervable, that Chri&s;t commands his Di&s;ciples, that they &s;hould not be as the hypocrites. 'Tis one thing to be hypocrites, and 'tis ano|ther thing to be as the hypocrites. Chri&s;t would not have his people to look like hypocrites, nor to be like to hypocrites. 'Tis only &s;inceri|ty that will enable a man to make
<PB N="30" REF="71"> a trade of private prayer. In pray|ing with many, there are many things that may bribe and provoke a carnal heart, as pride, vain-glory, love of applau&s;e, or to get a name. An hypocrite in all his duties trades more for a good name, than for a good life, for a good report than for a good con&s;cience; like Fidlers, that are more careful in tuning their In&s;truments, than in compo&s;ing their lives. But in pri|vate prayer, there is no &s;uch trade to be driven. But,</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="argument">
<P>Fourthly, Con&s;ider that in &s;e|cret we may more freely and fully, and &s;afely unbo&s;ome our &s;oules to God, than we can in the pre&s;ence of many or a few. Hence the Hu&s;|band is to mourn apart, and the Wife apart, <HI>Zech.</HI> 12. 12, 13, 14. not only to &s;hew the &s;oundne&s;s of their &s;orrow, but al&s;o to &s;hew their &s;incerity by their &s;ecre&s;ie; they mu&s;t mourn apart that their &s;ins may not be di&s;clo&s;ed nor di&s;covered one to another: Here they are &s;evered to &s;hew that they wept not for com|pany
<PB N="31" REF="71"> &s;ake, but for their own parti|cular &s;ins, by which they had pier|ced and crucified the Lord of glo|ry. In &s;ecret a Chri&s;tian may de|&s;cend into &s;uch particulars, as in publick or before others he wil not, he may not, he ought not to men|tion. Ah how many Chri&s;tians are there who would blu&s;h and be a&s;hamed to walk in the &s;treets, and to conver&s;e with &s;inners or &s;aints, &s;hould but tho&s;e infirmities, enor|mities, and wickedne&s;&s;es, be written in their fore-heads, or known to others; which they freely and fully lay open to God in &s;ecret? There are many &s;ins which many men have fallen into before conver&s;ion and &s;ince conver&s;ion, which &s;hould they be known to the world, would make them&s;elves to &s;tink, and Religion to &s;tink, and their pro|fe&s;&s;ion to &s;tink in the no&s;trils of all that know them. Yea, &s;hould tho&s;e weakne&s;&s;es and wickedne&s;&s;es be publi&s;hed upon the hou&s;e tops, which many are guilty of before grace received, or &s;ince grace re|ceived;
<PB N="32" REF="72"> how would weak Chri|&s;tians be &s;taggered, young comers on in the wayes of God di&s;courag|ed, and many mouthes of bla&s;phe|my opened, and many &s;inners hearts hardened again&s;t the Lord, his wayes, reproofs, and the things of their own peace; yea, how would Satans banner be di&s;played, and his kingdom &s;trengthned, and him|&s;elf infinitely plea&s;ed and delight|ed? 'Tis an infinite mercy and con|de&s;cention in God, to lay a Law of re&s;traint upon Satan, who el&s;e would be the greate&s;t Blab in all the world: It would be mirth and mu&s;ick to him to be &s;till a laying open the follies and weakne&s;&s;es of the Saints.</P>
<P><HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> brings in the Devil boa&s;ting again&s;t Chri&s;t, and chal|lenging <HI>Judas</HI> as his own. <HI>He is not thine, Lord Je&s;us, he is mine, his thoughts beat for me; he eats with thee, but is fed by me; he takes bread from thee, but mony from me; he drinks with thee, and &s;ells thy blood to me.</HI> There is not a &s;in that a Saint commits,
<PB N="33" REF="72"> but Satan would trumpet it out to all the world, if God would but give him leave. No man that is in his right wits, will lay open to eve|ry one his bodily infirmities, weak|ne&s;&s;es, di&s;ea&s;es, ailments griefs, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but to &s;ome near relation, or bo&s;om friend, or able Phy&s;itian. So no man that is in his right wits will lay open to every one his &s;oul-infirmities, weakne&s;&s;es, di&s;|ea&s;es, ailments, griefs, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but to the Lord, or to &s;ome particular per&s;on that is wi&s;e, faithful, and able to contribute &s;omething to his &s;ouls relief. Should a Chri&s;tian but lay open or rip up all his follies and vanities to the world, how &s;adly would &s;ome deride him and &s;corn him? and how &s;everely and bitter|ly would others cen&s;ure him and judge him? <HI>&amp;c.</HI> When <HI>David</HI> was alone in the Cave, then he poured out his complaint to God, and &s;hewed before him his trouble, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 142. 2. And when <HI>Job</HI> was all alone, then his eyes pour'd out tears to God <HI>Job.</HI> 20. 16. There is no hazzard, no
<PB N="34" REF="73" MS="y"> danger, in ripping up of all before God in a corner, but there may be a great deal of hazzard and danger <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 12. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rev. 22. 12. Heb. 10. 6. P&s;al. 126. 5. Luk. 14. 14. Matth. 25. 34, 37.</NOTE> in ripping up of all before men.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="argument">
<P>Fifthly, Secret duties &s;hall have open rewards, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 6. <HI>And thy Father which &s;eeth in &s;ecret &s;hall re|ward thee openly.</HI> So <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 18. God will reward his people here in part, &amp; hereafter in all perfection: He is a rewarder of them that diligently &s;eek him in a corner. They that &s;ow in tears &s;ecretly, &s;hal reap in joy open+ly. Private prayer &s;hall be rewarded before men and Angels publickly. How openly did God reward <HI>Da|niel</HI> for his &s;ecret prayer? <HI>Dan.</HI> 6. 10. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. <HI>Mordecai</HI> pri|vately di&s;covered a plot of trea&s;on again&s;t the per&s;on of King <HI>Aha&s;uerus,</HI> and he is rewarded openly, <HI>E&s;ther</HI> 2. 21, 22, 23. with <HI>Chap.</HI> 6. <HI>Darius</HI> before he came to the kingdom, received privately a garment for a gift of one <HI>Sylo&s;on;</HI> and when he came to be King, he rewarded him openly with the command of his Country <HI>Samus.</HI> God in the great
<PB N="35" REF="73"> Day, will recompen&s;e his people before all the world, for every &s;e|cret prayer, and &s;ecret tear, and &s;e|cret &s;igh, and &s;ecret groan that hath come from his people. God in the great day will declare to men and Angels, how often his people have been in pouring out their &s;ouls be|fore him in &s;uch and &s;uch holes, corners, and &s;ecret places, and ac|cordingly he will reward them.</P>
<P>Ah Chri&s;tians, did you really believe this, and &s;eriou&s;ly dwell on this, you would</P>
<P N="1">1. Walk more thankfully.</P>
<P N="2">2. Work more chearfully.</P>
<P N="3">3. Suffer more patiently.</P>
<P N="4">4. Fight again&s;t the world, the fle&s;h, and the devil, more couragi|ou&s;ly.</P>
<P N="5">5. Lay out your &s;elves for God, his intere&s;t and glory, more freely.</P>
<P N="6">6. Live with what Providence hath cut out for your portion, more quietly and contentedly. And,</P>
<P N="7">7. You would be in private prayer more frequently, more a|bundantly.</P>
<PB N="36" REF="74">
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="argument">
<P>Sixthly, Con&s;ider, that God hath <NOTE PLACE="marg">O Lord, I never come to thee but by thee; I never go from thee without thee. <HI>Bern.</HI></NOTE> u&s;ually let out him&s;elf mo&s;t to his people, when they have been in &s;ecret, when they have been a|lone at the Throne of Grace. Oh the &s;weet meltings, the hea|venly warmings, the ble&s;&s;ed cheer|ings, the glorious manife&s;tations, and the choice communion with God, that Chri&s;tians have found when they have been alone with God in a corner, in a clo&s;et, behind the door! When had <HI>Daniel</HI> that Vi&s;ion &amp; comfortable Me&s;&s;age, that ble&s;&s;ed News (by the Angel) that he was <HI>greatly beloved,</HI> but when he was all alone at prayer? <HI>Dan.</HI> 9. 20, 21, 22, 23. <HI>And while I was &s;peaking, and praying, and confe&s;&s;ing my &s;in, and the &s;in of my people I&s;rael, and pre&s;enting my &s;upplication before the Lord my God, for the holy Mountain of my God; yea, while I was &s;peaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had &s;een in the Vi&s;ion at the beginning, being cau&s;ed to flie &s;wiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation: And he informed me, and talked with</HI>
<PB N="37" REF="74"> <HI>me, and &s;aid, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill, and under&s;tand|ing. At the beginning of thy &s;upplica|tions the commandement came forth, and I am come to &s;hew thee; for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore under&s;tand the matter, and con&s;ider the Vi&s;ion.</HI> Whil&s;t <HI>Daniel</HI> was at private pray|er, God by the Angel <HI>Gabriel</HI> reveales to him the &s;ecret of his Coun&s;el, concerning the Re&s;taura|tion of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and the duration thereof, even to the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah;</HI> and whil&s;t <HI>Daniel</HI> was at private prayer, the Lord appears to him, and in an extraordinary way a&s;&s;ures him that he was a man greatly beloved, or as the Hebrew <HI>(Chumudoth)</HI> hath it, <HI>a man of de&s;ires,</HI> that is, a man whom Gods de&s;ires are towards, a man &s;ingularly beloved of God, and highly in favour with God, a man that art very plea&s;ing and delight|ful to God. God loves to lade the wings of private prayer with the &s;weete&s;t, choice&s;t, and chiefe&s;t ble&s;|&s;ings. Ah how often hath God ki&s;&s;ed a poor chri&s;tian at the be|ginning
<PB N="38" REF="75"> of private prayer, and &s;poke peace to him in the mid&s;t of private prayer, and fill'd him with light, and joy, and a&s;&s;urance upon the clo&s;e of private prayer? And &s;o <HI>Cornelius</HI> is highly commend|ed and graciou&s;ly rewarded upon the account of his private prayer, <HI>Acts.</HI> 10. 1, 2, 3, 4. <HI>There was a cer|tain man in Ce&s;area called Cornelius, a Centurion of the Band called the Italian Band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his hou&s;e; which gave much Alms to the people, and prayed to God alwayes: He &s;aw in a vi&s;ion evi|dently about the ninth houre of the day, an Angel of God coming in to him, and &s;aying unto him; Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and &s;aid, what is it, Lord? and he &s;aid unto him, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.</HI> Ver&s;. 30. 31. <HI>And Cornelius &s;aid, four dayes a|goe I was fa&s;ting until this hour</HI> (that is, until about three a clock in the after-noon, ver&s;. 3.) <HI>and at the ninth hour I prayed in my hou&s;e, and behold a man &s;tood before me in bright cloathing,</HI>
<PB N="39" REF="75"> <HI>and &s;aid, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine Alms are had in remembrance in the &s;ight of God.</HI> Mark, as he was praying in his hou&s;e, namely, by him&s;elf alone, a man in bright clothing (that was an Angel in mans &s;hape, ver&s;. 3.) appeared to him, and &s;aid, <HI>Cornelius, thy prayer is heard;</HI> he doth not mean only that prayer which he made when he fa&s;ted and humbled him&s;elf before the Lord, ver&s;. 30. 31. but (as ver&s;. 2, 3, 4. &s;hews (His prayers) his pray|ers which he made alone; for it &s;eemes, none el&s;e were with him then, for he only &s;aw that man in bright cloathing, and to him alone the Angel addre&s;&s;ed his pre&s;ent &s;peech, &s;aying, <HI>Cornelius, thy prayers are heard,</HI> ver&s;. 4, 31. Here you &s;ee that <HI>Cornelius</HI> his private prayers are not only heard, but kindly re|membred, and graciou&s;ly accepted, and gloriou&s;ly rewarded. Praying <HI>Cornelius</HI> is not only remembred by God, but he is al&s;o vi&s;ited &s;en&s;i|bly and evidently by an Angel, and a&s;&s;ured that his private prayers
<PB N="40" REF="76"> and good deeds are an odour, a &s;weet &s;mel, a &s;acrifice acceptable and well plea&s;ing to God. And &s;o when had <HI>Peter</HI> his Vi&s;ion, but when he was praying alone on the hou&s;e|top? <HI>Acts</HI> 10. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. <HI>On the morrow, as they went on their jour|ney, and drew nigh unto the City, Peter went up unto the hou&s;e-top to pray, about the &s;xith hour. And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, and &s;aw heaven opened, and a certain Ve&s;&s;el de&s;cending unto him, as it had been a great &s;heet, knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth, wherein were all manner of four-footed bea&s;ts of the earth and wild bea&s;ts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Ri&s;e, Peter; kill and eat.</HI> When <HI>Peter</HI> was upon the hou&s;e-top at prayer alone, then he fell into a trance, and then he &s;aw Heaven opened, and then he had his &s;pirit rai&s;ed, his Mind clevated, and all the Faculties of his &s;oul filled with a Divine Revelation. And &s;o when <HI>Pa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">l</HI> was at prayer alone, he &s;aw in <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 11 18.</NOTE>
<PB N="41" REF="76"> a Vi&s;ion a man named <HI>Ananias</HI> coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his &s;ight. <HI>Paul</HI> had not been long at pri|vate prayer, before it was revealed to him, that he was a cho&s;en ve&s;&s;el, &amp; before he was filled with the gifts Graces, and Comforts of the Ho|ly Gho&s;t. And when <HI>John</HI> was alone in the I&s;le of <HI>Patmos,</HI> for the word of God, and for the te&s;timony of Je&s;us Chri&s;t (whither he was ba|ni&s;hed by <HI>Domitian,</HI> a mo&s;t cruel Emperor) then he had a glorious <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Eu&s;eb. l.</HI> 3. <HI>c.</HI> 18. Rev. 1. 9,<HI>&mdash;ult.</HI> Rev. 5. 1, to 9.</NOTE> &s;ight of the Son of man, and then the Lord di&s;covered to him mo&s;t deep and profound My&s;teries, both concerning the pre&s;ent and future &s;tate of the Church, to the end of the world. And when <HI>John</HI> was weeping (in private prayer doubt|le&s;s) then the &s;ealed book was o|pened to him. So when <HI>Daniel</HI> was at private prayer, God di&s;patches a heavenly me&s;&s;enger to him, and his Errand was to open more clear|ly and fully the ble&s;&s;ed Scripture to him. Some comfortable &amp; encour|raging
<PB N="42" REF="77"> knowledge this holy man <NOTE PLACE="marg">Doctor <HI>Ames</HI> got his learn|ing by pri|vat prayer and &s;o did <HI>Solomon</HI> his wi&s;|dom.</NOTE> of God had attain'd unto before by his frequent and con&s;tant &s;tudy in the word, and this egges him on to private prayer, and private prayer po&s;ts an Angel from heaven to give him a clearer and fuller light. Pri|vate prayer is a Golden-key to un|lock the my&s;teries of the word un|to us. The knowledge of many choice and ble&s;&s;ed Truths are but the returns of private prayer. The Word dwells mo&s;t richly in their hearts, who are mo&s;t in pour|ing out of their hearts before God in their Clo&s;ets. When <HI>Bonaventure.</HI> (that &s;eraphical Doctor, as &s;ome call him) was asked by <HI>Aquinas,</HI> from what books and helps he de|rived &s;uch holy and divine expre&s;|&s;ions and contemplations? He pointed to a Crucifix, and &s;aid <HI>(I&s;te e&s;t liber, &amp;c.) Pro&s;trate in prayer at the feet of this Image, my &s;oul receiveth greater light from heaven, than from all &s;tudy and di&s;putation.</HI> Though this be a Monki&s;h tradition &amp; &s;uper&s;titious Fiction, yet &s;ome im|provement
<PB N="43" REF="77"> may be made of it. Cer|tainly that Chri&s;tian, or that Mini|&s;ter, that in private prayer lyes mo&s;t at the feet of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, he &s;hall under&s;tand mo&s;t of the mind of Chri&s;t in the Go&s;pel, and he &s;hall have mo&s;t of heaven and the things of his owne peace brought down into his heart.</P>
<P>There is no Service wherein chri&s;tians have &s;uch a near, famili|ar, and friendly entercour&s;e with God, as in this of private prayer: neither is there any Service where|in God doth more delight to make known his truth and faithfulne&s;s, his grace and goodne&s;s, his mercy and bounty, his beauty and glory <NOTE PLACE="marg">Bene ora&s;&s;e, e&s;t bene &s;tudui&s;&s;e. Luther.</NOTE> to poor Souls, than this of private prayer. <HI>Luther</HI> profe&s;&s;eth, <HI>That he profited more in the knowledge of the Scripture by private prayer in a &s;hort &s;pace, than he did by &s;tudy in a longer &s;pace.</HI> As <HI>John</HI> by weeping in a cor|ner got the &s;ealed book opened. Private prayer crownes God with the Honor and Glory that is due to his Name, and God crowns private
<PB N="44" REF="78"> prayer with a di&s;covery of tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ed, weighty Truths to his &s;er|vants, that are a &s;ealed book to o|thers. Certainly, the &s;oul u&s;ually enjoyes mo&s;t communion with God <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nunquam minus &s;o|lus, quam cum &s;olus.</HI> Never le&s;s alone, than when a|lone, &s;aid the Hea|then. And may not a Saint &s;ay &s;o much more that hath communi|on with God? Jer. 13. 1, 2.</NOTE> in &s;ecret. When a chri&s;tian is in a Wilderne&s;s (which is a very &s;olita|ry place) then God delights to &s;peak friendly &amp; comfortably to him. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 2. 14. <HI>Behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderne&s;s, and &s;peak friend|ly or comfortably to her.</HI> Or as the He|brew hath it, <HI>I will &s;peak to her heart.</HI> When I have her alone, &s;aith. God, in a &s;olitary wilderne&s;s, I will &s;peak &s;uch things to her heart, as &s;hall exceedingly cheer her, and comfort her, and even make her heart leap and dance within her. A Husband imparts his mind mo&s;t freely and fully to his wife when &s;he is alone; and &s;o doth Chri&s;t to the believing &s;oul. O the &s;ecret ki&s;&s;es! the &s;ecret embraces! the &s;e|cret vi&s;its! the &s;ecret whi&s;pers! the &s;ecret chearings! the &s;ecret &s;eal|ings! the &s;ecret di&s;coveries! <HI>&amp;c&punc;</HI> that God gives to his people when
<PB N="45" REF="78"> alone, when in a hole, when under the &s;taires, when behind the door, when in a dungeon! When <HI>Jere|miah</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 33. 1, 2, 3.</NOTE> was calling upon God alone in his dark dungeon, he had great and wonderful things &s;hew'd him that he knew not of.</P>
<P><HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> was wont to &s;ay, <HI>I am never le&s;&s;e alone, than when I am all a|lone; for then I can enjoy the pre&s;ence of my God mo&s;t freely, fully, and &s;weetly; without interruption.</HI></P>
<P>And 'twas a mo&s;t &s;weet and di|vine &s;aying of <HI>Bernard, O Saint, knowe&s;t thou not</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>that thy Husband Chri&s;t is ba&s;hful, and will not be familiar in company: Retire thy &s;elf therefore by Prayer and Meditation in|to thy Clo&s;et, or the Fields, and there thou &s;halt have Chri&s;ts embraces.</HI></P>
<P>A Gentlewoman being at pri|vate prayer and meditation in her Parlour, had &s;uch &s;weet, choice, and full enjoyments of God, that &s;he cried out, <HI>Oh that I might ever en|joy this &s;weet communion with God,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t loves to embrace his Spou&s;e, not &s;o much in the open &s;treet, as in a clo&s;et: And certainly
<PB N="46" REF="79"> the gracious &s;oul hath never &s;weeter views of glory, than when it is mo&s;t out of the view of the world. Wi&s;e men give their be&s;t, their choi&s;e&s;t, and their riche&s;t gifts in &s;ecret; and &s;o doth Chri&s;t give his the be&s;t of the be&s;t, when they are in a corner, when they are all alone. But, as for &s;uch as cannot &s;pare time to &s;eek God in a Clo&s;et, to &s;erve him in &s;ecret, they &s;ufficiently manife&s;t that they have little fellow&s;hip or friend&s;hip with God, whom they &s;o &s;eldome come at.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="argument">
<P>Seventhly, Con&s;ider, the time of this life is the only time for pri|vate prayer. Heaven will admit of no &s;ecret prayer. In Heaven there will be no &s;ecret &s;ins to trouble us, nor no &s;ecret wants to pinch us, nor no &s;ecret temptations to betray us, nor no &s;ecret &s;nares to entangle us, nor no &s;ecret enemies to &s;up|plant us. We had need live much in the practi&s;e of that duty here on earth, that we &s;hall never be exer|ci&s;ed in after death. Some duties that are incumbent upon us now,
<PB N="47" REF="79"> as prai&s;ing of God, admiring of God, exalting and lifting up of God joying and delighting in God, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> will be for ever incumbent upon us in Heaven; but this duty of private prayer, we mu&s;t take our leaves of, when we come to lay our heads in the du&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="argument">
<P>Eighthly, Con&s;ider, the great prevalency of &s;ecret prayer. Pri|vate prayer is <HI>(Porta Coeli, Clavis Paradi&s;i)</HI> the Gate of Heaven, a Key to let us into Paradi&s;e. Oh the great things that private pray|er hath done with God! Oh the <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 31. 22</NOTE> great mercies that have been ob|tained by private prayer! And, oh <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 38. 8.</NOTE> the great threatnings that have been diverted by private prayer! And, oh the great judgements that have been removed by private prayer! And, oh the great judge|ments that have been prevented by private prayer! I have read of a malitious woman who gave her &s;elf to the Devil, provided that he would do a mi&s;chief to &s;uch a neighbour, whom &s;he mortally
<PB N="48" REF="80"> hated: The Devil went again and again to do his errand, but at la&s;t he returns and tells her, that he could do no hurt to that man, for when ever he came, he found him either reading the Scriptures, or at private prayer. Private pray|ers pierces the Heavens, and are commonly ble&s;t and loaded with gracious and glorious returns from thence. Whil&s;t <HI>Hezekiah</HI> was pray|ing and weeping in private, God &s;ent the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> to him to a&s;&s;ure him, that his prayer was heard, and that his tears were &s;een, and that he would add unto his dayes fifteen years. So when <HI>I&s;aac</HI> was all alone meditating and pray|ing, <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 38. 5.</NOTE> and treating with God for a good wife in the fields, he meets <HI>Robckah.</HI> So <HI>Jacob, Gen.</HI> 32. 24, 25, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 24. 63 64.</NOTE> 26, 27, 28. <HI>And Jacob was left alone: and there wre&s;tled a man with him, un|till the breaking of the day. And when he &s;aw that he prevailed not again&s;t him he touched the hollow of his thigh: and the hollow of Jacobs thigh was out of joynt, as he wre&s;tled with him. And he</HI>
<PB N="49" REF="80"> <HI>&s;aid, let me go, for the day breaketh; and he &s;aid, I will not let thee goe except thou ble&s;s me. And he &s;aid unto him, what is thy name? and he &s;aid, Jacob. And he &s;aid, thy name &s;hall be called no more Jacob, but I&s;rael; for as a Prince ha&s;t thou power with God and with men, and ha&s;t prevailed.</HI> In this Scripture we have an elegant de&s;cription of a Duel fought between the Almigh|ty and <HI>Jacob;</HI> and in it there are the&s;e things mo&s;t ob&s;ervable.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, We have the Combatants or Duelli&s;ts, <HI>Jacob</HI> and God, who appeared in the &s;hape or appear|ance of a man. He that is here &s;aid to be a man, was the Son of God in humane &s;hape, as it appeareth by the whole narration, and by <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 12. 3, 4, 5. Now that this man that wre&s;tled with <HI>Jacob,</HI> was in|deed God, and not really man, is mo&s;t evident by the&s;e Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Jacob</HI> de&s;ires a ble&s;&s;ing from him; <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 26. Now it is Gods Prerogative royal to ble&s;&s;e, and not angels nor mens. <HI>Ergo.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, He calls him by the
<PB N="50" REF="81"> name of God; <HI>thou ha&s;t power with God,</HI> Ver&s;. 28. And, &s;aith <HI>Jacob, I have &s;een God face to face,</HI> Ver&s;. 30. Not that he &s;aw the Maje&s;ty and E&s;&s;ence of God, for no man can &s;ee the e&s;&s;ential glory of God and live, <HI>Exod.</HI> 33. 20, 23. but he &s;aw God more apparently, more mani|fe&s;tly, more gloriou&s;ly than ever he had done before. Some created &s;hape, &s;ome glimp&s;e of glory <HI>Ja|cob</HI> &s;aw, whereby God was plea&s;ed for the pre&s;ent to te&s;tifie his more immediate pre&s;ence; but not him|&s;elf.</P>
<P>Thirdly, The &s;ame per&s;on that here <HI>Jacob</HI> wre&s;tles with, is he whom <HI>Jacob</HI> remembreth (in his benediction) as his deliverer from all evil, <HI>Gen.</HI> 48. 16. 'Twas that God that appeared to him at <HI>Beth|el,</HI> when he fled from the face of his Brother, <HI>Gen.</HI> 35. 7. <HI>Ergo.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, <HI>Jacob</HI> is reproved for his curious enquiring or asking af|ter the Angels name, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 29. which is a clear argument or demon&s;tra|tion of his maje&s;ty and glory, God
<PB N="51" REF="81"> being above all notion and Name. God is a &s;uper &s;ub&s;tantial &s;ub&s;tance, an under&s;tanding not to be under|&s;tood, a word never to be &s;poken. One being asked, What God was, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Diony&s;. Areop. de Divin. Nom. cap.</HI> 1.</NOTE> an&s;wered, <HI>That he mu&s;t be God him|&s;elf, before he could know&punc; God fully.</HI> We are as well able to compre|hend the Sea in a Cockle-&s;hel, as we are able to comprehend the Al|mighty (or that <HI>Nomen Maje&s;ta|tivum,</HI> as <HI>Tertullian</HI> phra&s;eth it.) <HI>In &s;earching after God</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tom) I am like a man digging in a deep &s;pring; I &s;tand here, and the water ri&s;eth upon me; and I &s;tand there, and &s;till the wa|ter ri&s;eth upon me.</HI></P>
<P>In this conflict you have not one man wre&s;tling with another, nor one man wre&s;tling with a created Angel, but a poor weak mortal man wre&s;tling with an immortal God, weakne&s;s wre&s;tling with Strength and a finite being with an infinite Being. Though <HI>Jacob</HI> had no &s;econd though he was all alone, though he was wonderfully over|match't, yet he wre&s;tles and keeps
<PB N="52" REF="82"> his hold; and all in the &s;trength of him he wre&s;tles with.</P>
<P>Secondly, You have the place where they combated, and that was be&s;ide the Ford <HI>Jabbok, ver&s;.</HI> 22. (This is the name of a Brook or River, &s;pringing by <HI>Rabba,</HI> the Metropolis of the <HI>Ammonites,</HI> &amp; i&s;|&s;uing into <HI>Jordan</HI> beneath the Sea of <HI>Galilce, Numb.</HI> 21. 24. <HI>Deut.</HI> 2. 37. <HI>Judg.</HI> 11. 13, 15. <HI>Deut.</HI> 3. 16.) <HI>Jacob</HI> did never enjoy &s;o much of the pre&s;ence of God, as when he had left the company of men. O! the &s;weet communion that <HI>Jacob</HI> had with God when he was retired from his family, and was all alone with his God by the Ford <HI>Jabbok.</HI> Certainly <HI>Jacob</HI> was never le&s;s a|lone than at this time, when he was &s;o alone. Saints often meet with the be&s;t wine, and with the &s;tronge&s;t cordials, when they are all alone with God.</P>
<P>Thirdly, You have the time of the Combate, and that was the Night: At what time of the night this wre&s;tling, this duel began, we
<PB N="53" REF="82"> no where read; but it la&s;ted till break of day, it la&s;ted till <HI>Jacob</HI> had the better of the Angel. How many hours of the night this con|flict la&s;ted, no mortal man can tell. Gods de&s;ign was that none &s;hould be &s;pectators nor witne&s;&s;es of this combat, but <HI>Jacob</HI> only, and therefore <HI>Jacob</HI> mu&s;t be wre&s;tling when others were &s;leeping.</P>
<P>Fourthly, You have the ground of the Quarrel, and that was <HI>Jacobs</HI> fear of <HI>E&s;au,</HI> and his importunate de&s;ire for a ble&s;&s;ing. <HI>Jacob</HI> flies to God that he might not fall before man; he flies to God that he might not fly before men. In a &s;torm there is no &s;helter like to the wing of God. He is &s;afe&s;t, and happie&s;t, and wi&s;e&s;t, that lays him&s;elf under divine protection. This <HI>Jacob</HI> knew, and therefore he runs to God, as to his only City of refuge. In this conflict God would have given out; <HI>Let me go, for the day breaketh, ver&s;.</HI> 26. but <HI>Jacob</HI> keeps his hold, and tells him boldly to his very face, that he would not let him go un|le&s;s
<PB N="54" REF="83"> he would ble&s;s him. O the power of private prayer! it hath a kind of omnipotency in it, it takes God captive, it holds him as a pri|&s;oner, it binds the hands of the Al|mighty; yea, it will wring a mer|cy, a ble&s;&s;ing out of the hand of Heaven it &s;elf. O the power of that prayer that makes a man victori|ous over the greate&s;t, the highe&s;t Power. <HI>Jacob</HI> though a man, a &s;in|gle man, a travelling man, a tired man, yea, though a worm (that is ea&s;ily cru&s;ht and trodden under <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 41. 14.</NOTE> foot) and no man, yet in private prayer, he is &s;o potent, that he over|comes the Omnipotent God, he is &s;o mighty that he overcomes the Almighty.</P>
<P>Fifthly, You have the nature or manner of the Combate; and that was both outward and inward, both corporal and &s;piritual; 'Twas by might and &s;light; 'twas as well by the &s;trength of his body, as 'twas by the force of his Faith. He wre&s;t|led not only with &s;piritual &s;trugl|ings, tears and prayers, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 12. 4.
<PB N="55" REF="83"> but with corporal al&s;o, wherein God a&s;&s;ayled him with one hand, and upheld him with the other. In this conflict, <HI>Jacob</HI> and the Angel of the Covenant did really lay arm on arm, and &s;et &s;houlder to &s;houlder, and put foot to foot, and u&s;ed all o|ther &s;lights &amp; wayes as men do that wre&s;tle one with another. The He|brew word <GAP DESC="foreign"> from <GAP DESC="foreign"> that is here rendred <HI>wre&s;tled,</HI> &s;ignifies the rai&s;ing of the du&s;t, becau&s;e tho&s;e which did wre&s;tle of old, did not only wre&s;tle naked (as the man|ner then was) but did al&s;o u&s;e to ca&s;t du&s;t one upon another, that &s;o they might take more &s;ure hold one of another. Some from this word <HI>Abak,</HI> do conclude that <HI>Jacob</HI> and the Angel did tug, and &s;trive, and turn each other till they &s;weat again; for &s;o much the word im|ports. <HI>Jacob</HI> and the Angel did not wre&s;tle in je&s;t, but in good earne&s;t; they wre&s;tled with their might (as it were) for the Garland; they &s;trove for victory as for life.</P>
<PB N="56" REF="84">
<P> But as this wre&s;tling was corpo|ral, &s;o 'twas &s;piritual al&s;o; <HI>Jacobs</HI> &s;oul takes hold of God, and <HI>Jacobs</HI> faith takes hold of God, and <HI>Jacobs</HI> prayers takes hold of God, and <HI>Ja|cobs</HI> tears takes hold of God, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 12. 4, 5. Certainly <HI>Jacobs</HI> weapons in this warfare were mainly &s;piri|ritual, and &s;o mighty through God. There is no overcoming of God but in his own &s;trength. <HI>Jacob</HI> did more by his royal faith, than he did by his noble hands, and more by weeping than he did by &s;weat|ing, and more by praying than he did by all his bodily &s;tri|vings.</P>
<P>Sixthly and la&s;tly, You have the i&s;&s;ue of the Combate, and that is Victory over the Angel, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 28. <HI>Jacob</HI> wre&s;tles in the Angels arms and armour, and &s;o overcomes him; as a Prince he over-powers the Angel, by that very power he had from the Angel. The Angel was as freely and fully willing to be conquered by <HI>Jacob,</HI> as <HI>Jacob</HI> was willing to be conquerour. When
<PB N="57" REF="84"> Lovers wre&s;tle, the &s;tronge&s;t is wil|ling enough to take a fall of the weake&s;t; and &s;o 'twas here. The Father in wre&s;tling with his Child is willing enough, for his childs comfort and encouragement, to take a fall now and then; and &s;o 'twas between the Angel and <HI>Ja|cob</HI> in the pre&s;ent ca&s;e. Now in this ble&s;&s;ed &s;tory, as in a Chry&s;tal-gla&s;s, you may &s;ee the great power and prevalency of private prayer; it conquers the great Conquerour; it is &s;o omnipotent, that it over|comes an omnipotent God.</P>
<P>Now this you may &s;ee more ful|ly and &s;weetly cleared up in <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 12. 3, 4. <HI>He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his &s;trength he had power with God: Yea, he had pow|er over the Angel, and prevailed: he wept and made &s;upplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he &s;pake with us.</HI> When <HI>Jacob</HI> was all alone, and in a dark night, and but on one leg, yet then he play'd the Prince with God (as the <HI>Hebrew</HI> hath it) <HI>Jacob</HI> by prayers and tears
<PB N="58" REF="85"> did &s;o prince it with God, as that he carried the ble&s;&s;ing&punc; <HI>Jacobs</HI> wre&s;t|ling was by weeping, and his pre|vailing by praying. Prayers and tears are not only very plea&s;ing to God, but al&s;o very prevalent with God. And thus you &s;ee that this great in&s;tance of <HI>Jacob,</HI> &s;peaks out aloud the prevalency of private prayer.</P>
<P>See another in&s;tance of this in <HI>David,</HI> P&s;al. 6. 6, 8, 9. <HI>I am weary groanings: all the night make I my bed to &s;wim: I water my couch with my tears.</HI> The&s;e are all exce&s;|&s;ive figurative &s;peeches, to &s;et forth the greatne&s;s of his &s;orrow and the multitude of his tears. <HI>David</HI> in his retirement makes the place of his &s;in <HI>(viz.</HI> his Bed) to be the place of his repentance. <HI>David</HI> &s;ins privately upon his bed, and <HI>David</HI> mourns privately upon his bed. Every place which we have pollu|ted by &s;in, we &s;hould &s;anctifie and water with our tears, <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 8. <HI>De|part from me all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my</HI>
<PB N="59" REF="85"> <HI>weeping.</HI> As blood hath a voice, and as the rod hath a voice, &s;o tears have a voice, tears have tongues, and tears can &s;peak. There is no noi&s;e to that that tears in &s;ecret make in the ears of God. A pru|dent &amp; indulgent Father, can better pick out the wants and nece&s;&s;ities of his Children by their &s;ecret tears than by their loud complaints, by their weeping than by their words; and do you think that God can't do as much. Tears are not alwayes Mutes. <HI>Cry aloud</HI> (&s;aith one) <HI>not with thy tongue, but with thy eyes;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Lam. 2. 18.</NOTE> <HI>not with thy words, but with thy tears; for that is the prayer that maketh the mo&s;t forcible entry into the ears of the great God of Heaven.</HI> Penitent tears are undeniable Amba&s;&s;adors, that never return from the Throne of Grace, without a gracious an&s;wer. Tears are a kind of &s;ilent prayers, which though they &s;ay nothing, yet they obtain pardon; and though they plead not a mans cau&s;e, yet they obtain mercy at the hands of God. As you &s;ee in that great in|&s;tance
<PB N="60" REF="86"> of <HI>Peter,</HI> who though he &s;aid nothing (that we read of) yet, weeping bitterly, he obtained mer|cy. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 26. 75.</NOTE> I have read of <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> who coming as a Vi&s;itant to the hou&s;e of a &s;ick man, he &s;aw the room full of friends and kindred, who were all &s;ilent, yet all weeping; the Wife &s;obbing, the Children &s;ighing, the Kinsfolk lamenting, all mourning; whereupon <HI>Au|gu&s;tine</HI> uttered this &s;hort ejaculato|ry Prayer, <HI>Lord, What prayer do&s;t thou hear if not the&s;e?</HI> Ver&s;. 9. <HI>The Lord hath heard my &s;upplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.</HI> God &s;ometimes an&s;wers his people be|fore they pray, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 65. 24. <HI>And it &s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e, that before they call, I will an&s;wer.</HI> And &s;ometimes <HI>while they are praying;</HI> &s;o it follows in the &s;ame ver&s;e, <HI>And while they are yet &s;peaking, I will hear.</HI> So <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 30. 19. <HI>He will be very gracious unto thee, at the voice of thy cry; when he &s;hall hear it, he will an&s;wer thee.</HI> And &s;ometimes after they have prayed; as the experiences of all Chri&s;tians
<PB N="61" REF="86"> can te&s;tifie. Sometimes God nei|ther hears nor receives a prayer; and this is the common ca&s;e and lot of the wicked, <HI>Prov.</HI> 1. 28. <HI>Job</HI> 27. 9. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1. 15. Sometimes God hears the prayers of his people, but doth not pre&s;ently an&s;wer them, as in that ca&s;e of <HI>Paul,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. 7, 8, 9. And &s;ometimes God both hears and receives the prayers of his people, as here he did <HI>Davids.</HI> Now in this in&s;tance of <HI>David</HI> as in a gla&s;&s;e, you may run and read the prevalency of pri|vate prayer, and of &s;ecret tears.</P>
<P>You may take another in&s;tance of this in <HI>Jonah, Jonah</HI> 2. 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10. <HI>Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fi&s;hes belly, and &s;aid, I cried by rea&s;on of my affliction, unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of Hell cried I, and thou hearde&s;t my voice. For thou had'&s;t ca&s;t me into the deep, into the mid&s;t of the &s;eas, and the floods com|pa&s;&s;ed me about, all thy billows and thy waves pa&s;&s;ed over me. The waters com|pa&s;&s;ed me about, even to the &s;oul: the</HI>
<PB N="62" REF="87"> <HI>depth clo&s;ed me round about, the weeds were wrapt about my head. When my &s;oul fainted within me, I remembred the Lord, and my prayer came in unto thee, into thy holy Temple. And the Lord &s;pake unto the fi&s;h, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.</HI> When <HI>Jo|nah</HI> was all alone, and in the mid&s;t of many dangers and deaths; when he was in the Whales belly, yea, in the belly of Hell (&s;o called be|cau&s;e horrid and hideous, deep and di&s;mal) yet then private prayer fetches him from thence. Let a mans dangers be never &s;o many, nor never &s;o great, yet &s;ecret pray|er hath a certain omnipotency in it, that wil deliver him out of them all. In multiplied afflictions private prayer is mo&s;t prevalent with God. In the very mid&s;t of drowning, &s;ecret prayer will keep both head and heart above water. Upon <HI>Jo|nahs</HI> private prayer, God &s;ends forth his <HI>Mandamus,</HI> and the Fi&s;h &s;erves <HI>Jonah</HI> for a &s;hip to &s;ail &s;afe to &s;hore. When the ca&s;e is even de&s;perate, yet then private prayer can do
<PB N="63" REF="87"> much with God. Private prayer is of that power that it can open the doors of Leviathan, as you &s;ee in this great in&s;tance; which yet is reckoned as a thing not fea&s;ible, <HI>Job</HI> 41. 14.</P>
<P>Another in&s;tance of the preva|lency of private prayer you have in that 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 4. 32, 33, 34, 35. <HI>And when Eli&s;ha was come into the hou&s;e, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore and &s;hut the door upon them twain, and prayer unto the Lord.</HI> Privacy is a good help to fervency in prayer. <HI>And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he &s;tretched him&s;elf up|on the child, and the fle&s;h of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the hou&s;e to and fro, and went up, and &s;tretched him&s;elf upon him: and the child nee&s;ed &s;even times, and the child opened his eyes.</HI> Oh the power, the prevalency, the omnipotency of private prayer, that rai&s;es the dead to Life! And the &s;ame effect
<PB N="64" REF="88"> had the private prayer of <HI>Elijah</HI> in rai&s;ing the widows Son of <HI>Za|rephath</HI> to life, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 17. 18,<HI>&mdash;ult.</HI> The great prevalency of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his Private prayers you may read in the following Scriptures. <HI>Num.</HI> 11. 1, 2. <HI>And when the people complain|ed, it di&s;plea&s;ed the Lord, and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and con&s;umed them that were in the uttermo&s;t parts of the Camp. And the people cried unto Mo&s;es; and when Mo&s;es prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched. Mo&s;es</HI> by private prayer rules and over-rules with God: he was &s;o potent with God in private prayer, that he could have what he would of God. So <HI>Num.</HI> 21. 7, 8, 9. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 106. 23. <HI>Exo.</HI> 32. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. <HI>Exo.</HI> 14. 15, 16, 17. The &s;ame you may &s;ee in <HI>Nehemi|ah, Neh.</HI> 1. 11. compared with <HI>Neh.</HI> 2. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. So <HI>Luther</HI> perceiving the Cau&s;e of God, and the work of Reformation to be greatly &s;traitned, and in danger, he went into his Clo&s;et, and ne|ver
<PB N="65" REF="88"> left wre&s;tling with God, till he had received a gracious an&s;wer from Heaven; upon which he comes out of his clo&s;et to his friends leaping and triumphing with <HI>Vicimus, vicimus,</HI> we have o|vercome, we have overcome, in his mouth. At which time it is ob&s;erv|ed, that there came out a Proclama|tion from <HI>Charls</HI> the Fifth, that none &s;hould be further mole&s;ted for the Profe&s;&s;ion of the go&s;pel: At another time <HI>Luther</HI> being in private prayer, for a &s;ick friend of his (who was very comfortable and u&s;eful to him) had a particular an&s;wer for his recove|ry: whereupon he was &s;o confi|dent, that he &s;ent word to his friend, that he &s;hould certainly re|cover; and &s;o it fell out according|ly. And &s;o <HI>Latimer</HI> prayed with great zeale for three things.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. That Queen <HI>Elizabeth</HI> might come to the Crown.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. That he might &s;eale the truth with his heart blood. And</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. That the Go&s;pel might be re&s;tored once again, once again;</ITEM>
</LIST>
<PB N="66" REF="89"> which he expre&s;&s;ed with great ve|hemency of &s;pirit. All which three God heard him in.</P>
<P><HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> commanded that his Effigies &s;hould be engraven, not as other Emperours, in their Armour leaning, but as in a po&s;ture of prayer, kneeling; to manife&s;t to the world, that he won more by &s;ecret prayer, than by o|pen Battles.</P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Dod</HI> reports, that when many good people had often &s;ought the Lord in the behalf of a woman that was po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with the Devil, and yet could not prevaile, at la&s;t they appointed a day for fa&s;ting and prayer; at which time there came a poor woman to the cham|ber door, where the exerci&s;e was begun, and craved entrance; but &s;he being poor they would not ad|mit her in: upon that the poor woman kneeled down behind the door, and &s;ought God by prayer. But &s;he had not prayed long, before the evil &s;pirit raged, roared, and cri|ed out in the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed woman, <HI>take</HI>
<PB N="67" REF="89"> <HI>away the old woman behind the doore, for I mu&s;t be gone; take away the old woman behind the door, for I mu&s;t be gone.</HI> And &s;o by the old womans prayers be|hind the doore he was ca&s;t out. Oh the prevalency of prayer be|hind the door! And thus you &s;ee by all the&s;e great in&s;tances the great prevalency of private prayer.</P>
<P>Private prayer like <HI>Sauls</HI> &s;word and <HI>Jonathans</HI> Bow (when duely qualified as to the per&s;on and act) never returns empty, it hits the marke, it carries the day with God, it pierceth the walls of Heaven, though, like tho&s;e of <HI>Gaza,</HI> made of bra&s;s and Iron, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 45. 2. O who can expre&s;s the powerfull oratory of private prayer! <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="argument">
<P>Ninthly, con&s;ider that &s;ecret duties are the mo&s;t &s;oul-enriching duties. Look as &s;ecret meales make fat bodies, &s;o &s;ecret duties make fat &s;ouls: and as &s;ecret Trades brings in great earthly riches, &s;o &s;ecret prayers makes many rich in &s;piri|tual ble&s;&s;ings and in heavenly riches. Private prayer is that privy
<PB N="68" REF="90"> key of heaven that unlocks all the Trea&s;ures of glory to the &s;oule. The be&s;t riches and the &s;weete&s;t mercies, God u&s;ually gives to his people when they are in their clo|&s;ets upon their knees. Look as the warmth the Chickens find by clo&s;e &s;itting under the Hens wings, che|ri&s;heth them; &s;o are the graces of the Saints enlivened, and cheri&s;h|ed, and &s;trengthned, by the &s;weet &s;ecret influences, which their &s;ouls fall under, when they are in their clo&s;et-communion with God. Pri|vate prayer con&s;cienciou&s;ly per|formed, is the privie key of heaven that hath unlocked &s;uch trea&s;ures and &s;uch &s;ecrets as hath pa&s;t the skill of the cunninge&s;t Devil to find out. Private prayer Midwifes the choice&s;t mercies, and the chiefe&s;t riches in upon us. Certainly there are none &s;o rich in gracious experi|ences, as tho&s;e that are mo&s;t exerci|&s;ed in clo&s;et duties, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 34. 6. <HI>This poor man cried</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) and the Lord &s;aved him out of all his troubles. David,</HI> pointing to him&s;elf, tells us that <HI>he</HI>
<PB N="69" REF="90"> <HI>cried,</HI> that is, &s;ilently and &s;ecretly, as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> did at the red &s;ea, and as <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 14. 15. Neh. 1. 11. &amp; 2. 4.</NOTE> <HI>Nehemiah</HI> did in the pre&s;ence of the King of <HI>Per&s;ia: and the Lord &s;aved him out of all his troubles.</HI> And, O what additions were the&s;e deliver|ances to his experiences! O my friends, look as the tender dew, that falls in the &s;ilent night, makes the gra&s;s, and herbs, and flowers, to flouri&s;h and grow more abundant|ly than great &s;howrs of raine that fall in the day; &s;o &s;ecret prayer will more abundantly cau&s;e the &s;weet herbs of grace and holine&s;s, to grow and flouri&s;h in the &s;oul, than all tho&s;e more open, Publick, and vi&s;ible duties of Religion, which too too often are mingled and mixt with the &s;un and wind of pride and hypocri&s;ie.</P>
<P>Beloved, you know that many times a Favourite at Court gets more by one &s;ecret motion, by one private reque&s;t to his Prince, than a Trade&s;-man, or a Merchant gets in twenty years labour and paines, &amp;c. So a Chri&s;tian ma|ny
<PB N="70" REF="91"> times gets more by one &s;ecret motion, by one private reque&s;t to the King of Kings, than many o|thers doe by Trading long in the more publick Duties of Religion. O Sirs, remember that in private prayer we have a far greater ad|vantage, as to the exerci&s;e of our own gifts, and graces, and parts, than we have in Publick; for in Publick we only hear others, exer|ci&s;e their parts and gifts, &amp;c. in Publick duties we are more pa&s;|&s;ive, but in private duties we are more active. Now the more our gifts and parts, and graces are exerci&s;ed, the more they are &s;trengthned and increa&s;ed. All acts &s;trengthen habits. The more &s;in is acted, the more 'tis &s;trengthned. And &s;o 'tis with our gifts and graces; the more they are acted, the more they are &s;trengthned. But</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="argument">
<P>Tenthly, Take many things to|gether. All Chri&s;tians have their &s;ecret Sins. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 19. 12. <HI>Who can under&s;tand his errors? clean&s;e thou me</HI>
<PB N="71" REF="91"> <HI>from &s;ecret faults.</HI> Secret not only to other men, but him&s;elf; even &s;uch &s;ecret &s;ins as grew from errours which he under&s;tood not. 'Tis in|cident to every man to erre, and then to be ignorant of his errours. Many &s;ins I &s;ee in my &s;elf, &s;aith he, and more there are which I cannot e&s;py, which I cannot find out: nay, I think &s;aith he, that every mans &s;ins do ari&s;e beyond his accounts. There is not the be&s;t, the wi&s;e&s;t, nor the holie&s;t man in the world, that can give a full and entire li&s;t of his &s;ins; <HI>Who can under&s;tand his errors?</HI> This interrogation hath the force of an affirmation; <HI>Who can?</HI> No man, no not the mo&s;t perfect and inno|cent man in the world. O friends, who can reckon up the &s;ecret &s;in|full imaginations, the &s;ecret &s;inful inclinations, or the &s;ecret pride, the &s;ecret bla&s;phemies, the &s;ecret hy|pocri&s;ies, the &s;ecret Athei&s;tical ri&s;|ings, the &s;ecret murmurings, the &s;ecret repinings, the &s;ecret di&s;|contents, the &s;ecret in&s;olencies, the &s;ecret filthyne&s;&s;es, the &s;ecret un|believings,
<PB N="72" REF="92"> <HI>&amp;c.</HI> that God might every day charge upon his &s;oul? Should the be&s;t and holie&s;t man on earth, have but his &s;ecret &s;ins eve|ry day written in his fore-head, it would not only put him to a crim|&s;on blu&s;h, but it would make him pull his hat over his eyes, or cover his face with a double &s;carfe. So 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 8. 38. <HI>What prayer and &s;up|plication &s;oever be made by any man, or by all thy people I&s;rael, which &s;hall know every man the plague of his own heart,</HI> &amp;c. Sin is the greate&s;t plague in the world; but never more dange|rous, than when it reaches the heart. Now &s;ecret &s;ins commonly ly near|e&s;t the Heart, the Fountain from whence they take a quick, imme|diate, and continual &s;upply. Secret &s;ins are as near to original Sin, as the fir&s;t droppings are to the &s;pring head. And as every &s;ecret &s;in lyes neare&s;t the heart, &s;o every &s;ecret &s;in is the plague of the heart. Now as &s;ecret di&s;ea&s;es are not to be laid o|pen to every one, but only to the prudent Phy&s;itian: So our &s;ecret &s;ins
<PB N="73" REF="92"> which are the &s;ecret plagues, the &s;ecret di&s;ea&s;es of our &s;ouls, are not to belaid open to every one, but on|ly to the Phy&s;itian of &s;ouls, that is only able both to cure them and pardon them. And as all Chri|&s;tians have their &s;ecret &s;ins, &s;o all Chri&s;tians have their &s;ecret temp|tations, 2 <HI>Corin.</HI> 12. 8, 9. And as they have their &s;ecret temptations, &s;o they have their &s;ecret wants: Yea, many times they have &s;uch particular and per&s;onal wants, that there is not one in the congregati|on, nor one in the family, that hath the like. And as they have their &s;e|cret wants, &s;o they have their &s;ecret fears, and &s;ecret &s;nares, and &s;ecret &s;treights, and &s;ecret troubles, and &s;ecret doubts, and &s;ecret jealou&s;ies, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And how do all the&s;e things call aloud upon every Chri&s;tian, to be frequent and con&s;tant in &s;e|cret prayer?</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="argument">
<P>Eleventhly, Con&s;ider, Chri&s;t is very much affected and delighted in the &s;ecret prayers of his people, <HI>Cant.</HI> 2. 14. <HI>O my dove that art in the</HI>
<PB N="74" REF="93"> <HI>clefts of the Rock, in the &s;ecret places of the &s;taires, let me &s;ee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for &s;weet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.</HI> Chri&s;t ob&s;erves his Spou&s;e when &s;he is in the clefts of the rock; when &s;he is gotten into a Corner a praying, he looks upon her with &s;ingular delight, and with &s;pecial intima|tions of his love. Nothing is more &s;weet, delightful and welcome to Chri&s;t, than the &s;ecret &s;ervices of his people: Their &s;ecret breathings are like lovely &s;ongs to him; their <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. 3. 4.</NOTE> &s;ecret prayers in the clefts of the rock, or under the &s;taires, are as &s;weet incen&s;e to Je&s;us. The Spou&s;e retires to the &s;ecret places of the &s;tairs, not only for &s;ecurity, but al|&s;o for &s;ecrecy, that &s;o &s;he might the more freely, without &s;u&s;pition of hypocri&s;ie, pour out her &s;oul in|to the bo&s;ome of her beloved. The great delight that Parents take in the &s;ecret li&s;pings and whi&s;perings of their children, is no delight to that which Chri&s;t takes in the &s;ecret prayers of his people. And there|fore,
<PB N="75" REF="93"> as you would be friends and and furtherers of Chri&s;ts delight, be much in &s;ecret prayer.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="argument">
<P>Twelfthly, Con&s;ider, you are the only per&s;ons in all the world that God hath made choice of to reveale his &s;ecrets to. <HI>John</HI> 15. 15. <HI>Henceforth I call you not &s;ervants, for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my fa|ther I have made known unto you.</HI> Eve|ry thing that God the father had communicated to Chri&s;t as Media|tor to be revealed to his &s;ervants, he did make known to his di&s;ciples as to his bo&s;ome friends. Chri&s;t loves his people as friends, and he u&s;es them as friends, and he opens his heart to them as friends. There is nothing in the heart of Chri&s;t, that concerns the internal and e|ternal <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 2. 10, 11. John 1. 9. Rom. 16. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 7. Ephe&s;. 3. 3, 4, 9.</NOTE> welfare of his friends, but he reveales it to them: he reveales him|&s;elf, his love, his eternal good-will, the mi&s;teries of Faith, and the &s;e|crets of his Covenant, to his friends. Chri&s;t loves not to entertaine his
<PB N="76" REF="94"> friends with things that are com|monly and vulgarly knowne. Chri&s;t will reveal the &s;ecrets of his mind, the &s;ecrets of his love, the &s;ecrets of his thoughts, the &s;ecrets of his heart, and the &s;ecrets of his purpo&s;es, to all his bo&s;ome friends. <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> could not hide his mind, his &s;ecrets from <HI>Dalilah,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 16. 15, 16, 17.</NOTE> though it co&s;t him his life: and do you think that Chri&s;t can hide his mind, his &s;ecrets from them for whom he hath laid down his life? &s;urely no. O &s;irs, Chri&s;t is,</P>
<P N="1">1. A univer&s;al friend.</P>
<P N="2">2. An omnipotent friend, an Almighty friend: He is no le&s;s than thirty times called Almighty in that book of <HI>Job;</HI> he can do a|bove all expre&s;&s;ions, and beyond all apprehen&s;ions.</P>
<P N="3">3. He is an omni&s;cient friend.</P>
<P N="4">4. He is an omnipre&s;ent friend.</P>
<P N="5">5. He is an indeficient friend.</P>
<P N="6">6. He is an independant friend.</P>
<P N="7">7. He is an unchangable friend.</P>
<P N="8">8. He is a watchful friend.</P>
<P N="9"><PB N="77" REF="94"> 9. He is a tender and compa&s;&s;i|onate friend.</P>
<P N="10">10. He is a clo&s;e and faithful friend. And therefore he can't but open and unbo&s;om him&s;elf to all his bo&s;om friends. To be re&s;erved and clo&s;e is again&s;t the very law of friend&s;hip. Faithful friends are ve|ry free in imparting their thoughts, their minds, their &s;ecrets, one to a|nother. A real friend accounts no|thing worth knowing, unle&s;s he makes it known to his friends: He rips up his greate&s;t and mo&s;t in|ward &s;ecrets to his friends. <HI>Job</HI> calls <NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 19. 19.</NOTE> his friends <HI>inward friends,</HI> or, <HI>the men of his &s;ecrets.</HI> All Chri&s;ts friends are inward friends, they are the men of his &s;ecrets, <HI>Prov.</HI> 3. 32. <HI>His &s;ecrets are with the righteous,</HI> that is, his covenant and fatherly affecti|on, which is hid and &s;ecret from the world. He that is righteous in &s;ecret, where no man &s;ees him, he is the righteous man to whom God will communicate his clo&s;e&s;t &s;e|crets, as to his deare&s;t bo&s;om friend. It is only a bo&s;om friend to whom
<PB N="78" REF="95"> we will unbo&s;om our &s;elves. So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 25. 14. <HI>The &s;ecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will &s;hew them his Covenant.</HI></P>
<P>Now there are three &s;orts of di|vine &s;ecrets.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, There are &s;ecrets of Pro|vidence; <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 107. <HI>ult.</HI> Ho&s;. 14. 9.</NOTE> and the&s;e he reveals to the righteous, and to them that fear him. The Prophet <HI>Amos</HI> &s;peaks of the&s;e &s;ecrets of Providence, <HI>Amos</HI> 3. 7. <HI>Surely, the Lord God will do no|thing, but he revealeth his &s;ecrets unto his &s;ervants the Prophets. Micaiah</HI> knew the &s;ecret of the Lord touch|ing <HI>Ahab,</HI> which neither <HI>Zedekiah</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 King. 2 4.</NOTE> nor any other of the fal&s;e Pro|phets knew. So <HI>Gen.</HI> 18. 17. <HI>And the Lord &s;aid, &s;hall I hide from Abra|ham that thing which I do?</HI> The de|&s;truction of <HI>Sodom</HI> was a &s;ecret that lay in the bo&s;om of God; but <HI>Abra|ham</HI> being a bo&s;om friend, God communicates this &s;ecret to him, <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 19, 20, 21. <HI>Abraham</HI> was a <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jam. 2. 23.</NOTE> friend, a faithful friend, a friend by a &s;pecialty, and therefore God makes him both of his Court and
<PB N="79" REF="95"> Coun&s;el. Oh how greatly doth God conde&s;cend to his People! he &s;peaks to them as a man would &s;peak to his friend; and there is no &s;ecrets of Providence, which may be for their advantage, but he will re|veal them to his faithful &s;ervants. As all faithful friends have the &s;ame friends and the &s;ame enemies, &s;o they are mutual in the communi|cation of their &s;ecrets one to ano|ther; and &s;o 'twas between God and <HI>Abraham.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, There are the &s;ecrets of his Kingdom, and the&s;e he re|veals to his people, <HI>Matth.</HI> 13. 11. <HI>&V;nto you it is given to know the my&s;te|ries of the Kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not given.</HI> So <HI>Matth.</HI> 11. 25. <HI>At that time Je&s;us an&s;wered and &s;aid, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, becau&s;e thou ha&s;t hid the&s;e things from the wi&s;e and pru|dent, and ha&s;t revealed them unto babes.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hierom. ad Eph. lib.</HI> 1.</NOTE> <HI>Let us not think</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Hierom.) that the Go&s;pel is in the words of Scri|pture, but in the &s;en&s;e; not in the out&s;ide, but in the marrow; not in the leaves of</HI>
<PB N="80" REF="96"> <HI>words, but in the root of rea&s;on. Au|gu&s;tin</HI> humbly begg'd of God, That if it were his plea&s;ure, he would &s;end <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to him, to interpret &s;ome more ab&s;truce and intricate pa&s;&s;ages in his Book of <HI>Gene&s;is.</HI> There are many choice, &s;ecret, hid|den <NOTE PLACE="marg">Joel 2. 28. 1 Tim. 3. 9, 16. Col. 1, 26, 27. 1 Cor. 2. 9, 10, 11, 12. Eph. 4. 21.</NOTE> and my&s;terious Truths and Doctrines in the Go&s;pel, which Chri&s;t reveals to his people, that this poor, blind, ignorant world are &s;trangers to. There are many &s;e|crets wrapt up in the plaine&s;t truths and doctrines of the Go&s;pel, which none can effectually open and re|veal but the Spirit of the Lord, that &s;earcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. There are many &s;ecrets and my&s;teries in the Go&s;pel, that all the learning and labour in the world can never give a man in&s;ight into. There are many that know the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel, the Hi&s;tory of the Go&s;pel, that are meer &s;trangers to the &s;ecrets of the Go&s;pel. There is a &s;ecret power, a &s;ecret authority, a &s;ecret efficacy, a &s;ecret prevalency, a &s;ecret good|ne&s;s,
<PB N="81" REF="96"> a &s;ecret &s;weetne&s;s in the Go&s;|pel, that none experience, but tho&s;e to whom the Lord is plea&s;ed to impart Go&s;pel &s;ecrets to, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 29. 11, 12. <HI>Seal my law among my Di&s;|ciples.</HI> The Law of God to wicked men is a &s;ealed book, that they cannot under&s;tand, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. 9, 10. 'Tis as blotted paper, that they cannot read. Look as a private letter to a friend contains &s;ecret matter that no man el&s;e may read, becau&s;e it is &s;ealed. So the law of grace is &s;ealed up under the privy &s;eal of Heaven, &s;o that no man can open it or read it, but Chri&s;ts faith|ful friends, to whom 'tis &s;ent. The whole Scripture (&s;aith <HI>Gregory)</HI> is but one entire letter di&s;patcht from the Lord Chri&s;t, to his beloved Spou&s;e on earth. The Rabbins &s;ay that there are four keys that God hath under his Girdle.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The key of the Clouds.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The key of the Womb.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The key of the Grave.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The key of Food.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>And I may add a Fifth key that
<PB N="82" REF="97"> is under his Girdle, and that is the key of the Word, the key of the Scripture, which key none can turn but he that hath <HI>the key of David, that opens and no man &s;huts, and that &s;huts and no man opens,</HI> Revel. 3. 7.</P>
<P>O &s;irs, God reveals him&s;elf, and his mind, and will, and truth, to his people in a more friendly and familiar way, than he doth to o|thers, <HI>Mark</HI> 4. 11. <HI>And he &s;aid un|to them, unto you 'tis given to know the my&s;tery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all the&s;e things are done in parables.</HI> Luke 8. 10. <HI>And he &s;aid, unto you it is given to know the my&s;tery of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that &s;eeing they might not &s;ee, and hearing they might not under&s;tand.</HI> Though great Do|ctors and profound Clerks, and deep &s;tudied, but un&s;anctified Di|vines, may know much of the Do|ctrines of the Go&s;pel, and com|mend much the doctrines of the Go&s;pel, and di&s;pute much for the doctrines of the Go&s;pel, and glory
<PB N="83" REF="97"> much in the doctrines of the Go&s;|pel, and take a great deal of pains to dre&s;s and trim up the doctrines of the Go&s;pel, with the flowers of Rhetorick or Eloquence; though it be much better to pre&s;ent truth in her native plainne&s;s, than to hang her ears with counterfeit Pearls (the Word, without hu|mane adornments, is like the &s;tone <HI>Garamantides,</HI> that hath drops of gold in it &s;elf, &s;ufficient to enrich the believing &s;oul) Yet the &s;pecial, &s;piritual, powerful, and &s;aving <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 16. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 7.</NOTE> knowledge of the doctrines of the Go&s;pel, is a &s;ecret, a my&s;tery, yea, a hidden my&s;tery to them.</P>
<P><HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> compares the my&s;tery of Chri&s;t, in regard of the wicked, to a written book, that the igno|rant can neither read nor &s;pell; he fees the cover, the leaves, and the letters, but he under&s;tands not the meaning of what he &s;ees. He com|pares, the my&s;tery of Grace to an indited Epi&s;tle, which an unskilful Ideot viewing, he cannot read it, he cannot under&s;tand it; he know|eth
<PB N="84" REF="98"> it is paper and ink, but the &s;en&s;e, the matter, he knows not, he un|der&s;tands not. So un&s;anctified per|&s;ons, though they are never &s;o learned, and though they may per|ceive the bark of the my&s;tery of Chri&s;t, yet they perceive not, they under&s;tand not the my&s;tery of grace, the inward &s;en&s;e of the &s;pi|rit, in the ble&s;&s;ed Scriptures. Though the Devil be the greate&s;t Scholar in the world, and though he have more learning than all the men in the world have, yet there are many thou&s;and &s;ecrets and my&s;teries in the Go&s;pel of grace, that he knows not really, &s;piritual|ly, feelingly, efficaciou&s;ly, power|fully, throughly, &s;avingly, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>O but now Chri&s;t makes known him&s;elf, his mind, his grace, his truth, to his people, in a more clear, full, familiar and friendly way, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 7. 27. <HI>For thou, O Lord of ho&s;ts, God of I&s;rael, ha&s;t revealed to thy &s;ervant;</HI> &s;o you read it in your Books: but in the Hebrew it is thus, <HI>Lord, thou ha&s;t revealed this to the ear</HI>
<PB N="85" REF="98"> <HI>of thy &s;ervant.</HI> Now the empha&s;is lieth in that word, <HI>to the ear,</HI> which is left out in your Books. When God makes known him&s;elf to his people, he revealeth things to their ear, as we u&s;e to do to a friend, who is intimate with us, we &s;peak a thing to his ear. There is many a &s;e|cret which Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;peaks in the eares of his &s;ervants, which others never come to be acquaint|ed with. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 6. <HI>God who com|manded the light to &s;hine out of dark|ne&s;s, hath &s;hined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;ix &s;everal gradations that are in this Scripture are worthy of our mo&s;t &s;erious con&s;iderati|on. Here is,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Knowledge. And,</P>
<P>Secondly, The knowledge of the glory of God. And,</P>
<P>Thirdly, The light of the know|ledge of the glory of God. And,</P>
<P>Fourthly, Shining. And,</P>
<P>Fifthly, Shining into our hearts. And,</P>
<PB N="86" REF="99">
<P> Sixthly, Shining into our hearts in the face of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>And thus you &s;ee that the Lord reveals the &s;ecrets of him&s;elf, his kingdome, his truth, his grace, his glory to his &s;aints. But.</P>
<P>Thirdly, There are the &s;ecrets of his favour, the &s;ecrets of his &s;pecial love, that he bears to them, the &s;e|cret purpo&s;es of his heart to &s;ave them, and the&s;e are tho&s;e great &s;e|crets, tho&s;e deep things of God, which none can reveal but the Spi|rit of God. Now the&s;e great &s;e|crets, the&s;e deep things of God, God doth reveal to his people by his Spirit, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 10, 11, 12. <HI>But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the &s;pirit &s;earcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, &s;ave the &s;pirit of man which is in him? Even &s;o the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have recei|ved, not the &s;pirit of the world, but the &s;pirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.</HI> Now what are the things
<PB N="87" REF="99"> that are freely given to us of God, but our election, vocation, ju&s;tifi|cation, &s;anctification, and glorifi|cation? And why hath God gi|ven us his Spirit, but that we &s;hould know the things that are freely gi|ven to us of God. Some by <HI>&s;ecret,</HI> in that 25th. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 14. do under|&s;tand a particular a&s;&s;urance of Gods favour, whereby happine&s;s is &s;ecured to us both for the pre&s;ent and for the future; they under|&s;tand by <HI>&s;ecret,</HI> the &s;ealing of the Spirit, the hidden Manna, the White Stone, and the New Name in it, <HI>which none knoweth but he that hath it.</HI> And &s;o much tho&s;e words, <HI>He will &s;hew them his Covenant,</HI> &s;eems to import; for what greater &s;ecret can God im|part to his people, than that of o|pening the Covenant of grace to them in its freene&s;s, fulne&s;s, &s;urene&s;s, &s;weetne&s;s, &s;uitablene&s;s, everla&s;ting|ne&s;s, and in &s;ealing up his good plea&s;ure, and all the &s;piritual and eternal ble&s;&s;ings of the Covenant to them? Such as love and &s;erve
<PB N="88" REF="100"> the Lord, &s;hall be of his Cabinet Coun&s;el, they &s;hall know his &s;oul &s;ecrets, and be admitted into a ve|ry gracious familiarity and friend|&s;hip with him&s;elf, <HI>John</HI> 14. 21, 22, 23 <HI>He that hath my commandements and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, &s;hall be loved of my fa|ther, and I will love him, and manife&s;t my &s;elf unto him. Judas &s;aith unto him, not I&s;cariot: Lord, how is it that thou wilt manife&s;t thy &s;elf unto us, and not unto the world? Je&s;us an&s;wered and &s;aid unto him, if any man love me, he will keep my words, and my father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.</HI> God and Chri&s;t will keep hou&s;e with them, and mani|fe&s;t the &s;ecrets of their love to them that are ob&s;ervant of their com|mands. And thus you &s;ee that the Saints are the onely per&s;ons to whom God will reveal the &s;ecrets of his Providence, the &s;ecrets of his Kingdom, and the &s;ecrets of his Love unto. Chri&s;t came out of the bo&s;om of his father, and he o|pens all the &s;ecrets of his father
<PB N="89" REF="100"> only to his bo&s;om friends. Now what an exceeding high honour is it for God to open the &s;ecrets of his love, the &s;ecrets of his promi&s;es, the &s;ecrets of his providences, the &s;e|crets of his coun&s;els, and the &s;ecrets of his covenant to his people.</P>
<P><HI>Tiberius Cae&s;ar</HI> thought no man fit to know his &s;ecrets. And a|mong the <HI>Per&s;ians</HI> none but noble Men, Lords and Dukes, might be made partakers of State &s;ecrets; they e&s;teeming &s;ecrecy a God|head, a Divine thing; as <HI>Ammianus Marcellinus</HI> affirms. But now &s;uch honour God hath put upon all his Saints, as to make them Lords, and Nobles, and the only privy-&s;tates|men in the Court of Heaven. The highe&s;t honour and glory that earthly Princes can put upon their &s;ubjects is to communicate to them their greate&s;t &s;ecrets. Now this high honour and glory, the King of kings hath put upon his people; <HI>For his &s;ecrets are with them that fear him, and he will &s;hew them his Cove|nant.</HI> 'Twas a high honour to <HI>Eli|&s;ha,</HI>
<PB N="90" REF="101"> that he could tell the &s;ecrets <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kings 6. 12.</NOTE> that were &s;poken in the Kings bed|chamber. O what an honour mu&s;t it then be for the Saints to know the &s;ecrets that are &s;poken in the pre&s;ence-chamber of the King of Kings.</P>
<P>Now I appeale to the very con|&s;ciences of all that fear the Lord, whether it be not a ju&s;t, equal, righ|teous, and nece&s;&s;ary thing, that the people of God &s;hould freely and fully lay open all the &s;ecrets of their hearts before the Lord, who hath thus highly honoured them, as to reveale the &s;ecrets of his pro|vidence, kingdome and favour to them? Yea, I appeale to all &s;erious and ingenious Chri&s;tians, whether it be not again&s;t the light and law of nature, and again&s;t the law of love, and law of friend&s;hip, to be re&s;erved and clo&s;e, yea, to hide our &s;ecrets from him, who reveales his greate&s;t and his choice&s;t &s;ecrets to us? And if it be, why then do not you in &s;ecret, lay open all your &s;e|cret &s;ins, and &s;ecret wants, and &s;e|cret
<PB N="91" REF="101"> de&s;ires, &s;ecret feares, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> to him that &s;eeth in &s;ecret? You know all &s;ecrets, are to be communicated only in &s;ecret: none but fooles in <HI>Folio</HI> will communicate &s;ecrets upon a &s;tage, or before many. But,</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="13" TYPE="argument">
<P>Thirdly, Con&s;ider, that in times of great &s;traits and trials, in times of great afflictions and per&s;ecuti|ons, private prayer is the Chri&s;ti|ans meat &amp; drink; 'tis his cheif city of refuge; 'tis his &s;helter and hid|ing place in a &s;tormy day. When the Saints have been driven by vio|lent per&s;ecutions, into holes, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 11. 37, 38. Rev. 12. 6. P&s;al. 102. 6<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 14.</NOTE> caves, and dens, and de&s;arts, and howling wilderne&s;&s;es; private prayer hath been their meat and drink, and under Chri&s;t their only refuge. When <HI>E&s;au</HI> came forth with ho&s;til intentions again&s;t <HI>Jacob,</HI> &s;ecret prayer was <HI>Jacobs</HI> refuge, <HI>Gen.</HI> 32. 6, 7, 8, 9, 11. <HI>And the me&s;&s;engers returned to Jacob, &s;aying, we came to thy brother E&s;au, and al&s;o he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.</HI> All cut-throates. <HI>Then</HI>
<PB N="92" REF="102"> <HI>Jacab was greatly afraid, and di&s;tre&s;|&s;ed; and he devided the people that was with him, and the flocks and heards, and the camels into two bands. And &s;aid, if E&s;au come to the one com|pany and &s;mite it, then the other company which is left &s;hall e&s;cape.</HI> When all is at &s;take 'tis chri&s;tian prudence to &s;ave what we can, though we cannot &s;ave what we would. <HI>And Jacob &s;aid, O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father I&s;aac; the Lord which &s;aid&s;t unto me, return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deale well with thee.</HI> Promi&s;es in pri|vate mu&s;t be prayed over; God loves to &s;ued upon his own bond when he and his People are alone. <HI>Deliver me, I pray thee,</HI> from the <HI>hand of my brother, front the hand of E&s;au: for I fear him, le&s;t he will come and &s;mite me, and the Mother with the children;</HI> or, upon the children, meaning; he he will put all to death. Some look upon the words to be a meta|phor taken from Fowlers, who kill and take away the young and the Dams together; contrary to
<PB N="93" REF="102"> that old law, <HI>Deut.</HI> 22. 6. Others &s;ay 'tis a Phra&s;e that doth mo&s;t lively repre&s;ent the tenderne&s;s of a mother, who &s;eeing her children in di&s;tre&s;s; &s;pares not her own body nor life, to hazard the &s;ame for her childrens pre&s;ervation, by in|terpo&s;ing <NOTE PLACE="marg">See Ho&s;. 10. 14.</NOTE> her &s;elf, even to be ma&s;|&s;acred together with and upon them. When <HI>Jacob,</HI> and all that was near and dear unto him, were in eminent danger of being cut off by <HI>E&s;au,</HI> and tho&s;e men of blood that were with him, he betakes him&s;elf to private prayer as his on|ly City of refuge, again&s;t the rage and malice of the mighty. And &s;o when <HI>Jeremiah</HI> was in a &s;olitary and loath&s;ome Dungeon, Private prayer was his meat and drink, it was his only City of refuge, <HI>Jer.</HI> 33. 1, 2, 3. <HI>Moreover, the word of Lord came unto Jeremiah the &s;econd time (while he was yet &s;hut up in the Court of the pri&s;on) &s;aying, Thus &s;aith the Lord the Maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to e&s;tabli&s;h it, the Lord is his Name: Call unto me, and I will an&s;wer</HI>
<PB N="94" REF="103"> <HI>thee, &amp; I will &s;hew thee great and migh|ty</HI> (or hidden) <HI>things, which thou know|e&s;t not.</HI> When <HI>Jeremiah</HI> was in a lone&s;ome loath&s;ome. Pri&s;on, God encourages him by private prayer, to &s;eek for further di&s;coveries and revelations of tho&s;e choice and &s;ingular favours, which in future times he purpo&s;ed to confer upon his people. So 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 33. 11, 12, 13. <HI>Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the Captains of the Ho&s;t of the King of A&s;&s;yria, which took Mana&s;|&s;eh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters</HI> (or chains) <HI>and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he be&s;ought the Lord his God, and humbled him&s;elf greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him, and he was intreated of him, and heard his &s;upplication, and brought him again to Jeru&s;alem into his Kingdome. Then Mana&s;&s;eh knew that the Lord he was God.</HI> When <HI>Mana&s;&s;eh</HI> was in fetters, in his enemies country, when he was &s;tript of all his Princely glory, and led captive into <HI>Babylon,</HI> he betakes him&s;elf to Private prayer,
<PB N="95" REF="103"> as his only City of refuge; and by this means he prevailes with God for his re&s;tauration to his Crown and Kingdome. Private prayer is a City of refuge that no power nor Policy, no craft nor cruelty, no violence nor force is ever able to &s;urprize. Though the joynt pray|ers of the People of God together were often ob&s;tructed and hindered in the times of the ten Per&s;ecuti|ons, yet they were never able to ob&s;truct or hinder &s;ecret prayer, Private prayer. When men and Devils have done their wor&s;t, every Chri&s;tian will be able to maintain his Private trade with Heaven. Private prayer will &s;helter a chri|&s;tian again&s;t all the National, Do|me&s;tical, and Per&s;onal &s;tormes and tempe&s;ts, that may threaten him. When a man is lying upon a &s;ick bed alone, or when a man is in pri|&s;on alone, or when a man is with <HI>Job</HI> left upon the Dunghil alone, or when a man is with <HI>John</HI> bani&s;h|ed for the Te&s;timony of Je&s;us into this or that I&s;land alone, O then
<PB N="96" REF="104"> private prayer will be his meat and drink, his &s;helter, his hiding place, his Heaven. When all o|ther Trades faile, this Trade of private Prayer will hold good. But.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="14" TYPE="argument">
<P>Fourteenthly, Con&s;ider, that <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 16. 17. Job 34. 21. Prov. 5. 21. Jer. 32. 19. Rev. 2. 23. Lam. 3 56.</NOTE> God is omnipre&s;ent. We cannot get into any blind hole, or dark corner, or &s;ecret place, but the Lord hath an eye there, the Lord will keep us company there, <HI>Math.</HI> 6. 6. <HI>And thy father which &s;eeth in &s;ecret &s;hall reward the openly.</HI> So <HI>v.</HI> 18. there is not the darke&s;t durtie&s;t hole in the world into which a &s;aint creeps, but God hath a favourable eye there. God never wants an eye to &s;ee our &s;ecret tears; nor an eare to heare our &s;ecret cryes and groans, nor a heart to grant our &s;ecret reque&s;ts; and therefore we ought to pour out our &s;ouls to him in &s;ecret. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 38. 9. <HI>Lord, all my de|&s;ire is before thee; and my groaning is not hide from thee.</HI> Though our pri|vate de&s;ires are never &s;o confu&s;ed, though our private reque&s;ts are ne|ver
<PB N="97" REF="104"> &s;o broken, and though our private groanings are never &s;o much hidden from men, yet God eyes them all, God records them all, and God puts them all upon the file of heaven, and will one day crown them with glorious an&s;wers and returns. We cannot &s;igh out a prayer in &s;ecret, but he &s;ees us; we cannot lift up our eyes to him at midnight, but he ob&s;erves us. The eye that God hath upon his people when they are in &s;ecret, is &s;uch a &s;pecial tender eye of love, as opens his ear, his heart, and his hand, for their good, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 12. <HI>For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears&punc; are open unto their prayers;</HI> or, as the <HI>Greek</HI> hath it, <HI>his ears are unto their prayers.</HI> If their prayers are &s;o faint, that they cannot reach up as high as Heaven, then God will bow the heavens <NOTE PLACE="marg">God is, <HI>to|tus oculus,</HI> all eye.</NOTE> and come down to their prayers. Gods eye is upon every &s;ecret &s;igh, &amp; every &s;ecret groan, &amp; every &s;ecret tear, and every &s;ecret de&s;ire, and e|very &s;ecret pant of love, and every
<PB N="98" REF="105"> &s;ecret breathing of &s;oul, and every &s;ecret melting and working of heart; all which &s;hould encourage us to be much in &s;ecret duties, in clo&s;et-&s;ervices. As a Chri&s;tian is never out of the reach of Gods hand, &s;o he is never out of the view of Gods eye. If a Chri&s;tian cannot hide him&s;elf from the Sun, which is Gods Mini&s;ter of light; how im|po&s;&s;ible will it be to hide him&s;elf from him, who&s;e eyes are ten thou|&s;and times brighter than the Sun? In every private duty a chri&s;tian is &s;til under the eye of Gods omni&s;cien|cy. When we are in the darke&s;t hole, God hath windows into our brea&s;ts, and ob&s;erves all the &s;ecret actings of our inward man. The <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 2. 8.</NOTE> eye of God is not confined to this place, or that, to this company, or that; God hath an eye upon his people as well when they are alone, as when they are among a mul|titude; as well when they are in a corner, as well as when they are in a croud. <HI>Diana's</HI> Temple was burnt down; when &s;he was bu&s;ie at
<PB N="99" REF="105"> <HI>Alexanders</HI> birth, and could not be at two places together. But God is pre&s;ent both in Paradi&s;e and in the wilderne&s;s, both in the family and in the clo&s;et, both in publick and in private, at the &s;ame time: God is an omnipre&s;ent God, he is <NOTE PLACE="marg">Non e&s;t ubi; ubi non e&s;t Deus?</NOTE> every where: as he is included in no place, &s;o he is excluded from no place, <HI>Jer.</HI> 23. 24. <HI>Can any man hide him&s;elf in &s;ecret places that I &s;hall not &s;ee him, &s;aith the Lord?</HI> Pro. 15. 3. <HI>The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good,</HI> or, <HI>contemplating the evil and the good,</HI> as the <HI>Hebrew</HI> may be read. Now <HI>to contemplate</HI> is more than &s;imply <HI>to behold,</HI> for <HI>contemplation</HI> addeth to a &s;imple apprehen&s;ion, a deeper degree of knowledge, entring into the very in&s;ide of a matter; and &s;o indeed doth God di&s;cern the very inward intentions of the heart, and the mo&s;t &s;ecret motions of the &s;pi|rit. God is an infinite, and immen&s;e being, who&s;e center is every where, and who&s;e circumference is no where. Now if our God be om|nipre&s;ent,
<PB N="100" REF="106"> then where&s;oever we are, our God is pre&s;ent with us; if we are in pri&s;on alone, with <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> our God is pre&s;ent with us there; or if we are in exile alone, with <HI>Da|vid,</HI> our God is pre&s;ent with us there; or if we are alone in our clo&s;ets, our God is pre&s;ent with us there: God &s;eeth us in &s;ecret, and there|fore let us &s;eek his face in &s;ecret. Though Heaven be Gods Pallace, yet it is not his pri&s;on. But,</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="15" TYPE="argument">
<P>Fifteenthly, He that willingly neg|lects private prayer, &s;hall certainly be neglected in his publick prayer; he that will not call upon God in &s;ecret, &s;hall find by &s;ad experience, that God will neither hear him nor regard him in publick. Want of private duties is the great rea&s;on why the hearts of many are &s;o dead and dull, &s;o formal and car|nal, &s;o barren and unfruitful under publick Ordinances. O that Chri|&s;tians would &s;eriou&s;ly lay this to heart. Certainly, that man or wo|mans heart is be&s;t in publick, who is mo&s;t frequent in private. They
<PB N="101" REF="106"> make mo&s;t yearnings in publick Ordinances, that are mo&s;t con&s;ci|entiou&s;ly exerci&s;ed in clo&s;et duties. No mans graces ri&s;es &s;o high, nor no mans experiences ri&s;es &s;o high, nor no mans communion with God ri&s;es &s;o high, nor no mans di|vine enjoyments ri&s;es &s;o high, nor no mans &s;prings of comfort ri&s;es &s;o high, nor no mans hopes ri&s;es &s;o high, nor no mans parts and gifts ri&s;es &s;o high, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> as theirs do, who con&s;cientiou&s;ly wait upon God in their Clo&s;ets, before they wait upon him in the A&s;&s;embly of his people; and who, when they re|turn from publick Ordinances, re|tire into their Clo&s;ets, and look up to Heaven for a ble&s;&s;ing upon the publick means. 'Tis certain, that private duties fit the &s;oul for pub|lick ordinances. He that makes con&s;cience to wait upon God in pri|vate, &s;hall finde by experience, that God will wonderfully ble&s;&s;e pub|lick <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mic. 2. 7.</NOTE> Ordinances to him. My de|&s;igne is not to &s;et up one Ordinance of God above another, nor to cau&s;e
<PB N="102" REF="107"> one ordinance of God to cla&s;h with another, the publick wth the private, or the private with the publick, but that every Ordinance may have its proper place, &amp; right: The de&s;ires of my &s;oul being to prize every Ordi|nance &amp; to prai&s;e every ordinance, and to practi&s;e every Ordinance, &amp; to improve every ordinance, &amp; to ble&s;&s;e the Lord for every Ordi|nance. But as ever you would &s;ee <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 63. 1, 2, 3.</NOTE> the beauty and glory of God in his &s;anctuary, as ever you would have publick Ordinances to be lovely and lively to your &s;ouls; as ever you would have your drooping &s;pirits revived, and your langui&s;h|ing &s;ouls refre&s;hed, and your weak graces &s;trengthned, and your &s;trong corruptions weakned under pub|lick Ordinances, be more careful &amp; con&s;cientious in the performance of Clo&s;et duties. O how &s;trong in grace! O how victorious over &s;in! O how dead to the world! O how alive to Chri&s;t! O how fit to live! O how prepared to die, might ma|ny a Chri&s;tian have been, had they
<PB N="103" REF="107"> been but more frequent, &s;erious, and con&s;cientious, in the di&s;charge of Clo&s;et duties. Not but that I think there is a truth in that &s;aying of <HI>Bede</HI> (the word <HI>Church</HI> being rightly under&s;tood, <HI>viz.) That he that comes not willingly to Church, &s;hall one day go unwillingly to Hell.</HI> But,</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="16" TYPE="argument">
<P>Sixteenthly, Con&s;ider, the times wherein we live call aloud for &s;e|cret prayer. Hell &s;eems to be broke loo&s;e, and men turned into incar|nate Devils; Land-de&s;troying, and Soul-damning wickedne&s;&s;es, walk up and down the &s;treets, with a Whores fore-head, without the lea&s;t check or controul, <HI>Jer.</HI> 3. 3. <HI>Thou had'&s;t a Whores fore-head, thou refu&s;e&s;t to be a&s;hamed.</HI> Jer. 6. 15. <HI>Were they a&s;hamed when they committed abo|mination? nay, they were not at alla&s;ham|ed, neither could they blu&s;h</HI> (They had <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Curtius</HI> an heathen could &s;ay, That he was an un|done man that know|eth no &s;hame.</NOTE> &s;inned away &s;hame, in&s;tead of be|ing a&s;hamed of &s;in. Cu&s;tom in &s;in had quite bani&s;hed all &s;ence of &s;in and all &s;hame for &s;in, &s;o that they would not &s;uffer nature to draw her vail of blu&s;hing before their
<PB N="104" REF="108"> great abominations. They were like to <HI>Caligula</HI> a wicked Emperor, who u&s;ed to &s;ay of him&s;elf, <HI>That he loved nothing better in him&s;elf, than that he could not be a&s;hamed.)</HI> The &s;ame words are repeated in <HI>Chap.</HI> 8. 12. How applicable the&s;e Scriptures are to the pre&s;ent times, I will leave the prudent reader to judge. But what doth the Prophet do now they were as bold in &s;in, and as &s;hamele&s;s as &s;o many harlots; that you may &s;ee in <HI>Jer.</HI> 13. 17. <HI>But if ye will not hear it, my &s;oul &s;hall weep in &s;ecret places</HI> (or &s;ecre&s;ies) <HI>for your pride; and mine eye &s;hall weep &s;ore</HI> (Heb. <HI>weeping weep, or &s;hedding tears &s;hed tears;</HI> the doubling of the verb, notes the bitter and grievous lamentation that he &s;hould make for them) <HI>and run down with tears.</HI> Now they were grown up to that heighth of &s;in and wickedne&s;s, that they were a|bove all &s;hame and blu&s;hing; now they were grown &s;o proud &s;o hard|ned, &s;o ob&s;tinate, &s;o rebellious, &s;o mad upon mi&s;chief, that no mer|cies could melt them, or allure
<PB N="105" REF="108"> them; nor no threatnings, nor judgements could any wayes terri|fie them or &s;top them; the Pro|phet goes into a corner, he retires him&s;elf into the mo&s;t &s;ecret places, and there he weeps bitterly, there he weeps as if he were re&s;olved to drown him&s;elf in his own tears. When the &s;prings of &s;orrow ri&s;e high, a Chri&s;tian turns his back up|on company, and retires him&s;elf into places of greate&s;t privacy, that &s;o he may the more freely, and the more fully vent his &s;orrow and grief before the Lord. Ah, <HI>England, England,</HI> what pride, luxury, la&s;ci|viou&s;ne&s;s, licentiou&s;ne&s;s, wanton|ne&s;s, drunkenne&s;s, cruelties, inju|&s;tice, oppre&s;&s;ions, fornications, a|dulteries, fal&s;hoods, hypocri&s;ie, bribery, athei&s;me, horrid bla&s;phe|mies, and helli&s;h impieties are now to be found rampant in the mid&s;t of thee! Ah <HI>England, England,</HI> how are the Lords Sabbaths profaned, pure Ordinances de&s;pi&s;ed. Scrip|tures rejected, the Spirit re&s;i&s;ted and derided, the righteous reviled, wick|edne&s;s
<PB N="106" REF="109"> countenanced, and Chri&s;t many thou&s;and times in a day by the&s;e cur&s;ed practi&s;es a fre&s;h cruci|fied! Ah <HI>England, England,</HI> were our forefathers alive, how &s;adly would they blu&s;h to &s;ee &s;uch a horrid dege|nerate po&s;terity, as is to be found in the mid&s;t of thee! How is our fore|fathers ho&s;pitality converted into riot and luxury, their frugallity in|to pride and prodigallity, their &s;implicity into &s;ubtilty, their &s;in|cerity into hypocri&s;ie, their charity into cruelty, their cha&s;tity into chambring and wantonne&s;s, their &s;obriety into drunkenne&s;s, their plain dealing into di&s;&s;embling, their works of compa&s;&s;ion into works of oppre&s;&s;ion, and their love to the people of God, into an utter enmity again&s;t the people of God! <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And what is the voice of all the&s;e crying abominations, but, eve|ry Chri&s;tian to his clo&s;et, every Chri&s;tian to his clo&s;et, and there weep (with weeping <HI>Jeremiah)</HI> bitter|ly, for all the&s;e great abominations, whereby God is di&s;honoured open|ly.
<PB N="107" REF="109"> O weep in &s;ecret for their &s;ins, who openly glory in their &s;ins, which &s;hould be their greate&s;t &s;hame. O blu&s;h in &s;ecret for them that are pa&s;t all blu&s;hing for their &s;ins; for who knowes but that the whole land may fare the better for the &s;akes of a few that are mourn|ers in &s;ecret? But however it goes with the Nation, &s;uch as mourn in &s;ecret for the abominations of the times may be confident, that when &s;weeping judgements &s;hall come upon the land, the Lord will hide them in the &s;ecret Chambers of his providence; he will &s;et a &s;ecret mark of deliverance upon their fore-heads, that mourn in &s;ecret for the crying &s;ins of the pre&s;ent day, as he did upon theirs in <HI>Ezek.</HI> 9. 4, 5, 6.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="17" TYPE="argument">
<P>Seventeenthly, Con&s;ider, That <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 15. 14, 15.</NOTE> the near and dear relations, that you &s;tand in to the Lord, calls a|loud for &s;ecret prayer. You are his friends. Now a true friend loves to vi&s;it his friend when he may find him alone, and enjoy privacy with
<PB N="108" REF="110"> him. A true friend loves to pour out his heart into the bo&s;om of his friend, when he hath him in a cor|ner, or in the field, or under a hedge. You are his favourites: and <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 20. Neh. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4.</NOTE> what favourite is there that hides his &s;ecret from his prince? do not all favourites open their hearts to their princes, when they are alone? You are his Children: and what ingenious child is there, that doth not delight to be much with his fa|ther <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 5. 8. 1 The&s;. 5. 5. 2 Cor. 11. 2.</NOTE> when he is alone, when no bo|dy is by? O how free and open are children when they have their pa|rents alone, beyond what they are when company is pre&s;ent. You are the Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t: and what &s;pou&s;e, what wife is there that doth not love to be much with her hu&s;|band when he is all alone? True lovers are alwayes be&s;t when they are mo&s;t alone, <HI>Cant.</HI> 7. 10, 11, 12. <HI>I am my beloveds, and his de&s;ire is to|wards me. Come my beloved, let us go forth into the field: let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us &s;ee if the vines flouri&s;h,</HI>
<PB N="109" REF="110"> <HI>whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.</HI> The Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t is very de&s;irous to enjoy his company in the fields, that &s;o having her beloved alone, &s;he might the more freely, and the more &s;e|cretly open her heart to him. As wives, when they are walking a|lone with their husbands in the fields, are more free to open their minds, and the &s;ecrets of their hearts, than they are when in their hou&s;es with their children and &s;er|vants about them; &s;o 'twas with the &s;pou&s;e. Without all peradven|ture, they have very great cau&s;e to que&s;tion, whether they are Chri&s;ts real friends, favourites, children, &s;pou&s;e, who &s;eldom or never con|ver&s;e with Chri&s;t in their clo&s;ets, who are &s;hie of Chri&s;t when they are alone, who never accu&s;tome them|&s;elves to give Chri&s;t &s;ecret vi&s;its? What <HI>Dalilah</HI> &s;aid to <HI>Samp&s;on, Judg.</HI> 16. 15. <HI>How can&s;t thou &s;ay, I love thee, when thou ha&s;t not told me, wherein thy great &s;trength lieth</HI> (the di&s;cove|ry
<PB N="110" REF="111"> of which &s;ecret at la&s;t co&s;t him his life) that Chri&s;t may &s;ay to very many in our dayes; How can you &s;ay you love me, when you never acquaint me with your &s;e|crets? how can you &s;ay you love me, when you never be&s;tow any private vi&s;its upon me? How can you &s;ay that you are my friends, my faithful friends, my bo&s;om friends, when you never in private unbo&s;om your &s;elves to me? How can you &s;ay that you are my fa|vourites, when you can &s;pend one moneth after another, and one quarter of a year after ano<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">her, and yet not let me know one of all your &s;ecrets, when every day you might have my ear in &s;ecret if you plea&s;ed? How can you &s;ay that you are my children, and yet be &s;o clo&s;e and re&s;erved as you are? How can you &s;ay you are my &s;pou&s;e, and that you lye in my bo&s;ome, &amp; yet never take any delight to open your hearts, your &s;ecrets, to me when I am alone? What <HI>Alexander</HI> &s;aid to one that was of his name, but a Cow|ard,
<PB N="111" REF="111"> <HI>Either lay down the name of Alex|ander, or fight like Alexander;</HI> that I &s;ay to you, Either be frequent in clo&s;et duties, as becomes a Chri&s;ti|an, or el&s;e lay down the name of a Chri&s;tian; either unbo&s;om your &s;elves in &s;ecret to Chri&s;t, as friends, favourites, children, &s;pou&s;es, or el&s;e lay down the&s;e names, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But,</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="18" TYPE="argument">
<P>Eighteenthly, Con&s;ider, that God hath &s;et a &s;pecial mark of fa|vour, honour, and ob&s;ervation, up|on tho&s;e that have prayed in &s;ecret. As you may &s;ee in <HI>Mo&s;es, Exod.</HI> 34. 28. And in <HI>Abraham, Gen.</HI> 21. 33. And in <HI>I&s;aac, Gen.</HI> 24. 63. And in <HI>Jacob, Gen.</HI> 32. 24-29. And in <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 55. 16, 17. And in <HI>Da|niel, Chap.</HI> 6. 10. And in <HI>Paul, Acts,</HI> 9. 11. And in <HI>Cornelius Acts,</HI> 10. 2. 4. And in <HI>Peter, Acts,</HI> 10. 9, 10, 11, 12. And in <HI>Mana&s;&s;eh,</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 33. 18, 19. God hath put all the&s;e worthies that have exerci&s;ed them|&s;elves in &s;ecret prayer, upon re|cord, to their everla&s;ting fame and honour. The <HI>Per&s;ians</HI> &s;eldome
<PB N="112" REF="112"> write their Kings name but in cha|racters of Gold. God hath writ (as I may &s;ay) their names in chara|cters of Gold, who have made con&s;cience of exerci&s;ing them&s;elves in &s;ecret prayer. The precious names of tho&s;e that have addicted them&s;elves to clo&s;et duties, are as Statues of gold, which the polluted breath of men can no wayes &s;tain; they are like &s;o many &s;hining Suns that no clouds can darken; they are like &s;o many &s;parkling Diamonds that &s;hine brighte&s;t in the darke&s;t night. A chri&s;tian can never get into a hole, a corner, a clo&s;et, to pour out his &s;oul before the Lord, but the Lord makes an honourable ob&s;ervation of him, and &s;ets a &s;ecret mark of favour upon him, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 9. 4, 5, 6. And how &s;hould this provoke all chri|&s;tians to be much with God alone. The <HI>Romans&punc;</HI> were very ambitious of obtaining a great name, a great report in this world; and why &s;hould not Chri&s;tians be as divinely ambitious of obtaining a good
<PB N="113" REF="112"> name a good report in the other <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 11. 39.</NOTE> world. A good name is alwayes better then a great name, and a name in heaven is infinitely better then a thou&s;and names on earth; and the way to both the&s;e is to be much with God in &s;ecret. But,</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="19" TYPE="argument">
<P>19thly, Con&s;ider, that Satan is a very great enemy to &s;ecret prayer. Secret prayer is a &s;courge, a hell, to Satan; every &s;ecret prayer adds to the Devils torment, and every &s;ecret &s;igh adds to his torment, and every &s;ecret groan adds to his torment, &amp; every &s;ecret tear adds to his torment. When a child of God is on his knees in his &s;ecret addre&s;|&s;es <NOTE PLACE="marg">There is no one thing that many hun|dred Chri|&s;tians have more &s;adly lamented and be|wailed, as many &s;aith|ful Mini|&s;ters can witne&s;s, than the &s;ad inter|ruptions that they have met with from Satan, when they have been with God alone in a room, in a corner. O! how often have they been &s;cared, af|frighted, and ama|zed by noy&s;es &amp; &s;trange appariti|ons, at lea&s;t to their fancies, when they have been alone with God in a corner.</NOTE> to God, O the &s;trange thoughts, the earthly thoughts, the wandring thoughts, the di&s;tracted thoughts, the hideous thoughts, the bla&s;phe|mous thoughts, that Satan often injects into his &s;oul! and all to wean him from &s;ecret prayer, and to weary him of &s;ecret prayer. Sometimes he tells the &s;oul, that 'tis in vain to &s;eek God in &s;ecret;
<PB N="114" REF="113"> and at other times he tells the &s;oul 'tis too late to &s;eek God in &s;ecret, for the door of mercy is &s;hut, and there is no hope, no help for the &s;oul: Sometimes he tells the &s;oul, that 'tis enough to &s;eek God in Publick; and at other times he tells the &s;oul, that 'tis but a preci&s;e trick to &s;eek the Lord in private: Some|times he tells the &s;oul, that 'tis not elected, and therefore all his &s;ecret prayers &s;hall be rejected; and at other times he tells the &s;oul, that 'tis &s;ealed up unto the day of wrath and therefore &s;ecret prayer can ne|ver rever&s;e that &s;eal: and all this to di&s;hearten and di&s;courage a poor Chri&s;tian in his &s;ecret retirements. Sometimes Satan will object to a poor Chri&s;tian, the greatne&s;s of his &s;ins; &amp; at other times he will object again&s;t a Chri&s;tian, the greatne&s;s of his unworthyne&s;s: Sometimes he will object again&s;t a Chri&s;tian his want of grace; and at other times he will object again&s;t a Chri|&s;tian his want of gifts to manage &s;uch a duty, as it &s;hould be mana|ged:
<PB N="115" REF="113"> Sometimes he will object again&s;t a Chri&s;tian his former &s;treightnedne&s;s in &s;ecret prayer; and at other times he will object again&s;t a Chri&s;tian, the &s;mal yearn|ings that he makes of &s;ecret prayer: and all to work the &s;oule out of love with &s;ecret prayer, yea, to work the &s;oul to loath &s;ecret pray|er; &s;o deadly an enemy is Satan to &s;ecret prayer. O the &s;trange fears fancies, and conceits, that Satan often rai&s;es in the &s;pirits of Chri&s;ti|an, when they are alone with God in a corner; and all to work them to ca&s;t off private prayer. 'Tis none of Satans lea&s;t de&s;ignes, to inter|rupt a Chri&s;tian in his private trade with God. Satan watches all a Chri&s;tians motions; &s;o that he can|not turn into his clo&s;et, nor creep into any hole to conver&s;e privately with his God, but he followes him hard at heels, &amp; will be &s;til injecting one thing or another into the &s;oul, or el&s;e objecting one thing or ano|ther again&s;t the &s;oul&punc; A Chri&s;tian is as well able to tell the &s;tars of
<PB N="116" REF="114"> Heaven, and to number the &s;ands of the &s;ea, as he is able to number up the &s;everal devices and &s;lights that Satan u&s;es to ob&s;truct the &s;ouls private addre&s;&s;es to God. Now from that great oppo&s;ition that Sa|tan makes again&s;t private prayer, a Chri&s;tian may &s;afely conclude the&s;e five things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, The excellency of private prayer. Certainly, If it were not an excellent thing, for a man to be in &s;ecret with God, Satan would never make &s;uch head again&s;t it.</P>
<P>Secondly, The nece&s;&s;ity of this duty. The more nece&s;&s;ary any du|ty is to the internal and eternal welfare of a Chri&s;tian, the more Satan will be&s;tir him&s;elf, to blunt a Chri&s;tians Spirit in that duty.</P>
<P>Thirdly, The utility or profit that attends a con&s;cientious di&s;|charge of this duty. Where we are like to gain mo&s;t, there Satan loves to oppo&s;e mo&s;t.</P>
<P>Fourthly, The prevalency of pri|vate prayer. If there were not a kind of an omnipotency in it, if it
<PB N="117" REF="114"> were not able to doe wonders in heaven, and wonders on earth, and wonders in the hearts and lives and wayes of men, Satan would never have &s;uch an akeing tooth a|gain&s;t it, as he hath.</P>
<P>Fifthly, That God is highly honoured by this duty, or el&s;e Sa|tan would never be &s;o greatly en|raged again&s;t it. This is certaine, The more Glory God hath from any &s;ervice we do, the more Satan will &s;trive by all his wiles and &s;lights to take us, either off from that &s;ervice, or &s;o to interrupt us in that &s;ervice, that God may have no honour, nor we no good, nor him&s;elf no hurt, by our private retirements. But in the</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="20" TYPE="argument">
<P>Twentieth and la&s;t place, con&s;ider, that you are only the Lords &s;ecret ones, his hidden ones; and therefore if you do not apply your &s;elves to private prayer, and to your &s;ecret retirements, that you may enjoy God in a corner, none will. 'Tis only Gods hidden ones, his &s;ecret ones, that are &s;pi|rited,
<PB N="118" REF="115"> principled, and prepared to waite on God in &s;ecret, <HI>Exod.</HI> 19. 5. <HI>Then &s;hall ye be a peculiar trea&s;ure unto me above all people.</HI> The <HI>Hebrew</HI> word <HI>Segullah</HI> &s;ignifieth Gods &s;pecial Je|wels, Gods proper ones, or Gods &s;ecret ones, that he keeps in &s;tore for him&s;elf, and for his own &s;peci|al &s;ervice and u&s;e. Princes lock up with their own hands in &s;ecret, their mo&s;t precious and co&s;tly Je|wels; and &s;o doth God his, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 135. 4. <HI>For the Lord hath cho&s;en Ja|cob unto him&s;elf, and I&s;rael for his pe|culiar trea&s;ure,</HI> or, for his &s;ecret Gem. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 83. 3. <HI>They have taken craftie coun&s;el again&s;t thy people, and con&s;ulted again&s;t thy hidden ones,</HI> or, thy &s;ecret ones; &s;o called, partly, becau&s;e God hides them in the &s;ecret of his Ta|bernacle, &amp; partly, becau&s;e God &s;ets <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 31. 20.</NOTE> as high a value upon them, as men do upon their hidden trea&s;ure, their &s;ecret trea&s;ure; yea, he makes more reckoning of them than he doth of all the world be&s;ides: And &s;o the world &s;hall know, when God &s;hall ari&s;e to revenge the wrongs and in|juries
<PB N="119" REF="115"> that hath been done to his &s;ecret ones. Neither are there any on earth that knowes &s;o much of the &s;ecrets of his love, of the &s;ecrets of his coun&s;els, of the &s;ecrets of his purpo&s;es, of the &s;ecrets of his heart, as his &s;ecret ones do. Neither are there any in all the world, that are under tho&s;e &s;ecret influences, tho&s;e &s;ecret a&s;&s;i&s;tances, tho&s;e &s;ecret in|comes, tho&s;e &s;ecret anointings of the Spirit, as his &s;ecret ones are under: And therefore no wonder if God calls them again, and gain, and a|gain, his &s;ecret ones. Now what can be more comely or more de|&s;ireable, than to &s;ee their natures and their practices to an&s;wer to their names? They are the Lords &s;ecret ones, his hidden ones, and therefore how highly doth it con|cern them to be much with God in &s;ecret, and to hide them&s;elves with God in a corner! Shall <HI>Nabals</HI> nature and practi&s;e an&s;wer to his name? 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 25. 25. <HI>Let not my Lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is,</HI>
<PB N="120" REF="116"> <HI>&s;o is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. Nabal</HI> &s;ignifies <HI>a fool,</HI> a &s;ot, a Churle, it notes one that is void of wi&s;dome and goodne&s;s, it &s;igni|fieth one who&s;e Mind, Rea&s;on, Judgment &amp; Under&s;tanding, is wi|thered and decayed. Now if you look into the &s;tory you &s;hall find that as face an&s;wers to face, &s;o <HI>Na|bals</HI> nature and practi&s;e did Eccho and an&s;wer to his name. And why then &s;hould not our natures and practi&s;es an&s;wer to our names al|&s;o? We are called the Lords &s;ecret ones, his hidden ones; and how highly therefore doth it concern us to be much with God in &s;ecret? Why &s;hould their be any jarring or di&s;cord between our names and our practi&s;es? It is ob&s;ervable, that the practi&s;e and carriage of other Saints have been an&s;werable to their names. <HI>I&s;aac</HI> &s;ignifies <HI>laugh|ter,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 18.</NOTE> and <HI>I&s;aac</HI> was a gracious &s;on, a dutiful &s;on, a &s;on that kept clear of tho&s;e abominations with which many of the Patriarchs had defiled them&s;elves, a &s;on that proved mat|ter
<PB N="121" REF="116"> of laughter to his Father and Mother all their dayes. So <HI>Jo&s;iah</HI> &s;ignifies <HI>the fire of the Lord,</HI> and his practi&s;e did an&s;werto his name; witne&s;s the pulling down of <HI>Jero|boams</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 King. 13. 2.</NOTE> Altar, and his burning of the Ve&s;&s;els that were made for <HI>Baal,</HI> and his pulling down the Ido|latrous Prie&s;ts, whom the Kings of <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 King. 23. 4,&mdash;21.</NOTE> <HI>Judah</HI> had &s;et up, and his burning the Grove at the brook <HI>Kidron,</HI> and his &s;tamping it to powder, and his breaking down the hou&s;es of the <HI>Sodomites,</HI> and his defiling of the high places where the Prie&s;ts had burnt incen&s;e, and his break|ing in pieces the Images, and cut|ting down the Groves, and filling their places with the bones of men, &amp;c. So <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> &s;ignifies <HI>a Saviour,</HI> and his practi&s;e was an&s;werable to his name. Though he could not &s;ave his people from their &s;ins, yet he often &s;aved them from their &s;uf|ferings. Great and many were the deliverances, the &s;alvations, that were in&s;trumentally brought about by <HI>Jo&s;hua,</HI> as all know that have
<PB N="122" REF="117"> read the book of <HI>Jo&s;hua.</HI> So <HI>John</HI> &s;ignifies <HI>gracious,</HI> and his practi&s;e was an&s;werable to his name; he was &s;o gracious in his teachings, and in his walkings, that he gained favour in the very eyes of his ene|mies. By all the&s;e In&s;tances (and by many more that might be gi|ven) you &s;ee that other Saints practi&s;es have an&s;wered to their names And therefore let every one of us look that our practi&s;es do al&s;o an&s;wer to our names, that as we are called the Lords &s;ecret ones, &s;o we may be much with God in &s;ecret, that &s;o there may be a ble&s;&s;ed har|mony between our names and our practi&s;es, &amp; we may never repent a|nother day, that we have been cal|led Gods &s;ecret ones, his hidden ones, but yet never made con&s;cience of maintaining &s;ecret communion with God in our clo&s;ets. And thus you &s;ee that there are no le&s;s than Twenty arguments to per&s;wade you to clo&s;et prayer, and to main|tain private communion with God in a Corner.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="section">
<PB N="123" REF="117">
<P> The u&s;e and Application of all follows.</P>
<Q>Is it &s;o that Clo&s;et Prayer, or Private Prayer, is &s;uch an indi&s;pen&s;ible duty, that Chri&s;t him&s;elf hath laid upon all that are not willing to lye under the the woful brand of being hypocrites; then this truth looks very &s;ourely and &s;adly upon the&s;e five &s;orts of per|&s;ons.</Q>
<P>Fir&s;t, It looks &s;ourly and &s;adly upon all tho&s;e that put off &s;ecret prayer, private prayer, till they are moved to it by the Spirit; for by this &s;ad delu&s;ion, many have been kept from &s;ecret prayer, many weeks, many moneths, O that I might not &s;ay, many years! Though it be a very fit &s;ea&s;on to <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 62. 1. P&s;al. 123. 1, 2 Gal. 4. 6.</NOTE> pray when the Spirit moves us to pray, yet, 'tis not the only &s;ea&s;on to pray. He that makes Religion his bu&s;ine&s;s, will pray as daily for daily grace, as he doth pray daily for daily bread. <HI>Luke</HI> 18. 1. <HI>And</HI>
<PB N="124" REF="118"> <HI>he &s;pake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought alwayes to pray, and not to faint.</HI> 1 The&s;. 5. 17. <HI>Pray with|out cea&s;ing.</HI> Ephe&s;. 6. 18. <HI>Praying al|wayes with all prayer and &s;upplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all per&s;everance, and &s;upplication for all Saints.</HI> Rom. 12. 12. <HI>Conti|nuing in&s;tant in prayer.</HI> The <HI>Greek</HI> is <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> In every &s;ea&s;on, as occa&s;ion and op|portunity offers it &s;elf, we mu&s;t pray.</NOTE> a Metaphor taken from hunting Dogs, that never give over the game till they have got their prey. A Chri&s;tian mu&s;t not only pray, but hold on in prayer, till he hath got the heavenly prize. We are want|ing alwayes, and therefore we had need be praying alwayes. The world is alwayes alluring, and therefore we had need be alwayes a praying; Satan is alwayes a tempting, and therefore we had need be alwayes a praying; and we are alwayes a &s;inning, and therefore we had need be alwayes a praying; and we are in dangers alwayes, and therefore we had need be praying alwayes; and we are dying alwayes, and therefore <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15. 31</NOTE>
<PB N="125" REF="118"> we had need be praying alwayes. Mans whole life is but a lingring death; man no &s;ooner begins to live, but he begins to die. When one was ask't, why he prayed &s;ix times a day, he only gave this an|&s;wer, <HI>I mu&s;t die, I mu&s;t die, I mu&s;t die.</HI> Dying Chri&s;tians had need be pray|ing Chri&s;tians, and they that are alwayes a dying had need be al|wayes a praying. Certainly, pray|erle&s;s families are gracele&s;s fami|lies, and prayerle&s;s per&s;ons are gracele&s;s per&s;ons. It were better <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 10. 25.</NOTE> ten thou&s;and times, that we had never been born into the world, than that we &s;hould go &s;till-born out of the world. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, This truth looks &s;our|ly and &s;adly upon tho&s;e that pray not at all, neither in their Fami|lies nor in their clo&s;ets. Among all Gods Children, there is not one po&s;&s;e&s;t with a dumb devil. Prayer|le&s;&s;e per&s;ons are for&s;aken of God, blinded by Satan, hardned in &s;in, &amp; every breath they draw, liable to all temporal, &s;piritual, and eternal
<PB N="126" REF="119"> Judgements. Prayer is that part of natural wor&s;hip due to God, which none will deny but &s;tark Athei&s;ts, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 14. 1.</P>
<P>It is ob&s;ervable that among&s;t the <NOTE PLACE="marg">That wic|ked men ought to pray, and the grand objection again&s;t their prayers an&s;wered at large in my Trea|ti&s;e called <HI>The Crown and glory of Chri&s;ti|anity,</HI> from <HI>Page</HI> 326. to <HI>pag.</HI> 337.</NOTE> wor&s;t of men, <HI>Turks;</HI> and the wor&s;t of <HI>Turks,</HI> the <HI>Moors,</HI> it is a ju&s;t ex|ception again&s;t any witne&s;s by their Law, that he hath not prayed &s;ix times in every natural day, it be|ing u&s;ual with them to pray &s;ix times a day.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Before the day-break they pray for day.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. When it is day, they give thanks for day.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. At noon they thank God for half the day pa&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. After that they pray for a good Sun-&s;et.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. And after that they thank God for the day pa&s;t.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>And then, &s;ixthly and la&s;tly, they pray for a good night after their day.</P>
<P>Certainly, the&s;e very <HI>Moors</HI> will one day ri&s;e in judgement again&s;t them, who ca&s;t off prayer, who
<PB N="127" REF="119"> live in a total neglect of prayer, who &s;uffer &s;o many Suns and Moons to ri&s;e and &s;et upon their heads, without any &s;olemn calling upon God. I have read of a man, who being &s;ick and afraid of death, fell to his prayers; and to move God to hear him, told him, <HI>That he was no common beggar, and that he had never troubled him with his prayers be|fore,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heil. Mic. p. 376.</NOTE> <HI>and if he would but hear him at that time, he would never trouble him again.</HI> This world is full of &s;uch prophane bla&s;phemous, athei&s;tical wretches. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, This truth looks very &s;ourly and &s;adly upon &s;uch, who are all for publick prayer, but ne|ver regard private prayer; who are <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ll for going up to the Temple, but never care for going into their Clo&s;ets. This is mo&s;t palpable hy|pocri&s;ie, for a man to be very zea|lous for publick prayer, but very cold and carele&s;s as to private prayer. He that pretends con&s;ci|ence in the one, and makes no con|&s;cience of the other, is an hypocrite
<PB N="128" REF="120"> in grain, <HI>Matth.</HI> 23. 5. <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 1, 2, 5. And the Devil knowes well enough, how to make his markets of all &s;uch hypocrites, that are all for the prayers of the Church, but perfect <HI>Gallio's</HI> as to private prayer, <HI>Acts</HI> 18. 17. Such as perform all their private devo|tion in the Church, but not in the Chamber, do put too great a &s;light upon the authority of Chri&s;t, who &s;aith, <HI>When thou praye&s;t, enter into thy Chamber;</HI> he doth not &s;ay, <HI>when thou praye&s;t,</HI> Go to the Church; but, <HI>when thou praye&s;t, go into thy Chamber.</HI> But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, This truth looks &s;ad|ly and &s;ourly upon &s;uch, who in their Clo&s;ets pray with a loud cla|morous voice. A Chri&s;tian &s;hould &s;hut both the door of his Clo&s;et, and the door of his Lips &s;o clo&s;e, that none &s;hould hear without, what he &s;aith within. <HI>Enter into thy Clo&s;et,</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>and when thou ha&s;t &s;hut thy door, pray.</HI> But what need a man &s;hut his Clo&s;et door, if he may pray with a clamorous
<PB N="129" REF="120"> voice, if he make &s;uch a noi&s;e as all in the &s;treet, or all in the hou&s;e may hear him. The Hen when &s;he lays her Eggs, gets into a hole, a cor|ner; but then &s;he makes &s;uch a noi&s;e with her cackling, that &s;he tells all in the hou&s;e where &s;he is, and a|bout what &s;he is. Such Chri&s;tians that in their Clo&s;ets do imitate the Hen, do rather pray to be &s;een, heard, and ob&s;erved by men, than out of any noble de&s;ign to glorifie God, or to pour out their &s;ouls be|fore him <HI>that &s;eeth in &s;ecret.</HI> Some|times children when they are vext, or afraid of the rod, will run be|hind the door, or get into a dark hole, and there they will lye cry|ing, and &s;ighing, and &s;obbing, that all the hou&s;e may know where they are. O 'tis a childi&s;h thing &s;o to cry and &s;igh, and &s;ob, in our Clo&s;ets, as to tell all in the hou&s;e, where we are, and about what work we are: Well Chri&s;tians for an effectual redre&s;s of this evil, fre|quently and &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;ider of the&s;e five things.</P>
<PB N="130" REF="121">
<P> Fir&s;t, That God &s;eeth in &s;e|cret.</P>
<P>Secondly, That God hath a quick ear, and is taken more with the voice of the heart, than he is with the clamour of the mouth. God can ea&s;ily hear the mo&s;t &s;ecret breathings of thy &s;oul. God is more curious in ob&s;erving the me&s;&s;ages delivered by the heart, than he is tho&s;e that are only delivered by the mouth. He that prays aloud in private, &s;eems to tell others, that God doth not under&s;tand the &s;e|cret de&s;ires, and thoughts, and workings of his peoples hearts.</P>
<P>Thirdly, 'Tis not meet, 'tis not convenient, nor expedient, that any &s;hould be acquainted with our &s;e|cret prayers, but God and our own &s;ouls. Now 'tis as much our duty to look to what is expedient, as 'tis <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 8. 10, Chap. 12. 1.</NOTE> to look to what is lawful, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 12. <HI>All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient.</HI> So Chap. 10. 23. <HI>All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but all things</HI>
<PB N="131" REF="121"> <HI>edifie not.</HI> Now 'tis &s;o far from be|ing expedient, that 'tis very high folly for men to lay open their &s;e|cret infirmities unto others, that will rather deride them, than lift up a prayer for them.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Loud prayers may be a hinderance and di&s;turbance to o|thers, that may be bu&s;ied near us, in &s;ome Religious, or Civil exer|ci&s;es.</P>
<P>Fifthly and la&s;tly, <HI>Hannah</HI> pray|ed and yet &s;poke never a word; her heart was full, but her voice was not heard, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 1. 11. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> prayes and cries, and yet lets fall never a word, <HI>Exod.</HI> 14. 15. <HI>And the Lord &s;aid unto Mo&s;es, wherefore cry|e&s;t thou unto me? Mo&s;es</HI> did not cry with any audible voice, but with inward &s;ighs, and &s;ecret breathings and wre&s;tlings of &s;oul; and the&s;e inward and &s;ecret cries, which made no noi&s;e, carried the day with God; for <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> is heard, and an|&s;wered, and his people are deliver|ed. O the prevalency of tho&s;e
<PB N="132" REF="122"> prayers that make no noi&s;e in the ears of others.</P>
<P>Fifthly, and la&s;tly, This truth looks &s;ourly and &s;adly upon tho&s;e that do all they can to hinder and di&s;courage others from this duty of duties, <HI>Private prayer;</HI> and that ei|ther by deriding or vilifying of the duty; or el&s;e, by denying of it to be a duty; or el&s;e, by their dai|ly neglect of this duty; or el&s;e, by denying them that are under them time and opportunity for the di&s;|charge of this duty. In <HI>Matth.</HI> 23. 13. You have a woe pronounced again&s;t tho&s;e that will neither goe to Heaven them&s;elves, nor &s;uffer others to goe that are wil|ling to enter into an everla&s;ting re&s;t. And &s;o I &s;ay, woe to tho&s;e Parents, and woe to tho&s;e Husbands, and woe to the&s;e Ma|&s;ters and Mi&s;tri&s;es, that will neither pray in their clo&s;ets them&s;elves, nor &s;uffer their children, nor their wives nor their &s;ervants, to pour out their &s;ouls before the Lord in a cor|ner. O Sirs, how will you an&s;wer
<PB N="133" REF="122"> this to your con&s;ciences, when you &s;hall lye upon a dying bed and how will you an&s;wer it to the Judge of all the world, when you &s;hall &s;tand before a Judgment &s;eat! Cer|tainly, all their &s;ins, and all their neglects, and all their &s;piritual lo&s;&s;es, that might have been pre|vented by their &s;ecret prayers, by their clo&s;et communion with God, will one day be charg'd upon your accounts. And, O that you were all &s;o wi&s;e as to lay the&s;e things &s;o to heart, that you may never hin|der any that are under your care or charge, from private prayer any more. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, This may &s;erve to ex|hort us, to keep clo&s;e to our Clo|&s;ets, to be frequent and con&s;tant in Private prayer, to be often with God in a corner. The 20 Con&s;ide|rations already laid down may &s;erve as &s;o many motives to pro|voke your hearts, to this noble and nece&s;&s;ary duty.</P>
<PB N="134" REF="123">
<P><LABEL>Objection.</LABEL></P>
<P>But many will be ready to object and &s;ay, <HI>We have much bu&s;ine&s;s upon our hands, and we cannot &s;pare time for private prayer; we have &s;o much to doe in our &s;hops, and in our ware-hou&s;es, and abroad with others, that we cannot &s;pare time to waite upon the Lord in our Clo|&s;ets.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="section">
<P>Now to this <HI>Objection</HI> I &s;hall give the&s;e Eight An&s;wers, that this Objection may never have a re|&s;urrection more in any of your hearts.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, What are all tho&s;e bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;es that are upon your hands, to tho&s;e great bu&s;ine&s;&s;es &amp; weigh|ty affaires that did lye upon the hands of <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac, Jacob, Mo&s;es, David, Daniel, Elias, Nehemi|ah,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">See the fir&s;t Con|&s;ideration.</NOTE> <HI>Peter, Cornelius!</HI> and yet you find all the&s;e worthies exerci&s;ing them&s;elves in Private prayers. And the King is commanded every day to read &s;ome part of Gods word,
<PB N="135" REF="123"> notwith&s;tanding all his great and weighty imployments, <HI>Deut.</HI> 17. 18, 19, 20. Now certainly, Sirs, your great bu&s;ine&s;&s;es are little more than ciphers, compared with theirs: And if there were any on earth that might have pleaded an exemption from private pray|er, upon the account of bu&s;ine&s;s, of much bu&s;ine&s;s, of great bu&s;ine&s;s, the&s;e might have done it; but they were more hone&s;t, and more noble than to neglect &s;o choice a duty, up|on the account of much bu&s;ine&s;s; the&s;e brave hearts made all their publick imployments &s;toop to pri|vate prayer; they would never &s;uf|fer their publick imployments to tread private prayer under foot. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, I an&s;wer, no mens outward affaires did ever more pro&s;per, than theirs did, who devo|ted them&s;elves to private prayer, notwith&s;tanding their many and great worldly employments. Wit|ne&s;s the pro&s;perity &amp; outward flou|ri&s;hing e&s;tates of <HI>Mo&s;es, Abraham,</HI>
<PB N="136" REF="124"> <HI>I&s;aac, Jacob, Nehemiah, David, Da|niel,</HI> and <HI>Cornelius;</HI> the&s;e were much with God in their Clo&s;ets, and God ble&s;t their ble&s;&s;ings to them: how <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 22. 17</NOTE> did their cups over flow! what &s;ig|nall favours did God heape upon them, and theirs! No families have been &s;o pro&s;pered, protected, and graced, as theirs who have main|tained &s;ecret communion with God in a Corner. Private prayer <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Chron. 11. 9.</NOTE> doth be&s;t expedite our temporal affairs; he that prayes well in his Clo&s;et, &s;hall be &s;ure to &s;peed well in his Shop, or at his Plough, or <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 4. 8.</NOTE> what-ever el&s;e he turns his hand unto. 'Tis true, <HI>Abimelech</HI> was rich as well as <HI>Abraham</HI> and &s;o was <HI>La|ban</HI> rich as well as <HI>Jacob,</HI> and <HI>Saul</HI> was a King as well as <HI>David,</HI> and <HI>Julian</HI> was an Emperour as well as <HI>Con&s;tantine:</HI> But 'twas only <HI>Abra|ham, Jacob, David,</HI> and <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> who had their ble&s;&s;ings ble&s;t unto them all the re&s;t had their ble&s;&s;ings cur&s;t unto them; they had many <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 3. 33. Mal. 2. 2.</NOTE> good things, but they had not <HI>the good will of him that dwelt in the Bu&s;h</HI>
<PB N="137" REF="124"> with what they had: and therefore all their mercies were but bitter-&s;weets unto them. Though all the &s;ons of <HI>Jacob</HI> returned laden from <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 43.</NOTE> <HI>Aegypt</HI> with corn and money in their &s;acks, yet <HI>Benjamin</HI> only had the &s;ilver cup in the mouth of his &s;ack. So, though the men of the world have their Corn, and their Money, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> yet 'tis only God's <HI>Benjamin's</HI> that have the &s;ilver Cup, the Grace-Cup, the <HI>Cup of ble&s;&s;ing,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle calls <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 10. 16</NOTE> it, for their portion. O &s;irs, as ever you would pro&s;per, and flouri&s;h in the world; as ever you would have your water turn'd into wine, your temporal mercies into &s;piritual benefits, be much with God in your clo&s;ets But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, I an&s;wer, 'Tis ten to one but that the objecter, every day fools away, or trifles away, or idles away, or &s;ins away, one hour in a day; and why then &s;hould he object the want of time? There are none that toyle, and moyle, and bu&s;ie them&s;elves mo&s;t in their
<PB N="138" REF="125"> worldly imployments, but doe <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Myrmeci|des,</HI> a fa|mous Art|i&s;t, &s;pent more time in making a Bee, than an unskil|ful work|man would do to build a hou&s;e. <HI>Plutarch.</HI></NOTE> &s;pend an houre or more in a day to little or no purpo&s;e; either in gazing about, or in dallying, or toying, or dourting, or in telling of &s;tories or in bu&s;ying them&s;elves in other mens matters, or in idle vi|&s;its, or in &s;moaking the Pipe, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And why then &s;hould not the&s;e men redeem an hours time in a day for private prayer, out of that time which they u&s;ually &s;pend &s;o vain|ly and idly? can you notwith|&s;tanding all your great worldly im|ployments find an hour in the day to catch flyes in, as <HI>Domitian</HI> the Em|perour did, and to play the fool in? and cannot you find an hour in the day to wait on God in your clo&s;ets?</P>
<P>There were three &s;pecial faults whereof <HI>Cato</HI> profe&s;&s;ed him&s;elf to have &s;eriou&s;ly repented; one was pa&s;&s;ing by water when he might have gone by land, another was tru&s;ting a &s;ecret in a womans bo|&s;ome, but the main was &s;pending an hour unprofirably. This heathen will one day ri&s;e up in Judgment
<PB N="139" REF="125"> again&s;t them, who notwith&s;tanding their great imployments, &s;pend many hours in a week unprofita|bly, and yet cry out with the Duke of <HI>Alva,</HI> that they have &s;o much to do on earth, that they have no time to look up to heaven. 'Twas a ba&s;e and &s;ordid &s;pirit in that King <HI>(Sardanapalus)</HI> who &s;pent much of his time among&s;t women in &s;pin|ning and carding, which &s;hould have been &s;pent in Ruling and governing his Kingdome. So 'tis a ba&s;e &s;ordid &s;pirit in any, to &s;pend any of their time in toying and trifling, and then to cry out, that they have &s;o much bu&s;ine&s;s to do in the World, that they have no time for clo&s;et-prayer, they have no time to &s;erve God, nor to &s;ave their own precious and immortal &s;ouls. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, I an&s;wer, No man dares plead this objection before the Lord Je&s;us in the great day of account: And why then &s;hould a|ny man be &s;o childi&s;h &amp; fooli&s;h, &s;o <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ccl. 11. 9. Rom 14. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10.</NOTE> ignorant &amp; impudent to plead that
<PB N="140" REF="126"> before men, which is not pleadable before the Judgment &s;eat of Chri&s;t. O &s;irs, as you love your &s;ouls, and as you would be happy for ever, never put off your own con&s;ciences nor others, with any plea's, argu|ments, or objections, now, that you dare not own and &s;tand by, when you &s;hall lye upon a dying bed, and when you &s;hall appear be|fore the whole court of heaven, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> In the great day of account, when the &s;ecrets of all hearts &s;hall be made manife&s;t, and God &s;hall call men to a reckoning, before Angels, Men and Devils, for the neglect of private prayer; all giulty per&s;ons will be found &s;peechle&s;s, there will not be a man, or woman found, that &s;hall dare to &s;tand up and &s;ay, <HI>Lord, I would have waited up|on thee in my clo&s;et, but that I had &s;o much bu&s;ine&s;s to do in the world, that I had no time to enjoy &s;ecret communion with thee in a Corner.</HI> 'Tis the greate&s;t wi&s;dom in the world, to plead no|thing by way of excu&s;ein this our day, that we dare not plead in the great day. But.</P>
<PB N="141" REF="126">
<P> Fifthly, I an&s;wer, That 'tis our <NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis &s;aid of ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Pooper,</HI> that he was &s;pare of di|et, &s;pare of words, and &s;pare&s;t of Time.</NOTE> duty to redeem time, from all our &s;ecular bu&s;ine&s;&s;es, for private pray|er. All &s;orts of Chri&s;tians whether bond or free, rich or poor, high <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> low, &s;uperiours or inferiours, are expre&s;ly charged by God to redeem time for prayer, for private prayer, as well as for other holy exerci&s;es, <HI>Col.</HI> 4. 2, 3. <HI>Continue inprayer, and watch in the &s;ame with thanksgiving; withal praying al&s;o for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to &s;peak the my&s;tery of Chri&s;t, for which I am al&s;o in bonds.</HI></P>
<P>But here &s;ome may Object and &s;ay, we have &s;o much bu&s;ine&s;s to do in the world, that we have no time for prayer. The Apo&s;tle an&s;wers this Objection in <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 5. <HI>Walk in wi&s;dom towards them that are without, redeeming the time.</HI> So Ephe&s;. 5. 16. <HI>Redeeming the time becau&s;e the dayes are evil;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, or, <HI>buying out, or gaining the time.</HI> The words are a metaphor taken from Merchants, who prefer the lea&s;t profit that may be gained be|fore
<PB N="142" REF="127"> their plea&s;ures or delights, clo&s;ely following their bu&s;ine&s;s whil&s;t the markets are at be&s;t. A Merchant when he comes to a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">art or Fair, takes the fir&s;t &s;ea&s;on and opportunity of buying his commodities; he puts it not off to the hazard of an evening, or to the next morning, in hopes to have a better bargain; but he improves the pre&s;ent &s;ea&s;on, and buyes before the Market is over.</P>
<P>Others carry the words thus, <HI>Purcha&s;e at any rate all occa&s;ions and opportunities of doing good, that &s;o ye may thereby in &s;ome &s;ort, redeem that precious Jewel of Time, which you have formerly lo&s;t.</HI> As Travellers that have loytered by the way, or &s;taid long at their Inn, when they find night coming upon them, they mend their pace, and go as many miles in an hour, as they did before in many. Though time let &s;lip is phy&s;ically irrecoverable, yet in a moral con&s;ideration, it is account|ed as regained, when men double their care, diligence, and endea|vours
<PB N="143" REF="127"> to redeem it. The be&s;t Chri|&s;tian is he that is the greate&s;t mo|mopolizer of time for private pray|er. No Chri&s;tian to him that re|deems time from his worldly occa|&s;ions, and his lawful comforts and recreations, to be with God in his Clo&s;et. <HI>David</HI> having ta&s;ted of the &s;weetne&s;s, goodne&s;s, and graci|ou&s;ne&s;s of God, cannot keep his bed, but will borrow &s;ome time from his &s;leep, that he might take &s;ome turns in Paradi&s;e, and pour out his &s;oul in prayer and <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 63. 6.</NOTE> prai&s;es, when no eye was open to &s;ee him, nor no ear open to hear him, but all were a&s;leep round a|bout him, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 62. <HI>At mid|night will I ari&s;e to give thanks unto thee.</HI> Ver&s;. 147. <HI>I have prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried. Da|vid</HI> was up and at private prayer be|fore day-break. <HI>David</HI> was no &s;lug|gi&s;h Chri&s;tian, no &s;loathful Chri&s;ti|an, no lazy Chri&s;tian; he u&s;ed to be in his clo&s;et, when others were &s;leeping in their beds. So <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 148. <HI>Mine eyes prevent the night-watches,</HI>
<PB N="144" REF="128"> <HI>that I might meditate in thy word.</HI> So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 130. 6. <HI>My &s;oul wait|eth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning:</HI> I &s;ay, <HI>more than they that watch for the morning.</HI> Look as the weary Sentinel in a dark, cold, wet night, waits and peeps, and peeps and waits for the appearance of the morning; &s;o <HI>Da|vid</HI> did wait and peep, and peep and wait, for the fir&s;t and fitte&s;t &s;ea&s;on to pour out his &s;oul before God in a corner. <HI>David</HI> would never &s;uffer his worldly bu&s;ine&s;s to ju&s;tle out holy exerci&s;es; he would often bor|row time from the world for pri|vate prayer, but he would never borrow time from private prayer to be&s;tow it upon the world.</P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Bradford</HI> the Martyr, count|ed that hour lo&s;t, wherein he did not &s;ome good, either with his pen, tongue, or pur&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Ignatius,</HI> when he heard a Clock &s;trike, would u&s;e to &s;ay, <HI>Now I have one hour more to an&s;wer for.</HI></P>
<P>So the Primitive Chri&s;tians would redeem &s;ome time from
<PB N="145" REF="128"> their &s;leep, that they might be with God in their Clo&s;ets, as <HI>Clemens</HI> ob|&s;erves. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Clemens.</NOTE></P>
<P>And I have read of <HI>Theodo&s;ius</HI> the Emperour, that after the vari|ety <NOTE PLACE="marg">Nicephorus</NOTE> of worldly imployments re|lating to his civil affaires in the day time were over, how he was wont to con&s;ecratethe greate&s;t part of the night to the &s;tudying of the Scrip|tures and private prayer; to which purpo&s;e he had a Lamp, &s;o artifici|ally made, that it &s;upplied it &s;elf with oyl, that &s;o he might no way be interrupted in his private retire|ments.</P>
<P>That Time ought to be redeem|ed, is a le&s;&s;on that hath been taught by the very Heathens them&s;elves. 'Twas the &s;aying of <HI>Pittacus,</HI> one of the &s;even wi&s;e men, <HI>Know time, lo&s;e not a minute.</HI> And &s;o <HI>Theophra|&s;tus</HI> u&s;ed to &s;ay, <HI>That Time is of pre|cious cost.</HI> And &s;o <HI>Seneca, Time is the only thing</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>that we can innocently be covetous of; and yet there is nothing of which many are more la|vi&s;hly and profu&s;ely prodigal.</HI> And
<PB N="146" REF="129"> <HI>Chre&s;ius</HI> a Sophi&s;ter or <HI>Byzantium</HI> in the time of <HI>Hadrianus</HI> the Empe|rour, he was much given to Wine; yet he alwayes counted time &s;o precious, that when he had mi&s;|&s;pent his time all the day, he would redeem it at night.</P>
<P>When <HI>Titus Ve&s;patian,</HI> who re|venged Chri&s;ts blood on <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> returned Victor to <HI>Rome,</HI> remem|bring <NOTE PLACE="marg">Suetonius.</NOTE> one night as he &s;ate at &s;up|per with his friends, that he had done no good that day, he uttered this memorable and prai&s;e-worthy Apothegme, <HI>Amici diem perdidi, My friends, I have lo&s;t a day.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Chilo,</HI> one of the &s;even Sages, be|ing asked what was the harde&s;t thing in the world to be done, an|&s;wered, <HI>To u&s;e and employ a mans time well.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Cato</HI> held, That an account mu&s;t be given not only of our labour, but al&s;o of our lei&s;ure. And <HI>Aeli|an</HI> gives this te&s;timony of the <HI>Lace|demonians,</HI> That they were hugely covetous of their time, &s;pending it all about nece&s;&s;ary things, and &s;uf|fering
<PB N="147" REF="129"> no Citizen either to be idle or play. And, &s;aith another, <HI>We trifle with that which is mo&s;t precious, and throw away that which is our great|e&s;t intere&s;t to redeem.</HI></P>
<P>Certainly, the&s;e Heathens will ti&s;e in Judgment, not only again&s;t <HI>Domitian</HI> the <HI>Roman</HI> Emperour, who &s;pent much of his time in killing of flyes; nor only again&s;t <HI>Archi|medes,</HI> who &s;pent his time in draw|ing lines on the ground when <HI>Sy|racu&s;e</HI> was taken; nor again&s;t <HI>Ar|taxerxes,</HI> who &s;pent his time in in making hafts for knives; nor only again&s;t <HI>Solyman</HI> the great <HI>Turk,</HI> who &s;pent his time in making notches of horn for bows; nor only again&s;t <HI>Ero<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">s</HI> a <HI>Macedonian</HI> king, who &s;pent his time in making of Lanthorns; nor only again&s;t <HI>Harcatus</HI> the king of <HI>Parthia</HI> who &s;pent his time in catching of Moles. But al&s;o again&s;t many Profe&s;&s;ors, who in &s;tead of redeeming of pre|cious time, do trifle and fool away much of their precious time at the Gla&s;s, the Combe, the Lute&punc; the
<PB N="148" REF="130"> Viol, the Pipe, or at vain &s;ports, and fooli&s;h pa&s;times, or by idle je&s;tings, immoderate &s;leeping, and &s;uperfluous fea&s;ting, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> O Sirs, good hours, and ble&s;&s;ed opportuni|ties for clo&s;et prayer, are merchan|di&s;e of the highe&s;t rate and price; and therefore, who&s;oever hath a mind to be rich in grace, and to be high in glory, &s;hould buy up that merchandize, they &s;hould be &s;till a redeeming precious time. O Sirs, we &s;hould redeem time for pri|vate prayer, out of our eating time, our drinking time, our &s;leeping time, our buying time, our &s;elling time, our &s;inning time, our &s;port|ing time, rather than neglect our Clo&s;et communion with God, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But,</P>
<P>Sixthly, I an&s;wer, Clo&s;et pray|er is either a duty, or 'tis no duty. Now that 'tis a duty, I have &s;o &s;trongly proved, I &s;uppo&s;e, that no man nor devil, can fairly or hone&s;t|ly deny it to be a duty. And there|fore why do men cry out of their great bu&s;ine&s;s? ala&s;s duty mu&s;t
<PB N="149" REF="130"> be done, what ever bu&s;ine&s;s is left undone; duty mu&s;t mu&s;t be done, or the man that neglects it, will be un|done for ever. 'Tis a vaine thing to object bu&s;ine&s;s, when a required du|ty is to be performed; and indeed, if the bare objecting of bu&s;ine&s;s, of much bu&s;ine&s;s, were enough to ex|cu&s;e men from duty, I am afraid that there are but few duties of the Go&s;pel, but men would endeavour to evade, under a pretence of bu&s;i|ne&s;s, of much bu&s;ine&s;s. He that pretends bu&s;ine&s;s to evade private prayer, will be as ready to pretend bu&s;ine&s;s to evade family prayer; and he that pretends bu&s;ine&s;s to evade family prayer, will be as ready to pretend bu&s;ine&s;s to evade publick prayer. Well &s;irs, remember what became of tho&s;e that excu&s;ed them|&s;elves out of heaven, by their car|nal Apologies, &amp; &s;ecular bu&s;ine&s;&s;es. <HI>I have bought a peice of ground, and I</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 14. 16,&mdash;15.</NOTE> <HI>mu&s;t needs goe and &s;ee it; I pray thee, have me excu&s;ed,</HI> &s;aith one. <HI>I have bought</HI> (&s;aith another) <HI>five yoke of Oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee</HI>
<PB N="150" REF="131"> <HI>have me excu&s;ed.</HI> And, <HI>I have marri|ed a Wife,</HI> &s;aith another, <HI>and there|fore I cannot come.</HI> The true rea&s;on, why they would not come to the &s;upper that the King of Kings had invited them to, was not becau&s;e they had bought Farms and Oxen, but becau&s;e their Farms and Oxen had bought them. The things of the world and their carnal relati|tions had taken up &s;o much room in their hearts and affections, that they had no &s;tomack to heavens danties; and therefore it is ob&s;er|vable, what Chri&s;t adds at the end of the parable, <HI>He that hateth not his Father, and Mother, and Wife, and Children, and Brethren, and Si&s;ters,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 26.</NOTE> <HI>yea, and his own Life al&s;o,</HI> much more his Farm and his Oxen, <HI>he cannot be my di&s;ciple.</HI> By the&s;e words 'tis evi|dent, that 'twas not &s;imply the Farm nor the Oxen, nor the Wife; but a fooli&s;h, inordinate, carnal love, and e&s;teeme of the&s;e things above better and greater ble&s;&s;ings, that made them refu&s;e the gracious invitation of Chri&s;t. They refu&s;ed
<PB N="151" REF="131"> the grace and mercy of God offer|ed in the Go&s;pel, under a pretence of their worldly bu&s;ine&s;s; and God peremptorily concludes, that not a man of them &s;hould ta&s;t of his &s;up|per. And indeed what can be more ju&s;t and righteous, than that they &s;hould never &s;o much as ta&s;t of &s;pi|ritual &amp; eternal ble&s;&s;ings, who pre|fer their earthly bu&s;ine&s;s before heavens dainties; who with the <HI>Reu|benites</HI> prefer a countrey commo|dious <NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 23.</NOTE> for the feeding of their Cattle, before an intere&s;t in the Land of Promi&s;e Private prayer is a work of ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity, both to the bringing of the heart into a good frame, and to the keeping of the heart in a good frame. 'Tis of ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity both for the di&s;|covery of &s;in, and for the preven|ting of &s;in, and for the imbittering of &s;in, and for the weakning of &s;in, and for the purging away of &s;in: 'Tis of ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity, both for the di&s;covery of grace, and for a full exerci&s;e of grace, and for an eminent increa&s;e of grace:
<PB N="152" REF="132">
'Tis of ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity to arme us, both again&s;t inward and out|ward temptations, afflictions, and &s;ufferings: 'Tis of ab&s;olute nece&s;|&s;ity to fit us for all other duties and &s;ervices, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> For a man to glo|rifie God, to &s;ave his own &s;oul, and to further his own everla&s;ting hap|pine&s;s, is a work of the greate&s;t ne|ce&s;&s;ity: Now private prayer is &s;uch a work; and therefore why &s;hould any man plead bu&s;ine&s;s, great bu|&s;ine&s;s, when a work of &s;uch ab|&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity is before him. If a mans child, or wife, were dange|rou&s;ly &s;ick, or wounded, or near to death, he would never plead, <HI>I have bu&s;ine&s;s, I have a great deale of bu&s;ine&s;s to doe; and therefore I cannot &s;tay with my child, my wife; and I have no time to goe or &s;end to the Phy&s;itian,</HI> &amp;c. O! no, but he would rather argue thus, <HI>'Tis ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary that I &s;hould looke after the pre&s;ervation of the life of my child, my wife, and this I will at|tend whatever becomes of my bu&s;ine&s;s.</HI> O &s;irs, your &s;ouls are of greater con|cernment to you, than the lives of
<PB N="153" REF="132"> all the wives and children in the world; and therefore the&s;e mu&s;t be attended, the&s;e mu&s;t be &s;aved, what|ever bu&s;ine&s;s is neglected. But,</P>
<P>Seventhly, I an&s;wer, That God did never appoint or de&s;igne any mans ordinary, particular calling, to thru&s;t private prayer out of door. That 'tis a great &s;in for any profe&s;&s;or to neglect his particular calling under any religi|ous pretence, is evident enough by <NOTE PLACE="marg">Paradi&s;e was mans work|hou&s;e as well as his &s;tore|hou&s;e, Gen. 2. 15. Man &s;hould not have lived idly though he had not&punc; fallen from his inno|cency.</NOTE> the&s;e Scriptures. <HI>Exod.</HI> 20. 9. <HI>Six dayes &s;hall thou labour, and doe all thy work.</HI> 1 Cor. 7. 20. <HI>Let every man abide in the &s;ame calling wherein he was c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">l|led.</HI> 2 The&s;&s;. 4. 10, 11. 12. <HI>For even when we were with you this we com|manded you, that if any would not work, neither &s;hould he eate. For we hear, that there are &s;ome which walke among you di&s;orderly, working not at all, but are bu&s;it-bodies: Now them that are &s;uch we command and exhort by our Lord Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, that with quietne&s;s they work, and eat their own bread.</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 4. 11, 12. <HI>And that ye &s;tudie to be quiet, and to doe your own bu&s;ine&s;s, and to work</HI>
<PB N="154" REF="133"> <HI>with your own hands (as we commanded you) That ye may walk hone&s;tly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.</HI> Ephe&s;. 4. 28. <HI>But rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.</HI> 1 Tim. 5. 8. <HI>But if any provide not for his own, and &s;pecially for tho&s;e of his own hou&s;e, he hath denied the faith, and is wor&s;e than an infidel.</HI> Yea, our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t was a plain down|right Carpenter, and was labori|ous in that particular calling, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark 6. 3. Matth. 13. 55, 56.</NOTE> till he entred upon the publick mi|ni&s;try; as all the Ancients do agree. And we read al&s;o, that all the Patri|archs had their particular callings. <HI>Abei</HI> was a keeper of &s;heep, <HI>Gen.</HI> 4. 2. <HI>Noah</HI> was a Husbandman, <HI>Gen.</HI> 10. 20. The &s;ons of <HI>Jacob</HI> were &s;hepherds and keepers of Cattle, <HI>Gen.</HI> 46. 34, &amp;c. And all the A|po&s;tles, before they were called to the work of the Mini&s;try, had their particular callings.</P>
<P>By the law of <HI>Mahomet,</HI> the great Turk him&s;elf is bound to
<PB N="155" REF="133"> exerci&s;e &s;ome manual Trade or occupation.</P>
<P><HI>Solon</HI> made a Law, That the &s;on <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Plutarch</HI> in the life of <HI>Solon.</HI></NOTE> &s;hould not be bound to relieve his father, when old, unle&s;s he had &s;et him&s;elf in his youth to &s;ome oc|cupation. And at <HI>Athens</HI> every man gave a yearly account to the Magi&s;trate, by what trade or cour&s;e of life he mantained him&s;elf, which if he could not do he was bani&s;hed. And 'tis by all Writers condemn|ed as a very great vanity in <HI>Diony|&s;ius,</HI> that would needs be the be&s;t Poet. And <HI>Caligula,</HI> that would needs be the be&s;t Oratour. And in <HI>Nero,</HI> that would needs be the be&s;t Fidler: and &s;o became the three wor&s;t Princes, by minding more other mens bu&s;ine&s;&s;e than their own particular calling. But for a man to evade or neglect private prayer under pretence of his particular calling, is a greeable to no Scripture, yea, 'tis contrary to very many Scriptures, as is evident by the many Arguments formerly cited. Certainly, no mans calling
<PB N="156" REF="134"> is a calling away from God, or godline&s;s. It never entered into the heart of God, that our particular callings &s;hould ever drive out of doores our general calling of Chri&s;tianity. Look as our gene|ral calling mu&s;t not eat up our par|ticular calling, &s;o our particular calling mu&s;t not eat up our gene|ral calling. Certainly, our parti|lar calling mu&s;t give place to our general calling. Did not the wo|man of <HI>Samaria</HI> leave her water|pot, and run into the city, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">John. 4. 28, 29.</NOTE> &s;ay, <HI>come &s;ee a man that told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Chri&s;t?</HI> Did not the &s;hepherds leave their flocks in the field and goe to <HI>Bethlehem,</HI> and declare the good tid|ings of great joy, that they had <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 2. 8,&mdash;21.</NOTE> heard of the Angel, <HI>viz. That there was born that day in the citie of David a Saviour which was Chri&s;t the Lord?</HI> And did not Chri&s;t commend <HI>Ma|ry</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 10. 38,<HI>&mdash;ult.</HI></NOTE> for that holy neglect of her par|ticular calling, when &s;he &s;at at his &s;eet, and heard his word? And what do all the&s;e in&s;tances &s;hew,
<PB N="157" REF="134"> but that our particular callings mu&s;t give the right hand to the general calling of chri&s;tianity. Cer|tainly the works of our general calling are far more great and glorious, more eminent and excel|lent, more high and noble, than the works of our particular cal|lings are; and therefore 'tis much more to lerable for our general cal|ling to borrow time of our particu|lar calling, than 'tis for our particu|lar calling to borrow time of our general calling. Certainly tho&s;e men are very ignorant or very pro|phane, that either think them|&s;elves &s;o clo&s;ely tied up to fol|low their particular callings &s;ix dayes in the week, as that they mu&s;t not intermeddle with any religious &s;ervices, or that think their particular callings to be a gulf or a grave de&s;igned by God to &s;wallow up private prayer in. God who is the Lord of time hath re&s;er|ved &s;ome part of our time to him|&s;elf every day. Though the <HI>Jews</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 6. 6, 7, 8.</NOTE> were commanded to labour &s;ix
<PB N="158" REF="135"> dayes of the week, yet they were <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 29. 38, 39. Num. 28. 3.</NOTE> commanded al&s;o to offer up morn|ing and evening &s;acrifice daily.</P>
<P>The <HI>Jews</HI> divided the day into three parts;</P>
<P>The fir&s;t, to Prayer.</P>
<P>The &s;econd, for the reading of the Law.</P>
<P>And the third for the works of their lawful callings.</P>
<P>As bad as the <HI>Jews</HI> were, yet they every day &s;et a part of the day a|part for religious exerci&s;es. Cer|tainly, they are wor&s;e than <HI>Jews</HI> that &s;pend all their time about their particular callings, and &s;hut clo&s;et prayer quite out of doors. Certain|ly, that mans &s;oul is in a very ill ca&s;e, who is &s;o entangled with the incumbrances of the world, that he can &s;pare no time for private pray|er. If God be the Lord of thy mer|cies, the Lord of thy time, and the Lord of thy &s;oul, how can'&s;t thou with any equity or honour, put off his &s;ervice under a pretence of much bu&s;ine&s;s? that man is lo&s;t, that man is cur&s;t, who can find time
<PB N="159" REF="135"> for any thing, but none to meet with God in his Clo&s;et. That man is doubtle&s;s upon the brink of ru|ine, who&s;e worldly bu&s;ine&s;s eats up all thoughts of God, of Chri&s;t, of Heaven, of Eternity, of his Soul, and of his &s;oul concernments. But,</P>
<P>Eighthly &amp; la&s;tly, I an&s;wer, The more worldly bu&s;ine&s;s lyes upon thy hand, the more need ha&s;t thou to keep clo&s;e to thy clo&s;et. Much bu&s;ine&s;s layes a man open to ma|ny &s;ins, and to many &s;nares, and to many temptations. Now the more &s;ins, &s;nares and temptations a mans bu&s;ine&s;s lays him open to, the more need that man hath to be much in private prayer, that his &s;oul may be kept pure from &s;in, and that his foot may not be taken in the Devils trap, and that he may &s;tand fa&s;t in the hour of temptati|on. Private prayer is &s;o far from <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 1. 2, 3. P&s;al. 127. 1, 2. P&s;al. 128. 1. 2.</NOTE> being a hinderance to a mans bu&s;i|ne&s;s, that 'tis the way of wayes to bring down a ble&s;&s;ing from heaven upon a mans bu&s;ine&s;s; as the fir&s;t
<PB N="160" REF="136"> fruits that Gods people gave to him brought down a ble&s;&s;ing from heaven upon all the re&s;t, <HI>Deut.</HI> 26. 10, 11. Whet is no let; Prayer and Provender never hinders a Jour|ney. Private prayer is like to <HI>Jacob</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 30. 27, 30.</NOTE> that brought down a ble&s;&s;ing from heaven upon all that <HI>Laban</HI> had. Private prayer gives a man a &s;an|ctified u&s;e, both of all his earthly comforts, and of all his earthly bu&s;ine&s;s; and this <HI>David</HI> and <HI>Da|niel</HI> found by experience, and there|fore 'twas not their great publick imployments that could take them off from their private duties. Time &s;pent in heavenly imployments, is <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 28. 1, to 8.</NOTE> no time lo&s;t from worldly bu&s;i|ne&s;s. Private prayer makes all we take in hand &s;ucce&s;sful. Clo&s;et pray|er hath made many rich, but it ne|ver made any man poor or beggarly in this world. No man on earth knows what may be the emergen|cies, or the occurrences of a day, <HI>Prov.</HI> 27. 1. <HI>Boa&s;t not thy &s;elf of to morrow, for thou knowe&s;t not what a day may bring forth.</HI> Every day is as it
<PB N="161" REF="136"> it were a great-belly'd day. Every day is as it were with child of &s;omething, but what it will bring forth, whether a cro&s;s or a com|fort, no man can tell; as whil&s;t a woman is with child, no man can tell what kind of birth it will be. No man knows what mercies a day may bring forth, no man knowes what mi&s;eries a day may bring forth; no man knows what good a day may bring forth, no man knows what evil a day may bring forth; no man knowes what afflictions a day may bring forth, no man knows what temptations a day may bring forth; no man knows what liberty a day may bring forth, no man knows what bonds a day may bring forth; no man knows what good &s;ucce&s;s a day may bring forth, no man knows what bad &s;ucce&s;s a day may bring forth; and therefore a man had need be every day in his clo&s;et with God, that he may be prepa|red and fitted to entertain and im|prove all the occurrences, &s;ucce&s;&s;es,
<PB N="162" REF="137"> and emergencies, that may attend him in the cour&s;e of his life. And let thus much &s;uffice for an&s;wer to this fir&s;t Objection. But,</P>
<P><LABEL>Object. 2.</LABEL></P>
<P><HI>Secondly, others may Obiect and &s;ay,</HI> Sir, we grant that Private Prayer is an indi&s;pen&s;ible duty that lies upon the people of God; but we are &s;er|vants, and we have no time that we can call our own, and our ma&s;ters bu&s;ine&s;s is &s;uch as will not allow us any time for private prayer, and therefore we hope we may be excu&s;ed.</P>
<P><LABEL>Sol. 1.</LABEL></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the Text is indefinite, and not limited to any &s;ort or rank of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Private prayer is a duty that lieth upon Saints as Saints.</NOTE> per&s;ons, whether high or low, rich or poor, bond or free, &s;ervant or ma&s;ter. <HI>But thou when thou praye&s;t, enter into thy Clo&s;et; and when thou ha&s;t &s;hut the door, pray to thy Father which is in &s;ecret.</HI> Here are three thou's, <HI>thou, thou, thou,</HI> which are
<PB N="163" REF="137"> to be under&s;tood indefinitely; thou &s;ervant as well as thou ma&s;ter, thou bond-man as well as thou free-man, thou poor man as well as thou rich man, thou maid as well as thou mi&s;tre&s;s, thou child as well as thou father, thou wife as well as thou husband. Private prayer is an indi&s;pen&s;ible duty that lies upon all &s;orts and ranks of per&s;ons. A man may as well &s;ay that that Pronoun <HI>(Tu) thou</HI> that runs through the ten Command|ments <HI>(Thou &s;halt have no other</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 20. 3,&mdash;18.</NOTE> <HI>gods before me. Thou &s;halt not make unto thee any graven image. Thou &s;halt not bow down thy &s;elf to them nor &s;erve them. Thou &s;halt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Six dayes &s;halt thou labour. Thou &s;halt not kill. Thou &s;halt not commit Adultery. Thou &s;halt not &s;teal. Thou &s;halt not bear fal&s;e witne&s;s again&s;t thy neighbour. Thou &s;halt not covet thy neighbours hou&s;e, thou &s;halt not covet thy neighbours wife, nor his man &s;ervant, nor his maid &s;ervant, nor his oxe, nor his a&s;s, nor any thing that is thy neighbours,</HI> &amp;c.) relates to
<PB N="164" REF="138"> the rich, and not to the poor, to ma&s;ters and not to &s;ervants, to the free, and not to them that are in bonds, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> as he may &s;ay, that the three <HI>thou's</HI> in the Text relates to the rich and not to the poor, to ma&s;ters and not to &s;ervants, to tho&s;e that are free, but not to tho&s;e that are bound; but certainly there is no man in his wits that will &s;ay &s;o, that will affirm &s;uch a thing. Doubtle&s;s this Pronoune <HI>Thou,</HI> reacheth every man, of what rank or quality &s;oever he be in this world. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, I an&s;wer, That the fir&s;t the third, the fourth, the fifth, the &s;ixth, the &s;eventh, and the eighth An&s;wers that are given to the fir&s;t Objection, are here very applicable; and O that all ma&s;ters and &s;ervants were &s;o wi&s;e, &s;o &s;eri|ous, and &s;o ingenious, as to lay all tho&s;e an&s;wers warm on their own hearts: It might be a means to prevent much &s;in. and to be&s;peak ma&s;ters and mi&s;tre&s;&s;es to give their pious &s;ervants a little more time to
<PB N="165" REF="138"> lift up their hearts to Chri&s;t in a corner. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, I an&s;wer, If thou art a &s;ervant that ha&s;t liberty to choo&s;e a new Ma&s;ter, thou wert better re|move <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 84. 10 P&s;al. 120. 5.</NOTE> thy &s;tation than live under &s;uch a ma&s;ters roof, who is &s;uch an enemy to God, to Chri&s;t, to Reli|gion, to him&s;elf, and to the eter|nal welfare of thy poor &s;oul, as that he will not give thee half an hours time in a day to &s;pend in thy chamber, thy clo&s;et, though the glory of God, the good of his own family, and the everla&s;ting happi|ne&s;s of thine own &s;oul, is concern|ed in it. 'Tis better for thee to &s;hift thy ma&s;ter, than to neglect thy du|ty. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 21. <HI>Art thou called be|ing a &s;ervant? care not for it; but if thou maye&s;t be made free, u&s;e it rather.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ju&s;tinus</HI> the &s;econd Fmperours Motto was <HI>Libertas res ine&s;timabi|lis.</HI> Liber|ty is unva|luable.</NOTE> We lo&s;t our liberty by &s;in, and we affect nothing more than liberty by nature.</P>
<P>The Rabins &s;ay of Liberty, <HI>That if the Heavens were Parchment, the Sea Inke, and every pile of Gra&s;s a Pen, the prai&s;es of it could not be comprized nor</HI>
<PB N="166" REF="139"> <HI>expre&s;&s;ed. Labans</HI> hou&s;e was full of Idols; great hou&s;es are often &s;o. <HI>Jacobs</HI> tent was little, but the true wor&s;hip of God was in it. 'Tis in|finitely better to live in <HI>Jacobs</HI> tent, than in <HI>Labans</HI> hou&s;e. 'Tis be&s;t be|ing with &s;uch Ma&s;ters where we may have lea&s;t of &s;in, and mo&s;t of God; where we may have the mo&s;t helps, the be&s;t examples, and the choi&s;e&s;t encouragements to be ho|ly and happy.</P>
<P>The religious &s;ervant &s;hould be as careful in the choice of his ma|&s;ter, as the religious ma&s;ter is care|ful in the choice of his &s;ervant. Gracious &s;ervants are great ble&s;|&s;ings to the families where they live; and that ma&s;ter may well be called the unhappy ma&s;ter, who will rather part with a gracious &s;er|vant, than &s;pare him a little time in a day, to pour out his &s;oul before the Lord in a corner. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, I an&s;wer, If thou art a gracious &s;ervant, then thou art &s;pirited and principled by God, to that very purpo&s;e, that thou may|e&s;t
<PB N="167" REF="139"> cry <HI>Abba Father,</HI> when thou art <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 6. 19. 2 Tim. 1. 14.</NOTE> alone, when thou art in a corner, and no eye &s;eeth thee, but his who &s;eeth in &s;ecret. If thou are a graci|ous &s;ervant, then thou ha&s;t recei|ved not the &s;pirit of the world, but the &s;pirit which is of God, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2. 12. Now he that hath this tree of life, he hath al&s;o the fruit that grows upon this tree, <HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 22, 23. <HI>But the fruit of the &s;pirit is love, joy, peace, long-&s;uffering, gentle|ne&s;s, goodne&s;s, faith, meekne&s;s, tempe|rance,</HI> &amp;c. Now grace is called, not the works of the Spirit, but the fruits of the Spirit.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e all grace is derived from the Spirit, as the fruit is deri|ved from the root. And,</P>
<P N="2">2. To note the plea&s;antne&s;s and delightfulne&s;s of grace: for what is more plea&s;ant and delightful, than <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 4. 16. Chap. 6. 2.</NOTE> &s;weet and whole&s;ome fruits?</P>
<P N="3">3. To note the profit and ad|vantage that doth redown to them that have the Spirit: for as many grow rich by the fruits of their gar|dens and orchards; &s;o many grow
<PB N="168" REF="140"> rich in grace, in holine&s;s, in com|fort, in &s;piritual experiences, by the fruits of the Spirit. Now why hath God given thee his Spirit, and why hath he laid into thy &s;oul a &s;tock of &s;upernatural graces, but that thou maye&s;t be every way qualified, di&s;po&s;ed, and fitted for private prayer, and to maintain &s;ecret communion with God in a corner.</P>
<P>Certainly, God never gave any poor &s;ervant, a talent of gifts, or a talent of grace, but in order to his driving of a &s;ecret trade heaven|ward.</P>
<P>Fifthly, I an&s;wer, Though King <HI>Darius</HI> had made a degree, that none &s;hould ask any Petition of a|ny, God or man, for thirty dayes upon the Penalty of being ca&s;t into the Den of Lyons, yet <HI>Daniel,</HI> who was both a &s;ubject and a &s;ervant to King <HI>Darius,</HI> and one upon who&s;e <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 6. 7, 8, 9, 10.</NOTE> hands the chiefe&s;t and greate&s;t af|faires of the Kingdom did lye, did keep up his private Devotions. In the fir&s;t &amp; &s;econd ver&s;es of that
<PB N="169" REF="140"> 6^t^h of <HI>Daniel,</HI> you will find that <HI>Daniel</HI> had abundance of great and weighty imployments upon his hands; he was &s;et over the whole affairs of the whole Empire of <HI>Per|&s;ia;</HI> and he with two other Pre&s;i|dents (of whom him&s;elf was chief) were to receive the accounts of the whole Kingdome, from all tho&s;e hundred and twenty Princes, which in the <HI>Per&s;ian</HI> Monarchy were imployed in all publick bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;es. And yet, notwith&s;tanding &s;uch a multiplicity of bu&s;ine&s;s as lay upon his hands, and notwith|&s;tanding his &s;ervile condition, yet he was very careful to redeem time for private prayer; yea, 'tis very ob|&s;ervable, that the heart of <HI>Daniel</HI> in the mid'&s;t of all his mighty bu&s;ine&s;&s;es, was &s;o much &s;et upon private prayer, upon his &s;ecret re|tirements for Religious exerci&s;es, that he runs the hazard of lo&s;ing all his honours, profits, plea&s;ures, yea, and life it &s;elf, rather than he would be deprived of convenient time &amp; opportunities to wait upon
<PB N="170" REF="141"> God in his chamber. Certainly, <HI>Daniel</HI> will one day ri&s;e in Judg|ment again&s;t all tho&s;e &s;ubjects and &s;ervants who think to evade private prayer, by their plea's of much bu|&s;ine&s;s, and of their being &s;ervants, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But,</P>
<P>Sixthly, I an&s;wer, If you who are gracious &s;ervants, notwith|&s;tanding your Ma&s;ters bu&s;ine&s;&s;es, cannot redeem a little time to wre&s;tle with God in a corner, what &s;ingular thing doe you? what doe you more than others? Doe you hear? So do others. Do you read? &s;o doe others. Do you follow your Ma&s;ters to publick prayers? So do others. Doe you joyn with your Ma&s;ters in family prayers? &s;o do others. O but now gracious &s;er|vants &s;hould goe beyond all other &s;ervants in the world, they &s;hould do &s;ingular things for God, <HI>Math.</HI> 5. 47. <HI>What doe you more then others?</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">? What extra|ordinary thing doe you? what more ordinary than to find &s;er|van<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">s follow their Ma&s;ters to Pub|lick
<PB N="171" REF="141"> Prayers, and to Family Prayers? O but now to finde poor &s;ervants to redeem a little time from their Ma&s;ters bu&s;ine&s;s, to pour out their &s;ouls before the Lord in a corner, this is not ordi|nary; yea, this is extraordinary, and this doth wonderfully well be|come gracious &s;ervants. O that all mens &s;ervants, who are &s;ervants to the mo&s;t high God, would &s;eri|ou&s;ly con&s;ider;</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, How &s;ingularly they are priviledged by God above all other &s;ervants in the world. They are <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 3. 22, 23.</NOTE> called, adopted, reconciled, par|doned, ju&s;tified before the throne of God, which other &s;ervants are not, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And why then &s;hould not &s;uch &s;ervants be &s;ingular in their &s;ervices, who are &s;o &s;ingular in their priviledges?</P>
<P>Secondly, Gracious &s;ervants are made partakers of a more excel|lent nature than other &s;ervants are. 2 <HI>Peter.</HI> 1. 4. <HI>Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious pro|mi&s;es; that by the&s;e you might be made</HI>
<PB N="172" REF="142"> <HI>partakers of the divine nature.</HI> The A|po&s;tle <NOTE PLACE="marg">None but Famili&s;ts will &s;ay, that we are made partakers of the &s;ub|&s;tance of the God|head, for that is in|communi|cable to any creature. The E&s;|&s;ence of God can|not be im|parted to any crea|ted beings.</NOTE> in this expre&s;&s;ion doth not aime at any e&s;&s;ential change and conver&s;ion of our &s;ub&s;tance into the nature of God, and Chri&s;t; but on|ly at the elevation, and dignifying of our nature by Chri&s;t. Though that reall, that neer, that dear, that choice, that my&s;terious, that pe|culiar, that &s;ingular union that Chri&s;tians have with Chri&s;t, doth rai&s;e them up to a higher &s;imi|litude and likene&s;s of God and Chri&s;t, than ever they had attain|ed to in their primitive perfection; yet it doth not introduce any real tran&s;mutation, either of our bodies or &s;ouls, into the divine nature. 'Tis certain, that our union and conjunction with Chri&s;t, doth nei|ther mingle per&s;ons, nor unite &s;ub|&s;tances, but it doth conjoyne our affections, and brings our wills into a League of Amity with Chri&s;t. To be made partaker of of the divine nature, notes two things, &s;ay &s;ome,</P>
<PB N="173" REF="142">
<P> Fir&s;t, A fellow&s;hip with God in his holine&s;s;</P>
<P>Secondly, A fellow&s;hip with God in his ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, <HI>viz.</HI> In the beatifical vi&s;ion, and brightne&s;s of glory. To be made partakers of the divine nature, &s;ay others, is to be made partakers of tho&s;e holy graces, tho&s;e divine qualities, which &s;ometimes are called, <HI>The Image of God, the likene&s;s of God, the life of God,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10.</NOTE> <HI>&amp;c.</HI> whereby we re&s;emble God not only as a picture doth a man in outward lineaments, but as a child doth his father in countenance and conditions. Now take the words which way you will; how highly doth it concern tho&s;e &s;ervants, that are made partakers of the divine nature, to doe &s;ingular things for God, to doe &s;uch things for God, that other &s;ervants that are not partakers of the divine nature, have no mind, no heart, no &s;pirit to do; yea, that they refu&s;e and &s;corn to do?</P>
<P>Thirdly, Gracious &s;ervants are worthily de&s;cended, they have the
<PB N="174" REF="143"> mo&s;t illu&s;trious extraction, and ho|nourable original, 1 <HI>John</HI> 5. 19. <HI>John</HI> 3. 8. <HI>James.</HI> 2. 5.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Gracious &s;ervants are worthily attended, they are nobly guarded, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 34. 14. <HI>Heb.</HI> 1. <HI>ult. Deu.</HI> 33. 26, 27. <HI>Zach.</HI> 2. 5.</P>
<P>Fifthly, Gracious &s;ervants are worthily dignified; they are dig|nified with the highe&s;t and mo&s;t honourable Titles, <HI>Peter</HI> 1. 2, 9. <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. 5, 6. <HI>Rev.</HI> 5, 10.</P>
<P>Sixthly, Take many things in one. Gracious &s;ervants have more excellent graces, experiences, com|forts, communions, promi&s;es, a&s;|&s;urances, di&s;coveries, hopes, helps, principles, diet, rayment, porti|on, than all other &s;ervants in the world have; and therefore God may well expect better and greater things from them, than from all other &s;ervants in the world. God may very well expect that they &s;hould doe &s;ingular things for his Glory, who hath done &s;uch &s;ingu|lar things for their good. Certain|ly God expects that gracious &s;er|vants
<PB N="175" REF="143"> &s;hould be a ble&s;&s;ing of him, when other &s;ervants are a bla&s;phe|ming of him; that they &s;hould be a magnifying of him, when other &s;ervants are a deba&s;ing of him; that they &s;hould be a redeeming of precious time, when other &s;er|vants are a trifling, fooling, playing or &s;inning away of procious time; that they &s;hould be a weeping in a corner, when other &s;ervants are a &s;porting and making them&s;elves merry among their jovall com|panions; that they &s;hould be a mourning in &s;ecret, when other &s;ervants are a &s;inning in &s;ecret; and that they &s;hould be at their private devotion, when other &s;ervants are &s;leeping and &s;norting, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">mon,</HI> That was the wi&s;e&s;t Prince that ever &s;at upon a Throne &amp; who was guided by an infallible &s;pirit, hath delivered it for a &s;tand|ing maxim above 2000 years agoe, <HI>That the Righteous is more excellent</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 12. 26</NOTE> <HI>than his neighbour.</HI> When <HI>Solomon</HI> dropt this Aphori&s;m from his roy|al pen, there was not a man in the
<PB N="176" REF="144"> world, that was legally righteous; <HI>Adam</HI> &amp; all his po&s;terity being fallen <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 14. 1, 2, 3. Rom. 3. 9, 10, 11, 12. Lam. 5. 16.</NOTE> from all their honour, glory, dig|nity, and excellency, into a mo&s;t woful Gulf of &s;in and mi&s;ery: and therefore <HI>Solomon</HI> mu&s;t be under|&s;tood of him that is evangelically righteous. He that is evangelically righteous, be he Ma&s;ter, or &s;er|vant, rich or poor, bond or free, high or low, is more excellent then his neighbour. And O that all ma|&s;ters would &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;ider of this, that they may carry it no more &s;o proudly&punc; &s;o loftily, &s;o &s;cornfully, &s;o frowardly, &s;o &s;trangly, &s;o &s;owr|ly, &s;o bitterly, &s;o rigorou&s;ly, to|wards their pious &s;ervants, as not to afford them a little time to pour out their &s;ouls before the Lord in a corner.</P>
<P>I have read of <HI>Ingo,</HI> an ancient King of the <HI>Draves</HI> and <HI>Veneds,</HI> who making a &s;tately fea&s;t, appointed all his <HI>Pagan</HI> Nobles to &s;it in the Hall below; and at the &s;ame time commanded certain poor Chri&s;ti|ans to be brought up into his pre|&s;ence
<PB N="177" REF="144"> Chamber to fit with him at <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Aenaeus Syl|vius cap.</HI> 20. <HI>Europ. Aven. lib.</HI> 3. <HI>Annalium</HI></NOTE> his Table, that they might eat of his kingly chear; at which many wondering, he told them, That he accounted Chri&s;tians, though ne|ver &s;o poor, a greater ornament at his Table, and more worthy of his company, than the greate&s;t Nobles that were not converted to the Chri&s;tian faith; for &s;aith he, when the&s;e <HI>Pagan</HI> Nobles &s;hall be thru&s;t down to Hell, the&s;e poor Chri&s;tians &s;hall be my con&s;orts and fellow Princes in Heaven. Certainly, this noble Prince will one day ri&s;e in Judgement again&s;t all &s;owre, churli&s;h <HI>Labans,</HI> who car|ry it &s;o har&s;hly, and &s;o &s;everely to|wards their gracious &s;ervants, as <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 69.</NOTE> that they will not allow them a little time, to wait upon God in a hole. Why &s;hould not gracious ma&s;ters give their gracious &s;ervants a little time for clo&s;et prayer now, con&s;idering that they are &s;harers with them in all the fundamental good that comes by Chri&s;t in this world; and con&s;idering, that they
<PB N="178" REF="145"> &s;hall be partakers with them in all the glory of another world. The <NOTE PLACE="marg">Every man hath two things to look unto more than all the world be &s;ide; a bo|dy, and a &s;oul: for the one e|ry one is either a Fool or a Phy&s;itian; for the o|ther, either a Devil or a Divine, &s;aith one.</NOTE> poore&s;t &s;ervant in a family hath a &s;oul more precious than heaven and earth; and the greate&s;t work that lies upon his hand in this world is to look to the eternal &s;afe|ty &amp; &s;ecurity of that, for if that be &s;afe all is &s;afe, if that be well all is well, but if that be lo&s;t all is lo&s;t. Every gracious &s;ervant, though he be never &s;o poor and mean, yet hath he the image of God, the image of the King of Kings &s;tampt upon him; and wo to him that &s;hall wrong, or de&s;pi&s;e, or trample upon that image. Certainly, God him&s;elf is wronged by the injury that is done to his image. The contempt and de&s;pite that is done to the image or coyn of a King, is done to the King him&s;elf, and ac|cordingly he will revenge it.</P>
<P>If it was a capital crime in <HI>Tiber<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">us</HI> his dayes, to carry the image of <HI>Augu&s;tus</HI> upon a Ring or Coyn into any &s;ordid place, as <HI>Sue|tonius</HI> &s;aith it was; what crime mu&s;t
<PB N="179" REF="145"> it be in tho&s;e ma&s;ters, who de&s;pi&s;e, revile, reproach, &s;corn, abu&s;e and tread under foot, &s;uch &s;ervants as have the image of the great God &s;tampt upon their &s;ouls, and all be|cau&s;e they look God-ward, Chri&s;t-ward, Heaven-ward, Holine&s;s-ward, Duty-ward! Ma&s;ters &s;hould never twit their &s;ervants in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 22. 2. Chap. 17. 5.</NOTE> teeth with their inferiority, penury, poverty, mi&s;ery, mean parentage, or &s;ervile condition; but remem|ber that the&s;e things are more the Creators plea&s;ure, than the &s;ervants fault, and that that God that hath made the ma&s;ter rich and the &s;er|vant poor, can as quickly make the ma&s;ter poor and the &s;ervant rich. God many times puts down <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke. 1. 52.</NOTE> the mighty from their &s;eats, and exalts them of low degree. Certain|ly, no ma&s;ter nor mi&s;tre&s;s &s;hould dare to in&s;ult or triumph over &s;uch &s;ervants as have &s;ouls as noble as their own; but they &s;hould &s;eri|ou&s;ly and frequently con&s;ider of <HI>Solomons</HI> Aphori&s;me, <HI>The righteous</HI> (though a &s;ervant, though the
<PB N="180" REF="146"> meane&s;t among&s;t all the &s;ervants) <HI>is more excellent than his neighbour,</HI> and accordingly give them a little time and liberty to conver&s;e with God in &s;ecret. And O that all gra|cious &s;ervants would di&s;cover them&s;elves to be more excellent than their neighbours, by making more con&s;cience of private prayer than their neighbours do, and by be|ing more in their clo&s;ets than their neighbours are, and by delighting them&s;elves in their &s;ecret retire|ments more than their neighbours will, and by redeeming &s;ome time for God, for their &s;ouls, and for e|ternity more than their neighbours do. But,</P>
<P>Seventhly, I an&s;wer, That God is only the Lord of time. Time is <NOTE PLACE="marg">Hab. 2. 3. Dan. 11. 27. 29. 35. Job 7. 1. P&s;al. 102. 13 Eccl. 3. 1. Dan. 2. 21 I&s;a. 60. 22. Job 14. 14.</NOTE> more the Lords, than 'tis thy ma|&s;ters; and therefore 'tis no neglect|ing of thy ma&s;ters bu&s;ine&s;s, to take a little time daily for private pray|er. Times do belong to providence as well as i&s;&s;ues; and as God is the God of our mercies, &s;o he is the Lord of our times; <HI>My times are in</HI>
<PB N="181" REF="146"> <HI>thy hands,</HI> &s;aith <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 31. 15. Not only the times of his &s;orrows, but al&s;o the times of his comforts; not only the times of his mi&s;eries, but al&s;o the times of his mercies; not only the times of his dangers, but al&s;o the times of his duties, were in the hands of God.</P>
<P>'Tis ob&s;ervable, the P&s;almi&s;t doth not &s;ay time, but times, in the plural, to &s;hew that every point and period of time, depends upon the hand of God.</P>
<P>One complaining of tho&s;e who &s;ay, <HI>Come, let us talk together to pa&s;s away the time;</HI> with grief of &s;pirit <NOTE PLACE="marg">Bernard, Serm. de tripl. cu&s;tod.</NOTE> cryes out <HI>(O donec praetereat hora,</HI> &amp;c.) <HI>O until the hour be gone, O until time be pa&s;t, which the mercy of thy maker hath be&s;towed upon thee to per|forme repentance, to procure pardon, to gain grace, and to obtain glory.</HI> That &s;ervant that borrows a little time every day to &s;eek the face of God in a corner, borrows it rather of God than of his ma&s;ter; and there|fore why &s;hould his ma&s;ter &s;well, or rage, or complain, con&s;idering
<PB N="182" REF="147"> that God never made him Lord of time. But,</P>
<P>Eighthly, I an&s;wer, That &s;er|vants &s;hould rather redeem time from their &s;leep, their recreations, their daily meals, than neglect clo|&s;et duty a day. And certainly tho&s;e &s;ervants that (out of con&s;cience towards God, and out of a due re|gard to the internal and eternal welfare of their own &s;ouls) &s;hall every day redeem an hours time from their &s;leep, or &s;ports, or feed|ings, to &s;pend with God in &s;ecret, they &s;hall find by experience, that the Lord will make a few hours &s;leep, &s;weeter and better than ma|ny hours &s;leep to them, and their outward &s;ports &s;hall be made up with inward delights, and for their common bread, God will feed them with that bread that came down from heaven. Sirs, was not Chri&s;t <NOTE PLACE="marg">The Evan|geli&s;t ap|plies the&s;e words to Chri&s;t, Mat. 12. 15, 16, 17, 18.</NOTE> his Fathers &s;ervant? <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 4<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. 1. <HI>(Be|hold my &s;ervant, whom I uphold, mine elect</HI> (or choice one) <HI>in whom my &s;oul delighteth!</HI> (or is well plea&s;ed) <HI>I have put my &s;pirit upon him; he &s;hall</HI>
<PB N="183" REF="147"> <HI>bring forth judgement to the Gentiles)</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t is called Gods &s;er|vant in re|gard of his humane na|ture, and in regard of his office of Mediator|&s;hip.</NOTE> and did not he redeem time from his natural re&s;t, rather than he would omit private prayer? <HI>Mark</HI> 1. 35. <HI>And in the morning, ri&s;ing up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a &s;olitary place, and there prayed.</HI> Chri&s;t &s;pent the day in preaching, in healing the &s;ick, in working of miracles; and rather than the&s;e noble works &s;hould &s;hut out private prayer, he ri&s;es a great while before day, that he might have &s;ome time to wre&s;tle with his Father in &s;ecret. So <HI>Luke</HI> 6. 12. <HI>And it came to pa&s;s in tho&s;e dayes, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.</HI> O &s;irs, did Chri&s;t &s;pend whole nights in private prayer, for the &s;alvation of your &s;ouls; and will you think it much to redeem an hours time from your natural re&s;t to &s;eek and to &s;erve him in a corner, and to make &s;ure the things of your ever|la&s;ting peace? The redeeming of time for private prayer, is the re|deeming of a precious trea&s;ure,
<PB N="184" REF="148"> which if once lo&s;t can never fully be recovered again. If riches &s;hould make them&s;elves wings and fly a|way, they may return again, as they did to <HI>Job;</HI> or, if credit, and honour, and worldly greatne&s;s and renown &s;hould fly away, they may return again, as they did to <HI>Nebuchadnezzar;</HI> If &s;ucce&s;s, and famous victories and conque&s;ts &s;hould make them&s;elves wings and fly away, they may return again, as they did to many of the <HI>Roman</HI> Conquerors and others: But, if <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sophocles. Phocilides.</HI> &amp;c.</NOTE> time (whom the Poets paint with wings, to &s;hew the volubility and &s;wiftne&s;s of it) fly from us, it will never more return unto us.</P>
<P>A great Lady of this Land, on <NOTE PLACE="marg">Queen <HI>Elizabeth.</HI></NOTE> her dying bed cried out, <HI>Call time again, call time again; a world of wealth for an inch of time;</HI> but time pa&s;t was never, nor could never be re|call'd.</P>
<P>The <HI>Aegyptians</HI> drew the picture of Time with three heads;</P>
<P>The Fir&s;t was, of a greedy Wolf gaping for time pa&s;t, becau&s;e it
<PB N="185" REF="148"> hath ravenou&s;ly devoured even the memory of &s;o many things pa&s;t recalling.</P>
<P>The Second, Of a crowned Ly|on roaring for time pre&s;ent, be|cau&s;e it hath the principality of all action, for which it calls aloud.</P>
<P>And the Third was, of a de|ceitful Dog, fawning for time to come; becau&s;e it feedes fond men with many flattering hopes to their eternal undoing. O that all this might prevail with &s;ervants to redeem time for private prayer! And if my coun&s;el might take place, I &s;hould rather advi&s;e &s;er|vants to redeem &s;ome time for pri|vate prayer, from their &s;leep, or lawful recreations, or &s;et meales, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> than to &s;pend, in private pra|yer, that time which their ma&s;ters call their time; e&s;pecially if their Ma&s;ters be unconverted and in the gall of bitterne&s;s and bond of ini|quity; and that for the&s;e five Rea|&s;ons.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e this may be a means to prevent much Sin on the
<PB N="186" REF="149"> Ma&s;ters &s;ide. Ma&s;ters that are in their unregenerate e&s;tate, are very apt to &s;torm, and take on, and let fly again&s;t God, and Chri&s;t, and Religion, &amp; profe&s;&s;ion, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> When they &s;ee their &s;ervants &s;pend that time in private prayer, or in any o|other religious excerci&s;e, which ac|cording to their under&s;tanding, is their time, and ought to be whol|ly &s;pent in following their bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;es. Now gracious &s;ervants &s;hould have that honourable re|&s;pect, and that tender affection, and that Chri&s;tian compa&s;&s;ion, to their Ma&s;ters &s;ouls, as to do to the utmo&s;t all that lyes in them, to pre|vent their Ma&s;ters from contract|ing guilt upon their &s;ouls, or from <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jude. 22, 23.</NOTE> making work for repentance, for hell, or for the Phy&s;itian of &s;ouls.</P>
<P>The <HI>Per&s;ians,</HI> the <HI>Turks,</HI> and ma|ny <HI>Indians</HI> are &s;o compa&s;&s;ionate that they erect Ho&s;pitals, not only for lame and di&s;ea&s;ed Men, but al|&s;o for Birds Bea&s;ts, &amp; Dogs, that are either, aged, &s;tarved, or hurt. O then, what tender compa&s;&s;ions &s;hould
<PB N="187" REF="149"> gracious &s;ervants exerci&s;e towards their Ma&s;ters &s;ouls, which are Je|wels more worth then heaven and earth! But,</P>
<P>Secondly, Becau&s;e this may be a means to convince the Judgments and Con&s;ciences of their Ma&s;ters, that there is &s;ome worth, &s;ome ex|cellency, &s;ome &s;weetne&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> to be found in private prayer, and in o|ther clo&s;et duties; for when Ma|&s;ters &s;hall ob&s;erve their &s;ervants to redeem time for clo&s;et duties, from their very &s;leep, recreations, din|ner, &s;uppers, they will be ready to conclude, that certainly there is more worth, more goodne&s;s, more &s;weetne&s;s, more excellency, more glory, more gain, in clo&s;et duties, than ever they have under|&s;tood, felt, or experienced, &amp;c. and that there very poor &s;ervants are better and more righteous than them&s;elves. <HI>Sotomen</HI> reports, that the devout life of a poore Captive Chri&s;tian woman, made a King &amp; all his Family imbrace the Faith of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. Good works con|vince
<PB N="188" REF="150"> more than Miracles them|&s;elves.</P>
<P>I have read of one <HI>Pachomius,</HI> a &s;oul|dier under <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> the Emperor, how that his Army being almo&s;t &s;tarved for want of nece&s;&s;ary pro|vi&s;ion, he came to a city of Chri|&s;tians, and they of their own chari|ty relieved them &s;peedily and free|ly; he wondering at their free and noble charity, enquired what kind of people they were, whom he &s;aw &s;o bountiful? it was an&s;wered, that they were Chri&s;tians, who&s;e pro|fe&s;&s;ion it is to hurt no man, and do good to every man: hereupon <HI>Pa|chomius,</HI> convinced of the excellency of this Religion, threw away his Arms, and became a Chri&s;tian, a Saint. Look as Husbands &s;ome|times <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 3. 1, 2.</NOTE> are won by the conver&s;ation of their wives without the word &s;o Ma&s;ters may &s;ometimes be won by the gracious carriage and conver|&s;ation of their &s;ervants, without the word. The &s;ervants redeeming of time for private duties upon the harde&s;t and &s;evere&s;t tearms, may
<PB N="189" REF="150"> be &s;o ble&s;t to the Ma&s;ter, that it may i&s;&s;ue in his conviction, conver&s;ion, and &s;alvation. There is a <HI>may-be</HI> for it; and a very <HI>may-be</HI> &s;hould be a &s;ufficient encouragement for every gracious &s;ervant, to do all he can to &s;ave the &s;oul of his Ma&s;ter, from going down into the infernal Pit. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, Becau&s;e the &s;ervants redeeming of time from his &s;leep, recreations, meals, for private pray|er, will mo&s;t clearly and abundant|ly evidence the &s;ingular love, the great delight, and the high e&s;teem that he hath of private prayer. We &s;ay tho&s;e children love their books well, and delight much in learning, who will be at their books when others are gone to their beds, and who will be at their books be|fore others can get out of their beds. Certainly, they love pri|vate prayer well, and they delight much in clo&s;et communion with God, who will be a praying when others are a &s;leeping, and who will be addre&s;&s;ing their &s;ouls before God
<PB N="190" REF="151"> in a corner, before their mi&s;tre&s;s is a dre&s;&s;ing of her &s;elf at the Gla&s;s, or their fellow-&s;ervants a dre&s;&s;ing them&s;elves in the &s;hop. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, Becau&s;e the &s;ervants redeeming of time for private prayer, from his &s;leep, &s;et meales, recreations, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> may be of mo&s;t u&s;e to other fellow &s;ervants, both to awaken them, and to convince them that the things of Religion are of the greate&s;t and highe&s;t im|portance, and that there is no trade for plea&s;ure, or profit, to that private Trade that is driven between God and a mans own &s;oul; and al&s;o, to keep them from trifling, or fool|ing away of that time, which is truly and properly their Ma&s;ters time, and by the Royal law of hea|ven ought to be &s;pent &s;olely and wholly in their &s;ervice &amp; bu&s;ine&s;s. For what ingenious &s;ervant is there in the world, but will argue thus? I &s;ee that &s;uch and &s;uch of my fel|low &s;ervants will redeem time for private prayer, and for other clo&s;et &s;ervices, from their very &s;leep,
<PB N="191" REF="151"> meales recreations, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> rather than they will borrow, or make bold with that time which my Ma&s;ter &s;aith is his, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and why then &s;hould I be &s;o fooli&s;h, &s;o bruiti&s;h, &s;o mad, to trifle, or idle, or play, or toy away that time, wnich &s;hould be &s;pent in my ma&s;ters &s;ervice, and for my ma&s;ters advantage? But,</P>
<P>Fifthly, and la&s;tly, Becau&s;e the &s;ervants redeeming of time for pri|vate prayer from his Sleep, his Meales, his Recreations, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> cannot but be infinitely plea|&s;ing to God, and that which will afford him mo&s;t comfort when he comes to die. The more any poor heart acts contrary to fle&s;h and blood, the more he plea&s;es God; the more any poor heart denyes him&s;elf, the more he plea&s;es God; the more any poor heart acts a|gain&s;t the &s;treame of &s;inful exam|ples, the more he plea&s;es God; the more difficulties and di&s;courage|ments a poor heart meets with in the di&s;charg of his duty, the more love he &s;hewes to God; and the
<PB N="192" REF="152"> more love a poor heart &s;hewes to God, the more he plea&s;es God, <HI>Jer.</HI> 2. 2, 3. <HI>Go, and cry in the ears of Jeru&s;alem, &s;aying, thus &s;aith the Lord, I remember thee, the kindne&s;s of thy youth, the love of thine e&s;pou&s;als; when thou wente&s;t after me in the wilderne&s;s, in a Land that was not &s;own. I&s;rael was holine&s;s unto the Lord, and the fir&s;t fruits of his increa&s;e: all that devour him, &s;hall offend; evil &s;hall come upon them, &s;aith the Lord.</HI> God was very highly plea&s;ed, and great|ly delighted with the &s;ingular love and choice affections of his people towards him, when they followed after him and kept clo&s;e to him, in that tedious and uncouth pa&s;&s;age through the wa&s;te, howling wilder|ne&s;s. How all the&s;e things do com|port with that poor pious &s;ervant that redeemes time for private prayer upon the harde&s;t termes imaginable, I &s;hall leave the inge|nious Reader to judge. And cer|tainly, upon a dying bed, no tongue can expre&s;s, nor heart conceive (but he that feeles it) the un&s;peakable
<PB N="193" REF="152"> comfort that clo&s;et duties will af|ford to him that hath been exer|ci&s;ed in them, upon tho&s;e hard termes that are under pre&s;ent con|&s;ideration. But,</P>
<P>Ninthly, I an&s;wer, If thou art a gracious &s;ervant, then the near and dear relations that is between God and thee, and the choice priviledges <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 8. 32, 33, 36.</NOTE> that thou art intere&s;ted in, calls a|loud for private prayer. As thou art thy Ma&s;ters &s;ervant, &s;o thou art the Lords free-man, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. 22, 23. <HI>For he that is called in the Lord, being a &s;ervant, is the Lords free-man: Like|wi&s;e al&s;o, he that is called being free, is Chri&s;ts &s;ervant. Ye are bought with a price: be not ye the &s;ervants of men,</HI> Ei|ther when they command you things forbidden by Chri&s;t, or for|bid you things commanded by Chri&s;t; or when they would exer|ci&s;e a dominion over your faith, or a lord-&s;hip over your con&s;ciences. Suffer not your &s;elves in &s;piri|tual things to be brought into &s;uch bondage by any men or Ma&s;ters in
<PB N="194" REF="153"> the world, as not to u&s;e that free|dom <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 1. Col. 2. 20. Gal. 2. 4.</NOTE> and liberty that Chri&s;t hath purcha&s;ed for you with his deare&s;t blood. No &s;ervants are to &s;erve their ma&s;ters in oppo&s;ition to Chri&s;t; nor no &s;ervants are to &s;erve their ma&s;ters as &s;piritual ma&s;ters; Nor no &s;ervants are to &s;erve their ma&s;ters as &s;upream ma&s;ters, but as &s;ubordinate ma&s;ters, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6. 5, 6, 7. And as every gracious &s;ervant is the Lords free-man, &s;o every gra|cious &s;ervant is the Lords friend, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 41. 8. <HI>James&punc;</HI> 2. 23. <HI>John</HI> 15. 13, 14, 15. And as every graci|ous &s;ervant is the Lords friend, &s;o every gracious &s;ervant is the Lords &s;on, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4. 5, 6. <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 16. And as every gracious &s;ervant is the Lords &s;on, &s;o every gracious &s;er|vant is the Lords &s;pou&s;e, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 2. 19, 20. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11. 2.</P>
<P>And now I appeal to the con|&s;ciences of all that have ta&s;ted that the Lord is gracious, whether the near and dear relations that is between the Lord and pious &s;er|vants, doth not call aloud upon
<PB N="195" REF="153"> them to take all opportunities and advantages that po&s;&s;ibly they can to pour out their &s;ouls before the Lord in &s;ecret, and to acquaint him in a corner with all their &s;ecret wants, &amp; weakne&s;&s;es, &amp; wi&s;hes, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And as gracious &s;ervants are thus nearly and dearly related to God, &s;o gracious &s;ervants are very high|ly priviledged by God. Gracious &s;ervants are as much freed from the reign of &s;in, the domi|nion of &s;in, and the damnato|ry <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 14.</NOTE> power of &s;in, as gracious ma|&s;ters are. Gracious &s;ervants are as <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 1.</NOTE> much freed from hell, from the cur&s;e of the Law, and from the wrath of God, as their gracious ma&s;ters are. Gracious &s;ervants are <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 13.</NOTE> as much adopted, as much recon|ciled, as much pardoned, as much ju&s;tified, and as much redeemed, as their gracious ma&s;ters are. Graci|ous &s;ervants are as much heirs, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 1. 10. Col. 3. 11. Gal. 5. 6. Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 6. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 9.</NOTE> heirs of God, and joynt heirs with Chri&s;t, as their gracious ma&s;ters are. Gracious &s;ervants are as much a cho&s;en generation, a royal prie&s;t|hood,
<PB N="196" REF="154"> an holy nation, a peculiar people, called out of darkne&s;s into his marvelous light, as their graci|cious ma&s;ters are. And therefore they being all alike intere&s;ted in all the&s;e great and glorious priviledg|es, which belong to Saints as Saints, they are without all peradventure alike obliged and engaged to all tho&s;e duties which lies upon Saints as Saints, among which private prayer is one; and therefore they are to buckle to this duty, again&s;t all carnal rea&s;ons and objections what&s;oever. But,</P>
<P>Tenthly and la&s;tly, I an&s;wer, That the promi&s;ed reward in the Text, lies as fair and as open to the Servant as to the Ma&s;ter, to the Bond as to the Free, to the Pea&s;ant as to the Prince. Who&s;oever prays to his heavenly father in &s;ecret, be he high or low, rich or poor, ho|nourable or ba&s;e, &s;ervant or ma&s;ter, he &s;hall receive an open reward. The reward in the text is not to be confined or limited to this or that &s;ort or rank of men, but 'tis to be
<PB N="197" REF="154"> extended to all ranks and &s;orts of men, that make con&s;cience of pri|vate prayer, of clo&s;et duties. So <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6. 5, 6, 7, 8. <HI>Servants be obe|dient to them that are your ma&s;ters, ac|cording to the fle&s;h, with fear and trem|bling, in &s;inglene&s;s of your heart, as unto Chri&s;t. Not with eye-&s;ervice, as men plea&s;ers, but as the &s;ervants of Chri&s;t, doing the will of God from the heart:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">The <HI>Per&s;i|an</HI> Kings did u&s;ually reward the faithful &s;er|vices of their &s;er|vants. Surely the King of Kings will not fall &s;hort of the Kings of <HI>Per&s;ia.</HI></NOTE> <HI>with good will doing &s;ervice, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that what&s;oever good thing any man doth, the &s;ame &s;hall he receive of the Lord, whe|ther he be bond or free.</HI> Col. 3. 22, 23, 24. <HI>Servants obey, in all things, your ma&s;ters according to the fle&s;h, not with eye &s;ervice, as men-pleae&s;ers, but in &s;inglene&s;s of heart, fearing God. And what&s;oever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men: Knowing that of the Lord ye &s;hall receive the re|ward of the inheritance: for ye &s;erve the Lord Chri&s;t.</HI> Such &s;ervants as &s;erve their ma&s;ters faithfully, cor|dially, and in &s;inglene&s;s of &s;pirit, &s;hall receive the reward of Grace, &amp; the reward of the Inheritance. The
<PB N="198" REF="155"> meane&s;t &s;ervant that is faithful in the &s;ervice of his ma&s;ter, &s;hall <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 15. 16, 17.</NOTE> for a recompence recieve the eter|nal inheritance. The recompence of reward in the Scripture la&s;t ci|ted is not of merit but of meer grace, becau&s;e the inheritance be|longs only to children upon the ac|count of their birth or adoption. Faithful &s;ervants, &s;hall of &s;ervants be made &s;ons, and &s;o enjoy the hea|venly inheritance. Chri&s;t is &s;o no|ble a Ma&s;ter, that he will not &s;uffer any &s;ervice that hath been perform|ed to men out of Con&s;cience to his command to pa&s;s unrewarded. O how much more will he recom|pence pious &s;ervants for tho&s;e &s;pi|ritual &s;ervices that they perform for his &s;ake, for his glory! God is &s;o liberal a pay ma&s;ter, that no <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. 1. 10.</NOTE> man &s;hall &s;o much as &s;hut the door, or kindle a fire upon his al|tar, or give a cup of cold water, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 10. 42.</NOTE> one of the lea&s;t, readie&s;t, and mean|e&s;t refre&s;hments that be, but he &s;hall be rewarded.</P>
<PB N="199" REF="155">
<P> It is an excellent ob&s;ervation of <HI>Calvin,</HI> upon Gods rewarding of the <HI>Rechabites</HI> obedience, <HI>Jer.</HI> 35. 19. <HI>God</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>often recompenceth the &s;hadows and &s;eeming appearances of vertue, to &s;hew that complacency he takes in the ample rewards that he hath re|&s;erved for true and &s;incere piety. Nebu|chadnezzar</HI> though a Tyrant, yet being engaged in Gods &s;ervice a|gain&s;t <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 29. 18, 19, 20.</NOTE> <HI>Tyre,</HI> he &s;hall have <HI>Egypt</HI> as his pay, for his pains at <HI>Tyre.</HI> It is an ancient &s;lur and &s;lander that hath been ca&s;t upon God, as if he were an au&s;tere Ma&s;ter, an illiberal Lord, and as if there were nothing to be got in his &s;ervice, but knocks, blows, wounds, cro&s;&s;es, lo&s;&s;es, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> whereas he is a rewarder, not only of them that diligently &s;eek him, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 11. 6.</NOTE> but even of the very wor&s;t of men that do any &s;ervice for him. I have read of <HI>Herod Agrippa</HI> (the &s;ame that was &s;mitten by the Angel and eaten up of worms, becau&s;e he gave not glory to God, <HI>Acts</HI> 12. 23.) that being bound in chains, and &s;ent to Pri&s;on by <HI>Tiberius</HI> for wi&s;hing <HI>Caius</HI>
<PB N="200" REF="156"> in the Empire, one <HI>Thauma&s;tus</HI> a &s;er|vant <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jo&s;eph. Antiq, lib.</HI> 18. <HI>cap.</HI> 8.</NOTE> of <HI>Caius,</HI> carrying a Pitcher of water, met him, and <HI>Agrippa</HI> being very thir&s;ty, de&s;ired him to give him &s;ome of his water to drink, which he willingly did: whereup|on <HI>Agrippa</HI> &s;aid, <HI>This &s;ervice thou ha&s;t done in giving me drink, &s;hall do thee good another day:</HI> And he was as big and as good as his word; for after|wards, when <HI>Caius</HI> was Emperour, and <HI>Agrippa</HI> made King of <HI>Judea,</HI> he fir&s;t got his Liberty, then made him chief Officer of his Hou&s;hold, and after his decea&s;e took order that he &s;hould continue in the &s;ame Office with his Son. Now how much more then will the King of Kings reward all tho&s;e poor pious &s;er|vants of his, that do not only give to him in his Members cups of cold water, but do al&s;o redeem time from their very re&s;t, meals, and re|creations, that they may have &s;ome time to &s;eek the face of God in a corner. Certainly, There &s;hall not be a &s;igh, a groan, a prayer, a tear let fall by a poor &s;ervant in a cor|ner,
<PB N="201" REF="156"> that &s;hall not be at la&s;t regard|ed and rewarded by the great God. <HI>Lyra</HI> &s;aith, that <HI>Mordecai</HI> waited &s;ix years, before his good &s;ervice was rewarded by King <HI>Aha&s;uerus.</HI> It may be God may reward thee &s;ooner for all thy clo&s;et &s;ervices; but if he do not reward thee &s;oon|er, he will certainly reward thee better, he will reward thee with higher Honours, with greater Dig|nities, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 9. 29 2 Tim. 4. 8. Rev. 2. 10. Jam. 1. 12. 1 Pet. 5. 4.</NOTE> with more glorious Robes, and with a more royal Crown, even an incorruptible Crown, a Crown of righteou&s;ne&s;s, a Crown of life, a Crown of glory. And therefore hold on and hold out in your &s;ecret retirements. Though &s;ome may deride you, and others revile you, and your carnal Ma|&s;ters di&s;courage you, yet God is faithful and will certainly reward you; yea, he will openly reward you for all the &s;ecret pourings out of your &s;ouls in his bo&s;ome. But,</P>
<PB N="202" REF="157">
<P><LABEL><HI>Object.</HI> 3.</LABEL></P>
<P>Some may further Object and &s;ay, <HI>O but we cannot pray alone; we want tho&s;e gifts and endowments which others have; we are &s;hut up and know not how to pour out our &s;ouls before God in a corner; we would willingly pray, but we want ability to pour out our &s;ouls be|fore the Lord in &s;ecret,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><LABEL>Sol. 1.</LABEL></P>
<P>Gods deare&s;t children may &s;ome|times be &s;hut up, they may with <HI>Zacharias,</HI> for a time, be &s;truck <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 1. 20.</NOTE> dumb and not able to &s;peak, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 77. 4. <HI>I am &s;o troubled that I cannot &s;peak.</HI> P&s;al. 38. 9. <HI>Lord; all my de|&s;ire is before thee: and my groaning is not hid from thee.</HI> Gods deare&s;t chil|dren have &s;ometimes been &s;o &s;hut up, that they have been able to &s;ay nothing, nor to doe nothing but groan. A child of God may &s;ometimes meet with &s;uch a blow from God, from Con&s;cience, from
<PB N="203" REF="157"> Scripture, from Satan, from the World, that may for a time &s;o a&s;toni&s;h him, that he may not be able to &s;peak to God, nor &s;peak to others, nor &s;peak to his own heart. Look as the holy Spirit is not al|ways a teaching Spirit, nor always a leading Spirit, nor always a com|forting Spirit, nor alwayes a &s;eal|ing Spirit, nor alwayes a witne&s;|&s;ing Spirit, nor alwayes an a&s;&s;uring Spirit to any of the Saints; &s;o he is not alwayes a &s;upplicating Spirit in any of the Saints. When he is grieved, vexed, quenched, provoked, he may &s;u&s;pend his gracious influ|ences, and deny the &s;oul his a&s;&s;i&s;t|ance; and what can a Chri&s;tian then &s;ay or do? But,</P>
<P>Secondly, I an&s;wer, Thou can&s;t not pray; but can&s;t thou not &s;igh, nor groan neither? there may be the &s;pirit of Adoption in &s;ighs and groans, as well as in vocal prayer, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 26. The force, the vertue, the efficacie, the excellency of prayer doth not con&s;i&s;t in the num|ber and flouri&s;h of words, but in the
<PB N="204" REF="158"> &s;upernatural motions of the &s;pirit, in &s;ighs, and groans, and pangs, and &s;trong affections of heart, that are un&s;peakable and unutterable. Cer|tainly, the very &s;oul of prayer, lyes in the pouring out of a mans &s;oul before the Lord, though it be but in &s;ighs, groans, and tears, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 1. 13,&mdash;19. One &s;igh and groan from a broken heart, is better plea|&s;ing to God, than all humane elo|quence. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, I an&s;wer, Beg of God to teach thee to pray. O beg the holy &s;pirit that is a &s;pirit of prayer. God hath promi&s;ed his holy &s;pirit to them that ask it, <HI>Luk.</HI> 11. 13. <HI>If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more &s;hall your heavenly father give the holy &s;pirit to them that ask him?</HI> Ezek. 36. 26, 27. <HI>A new heart al&s;o will I give you, and a new &s;pirit will I put with|in you: and I will takeaway the &s;tony heart out of your fle&s;h and I will give you a heart of fle&s;h, and I will put my &s;pirit within you, and cau&s;e you to walk in my &s;tatutes; and ye &s;hall keep my judge|ments,</HI>
<PB N="205" REF="158"> <HI>and doe them.</HI> Ezek. 11. 19. <HI>And I will give them one heart, &amp; I will put a new Spirit within you; and I will take the &s;tony heart out of their fle&s;h, and will give them an heart of fle&s;h.</HI> Zech. 12. 10. <HI>I will pour upon the hou&s;e of Da|vid, and upon the Inhabitants of Jeru&s;a|lem, the Spirit of grace and &s;upplication.</HI> Now Gracious promi&s;es are Gods bonds, and he loves to &s;ee his peo|ple put them in &s;uit. God expects <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 62. 6, 7. I&s;a. 42. 25, 26.</NOTE> that we &s;hould be his Remem|brancers, and that we &s;hould pray over his promi&s;es. When he had promi&s;ed great things to his people concerning Ju&s;tification, Sanctifica|tion &amp; Pre&s;ervation, he &s;ubjoynes, <HI>Yet, I will for this be enquired of by</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 36. 37.</NOTE> <HI>the hou&s;e of I&s;rael to doe it.</HI> God looks that we &s;hould &s;pread his gracious promi&s;es before him, as <HI>Hezekiah</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 37. 14.</NOTE> did <HI>Seanacheribs</HI> letter. God is never better plea&s;ed than when his people importune him in his own words and urge him with arguments taken from his owne promi&s;es. Though God be a very affectio|nate father, and a very liberal fa|ther,
<PB N="206" REF="159"> yet he is not a prodigal father, for he will never throw away his mercies on &s;uch as will not &s;toutly and humbly plead out his promi&s;es with him. God loves to take &s;tate upon him, and will be &s;ought un|to, both for his giving in of mer|cies, and for his making good of precious promi&s;es. Thou &s;aye&s;t thou can'&s;t not pray; why can'&s;t thou not goe into a corner, and &s;pread the Promi&s;es la&s;t cited before the Lord, and tell him how much it concernes his honour &amp; glory as well as thy own internal &amp; eternal good, to make good tho&s;e gracious promi&s;es that he hath made con|cerning his giving of his Spirit to them that ask him, and his putting his Spirit within them, and his pouring out a Spirit of grace and &s;upplication upon them.</P>
<P>We read of <HI>Tamar,</HI> that when <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 38. 18,&mdash;25.</NOTE> <HI>Judah</HI> her father-in-law lay with her, &s;he took as a pledge his &s;ignet, bracelets, and &s;taffe; and afterwards when &s;he was in great di&s;tre&s;s and ready to be burnt as an Harlot, &s;he
<PB N="207" REF="159"> then brought out her &s;taff, and &s;ig|net, and Bracelets, and &s;aid, <HI>by the man who&s;e the&s;e are, am I with child,</HI> and thereby &s;he &s;aved her life. The pro|mi&s;es are as &s;o many rich Mines, they are as &s;o many choice flowers of paradi&s;e, they are the food, life, and &s;trength of the &s;oul, They are as a &s;taffe to &s;upport the &s;oul, and they are as a &s;ignet and Bracelets to adorne the &s;oul, and to enrich the &s;oul; and therefore poor &s;in|ners &s;hould bring them forth, and lay them before the Lord, and urge God with them, there being no way on earth to &s;ave a mans &s;oule, and to prevent a burning in Hell like this. Con|cerning precious promi&s;es let me give you the&s;e eight hints.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, that they are truly propoun|ded &amp; &s;tated by God, <HI>Mark.</HI> 10. 30.</P>
<P>Secondly, That they &s;hall cer|tainly be performed, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 20. they being all made in and thorow Chri&s;t; they are made fir&s;t to Chri&s;t, and then to all that have union and communion with him.</P>
<PB N="208" REF="160">
<P> <HI>Sirtorius,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Plutarch,</HI> paid what he promi&s;ed with fair words: but &s;o doth not God. Men many times, &s;ay and un&s;ay; they often eate their words as &s;oon as they have &s;poken them; but God will never eat the words that are gone out of his mouth, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 46. 10, 11. <HI>My coun&s;el &s;hall &s;tand, and I will doe all my plea&s;ure: yea, I have &s;poken it, I will al&s;o bring it to pa&s;s, I have purpo&s;ed it, I will al&s;o doe it.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, That they all i&s;&s;ue from free grace, from &s;pecial love, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 14. 4.</NOTE> from divine goodne&s;s,</P>
<P>Fourthly, That they are all as <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 31. 3.</NOTE> unchangable as he is that made them.</P>
<P>Fifthly, That they are all bot|tomed and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. 3. 6.</NOTE> founded upon the truth, faithfulne&s;s, and all &s;ufficiency of God.</P>
<P>Sixthly, That they are pledges and pawnes of great things that <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 13. 5.</NOTE> God will doe for his people in time.</P>
<P>Seventhly, That they are mo&s;t <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 6. 12.</NOTE> &s;ure and certain evidences of divine
<PB N="209" REF="160"> favour, and a declaration of the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 23. 19.</NOTE> heart and good will of God to his poor people.</P>
<P>Eighthly, That they are the price of Chri&s;ts blood.</P>
<P>Now how &s;hould all the&s;e things encourage poor &s;ouls to be &s;till a pre&s;&s;ing of God with his pro|mi&s;es! But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, You &s;ay you cannot pray, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> O that you would leave off objecting, and fall upon pray|ing. If you cannot pray as you would, nor as you &s;hould, pray as well as you can. <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> brethren &s;tood &s;o long dallying &amp; delaying and trifling out the time, that hav|ing a Journey to goe to buy corn, they might have bought and re|turned twice, before they went and bought once. When <HI>Eliah</HI> cal|led <HI>Elizeus</HI> he goes about the bu&s;h, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kings 19. 20.</NOTE> and he mu&s;t needs goe bid his fa|ther and mother farewel, before he could follow the Prophet. O friends, take heed of dallying, de|laying, trifling, going about
<PB N="210" REF="161"> the bu&s;h, when you &s;hould be a fal|ing upon the work of prayer. What though with <HI>Hannah</HI> thou can'&s;t but weep out a prayer, or with <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;tammer out a prayer, or with <HI>Hezekiah</HI> chatter out a prayer, yet do as well as thou can'&s;t, and thou &s;halt find accept|ance with God, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8. 12. For if there be fir&s;t a willing mind, it is ac|cepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. The Publicans prayer had not much Rhetorick or elo|quence in it, <HI>God be merciful to me a &s;inner,</HI> and yet God accepted it: He <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 18. 13.</NOTE> prayed much, though he &s;pake lit|tle, and God did not turn a deafe ear upon him. That God that once accepted a handfull of meale <NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev. 2. 1, 2. Chap. 6. 15. Luke 21, 3.</NOTE> for a &s;acrifice, and a gripe of Goats hair for an oblation, and the poor widows two mites, as if they had been two millions, will certainly accept of what thou art able to do, though thou do&s;t fall &s;hort, yea much &s;hort of what thou oughte&s;t to doe. <HI>Lord,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Luther, thou com|mande&s;t</HI>
<PB N="211" REF="161"> <HI>me to pray: I cannot pray as I would, yet I will obey: for though my prayer be not acceptable, yet thine own commandement is acceptable to thee.</HI> If weak Chri&s;tians would but put forth in prayer that little &s;trength they have, God would quickly re|new their &s;piritual &s;trength, he would certainly carry them on from &s;trength to &s;trength, he would <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 49. 29, 30, 31. P&s;al. 84. 7.</NOTE> &s;till by &s;ecret a&s;&s;i&s;tances, and &s;ecret influences, help them on in their heavenly trade. As a loving in|dulgent Father will take his little Child in his armes, and carry him on in his way home ward, when his &s;trength begins to fail him, and he can walk no further, and the way proves dirty, &s;lippery, or un|even. So doth God by his, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 11. 3. <HI>I taught Ephram al&s;o to go</HI> (as a nur&s;e doth the infant) <HI>taking them by their arm.</HI> When Gods poor Children come to a fowl way, or a rough place, he takes them up in his own arms, and helps them over the quagmire of Cro&s;&s;es, and the difficulties of duties, and over all
<PB N="212" REF="162"> that &s;traitne&s;s, and narrowne&s;s, and weakne&s;s o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;pirit that doth attend them in their clo&s;et performan|ces.</P>
<P>'Tis ob&s;ervable, that when the King of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was to &s;hoot the Ar|row, <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kings 13. 16.</NOTE> he did put his hand upon the Bow, and <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> did put his hand upon the Kings hand. So when we go into our Clo&s;ets, we are to put up our hand, and then the Spirit of God likewi&s;e will put his hand up|on our hand, he will put his &s;trength to our &s;treng<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">h, or rather to our weakne&s;s, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 26. <HI>Likewi&s;e the Spirit al&s;o helpeth our infirmities,</HI> lifts with us, or helpeth together. The <HI>Greek</HI> word <GAP DESC="foreign"> doth pro|perly &s;ignifie &s;uch a help, as when another man of &s;trength and abili|ty &s;teppeth in to &s;u&s;tain the burden that lieth upon our &s;houlders, be it a logg, or a piece of timber, &s;etting his &s;houlders under it, to lift up, and bear part of it with us, or to help us as the nur&s;e helpeth her lit|tle child, upholding it by the &s;leeve. When a poor Chri&s;tian &s;ets him|&s;elf
<PB N="213" REF="162"> to clo&s;et prayer, or to mourn, or to believe, or to obey, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> then the Spirit comes in with new help, and new influences, and new a&s;&s;i|&s;tances, and &s;o carryes him on in all the&s;e noble &s;ervices. That child that doth but &s;tammer at fir&s;t, in time will &s;peak plainly and fluently. O how many Chri&s;tians are there, that now can pray with much freedom, liberty and fluency, who at fir&s;t could only &s;igh out a prayer, or &s;tammer out a prayer, or weep out a prayer? Thou &s;aie&s;t thou can&s;t not pray, but did&s;t thou but &s;tir up thy &s;elf to obey that command, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. 6. as well as thou can&s;t thou do&s;t not know but that a power may go forth with the command, that may enable thee to act &s;uitable to the com|mand? In <HI>Matth</HI> 9. 1,&mdash;9. Chri&s;t bid the Pal&s;ie man ri&s;e and walk, <HI>Take up thy bed and go unto thine hou&s;e.</HI> The Pal&s;ie man might have ob|jected, <HI>Alas, I am carried by four, I am not able to &s;tir a limb, much le&s;s to ri&s;e, but lea&s;t of all to take up my bed</HI>
<PB N="214" REF="163"> <HI>and walk,</HI> &amp;c. Oh but he rou&s;eth up him&s;elf as well as he could, and a power went forth with the com|mand, that enabled him to do what was commanded. So <HI>Matth.</HI> 12. 10,&mdash;14&punc; There was a poor man that had a withered hand, and Chri&s;t commands him to &s;tretch forth his hand: he might have re|plied, <HI>My hand is withered, and if I might have as many worlds as there be men in the world to &s;tretch it forth, I could not &s;tretch it forth; yea, if my ve|ry life, if my very &s;alvation did lie upon &s;tretching forth my withered arm, I could not &s;tretch it forth:</HI> Oh, but he throws by all &s;uch plea's, and com|plies with Chri&s;t's command as well as he could, and a power went forth and healed his hand. O &s;irs, if you would but pray in your clo|&s;ets as well as you can, you do not know but that &s;uch power and vir|tue might flow from Chri&s;t into your hearts, as might carry you on in your clo&s;et duties, beyond expe|ctation, even to admiration; others have found it &s;o, and why not you,
<PB N="215" REF="163"> why not you? Well remember, that God is no curious nor critical ob&s;erver of the incongruous expre&s;|&s;ions that falls from his poor chil|dren when they are in their clo&s;et duties; he is &s;uch a father as is ve|ry well plea&s;ed with the broken expre&s;&s;ions and divine &s;tammer|ings of his people when they are in a corner. 'Tis not a flood of words, nor &s;tudied notions, nor &s;e|raphical expre&s;&s;ions, nor elegant phra&s;es in prayer, that takes the ear, or that delights the heart of God, or that opens the gates of glory, or that brings down the be&s;t of ble&s;&s;ings upon the &s;oul; but up|rightne&s;s, holine&s;s, heavenlyne&s;s, &s;piritualne&s;s, and brokenne&s;s of heart, the&s;e are the things that make a conque&s;t upon God, and that turns mo&s;t to the &s;ouls ac|count. But,</P>
<P>Fifthly, Thou &s;ay&s;t thou can&s;t not pray: but if thou art a child of God, thou ha&s;t the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God is a Spirit of prayer and &s;upplication. That all
<PB N="216" REF="164"> the Children of God have the Spi|rit of God is mo&s;t evident in the ble&s;&s;ed Scriptures. Take the&s;e for a ta&s;te, <HI>Zach.</HI> 12. 10. <HI>I will pour upon the hou&s;e of David, and upon the inha|bitants of Jeru&s;alem the &s;pirit of grace and &s;upplication.</HI> P&s;al. 51. 11. <HI>Take not thy holy Spirit from me.</HI> Rom. 8. 15. <HI>Ye have received the &s;pirit of Adop|tion, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.</HI> 1 Cor. 2. 12. <HI>We have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the &s;pirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.</HI> 1 The&s;. 4. 8. <HI>Who hath given unto us his holy &s;pirit.</HI> 1 John 3. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI>Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.</HI> Chap. 4. 13. <HI>Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, becau&s;e he hath given us of his Spirit.</HI></P>
<P>That all the Children of God have the Spirit of God, may be fur|ther made evident by an induction of the&s;e &s;even particulars.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, They are all &s;anctified by the Spirit, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. 11. <HI>Ye are &s;ancti|fied by the Spirit of our God.</HI> I do not
<PB N="217" REF="164"> &s;ay, that they are all equally &s;an|ctified by the Spirit, but I &s;ay, they are all really &s;anctified by the Spirit. Though all the &s;ervants of Chri&s;t have their Talents, yet all have not <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 25. 15.</NOTE> their ten Talents, nor all have not their five Talents, nor all have not their two Talents, &s;ome have on|ly their one Talent. Though <HI>Ben|jamins</HI> Me&s;s was five times as much <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 43. 32 33, 34.</NOTE> as his brethrens Me&s;s, yet every one of his brethren had their M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;s; &s;o though &s;ome Chri&s;tians have five times more mea&s;ures of the Spirit, and more mea&s;ures of light, of love, of holine&s;s, of heavenly mind|edne&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> than others have; yet, every Chri&s;tian hath &s;ome mea|&s;ures of the Spirit, and &s;ome mea|&s;ures of grace and holine&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Though &s;ome are Babes in Chri&s;t, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2. 2. 1 John 2. 12, 13, 14.</NOTE> and others are Children in Chri&s;t; though &s;ome are young Men in Chri&s;t, and others are old Men in Chri&s;t, yet every one of them is <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 3. 8.</NOTE> born of the Spirit of Chri&s;t. Though none of the people of God in this life have the Spirit in per|fection,
<PB N="218" REF="165"> yet every one of them have &s;o much of the Spirit as will bring him to &s;alvation; every Chri&s;tian hath &s;o much of the Spirit as will bring Chri&s;t and his Soul together: and therefore without all perad|venture, every Chri&s;tian hath &s;o much of the Spirit, as will at la&s;t bring Heaven and his Soul toge|ther.</P>
<P>Secondly, They are all led by the Spirit, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 14. <HI>As many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the Sons of God.</HI> Every Child of God hath a twofold Guide; the Word without, and the Spirit within, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 30. 20, 21. How the Spirit leads by the rule of the Word, and how he leads <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 6. 22. Ephe&s;. 5. 9.</NOTE> to God, and leads to Chri&s;t, and leads to Truth, and leads to Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s, and leads to Holine&s;s, and leads to Happine&s;s, I &s;hall not now undertake to &s;hew.</P>
<P>Thirdly, They are all upheld &amp; &s;trengthned by the Spirit, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 51. 12. <HI>&V;phold me with thy free Spirit;</HI> or underprop me, or &s;u&s;tain me, as the Hebrew hath it, with thy free vo|luntary
<PB N="219" REF="165"> Spirit; or as the Greek turns it, with thy noble princely Spirit. So <HI>Eph.</HI> 3. 16. <HI>To be &s;trengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man.</HI> By the inner man, &s;ome under&s;tand the regenerate part of man; others by the inner man, do under&s;tand the &s;oul with all its noble faculties and motions. Take the words which way you will, 'tis certain that all the &s;piritual might and &s;trength that a Chri&s;tian hath, he hath it from the holy Spirit. Though the Spirit &s;trengthens eve|ry Chri&s;tian in the inner man, yet I do not &s;ay that the Spirit &s;trength|ens every Chri&s;tian alike in the in|ward man. Some have &s;tronger corruptions to &s;ubdue than others, and more violent temptations to with-&s;tand than others, and great|er difficulties to wre&s;tle with than others, and choicer mercies to im|prove than others, and high|er and harder duties of Religion to mannage than others, and accor|dingly they are more &s;trengthned in the inner man than others.</P>
<PB N="220" REF="166">
<P> Fourthly, They are all parta|kers of the fir&s;t-fruits of the Spirit, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 23. <HI>Our &s;elves have the fir&s;t|fruits of the Spirit;</HI> which are but as a handful of corn in re&s;pect of the whole crop. All the grace, <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 1. 22.</NOTE> and all the holine&s;s which we have from the regenerating Spirit at fir&s;t conver&s;ion, is but a drop to that S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">a a mite to tho&s;e Talents which we &s;hall receive in the life to come.</P>
<P>Fifthly, They are all taught by <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 59. 21.</NOTE> the Spirit. <HI>John</HI> 14. 26. <HI>The holy-Gho&s;t whom the father will &s;end in my name, he &s;hall teach you all things.</HI></P>
<P>This promi&s;e primarily belongs to the Apo&s;tles;</P>
<P>Secondarily to all believers.</P>
<P>Though the&s;e words were &s;po|ken at fir&s;t to the Apo&s;tles only, yet they were not &s;poken of the Apo&s;tles only, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 54. 13. In the words there are three things pro|mi&s;ed to the Apo&s;tles.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Immediate illumination by the Spirit of God.</P>
<P>Secondly, A full knowledge of all tho&s;e truths belonging to their
<PB N="221" REF="166"> Apo&s;tolical office, and that were nece&s;&s;ary for them at that juncture of time.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Ab&s;olute infallibility as to matter o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Doctrine.</P>
<P>There are al&s;o three things pro|mi&s;ed to all beleevers.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Mediate illumination, teaching truths by the Spirit of truth, in the u&s;e of the meanes of grace.</P>
<P>Secondly, Knowledge of all truth nece&s;&s;ary to &s;alvation.</P>
<P>Thirdly, infallibility too, &s;o far forth as they adhere and keep clo&s;e to the &s;pirits teaching in the word.</P>
<P><HI>Philo</HI> &s;aith, That the primitive Chri&s;tians were called <HI>Tillers,</HI> be|cau&s;e as husbandmen till their fields and manure their grounds, &s;o did they teach their Families, and nurture their Children and &s;er|vants with good in&s;tructions O what choice teachings of the &s;pirit were the&s;e primitive Chri&s;tians under, who made it &s;o much their bu&s;ine&s;s, their work, to teach tho&s;e that were under their
<PB N="222" REF="167"> charge. So <HI>John.</HI> 1. 2, 27. <HI>But the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 4. 9. 2 Cor. 3. 8.</NOTE> <HI>anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you: and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the &s;ame anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth.</HI> Not that we know all things &s;im|ply, or that we need not a Mini&s;try to teach and in&s;truct us; but he &s;peaks comparatively; you &s;hall not be &s;o helped by any in&s;tructions without the Spirit, as with the Spirit. The Spirit &s;hall declare the truth as it is in Je&s;us, more clearly, more free|ly, more particularly, more cer|tainly, more univer&s;ally, more <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6. 9, 10, 11, 12. 1 Tim. 4. 1. John 16. 25 I&s;a. 48 17. Eccl. 11. 5.</NOTE> effectually, than any other is able to doe. The Spirit, this holy uncti|on, &s;hall teach the Saints all things; not all things knowable, for that is impo&s;&s;ible for finite creatures to attain unto. Who knows the moti|ons of the heavens, the influences of the &s;tars, the nature of the crea|tures, or how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with child? who knowes the rea&s;on why the River <HI>Nilus</HI> &s;hould overflow in the &s;ummer, when waters are at the
<PB N="223" REF="167"> lowe&s;t; or why the load-&s;tone &s;hould draw Iron to it, or incline to the <HI>Pole-&s;tar?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Pliny</HI> tells us of one that &s;pent <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Lib.</HI> 11. <HI>c.</HI> 9.</NOTE> eight and fifty years in learning out the nature of the Bee, and yet had not fully attained to it. How is it po&s;&s;ible then for the wi&s;e&s;t na|turali&s;t to enter into the deep things of God!</P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> that learned his divinity a|mong <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 13. 9, 10, 11.</NOTE> the Angels, and that had the holy-Gho&s;t for his immediate teacher, tells us plainly <HI>That he knew but in part;</HI> and O then, how little a part of that part do we know! But the Spirit teacheth the Saints all things: that is,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, He teacheth them all things needful for the &s;alvation of their &s;ouls, all things nece&s;&s;ary to bring <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 17. 3.</NOTE> them to heaven.</P>
<P>Secondly, All things needful to life and godlyne&s;s, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 3.</P>
<P>Thirdly, all things needful to their places, callings, &s;exes, ages, and conditions.</P>
<P>Fourthly, All things needful
<PB N="224" REF="168"> for you to know, to pre&s;erve you in the truth, and to pre&s;erve you from being deluded and &s;educed by tho&s;e fal&s;e teachers of whom he &s;peaks, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 18, 19, 22, 23, 26. And cer|tainly this is the main thing that <HI>John</HI> hints at in that expre&s;&s;ion. The <HI>all things</HI> &s;poken of in <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 27. according to the ordinary Scrip|ture &s;tyle, mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily be in|terpreted only of all tho&s;e things which are there &s;poken of. But,</P>
<P>Sixthly, They are all comfort|ed by the Spirit, <HI>Acts.</HI> 9. 31. <HI>They</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 14. 16, 26. and Chap. 15. 26. and Chap. 16. 7.</NOTE> <HI>walked in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the holy Gho&s;t&punc;</HI> Rom. 14. 17. <HI>For the Kingdom of God is not meat and dri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">k, but righteou&s;ne&s;s, and peace, and joy in the holy-Gho&s;t.</HI> 1 The&s;. 1. 6. <HI>And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the holy-Gho&s;t.</HI> Not that all Chri&s;tians have alwayes actual comfort or actual joy; O no: For as the Air is &s;ome|times clear, &amp; &s;ometimes cloudy; and as the Sea is &s;ometimes ebbing, &amp; &s;ometimes flowing: &s;o the com|forts
<PB N="225" REF="168"> and joyes of the people of God are &s;ometimes ebbing, and &s;ometimes flowing, &s;ometimes clear and &s;ometimes cloudy.</P>
<P><HI>Hud&s;on</HI> the Martyr being de&s;erted at the &s;take, went from under his chain; and having prayed earne&s;t|ly, was comforted immediatly, and &s;uffered valiantly.</P>
<P>So Mr. <HI>Glover</HI> the Martyr was de&s;erted in Pri&s;on, but as he was going to the &s;take he lookt back, and cried out to his friend, <HI>He is come, he is come,</HI> meaning the Com|forter, and &s;o he laid down his life with joy.</P>
<P><HI>Rachel</HI> wept, and would not be comforted; &s;he gave &s;o much way to weeping, that &s;he would not give the lea&s;t way to comfort: and &s;o 'tis many times with the choic|e&s;t Saints. <HI>My &s;oul refu&s;ed to be com|forted.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 77. 2.</NOTE> 'Tis not my purpo&s;e at pre|&s;ent to in&s;i&s;t on the &s;everal wayes, whereby the people of God refu&s;e comfort, and fall &s;hort of tho&s;e &s;trong con&s;olations&punc; which God is
<PB N="226" REF="169"> willing that they &s;hould receive. The Sun may operate where it doth not &s;hine, and a man may be in a &s;tate of &s;alvation, and yet want con&s;olation, a man may fear the <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 50. 10. 2.</NOTE> Lord, and obey the voice of his &s;ervant, and yet walk in darkne&s;s and &s;ee no light. There is no Chri|&s;tian but may &s;ometime have trou|ble in his con&s;cience, and grief in his heart, and tears in his eyes, and fears and que&s;tionings in his &s;oul, whether God be his Father, and whether Chri&s;t be his Redeemer, &amp; whether Mercy belongs to him, yea, whether any Promi&s;e in the Book of God belongs to him? <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Joy and comfort are tho&s;e dainties, <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 30. 6, 7.</NOTE> tho&s;e &s;weet-meets of heaven, that God doth not every day fea&s;t his people with; every day is not a wedding day, nor every day is not a harve&s;t day, nor every day is not a &s;ummers day. The fatted Calf is <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 15. 22, 23. Eccl. 3. 4. Rom. 12. 15.</NOTE> not kil'd every day, nor the Robe &amp; the Ring is not every day put on; every day is not a fe&s;tival day nor a dancing day. As there is a time
<PB N="227" REF="169"> to &s;ing, &s;o there is a time to &s;igh; as there is a time to laugh, &s;o there is a time to weep; and as there is a time to dance, &s;o thereis a time to mourn; All tears will never be clear wip'd from our eyes, till all &s;inbe quite ta|ken out of our hearts. But notwith|&s;tanding all this, yet gracious <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ouls have alwayes &s;ure and choice grounds of con&s;olation, they have the promi&s;es, they have the fir&s;t fruits of the Spirit, they have union with Chri&s;t, and they have right to eternal life, though they have not alwayes &s;en&s;ible comforts. The <NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 13. 15. P&s;al. 42. 5.</NOTE> children of God have alwayes cau&s;e to exerci&s;e faith and hope on God in their darke&s;t condition, though they have not alwayes a|ctual joy and con&s;olation; The comforter alwayes abides with the Saints, though he doth not alway actually comfort the Saints. <HI>John.</HI> 14. 16. The Spirit many times car|ryes on his &s;anctifying work in the &s;oul, when he doth not carry on his comforting work in the &s;oul; the Spirit many times acts in a way
<PB N="228" REF="170"> of humiliation, when he doth not act in a way of con&s;olation; the Spirit many times fills the &s;oul with Godly &s;orrow, when he doth not fill the &s;oul with holy joy. The actings of the Spirit, as to his com|forting work, are all of his own &s;overaign will and plea&s;ure; and therefore he may abide in the &s;oul, when he doth not actually com|fort the &s;oul. But,</P>
<P>Seventhly, The people of God <NOTE PLACE="marg">The&s;e words &s;aith <HI>Zan|chy,</HI> are a inetaphor taken from Mer|chants, who ha|ving b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ught goods, &s;eal them as their own, and &s;o tran|&s;port them to other places. Eph. 4. 24.</NOTE> fir&s;t or la&s;t, are &s;ealed by the Spirit, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 13. <HI>In whom after ye believed ye were &s;ealed by the holy Spirit of pro|mi&s;e.</HI> The nature of &s;ealing con|&s;i&s;ts in the imparting of the image or Character of the Seal to the thing &s;ealed. To &s;eal a thing is to &s;tamp the character of the Seal on it. Now the Spirit of God doth re|ally and effectually communicate the image of God to us, which image con&s;i&s;ts in righteou&s;ne&s;s and true holine&s;s. Then are we truly &s;ealed by the Spirit of God, when the holy Gho&s;t &s;tamps the image
<PB N="229" REF="170"> of grace and holine&s;s &s;o obviou&s;ly, &s;o evidently upon the &s;oul, as that the &s;oul &s;ees it, feels it, and can run and read it; then the &s;oul is &s;eal|ed by the holy Spirit. So <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 30. <HI>And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are &s;ealed unto the day of redemption.</HI> The Per&s;on of the Holy-Gho&s;t is here &s;et forth in the Greek with a very great energy, &s;uch as our Tongue is not able ful|ly to expre&s;s.</P>
<P>Here are three words that have three Articles, every word his &s;e|veral Article by it &s;elf, <GAP DESC="foreign">, The Spirit, not a Spirit; and not holy, but the holy; nor of God, but of that God, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1. 22. <HI>Who hath al&s;o &s;ealed us, and gi|ven the earne&s;t of the &s;pirit in our hearts.</HI> In the&s;e Scriptures you &s;ee that the Spirit is a &s;eal. Now a &s;eal among men is,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, For &s;ecre&s;ie;</P>
<P>Secondly, For di&s;tinction;</P>
<P>Thirdly, For authority;</P>
<PB N="230" REF="171">
<P> Fourthly, For certainty. A wri|ting &s;ealed is authentick, and for en&s;ureing.</P>
<P>In the three Tex<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">s la&s;t cited, if you compare them together, you may ob&s;erve the&s;e Six things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, The Per&s;on &s;ealing, and that is the <HI>Father.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, In whom, in <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, With what &s;eal, the <HI>Spirit of Promi&s;e.</HI> Where are all the Per&s;ons in the Trinity making us &s;ure of our inheritance.</P>
<P>Fourthly, When, <HI>after ye belie|ved.</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly, The End, which is two|fold;</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Subordinate, and that is <HI>the certainty of our &s;alvation;</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Ultimate, and that is <HI>the prai&s;e of his glory.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Sixthly, The Time how long this &s;eal and earne&s;t &s;hall thus a&s;|&s;ure us, and that is <HI>till we have the compleat po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of what it is an ear|ne&s;t.</HI> To prevent mi&s;takes and di&s;|putes
<PB N="231" REF="171"> about the Sealings of the Spirit on the one hand; and to &s;upport, comfort, and encourage the poor people of God on the o|ther hand, let me briefly hint. at the Spirits <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">pecial &s;ealing times. As Fir&s;t Conver&s;ion times are often the Spirits &s;ealing times. <HI>Luke</HI> 15. 22, 23. Upon the Prodigals return the fatted Calf is killed, and the be&s;t Robe is put upon his back, and the Ring is put upon his hand, and &s;hooes on his feet. Some by the Robe under&s;tand the Royalty of <HI>Adam,</HI> others, the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t. And by the Ring, &s;ome under&s;tand the pledges of Gods love, Rings being given as pledg|es of love: and by the Ring o|thers under&s;tand the &s;eal of Gods holy Spirit, men u&s;eing to &s;eal with their Rings. Among the <HI>Romans</HI> the Ring was an en&s;igne of vertue, honour, and nobility, whereby they that wore them were di&s;tingui&s;hed from the common people. I think the main thing intended by the Robe and the Ring, is to &s;hew us,
<PB N="232" REF="172"> that God &s;ometimes upon the &s;in|ners conver&s;ion and returning to him, is graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to give him &s;ome choice manife&s;tations of his gracious plea&s;ure and good|will, and to &s;eal up to him his e|verla&s;ting love and favour. And hence it comes to pa&s;s that &s;ome that are but babes in Chri&s;t, are <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2. 2, 3. 1. John 2. 12, 13, 14. Acts 9. 3, 4, 5, 6.</NOTE> &s;o diligent and active in religious duties, and &s;o con&s;ciencious and dexterous in the exerci&s;e of their Graces. At fir&s;t conver&s;ion, God helps &s;ome of his people to read their own names written in legible letters in the Book of Life: No &s;ooner are &s;ome converted, but the Spirit &s;tamps his &s;eale upon them.</P>
<P>Secondly, Beleeving times are &s;ealing times, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 13. When they were in the very exerci&s;e of their faith, when they were act|ing <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 15. 1 Pet. 1. 8.</NOTE> of their faith (for &s;o much the Original imports) the Spirit came and &s;ealed them up to the day of re|demption. He that honours Chri&s;t by frequent actings of faith on him, him will Chri&s;t honour, by &s;et|ting
<PB N="233" REF="172"> his &s;eal and mark upon him.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Humbling times, mourning times, are &s;ealing times. When a holy man was askt, which were the joyfulle&s;t dayes, the com|fortable&s;t dayes, that ever he en|joyed, he an&s;wered, his mourning dayes. His mourning dayes were his joyfulle&s;t dayes; and therefore he cried out, <HI>O give me my mourning dayes, give me my mourning dayes, for they were my joyfulle&s;t dayes.</HI> Tho&s;e were dayes wherein God &s;ealed up his everla&s;ting love to his &s;oul, <HI>Job</HI> 22. 29. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 29. 19. When the Pro|digal had greatly humbled him&s;elf before his father, then the be&s;t Robe and the Ring were put upon him, <HI>Luke</HI> 15. 17,&mdash;24. There are none that long for the &s;ealings of the Spirit, like humble &s;ouls; nor none &s;et &s;o high a price upon the &s;ealings of the Spirit, as humble &s;ouls; nor none make &s;o choice an improvement of the &s;ealings of the Spirit, as humble &s;ouls. And there|fore when mens hearts are hum|ble
<PB N="234" REF="173"> and low, the Spirit comes and &s;ets the privy &s;eal of heaven upon them.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Sin-killing, &s;in-mor|tifying, &s;in-&s;ubduing times are the Spirits &s;ealing times, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2. 17. <HI>To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white &s;tone, and in the &s;tone a new name written, that no man knowes &s;aving he that receiveth it.</HI></P>
<P>God will give to the victorious Chri&s;tian a &s;ecret love-token, whereby his &s;oul may re&s;t a&s;&s;ured of the un&s;peakable love of God, and of its freedom from condem|nation. White&punc;&s;tones were of very great u&s;e among the <HI>Romans,</HI> and among the <HI>Athenians,</HI> and &s;erved to acquit the accu&s;ed in Courts of Ju&s;tice. When Malefactors were ac|cu&s;ed, arraigned and condemned in their Courts, they gave them a Black &s;tone in token of condemna|tion; but when they were acquitted they gave them White &s;tones, in token of ab&s;olution: And to this practi&s;e the holy Gho&s;t &s;eems to
<PB N="235" REF="173"> allude. He that is victorious over <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 56. 5.</NOTE> his lu&s;ts &s;hall have a new Name, <HI>that is better than the names of &s;ons and daughters;</HI> and he &s;hall have the pardon of his &s;ins writ in fair let|ters upon the white &s;tone, &s;o that he may run and read his ab&s;oluti|on. The victorious Chri&s;tian &s;hall <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 1. 7.</NOTE> have a&s;&s;urance of the full di&s;charge of all his &s;ins, he &s;hall have a clear evidence of his Ju&s;tification, and a ble&s;&s;ed a&s;&s;urance of his eternal E|lection; all which are hidden and my&s;terious things to all but tho&s;e that have experienced and ta&s;ted what the&s;e &s;weet meats of Heaven mean.</P>
<P>Among the <HI>Romans</HI> there were &s;olemn fea&s;ts held in honour of tho&s;e that were victorious in their &s;acred Games. Now tho&s;e that were to be admitted to tho&s;e Fea&s;ts were wont to have their names written on white &s;hels, and white &s;tones, and by the&s;e Tickets they were admitted. Now &s;ome think the holy Gho&s;t alludes to this pra|cti&s;e, and &s;o would hint to us a
<PB N="236" REF="174"> privy mark whereby victorious Chri&s;tians may be known, and ad|mitted as bidden gue&s;ts to the hea|venly banquet of the hidden Man|na, according to <HI>Rev.</HI> 19. 9. O &s;irs, when predominate lu&s;ts are brought under, when bo&s;om &s;ins lye &s;lain in the &s;oul, then the Spirit comes and &s;eals up love, and life, and glory, to the &s;oul.</P>
<P>Fifthly, Suffering times are &s;eal|ing times, <HI>Act.</HI> 7. 55, 56, 59, 60. <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. 9, 10. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 15, 16, 17. The primitive Chri&s;tians found <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 5. 40, 41, 42. P&s;al. 71. 20, 21. &amp; P&s;al. 94. 19. Rev. 1. 9, 10.</NOTE> them &s;o, and the &s;uffering Saints in the~ <HI>Marian</HI> dayes found them &s;o. When the Furnace is &s;even times hotter than ordinary, the Spirit of the Lord comes and &s;eals up a mans pardon in his bo&s;om, and his peace with God, and his title to heaven. When the world frowns mo&s;t then God &s;miles mo&s;t; when the world puts their iron chains upon the Saints legs, then God puts his golden chains about the Saints necks; when the world puts a bitter cup into one hand, then
<PB N="237" REF="174"> the Lord puts a cup of con&s;olation into the other hand; when the world cries out, <HI>Crucifi&egrave; them, cruci|fie them,</HI> then commonly they hear that &s;weet voice from heaven, <HI>The&s;e are my beloved ones, in whom I am well plea&s;ed.</HI></P>
<P>Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Bradford,</HI> looked upon his &s;ufferings as an evidence to him that he was in the right way to heaven. And, &s;aith <HI>Ignatius, It is better for me to be a Martyr, than to be a Monarch.</HI></P>
<P>Sixthly, Self-denying times are the Spirits &s;ealing times, <HI>Matth.</HI> 19. 27, 28, 29.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, There is &s;inful &s;elf, which takes in a mans lu&s;ts.</P>
<P>Secondly, There is natural &s;elf which takes in a mans arts, parts, gifts, with Rea&s;on.</P>
<P>Thirdly, There is religious &s;elf, which takes in all a mans religious duties and &s;ervices, whether ordi|nary or extraordinary.</P>
<P>Fourthly, There is moral &s;elf which includes a freedome from gro&s;s, hainous, enormous wicked|ne&s;&s;es,
<PB N="238" REF="175"> and a fair, &s;weet, harmle&s;s behaviour towards men.</P>
<P>Fifthly, There is relative &s;elf, which takes in our neare&s;t and deare&s;t relations in the fle&s;h; as <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 45. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.</NOTE> Wife, Children, Father, Mother, Brothers, Si&s;ters, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Now when a man comes thus univer&s;ally to deny him&s;elf for Chri&s;t's &s;ake, and the Go&s;pels &s;ake, and Religion &s;ake, then the Spirit of the Lord comes and &s;eals him up unto the day of redemption. This is a truth confirmed by the experiences of many Martyrs now in Heaven, and by the te&s;timony of many Chri&s;ti|ans &s;till alive.</P>
<P>Seventhly, Sacrament times are &s;ealing times. In that fea&s;t of fat things, God by his Spirit &s;eals up his love to his people, and his co|venant to his people, and pardon of &s;in to his people, and heaven and happine&s;s to his people. There are many precious &s;ouls that have found Chri&s;t in this Ordinance, when they could not find him in other Ordinances, though they
<PB N="239" REF="175"> have &s;ought him &s;orrowingly. In this Ordinance many a di&s;tre&s;&s;ed &s;oul hath been &s;trengthned, com|forted and &s;ealed.</P>
<P>I might give you many in&s;tan|ces; take one for all. There was a gracious woman, who, after God had filled her &s;oul with comfort, and &s;ealed up his everla&s;ting love to her, fell under former fears and trouble of Spirit; and being at the Lords Supper, a little before the bread was admini&s;tred to her, Sa|tan &s;eemed to appear to her, and told her that &s;he &s;hould not pre|&s;ume to eat; but at that very nick of time, the Lord was plea&s;ed to bring into her mind that pa&s;&s;age in the <HI>Canticles, Eat, O my friends.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 5. 1.</NOTE> But notwith&s;tanding this, Satan &s;till continued terrifying of her; and when &s;he had eaten, he told her that &s;he &s;hould not drink; but then the Lord brought that &s;econd clau&s;e of the Ver&s;e to her remembrance, <HI>Drink, yea, drink abundantly</HI> (or, be drunk, as the <HI>Hebrew</HI> hath it) <HI>my beloved</HI> (or, my loves, as the <HI>He|brew</HI>
<PB N="240" REF="176"> hath it. All faithful &s;ouls are Chri&s;ts Loves) and &s;o &s;he drank al|&s;o, and pre&s;ently was filled with &s;uch un&s;peakable joyes, that &s;he hardly knew how &s;he got home: Which &s;oul-ravi&s;hing joyes conti|nued for a fortnight after, and fil|led her mouth with &s;ongs of prai&s;e, &s;o that &s;he could neither &s;leep, nor eat, more than &s;he forced her &s;elf to do out of con&s;cience of duty. At the fortnights end, when God was plea&s;ed to abate her mea&s;ure of joy, &s;he came to a &s;etled peace of con|&s;cience, and a&s;&s;urance of the love of God; &s;o that for twenty years after &s;he had not &s;o much as a cloud upon her &s;pirit, or the lea&s;t que&s;tioning of her intere&s;t in Chri&s;t. But,</P>
<P>Eighthly, When God calls his people to &s;ome great and noble work, when he puts them upon &s;ome high &s;ervices, &s;ome difficult duties, &s;ome holy and eminent imployments, then his Spirit comes and &s;ets his &s;eal upon them, <HI>Jer.</HI> 1. 5. <HI>Before I formed thee in the belly, I</HI>
<PB N="241" REF="176"> <HI>knew thee; and before thou came&s;t forth out of the womb, I &s;anctifyed thee, and I ordained thee to be a prophet unto the Nations.</HI> The Lord &s;ending the Prophet <HI>Jeremiah</HI> to denounce mo&s;t dreadful judgements again&s;t a rebellious people, an impudent brazen-faced Nation, he a&s;&s;ures him of his eternal election, and of his choice pre&s;ence, and &s;ingular a&s;&s;i&s;tance in that work that he &s;et him about, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8, 17, 18, 19. Thus the Lord dealt with <HI>Peter, James</HI> and <HI>John, Matth.</HI> 17. 1, to the 6th, and thus he dealt with <HI>Paul, Acts</HI> 9, to 23.</P>
<P>Ninthly, When they are taken up into more than ordinary com|munion with God, then is the Spirits &s;ealing time. When was it that the Spou&s;e cried out, <HI>My beloved is mine, and I am his,</HI> but when Chri&s;t brought her to his banquetting hou&s;e, and his banner over her was love? <HI>Cant.</HI> 2. 16. 3, 4, 5, 6. compared, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Tenthly, and la&s;tly, When Chri&s;tians give them&s;elves up to
<PB N="242" REF="177"> private prayer, when Chri&s;tians are more than ordinarily exerci&s;ed in &s;ecret prayer, in Clo&s;et duties, then the Spirit comes and &s;eals up the Covenant and the Love of the Father to them. When <HI>Daniel</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 9. 20, 21, 22, 23.</NOTE> had been wre&s;tling and weeping, and weeping and wre&s;tling all day long with God in his Clo&s;et, then the Angel tells him, <HI>that he was a man greatly beloved of God,</HI> or <HI>a man of great de&s;ires,</HI> as the Original hath it. There was a gracious Wo|man, who after much frequenting of Sermons, and walking in the ways of the Lord, fell into great de&s;ertions, but being in &s;ecret pray|er, God came in with abundance of light and comfort, &s;ealing up to her &s;oul that part of his Covenant, <HI>viz. I will take the &s;tony heart out of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 11. 19, 20.</NOTE> <HI>their fle&s;h, and will give them an heart of fle&s;h; that they may walk in my &s;tatutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they &s;hall be my people, and I will be their God.</HI> And thus I have given you a brief account of the Spirits &s;pecial &s;ealing times.</P>
<PB N="243" REF="177">
<P> Now mark, This &s;eal God &s;ets upon all his wares, upon all his a|dopted children; for &s;ooner or later there are none of his but are &s;ealed with this &s;eal. God &s;ets his <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 3. 3. 2 The&s;&s;. 2. 13. Heb. 12. 14.</NOTE> &s;eal of Regeneration, he &s;tamps his Image of Holine&s;s upon all his people, to difference and di&s;tin|gui&s;h them from all prophane, moral, and hypocritical per&s;ons in the World. Doubtle&s;s the &s;ancti|fying work of the Holy Gho&s;t im|printing the draughts and linea|ments of Gods Image of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s and Holine&s;s upon Man, as a &s;eal or &s;ignet doth leave an impre&s;&s;ion and &s;tamp of its like|ne&s;s upon the thing &s;ealed, is the &s;eal of the Spirit &s;poken of in Scripture, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 19. <HI>The foundation of God &s;tandeth &s;ure, ha|ving this &s;eal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And let every one that nameth the name of Chri&s;t, depart from iniquity.</HI> But to prevent mi&s;takes, you mu&s;t remember, that though the Spirit of the Lord, fir&s;t or la&s;t, will &s;et his &s;eal upon every real Saint,
<PB N="244" REF="178"> yet the impre&s;&s;ion of that &s;eal is not alike vi&s;ible in all; for &s;ome bear this impre&s;&s;ion as Babes, o|thers as men grown up to &s;ome maturity. All Gods adopted chil|dren bear this impre&s;&s;ion truly, but none of them bear it perfectly in this life. Sometimes this &s;eal of Re|generation, this &s;eal of Holine&s;s is &s;o plain and obvious that a man may run &amp; read it in him&s;elf and others; and at other times 'tis &s;o ob&s;cure and dark, that he can hardly di&s;|cern it, either in him&s;elf or others. This &s;eal is &s;o lively &s;tampt on &s;ome of Gods people, that it di&s;|covers it &s;elf very vi&s;ibly, eminent|ly, gloriou&s;ly; but on others it is not alike vi&s;ible. And thus I have made it evident by the&s;e &s;even par|ticulars, that all the children of God, have the Spirit of God.</P>
<P>Now mark, The Spirit of God that is in all the Saints is a Spirit of prayer and &s;upplication, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 15. <HI>Ye have received the Spirit of A|doption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.</HI> While the child is in the womb it
<PB N="245" REF="178"> cannot cry, but as &s;oon as it is born it cries. Whil&s;t <HI>Paul</HI> did lie in the womb of his natural e&s;tate, he could not pray; but no &s;ooner was he born of the &s;pirit, but the next news is, <HI>Behold he prayeth! Acts.</HI> 9. 11. Prayer is nothing but the turn|ing of a mans in&s;ide outward be|fore the Lord. The very &s;oul of prayer lyes in the pouring out of a mans &s;oul into the bo&s;ome of God. Prayer is nothing but the breathing that out before the Lord, that was fir&s;t breath'd into us by the &s;pirit of the Lord Prayer is no|thing but a choice, a free, a &s;weet, and familiar intercour&s;e of the &s;oul with God. Certainly, it is a great work of the Spirit to help the Saints to pray, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4. 6. <HI>Becau&s;e you are &s;ons, God hath &s;ent forth the &s;pirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, fa|ther.</HI> God hath no &s;till-born chil|dren. The Gemination <HI>Abba, Fa|ther,</HI> notes fiduciall, filial, and ve|hement affection. The fir&s;t is an <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pareus.</NOTE> Hebrew or Syriack word, the Se|cond a Greek, whereby is &s;ignified
<PB N="246" REF="179"> the union of the <HI>Hebrews</HI> and <HI>Gre|cians,</HI> or the <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles,</HI> in one Church, <HI>Abba Father.</HI> What is <HI>Ab|ba?</HI> &s;ay others, in <HI>Hebrew, Father,</HI> and it is added, becau&s;e in Chri&s;t the corner &s;tone both peoples are joyned, alike becoming &s;ons, whence &s;oever they come; circum|ci&s;ion from one place, whereupon <HI>Abba,</HI> uncircumci&s;ion from ano|ther, whereupon <HI>father</HI> is named: The concord of the walls being the glory of the corner &s;tone.</P>
<P>The word <HI>Abba</HI> &s;ay others, &s;ig|nifies, <HI>Father</HI> in the <HI>Syriack</HI> Tongue, which the Apo&s;tle here retaineth, becau&s;e it is a word full of affecti|on, which young children retain almo&s;t in all Languages, when they begin to &s;peak. And he adds the word <HI>Father,</HI> not only to ex|pound the &s;ame, but al&s;o the better to expre&s;s the eager movings, and the earne&s;t and vehement de&s;ires and &s;ingular affection of beleevers, in their crying unto God; even as Chri&s;t him&s;elf redoubled the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark 14. 36.</NOTE> word <HI>Father</HI> to the &s;ame purpo&s;e,
<PB N="247" REF="179"> when he was in his greate&s;t di|&s;tre&s;s. This little word <HI>Father,</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Luther)</HI> li&s;ped forth in pray|er by a Child of God, exceeds the eloquence of <HI>Demo&s;thenes, Cicero,</HI> and all other &s;o famed Orators in the World. 'Tis certain that the Spirit of God helps the Saints in all their communions with God, <HI>viz.</HI> in their meditations of God, in their reading and hearing of the Word of God, in their commu|nions one with another, and in all their &s;olemn addre&s;&s;es to God. And as to this the Apo&s;tle gives us a mo&s;t &s;pecial in&s;tance in that <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 26. <HI>Likewi&s;e the Spirit al&s;o helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we &s;hould pray for as we ought: but the Spirit it &s;elf maketh interce&s;&s;ion for us with groanings which cannot be ut|tered.</HI> When we are to pray, there is in us &s;ometimes an infirmity of ignorance, &s;o that we know not what to pray for, either in regard of the matter or the manner. And there is in us at other times an in|firmity of pride and conceitedne&s;s,
<PB N="248" REF="180"> &s;o that we cannot pray with that humility and lowline&s;s of &s;pirit as we &s;hould, &s;piritual pride having fly-blown our prayers. Some|times there is in us an infirmity of deadne&s;s, dullne&s;s, drow&s;ine&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> &s;o that we cannot pray with that warmth, heat, life, &s;pirit, and fer|vency, as we &s;hould, or as we would; and at other times there is in us an infirmity of unbelief and &s;lavi&s;h fears, &s;o that we cannot pray with that faith and holy bold|ne&s;s, as becomes Children that draw near to a Throne of Grace, to a Throne of Mercy, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But now the Spirit helps the&s;e infirmi|ties by way of in&s;truction, prom|pting, and teaching us what to pray for, and how we &s;hould &s;pell our le&s;&s;on; and by telling us as it were within, what we &s;hould &s;ay, and how we &s;hould &s;igh and groan; and by rou&s;ing and quickening, and &s;tirring of us up to prayer; and by his &s;ingular influence and choice a&s;&s;i&s;tance opening and en|larging our hearts in prayer; and
<PB N="249" REF="180"> by his tuning the Strings of our af|fections, he prepares us and fits us for the work of Supplication: And therefore every one that derides the Spirit of prayer in the Saints (&s;ay|ing the&s;e are the men and the wo|men that pray by the Spirit) bla&s;|pheme again&s;t the holy Spirit; it being a main work of the Spirit to teach the Saints to pray, and to help them in prayer. Now all the Saints having the Spirit, and the Spirit being a Spirit of prayer and &s;upplication, there is no rea&s;on in the world why a Saint &s;hould &s;ay, I would pray in &s;ecret, but I can't pray, I can't pour out my &s;oul, nor my complaint before the Lord in a corner.</P>
<P>Sixthly and la&s;tly, Thou &s;aye&s;t thou can&s;t not pray, thou ha&s;t not the gifts and parts which others have: But thou can&s;t mannage thy callings thy worldly bu&s;ine&s;&s;e as well as others; and why then can&s;t thou not pray as well as others? Ah friends, did you but love private prayer as well as you love the
<PB N="250" REF="181"> world, and delight in private pray|er as much as you delight in the world, and were your hearts as much &s;et upon clo&s;et prayer as they are &s;et upon the world, you would never &s;ay you could not pray, yea, you would quickly pray as well as others; 'tis not &s;o much from want of ability to pray in &s;e|cret, that you don't pray in &s;ecret; as 'tis from want of a will, a heart to pray in &s;ecret, that you don't pray in &s;ecret. <HI>Jacobs</HI> love to <HI>Ra|chel,</HI> and <HI>Sechems</HI> love to <HI>Dina,</HI> car|ried <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 29. <HI>&amp;</HI> ch 34.</NOTE> them through the greate&s;t difficulties. Were mens affections but &s;trongly &s;et upon private pray|er, they would quickly find abilities to pray. He that &s;ets his affections upon a Virgin (though he be not learned nor eloquent) will find words enough to let her know how his heart is taken with her. The ap|plication is ea&s;ie. He in <HI>Seneca</HI> complained of a Thorn in his foot, when his Lungs was rotten. So many complain of want of ability to pray in their clo&s;ets, when
<PB N="251" REF="181"> their hearts are rotten. Sirs, do but get better hearts, and then you will never &s;ay you can't pray. 'Tis one of the &s;adde&s;t &s;ights in all the world, to &s;ee men &s;trongly part|ed and gifted for all worldly bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;es, to cry out that they can't pray, that they have no ability to pour out their &s;ouls before the Lord in &s;ecret. You have &s;ufficient parts and gifts to tell men of your &s;ins, your wants, your dangers, your difficulties, your mercies, your de|liverances, your duties, your cro&s;|&s;es, your lo&s;&s;es, your enjoyments, your friends, your foes; and why then are you not a&s;hamed to com|plain of your want of parts and gifts, to tell tho&s;e very things to God in a corner, which you can tell to men even upon the hou&s;e|top, &amp;c. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, Some may further <MILESTONE N="Obj. 4."> object and &s;ay, God is very well acquainted with all our wants, ne|ce&s;&s;ities, &s;traits, tryals; and there is no moving of him to be&s;tow any favours upon us, which he doth not
<PB N="252" REF="182"> intend to be&s;tow upon us, whether we pray in our clo&s;ets or no; and therefore to what purpo&s;e do you pre&s;&s;e &s;ecret prayer &s;o hard upon us? &amp;c.</P>
<P>To this Objection I &s;hall give the&s;e An&s;wers.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, That this Objection lyes as &s;trong again&s;t Family Prayer, and Publick Prayer, as it doth again&s;t Private Prayer. God knows all thy wants and nece&s;&s;ities, all thy &s;traits and tryals, &amp;c. and therefore what neede&s;t thou pray in thy Fa|mily, what neede&s;t thou attend Publick Prayers in the Communi|on of Saints. There is no wringing of any mercy out of the hands of Heaven, which God doth not in|tend to be&s;tow: This Objection fa|ces all kind of Prayer, and fights again&s;t all kinds of Prayer. But</P>
<P>Secondly, I an&s;wer, That Pri|vate Prayer is that piece of Divine Wor&s;hip and Adoration, 'tis a part of that homage, which we owe to God upon the account of a Di|vine Command (as I have already
<PB N="253" REF="182"> proved.) Now all Objections mu&s;t bow before the face of Divine Commands; As <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> Brethren bowed before him: Or as King <HI>A|ha&s;uerus</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 42. 6. E&s;th. 3. 2.</NOTE> his &s;ervants bowed before <HI>Haman.</HI> Indeed every Objection that is formed up again&s;t a Divine Command, &s;hould fall before it, as <HI>Dagon</HI> fell before the Ark, or as <HI>Go|liah</HI> fell before <HI>David.</HI> He that ca&s;ts off Private Prayer under any pretence what&s;oever, he ca&s;ts off the Dominion of God, the Authority of God, and this may be as much as a mans life and &s;oul is worth. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, I an&s;wer, Though Prayer be not the ground, the cau&s;e of obtaining favours and mercies from God; yet 'tis the means, 'tis the Silver Channel, 'tis the Golden Pipe, through which the Lord is <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 55. 6. Jam. 1. 5. I&s;a. 62. 7. P&s;al. 22. 24.</NOTE> plea&s;ed to convey to his people all temporal, Spiritual, and eternal fa|vours, <HI>Ezek</HI> 36. from the 26. ver&s;e, to the 37. ver&s;e of that Chapter. God promi&s;es to give them the cream, the choyce&s;t, the &s;weete&s;t,
<PB N="254" REF="183"> of all &s;piritual, eternal, and tempo|ral ble&s;&s;ings; but mark, ver&s;e 37. <HI>I will yet for this be enquired of by the hou&s;e of I&s;rael, to do it for them.</HI> Though God be very prompt and ready to be&s;tow upon his people the be&s;t and the greate&s;t of ble&s;&s;ings; yet the will by prayer be &s;ought unto for the a|ctual enjoyment of them. He that hath no heart to pray for a mercy he needs, he hath no ground to be|lieve that ever God will give him the mercy he needs. There is no re|ceiving, without asking; no finding, without &s;eeking; no opening, with|out knocking. The threefold pro|mi&s;e annexed to the threefold pre|cept, in <HI>Matth.</HI> 7. 7. &s;hould encou|rage all Chri&s;tians to be in&s;tant, fervent, and con&s;tant in prayer. The proud beggar gets nothing of men; and the dumb &s;inner gets no|thing of God. As there is no mer|cy too great for God to give; &s;o there is no mercy too little for us to crave. Certainly that man hath little worth in him, that thinks any mercy not worth a &s;eeking. But,</P>
<PB N="255" REF="183">
<P> Fourthly and la&s;tly, I an&s;wer, Every Chri&s;tian &s;hould labour to enjoy his mercies in mercy, he &s;hould labour to have his ble&s;&s;ings ble&s;t unto him, he &s;hould labour <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 22. 17.</NOTE> to have the good-will of him that dwelt in the bu&s;h with all he hath. Now this is an everla&s;ting truth, a maxim to live and die with; that what&s;oever mercy comes not in up|on the wing of prayer, is not given in mercy. O how &s;weet is that mercy that comes flying in upon the wing of prayer: How &s;weet was that water to <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> which &s;treamed to him in the channel of private prayer, <HI>Judg.</HI> 15. 19. he called the name of it, <HI>En-hakkore,</HI> the Well of him that prayed. <HI>Samp|&s;on</HI> prayed as for life, and that water that was handed to him was as &s;weet as life. Every mercy that is gathered by the hand of prayer, is as &s;weet as the Ro&s;e of <HI>Sharon:</HI> But <NOTE PLACE="marg">Can. 2. 1.</NOTE> that mercy that comes not in at the door of prayer, comes not in at the right door; and that mercy that comes not in at the right door, will
<PB N="256" REF="184"> do a man no good; &s;uch mercies will make them&s;elves wings and fly from us. Every Chri&s;tian &s;hould <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 23. 5.</NOTE> narrowly look that all his mercies <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 4. 4, 5.</NOTE> are &s;anctified mercies; now every mercy is &s;anctified by the word &amp; prayer: Prayer prepares and fits us for mercy, and mercy for us: 'Tis Prayer that gives us a right and holy u&s;e of all our mercies: Such mer|cies are but great mi&s;eries that come not in upon the wing of prayer: Prayerle&s;s mens mercies are all given in wrath, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 76. 23,&mdash;32. Yea their ble&s;&s;ings are cur&s;t unto them, <HI>Prov.</HI> 3. 33. <HI>Mal.</HI> 2. 2. Look as every &s;acrifice was to be &s;ea&s;oned with &s;alt; &s;o every mercy is to be &s;anctified by prayer. Look as Gold &s;ometimes is laid, not only upon cloath and &s;ilks, but al&s;o upon Sil|ver it &s;elf: So Prayer is that Gold|en duty, that mu&s;t be laid, not only upon all our natural and civil acti|ons, as eating, drinking, buying, &s;el|ling, &amp;c. but al&s;o upon all our Sil|ver duties, upon all our mo&s;t religi|ous and &s;piritual performances, as
<PB N="257" REF="184"> hearing, reading, meditating, con|ference, church-fellow&s;hip, break|ing of bread, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Certainly prayer is very nece&s;&s;a|ry to make every providence, and every ordinance, and every mercy to be a ble&s;&s;ing to us. Every mercy that comes in upon the wing of private prayer is a double mercy; 'tis a great-bellied mercy, 'tis a mercy that hath many mereies in the womb of it. Happy is that Chri|&s;tian that can lay his hand upon e|very mercy that he enjoyes, and &s;ay of them all as once <HI>Hannah</HI> &s;aid of her <HI>Samuel,</HI> 1 Sam. 1. 27. <HI>For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him.</HI> But,</P>
<P>Fifthly, Some may further object <MILESTONE N="Obj. 5."> and &s;ay, I would drive a private trade with God, I would exerci&s;e my &s;elf in &s;ecret prayer, but I want a convenient place to retire into, I want a private corner to unbo&s;ome my &s;oul to my Father in, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>To this Objection I &s;hall give the&s;e three &s;hort An&s;wers.</P>
<PB N="258" REF="185">
<P> Fir&s;t, I &s;uppo&s;e this Objection concernes but a few Chri&s;tians in our dayes. That God that hath giv|en a Chri&s;t to Believers, doth com|monly give them a convenient cor|ner <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 32.</NOTE> to enjoy private communion with him&s;elf in. Mo&s;t Chri&s;tians I am afraid do rather want a heart for private prayer, than a con|venient place for private prayer. What men &s;et their hearts upon they will find time and place to effect it, whether it be good or whether it be evil, whether it con|cerns temporals or &s;pirituals, whe|ther it concerns this world or a|nother world, this life or a better life. If mo&s;t men would but get better hearts, they would quickly find or make convenient places for private prayer. He who hath an inflamed love to God, will cer|tainly find out a corner to enjoy &s;ecret communion with God. True lovers will find out corners to en|joy one another in. How many men are there that can ea&s;ily find out private places for their dogs to
<PB N="259" REF="185"> lye in, and their &s;wine to &s;leep in, and their hor&s;es to &s;tand in, and their oxen to feed in, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> who can't find out a private place to &s;eek the face of God in? But did the&s;e men but love their God, or their &s;ouls, or private prayer, or eternity, as well, or better than their bea&s;ts, they would not be &s;uch brui<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">es, but that they would quick|ly find out a hole, a corner, to wait upon the Lord in. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, I An&s;wer, If a Chri|&s;tian be on the top of the hou&s;e with <HI>Peter,</HI> he may pray there; or if he be walking in the field with <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> he may pray there; or if he be on the mountain with <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> he may pray there; or if he be be|hind the door with <HI>Paul,</HI> he may pray there; or if he be waiting at table with <HI>Nehemiah,</HI> he may &s;e|cretly pray there; or if he be in a wood, he may pray there, as the primitive Chri&s;tians in times of per&s;ecution did; or if he be be|hind a tree, he may pray there; or if he be by the Sea &s;ide, he may
<PB N="260" REF="186"> pray there, as the Apo&s;tles did: 'Twas a choice &s;aying of <HI>Au&s;tin, Every Saint is Gods Temple</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>and he that carryes his temple about him, may go to prayer when he plea&s;eth.</HI> Some Saints have never had &s;o much of heaven brought down into their hearts, as when they have been with God in a corner: O the &s;e|cret manife&s;tations of divine love, the &s;ecret ki&s;&s;es, the &s;ecret embra|ces, the &s;ecret influences, the &s;ecret communion with God, that many a precious Chri&s;tian hath had in the mo&s;t &s;olitary places, it may be behind the door, or behind the wall, or behind the hedge, or be|hind the arbour, or behind the tree, or behind the rock, or be|hind the bu&s;h, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But,</P>
<P>Thirdly and la&s;tly, did&s;t thou never in thy unregenerate e&s;tate make u&s;e of all thy wits, and parts, and utmo&s;t endeavours, to find out convenient &s;ea&s;ons, and &s;ecret corners, and &s;olitary places to &s;in in, and to di&s;honour thy God in, and to undoe thine owne and o|thers
<PB N="261" REF="186"> &s;ouls in? yes, I remember with &s;hame and blu&s;hing, that 'twas &s;o with me when I was dead in <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 2. 1, 2, 3.</NOTE> tre&s;pa&s;&s;es and &s;ins, and walked according to the cour&s;e of this world. O how much then doth it concern thee in thy renewed, &s;an|ctified, and rai&s;ed e&s;tate, to make u&s;e of all thy wits, and parts, and utmo&s;t endeavours, to find out the fitte&s;t &s;ea&s;ons, and the mo&s;t &s;ecret corners, and &s;olitary places thou can&s;t to honour thy God in, and to &s;eek the welfare of thine owne and others &s;ouls in! O that men were but as &s;erious, &s;tudious and indu&s;tri|ous, to find out convenient &s;ea&s;ons, &s;ecret places to plea&s;e, and &s;erve, and glorifie the Lord in; as they have been &s;erious, &s;tudious, and in|du&s;trious to find out convenient &s;ea&s;ons, and &s;ecret places to di&s;|plea&s;e and grieve the Spirit of the Lord in. But,</P>
<P>Sixthly and la&s;tly, others may <MILESTONE N="Obj. 6."> further object and &s;ay, we would be often in private with God, we would give our &s;elves up to clo&s;et
<PB N="262" REF="187"> prayer, but that we can no &s;ooner &s;hut our clo&s;et doors, but a multi|tude of infirmities, weakne&s;&s;es, and vanities doe face us, and ri&s;e up again&s;t us; our hearts being full of di&s;tempers and follies; and our bodies, &s;ay &s;ome, are under great indi&s;po&s;itions; and our &s;ouls, &s;ay others, are under pre&s;ent indi&s;|po&s;itions; and how then can we &s;eek the face of God in a corner? how can we wre&s;tle with God in our clo&s;ets? <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now to this Obj<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ction I &s;hall give the&s;e &s;ix An&s;wers.</P>
<P N="1">1. I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> the&s;e kinds of rea&s;onings or arguings were &s;ufficient to &s;hut pri|vate prayer out of doores, where lives that man or woman, that husband or wife, that father or child that ma&s;ter or &s;ervant that <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 40. 12. P&s;al. 51. 5. Rom. 7. 15, 24. P&s;al. 130. 3. 1 Cor. 4. 4. 2 Chr. 6. 36. Phil. 3. 12.</NOTE> would ever b&egrave; found in the pra|cti&s;e of that duty? Where is there a per&s;on under heaven who&s;e heart is not full of infirmities, weakne&s;|&s;es, follies and vanities; and who&s;e body and &s;oul is not too often in|di&s;po&s;ed to clo&s;et duties? 1 <HI>Kings</HI>
<PB N="263" REF="187"> 8. 46. <HI>If they &s;in again&s;t thee, for there is no man that &s;inneth not,</HI> &amp;c. Eccl. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Grace in this life, is like Gold in the ore, full of mixture.</NOTE> 7. 20. <HI>For there is not a ju&s;t man upon the earth that doth good and &s;inneth not.</HI> Prov. 20. 9. <HI>Who can &s;ay, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my &s;in?</HI> Job. 14. 4. <HI>Who can bring a clean thing out of an uncleane? not one.</HI> Job 9. 30, 31. <HI>If I wa&s;h my &s;elf with Snow-water, and make my hands never &s;o clean; Yet &s;halt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine owne cloaths &s;hall abhor me.</HI> Job 9. 20. <HI>If I ju&s;tifie my &s;elf, my owne mouth &s;hall condemne me; If I &s;ay I am perfect, it &s;hall al&s;o prove me perver&s;e.</HI> P&s;al. 143. 2. <HI>And en|ter not into judgement with thy &s;ervant, for in thy &s;ight &s;hall no man living be ju|&s;tified.</HI> James 3. 2. <HI>For in many things we offend all.</HI> 1 John 1. 8. <HI>If we &s;ay we have no &s;in, we deceive our &s;elves, and the truth is not in us.</HI> Such that affirme that men may be ful|ly perfect in this life, or without &s;in in this life, they do affirme that which is expre&s;ly contrary to the Scriptures la&s;t cited, and to the u|niver&s;al experience of all Saints,
<PB N="264" REF="188"> who daily feel and lament over that body of &s;in and death that they bare about with them; yea, they do affirme that which is quite contrary to the very &s;tate or con|&s;titution of all the Saints in this life. In every Saint the fle&s;h; lu&s;t|eth again&s;t the Spirit, and the Spirit lu&s;teth again&s;t the fle&s;h, and the&s;e are contrary one to the other; &s;o that they cannot do the things <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 17.</NOTE> that they would: In every good <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 4. 22, 23, 24.</NOTE> man there are two men, the old man and the new; the one mu&s;t be daily put on, and the other dai|ly put off: All Saints have a law in their members rebelling again&s;t the law of their minds; &s;o that the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 23. 15. comp.</NOTE> good that they would doe, they do not; and the evil that they would not do, that they do: They have two contrary principles in them, from whence proceeds two man|ner of actions, motions, and incli|nations, continually oppo&s;ite one to another; hence it is that there is a continual combat in them, like the &s;trugling of the Twins in <HI>Rebe|cah's</HI>
<PB N="265" REF="188"> womb. An ab&s;olute perfecti|on is peculiar to the triumphant &s;tate of Gods Elect in Heaven: Heaven is the onely priviledged place, where no unclean thing can <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 23. 21</NOTE> enter in; that's the only place where neither &s;in nor Satan &s;hall ever get footing. Such as dream of an ab&s;olute perfection in this life, do confound and jumble hea|ven <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 12. 22, 23.</NOTE> and earth together; the &s;tate of the Church militant, with the &s;tate of the Church Triumphant, which are certainly di&s;tinct both in time and place, and in order, mea&s;ure, and concomitants. This dangerous opinion of ab&s;olute per|fection in this life, &s;hakes the very foundation of Religion, and over|throws the Go&s;pel of grace; it renders the &s;atisfaction of Chri&s;t, and all his great tran&s;actions null and void; it tells the world that there is no need of faith, of repen|tance, of ordinances, of watchful|ne&s;s: They that &s;ay they have no &s;in, &s;ay, they have no need of the blood of Chri&s;t to clean&s;e them <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 1. 7</NOTE>
<PB N="266" REF="189"> from &s;in: Such as &s;ay they have no &s;in, &s;ay, they have no need of Faith to re&s;t upon Chri&s;t for impu|ted Righteou&s;ne&s;s to ju&s;tifie their per&s;ons: Such as &s;ay they have no <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 1. 21. 1 The&s;. 1. ult.</NOTE> &s;in, &s;ay, they have no need of Chri&s;t as King to &s;ubdue their lu&s;ts; nor as Prie&s;t, to expiate of|fences; nor as Prophet to teach and in&s;truct them; nor as a Savi|our, to &s;ave them from their &s;ins, or from wrath to come. They that have a perfect righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of their own, need not be be holden to Chri&s;t for his pure, perfect, &s;potle&s;s, matchle&s;&s;e Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: Such as are without &s;in have no cau&s;e to repent of &s;in, nor yet to watch a|gain&s;t &s;in: Such as are perfect can't &s;ay, we are unprofitable &s;ervants. But are they indeed ju&s;t? then they mu&s;t live by faith, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 4. Are they men and not Angels? then they mu&s;t repent, <HI>Acts</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">7. 30. <HI>For now he commands all men every where to repent.</HI> Surely the be&s;t of men are but men at the be&s;t. O how bad mu&s;t tho&s;e men be, who make God him|&s;elf
<PB N="267" REF="189"> a lyar? 1 <HI>John</HI> 1. 10 But if the&s;e men are ab&s;olutely perfect&punc; how comes it to pa&s;&s;e, that they are af|flicted and di&s;ea&s;ed as other men? how comes it to pa&s;&s;e that they eate, and drink, and &s;leep, and buy, and &s;ell, and die as other men? are the&s;e things con&s;i&s;tent with an ab&s;olute perfection? &s;urely no. An ab&s;olute perfection is not a &s;tep &s;hort of heaven, 'tis heaven on this &s;ide heaven; and they that would obtain it mu&s;t &s;tep to heaven before they have it. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, I an&s;wer. That this Objection lyes as &s;trong again&s;t Family prayer, and again&s;t all o|ther kind of prayer, as it doth a|gain&s;t clo&s;et prayer: He that &s;hall upon any grounds make this Ob|jection a great bug-bear to &s;care his &s;oul from Clo&s;et Prayer; he may upon the &s;ame ground make it a great bug-bear to &s;care his &s;oul not only from all other kind of prayer, but from all other duties of Religion al&s;o, whether private or publick. The Spirit of this Ob|jection
<PB N="268" REF="190"> fights again&s;t all Religion at once; and therefore you &s;hould &s;ay to it, as Chri&s;t &s;aid to <HI>Peter, Get thee behind me Sathan.</HI> But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, I an&s;wer, 'Tis not the infirmities and weakne&s;&s;es of a Chri&s;tian which are &s;een, lamen|ted, bewailed and re&s;i&s;ted, that can <NOTE PLACE="marg">A Spiritu|al infirmi|ty is the &s;ickne&s;s or indi&s;|po&s;ition of the Soul, that ari&s;es from weakne&s;s of Grace.</NOTE> ob&s;truct or hinder the efficacy and &s;ucce&s;&s;e of his prayers: Let me clear up this in a few in&s;tances. <HI>Jo|nah,</HI> you know was a man full of &s;inful pa&s;&s;ions, and other weak|ne&s;&s;es, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and yet his prayer was very prevalent with God, <HI>Jonah</HI> 2. 1, 2, 7, 10. compared. So <HI>Elias</HI> his prayers were exceeding preva|lent with God, he could open and &s;hut heaven at his plea&s;ure; and yet <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jam. 3. 17.</NOTE> &s;ubject to like pa&s;&s;ions as we are: <HI>Elias</HI> was a man of extraordinary &s;anctity and holine&s;&s;e, a man that <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 King 19. 8. Rom. 11 2, 3.</NOTE> lived in heaven, while&s;t he dwelt on earth, <HI>Enech-like</HI> he walked with God, and yet &s;ubject to like pa&s;&s;ions as we are: God did in an eminent way communicate to him
<PB N="269" REF="190"> his coun&s;el and &s;ecrets; he lay in the bo&s;ome of the father; and yet was a man &s;ubject to like pa&s;&s;ions as we are: He was a very power|ful, and prevalent Prophet; his ve|ry name imports as much: <HI>Eli-jah</HI> &s;ignifies my &s;trong God. In that 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 17. 1. it is <HI>Eli-jahu,</HI> that is, the Lord he is my &s;trong God; and yet &s;ubject to like pa&s;&s;ions as we are: He was a man much in fa&s;ting and prayer; he was an in|feriour mediator between God and his people, and yet &s;ubject to like pa&s;&s;ions as we are. Now becau&s;e &s;ome from hence might object and &s;ay, no wonder if &s;uch a man as he was, could by his prayers o|pen and &s;hut heaven at his plea|&s;ure; but I am a poor, weak, low, &s;inful and unworthy creature; I am full of infirmities, weakne&s;&s;es and pa&s;&s;ions; and &s;hall my prayers ever find acce&s;s to God, and accep|tance with God, or gracious an|&s;wers and returnes from God? Now to obviate this objection, and to remove this di&s;courage|ment
<PB N="270" REF="191"> out of the thoughts and hearts of poor &s;inners, the Holy-Gho&s;t addeth this clau&s;e, that he was not a God, nor an Angel, but a man, and &s;uch a man as was not exempted from common infirmi|ties; for he had his pa&s;&s;ions, frail|ties &amp; weakne&s;&s;es, as well as other Saints; intimating to us, that in|firmities in the meane&s;t Saints &s;hould no more prejudice the ac|ceptance and &s;ucce&s;s of their pray|ers with God, than they did in <HI>E|lias</HI> him&s;elf. The word <HI>Pe&s;&s;ion</HI> &s;ometimes &s;ignifies, Fir&s;t, a moti|on of the &s;en&s;ual appetite, ari&s;ing from the imagination of good or ill, with &s;ome commotion of the body. Secondly, Sometimes <HI>Pa&s;|&s;ions</HI> &s;igni&s;ie &s;inful infirmities, &s;in|ful perturbations of the mind. And Thirdly, Sometimes <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion</HI> is ta|ken more &s;trictly for the &s;pecial affection of &s;inful anger and wrath, which <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> calls <HI>Brevis Dae|mon,</HI> a &s;hort Divel. It makes a man &s;peak he knows not what, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Jonah;</HI> and to do he
<PB N="271" REF="191"> knows not what, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Saul.</HI> Now in the&s;e two la&s;t &s;ences, <HI>Elias</HI> was a man &s;ubject to like pa&s;&s;ions as we are; and yet a man &s;o potent with God, that by private prayer he could do even what he li&s;ted in the Court of Heaven. In that 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 21. <HI>chap.</HI> You may read of <HI>Davids</HI> round lyes, and of his other failings, in|firmities, and un&s;eemly carriages before <HI>Achi&s;h</HI> King of <HI>Gath,</HI> and for which he was turned out of the Kings pre&s;ence under the notion of a Mad-man; and yet at that very time he prayes and prevails with God for &s;avour, mercy and delive|rance, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 34. 4. <HI>I &s;ought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my fears.</HI> But when was this? read the Title of the P&s;alm, and you &s;hall find it; <HI>A P&s;alm of Da|vid, who changed his behaviour before Abimilech, who drove him away, and he departed.</HI> In that <HI>Numb.</HI> 20. 10, 11, 12. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his infirmities are point|ed out: Fir&s;t, You have there his immoderate anger. 2. His &s;peak|ing
<PB N="272" REF="192"> to the people when he &s;hould have &s;poke to the Rock, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 8. 3. His &s;miting of it, when he &s;hould only have &s;poken to it with the Rod in his hand; and &s;miting it twice, as in a pang of pa&s;&s;ion and impatiency. 4. his di&s;tru&s;ting of the Lords word, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 12. 5. His reviling of the people when he &s;hould have convinced them, <HI>hear ye Rebels.</HI> 6. He &s;eemes to be &s;o offend|ed at his Commi&s;&s;ion, that he can hardly forbear murmuring, <HI>Mu&s;t we bring water out of the Rock?</HI> Mark <NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 12. 3.</NOTE> that word, <HI>mu&s;t we?</HI> O how is the meeke&s;t man in all the world tran&s;|ported into pa&s;&s;ion, &amp; anger, &amp; un|belief, and hurried into &s;ad indecen|cies; &amp; yet there was not a man on earth who&s;e prayers were &s;o pow|erful and prevalent with God, as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his were. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 106. 23. <HI>Exod-</HI> 32. 9,-15. <HI>Chap.</HI> 33. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. <HI>Exod.</HI> 14. 13, 14, 15, 16, &amp;c. So King <HI>A&s;a</HI> was a man full of infirmitities and weakne&s;&s;es; he relyes on the King of <HI>Syria,</HI> and <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 16. 7,&mdash;13.</NOTE> on the Lord; he is very impa|tient,
<PB N="273" REF="192"> and under a great rage upon the Seers reproof: He impri&s;ons the Seer; he oppre&s;&s;ed &s;ome of the people; or, as the Hebrew hath it, <HI>He cru&s;hed,</HI> or, <HI>he trampled upon &s;ome of the people at the &s;ame time:</HI> And be|ing greatly di&s;ea&s;ed in his feet, he &s;ought to the Phy&s;itians, and not to the Lord; and yet this mans prayer was wonderful prevalent with God. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 14. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. The Saints infirmities can never <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 50. 15. I&s;a. 30. 19. Ch. 65. 24.</NOTE> make void tho&s;e gracious promi|&s;es, by which God &s;tands engaged to hearken to the prayers of his people. Gods hearing of our pray|ers doth not depend upon &s;anctifi|cation, but upon Chri&s;t's interce&s;|&s;ion; not upon what we are in our &s;elves, but upon what we are in the Lord Je&s;us; both our per&s;ons and our prayers, are acceptable in the beloved, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 1. 6. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 5. When God hears our prayers, 'tis neither for our own &s;akes, nor yet for our prayers &s;ake; but 'tis for his own &s;ake, and his &s;ons &s;ake, and his glory &s;ake, and his promi&s;e &s;ake, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<PB N="274" REF="193">
<P> Certainly, God will never ca&s;t off his people for their infirmities.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, 'Tis the glory of a man to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 19. 11.</NOTE> pa&s;&s;e by infirmities: O how much more then mu&s;t it be the glory of God to pa&s;s by the infirmities of his people&punc;</P>
<P>Secondly, Saints are children: and what father will ca&s;t off his children for their infirmities, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 103. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 12. 27.</NOTE> weakne&s;&s;es?</P>
<P>Thirdly, Saints are members of Chri&s;t's body: and what man will cut off a member becau&s;e of a &s;cab or wart that is upon it? <HI>What man will cut off his No&s;e,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Luther, becau&s;e there is &s;ome filth in it?</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, Saints are Chri&s;t's purcha&s;e, they are his po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1. 22, 23. 1 Cor. 6. u't. Ch. 7. 23, 1 Pet. 13. 18, 19, 20.</NOTE> his inheritance: Now what man is there that will ca&s;t away, or ca&s;t off his purcha&s;e, his po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, his inheritance, becau&s;e of thorns, bu&s;h|es, or bryars that grow upon it?</P>
<P>Fifthly, Saints are in a marriage <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 2 19, 20.</NOTE> covenant with God: Now what husband is there that will ca&s;t off
<PB N="275" REF="193"> his wife for her failings and infir|mities? So long as a man is in covenant with God, his infirmities can't cut him off from Gods mercy and grace. Now 'tis certain a man may have very many infirmities upon him, and yet not break his covenant with God; for no &s;in breaks a mans covenant with God, but &s;uch as unties the marriage knot. As in other marriages eve|ry offence or infirmity doth not di&s;anul the marriage union; it i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> only the breach of the marriage vow, <HI>viz.</HI> adultery, that untyes the marriage knot: So here, 'tis only tho&s;e &s;ins which breaks the cove|nant, which unties the marriage knot between God and the Soul: 1. When men freely &s;ubject to a|ny lu&s;t as a new ma&s;ter. Or, 2. When men take another husband; <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 28, 15. 18.</NOTE> and this men doe, when they en|ter into a league with &s;in or the world; eh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 chunk"> they make a new covenant with hell and deach. Now from the&s;e mi&s;chiefs God &s;ecures his cho&s;en ones. In a word, If
<PB N="276" REF="194"> God &s;hould ca&s;t off his people for their infirmities, then none of the &s;ons or daughters of <HI>Adam</HI> could be &s;aved: <HI>For there is not a ju&s;t man upon the earth, that doth good and &s;in|neth not,</HI> Eccl. 7. 20. Now if God will not ca&s;t off his people for their infirmities, then certainly he will not ca&s;t off the prayers of his people, becau&s;e of tho&s;e invincible infir|mities that hang upon them; and therefore our infirmities &s;hould not di&s;courage us, or take us off from Clo&s;et-prayer, or from any o|ther Duties of Religion. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, I an&s;wer, The more infirmities and weakne&s;&s;es hang upon us, the more cau&s;e have we to keep clo&s;e and con&s;tant to our Clo&s;et duties. If grace be weake, <NOTE PLACE="marg">The omi&s;|&s;ion of good diet breeds dii|ea&s;es.</NOTE> the omi&s;&s;ion of private prayer will make it weaker. Look as he that will not eat will certainly grow weaker and weaker: So he that will not pray in his c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 chunk">et will cer|tainly grow weaker and weaker. If corruptions be &s;trong, the neglect of private prayer will make them
<PB N="277" REF="194"> &s;tronger. The more the remedy is neglected, the more the di&s;ea&s;e is &s;trengthned. What&s;oever the di&s;tempers of a mans heart be, they will never be abated, but augmen|ted by the omi&s;&s;ion of private prayer. The more bodily infir|mities hang upon us the more need we have of the Phy&s;itian: and &s;o the more &s;inful infirmities hang upon our &s;ouls, the more need we have of private prayer. All &s;in|ful omi&s;&s;ions will make work for repentance, for hell, or for the Phy&s;itian of &s;ouls. Sinful omi&s;|&s;ions lead to &s;inful commi&s;&s;ions; as you may &s;ee in the Angels that fell from heaven to hell, and in <HI>A|dams</HI> fall in Paradi&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Origen</HI> going to comfort and en|courage a martyr that was to be tormented, was him&s;elf apprehen|ded by the Officers, and con&s;train|ed either to offer to the Idols, or to have his body abu&s;ed by a Black amore that was ready for that purpo&s;e: of which hard choice, to &s;ave his life, he bowed
<PB N="278" REF="195"> unto the Idol; but afterwards, making a &s;ad confe&s;&s;ion of his foul fact, he &s;aid, <HI>That he went forth that morning before he had been with God in his Clo&s;et;</HI> and &s;o peremptorily concludes, <HI>that his neglect of Prayer was the cau&s;e of his falling into that great &s;in.</HI></P>
<P>The neglect of one day, of one duty, of one hour, would undoe us for ever, if we had not an Advo|cate <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 2. 1, 2.</NOTE> with the father. Tho&s;e years, tho&s;e months, tho&s;e weeks, tho&s;e days, tho&s;e hours that are not filled up with God, with Chri&s;t, with grace, with duty, will certainly be filled up with vanity and folly. All omi&s;&s;ions of duty. will more and more unfit the &s;oul for duty: A Key thrown by, gathers ru&s;t: A Pump not u&s;ed, will be hardly got to go: And Armour not u&s;ed, will be hardly made bright, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Look as &s;inful commi&s;&s;ions will &s;tab the Soul; &s;o &s;inful omi&s;&s;ions will &s;tarve the Soul. Such as live <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 24. 16. Job. 16. 8.</NOTE> in the neglect of private prayer may well cry out, <HI>Our leanne&s;s, our</HI>
<PB N="279" REF="195"> <HI>leanne&s;s.</HI> And therefore away with all the&s;e plea's and rea&s;onings a|bout infirmities, and weakne&s;&s;es, and indi&s;po&s;itions, &amp; addre&s;s your &s;elves to Clo&s;et-prayer. But,</P>
<P>Fifthly, I an&s;wer, It may be thy di&s;temper and indi&s;po&s;ition of bo|dy is not &s;o great, but that thou can&s;t buy, and &s;ell, and get gaine: Notwith&s;tanding thy aking head, <NOTE PLACE="marg">The body it &s;elf, if you &s;et too high a price up|on it, will make a cheap Soul; and he is the mo&s;t un|happy man who&s;e out&s;ide is his be&s;t &s;ide.</NOTE> and thy &s;hooting back, and thy pained &s;ides, and thy feeble knees, yet thou can&s;t with <HI>Martha</HI> cum|ber thy &s;elf about thy worldly af|fairs. In that <HI>Cant.</HI> 5. 3. Chri&s;t calls upon his Spou&s;e, to open the door, and let him in: But &s;in and &s;hifting coming into the world to|gether, &s;ee how poorly and un|worthily &s;he labours to &s;hift Chri&s;t off, <HI>I have put off my Coat; how &s;hall I put it on? I have wa&s;hed my feet; how &s;hall I defile them?</HI> Rather than &s;he will make no excu&s;e for her &s;elf, &s;he will make a &s;illy excu&s;e, a worthle&s;s excu&s;e: She was pa&s;t a child: and what a great bu&s;ine&s;&s;e had it been for her to have ri&s;en to
<PB N="280" REF="196"> have let in &s;uch a gue&s;t, that brings every thing with him, that heart <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 3. 17. 17.</NOTE> can wi&s;h or need require: She was not grown &s;o decrepid with old age, but that &s;he was able to make her &s;elf ready; at lea&s;t, &s;he might ea&s;ily have &s;lipt on her morning Coat, and &s;tept to the door with|out any danger of taking cold, or of being wet to the skin, and &s;o <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 22. 12.</NOTE> have let him in, who never comes empty handed; yea, who was now come full of the dew of divine ble&s;&s;ings to enrich her; for &s;o &s;ome &s;ence tho&s;e words, <HI>Mine head is fil|led with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.</HI> O the frivolous pretences, and idle excu&s;es that e|ven gracious per&s;ons are apt &s;ome|times to take up to over colour their neglect of duty!</P>
<P>But &s;ome may &s;ay, It may be the Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t was a&s;eep: O no; for &s;he &s;aith, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2. <HI>I &s;leep, but my heart waketh:</HI> She &s;lept with open eyes, as the Lyon doth; &s;he &s;lept but half &s;leep: though her out|ward man was drow&s;ie, yet her in
<PB N="281" REF="196"> ward man was wakeful; though the fle&s;h took a nap, yet her &s;pirit did not nod.</P>
<P>O, but it may-be Chri&s;t made no noi&s;e, he gave no notice that he was at the door: O yes, he knock|ed, he knockt and bounced by the hammer of his word, and the hand of his Spirit; he knockt by out|ward corrections and inward ad|monitions; he knockt by provi|dences, and he knockt by mer|cies: His importunity and vehe|mency for admi&s;&s;ion was very great.</P>
<P>O but it may-be he did but on|ly knock, he &s;hould have called as well as knockt; for none but mad-men would open their doors in the night, except they knew the voice of him that knocketh: O yes, he did not only knock, but cald al&s;o.</P>
<P>O but it may-be &s;he did not know his voice, and therefore &s;he would not open. No cha&s;t wife will at un&s;ea&s;onable hours ari&s;e and open her doors unto a &s;trang|er,
<PB N="282" REF="197"> e&s;pecially in her husbands ab|&s;ence: O yes, &s;he knew his voice, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2. <HI>It is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh:</HI> She was not &s;o fa&s;t a&s;leep, but that &s;he knew the voice of her Beloved from all other voi|ces, &amp; could tell every tittle that he &s;aid: The calls of Chri&s;t were &s;o &s;trong, &s;o loud, and his pul&s;ations &s;o mighty, that &s;he could not but know and confe&s;s, that it was the voice of her Beloved, though &s;he was not &s;o re&s;pectful and dutiful as to obey that voice.</P>
<P>O but it may-be Chri&s;t knockt and call'd, like a friend in his jour|ney, only to enquire how it was with her, or to &s;peak to her at the Window: O no! he &s;peaks plain|ly, he &s;peaks with authority, <HI>Open to me.</HI></P>
<P>O but it may-be &s;he had no power to open the door: O yes; for when he commands his people to open, he <NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 1. 6, 13. 1 Cor. 15. 10.</NOTE> lends them a key to open the door, that he may enter in. Infu&s;ed grace is a living principle that will enable the Soul to open to Chri&s;t.
<PB N="283" REF="197"> If a man be not a free agent to work and act by the helps of grace received, to what purpo&s;e are coun&s;els, commands, exhortati|ons, and directions, given to per|form this, and that, and t'other work. And certainly, it is our greate&s;t honour and happine&s;&s;e in this world to co-operate with God in tho&s;e things which concern his own glory, and our own internal, and eternal good.</P>
<P>O but it may-be Chri&s;t had giv|en his Spou&s;e &s;ome di&s;ta&s;t, or it may-be he had let fall &s;ome hard words, or &s;ome unkind &s;peeches, which made her a little froward and petti&s;h: O no! for he owns her as his Beloved, and courts her highly, with the mo&s;t winning and amicable tearms of love, <HI>My Si&s;ter, my Love, my Dove, my &V;nde|filed,</HI> or, <HI>my perfect one</HI> (he calls her &s;o for her Dove like &s;implici|ty, purity, and integrity.) All the&s;e endearing and honouring Titles, are the Rhetorick of Divine love; and &s;hould have been as &s;o many
<PB N="284" REF="198"> &s;acred engagements upon her, to open to her Beloved.</P>
<P>O but it may-be Chri&s;t was too quick for her, it may-be he gave but a knock and a call, and was gone before &s;he could ri&s;e and open the door: O no! Chri&s;t &s;tayed till <HI>his head was filled with dew, and his locks with the drops of the night;</HI> which mo&s;t pa&s;&s;ionate expre&s;&s;ion, notes the tender goodne&s;s, patience and gentlene&s;&s;e of our Lord Je&s;us, who endures far greater and harder things for his Spou&s;es &s;ake, than ever <HI>Jacob</HI> did for his <HI>Rachels</HI> &s;ake. After Chri&s;t had &s;uffered much for her &s;ake, and waited her lea&s;ure a long while, &s;he very un|kindly, and very unmannerly, and unworthily turns her back upon all his &s;weet and comfortable com|pellations, and ble&s;&s;ed and bleed|ing embracements, and turns him off to look his lodging in &s;ome o|ther place; &s;o that he might well have &s;aid, Is this thy kindne&s;s to thy Friend, thy Husband, thy Lord, to &s;uffer him to &s;tand bare|headed,
<PB N="285" REF="198"> and that in foul wea|ther, yea, in the night time, woo|ing, intreating, and be&s;eeching ad|mittance; and yet to turn him off as one in whom thy &s;oul could take no plea&s;ure.</P>
<P>Now if you will but &s;eriou&s;ly weigh all the&s;e circum&s;tances in the Ballance of the Sanctuary, you may run and read, the fault, and folly, the weakne&s;s and madne&s;s, the &s;lightne&s;s and lazine&s;s of the Spou&s;e; and by her you may make a judgement of tho&s;e &s;ad and &s;in|ful di&s;tempers that may &s;eize upon the be&s;t of Saints, and &s;ee how ready the fle&s;h is to frame excu&s;es; and all to keep the &s;oul off from duty, and the doors fa&s;t bolted a|gain&s;t the Lord Je&s;us.</P>
<P>'Tis &s;ad when men are well e|nough to &s;it and chat, and trade in their &s;hops; but are not well e|nough to pray in their clo&s;ets. Certainly that mans heart is not right with God (at lea&s;t at this time), who under all his bodily di&s;tempers can maintain and keep
<PB N="286" REF="199"> up his publick trade with men, but is not well enough to maintain his private trade with heaven. Our bo|dies are but dirt hand&s;omly tem|pered, &amp; artificially formed; we de|rive our pedigree from the dirt, and are akin to clay. One calls the body, <HI>the blot of nature;</HI> another calls it, <HI>the Soul's bea&s;t, a &s;ack of dung, worms-meat;</HI> another calls it, <HI>a pri|&s;on, a &s;epulchre;</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> calls it, <HI>a body of vilene&s;s.</HI> Now for a man to make &s;o much adoe about the di|&s;tempers of his body, to excu&s;e the neglects of his Soul, is an evil made up of many evils. But real|ly, Sir, I am &s;o ill, and my body is &s;o di&s;tempered and indi&s;po&s;ed, that I am not able to mind or meddle with the lea&s;t things of the world: Well, if this be &s;o, then know that God hath on purpo&s;e knockt thee off from the things of this world, that thou may'&s;t look the more effectually after the things of another world. The de|&s;ign of God in all the di&s;tempers that are upon thy body, is to wind thee
<PB N="287" REF="199"> more off from thy worldly trade, and to work thee to follow thine heavenly trade more clo&s;e. Many a man had never found the way to his Clo&s;et, if God by bodily di|&s;tempers had not turn'd him out of his &s;hop, his trade, his bu&s;ine&s;s, his all, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Well Chri&s;tians, remember this once for all; if your indi&s;po&s;ition to Clo&s;et-prayer doth really ari&s;e from bodily di&s;tempers, then you may be confident that the Lord will pitty you much, and bear with you much, and kindly accept of a little: You know how affection|ately Parents, and ingenious Ma&s;ters doe carry it towards their children and &s;ervants, when they are under bodyly di&s;tempers and indi&s;po&s;iti|on; and you may be confident that God will never carry it wor&s;e towards you than they doe towards them. Ponder often up|on that, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 34. 4, 16, 21, 22. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> But,</P>
<P>Sixthly and la&s;tly, I &s;hall an&s;wer this Objection by way of di&s;tincti|on, thus,</P>
<PB N="288" REF="200">
<P> Fir&s;t, There is a contracted in|di&s;po&s;ition to private prayer, and there is an involuntary indi&s;po&s;iti|on to private prayer: there is a con|tracted indi&s;po&s;ition, and that is when a man by his wilful &s;inning again&s;t light, knowledge, convi|ction, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> contracts that guilt that lyes as a load upon his Con|&s;cience: Now guilt makes the Soul &s;hye of God; and the greater the guilt is, the more &s;hye the Soul is of drawing neer to God in a cor|ner. The Child that is &s;en&s;ibly under guilt hides him&s;elf (as <HI>A|dam</HI> did) in the day from his Fa|thers <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3. 7. 8.</NOTE> eye, and at night he &s;lips to bed, to avoid either a chiding, or a whipping from his Father. Guilt makes a man fly from God, and fly from Prayer: 'Tis a hard <NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 11. 14, 15. Jer. 20. 3, 4.</NOTE> thing to look God in the face, when guilt &s;tares a man in the face. Guilt makes a man a terrour to him&s;elf: now when a man is a ter|rour to him&s;elf, he is neither fit to live, nor fit to die, nor fit to pray: When Poi&s;on gets into the body, it
<PB N="289" REF="200"> works upon the &s;pirits, and it weakens the &s;pirits, and it endan|gers life, and unfits and indi&s;po&s;es a man to all natural actions; 'tis &s;o here, when guilt lyes heavy up|on the con&s;cience, it works upon the Soul, it weakens the Soul, it en|dangers the Soul, and it doth won|derfully unfit and indi&s;po&s;e the Soul to all holy actions. Guilt fights again&s;t our Souls, our Con|&s;ciences, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2. 11.</NOTE> our Comforts, our Duties, yea, and our very graces al&s;o: There is nothing that wounds and lames our graces like guilt; there is nothing that weakens and wa&s;ts our graces like guilt; there is no|thing that hinders the activity of our graces like guilt; nor there is nothing that clouds our evidences of grace like guilt. Look what water is to the fire, that our &s;in|nings are to our graces, evidences, and duties. Guilt is like <HI>Promethe|us</HI> Vulture, that ever lyes gnawing. 'Tis better with <HI>Evagrius</HI> to lye on a Bed of &s;traw with a good Con|&s;cience, than to lye on a Bed of
<PB N="290" REF="201"> Downe with a guilty Con&s;cience. What the Probationer Di&s;ciple &s;aid to our Saviour, <HI>Matth.</HI> 8. 19. <HI>Ma&s;ter, I will follow thee whither&s;oever thou goe&s;t;</HI> that a guilty Con&s;cience &s;aith to the &s;inner, whither&s;oe|ver thou goe&s;t, I will follow thee: If thou goe&s;t to a fa&s;t I will follow thee, and fill thy mind with black and di&s;mal apprehen&s;ions of God&punc; If thou goe&s;t to a fea&s;t, I will fol|low thee, and &s;hew thee <HI>the Hand|writing on the Wall:</HI> If thou goe&s;t a|broad, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 5 5.</NOTE> I will follow thee, and make thee afraid of every Leaf that wags; thou &s;halt look upon every Bu&s;h as an armed man, and upon every man as a Devil: If thou &s;taye&s;t at home, I will follow thee from room to room, and fill thee with horrour and terrour: If thou lye&s;t down to re&s;t, I will fol|low thee with fearful dreams and tormenting apparitions: If thou goe&s;t into thy Clo&s;et&punc; I will follow thee, and make thy very Clo&s;et a Hell to hold thee.</P>
<P>It is &s;toried of King <HI>Richard</HI> the
<PB N="291" REF="201"> third, that after he had murthered his two Nephews in the Tower, guilt lay &s;o hard upon his Con&s;ci|ence, that his &s;leeps were very un|quiet; for he would often leap out of his Bed in the dark, and catch|ing his &s;word in his hand (which hung by his bed &s;ide) he would goe di&s;tractedly about his Chamber &s;eeking for the Traytor.</P>
<P>So <HI>Charls</HI> the ninth of <HI>France,</HI> af|ter he had made the &s;treets of <HI>Pa|ris</HI> run down with the blood of the <HI>Prote&s;tants,</HI> he could &s;eldome take any &s;ound &s;leep, nor could he en|dure to be awakened out of his &s;leep without mu&s;ick.</P>
<P>Judge <HI>Morgan</HI> that pa&s;&s;ed the Sentence of Condemnation upon <HI>Jane Grey</HI> (a virtuous Lady), &s;hort|ly after fell mad, and in his raving cryed out continualy, <HI>Take away the Lady Jane from me, Take away the Lady Jane from me,</HI> and in that hor|rour ended his wretched life.</P>
<P><HI>James Abyes</HI> going to execution for Chri&s;t's &s;ake, as he went along he gave his money and his cloaths
<PB N="292" REF="202"> to one and another, till he had gi|ven all away to his &s;hirt; where|upon one of the Sheriffs men fell a-&s;coffing and deriding of him, and told him, that he was a mad|man, and an heretick, and not to be believed; but as &s;oon as the good man was executed, this wretch was &s;truck mad, and threw away his cloaths, and cryed out, <HI>that James Abyes was a good man, and gone to Heaven, but he was a wicked man and was damned,</HI> and thus he con|tinued crying out till his death: Certainly he that derides, or &s;mites a man for walking according to the word of the Lord, the Lord will fir&s;t or la&s;t &s;o&s;mite and wound that mans Con&s;cience, that all the Phy&s;itians in the world &s;hall not heal it.</P>
<P>Now if thy indi&s;po&s;ition to pri|vate prayer &s;prings from contract|ed guilt upon thy Con&s;cience, then thy be&s;t way is &s;peedily to renew thy Repentance, and greatly to judge and humble thine own &s;oul, and &s;o to act Faith afre&s;h upon the
<PB N="293" REF="202"> blood of Chri&s;t, both for pardon|ing mercy, and for purging grace. When a man is &s;tung with Guilt 'tis his highe&s;t wi&s;dome in the world to look up to the Brazen Serpent, and not to &s;pend his time, or create torments to his own &s;oul by perpetual poring upon his guilt: When Guilt upon the Con&s;cience works a man to water the earth with tears, &amp; to make Heaven ring with his groans, then it works kind|ly: When the &s;ence of Guilt drives a man to God, to Duty, to the Throne of Grace, then it will not be long night with that man: He that thinks to &s;hift off Private Prayer under the pretence of Guilt, doth but in that increa&s;e his own Guilt: Neglect of Duty will never get Guilt off the Con&s;ci|ence.</P>
<P>But then there is an involunta|ry indi&s;po&s;ition to private prayer; as in a &s;ick man, who would work and walk, but cannot, being hinder|ed by his di&s;ea&s;e; or as it is with a man that hath a great chain on his
<PB N="294" REF="203"> leg, he would very fain walk or get away, but his chain hinders him. Now if your indi&s;po&s;ition to pri|vate prayer be an involuntary indi&s;|po&s;ition, then God will in mercy, in cour&s;e, both pardon it &amp; remove it.</P>
<P>Secondly, There is a total indi&s;|po&s;ition to private prayer, &amp; there is a partial indi&s;po&s;ition to private prayer. A total indi&s;po&s;ition to pri|vate prayer is, when a man hath no <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 4. 22. Chap. 44. 17, 18, 19.</NOTE> mind at all to private prayer, nor no will at all to private prayer, nor no love at all to private prayer, nor no delight, nor no heart at all to private prayer; now where this frame of heart is, there all is naught, very naught, &s;tark naught. A partial indi&s;po&s;ition to private prayer is, when a man hath &s;ome will to private prayer, though not &s;uch a will as once he had; and &s;ome mind to private prayer, though not &s;uch a mind as once he had; and &s;ome affections to pri|vate prayer, though not &s;uch warm and burning affections as once he had. Now if your indi&s;po&s;ition
<PB N="295" REF="203"> to private prayer be total, then you mu&s;t wait upon the Lord in all his appointments, for a changed na|ture, and for union with Chri&s;t; but if your indi&s;po&s;ition to private prayer be only partial, then the Lord will certainly pardon it, and in the very u&s;e of holy means in time remove it. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly and la&s;tly, there is a tran&s;ient, accidental, occa&s;ional, or fleeting indi&s;po&s;ition to private prayer; and there is a cu&s;tomary, a con&s;tant, or permanent indi&s;po|&s;ition to private prayer. Now a tran&s;ient, accidental, occa&s;ional, or fleeting indi&s;po&s;ition to that which is good, may be found upon the be&s;t of Saints, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Mo&s;es, Exod.</HI> 4. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. and in <HI>Jeremiah, Jer.</HI> 1. 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18. 19. and <HI>Chap.</HI> 20. 9. and in <HI>Jo|nah, chap.</HI> 1 and in <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 39. 2, 3. Now if this be the indi&s;|po&s;ition that thou art under, then thou maye&s;t be confident, that it will certainly work off by de|grees, <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 65. 2. Jer. 9. 3.</NOTE> as theirs did that I have la&s;t
<PB N="296" REF="204"> cited. But then there is a cu&s;toma|ry, a con&s;tant or permanent indi&s;|po&s;ition to private prayer, and to all other holy Duties of Religion: Now if this be the indi&s;po&s;ition that thou art under, then I may &s;afely conclude, that thou art in the very gall of bitterne&s;&s;e, and in <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 8. 21, 22, 23.</NOTE> the bond of iniquity, and thy work lyes not in complaining of thy in|di&s;po&s;ition, but in repenting and believing, and in labouring for a change of thy heart and &s;tate; for till thy heart, thy &s;tate, be chang|ed, thou wilt remain for ever in|di&s;po&s;ed, both to Clo&s;et-Prayer, and to all other Duties of Religi|on and godline&s;&s;e. To &s;ee a &s;in|ner &s;ailing Hell-ward with Wind and Tide on his &s;ide to alter his cour&s;e, and Tack about for Hea|ven, to &s;ee the earthly man be|come heavenly, the carnal man become &s;piritual, the proud man become humble, the vain man be|come &s;erious; to &s;ee a &s;inner move contrary to him&s;elf in the wayes of Chri&s;t and holine&s;s; is
<PB N="297" REF="204"> as &s;trange, as to &s;ee the earth fly upward, or the Bowl run contrary to its own Bya&s;s; and yet, a divine power of God upon the Soul can ef|fect it, and this mu&s;t be effected before the &s;inner will be graciou&s;ly inclined, and &s;incerely di&s;po&s;ed to Clo&s;et-prayer. And let thus much &s;uffice by way of An&s;wer to this Objection al&s;o.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="section">
<P>Now for the better management of this great Duty, <HI>viz.</HI> Clo&s;et-prayer, I be&s;eech you take my ad|vice and coun&s;el in the&s;e 11. fol|lowing particulars.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Be frequent in Clo&s;et-prayer, and not now and then on|ly. He will never make any yearn|ings of Clo&s;et-prayer, that is not frequent in Clo&s;et-prayer: Now that this Coun&s;el may &s;tick, Con&s;i|der.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Other eminent Servants of the Lord have been frequent in this ble&s;&s;ed work. <HI>Nehem.</HI> 1. 6. <HI>Let thine earnow be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou maye&s;t hear the Prayer of thy Servant, which I pray before thee</HI>
<PB N="298" REF="205"> <HI>day and night.</HI> So <HI>Daniel,</HI> he kneeled <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 6. 10</NOTE> upon his knees three times a day and prayed, and gave thanks be|fore his God, as he did before time. So <HI>David, My voyce &s;halt thou hear in the morning, and in the evening will</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 5. 3.</NOTE> <HI>I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.</HI> So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 88. 13. <HI>But unto thee have I cryed, O Lord, and in the morning &s;hall my prayer prevent thee.</HI> So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 147. <HI>I prevented the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 164.</NOTE> <HI>dawning of the morning, and cryed un|to the Lord.</HI> So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 55. 17. <HI>Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud.</HI> Yea, he <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 29 38, 39. Numb. 28. 3. Mat. 6. 11.</NOTE> was <HI>Vir orationis</HI> for his frequency in it. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 109. 4. <HI>For my love they are my adver&s;aries: But I give my &s;elf unto prayer:</HI> Or, as the Hebrew may be read, <HI>But I am a man of pray|er.</HI></P>
<P>Of <HI>Carolus Magnus</HI> it was &s;aid, <HI>(Carolus plus cum Deo quam ho|minibus loquitur)</HI> that he &s;pake more with God than with men.</P>
<P>Secondly, Con&s;ider the ble&s;&s;ed Scripture doth not only enjoyn this Duty, but it requires frequency
<PB N="299" REF="205" MS="y"> in it al&s;o. <HI>Luke.</HI> 18. 1. 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5. 17. <HI>Col.</HI> 4. 2. In the former part of this di&s;cour&s;e, I have given light into the&s;e Scriptures; and there|fore the bare citing of them mu&s;t now &s;uffice.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Chri&s;t was frequent in Private Prayer, as you may ea&s;ily &s;ee by comparing of the&s;e Scrip|tures together; <HI>Mark</HI> 1. 35. <HI>Mat.</HI> 14. 23. <HI>Luke.</HI> 22. 39. <HI>John.</HI> 18. 2. In my &s;econd Argument for Private Prayer you may &s;ee the&s;e Scriptures opened and amplified. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, Con&s;ider that you have the examples of the very wor&s;t of men in this ca&s;e. <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> are frequent in their private Devo|tions. And the <HI>Mahometans,</HI> what occa&s;ion &s;oever they have, either by profit or plea&s;ure to divert them, will yet pray five times eve|ry day. Yea, the very <HI>Heathens</HI> &s;a|crificed to <HI>Hercules</HI> morning and e|vening upon the great Altar at <HI>Rome.</HI> Now &s;hall blind nature do more than grace? But,</P>
<PB N="300" REF="206">
<P> Fifthly, Con&s;ider, you cannot have too frequent Communion with God, you cannot have too frequent intercour&s;e with Je&s;us, you cannot have your hearts too frequently filled with joy un&s;peak|able and full of glory, and with that peace that pa&s;&s;es under&s;tand|ing, you cannot have heaven too frequently brought down into your hearts, nor you cannot have your hearts too frequently carried up to heaven, and therefore you cannot be too frequent in Clo&s;et-prayer. But,</P>
<P>Sixthly, Con&s;ider, that you are under frequent wants, and frequent &s;ins, and frequent &s;nares, and fre|quent <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 5. 8. Job. 1. 7.</NOTE> temptations, and frequent allurements, and frequent tryals, and frequent cares, and frequent feares, and frequent favours; and therefore you had need be frequent with God in your Clo&s;ets. But,</P>
<P>Seventhly, Con&s;ider, you are the favourites of heaven, you are greatly beloved, you are highly honoured, you are exceedingly
<PB N="301" REF="206"> e&s;teemed and valued in the Court of the Mo&s;t High; and remember, that the Petitions of many weak Chri&s;tians, and of many benighted Chri&s;tians, and of many tempted Chri&s;tians, and of many clouded Chri&s;tians, and of many &s;taggering Chri&s;tians, and of many doubting Chri&s;tians, and of many bewildred Chri&s;tians, and of many fainting Chri&s;tians, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> are put into your hands, for a quick and &s;peedy di&s;|patch to the Throne of Grace; &s;o that you had need be frequent in your Clo&s;ets, and improve your intere&s;t in heaven, or el&s;e many of the&s;e poor hearts may be wrong|ed, betrayed, and prejudiced by your neglect. Such as are Favou|rites in Princes Courts, if they are active, diligent, careful and watch|ful, they may doe much good for others, they may come as often as they plea&s;e into their Princes pre|&s;ence, and with Queen <HI>E&s;ther,</HI> have <NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;th. 8.</NOTE> for asking what they plea&s;e, both for them&s;elves, and others, <HI>E&s;th.</HI> 7. O what a world of good may &s;uch
<PB N="302" REF="207"> doe for others that are Gods Fa|vourites, if they would be but frequent with God in their Clo|&s;ets!</P>
<P>O Sirs, If you have not that love, that regard, that pitty, that compa&s;&s;ion to your own &s;ouls, as you &s;hould have; yet, O let not o|thers &s;uffer by your neglect of pri|vate prayer! O let not <HI>Zion</HI> &s;uffer! O let not any particular Saint &s;uf|fer by your being found &s;eldom in your Clo&s;ets.</P>
<P>Certainly, It might have gone better with the Churches of Chri&s;t, and with the concernments of Chri&s;t, and with many of the poor people of Chri&s;t, if mo&s;t Chri&s;ti|ans had been more frequent with God in their Clo&s;ets. But,</P>
<P>Eighthly and la&s;tly, Con&s;ider, that this liberty to approach nigh <NOTE PLACE="marg">Sanguis Chri&s;ti cla|vis Coeli.</NOTE> to God in your Clo&s;ets, co&s;t Chri&s;t his deare&s;t blood, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. 13. <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 20. Now he that is not fre|quent with God in his Clo&s;et, tells all about him, that he &s;ets no great value upon that liberty, that Chri&s;t
<PB N="303" REF="207"> hath purcha&s;ed with his blood. The incomparable, the unpara|lel'd <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 1. 19.</NOTE> price which Chri&s;t hath paid down upon the nail (above &s;ixteen hundred years agoe) that we might have liberty and free acce&s;s to his Father in your Clo&s;ets, argues very &s;trongly, yea irrefragably, the &s;uperlative excellency of that li|berty! O therefore let us improve to purpo&s;e this ble&s;&s;ed purcha&s;e of our Lord Je&s;us by being frequent with God in our clo&s;ets. 'Tis di&s;puted by &s;ome whether one drop of Chri&s;ts blood was &s;ufficient for the pardon of our &s;ins and redemption of our &s;ouls. My intention is not to di&s;|pute, but to offer a few things to your Con&s;ideration.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, It mu&s;t be granted, that <NOTE PLACE="marg">One lit|tle drop of Chri&s;t's blood is more worth than hea|ven and earth. <HI>Luther.</HI></NOTE> by rea&s;on of the hypo&s;tatical uni|on, a drop of Chri&s;t's blood was of an ine&s;timable worth and excel|lency; and the value of his pa&s;&s;ion is to be mea&s;ured by the dignity of his per&s;on. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, a proportion was to be ob&s;erved betwixt the puni&s;h|ment
<PB N="304" REF="208"> due to men, and that which <NOTE PLACE="marg">What is the blood of the Grape, or the blood of a &s;on, an only &s;on, to the blood of a Saviour.</NOTE> was &s;uffered for man; that his &s;ufferings, might be &s;atisfactory, two things were nece&s;&s;ary, <HI>Poenae gravitas,</HI> as well as <HI>per&s;onae dignitas.</HI> That the lea&s;t drop of Chri&s;t's blood was not &s;ufficient for the re|demption of our &s;ouls may thus appear.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, If it were, then the Cir|cumci&s;ion of Chri&s;t was enough, for there was a drop, if not many drops of blood &s;hed.</P>
<P>Secondly, Then his being Crown'd with a crown of Thorns, was &s;ufficient; for it is mo&s;t proba|ble, that they drew blood-from him</P>
<P>Thirdly, Then all Chri&s;t's &s;uf|ferings be&s;ides were &s;uperfluous and vain.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Then God was un|ju&s;t and unrighteous to take more than was due to his ju&s;tice. But for any man to affirm that God hath taken beyond what was his ju&s;t due, is high bla&s;phemy.</P>
<P>Fifthly, Then Chri&s;t was weak and imprudent to pay more
<PB N="305" REF="208"> than he needed; for what need was there of his deare&s;t heart blood, if a drop from his hand would have &s;aved our &s;ouls. Let School-men fancie what they plea&s;e, 'tis certain, that not one dram of that bitter Cup that Chri&s;t drunk off could be abated, in order to his Fa|thers full &s;atisfaction, and mans e|ternal redemption. Chri&s;t hath given under his own hand that it was nece&s;&s;ary that he &s;hould &s;uffer many things, <HI>Mark.</HI> 8. 3. <HI>Luke</HI> 24. 26. O Sirs, &s;hall Chri&s;t &s;hed not only a few drops of blood, but his very heart blood, to purcha&s;e you a freedom and liberty to be as of|ten in your Clo&s;ets with his Fa|ther as you plea&s;e; and will you only now and then give God a vi&s;it in private? the Lord for|bid.</P>
<P>My Second Advi&s;e and coun&s;el is this, Take the fitte&s;t &s;ea&s;ons and opportunities that po&s;|&s;ibly you can for Clo&s;et-prayer. Many take unfit &s;ea&s;ons for pri|vate prayer, which do more ob|&s;truct
<PB N="306" REF="209"> the importunity of the &s;oul in prayer, than all the &s;ugge|&s;tions and in&s;tigations of Satan. As,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, When the body is drow|&s;ie <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 3. 1.</NOTE> and &s;leepy, this is a very unfit &s;ea&s;on for clo&s;et-prayer. Take heed of laying cu&s;hions of &s;loath under your knees, or pillows of idlene&s;&s;e under your elbows, or of mixing nods with your petitions, or of being drow&s;ily devoted when you draw neer to God in your clo|&s;ets.</P>
<P>Secondly, When a mans head and heart is filled with worldly <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 7. 35. Ezek. 33. 31.</NOTE> cares and di&s;tractions, this is a very unfit &s;ea&s;on for clo&s;et-pray|er.</P>
<P>When <HI>Dinah</HI> mu&s;t needs be gad|ding abroad to &s;ee fa&s;hions, <HI>She|chem,</HI> Prince of that country, meets with her, and forces her virginity. So when our hearts <HI>Dinah-like</HI> mu&s;t needs be a roving and gad|ding abroad after the things of the world, then Satan, the Prince of the air, u&s;ually &s;eizes upon us, com|mits
<PB N="307" REF="209"> a rape upon our &s;ouls, and either leads us off from prayer, or el&s;e he doth &s;o di&s;tract us in prayer, that it were better not to have prayed at all, than to have offered the &s;acrifice of fooli&s;h and di&s;tra|cted prayer.</P>
<P>I have read a &s;tory, how that one offered to give his hor&s;e to his fel|low upon condition he would but &s;ay the Lords Prayer, and think upon nothing but God; the proffer was accepted, and he began, <HI>Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.</HI> But I mu&s;t have the bridle too (&s;aid he) no, nor the Hor&s;e neither (&s;aid the other) for thou ha&s;t lo&s;t both already. The application is ea&s;ie.</P>
<P>Certainly, the mo&s;t free and lively &s;ea&s;ons for Clo&s;et-prayer is the mornings, before a mans &s;pi|rit be blunted or cooled, deadned, damped, or flatted by worldly bu|&s;ine&s;&s;es. A man &s;hould &s;peak with God in his Clo&s;et, before he &s;peaks with his worldly affairs and occa|&s;ions. A man &s;hould &s;ay to all
<PB N="308" REF="210"> his worldly bu&s;ine&s;&s;eg, as <HI>Abraham</HI> &s;aid unto his young men, when he went to offer up his only <HI>I&s;aac, a|bide you here, and I will goe yonder and wor&s;hip, and then return to you again.</HI> He that will attend Clo&s;et-prayer without di&s;traction or di&s;turbance, mu&s;t not, fir&s;t, &s;lip out of the world into his Clo&s;et, but he mu&s;t fir&s;t &s;lip into his Clo&s;et before he be compa&s;&s;ed about with a crowd of worldly employments.</P>
<P>It was a Precept of <HI>Pythagoras,</HI> that when we enter into the Tem|ple to wor&s;hip God, we mu&s;t not &s;o much as &s;peak or think of any worldly bu&s;ine&s;s, lea&s;t we make Gods &s;ervice an idle, perfuncto|ry and lazy recreation: The &s;ame I may &s;ay of Clo&s;et-pray|er.</P>
<P><HI>Jerome</HI> complains very much of his di&s;tractions, dulne&s;s, and indi&s;|po&s;edne&s;s to prayer, and chides him&s;elf thus, <HI>What do&s;t thou think, that Jonah prayed thus when he was in the Whales belly; or Daniel when he was among the Lyons; or the Thief when he was upon the Cro&s;s?</HI></P>
<PB N="309" REF="210">
<P> Thirdly, When men or wo|men are under ra&s;h and pa&s;&s;ionate <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 2. 8.</NOTE> di&s;tempers; for when pa&s;&s;ions are up, holy affections are down; and this is a very unfit &s;ea&s;on for Clo|&s;et-prayer; for &s;uch prayers will never reach Gods eare, which do not fir&s;t warm our own hearts. In the <HI>Mu&s;covy</HI> Churches, if the Mini&s;ter mi&s;take in reading, or &s;tammer in pronouncing his words, or &s;peak any word that is not well heard, the hearers doe ve|ry much blame him, and are ready to take the book from him, as un|worthy to read therein: And cer|tainly God is no le&s;s offended with the giddy, ra&s;h, pa&s;&s;ionate, preci|pitate, and incon&s;iderate prayers of tho&s;e, who without a deliberate under&s;tanding do &s;end their petiti|ons to heaven in po&s;t-ha&s;t. <HI>Solo|mons</HI> advice is worthy of all com|mendation and acceptation, <HI>Be not</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 5 2.</NOTE> <HI>ra&s;h with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be ha&s;ty, to utter any thing before God:</HI> Or as the Hebrew may be read, <HI>Let not thy heart through ha&s;t be</HI>
<PB N="310" REF="211"> <HI>&s;o troubled or di&s;turbed, as to tumble over, and throw out words without wi&s;|dome or premeditation.</HI> Good men are apt many times to be too ha&s;ty, ra&s;h, and unadvi&s;ed in their pray|ers, complaints and deprecati|ons; <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 31. 2. 2 P&s;al. 116. 11 Job. 10. 1, 2, 3. Jer. 18. 15. 18. Jon. 4. 2, 3, 4. Matth. 20. 20, 21.</NOTE> witne&s;s <HI>David, Job, Jeremiah, Jo|nah,</HI> and the Di&s;ciples. No Chri&s;tian to him that doth wi&s;ely &amp; &s;eriou&s;ly weigh over his prayers and prai&s;es before he pours out his &s;oul before the Lord. He never repents of his reque&s;ts, who fir&s;t duly deliberates what to reque&s;t; but he that blurts out what&s;oever lyes uppermo&s;t, and that brings into the pre&s;ence of God his ra&s;h, raw, tumultuary, and indige&s;ted petitions, confe&s;&s;i|ons, complaints, &amp;c. he doth but provoke God, he doth but brawl with God, in&s;tead of praying to him or wre&s;tling with him. Suit|ers at Court ob&s;erve their fitte&s;t times and &s;ea&s;ons of begging, they commonly take that very nick of time, when they have the King in a good mood, and &s;o &s;eldome or never come off but with good &s;uc|ce&s;s.</P>
<PB N="311" REF="211">
<P> Sometimes God &s;trongly en|clines the heart to Clo&s;et-prayer, &s;ometimes he brings the heart be|fore hand into a praying frame, &s;ometimes both body and &s;oul are more enlivened, quickned, rai&s;ed, and divinely enflamed than at o|ther times; &s;ometimes Con&s;ci|ence is more &s;tirring, working, and tender, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> O now &s;trike while the Iron is hot, O now lay hold on all &s;uch ble&s;&s;ed opportunities, by applying of thy &s;elf to private prayer. O Sirs, can you take your fitte&s;t times, &s;ea&s;ons and opportu|nities for plowing, and &s;owing, and reaping, and buying, and &s;el|ling, and eating, and drinking, and marrying, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And can't you as well take your fitte&s;t times and &s;ea&s;ons to &s;eek the Lord in your Clo&s;ets? Mu&s;t the be&s;t God be put off with the lea&s;t and wor&s;t of your time? the Lord forbid. Neg|lect not the &s;ea&s;ons of grace, &s;lip not your opportunities for Clo&s;et-prayer; thou&s;ands have lo&s;t their &s;ea&s;ons and their &s;ouls together.</P>
<PB N="312" REF="212">
<P> My Third Advice and coun&s;el is this, Be marvelous care|ful that you do not perform Clo|&s;et Duties meerly to &s;till your Con&s;ciences: you mu&s;t perform them out of Con&s;cience, but you mu&s;t not perform them only to quiet Con&s;cience. Some have &s;uch a light &s;et up in their under|&s;tandings that they cannot omit <NOTE PLACE="marg">An ill Con&s;ci|ence (&s;aith <HI>Au&s;tin)</HI> is like a &s;colding wife; a man (&s;aith he) that hath an ill Con&s;ci|ence he cares not to be at at home, he cares not to look into his own &s;oul, but loves to be abroad.</NOTE> Clo&s;et-prayer, but Con&s;cience is upon their backs, Con&s;cience is &s;till upbraiding and di&s;quieting of them, and therefore they are afraid to neglect Clo&s;et-prayer, lea&s;t Con&s;cience &s;hould que&s;tion, ar|raign and condemn them for their neglects. Sometimes when men have greatly &s;inned again&s;t the Lord, Con&s;cience becomes impa|tient, and is &s;till accu&s;ing, con|demning, and terrifying of them; and now in the&s;e Agonies they will run to their Clo&s;ets, and cry, and pray, and mourn, and confe&s;s, and bitterly bewail their tran&s;gre&s;|&s;ions, but all this is only to quiet their Con&s;ciences; and &s;ome|times
<PB N="313" REF="212"> they find upon their perfor|mances of Clo&s;et-duties, that their Con&s;ciences are a little allayed and quieted; and for this very end and purpo&s;e do they take up Clo|&s;et-prayer, as a charm to allay their Con&s;ciences; and when the &s;torm is over, and their Con&s;cien|ces quieted, then they lay a&s;ide Clo&s;et-prayer, (as the <HI>Monk</HI> did the net when the fi&s;h was caught) and are ready to tran&s;gre&s;&s;e again. O Sirs, take heed of this, for this is but plain hypocri&s;ie, and will be bitterne&s;&s;e in the end. He that performs Clo&s;et-prayer only to bribe his Con&s;cience that it may not be clamorous, or to &s;top the mouth of Con&s;cience that it may not accu&s;e him for &s;in, he will at length venture upon &s;uch a trade, &s;uch a cour&s;e of &s;inning again&s;t Con&s;cience, as will certainly turn his troubled Con&s;cience into a &s;ear|ed Con&s;cience: And a &s;eared Con|&s;cience is like a &s;leepy Lyon, when <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 4. 2.</NOTE> he awakes he roars and tears his prey in pieces: and &s;o will a &s;ear|ed
<PB N="314" REF="213"> Con&s;cience, when 'tis awakened, roar and tear the &s;ecure &s;inner in pieces.</P>
<P>When <HI>Diony&s;ius</HI> Con&s;cience was awakened, he was &s;o troubled with fear and horrour of Con&s;ci|ence, that not daring to tru&s;t his be&s;t friends with a razor, he u&s;ed to &s;inge his beard with burning coals, as <HI>Cicero</HI> reports. All the mercy that a &s;eared, a benummed Con&s;cience, doth afford the &s;inner, when it doth mo&s;t befriend him, when it deals mo&s;t &s;eemingly kind with him, is this, that it will not cut, that it may kill; it will not con|vince, that it may confound; it will not accu&s;e, that it may condemn; it will &s;pare the &s;inner a while, that it may torment him for ever; it will &s;pare him here, that it may gnaw him hereafter; it will not &s;trike, till it be too late for the &s;inner to ward off the blow. O cruel mercy to ob|&s;erve the &s;in, and let alone the &s;in|ner, till the gates of mercy be &s;hut upon him, and hell &s;tands gaping to devour him. <HI>Gen.</HI> 4. 7. <HI>Sin lyeth at</HI>
<PB N="315" REF="213"> <HI>the door.</HI> The Hebrew word <HI>Robets</HI> &s;ignifies <HI>to lye down, or couch,</HI> like &s;ome wild bea&s;t at the mouth of his cave, as if he were a&s;leep, but indeed watcheth and waketh, and is ready <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Amama</HI> quotes <HI>Tarnovius,</HI> who mentions a &s;ort of men, that brought in an opi|nion, which he calls a new-Go&s;|pel, that if a man perform the exter|nal duties of Religi|on, <HI>viz.</HI> if he go to the Church, hear the word, pray, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> it was &s;uf|ficient to &s;alvation.</NOTE> to fly at all that come neer it. O Sirs, &s;in is rather couchant than dormant, it &s;leeps dogs &s;leep, that it may take the &s;inner at the great|er advantage, and fly the more fu|riou&s;ly in his face. But,</P>
<P>My Fourth Advice and coun|&s;el is this, Take heed of re&s;t|ing upon Clo&s;et-duties; take heed of tru&s;ting in Clo&s;et-duties. <HI>Noahs</HI> Dove made u&s;e of her wings, but &s;he did not tru&s;t in her wings, but in the Arke: So you mu&s;t make u&s;e of Clo&s;et-duties, but you mu&s;t not tru&s;t in your Clo&s;et-duties, but in Je&s;us, of whom the Ark was but a Type. There are many that go a round of duties, (as mill-hor&s;es go their round in a mill) and re&s;t upon them when they have done, u&s;ing the means as mediators, and &s;o fall &s;hort of Chri&s;t and heaven at once. Clo&s;et-duties re&s;ted in,
<PB N="316" REF="214"> will as eternally undo a man, as the greate&s;t and foule&s;t enormities; open wickedne&s;s &s;layes her thou|&s;ands, but a &s;ecret re&s;ting upon du|ties &s;layes her ten thou&s;ands: Mul|titudes bleed inwardly of this di&s;|ea&s;e, &amp; die for ever. Open prophane|ne&s;s is the broad dirty way that leads to hell, but Clo&s;et-duties re&s;t|ed in is a &s;ure way, though a clean|er way to hell. Prophane per&s;ons and formal profe&s;&s;ors &s;hall meet at la&s;t in one hell. Ah Chri&s;tians, do not make Clo&s;et-duties your money, lea&s;t you and your money peri&s;h together.</P>
<P>The <HI>Phenix</HI> gathers &s;weet odo|riferous &s;ticks in <HI>Arabia</HI> together, and then blows them with her wings, and burns her &s;elf with them; &s;o doe many &s;hining pro|fe&s;&s;ors burn them&s;elves by re&s;ting in their duties and &s;ervices. You know in <HI>Noah's</HI> flood all that were not in the Ark, though they climb|ed up the talle&s;t Trees, and the highe&s;t mountains and hills, yet were really drowned; &s;o let men
<PB N="317" REF="214"> climb up to this duty and that, yet if they don't get into Chri&s;t, they will be really damned. 'Tis not thy Clo&s;et, but thy Chri&s;t that mu&s;t &s;ave thee. If a man be not intere&s;t|ed in Chri&s;t, he may peri&s;h with <HI>Our Father</HI> in his mouth. 'Tis as natural to a man to re&s;t in his du|ties, as 'tis for him to re&s;t in his bed.</P>
<P>This was <HI>Bernards</HI> temptation, who being a little a&s;&s;i&s;ted in duty, could &s;troak his own head with <HI>bene feci&s;ti Bernarde, O Bernard this was gallantly done, now cheer up thy &s;elf.</HI> Ah how apt is man, when he hath been a little a&s;&s;i&s;ted, heated, melt|ed, enlarged, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> in a way of du|ty, to goe away and &s;troak him&s;elf, <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 50, ult.</NOTE> and ble&s;&s;e him&s;elf, and hug him|&s;elf, and warm him&s;elf with the &s;parks, with the fire of his own kindling.</P>
<P><HI>Adam</HI> was to win life and wear <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 2. 2.</NOTE> it, he was to be &s;aved by his doings, <HI>Doe this and live:</HI> Hence it is that <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 2. 37. Chap. 16. 30.</NOTE> all his po&s;terity are &s;o prone to &s;eek for &s;alvation by doing; <HI>What</HI>
<PB N="318" REF="215"> <HI>&s;hall we do to be &s;aved?</HI> and <HI>good Ma|&s;ter,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mark 10. 17, 20.</NOTE> <HI>what &s;hall I doe that I may inherit eternal life?</HI> Like Father, like Son. But if our own duties or doings were &s;ufficient to &s;ave us, to what purpo&s;e did Chri&s;t leave his Fathers bo&s;ome, and lay down his deare&s;t life, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Clo&s;et-duties re&s;ted in may pacifie Con&s;cience for a time; but this will not alwayes hold: <HI>When Ephraim &s;aw his &s;ickne&s;s, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 5. 13.</NOTE> <HI>Judah &s;aw his wound, then went Ephra|im to the A&s;&s;yrian, and &s;ent to King Ja|reb; yet could they not heal him, nor cure him of his wound.</HI> If we re&s;t on Clo&s;et-duties, or on any thing el&s;e on this &s;ide Chri&s;t, we &s;hall find them as weak as the <HI>A&s;&s;yrian,</HI> or as <HI>Jareb;</HI> we &s;hall find to our co&s;t, that they can't help us nor heal us; they can't comfort us, nor cure us of our wounds. As creatures, &s;o duties, were never true to any that have tru&s;ted in them. When the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> were in great <NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 10. 14.</NOTE> di&s;tre&s;&s;e, the Lord bids them go and cry unto the gods which they had cho&s;en, and let them deliver you
<PB N="319" REF="215"> (&s;aith God) in the time of your tribulation. O Sirs, if when you are under di&s;tre&s;&s;e of Con&s;cience, or lying upon a dying Bed, God &s;hould &s;ay to you, go to your Clo|&s;et-prayers and performances, that you have made and re&s;ted in; go to your Clo&s;et-tears that you have &s;hed and re&s;ted in, and let them &s;ave you and deliver you; Oh what mi&s;erable &s;aviours and com|forters would they be unto you? Look what the Ark of God was to the <HI>Phyli&s;tins,</HI> that Clo&s;et-duties <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 5.</NOTE> are to Satan; he trembles every time he &s;ees a poor &s;inner go into his Clo&s;et, and come out of his Clo|&s;et re&s;ting and glorying in Je&s;us, and not in his duties; but when he &s;ees a poor creature confide in his Clo&s;et-duties, and re&s;t upon his Clo&s;et-duties, then he rejoy|ceth, then he claps his hands and &s;ings ahah &s;o would I have it. Ore&s;t not on any thing on this &s;ide Je&s;us Chri&s;t; &s;ay to your graces, &s;ay to your duties, &s;ay to your holine&s;s, you are not my Saviour, you are
<PB N="320" REF="216"> not my Mediator; and therefore you are not to be tru&s;ted to, you are not to be re&s;ted in. 'Tis my duty to perform Clo&s;et-duties, but 'tis my &s;in to rely upon them, or to put confidence in them; do them I mu&s;t, but glory in them I mu&s;t not. He that re&s;ts in his Clo&s;et-duties, he makes a &s;aviour of his Clo&s;et-duties. Let all your Clo|&s;et-duties lead you to Je&s;us, and leave you more in communion <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 7. 25.</NOTE> with him, and in dependance up|on him; and then thrice happy will you be. Let all thy Clo&s;et-pray|ers and tears, thy Clo&s;et-fa&s;tings and meltings, be a Star to guide thee to Je&s;us, a <HI>Jacobs</HI> I adder by which thou maye&s;t a&s;cend into the bo&s;ome of Eternal Loves, and then thou art &s;afe for ever.</P>
<P>Ah 'tis &s;ad to think, how mo&s;t men have forgotten their re&s;ting place, as the Lord complains, <HI>My</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 50. 6.</NOTE> <HI>people have been like lo&s;t &s;heep, their Shepheards have cau&s;ed them&punc; to go a|&s;tray, and have turned them away to the Mountains; they have gone from moun|tain</HI>
<PB N="321" REF="216"> <HI>to hill, and forgotten their re&s;ting place.</HI> Ah how many poor &s;ouls are there, that wander from moun|tain to hill, from one duty to an|other, and here they will re&s;t, and there they will re&s;t, and all on this &s;ide their re&s;ting place! O Sirs, 'tis God him&s;elf that is your re|&s;ting place, 'tis his free grace, 'tis his &s;ingular mercy, 'tis his infinite love that is your re&s;ting place; 'tis the bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t, the favour of Chri&s;t, the &s;atisfaction of Chri&s;t, and the pure, perfect, &s;potle&s;&s;e, marchle&s;s, and glorious righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, that is your re&s;ting place; and therefore &s;ay to all your Clo&s;et-duties and per|formances, farewell; prayer farewell, reading farewell, fa&s;ting farewell, tears farewell, &s;ighs and groanes farewell, meltings and humblings I will never tru&s;t more to you, I will never re&s;t more on you; but I will now return to my re&s;ting place, I will now re&s;t only in God and Chri&s;t, I will now re&s;t wholly in God and Chri&s;t, I will
<PB N="322" REF="217"> now re&s;t for ever in God and Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>It was the &s;aying of a precious Saint, <HI>that he was more afraid of his duties than of his &s;ins; for the one made him often proud, the other made him al|ways humble.</HI> But,</P>
<P>My fifth advice and coun&s;el is this, Labour to bring your hearts into all your Clo&s;et-prayers and performances: Look that your tongues and your hearts keep time &amp; tune. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 17. 1. <HI>Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips;</HI> or, as it is in the Hebrew, <HI>without lips of deceit.</HI> Heart and tongue mu&s;t goe together; word and work, lip and life, prayer and practi&s;e, mu&s;t eccho one to another, or el&s;e thy prayers and thy &s;oul will be lo&s;t together; the labour of the lips, and the travail of the heart mu&s;t go together.</P>
<P>The <HI>Egyptians</HI> of all fruits made choice of the Peach to con&s;ecrate <NOTE PLACE="marg">Plutark.</NOTE> to their Godde&s;s, and for no other cau&s;e, but that the fruit thereof is like to ones heart, and the leaf like
<PB N="323" REF="217"> to ones tongue. The&s;e very Hea|thens in the wor&s;hip of their gods thought it nece&s;&s;ary that mens hearts and tongues &s;hould go toge|ther. Ah Chri&s;tians, when in your Clo&s;et-duties your hearts and your tongues go together, then you make that &s;weet and delightful melody, that is mo&s;t taking and plea&s;ing to the King of Kings. The very &s;oul of prayer lyes in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 1. 15.</NOTE> pouring out of the Soul before God. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 42. 4. <HI>When I remember the&s;e things, I pour out my &s;oul in me.</HI> So the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> poured out their &s;ouls like water before the Lord: So the Church, <HI>The de&s;ire of our &s;oul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. VVith my &s;oul have I de&s;ired thee in the night, yea, with my &s;pirit within me will I &s;eek thee early,</HI> I&s;a. 26. 8, 9. So <HI>Lament.</HI> 3. 41. <HI>Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.</HI> So <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 22. <HI>Let us draw neer with a true heart, &amp;c.</HI> So <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 9. <HI>For God is my witne&s;&s;e whom I &s;erve in the Spirit.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14 15. <HI>I will pray with the &s;pirit, and &s;ing</HI>
<PB N="324" REF="218"> <HI>with the &s;pirit. Phil.</HI> 3. 3. <HI>VVe are the Circumci&s;ion which wor&s;hip God in the &s;pirit.</HI> Under the Law the in|ward parts were only to be offer|ed to God in &s;acrifice; the skin belonged to the Prie&s;ts; whence we may ea&s;ily gather, that truth in the inward parts, is that which is mo&s;t plea&s;ing in a &s;acrifice. When the <HI>Athenians</HI> would know of the Oracle the cau&s;e of their often un|pro&s;perous &s;ucce&s;&s;es in battel a|gain&s;t the <HI>Lacedemonians,</HI> &s;eeing they offered the choyce&s;t things they could get, in &s;acrifice to the gods, which their enemies did not, the Oracle gave them this an&s;wer, <HI>that the gods were better plea&s;ed with their inward &s;upplication without ambi|tion, than with all their outward pomp in co&s;tly Sacrifices.</HI> Ah Sirs, the rea&s;on why &s;o many are &s;o un&s;uc|ce&s;sful in their Clo&s;et-duties and &s;ervices is, becau&s;e there is no more of their hearts in them. No man can make &s;ure work, or happy work in prayer, but he that makes heart work on it. When a mans
<PB N="325" REF="218"> heart is in his prayers, then great and &s;weet will be his returns from heaven; that is no prayer in which the heart of the per&s;on bears no part. When the Soul is &s;eparated from the body the man is dead; and &s;o when the heart is &s;epa|rated from the lip in prayer, the prayer is dead.</P>
<P>The Jews at this day write upon the walls of their Synagogues the&s;e words, <HI>Tephillah belo cavannah ceguph belo ne&s;hamah;</HI> that is, <HI>a prayer without the heart</HI> (or, <HI>without the in|tention of the affection) is like a body without a &s;oul.</HI></P>
<P>In the Law of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> the Prie&s;t was commanded to wa&s;h the in|wards and the feet of the Sacrifi|ces in water, <HI>and this was done,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Philo, not without a my&s;tery, to teach us to keep our hearts and affections clean when we draw nigh to God.</HI> In all your Clo&s;et-duties God looks fir&s;t and mo&s;t to your hearts, <HI>My Son</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 23. 26.</NOTE> <HI>give me thy heart.</HI> It is not a piece, it is not a corner of the heart, that will &s;atisfie the maker of the heart; the
<PB N="326" REF="219"> heart is a trea&s;ure, a bed of &s;pices, a royal throne wherein he de|lights. God looks not at the cle|gancy of your prayers, to &s;ee how neat they are; nor yet at the Geo|metry of your prayers, to &s;ee how long they are; nor yet at the Arith|metick of your prayers, to &s;ee how many they are; nor yet at the Mu|&s;ick of your prayers, nor yet at the &s;weetne&s;s of your voice, nor yet at the Logick of your prayers; but at the &s;incerity of your prayers, how hearty they are. There is no prayer acknowledged, approv|ed, accepted, recorded, or reward|ed by God, but that wherein the heart is &s;incerely and wholly. The true mother would not have the <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 51. 17. James 1. 8.</NOTE> child divided. As God loves a bro|ken and a contrite heart, &s;o he loaths a divided heart. God nei|ther loves halting nor halving, he will be &s;erved truly and totally. The Royal Law is, <HI>Thou &s;halt love and &s;erve the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy &s;oul.</HI> A+mong the Heathens, when the
<PB N="327" REF="219"> bea&s;ts were cut up for &s;acrifice, the fir&s;t thing the Prie&s;t looked upon <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 21. 27. I&s;a. 1. 11, 12. Chap. 29. 13. Mat. 15. 7, 8, 9. Ezek. 33. 30, 31, 32. Zech. 7. 4, 5, 6. 2 Chron. 25 1, 2. P&s;al. 78. 36, 37.</NOTE> was the heart, and if the heart was naught, the &s;acrifice was rejected. Verily, God rejects all tho&s;e &s;ervi|ces and &s;acrifices, wherein the heart is not, as you may &s;ee by comparing the Scriptures in the margent together. Prayer with|out the heart is but as &s;ounding bra&s;s or a tinckling Cymbal. Prayer is only lovely and weigh|ty, as the heart is in it, and no o|therwi&s;e. It is not the lifting up of the voyce, nor the wringing of the hands, nor the beating of the brea&s;ts, nor an affected tone, nor &s;tudied notions, nor &s;eraphical ex|pre&s;&s;ions, but the &s;tirrings of the heart, that God looks at in prayer. God hears no more than the heart &s;peaks: if the heart be dumb. God will certainly be deaf; no prayer takes with God, but that which is the travel of the heart.</P>
<P>The &s;ame day <HI>Julius Cae&s;ar</HI> came to the imperial dignity, &s;itting in his Golden Chair, he offered a
<PB N="328" REF="220"> bea&s;t in Sacrifice to the gods; but when the bea&s;t was opened, it was without a heart, which the South-&s;ayers looked upon as an ill omen. 'Tis a &s;ad omen, that thou wilt ra|ther provoke the Lord than pre|vail with him, who art habitu|ally heartle&s;&s;e in thy Clo&s;et-du|ties. Of the heart God &s;eemeth to &s;ay to us, as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> did to his Bre|thren, concerning <HI>Benjamin, Ye &s;hall not &s;ee my face without it.</HI></P>
<P>It was the &s;peech of ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Brad|ford, that he would never leave a Duty, till he had brought his heart into the frame of the duty; he would not leave con|fe&s;&s;ion of &s;in, till his heart was broken for &s;in; he would not leave petitioning for grace, till his heart was quickened and enlivened, in a hopeful expectation of more grace; he would not leave gra|tulation, till his heart was enlarged with the &s;ence of the mercies he enjoyed, and quickened in the return of prai&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>My &s;ixth advice and coun|&s;el is this, Be fervent, be warm, be importunate with God in all your Clo&s;et-duties and perfor|mances.
<PB N="329" REF="220"> <HI>James</HI> 5. 17. <HI>The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man a|vaileth much;</HI> or as the Greek hath it, <HI>the working prayer;</HI> that is, &s;uch work|ing <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> prayer as &s;ets the wholeman on work, as &s;ets all the faculties of the &s;oul, and all the graces in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 55. 1. P&s;al. 61. 1. P&s;al. 64. 1. P&s;al. 88. 1, 13. P&s;al. 119. 164. Jon. 2. 1, 2. Joel. 2. 13. P&s;al. 119. 145, 147. P&s;al. 119. 20.</NOTE> &s;oul at work; the word &s;ignifies &s;uch a working as notes the live|lie&s;t activity that can be. Certainly all tho&s;e u&s;ual phra&s;es, of crying, wre&s;tling and &s;triving with God, which are &s;cattered up and down in Scripture, do &s;trongly argue that holy importunity, and &s;a|cred violence that the Saints of old have expre&s;&s;ed in their addre&s;|&s;es to God. Fervency feathers the wings of prayer, and makes them fly the &s;wifter to Heaven. An Arrow if it be drawn up but a little way, flyes not far; but if it be drawn up to the head, it will fly far, and pierce deeply: So fer|vent <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Qui timide rogat, do|cet negare,</HI> &s;aith the Philo&s;o|pher.</NOTE> prayer flyes as high as Hea|ven, and will certainly bring down ble&s;&s;ings from thence. Cold pray|ers be&s;peak a denyal, but fervent
<PB N="330" REF="221"> prayers offer a &s;acred violence both to heaven and earth. Look as in a painted fire there is no heat; &s;o in a cold prayer there is no heat, no warmth, no omnipotency, no devotion, no ble&s;&s;ing. Cold pray|ers are like Arrows without heads, as &s;words without edges, as Birds without wings, they pierce not, they cut not, they fly not up to hea|ven. Such prayers as have no hea|venly fire in them, do alwayes freez before they reach as high as heaven: But fervent prayer is ve|ry prevalent with God, <HI>Acts</HI> 12. 5. <HI>Peter therefore was kept in pri&s;on, but prayer was made without cea&s;ing.</HI> The Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies in|&s;tant prayer, earne&s;t prayer, &s;tretch|ed-out prayer, prayer &s;tretched-out upon the tenters, as it were. The&s;e gracious &s;ouls did in prayer &s;train and &s;tretch them&s;elves, as men do that are running in a race; they prayed with all the &s;trength of their &s;ouls, and with all the fervency of their &s;pirits, and ac|cordingly they carryed the day
<PB N="331" REF="221"> with God, as you may &s;ee in the following ver&s;es. So <HI>Acts</HI> 26. 7. <HI>&V;nto which promi&s;e our Twelve Tribes in&s;tantly &s;erving God day and night,</HI> or rather as the Greek hath it, <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>in a &s;tretched-out man|ner, &s;erving God day and night.</HI> The&s;e Twelve Tribes (or the godly <HI>Jews</HI> of the Twelve Tribes of <HI>I&s;ra|el)</HI> &s;tretched out their hearts, their affections, their graces, to the utmo&s;t in prayer. In all your private retirements, do as the Twelve Tribes did. <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 11. <HI>Fervent in &s;pirit, &s;erving the Lord.</HI> The Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifies &s;eething hot. God loves to &s;ee his people zealous and warm in his &s;ervice: Without fervency of &s;pirit no &s;ervice finds acceptance in heaven. God is a pure act, and he loves that his people &s;hould be lively and active in his &s;ervice, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 12. <HI>Continuing in&s;tant in prayer;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>continuing with all your might in prayer.</HI> 'Tis a Metaphor from hunting dogs, that will ne|ver give over the game till they
<PB N="332" REF="222"> have got it. <HI>Rom.</HI> 15. 30. <HI>That ye &s;trive together with me, in your prayers to God for me;</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>&s;trive mightily, &s;trive as Champions&s;trive, even to an Agony,</HI> as the word imports: 'Tis a military word, and notes &s;uch fervent wre&s;tling or &s;triving, as is for life and death. <HI>Col.</HI> 4. 12. <HI>Alwayes labouring fervently for you in prayer:</HI> The Greek word <GAP DESC="foreign"> that is here u&s;ed, &s;ignifies to &s;trive or wre&s;tle, as tho&s;e do that &s;trive for ma&s;tery; it notes the vehemency and fervour of <HI>Epaphras</HI> his prayers for the <HI>Co|lo&s;&s;ians.</HI> Look as the wre&s;tlers do bend, and writhe, and &s;tretch, and &s;train, every joynt of their bodies, that they may be victorious; &s;o <HI>Epa|phras</HI> did bend, &amp; writh, and &s;tretch &amp; &s;train every joynt of his &s;oul (if I may &s;o &s;peak) that he might be victorious with God upon the <HI>Co|lo&s;&s;ians</HI> account. So when <HI>Jacob</HI> was with God alone, ah how ear|ne&s;t <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32. 24,&mdash;27. Ho&s;. 12. 4, 5.</NOTE> and fervent was he in his wre|&s;tlings with God! he wre&s;tles and weeps, and weeps and wre&s;tles;
<PB N="333" REF="222"> he tugs hard with God, he holds his hold, and he will not let God go, till as a Prince he had prevailed with him. Fervent prayer is the Souls contention, the Souls &s;trugling with God; it is a &s;weating work, it is the &s;weat and blood of the &s;oul, its a laying out to the uttermo&s;t all the &s;trength and powers of the Soul. He that would gain victory over God in private prayer, mu&s;t &s;train every &s;tring of his heart; he mu&s;t in be|&s;eeching God, be&s;iedge him, and &s;o get the better of him; he mu&s;t be like importunate beggars, that will not be put off with frowns, or &s;ilence, or &s;ad an&s;wers. Tho&s;e that would be ma&s;ters of their re|que&s;ts, mu&s;t, like the importunate Widdow, pre&s;s God &s;o far, as to put him to an holy blu&s;h (as I may &s;ay with reverence:) They mu&s;t with an holy impudence (as <HI>Ba&s;il</HI> &s;peaks) make God a&s;hamed to look them in the face, if he &s;hould deny the importunity of theirs &s;ouls.</P>
<PB N="334" REF="223">
<P> Had <HI>Abraham</HI> had a little more <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dor. Don.</HI> Fol. p. 522. Gen. 18. 22, 23.</NOTE> of this impudence (&s;aith one) when he made &s;uit for <HI>Sodom,</HI> it might have done well: <HI>Abraham</HI> brought down the price to ten righteous, and there his mode&s;ty &s;taid him; had he gone lower, God only knows what might have been done, for <HI>God went not a|way</HI> (&s;aith the Text) <HI>till he had left communing with Abraham,</HI> that is, till <HI>Abraham</HI> had no more to &s;ay to God: <HI>Abraham</HI> left over asking, before God left over granting; he left over praying, before God left over bating; and &s;o <HI>Sodom</HI> was lo&s;t.</P>
<P>O the heavenly fire, the holy fervency that was in <HI>Daniels</HI> Clo|&s;et-prayer! <HI>O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, O Lord hearken and do, defer</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 9. 19.</NOTE> <HI>not for thine own &s;ake.</HI> Look as there be two kinds of Antidotes a|gain&s;t Poy&s;on, <HI>viz.</HI> hot, and cold; &s;o there are two kinds of Antidotes again&s;t all the troubles of this life, <HI>viz.</HI> fervent prayers, and holy pa|tience; the one hot, the other cold;
<PB N="335" REF="223"> the one quickening, and the other quenching, and holy <HI>Daniel</HI> made u&s;e of them both. Fervency to prayer, is as the fire was to the &s;pices in the Cen&s;or, or as wings to the Bird, or as oyl to the wheels; and this <HI>Daniel</HI> found by experi|ence. God looks not for any <HI>James</HI> with horny knees, through a&s;&s;iduity of prayer; nor for any <HI>Bartholomew</HI> with a Century of prayers for the morning, and as many for the evening; but for fer|vency of &s;pirit in prayer, which alone carryes all with God. Fee|ble prayers, like weak pangs go over, and never brings a mercy to the birth. Cold prayers are &s;till|born Children, in whom the Fa|ther of &s;pirits can take no plea|&s;ure. Look as a painted man is no man, and as painted fire is no fire; &s;o a cold prayer is no pray|er. Such prayers never win upon the heart of God, that do not fir&s;t warm our own hearts: As a bo|dy without a &s;oul, much wood without fire, a Bullet in a Gun
<PB N="336" REF="224"> without powder; &s;o are all pray|ers without fervency of Spirit.</P>
<P><HI>Luther</HI> termes Prayer <HI>Bombarda Chri&s;tianorum,</HI> the Gun or Canon of Chri&s;tians, or the Chri&s;tians Gun-&s;hot.</P>
<P>The hotte&s;t &s;prings &s;end forth their waters by ebullitions. Cold prayers make a &s;moak, a &s;mother <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1. 15. Ch. 65 5.</NOTE> in the eyes of God. Lazy pray|ers never procure noble an&s;wers. Lazy beggars may &s;tarve for all their begging.</P>
<P>Such as have a male in their flock, and offer to the Lord a fe|male: Such as offer to the Lord the torn, and the lame, and the &s;ick; &s;uch as turn off God with their cold, lazy, &s;leepy and for|mal <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. 1. 13, 14.</NOTE> devotions, are condemned, ca&s;t and cur&s;ed by God. <HI>David</HI> compares his prayers to incen&s;e, and no incen&s;e was offered with|out <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 141. 2.</NOTE> fire; it was that that made the &s;moke of it to a&s;cend. 'Tis only fervent prayer that hits the mark, and that pierces the walls of hea|ven, though, like tho&s;e of <HI>Gaza,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a&punc; 45. 2.</NOTE>
<PB N="337" REF="224"> made of Bra&s;s and Iron. While the Child only whimpers and whines in the Cradle, the Mother lets it alone; but when once it &s;ets up its note, and cryes out right, then &s;he runs and takes it up. So 'tis with a Chri&s;tian, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 34. 6. <HI>This poor man cryed,</HI> (there is his fervency, <HI>he cryed,</HI> but it was &s;ilent|ly and &s;ecretly, in the pre&s;ence of King <HI>Achi&s;h,</HI> as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> did at the <HI>Red-Sea;</HI> and as <HI>Nehemiah</HI> did in the pre&s;ence of the King of <HI>Per&s;ia,) and the Lord heard him, and delivered him out of all his troubles;</HI> here is his prevalency. So <HI>Latimer</HI> plyed the Throne of grace with great fer|vency; crying out, <HI>Once again Lord, once again re&s;tore the Go&s;pel to Eng|land,</HI> and God heard him.</P>
<P><HI>Hud&s;on</HI> the Martyr de&s;erted at the Stake, went from under his Chain, and having prayed fervent|ly he was comforted immediately, and &s;uffered valiantly.</P>
<P>I have read of one <HI>Giles</HI> of <HI>Brux|els</HI> a <HI>Dutch</HI> Martyr, who was &s;o fervent in his prayer, kneeling by
<PB N="338" REF="225"> him&s;elf in &s;ome &s;ecret place of the Pri&s;on where he was, that he &s;eemed to forget him&s;elf; and be|ing called to his meat, he neither heard nor &s;aw who &s;tood by him, till he was lifted up by the armes, and then he would &s;peak gently to them, as one awaked out of a Trance.</P>
<P>So <HI>Gregory Nazianzen,</HI> &s;peaking <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Paulin. Epi&s;t. lib.</HI> 1. <HI>Epi&s;t.</HI> 4.</NOTE> of his &s;i&s;ter <HI>Gorgonia,</HI> &s;aith, that in the vehemency of her prayer, &s;he came to a Religious impudency with God, &s;o as to threaten hea|ven, and tell God, that &s;he would never depart from his Altar, till &s;he had her petition granted.</P>
<P>Let us make it our bu&s;ine&s;&s;e to follow the&s;e noble examples, as e|ver we would &s;o Prince it in pray|er as to prevail with God. An importunate &s;oul in prayer, is like the poor beggar, that prayes and knocks, that prayes and waits, that prayes and works, that knocks and knits, that begs and patches, and will not &s;tir from the door till he hath an alms. Well Friends, re|member
<PB N="339" REF="225"> this, God re&s;pects no more luke-warm prayers, than he doth luke-warm per&s;ons; and they are &s;uch that he hath threat|ned to &s;pue out of his mouth. Tho&s;e prayers that are but lip-la|bour, are lo&s;t-labour: And there|fore in all your Clo&s;et-prayers, look to the fervency of your &s;pi|rits.</P>
<P>My Seventh Advice and coun|&s;el is this, Be con&s;tant, as well as &s;ervent in Clo&s;et-prayer; look that you hold on, and hold out, and that you per&s;evere to the end in private prayer. 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5. 17. <HI>Pray without cea&s;ing.</HI> A man mu&s;t alwayes pray habitually, though not actually; he mu&s;t have his heart in a praying di&s;po&s;ition, in all e&s;tates and conditions: Though Clo&s;et-prayer may have an inter|mi&s;&s;ion, yet it mu&s;t never have a ce&s;&s;ation. <HI>Luke</HI> 18. 1. <HI>And he &s;pake a Parable unto them, to this end, that men ought alwayes to pray, and not to faint,</HI> or as the Greek hath it, <HI>not</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> <HI>to &s;hrink back,</HI> as &s;luggards in work,
<PB N="340" REF="226"> or cowards in war. Clo&s;et-pray|er is a fire like that on the Altar, that was never to go out, day, nor <NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev. 12. 6.</NOTE> night. 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 3. 10. <HI>Night and day praying exceedingly: Paul</HI> &s;peaks like a man made up all of prayer, like a man that minded nothing &s;o much as prayer. So <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6. 18. <HI>Praying alwayes with all prayer and &s;upplication in the &s;pirit, and watch|ing. thereunto with all per&s;everance. Calvin</HI> makes this difference be|tween praying alwayes in the be|ginning of this Ver&s;e, and pray|ing with per&s;everance, in the end of this Ver&s;e; <HI>By praying alwayes</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>he exhorts us to pray in pro&s;perity as well as in adver&s;ity, and not to quit the duty of prayer in a pro&s;perous e&s;tate, becau&s;e we are not driven to it by outward pre&s;&s;ing nece&s;&s;ities and mi&s;eries; and by praying with per&s;everance, he admoni&s;heth us that we be not weary of the work, but continue in&s;tant and con|&s;tance in its performance, though we have not pre&s;ently what we pray for.</HI> So that <HI>praying alwayes,</HI> is oppo&s;ed to a neglect of the Duty, in its proper
<PB N="341" REF="226"> times and &s;ea&s;ons; and <HI>praying with per&s;everance,</HI> is oppo&s;ed to a fainting in our &s;pirits, in re&s;pect of this or that particular &s;uit or re|que&s;t, that we put up to God. When God turns a deaf ear to our prayers, we mu&s;t not fret nor faint, we mu&s;t not be di&s;mayed nor di&s;couraged; but we mu&s;t hold up and hold on in the Duty of prayer with invincible patience, courage, and con&s;tancy, as the Church did, <HI>Lament.</HI> 3. 8, 44, 55, 56, 57. compared. <HI>Col.</HI> 4. 2. <HI>Continue in prayer, and watch in the &s;ame with thanksgiving.</HI> We mu&s;t be con&s;tant and in&s;tant in Clo&s;et-prayer; we mu&s;t wait upon it, and lay all a&s;ide for it. He that is on|ly in his Clo&s;et by fits and &s;tarts, will neither glorifie God, nor ad|vantage his own &s;oul. If we do not make a trade of Clo&s;et-prayer, we &s;hall never make any yearnings of Clo&s;et-prayer. Look as they that get money by their Iron Mills, do keep a continual fire in their Iron Mills; &s;o they that will
<PB N="342" REF="227"> get any &s;oul-good by Clo&s;et-du|ties, they mu&s;t keep clo&s;e and con|&s;tant to Clo&s;et-duties. The hy|pocrite is only con&s;tant in incon|&s;tancy, he is only in his Clo&s;et by fits and &s;tarts; now and then, when he is in a good mood, you &s;hall find him &s;tep into his Clo&s;et, but he never holds it; <HI>Job</HI> 27. 10. <HI>Will he alwayes call upon God?</HI> or as the Hebrew hath it, <HI>VVill he in eve|ry time call upon God?</HI> When they are under the &s;marting rod, or when they are upon the torment|ing rack, or when they are under <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 26. 16. P&s;al. 78. 34. Zech. 7. 5.</NOTE> grievous wants, or when they are &s;truck with panick feares, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> then you &s;hall have them run to their Clo&s;ets, as <HI>Joab</HI> run to the horns of the Altar, when he was in dan|ger of death; but they never per&s;e|vere, they never hold out to the end; and therefore in the end they lo&s;e both their Clo&s;et-prayers, and their Souls together.</P>
<P>It was a mo&s;t prophane and <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Heil. Mic. P.</HI> 376.</NOTE> bla&s;phemous &s;peech of that athe|i&s;tical wretch, that told God, <HI>that</HI>
<PB N="343" REF="227"> <HI>he was no common beggar, and that he never troubled him before with prayer, and if he would but hear him that time, he would never trouble him again.</HI></P>
<P>Clo&s;et-prayer is a hard work, and a man mu&s;t tug hard at it, and &s;tick clo&s;e to it, as <HI>Jacob</HI> did, if e|ver <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ge<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> 32.</NOTE> he intends to make any inter|nal or eternal advantages by it. <HI>Daniel</HI> cho&s;e rather to run the haz|zard <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 6.</NOTE> of his life, than to give over praying in his Chamber. 'Tis not he that begins in the &s;pirit, and ends in the fle&s;h; 'tis not he that <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 3. 3. Luke 9. 62. Mat. 24. 13. Rev. 2. 17.</NOTE> puts his hand to the plow, and looks back; but he that per&s;everes to the end in prayer, that &s;hall be &s;aved and crowned: 'Tis he that per&s;everes in well doing, that &s;hall eat of the hidden <HI>Manna,</HI> and that &s;hall have the <HI>White Stone, and in the &s;tone a new name written, which no man knows &s;aving him that receiv|eth it.</HI> Tho&s;e precious praying mourning &s;ouls, in that <HI>Ezek.</HI> 9. 4, 6. that were marked to be pre&s;erv|ed in <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> were di&s;tingui&s;h|ed (&s;ay &s;ome of the learned) by
<PB N="344" REF="228"> the Character <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Tau,</HI> which is the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>J. Menoch. Com. in Ezek. Cap.</HI> 9. 4.</NOTE> la&s;t of all the Hebrew letters, to teach them, that they mu&s;t hold out, and hold on to the end in well doing. 'Tis con&s;tancy in Clo&s;et-duty, that crowns the Chri&s;tian, and commends the duty.</P>
<P>But would God have his people to ca&s;t off their callings, and to ca&s;t off all care of their Relations, and &s;hut them&s;elves up in their Clo&s;ets, and there &s;pend their whole time in &s;ecret prayer? O no, Every Duty mu&s;t have its time and place; <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 3. 1.</NOTE> and as one friend mu&s;t not &s;hut out another, &s;o one Duty mu&s;t not &s;hut out another: The Duties of my particular calling, as I am a man, mu&s;t not &s;hut out the Duties of my generall calling, as I am a Chri&s;tian; nor the Duties of my general calling as I am a Chri&s;tian, mu&s;t not &s;hut out the Duties of my particular calling, as I am a man. But that you may be fully &s;atisfied in this ca&s;e, you mu&s;t remember, that a man may be &s;aid to pray al|wayes.</P>
<PB N="345" REF="228">
<P> Fir&s;t, When his heart is alwayes in a praying frame. Look as a man may be truly &s;aid to give alwayes, who&s;e heart is alwayes in a giving frame; and to &s;uffer al|wayes, who&s;e heart is alwayes in a &s;uffering frame. <HI>For thy &s;ake are</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 44. 22. 2 Pet. 2. 14. Jer. 9. 3.</NOTE> <HI>we killed all the day long.</HI> And to &s;in alwayes, who&s;e heart is al|wayes in a &s;inning frame: So a man may be as truly &s;aid to pray alwayes, who&s;e heart is alwayes in a praying frame.</P>
<P>Secondly, A man prayes al|wayes, when he takes hold on every fit &s;ea&s;on and opportunity for the pouring out of his &s;oul be|fore the Lord in his Clo&s;et. To pray alwayes is <GAP DESC="foreign"> to pray in every opportunity; but of this before.</P>
<P>It is ob&s;erved by &s;ome, of <HI>Prote|us,</HI> that he was wont to give cer|tain oracles, but it was hard to make him &s;peak and deliver them, but he would turn him&s;elf into &s;eve|ral &s;hapes and forms; yet if they would hold out, &amp; pre&s;s him hard
<PB N="346" REF="229"> without fear, into what&s;oever form or &s;hape he appeared, they were &s;ure to have &s;atisfactory Oracles: So if we continue con|&s;tant in our Clo&s;et-wre&s;tlings with God, if we hold on in private prayer, though God &s;hould ap|pear to us in the form or &s;hape of a Judge, an enemy, a &s;tranger, we &s;hall certainly &s;peed at la&s;t. <HI>O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5. 28.</NOTE> <HI>thee even as thou wilt; and her Daugh|ter was made whole from that very hour.</HI></P>
<P>The Philo&s;opher being asked in his old age, why he did not give o|ver <NOTE PLACE="marg">Non pro|gredi e&s;t regredi.</NOTE> his practi&s;e, &amp; take his ea&s;e, an|&s;wered, <HI>when a man is to run a race of fourty furlongs, would you have him &s;it down at the nine and thirtieth, and &s;o lo&s;e the prize, the Crown for which he ran?</HI> O Sirs, if you hold not out to the end in Clo&s;et-prayer, you will certainly lo&s;e the heavenly prize, the Crown of Life, the Crown of Righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, the Crown of Glory. To continue in giving glory to God in this way of duty, is as nece&s;&s;ary
<PB N="347" REF="229"> and requi&s;ite, as to begin to give glory to God in this way of duty; for though the beginning be more than half, yet the end is more than all. The God of all perfections looks that our <HI>&V;ltimum vitae,</HI> &s;hould <NOTE PLACE="marg">Finis coro|not opus.</NOTE> be his <HI>Optimum Gloriae;</HI> that our la&s;t works &s;hould be our be&s;t works, and that we &s;hould per&s;evere in Clo&s;et-prayer to the end, <HI>Rev.</HI> 2. 10.</P>
<P>My eighth Advice and Coun&s;el is this, In all your Clo&s;et-prayers, thir&s;t, and long after communion <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 3. 1, 2, 3. P&s;al. 73. <HI>ult.</HI></NOTE> with God; in all your private re|tirements, take up in nothing be|low fellow&s;hip with God, in no|thing below a &s;weet and &s;piritu|al enjoyment of God. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 27. 4. <HI>One thing have I de&s;ired of the Lord, that will I &s;eek after, that I may dwell in the hou&s;e of the Lord all the dayes of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his Temple.</HI> The Temple of the Lord, without communion with the Lord of the Temple, will not &s;atisfie <HI>David's</HI> Soul. <HI>P&s;al</HI> 42. 1, 2. <HI>As the Hart pant|eth after the Water brooks, &s;o panteth</HI>
<PB N="348" REF="230"> <HI>my &s;oul after thee, O God. My Soul thir&s;teth for God, for the living God; when &s;hall I come and appeare before God!</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Hart,</HI> as <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> and others ob&s;erve, is of all creatures mo&s;t hot and dry of it &s;elf, but e&s;pecial|ly when it is cha&s;ed and hunted, then it is extream thir&s;ty: The fe|male is here meant, as the Greek ar|ticle <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>he Elaphos</HI> doth ma|nife&s;t; now in the females the pa&s;&s;ions of thir&s;t are more &s;trong, as the naturali&s;ts ob&s;erve. By this <HI>David</HI> di&s;covers what a vehe|ment and inflamed thir&s;t there was in his Soul after communion with God: And as nothing could &s;atis|fie the hunted&punc; <HI>Hart</HI> but the water brooks; &s;o nothing could &s;atisfie his &s;oul but the enjoyments of God. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 43. 4. <HI>Then will I go unto the Altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy.</HI> The altar of God is here put for the wor&s;hip of God; now it was not barely the Wor&s;hip of God, but communion with God in his Wor&s;hip, that was <HI>David'e</HI> exceeding joy. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 63. 1, 2, <HI>O God, thou</HI>
<PB N="349" REF="230"> <HI>art my God, early will I &s;eek thee; my Soul thir&s;teth for thee, my fle&s;h longeth for thee in a dry and thir&s;ty Land, where no water is: To &s;ee thy power and thy glory, &s;o as I have &s;een thee in the San|ctuary. Davids</HI> &s;oul did not thir&s;t after a Crown; a Kingdom, or any worldly greatne&s;&s;e, or glory, but after a choi&s;e and &s;weet enjoy|ment of God in his wilderne&s;&s;e e|&s;tate. Never did any Woman with Child long more after this, or that, than <HI>Davids</HI> Soul did long to enjoy &s;en&s;ible communion with God, in the mid&s;t of all his &s;or|rows and &s;ufferings. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 84. 2. <HI>My Soul longeth; yea, even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord: My heart and my fle&s;h cryeth out for the living God.</HI> By <HI>the Courts of the Lord,</HI> we are to under&s;tand the ordinances; now the&s;e without communion with God, would never &s;atisfie <HI>Davids</HI> Soul.</P>
<P>I commend that &s;peech of <HI>Ber|nard, Nanquam abs te, ab&s;&abque; te rece|do: I never come to thee, but by thee;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Bern. epi&s;t.</HI> 116.</NOTE> <HI>I never come from thee without thee.</HI></P>
<PB N="350" REF="231">
<P> When ever you go into your Clo&s;ets, pre&s;s hard after real and &s;en&s;ible Communion with God, that &s;o you may come out of your Clo&s;ets with &s;ome &s;hines of God upon your &s;pirits; as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> came down from the Mount with his <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 34. 29, 35.</NOTE> face &s;hining. O do not take up in your Clo&s;et-prayers, or tears, or joyes, or enlargements; but labour and long to enjoy that inward and clo&s;e Fellow&s;hip with God in your Clo&s;ets, as may leave &s;uch a choice, and &s;weet favour of God, both upon your hearts and lives, as others may be forced to &s;ay, &s;urely <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 4. 13.</NOTE> the&s;e have been with Je&s;us. 'Tis &s;ad when Chri&s;tians return from their Clo&s;ets to their &s;hops, their trades, their families, their com|merce, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> without the lea&s;t vi&s;i|ble rayes of divine glory upon them.</P>
<P>O Sirs, Clo&s;et-prayer will be found to be but a dry, &s;aple&s;&s;e, live-le&s;&s;e, heartle&s;&s;e, comfortle&s;&s;e, thing, if you do not enjoy Com|munion with God in it. Commu|nion
<PB N="351" REF="231"> with God is the very Life, Soul, and Crown of all your Clo|&s;et-duties; and therefore pre&s;s af|ter it as for Life: When you go into your Clo&s;ets let every thing go, that may hinder your fruition of Chri&s;t, and let every thing be embraced, that makes way for your enjoyment of Chri&s;t. O let Clo&s;et-prayer be a golden bridge, a wherry, a Chariot to convey your Souls over to God, and to bring you into a more intimate Communion with God. Let no Clo&s;et-duty &s;atisfie you or con|tent you, wherein you have not conver&s;ed with God, as a Child conver&s;eth with his Father, or as a wife conver&s;eth with her Husband, or as a Friend conver&s;eth with his Friend, even face to face. Nothing &s;peaks out more un&s;oundne&s;s, fal&s;|ne&s;s, and ba&s;ene&s;s of heart, than this, when men make Duty, the end of Duty; Prayer, the end of Prayer; than when men can begin a Duty, and go on in a Duty, and clo&s;e up a Duty, and ble&s;s and
<PB N="352" REF="232"> &s;troake them&s;elves after a Duty, and yet never enjoy the lea&s;t Communion with God in the Duty.</P>
<P><HI>But how &s;hall a man know when he</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Que&s;t."> <HI>hath a real Communion with God in a Duty or no?</HI></P>
<P>This is a very noble and nece&s;|&s;ary Que&s;tion, and accordingly it calls for a cleer and &s;atisfactory An&s;wer; and therefore thus,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, A man may have Com|munion <MILESTONE UNIT="Sol."> with God in &s;orrow and tears, when he hath not Commu|nion with God in joy delight; a <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 51. 17.</NOTE> man may have Communion with God in a heart-humbling, a heart-melting, and a heart-aba&s;ing way, when he hath not Communion with God in a heart reviving, a heart-cheering, and a heart-com|forting way. 'Tis a very great mi&s;take among many tender &s;pi|rited Chri&s;tians, to think that they have no Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets, except they meet with God embracing and ki&s;&s;ing, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 2. 4, 5, 6.</NOTE> cheering and comforting up of
<PB N="353" REF="232"> their &s;ouls; when they find God rai&s;ing the &s;prings of joy and com|fort in their &s;ouls, when they find God a &s;peaking peace unto them, when they find the &s;ingular &s;en&s;i|ble <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 85. 8.</NOTE> pre&s;ence of God cheering, re|fre&s;hing, and enlarging of them in their Clo&s;ets, O then they are willing to grant that they have had &s;weet Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets; But if God meets with them in their Clo&s;ets, and only breaks their hearts for &s;in, and from &s;in, if he meets with them and only makes his power and his pre&s;ence manife&s;t, in deba|&s;ing and ca&s;ting down of their &s;ouls, upon the &s;ight and &s;ence of their &s;trong corruptions and many imperfections, how unwilling are are they to believe that they have had any Communion with God. Well Friends, remember this once for all, <HI>viz.</HI> That a Chri&s;tian may have as real Communion with God in a heart-humbling way, as he can have in a heart-comforting way; a Chri&s;tian may have as
<PB N="354" REF="233"> choice Communion with God <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 20. 11,&mdash;19.</NOTE> when his eyes are full of tears, as he can have when his heart is full of joy. Sometimes God meets with a poor Chri&s;tian in his Clo|&s;et, and exceedingly breaks him and humbles him, and at other times he meets with the &s;ame Chri&s;tian in his Clo&s;et, and migh|tily cheers him and comforts him; &s;ometimes God meets with a poor Soul in his Clo&s;et, and there he &s;weetly quiets him and &s;tills him, and at other times he meets with the &s;ame Soul in his Clo&s;et, and then he greatly revives him and quickens him: God doth not al|wayes come upon the Soul one way, he doth not alwayes come in at one, and the &s;ame door. We <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 3. 8.</NOTE> &s;ometimes look for a Friend to come in at the fore-door, and then he comes in at the back-door; and at other times, when we look for him at the back door, then he comes in at the fore-door; and ju&s;t &s;o 'tis with Gods coming into his peoples &s;ouls: Sometimes
<PB REF="233"> they go into their Clo&s;ets, and look that God will come in at the fore-door of joy and com|fort, and then God comes in at the back-door of &s;orrow and grief; and at other times, when they look that God &s;hould come in at the back-door of humili|ation, breaking, and melting their hearts, then God comes in at the fore-door of joy and con&s;olation, cheering and rejoycing their &s;ouls. But.</P>
<P>Secondly, I an&s;wer, That all Chri&s;tians do not enjoy a like Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets; &s;ome enjoy much Com|munion with God in their Clo&s;ets, and others enjoy but little Com|munion with God in their Clo&s;ets. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had a more cleer, glorious, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 33. 11. Deut. 5. 4. Num. 12. 7, 8.</NOTE> and con&s;tant Communion with God in his dayes, than any others had in tho&s;e times wherein he liv|ed: God &s;pake to none <HI>face to face,</HI> as he did to <HI>Mo&s;es.</HI> And <HI>Abraham</HI> in his time had a more clo&s;e, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 18.</NOTE> friendly, and intimate Communi|on
<PB REF="234"> with God, than holy <HI>Lot</HI> or a|ny others had in that day. And though all the Di&s;ciples <HI>(Judas</HI> excepted) had &s;weet Communion with Chri&s;t in the days of his fle&s;h, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 17. 1, 2, 3, 4.</NOTE> yet <HI>Peter, James</HI> and <HI>John</HI> had a more cleer, choice, and full Communi|on with him, than the re&s;t had: Among all the Di&s;ciples <HI>John</HI> had <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 13. 23 John 20. 2. and Chap. 21. 20.</NOTE> mo&s;t bo&s;ome Communion with Chri&s;t, he was the greate&s;t favou|rite in Chri&s;t's Court, he leaned on Chri&s;t's bo&s;ome, he could &s;ay any thing to Chri&s;t, and he could know any thing of Chri&s;t, and he could have any thing of Chri&s;t; now that all Chri&s;tians do not enjoy Communion with God alike in their Clo&s;ets may be thus made evident.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, All Chri&s;tians do not prepare alike to enjoy Clo&s;et-Communion with God, and there|fore all Chri&s;tians do not enjoy Communion with God alike in <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 5. 1. P&s;al. 10. 17.</NOTE> their Clo&s;ets: Commonly he that prepares and fits him&s;elf mo&s;t for Clo&s;et-Communion with God, he
<PB N="357" REF="234"> is the man that enjoyes mo&s;t Clo|&s;et-Communion <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 30. 17, 18, 19, 20.</NOTE> with God.</P>
<P>Secondly, All Chri&s;tians do not alike prize Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets; &s;ome prize Com|munion with God in their clo&s;ets, before all, &amp; above all other things: As that noble Man <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;aid, <HI>Cur&s;ed</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 23. 12. P&s;al. 119. 127. Mat. 13. 45, 46.</NOTE> <HI>be he that prefers all the world to one hours Communion with God:</HI> They look upon it as that pearl of price, for the enjoyment of which, they are ready to &s;ell all, and part with all; others prize it at a lower rate, and &s;o enjoy le&s;s of it, than tho&s;e that &s;et a higher price and value upon it.</P>
<P>Thirdly; All Chri&s;tians do not a-like pre&s;s after Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets; &s;ome pre&s;s after Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets, as a condemned man pre&s;&s;es after a pardon, or as a clo&s;e pri&s;oner pre&s;&s;es after enlarg|ment, or as a poor beggar pre&s;&s;es after an almes; now, you know <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 73. 8. I&s;a. 26. 8, 9.</NOTE> the&s;e pre&s;s on with the greate&s;t earne&s;tne&s;s, the greate&s;t fervency,
<PB N="358" REF="235"> and the greate&s;t importunity im|maginable: But others pre&s;s after Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets more coldly, more care|le&s;ly, more &s;lightly, more lazily. <HI>I have put off my Coat, how &s;hall I put</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 5. 3.</NOTE> <HI>it on? I have wa&s;hed my feet, how &s;hall I defile them</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ow they that pre&s;s harde&s;t after Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets, they are u&s;ually ble&s;t with the highe&s;t de|grees of Clo&s;et-Communion with God.</P>
<P>Fourthly, All Chri&s;tians don't a-like improve their Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets; and therefore all Chri&s;tians don't en|joy Communion with God a-like in their Clo&s;ets. Some Chri&s;tians do make a more wi&s;e, a more humble, a more holy, a more faith|ful, a more fruitful, and a more con&s;tant improvement of their Clo&s;et-Communion with God than others do, and therefore they are ble&s;t with higher degrees of Communion with God than others are: Some Chri&s;tians do
<PB N="359" REF="235"> more improve their Clo&s;et-Com|munion with God again&s;t the world, the fle&s;h, and the Devil, than others doe; and therefore no wonder if they do enjoy more Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets than others do.</P>
<P>Fifthly, All Chri&s;tians do not a-like need Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets; and therefore all Chri&s;tians have not a-like Com|munion with God in their Clo&s;ets. All Chri&s;tians have not alike place in the my&s;tical body of Chri&s;t, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 12. 14,&mdash;<HI>ult.</HI></NOTE> &s;ome rule, and others are ruled; now every man &s;tands in more or le&s;s need of Communion with God, according to the place that he bears in the body of Chri&s;t. A|gain, all Chri&s;tians have not a-like burdens to bear, nor a-like difficul|ties to encounter with, nor a like dangers to e&s;cape, nor a-like temp|tations to wre&s;tle with, nor a-like pa&s;&s;ions and corruptions to morti|fie, nor a-like mercies and experi|ences to improve, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and there|fore all Chri&s;tians don't need a|like
<PB N="360" REF="236"> Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets: Now commonly God lets him&s;elf out more or le&s;&s;e in wayes of Communion, accord|ing as the various nece&s;&s;ities and conditions of his people doth re|quire.</P>
<P>Sixthly and la&s;tly, All Chri&s;ti|ans do not a-like meet with out|ward interruptions, nor inward interruptions; and therefore all Chri&s;tians have not a-like Com|munion with God in their Clo&s;ets. Some Chri&s;tians meet with a world of outward and inward in|terruptions more than others doe; &s;ome Chri&s;tians outward Callings, Relations, Conditions, and Stati|ons, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> do afford more plentiful matter and occa&s;ions, to interrupt them in their Clo&s;et-Communion with God, than other Chri&s;tians Callings, Relations, Conditions, and Stations doe, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Be&s;ides Satan is more bu&s;ie with &s;ome Chri&s;tians, than he is with other Chri&s;tians; and corruptions work more &s;trongly and violently in
<PB N="361" REF="236"> &s;ome Chri&s;tians, than they do in o|ther Chri&s;tians, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and let me add this to all the re&s;t, that the very natural tempers of &s;ome Chri&s;ti|ans are more aver&s;e to clo&s;et du|ties, than the natural tempers of other Chri&s;tians are; and therefore all Chri&s;tians have not a-like Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets, but &s;ome have more and &s;ome have le&s;s, according as God in his infinite Wi&s;dome &s;ees be&s;t.</P>
<P>Now let no Chri&s;tian &s;ay, that he hath no Communion with God in Clo&s;et-prayer, becau&s;e he hath not &s;uch a full, &s;uch a choice, &s;uch a &s;weet, &s;uch a &s;en&s;ible, and &s;uch a con&s;tant Communion with God in Clo&s;et-prayer, as &s;uch and &s;uch Saints have had, or as &s;uch and &s;uch Saints now have; for all Saints do not alike enjoy Commu|nion with God in their Clo&s;ets, &s;ome have more, &s;ome have le&s;s; &s;ome have a higher degree, others a lower; &s;ome are wrapt up in the third heaven, when others are but wrapt up in the clouds: What man
<PB N="362" REF="237"> is there &s;o childe&s;t and babi&s;h as to argue thus, That he hath no wi&s;|dome, becau&s;e he hath not the wi&s;dome of <HI>Solomon;</HI> or, that he hath no &s;trength, becau&s;e he hath not the &s;trength of <HI>Samp&s;on;</HI> or, that he hath no life, becau&s;e he hath not the &s;wiftne&s;s of <HI>Ahimaaz;</HI> or, that he hath no e&s;tate, becau&s;e he hath not the riches of <HI>Dives:</HI> and yet &s;o childi&s;h and babi&s;h many weak Chri&s;tians are, as to argue thus, <HI>viz.</HI> that they have no Communi|on with God in their Clo&s;ets, be|cau&s;e they have not &s;uch high, &s;uch comfortable, and &s;uch con&s;tant Communion with God in their Clo&s;ets, as &s;uch and &s;uch Saints have had, or as &s;uch and &s;uch Saints now have; whereas they &s;hould &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;ider, that though &s;ome Saints have a great Communion with God, yet other Saints have but a &s;mall Commu|nion with God; and though &s;ome Chri&s;tians have a &s;trong Commu|nion with God, yet other Chri&s;ti|ans have but a weak Communion
<PB N="363" REF="237"> with God; and though &s;ome of the people of God have a very clo&s;e and neer Communion with God, yet others of the people of God have but a more remote Communion with God; and though &s;ome of Gods &s;ervants have a daily, con&s;tant, and uninter|rupted Communion with God, yet others of his &s;ervants have but a more tran&s;ient and incon&s;tant Communion with God. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, I an&s;wer, When a man acts grace in Clo&s;et-duties, then certainly he hath Communi|on with God in Clo&s;et-duties; <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 1. 17. 1 Tim. 2. 8.</NOTE> when a man in Clo&s;et-duties acts faith on God, or faith on the pro|mi&s;es, or faith on the blood of Chri&s;t, or when a man in private duties acts repentance for &s;in, or love to Je&s;us Chri&s;t, or &s;ets up God as the object of his fear, or as the object of his joy, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> then he hath Communion with God, then he hath fellow&s;hip with the Father, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 1. 3.</NOTE> and with the Son. An unregene|rate man may act gifts and parts
<PB N="364" REF="238"> in a duty, but he cannot act grace in a duty; for no man can act grace in a duty, but he that hath grace in his &s;oul: And hence it comes to pa&s;&s;e that un&s;anctified <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1. 11, 12, 13&punc;</NOTE> per&s;ons under the highe&s;t activity of their arts, parts, and gifts in religious duties, enjoy no Com|munion with God at all, witne&s;s the <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Phari&s;es, Demas, Ju|das, Simon Magus,</HI> &amp;c. As ever you would have an evidence of your Communion with God in Clo&s;et-duties, carefully look to the activity of your graces, carefully <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 1. 6.</NOTE> &s;tir up the grace of God which is in you. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, I an&s;wer, When a man hath Communion with God in his Clo&s;et, then he gives God the glory of all his actings and <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 115. 1.</NOTE> activities. Communion with God alwayes helps a man to &s;et the Crown of prai&s;e and honour upon the head of God, witne&s;&s;e that gracious and grateful Doxology of <HI>David</HI> and his people in that 1 <HI>Chr.</HI> 29. 13. <HI>Now therefore our God, we</HI>
<PB N="365" REF="238"> <HI>thank thee, and prai&s;e thy glorious name.</HI> Men that enjoy no Communion with God in Religious Duties, are &s;till a &s;acrificing unto their own Net, and a burning incen&s;e unto <NOTE PLACE="marg">Hab. 1. 16.</NOTE> their own Drag; they are &s;till a ble&s;&s;ing them&s;elves, and a &s;troak|ing of them&s;elves, and applaud|ing <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 17. 11. 12.</NOTE> them&s;elves, they think the Garland of prai&s;e, the Crown of honour becomes no head but their own; but now, men that enjoy Communion with God in Religi|ous Duties, they will uncrown them&s;elves to crown God, they will uncrown their duties, to Crown the God of their duties, they will <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 3 11, 12, 13, 16. Rev. 4. 10. 11. Chap. 5. 11, 12.</NOTE> uncrown their arts, parts, gifts and inlargments, to &s;et the Crown of prai&s;e upon the head of God alone. Thou thinke&s;t that thou ha&s;t Com|munion with God in Clo&s;et-duties, yea, thou &s;aye&s;t that thou ha&s;t Communion with God in Clo&s;et-duties, but on who&s;e head do&s;t thou put the garland of prai&s;e? if on <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 148. 13.</NOTE> Gods head, thou ha&s;t Communion with God; if on thine own head,
<PB N="366" REF="239"> thou ha&s;t no Communion with God. As all the Rivers run into the &s;ea, &amp; all the lines meet in the Center; &s;o when all our Clo&s;et-duties terminate and center in the advance of Gods glory, then have we communion with God in them.</P>
<P><HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> did u&s;e to write the Name of Chri&s;t over his door. When a man hath Communion with Chri&s;t in a duty, then he will write the Name of Chri&s;t, the Honour of Chri&s;t upon his duty. Some &s;ay, that the Name of Je&s;us was engraven upon the heart of <HI>Ig|natius;</HI> &s;ure I am, when a man hath Communion with God in a Duty, then you &s;hall find the Honour and Glory of Je&s;us en|graven upon that Duty. But,</P>
<P>Fifthly, I an&s;wer, When the performance of Clo&s;et-duties leaves the &s;oul in a better frame, then a man hath Communion with God in them: When a man comes off from Clo&s;et-duties in a more holy frame, or in a more humble frame, or in a more &s;piri|tual
<PB N="367" REF="239"> frame, or in a more watchful frame, or in a more heavenly frame, or in a more broken frame, or in a more quickened and en|livened frame, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> then certainly he hath had Communion with God in tho&s;e Duties. When a man comes out of his Clo&s;et, and finds the frame of his heart to be more &s;trongly &s;et again&s;t &s;in than ever, and to be more highly re|&s;olved to walk with God than e|ver, and to be more eminently crucified to the world than ever, and to be more divinely fix't again&s;t temptations than ever, then with|out all peradventure he hath had communion with God in his clo&s;et.</P>
<P>Sixthly, I an&s;wer, when Clo&s;et-duties fit a man for tho&s;e other duties that lye next his hand, then doubtle&s;s he hath had Communi|on with God in them: When private duties fit a man for publick duties, or when private duties fit a man for the duties of his place, cal|ling, and condition, wherein God hath &s;et him, then certainly he
<PB N="368" REF="240"> hath had fellow&s;hip with God in <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 9. 10.</NOTE> them: When a man in Clo&s;et-duties finds more &s;piritual &s;trength and power to perform the duties that are next incumbent upon him, then a&s;&s;uredly he hath met with God; when private prayer fits me more for family-prayer, or publick prayer, then I may &s;afely conclude that God hath drawn neer to my &s;oul in private prayer; or when one Clo&s;et-duty fits me for another Clo&s;et-duty, as when praying fits me for reading, or reading for praying; or when the more external duties in my Clo&s;et, <HI>viz.</HI> reading or praying, fits me for tho&s;e more &s;piritual and internal duties, <HI>viz.</HI> &s;elf-examination, holy medi|tation, &s;oul-humiliation, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> then I may re&s;t &s;atisfied that there hath been &s;ome choice intercour&s;e be|tween God and my &s;oul: When the more I pray in my Clo&s;et, the more fit I am to pray in my Clo|&s;et; and the more I read in my Clo&s;et, the more fit I am to read in my Clo&s;et; and the more I
<PB N="369" REF="240"> meditate in my clo&s;et, the more fit I am to meditate in my clo&s;et; &amp; the more I &s;earch and examine my heart in my Clo&s;et, the more fit I am to &s;earch and examine my heart in my Clo&s;et; and the more I humble and aba&s;e my &s;oul in my clo&s;et, the more fit I am to humble &amp; aba&s;e my &s;oul in my clo&s;et; then I may be confident that I have had communion with God in my Clo&s;et.</P>
<P>Seventhly, I an&s;wer, That all private communion with God is very &s;oul-humbling and &s;oul-aba|&s;ing. <HI>Abraham</HI> was a man that had much private communion with God, and a man that was very vile and low in his own eyes, <HI>Gen</HI> 18. 27. <HI>And Abraham an&s;wered and &s;aid, Behold, now I have taken upon me to &s;peak unto the Lord, which am but du&s;t and a&s;hes:</HI> In re&s;pect of my original (&s;aith <HI>Abraham) I am but ba&s;e du&s;t and a&s;hes;</HI> and in re&s;pect of my de&s;erts&punc; I de&s;erve to be burnt to a&s;h|es. There are none &s;o humble, as they that have neere&s;t communion with God. <HI>Jacob</HI> was a man that <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 28. 10,&mdash;18.</NOTE>
<PB N="370" REF="241"> had much private communion <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32. 24, to 31.</NOTE> with God, and a man that was ve|ry little in his own eyes, <HI>Gen.</HI> 32. 10. <HI>I am not worthy of the lea&s;t of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou ha&s;t &s;hewed unto thy &s;ervant;</HI> or as the Hebrew hath it, <HI>I am le&s;s than</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 31. 38,&mdash;41.</NOTE> <HI>all thy mercies.</HI> When <HI>Jacob</HI> had to deal with <HI>Laban</HI> he pleads his merit, but when he hath to do with God he deba&s;eth him&s;elf below the lea&s;t of his mercies. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was a man that had much private communion with God (as I have formerly evidenced) and a man that was the meeke&s;t and humble&s;t per&s;on in all the world, <HI>Numb.</HI> 12. 3. <HI>Now the man Mo&s;es was very meek, above all the men that were upon the face of the earth.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Jo&s;ephus</HI> writing of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;aith (if he may be believed) <HI>that he was &s;o free from pa&s;&s;ions, that he knew no &s;uch thing in his own &s;oul; he only knew pa&s;|&s;ions by their names, and &s;aw them in others, but felt them not in him|&s;elf.</HI> And &s;o, when the glory of God appeared to him, he falls up|on
<PB N="371" REF="241"> his face, <HI>Numb.</HI> 16. 22. in token of humility and &s;elf-aba&s;ing. <HI>Da|vid</HI> was a man that had much pri|vate communion with God, as is granted on all hands, and how greatly doth he deba&s;e him&s;elf, and vilifie him&s;elf! 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 26. 20. <HI>The King of I&s;rael is come out to &s;eek a flea;</HI> and what more weak and contemptible than a flea? So <HI>Chap.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">As <HI>Nazian|zen</HI> &s;aid of <HI>Athana&s;i|us,</HI> He was high in worth, and hum|ble in heart.</NOTE> 24. 14. <HI>After whom is the King of I&s;ra|el come out? after whom do&s;t thou pur&s;ue? after a dead dog, after a flea?</HI> As if <HI>David</HI> had &s;aid, <HI>'Tis not worth the while, the labour, 'tis below the Dignity and Honour of the King of I&s;rael to take &s;uch pains and to pur&s;ue &s;o violent|ly after &s;uch a poor nothing as I am, who hath no more &s;trength nor power to bite or hurt, than a dead dog, or a poor flea hath.</HI> So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 226. <HI>But I am a worm and no man.</HI> Now what is more weak? what le&s;s regarded? what more de&s;picable? what more trampled under-foot, than a poor worm? The Hebrew word <HI>Tolag|nath</HI> that is here rendred worm, &s;ignifies very little worm, &s;uch as
<PB N="372" REF="242"> breed in Scarlet, which are &s;o lit|tle that a man can &s;carcely &s;ee them, or perceive them. Thus you &s;ee that holy <HI>David</HI> deba&s;eth him&s;elf below a worm, yea, below the lea&s;t of worms. No man &s;ets &s;o low a value upon him&s;elf, as he doth, who hath mo&s;t private communion with God. The four and twenty Elders ca&s;t down their crowns at the feet of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 4. 10, 11. Their Crowns note all their inward and out|ward dignities, excellencies and <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>An&s;tin</HI> be|ing once asked, what was the fir&s;t grace, an|&s;wered, humility; what the &s;econd, humility; what the third, hu|mility.</NOTE> glories; and the ca&s;ting down of their Crowns, notes their great hu|mility and &s;elf-deba&s;ement. When Chri&s;tians in their Clo&s;ets, and out of their Clo&s;ets, can ca&s;t down their crowns, their duties; their &s;ervices, their graces, their enlarg|ments, their enjoyments, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> at the feet of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and &s;it down deba&s;ing and le&s;&s;ening of them&s;elves, then certainly they have had a very neer and &s;weet communion with God.</P>
<PB N="373" REF="242">
<P> <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> hath a remarkable &s;aying of Humility, <HI>Suppo&s;e</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>that a man were defiled with all manner of &s;in and enormity, yet hum|ble, and another man enriched with gifts, graces, and duties, yet proud, the humble &s;inner were in a &s;afer condition than this proud Saint.</HI></P>
<P>VVhen a man can come off from Clo&s;et-duties, and &s;ay as <HI>Ig|natius</HI> once &s;aid of him&s;elf, <HI>Non &s;um dignus dici minimus, I am not worthy to be called the lea&s;t;</HI> then certainly he hath had fellow&s;hip with God in them. All the Communion that the creature hath with God in his Clo&s;et is very &s;oul-humbling and &s;oul-aba&s;ing. In all a mans communion with God, &s;ome beams, &s;ome rayes of the glory and maje&s;ty of God will &s;hine forth up|on his &s;oul. Now all divine ma|nife&s;tations are very humbling and aba&s;ing, as you may cleerly &s;ee in tho&s;e two great in&s;tances of <HI>Job</HI> and <HI>I&s;aiah, Job</HI> 42. 5, 6. <HI>I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye &s;eeth thee: Wherefore I abhor my &s;elf,</HI>
<PB N="374" REF="243"> <HI>and repent in du&s;t and a&s;hes. I&s;a.</HI> 6. 1, 5. <HI>In the year that King &V;zziah died, I &s;aw al&s;o the Lord &s;itting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the Temple: Then &s;aid I, wo is me, for I am undone, becau&s;e I am a man of un|clean lips, and I dwell in the mid&s;t of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have &s;een the King, the Lord of Ho&s;ts.</HI> What &s;weet communion had <HI>Elias</HI> with God in the low cave!</P>
<P>There was a Gentlewoman (of no ordinary quality or breeding) who being much troubled in mind, and &s;adly de&s;erted by God, could not be drawn by her husband or a|ny other Chri&s;tian friends, either to hear or read any thing, that might work for her &s;piritual ad|vantage; at la&s;t, her husband by much importunity prevailed &s;o far with her, that &s;he was willing he &s;hould read one Chapter in the Bi|ble to her; &s;o he read that <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 57. and when he came to the fifteenth ver&s; <HI>For thus &s;aith the high &amp; lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, who&s;e name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place,</HI>
<PB N="375" REF="243"> <HI>with him al&s;o that is of a contrite and humble &s;pirit, to revive the &s;pirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.</HI> O &s;ayes &s;he, is it &s;o, that God dwells with a contrite and humble &s;pirit, then I am &s;ure he dwells with me, for my heart is broken into a thou&s;and pieces: O happy text and happy time, that ever I &s;hould hear &s;uch comfort! and &s;he was thereupon recover|ed. The more communion any man hath with God, the more humble and broken his heart will be.</P>
<P>Holy <HI>Bradford</HI> was a man that <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Fox</HI> his <HI>Acts</HI> and <HI>Mon.</HI></NOTE> had much private communion with God, and he would many times &s;ub&s;cribe him&s;elf in his let|ters <HI>John the hypocrite, and a very painted &s;epulchre. Agur</HI> was one of the wi&s;e&s;t and holie&s;t men on the earth in his dayes, and he condem|ned <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 30. 2.</NOTE> him&s;elf for being more bruti&s;h than any man, and not having the under&s;tanding of a man. How &s;weet is the &s;mel of the lowly Vi|olet (that hides his head) above
<PB N="376" REF="244"> all the gaudy Tulips that be in your garden! The lowly Chri|&s;tian is the mo&s;t amiable and the mo&s;t lovely Chri&s;tian. VVhen a man can come out of his Clo&s;et, and cry out with <HI>Augu&s;tine, I hate that which I am, and love and de&s;ire that which I am not: Oh wretched man that I am, in whom the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t hath not yet eaten out the poy&s;onous and bitter ta&s;t of the fir&s;t tree.</HI> Or as ano|ther &s;aith, <HI>Lord, I &s;ee, and yet am blind; I will, and yet rebel; I hate, and yet I love; I follow, and yet I fall; I pre&s;s forward, yet I faint; I wre&s;tle, yet I halt;</HI> then he may be confident that he hath had communion with God in his Clo&s;et. He that comes off from Clo&s;et-duties in a &s;elf-de|ba&s;ing way, and in laying of him&s;elf low at the foot of God, he certainly hath had communion with God; but when men come out of their Clo&s;ets with their <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 18. 11, 12.</NOTE> hearts &s;welled and lifted up, as the hearts of the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> were, 'tis evi|dent that they have had no com|munion with God: God hath not
<PB N="377" REF="244"> been neer to their &s;ouls, who &s;ay, &s;tand by thy &s;elf, come not neer to me, for I am holier than thou, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 65. 5. But,</P>
<P>Eighthly and la&s;tly, VVhen a man finds &s;uch a &s;ecret vertue and power running through his Clo&s;et-duties, as wounds and weakens his beloved corruption, as breaks the &s;trength and the power of his &s;pecial &s;in, as &s;ets his heart more fully, re&s;olutely, and con&s;tantly again&s;t his darling lu&s;t, as &s;tirs up a greater rage, and a more bitter hatred, and a more fierce indigna|tion again&s;t the Toad in the bo|&s;ome, then certainly he hath had communion with God in his Clo|&s;et-duties. Con&s;ult the&s;e Scrip|tures, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 2. 20. <HI>In that day, a man &s;hall ca&s;t his Idols of Silver, and his Idols of Gold, which they have made, each one for him&s;elf to wor&s;hip, to the Moles and to the Bats.</HI> In the day wherein God &s;hould take the&s;e poor hearts <NOTE PLACE="marg">ver&s;. 3.</NOTE> into communion with him&s;elf, their hearts &s;hould be filled with &s;uch rage and indignation again&s;t
<PB N="378" REF="245"> their mo&s;t delectable and de&s;ire|able Idols, that they &s;hould take not only tho&s;e made of trees and &s;tones, but even their mo&s;t precious and co&s;tly Idols, tho&s;e that were made of Silver and Gold, and ca&s;t them to the moles and to the bats, to note their horrible hatred, and indignation again&s;t them. Idola|try was the darling &s;in of the Jews; their hearts were &s;o exceedingly affected and delighted with their Idols, that they did not care what they &s;pent upon them, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 46. 6. <HI>They lavi&s;h Gold out of the bag, and weigh Silver in the ballance, and hire a Gold&s;mith, and he maketh it a God; they fall down, yea, they wor&s;hip.</HI> The word here u&s;ed for <HI>lavi&s;h,</HI> in the Hebrew &s;ignifies properly <HI>to wa&s;t,</HI> or &s;pend riotou&s;ly; they &s;et &s;o light by their trea&s;ure, that they cared not what they &s;pent upon their Idols: God gave them Gold and Silver, as pledges of his favour and bounty, and they lavi&s;h it out up|on their Idols, as if God had hi|red them to be wicked: O but
<PB N="379" REF="245"> when God &s;hould come and take the&s;e poor wretches into a clo&s;e and neer communion with him|&s;elf, then you &s;hall find their wrath and rage to ri&s;e again&s;t their Idols, as you may &s;ee in that <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 30. <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 19, 20, 21. Their communion with God is more than hinted; but mark, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 22. <HI>Ye &s;hall defile al&s;o the covering of thy graven images of Silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of Gold; thou &s;halt ca&s;t them away as a men&s;trous cloath, thou &s;halt &s;ay unto it, get thee hence.</HI> None defile, deface, dete&s;t, and di&s;grace their Idols, like tho&s;e that are taken into commu|nion with God. Fellow&s;hip with God will make a man ca&s;t away, as a men&s;trous cloath, tho&s;e very Idols, in which he hath mo&s;t de|lighted, and with which he hath been mo&s;t plea&s;ed and enamoured. Idols were <HI>Ephraims</HI> bo&s;om &s;in, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 4. 17. <HI>Ephraim is joyned</HI> (or glew|ed, as the Hebrew hath it) <HI>to Idols: let him alone.</HI> O but when you find <HI>Ephraim</HI> taken into a clo&s;e com|munion with God, as you do in
<PB N="380" REF="246"> that <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 14. 4, 5, 6, 7. then you &s;hall find another &s;pirit upon him, <HI>v.</HI> 8. <HI>Ephraim &s;hall &s;ay, what have I to do any more with Idols?</HI> I have had too much to do with them already, I will never have to do with them any more: O how doth my Soul dete&s;t and abhor them, and ri&s;e up again&s;t them! O how do I now more loath and abominate them, than ever I have formerly loved them, or delighted in them! Af|ter the return of the <HI>Jews</HI> out of <HI>Ba|bilon,</HI> they &s;o hated and abhorred Idols, that in the time of the <HI>Ro|mans</HI> they cho&s;e rather to die, than &s;uffer the <HI>Eagle,</HI> which was the im|perial arms, to be &s;et up in their Temple.</P>
<P>Though Clo&s;et-duties are weak in them&s;elves, yet when a man hath Communion with God in them, then they prove exceeding powerful to the ca&s;ting down of &s;trong holds, and vain imaginati|ons, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Cor. 10. 4, 5.</NOTE> and every high thing and thought, that exalteth it &s;elf again&s;t the knowledge of God. When a
<PB N="381" REF="246"> man comes out of his Clo&s;et with a heart more fully and &s;tedfa&s;tly &s;et again&s;t every known &s;in, but e&s;pecially again&s;t his bo&s;ome &s;in, his darling &s;in, his <HI>Dalilah</HI> that he played and &s;ported him&s;elf mo&s;t with, and that he hath hug|ged with plea&s;ure and delight in his bo&s;ome, then certainly he hath had private Communion with God.</P>
<P>After <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had enjoyed four|ty dayes private communion with God in the Mount, how did his heart ri&s;e, and his anger wax hot again&s;t the Molten Calf that his people had made! <HI>Exod.</HI> 32. 19, 20. <HI>And it came to pa&s;s, as &s;oon as he came nigh unto the Camp, that he &s;aw the Calf and the dancing, and Mo&s;es anger wax|ed hot, and he ca&s;t the Tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount: and he took the Calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, &amp; &s;trawed it upon the water, &amp; made the children of I&s;rael drink of it. Mo&s;es</HI> had never more inti|mate fellow&s;hip with God than
<PB N="382" REF="247"> now, and he never di&s;covered &s;o much holy zeal, anger and indig|nation again&s;t &s;in as now. When a man comes off from the mount of Clo&s;et-duties with a great|er hatred, anger, wrath, and indignation again&s;t bo&s;om &s;ins, darling &s;ins, complexion &s;ins, that were once as dear to him as right hands, or right eyes, or as <HI>Dalilah</HI> was to <HI>Samp&s;on,</HI> or <HI>Herodias</HI> to <HI>Herod,</HI> or <HI>I&s;aac</HI> to <HI>Abraham,</HI> or <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> to <HI>Ja|cob,</HI> then certainly he hath had communion with God in tho&s;e Duties. When a man finds his be|loved &s;ins, his <HI>Dalilahs</HI> (which like the Prince of Devils command all other &s;ins) to fall before his clo&s;et-duties, as <HI>Dagon</HI> fell before the Ark, or as <HI>Goliah</HI> fell before <HI>David,</HI> then a&s;&s;uredly he hath had fellow&s;hip with God in them. <HI>Pliny</HI> writes of &s;ome Families that had privy marks on their Bodies, peculiar to tho&s;e of that Line. Certainly, there are no Families, no per&s;ons, but have &s;ome &s;in or &s;ins, &s;ome privy marks on their &s;ouls, that may in
<PB N="383" REF="247"> a peculiar way be called theirs. Now when in private duties they find the bent of their hearts, and the purpo&s;es, re&s;olutions, and in|clinations of their &s;ouls more rai&s;|ed, inflamed, and &s;et again&s;t the&s;e, they may &s;afely and comfortably conclude, that they have had com|munion with God in them. O Sirs, there is no bo&s;ome &s;in &s;o &s;weet or profitable, that is worth burning in hell for, or worth &s;hut|ting out of Heaven for; and there|fore in all your private duties and &s;ervices, labour after that commu|nion with God in them, that may break the neck and heart of your mo&s;t bo&s;ome &s;ins. When <HI>Darius</HI> fled before <HI>Alexander,</HI> that he might run the fa&s;ter out of danger, he threw away his Ma&s;&s;ie Crowne from his head. As ever you would be &s;afe from eternal danger, throw away your golden and your &s;ilver Idols, throw away your bo&s;ome &s;ins, your darling lu&s;ts.</P>
<P>And thus I have done with the An&s;wers to that noble and nece&s;&s;a|ry
<PB N="384" REF="248"> Que&s;tion, that was la&s;t pro|po&s;ed.</P>
<P>My Ninth Advice and Coun&s;el is this, In all your Clo&s;et-Duties look that your ends be right, look <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Chri&s;tus opera no|&s;tra, non tam actibus quam fini|bus pen&s;at.</HI> Zanch.</NOTE> that the Glory of God be your ul|timate end, the mark, the white, that you have in your eye. There is a great truth in that old &s;aying, <HI>(Quod non actibus, &s;ed finibus pen&s;antur officia)</HI> That duties are e&s;teemed not by their acts, but by their ends. Look as the &s;hining Sun puts out the light of the fire; &s;o the glory of God mu&s;t con&s;ume all other ends. There may be <HI>malum opus in bona materia,</HI> as in <HI>Johu</HI>'s zeal. Two things make a good Chri&s;tian, good actions, and good aims. And though a good aim doth not make a bad action good (as in <HI>&V;zzah)</HI> yet a bad aim makes a good action bad (as in <HI>Jehu)</HI> who&s;e Ju&s;tice was approved, but his Policy pu|ni&s;hed. God writes a nothing upon all tho&s;e &s;ervices, wherein mens ends are not right, <HI>Jer.</HI> 32. 23. <HI>They obeyed not thy voyce, neither walked in</HI>
<PB N="385" REF="248"> <HI>thy Law, they have done nothing of all that thou ha&s;t commanded them to do.</HI> So <HI>Dan.</HI> 9. 13. <HI>All this evill is come upon us, yet made we not our prayer be|fore the Lord our God.</HI> The <HI>Jewes</HI> were very much in religious Duties and Services; witne&s;s <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 58. 1, 2, 3. <HI>Zech.</HI> 7. 5, 6. I might produce a hundred more witne&s;&s;es to confirm it, were it ne|ce&s;&s;ary; but becau&s;e they did not aim at the Glory of God in what they did, therefore the Lord writes a nothing upon all their Duties and Services. It was <HI>Ephraims</HI> folly, that he brought forth fruit unto him|&s;elf. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 10. 1.</NOTE> And it was the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> hy|pocri&s;ie, that in all their duties and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 6. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.</NOTE> &s;ervices they lookt at the prai&s;e of men: <HI>Verily,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>you have your reward;</HI> a poor, a pitiful re|ward indeed. Such men &s;hall be &s;ure to fall &s;hort of divine accep|tance, and of a glorious recom|pence, that are not able to look a|bove the prai&s;es of men. Woe to that man, that with <HI>Augu&s;tus</HI> is ambitious to go off the Stage (of
<PB N="386" REF="249"> Duty) with a plaudite. <HI>Peter</HI> was <NOTE PLACE="marg">See more of this in my Treati&s;e on Holi|ne&s;s, page 157, to p. 168.</NOTE> not him&s;elf when he denyed his Lord, and cur&s;ed him&s;elf to get credit among&s;t a cur&s;ed crew. As ever you would ask &amp; have, &s;peak and &s;peed, &s;eek and find, look that the glory of the Lord be engraven upon all your clo&s;et-duties. He &s;hall be &s;ure to &s;peed be&s;t, who&s;e heart is &s;et mo&s;t upon glorifying of God in all his &s;ecret retirements. When God Crowns us, he doth but Crown his own gifts in us; and when we give God the Glory of all we do, we do but give him the glory that is due unto his Name, for 'tis he, and he alone, that works all our works in us and for us. All Clo&s;et Duties are good or bad, as the mark is at which the &s;oul aims. He that makes God the object of Clo&s;et Prayer, but not the end of Clo&s;et Prayer, doth but lo&s;e his Prayer, and take pains to undoe him&s;elf. God will be <HI>Alexander</HI> or <HI>Nemo;</HI> he will be All in All, or he will be nothing at all. Such prayers never reach the Ear of
<PB N="387" REF="249"> God, nor delight the heart of God, nor &s;hall ever be lodg'd in the bo|&s;ome of God, that are not directed to the glory of God. The end mu&s;t be as noble as the means, or el&s;e a man may be undone after all his doings. A mans mo&s;t glorious actions will at la&s;t be found to be but glorious &s;ins, if he hath made him&s;elf, and not the glory of God, the end of tho&s;e actions.</P>
<P>My Tenth Advice and Coun&s;el is this, Be &s;ure that you offer all your Clo&s;et Prayers in Chri&s;ts Name, and in his alone, <HI>John</HI> 14. 13, 14. <HI>And what&s;oever ye &s;hall ask in my name, that will I do, that the fa|ther may be glorified in the &s;on. If ye &s;hall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.</HI> John 15. 16. <HI>That what&s;oever ye &s;hall ask of the father in my name, he may give it you.</HI> John 16. 23, 24, 26. <HI>Verily, verily, I &s;ay unto you, what&s;oe|ver ye &s;hall ask the father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye &s;hall receive, that your joy may be full. At that day ye &s;hall ask in my name:</HI>
<PB N="388" REF="250"> <HI>and I &s;ay unto you, that I will pray the father for you.</HI> O Sirs, this is your Priviledg as well as your comfort, that you never deal with God but by a Mediator. When you ap|pear before God, Je&s;us Chri&s;t ap|pears with you, and he appears for you; when you do <HI>invocare,</HI> then he doth <HI>advocare;</HI> when you put up your petitions, then he doth make interce&s;&s;ion for you. Chri&s;t gives you a commi&s;&s;ion to put his name upon all your reque&s;ts; and what&s;oever prayer comes up with this name upon it, he will pro|cure it an an&s;wer. In the &s;tate of in|nocency man might wor&s;hip God without a Mediator; but &s;ince &s;in hath made &s;o wide a breach be|tween God and Man, God will ac|cept of no wor&s;hip from man, but what is offered up by the hand of a Mediator: Now this Mediator is Chri&s;t alone, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 5. <HI>For there is one God, and one Mediator be|tween God &amp; men, the man Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> One Mediator, not of Redemption only (as the Papi&s;ts grant) but of
<PB N="389" REF="250"> Interce&s;&s;ion al&s;o, which they de|ny.</P>
<P>The Papi&s;ts make Saints and Angels co&punc;mediators with Chri&s;t; but in this, as in other things, they fight again&s;t cleer Scripture-light. The Apo&s;tle plainly tells us, that the Office of Interce&s;&s;ion pertain|eth unto Chri&s;t, as part of his Me|diation: <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 7 25.</NOTE> And 'tis certain, that we need no other Ma&s;ter of reque&s;ts in Heaven, but the man Chri&s;t Je|&s;us; who being &s;o neer to the Fa|ther, and &s;o dear to the Father, and &s;o much in with the Father, can doubtle&s;&s;e carry any thing with the Father, that makes for his glory, and our good. This was typified in the Law: The High Prie&s;t alone did enter into <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ex. 28. 29.</NOTE> the Sanctuary, and carry the names of the Children of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> be|fore the Lord, whil'&s;t the people &s;tood all without; this pointed out Chri&s;ts Mediation. In that <HI>Lev.</HI> 16. 13, 14. you read of two things. Fir&s;t, of the cloud of In|cen&s;e, that covered the Mercy-Seat.
<PB N="390" REF="251" MS="y"> Secondly, Of the blood of the Bullock, that was &s;prinkled before the Mercy-Seat: Now that blood typified Chri&s;t's &s;atisfaction; and the Cloud of Incen&s;e his Inter|ce&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>Some of the learned think, that Chri&s;t intercedes only by vertue of his merits; others, that 'tis done only with his mouth; I conjecture it may be done both wayes, the rather becau&s;e Chri&s;t hath a tongue (as al&s;o a whole body, but glorified) in Heaven; and is it like|ly, that that mouth which plead|ed &s;o much for us on earth, &s;hould be altogether &s;ilent for us in Hea|ven?</P>
<P>There is no coming to the Fa|ther, <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 14. 6.</NOTE> but by the Son. Chri&s;t is the true <HI>Jacobs</HI> Ladder, by which we mu&s;t a&s;cend to Heaven. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 43.</NOTE> you know, commanded his Bre|thren, that as ever they looked for any good from him, or to &s;ee his face with joy, that they &s;hould be &s;ure to bring their Brother <HI>Ben|jamin</HI> along with them. O Sirs,
<PB N="391" REF="251"> as ever you would be prevalent with God, as ever you would have &s;weet, choice, and comfortable returns from Heaven to all your Clo&s;et-prayers, be &s;ure that you bring your Elder Brother, the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in the arms of your faith, be &s;ure that you treat and trade with God only in the name of the Lord Je&s;us.</P>
<P>'Tis a notable &s;peech that <HI>Luther</HI> hath upon the 130. <HI>P&s;alm. Often</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dulce no|men Chri&s;ti.</NOTE> <HI>and willingly</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>do I inculcate this, that you &s;hould &s;hut your eyes, and your ears, and &s;ay, you know no God out of Chri&s;t, none but he that was in the lap of Mary, and &s;ucked her brea&s;ts:</HI> He meanes, none out of him. When you go to Clo&s;et-prayer, look that you pray not in your own names, but in the name of Chri&s;t; and that you plead not in your own names, but in the name of Chri&s;t; and that you believe and hope not in your own names, but in the name of Chri&s;t; and that you look not to &s;peed in your own names, but in the name of Chri&s;t,
<PB N="392" REF="252"> <HI>Col.</HI> 3. 17. <HI>And what&s;oever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Je&s;us.</HI> What&s;oever we do, we are to do it by the authority of Chri&s;t, and through the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of Chri&s;t, and in the name of Chri&s;t, and for the &s;ake and glory of Chri&s;t. Chri&s;t's name is &s;o pre|cious and powerful with the Fa|ther, that it will carry any &s;uit, obtain any reque&s;t at his hands. Je&s;us in the <HI>China</HI> Tongue &s;igni|fies the ri&s;ing Sun. When a man writes the name of Je&s;us upon his Clo&s;et-prayers, then he &s;hall be &s;ure to &s;peed. though God will not give a man a drop, a &s;ip, a crum, a cru&s;t, for his own &s;ake; yet for Je&s;us &s;ake he will give the be&s;t, the choyce&s;t, and the greate&s;t ble&s;&s;ings that hea|ven affords; that name is &s;till mighty and powerful, prevalent and precious before the Lord. The prayers that were offered up with the incen&s;e upon the Altar were plea&s;ing, <HI>Rev.</HI> 8. 3. and came up with acceptance, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 4. <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> Brethren were kindly u&s;ed for
<PB N="393" REF="252"> <HI>Benjamins</HI> &s;ake. O Sirs, all our duties and &s;ervices are accepted of the Father, not for their own &s;akes, nor for our &s;akes, but for Chri&s;t's &s;ake. There are no prayers that are either hard, owned, accep|ted, regarded or rewarded, but &s;uch as Chri&s;t puts his hand to. If Chri&s;t doth not mingle his blood with our &s;acrifices,, our &s;ervices, they will be lo&s;t, and never a&s;cend as incen&s;e before the Lord. No coyn is currant that hath not <HI>Cae|&s;ars</HI> &s;tamp upon it; nor no pray|ers goe currant in heaven, that have not the &s;tamp of Chri&s;t up|on them. There is nothing more, plea&s;ing to our heavenly Father than to u&s;e the mediation of his Son. Such &s;hall be &s;ure to find mo&s;t favour, and to &s;peed be&s;t in the Court of Heaven, who &s;till pre&s;ent them&s;elves before the Fa|ther with Chri&s;t in their armes. But,</P>
<P>My eleventh and la&s;t advice and coun&s;el is this, VVhen you come out of your clo&s;ets, narrowly watch
<PB N="394" REF="253"> what becomes of your private prayers; look at what door, in what way, and by what hand the Lord &s;hall plea&s;e to give you an an&s;wer to the &s;ecret de&s;ires of your &s;ouls in a corner. It hath been the cu&s;tome of the people of God, to look after their prayers, to &s;ee what &s;ucce&s;&s;e they have had, to ob&s;erve what entertainment they have found in heaven, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 5. 3. <HI>My voyce &s;halt thou hear in the morn|ing, O Lord; in the morning will I di|rect my prayer unto thee, and will look up.</HI> In the words you may ob|&s;erve two things. Fir&s;t, <HI>Davids</HI> po|&s;ture in prayer. Secondly, His pra|cti&s;e after prayer. Fir&s;t, His po&s;ture in prayer, <HI>I will direct my prayer unto thee.</HI> Secondly, His practi&s;e after prayer, <HI>And I will look up.</HI> The Prophet, in the&s;e words, makes u&s;e of two military words: Fir&s;t, he would not only pray, but martial up his prayers, he would put them it battel-aray, (&s;o much the He|brew word <HI>Gnarach</HI> imports) Se|condly, when he had done this,
<PB N="395" REF="253"> then he would be as a &s;py, upon his VVatch-Tower, to &s;ee whether he prevailed, whether he got the day or no; and &s;o much the He|brew word <HI>T&s;aphah</HI> imports. When <HI>David</HI> had &s;et his prayers, his peti|tions, in rank and file, in good aray, then he was re&s;olved he would look abroad, he would look about him, to &s;ee at what door God would &s;end in an an&s;wer of pray|er. He is either a fool, or a mad-man, he is either very weak, or very wicked, that prayes, and prayes, but never looks after his prayers; that &s;hootes many an Arrow towards Heaven, but never minds where his Arrows a light. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 85. 8. <HI>I will hear what God the Lord will &s;peak; for he will &s;peak peace unto his people, and to his Saints.</HI> If <HI>Da|vid</HI> would have God to hearken to his prayers, he mu&s;t then hearken to what God will &s;peak; and upon this point it &s;eemes he was fully re&s;olved. The Prophets prayer you have in the &s;eaven fir&s;t ver&s;es of this P&s;alm, and his gracious re|&s;olution
<PB N="396" REF="254"> you have in the 8th ver&s;e, <HI>I will hear what the God Lord will &s;peak.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, <HI>Certainly, it will not be long before the Lord will give me a gracious an&s;wer, a &s;ea&s;onable, and a &s;uitable return to my pre&s;ent prayers. P&s;al.</HI> 130. 1, 2, 5, 6. <HI>Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee, O Lord. Lord hear my voyce, let thine ears be attentive to the voyce of my &s;upplications. I wait for the Lord, my &s;oul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My &s;oul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning, I &s;ay, more than they that watch for the morning.</HI> Tho&s;e that watch abroad in dangerous times and tedious weather, look frequently after peep of day. How doth the weary Sentinel, that is wet with the rain of heaven or with the dew of the night, wait and watch, look and long; for the morning light. Now this was the frame and temper of <HI>Davids</HI> &s;pirit, when he came off from praying, he falls a waiting for a gracious an&s;wer. Shall the husbandman wait for the precious fruits of the
<PB N="397" REF="254"> earth? and &s;hall the Merchant-man <NOTE PLACE="marg">James 5. 7, 8.</NOTE> wait for the return of his &s;hips? and &s;hall the Wife wait for the return of her Husband that is gone a long journey? and &s;hall not a Chri&s;tian wait for the return of his prayers. <HI>Noah</HI> patiently waited for the re|turn of the Dove to the Ark, with an Olive branch in his mouth: So mu&s;t you patiently wait for the re|turn of your prayers. When chil|dren &s;hoot their Arrows, they ne|ver mind where they fall; but when prudent Archers &s;hoot their Arrowes up into the aire, they &s;tand and watch where they fall. You mu&s;t deal by your prayers, as prudent Archers do by their Ar|rowes. <HI>Hab.</HI> 2. 1. <HI>I will &s;tand upon my watch, and &s;et me upon the Tower, and will watch to &s;ee what he will &s;ay unto me.</HI> The Prophet in the former Chapter having been very earne&s;t in his expo&s;tulations, and very fervent in his &s;upplications, he gets now upon his Watch-Tower, to &s;ee what becomes of his prayers; he &s;tands as a &s;entinel, and watches
<PB N="398" REF="255"> as vigilantly, and as carefully, as a &s;py, a &s;cout, earne&s;tly longing to hear and &s;ee the event, the i&s;&s;ue, and &s;ucce&s;s of his prayers. That Chri&s;tian that in prayer hath one eye upon a divine precept, and ano|ther upon a gracious promi&s;e, that Chri&s;tian will be &s;ure to look after his prayers. He that prayes and waits, and waits and prayes, &s;hall <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 40. 1, 2, 3, 4.</NOTE> be &s;ure to &s;peed, he &s;hall never fail of rich returns. He that can want as well as wait, and he that can be contented that God is glorified, though he be not gratified; he that dares not antedate Gods pro|mi&s;es, but patiently wait for the accompli&s;hment of them, he may be confident that he &s;hall have &s;ea|&s;onable and &s;uitable an&s;wers to all tho&s;e prayers that he hath po&s;ted away to heaven. Though God &s;eldome comes at our time, yet he never fails to come at his own time: <HI>He that &s;hall come, will come,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 10. 37.</NOTE> <HI>and will not tarry.</HI> The mercies of God are not &s;tyled the &s;wift, but the &s;ure mercies of <HI>David.</HI> He
<PB N="399" REF="255"> that makes as much Con&s;cience to <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 55. 3.</NOTE> look after his prayers, as to pray, he &s;hall &s;hortly clap his hands for joy, and cry out with that ble&s;&s;ed <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mr. <HI>Glover Acts &amp; mon.</HI></NOTE> Martyr, <HI>He is come, Au&s;tin, he is come, he is come.</HI> Certainly there is little worth in that mans heart, or in that mans prayers, who keeps up a trade of prayer, but ne|ver looks what becomes of his prayers. When you are in your Clo&s;ets mar&s;hal your prayers, &s;ee that every prayer keeps his place and ground; and when you come out of your clo&s;ets, then look up for an an&s;wer, only take heed that you be not too ha&s;ty and hot with God. Though mercy in the pro|mi&s;e be yours, yet the time of giv|ing it out is the Lords; and there|fore you mu&s;t wait, as well as pray.</P>
<P>And thus much by way of coun|&s;el and advice, for the better car|rying on of Clo&s;et-prayer.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="section">
<P>I have now but one thing more to do, before I &s;hut up this di&s;|cour&s;e,
<PB N="400" REF="256"> and that is to lay down &s;ome means, rules, or directions, that may be of u&s;e to help you on in a faithful and con&s;cientious di&s;|charge of this great duty, <HI>viz.</HI> Clo&s;et-prayer. And therefore thus.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, As ever you would give up your &s;elves to private prayer, Take heed of an idle and &s;loathful &s;pirit. If <HI>Adam</HI> in the &s;tate of In|nocency mu&s;t work and dre&s;s the Garden; and if after his fall, when he was Monarch of all the world, he mu&s;t yet labour, why &s;hould a|ny be idle or &s;loathful? Idlene&s;s is a &s;in again&s;t the law of Creation: God creating man to labour, the idle per&s;on violates this Law of Creation, for by his idlene&s;s he ca&s;ts off the authority of his Crea|tor, who made him for labour. Idlene&s;s is a contradiction to the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Augu&s;t. de Gen ad. lit. lib.</HI> 8. <HI>cap.</HI> 8.</NOTE> principles of our Creation. Man in Innocency &s;hould have been freed from wearine&s;s, but not from employment; he was to dre&s;s the Garden by divine appoyntment;
<PB N="401" REF="256"> <HI>And the Lord God took the man, and put</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 2. 15.</NOTE> <HI>him into the Garden of Eden, to dre&s;s it, and to keep it.</HI> All wearine&s;s in la|bour, and all vexing, tyring and tormenting labour came in by the fall, <HI>In the &s;weat of thy face &s;halt thou eat</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3. 19.</NOTE> <HI>bread</HI> The bread of idlene&s;s is neither &s;weet nor &s;ure. <HI>An idle per&s;on &s;hall &s;uf|fer</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 19. 15.</NOTE> <HI>hunger,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Solomon.</HI> An idle life, &amp; an holy heart are far enough a|&s;under. By doing nothing (&s;aith the Heathen man) men learn to do evil things: It is ea&s;ie &s;lipping out of an idle life into an evil and wicked life; yea, an idle life is of it &s;elf evil; for man was made to be active, not to be idle. The <HI>Cyclopes</HI> thought mans happine&s;s did con&s;i&s;t <HI>in nihil agendo,</HI> in doing nothing: But no excellent thing <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 1. 17. Eph. 4. 28. 2 The&s;. 3. 10, 12.</NOTE> can be the child of idlene&s;s. Idle|ne&s;s is a mother &s;in, a breeding &s;in, 'tis <HI>pulvinar diaboli,</HI> the devils cu&s;hion on which he &s;its; &amp; the devils an|vile, on which he frames very great, and very many &s;ins. Look as Toads and Serpents breed mo&s;t in &s;tand|ing waters, &s;o &s;in thrives mo&s;t in
<PB N="402" REF="257"> idle per&s;ons. Idlene&s;s is that which provokes the Lord to for&s;ake mens bodies, and the Devil to po&s;|&s;e&s;s their &s;ouls.</P>
<P>No man hath le&s;s means to pre|&s;erve his body, and more temptati|ons to infect his &s;oul, than an idle per&s;on. O &s;hake off &s;loth. The &s;luggi&s;h Chri&s;tian will be &s;leeping or idling, or trifling, when he &s;hould be in his clo&s;et a praying. Sloth is the Green-&s;ickne&s;s of the &s;oul; get it cured, or 'twill be your eternal bane. Of all Devils, 'tis the idle Devil that keeps men mo&s;t out of their Clo&s;ets. There is nothing that gives the devil &s;o much advan|tage again&s;t us as idlene&s;s. 'Twas <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hierom. ep.</HI> 4.</NOTE> good coun&s;el that <HI>Jerom</HI> gave to his friend, <HI>Facito aliquid operis, ut te &s;em|per Diabolus inveniat occupatum,</HI> that when the Devil comes with a temp|tation, you may an&s;wer him, you are not at lea&s;ure.</P>
<P>It was the &s;peech of Mr. <HI>Green|ham</HI> (&s;ometimes a famous &amp; painful preacher of this nation) that when the Devil tempted a poor &s;oul, &s;he
<PB N="403" REF="257"> came to him for advice, how &s;he might re&s;i&s;t the temptation, and he gave her this an&s;wer, <HI>Never be idle, but be alwayes well employed, for in my own experience I have found it; when the Devil came to tempt me, I told him that I was not at lea&s;ure to hearken to his temptations, and by this means I re&s;i&s;ted all his a&s;&s;aults.</HI> Idlene&s;s is the hour of temptation, and an idle per&s;on is the Devils Tennis-Ball, to&s;&s;ed by him at his plea|&s;ure.</P>
<P><HI>He that labours</HI> (&s;aid the old Her|mite) <HI>is tempted but by one Devil, but he that is idle is a&s;&s;aulted by all. Cupid</HI> complained, that he could ne|ver fa&s;ten upon the <HI>Mu&s;es,</HI> becau&s;e he could never find them idle. The Fowler bends his bow and &s;preads his net for Birds when they are &s;et, not when they are upon the wing: So Satan &s;hoots his mo&s;t fiery darts at men, when they are mo&s;t idle and &s;loathful: And this the <HI>Sodomites</HI> found by woful experience, when God rain|ed <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 16. 49.</NOTE> hell out of heaven upon them,
<PB N="404" REF="258"> both for their idlene&s;s, and for tho&s;e other &s;ins of theirs, which their idlene&s;s did expo&s;e them to.</P>
<P>It was &s;aid of <HI>Rome,</HI> that during the time of their wars with <HI>Car|thage</HI> and other enemies in <HI>Africa,</HI> they knew not what vice meant; but no &s;ooner had they got the conque&s;t, but through idlene&s;s they came to ruine. Idlene&s;s is a &s;in, not only again&s;t the Law of Grace, but al&s;o again&s;t the light of nature. You cannot look any way but every creature checks and upbraids your idlene&s;s and &s;loth; if you look up to the heavens, there you &s;hall find all their glori|ous Lights con&s;tant in their moti|ons: <HI>The Sun rejoyceth as a &s;trong man to run a race,</HI> the Winds <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 19. 5. P&s;al. 104. 23.</NOTE> blow, the Waters run, the Earth brings forth her plea&s;ant and de|lightful fruits, all the Fi&s;h in the Sea, Fowls in the Air, and Bea&s;ts in the Fields, and on the Moun|tains, have their motions and ope|rations, all which call aloud up|on
<PB N="405" REF="258"> man not to be idle, but active. <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;ends the &s;luggard to the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 6. 6.</NOTE> Ant to learn indu&s;try. The Ant is a very little creature, but exceed|ing laborious; nature hath put an in&s;tinct into her to be very bu&s;ie and active all the Summer; &s;he is early and late at it, and will not lo&s;e an hour unle&s;s the weather hinder. And the Prophet <HI>Jeremiah</HI> &s;ends the Jews to &s;chool to learn to wait, and ob&s;erve of the <HI>Stork,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 8. 7.</NOTE> the <HI>Turtle,</HI> the <HI>Crane,</HI> and the <HI>&s;wal|low.</HI> And our Saviour &s;ends us to the <HI>Sparrows</HI> and <HI>Lillies,</HI> to learn at|tendance <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 6. 26, 28.</NOTE> upon providence. And let me &s;end you to the bu&s;ie <HI>Bee,</HI> to learn activity and indu&s;try; though the <HI>Bee</HI> be little in bulk, yet 'tis great in &s;ervice; &s;he flyes far, ex|amines the fields, hedges, trees, orchards, gardens, and loads her &s;elf with honey and wax, and then returns to her Hive. Now how &s;hould the activity of the&s;e crea|tures put the idle per&s;on to a blu&s;h. O Sirs, Man is that mo&s;t noble creature, into whom God hath
<PB N="406" REF="259"> put principles of the greate&s;t activi|ty, as capable of the greate&s;t and highe&s;t enjoyments; and therefore idlene&s;s is a forgetting mans dig|nity, and a for&s;aking of that rank that God hath &s;et him in, and a deba&s;ing of him&s;elf below the lea&s;t and meane&s;t creatures, who con|&s;tantly in their order obedientially &s;erve the Law of their creation. Nay, if you look up to the ble&s;&s;ed Angels above you, you &s;hall &s;till find them active and &s;erviceable; <HI>Are they not all mini&s;tring Spirits, &s;ent</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 1. 14.</NOTE> <HI>forth to mini&s;ter for them, who &s;hall be heirs of &s;alvation?</HI> And if you look down to the Angels of darkne&s;s below you, O how laborious and indu&s;trious are they, to de&s;troy and <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 5. 8.</NOTE> damne your precious and immor|tal &s;ouls!</P>
<P>For a clo&s;e remember, that idle|ne&s;s is &s;o great an evil, that it hath been condemned and &s;everely pu|ni&s;hed by the very wor&s;t of men. Among the <HI>Egyptians,</HI> Idlene&s;s was a capital crime. Among the <HI>Lu|cans,</HI> he that lent money to an
<PB N="407" REF="259"> idle per&s;on was to lo&s;e it. By <HI>Solons</HI> Law, idle per&s;ons were to &s;uffer death. And <HI>Seneca</HI> had rather be &s;ick than idle. The <HI>Lacedemonians</HI> called men to an account for their idle hours. Among the <HI>Corinthians,</HI> idle per&s;ons were delivered to the <HI>Carni|fex. Antonius Pius</HI> being Emperour, cau&s;ed the roofs &amp; coverings of all &s;uch hou&s;es to be taken away, as were known to receive an idle peo|ple, affirming, that nothing was <NOTE PLACE="marg">Capitolinus</NOTE> more uncomely, or ab&s;urd to be &s;uf|fered, than &s;uch idle Caterpillars &amp; &s;low worms to have their food and nouri&s;hment from that Common|wealth, in the maintenance of which there was no &s;upply from their in|du&s;try &amp; labour. All which &s;hould &s;teel us, &amp; arm us again&s;t &s;loth and idlene&s;s. I have the longer in&s;i&s;ted on this, becau&s;e there is not agreater hinderance to Clo&s;et-prayer than &s;loth and idlene&s;s. Slothful and idle per&s;ons commonly lye &s;o long a bed, and &s;pend &s;o much precious time between the comb and the gla&s;s, and in eating, drinking, &s;port|ing,
<PB N="408" REF="260"> &amp; trifling <HI>&amp;c.</HI> that they can find no time for private prayer. Certainly &s;uch as had rather go &s;leeping to Hell, than &s;weating to Heaven, will never care much for Clo&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word">t prayer: And therefore &s;hun &s;l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word">th and idlene&s;s, as you would &s;hun a Lyon in the way, or poi&s;on in your meat, or coales in your bo&s;ome, or el&s;e you will ne|ver find time to wait upon God in your Clo&s;ets.</P>
<P>Secondly, Take heed of &s;pend|ing too much of your precious time about circum&s;tantials, about the little things of Religion, as <HI>mint, ani&s;e, and cummin,</HI> or in &s;earch|ing <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 23. 23.</NOTE> into the circum&s;tances of wor|&s;hip, or in &s;tanding &s;toutly for this or that ceremony, and in the mean while neglect the &s;tudying of the covenant of grace, or about en|quiring what fruit that was that <HI>Adam</HI> eat in <HI>Paradi&s;e,</HI> or in en|quiring after the Authors of &s;uch and &s;uch books, who&s;e names God in his infinite wi&s;dome hath con|cealed, or in enquiring what God
<PB N="409" REF="260"> did before the world was made; when one asked <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> that Que|&s;tion, he an&s;wered, <HI>that he was pre|paring Hell for &s;uch bu&s;ie Que&s;tioni&s;ts as he was.</HI> It was a &s;aying of <HI>Luther, From a vain-glorious Doctor, from a contentious Pa&s;tor, and from un|profitable Que&s;tions, the good Lord de|liver his Church.</HI> 'Tis one of Sa|tans great de&s;igns, to hinder men in the great and weighty duties of Religion, by bu&s;ying them mo&s;t about the lowe&s;t and lea&s;t matters of Religion. Satan is never better plea&s;ed, than when he &s;ees Chri|&s;tians puzzled and perplexed about <NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 2. 21.</NOTE> tho&s;e things in Religion that are of no great moment or import|ance. Such as negotiate and trade in Religion more for a good name, than a good life, for a good report than a good Con&s;cience, for to humor others than to honour God, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> &s;uch will take no plea&s;ure in lo&s;et-duties: Such as are more <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 3. 5.</NOTE> bu&s;ied about ceremonies than &s;ub|&s;tances, about the form of godli|ne&s;s than the power, &s;uch will ne|ver
<PB N="410" REF="261"> make it their bu&s;ine&s;s to be <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 6. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.</NOTE> much with God in their Clo&s;ets, as is evident in the <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Pha|ri&s;ees:</HI> Such as are more taken up with the outward dre&s;s and garb <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 11. 34. 40.</NOTE> of Religion than they are with the &s;pirit, power, and life of Religion, &s;uch will never affect to drive a &s;ecret trade heaven-wards. There can't be a &s;urer nor a greater chara|cter of an hypocrite, than to make a great deal of &s;tir about little things in Religion, and in the mean while neglect the great and main things in Religion. Such as the&s;e have all along in the Scripture di&s;covered a &s;trangne&s;s, and a perfect carele&s;ne&s;s, as to Clo|&s;et-duties. I never knew any man hot and zealous about circum&s;tan|tials, about the little things of Reli|gion, that was ever famous for Clo&s;et-prayer. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, Take heed of curio&s;ity, and of &s;pending too much of your precious time in &s;earching into tho&s;e dark, ab&s;truce, mi&s;terious, and hidden truths &amp; things of God and
<PB N="411" REF="261"> Religion, that lye mo&s;t remote from the under&s;tanding of the be&s;t and wi&s;e&s;t of men. Curio&s;ity is the &s;piritual adultery of the Soul. Cu|rio&s;ity is a &s;piritual drunkenne&s;s: for look as the drunkard is never &s;atisfied, unle&s;s he &s;ee the bottome of the cup, be it never &s;o deep; &s;o tho&s;e that are troubled with the itch of curio&s;ity, will &s;ay they can never be &s;atisfied, till they come to the bottome of the mo&s;t deep and profound things of God; they love to pry into Gods &s;ecrets, and to &s;can the my&s;teries of Religion by their weak, &s;hallow rea&s;on, and to be wi&s;e above what is writ|ten. Curious &s;earchers into the deep my&s;terious things of God will make all Gods depths to be &s;hallows, ra|ther than they will be thought not able to fathom them by the &s;hort line of their own rea&s;on. O that men would once learn to be con|tentedly ignorant, where God would not have them knowing. O that men were once &s;o humble, as to account it no di&s;paragement
<PB N="412" REF="262"> to them, to acknowledge &s;ome depths in God, and in the ble&s;&s;ed Scripture, which their &s;hallow rea|&s;on cannot fathom. They are only a company of fools in <HI>Folio,</HI> that affect to know more than God would have them. Did not <HI>Adams Tree of knowledge</HI> make him and his po&s;terity meer fools? He that goes to &s;chool to his own rea&s;on, hath a fool for his &s;chool-ma&s;ter. The rea|dy way to grow &s;tark blind, is to be &s;till prying &amp; gazing upon the body of the Sun: So the ready way to &s;pi|ritual <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 29. <HI>ult.</HI></NOTE> blindne&s;s, is to be &s;till pry|ing into the mo&s;t &s;ecret and hidden things of God. Are there not ma|ny, who by prying long into the &s;e|crets <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9. 20.</NOTE> of nature, are become arch-enemies to the grace of God? O that we were wi&s;e to admire tho&s;e deep my&s;teries which we cannot under&s;tand, and to adore tho&s;e depths and coun&s;els which we can|not reach. O let us check our cu|rio&s;ity in the things of God, and &s;it <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 11. 33</NOTE> down &s;atisfied and contented to re&s;olve many of Gods actions into
<PB N="413" REF="262"> &s;ome hidden cau&s;es which lye &s;e|cret in the <HI>Aby&s;s</HI> of his eternal knowledge and infallible will. Chri&s;t, when he was on earth, very frequently, &s;everely, &amp; &s;harply con|demned <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 21. 22 Acts 1. 6, 7. Luke 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 23, 24.</NOTE> curious enquirers, as is evi|dent by the Scriptures in the mar|gent; and the great rea&s;on why our Saviour did &s;o frequently check this humor of curio&s;ity, was be|cau&s;e the great indulgers of it, were too frequent neglecters of the more great, nece&s;&s;ary, and important points of Religion. Curio&s;ity is one of Satans mo&s;t dangerous en|gines, by which he keeps many &s;ouls out of their Clo&s;ets, yea, out of Heaven: when many a poor &s;oul begins in good earne&s;t to look towards heaven, and to apply him|&s;elf to Clo&s;et-duties, then Satan begins to be&s;tir him&s;elf, and to la|bour with all his might, &s;o to bu|&s;ie the poor &s;oul with vain enqui|ries, and curious &s;peculations, and unprofitable curio&s;ities, that the &s;oul hath no time for Clo&s;et-pray|er. Ah how well might it have
<PB N="412" REF="263"> been with many a man, had he but &s;pent one quarter of that time in clo&s;et-prayer, that he hath &s;pent in curious enquiries after things, that have not been fundamental to his happine&s;s!</P>
<P>The <HI>Heatheni&s;h</HI> Prie&s;ts affected curio&s;ity, they had their <HI>Mytholo|gies,</HI> and &s;trange canting expre&s;|&s;ions of their imaginary unacce&s;|&s;ible Deities, to amaze and amu&s;e their blind &s;uper&s;titious followers, and thereby to hold up their <HI>Po|pi&s;h</HI> and api&s;h Idolatries in greater veneration. O that there were none of this heatheni&s;h &s;pirit a|mong many in the&s;e dayes, who have their faces toward heaven. Ah how many are there that bu&s;ie them&s;elves more in &s;earching after the rea&s;ons of the irrecoverablene&s;s of mans fall, than they do to recover them&s;elves out of their fallen e&s;tate. Ah how many are there that bu&s;ie them&s;elves more about the apo&s;ta|&s;ie of the Angels, than they do a|bout &s;ecuring their intere&s;t in Chri&s;t! And what a deal of pre|cious
<PB N="413" REF="263"> time have &s;ome &s;pent in di&s;|covering the natures, di&s;tinctions, properties, and orders of An|gels!</P>
<P>That high-foaring (counterfeit) <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Peter</HI> Mar|tyr &s;aith, that to en|quire of the Angels accurately and &s;ubtil|ly, is <HI>Ma|gis ad curio|&s;itatem no&s;tram, quam ad &s;a|lutem.</HI> And he wi&s;h|eth, that the &s;chool-men in their knot|ty, thorny, and un|profitable di&s;cour&s;es had ob&s;er|ved this.</NOTE> <HI>Dyoni&s;ius</HI> de&s;cribes the Hierarchy of Angels as exactly as if he had dwelt among&s;t them; he &s;aith there are nine orders of them, which he grounds upon nine words, which are found partly in the Old Te&s;ta|ment, and partly in the New, as <HI>Seraphims, Cherubims, Thrones, Pow|ers, Hoa&s;ts, Dominions, Principalities, Arch-Angels</HI> and <HI>Angels,</HI> and at large he de&s;cribes their &s;everal na|tures, di&s;tinctions, and properties, as, that the fir&s;t three orders are for immediate attendance on the Almighty; and the next three or|ders, for the general government of the creatures; and the la&s;t three orders for the particular good of Gods Elect: That the <HI>Arch-An|gels</HI> &s;urpa&s;s the beauty of <HI>Angels</HI> ten times, <HI>Principalities</HI> &s;urpa&s;s the <HI>Arch-Angels</HI> twenty times, and that <HI>Powers</HI> &s;urpa&s;s the <HI>Principalities</HI>
<PB N="416" REF="264"> fourty times, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> How he came by this learning is not known; and yet this Hierarchy in the&s;e nine &s;everal orders hath pa&s;&s;ed for cur|rant through many Ages of the Church.</P>
<P>The <HI>Platonicks</HI> were the fir&s;t that divided the <HI>Angels</HI> into three Or|ders; as, &s;ome above Heaven, called <HI>Supercaele&s;tes;</HI> others in Heaven, cal|led <HI>Caele&s;tes;</HI> and others under Hea|ven, called <HI>Subcaele&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">,</HI> and accord|ingly they a&s;&s;ign them &s;everal Of|fices. As,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, They above Heaven (I mean this vi&s;ible heaven) conti|nually &s;tand before God (as they &s;ay) prai&s;ing, and lauding, and magnifying of his name.</P>
<P>Secondly, They in Heaven are there &s;eated to move and rule, and govern the Stars.</P>
<P>Thirdly, They under Heaven, are &s;ome to rule Kingdomes, others Provinces, others Cities, others particular Men.</P>
<P>Several Chri&s;tian writers that have written of the Hierarchy of
<PB N="417" REF="264"> <HI>Angels,</HI> follow the&s;e opinions. Now if we &s;hould take the&s;e &s;urmi&s;es for real truths, then it will follow, that the highe&s;t <HI>Angels</HI> do not mini&s;ter to the Saints, but only and imme|diately to God him&s;elf, which is <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jude 9. v. Luke 1. 19, 26. Zech. 4. 10. Rev. 5. 6. Heb. 1. 14.</NOTE> expre&s;ly contrary to &s;everal Scrip|tures, as you may &s;ee by them in the Margent among others. When I was upon the Mini&s;tration of the ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Angels,</HI> I did then prove in &s;everal exerci&s;es (as &s;ome of you may remember) <HI>That all the An|gels in Heaven, were commanded and commi&s;&s;ionated by God, to be &s;erviceable and u&s;eful to the heirs of Salvation. Are they not all mini&s;tring Spirits, &s;ent forth to mini&s;ter for them, who &s;hall be heirs of Salvation?</HI> The Devil knows he is no lo&s;er, and the curious &s;oul but a very little gainer, if he can but per&s;wade him to &s;pend mo&s;t of his precious time in &s;tudying and poring upon the mo&s;t dark, my&s;te|rious and hidden things of God. He that affects to read the <HI>Revela|tions of John,</HI> more than his plain <HI>Epi&s;tles;</HI> or <HI>Daniels</HI> prophe&s;ies,
<PB N="418" REF="265"> more than <HI>Davids</HI> P&s;alms, and is more bu&s;ie about reconciling diffi|cult Scriptures, than he is about mor|tifying of unruly lu&s;ts, or that is &s;et more upon vain &s;peculations, than upon things that make mo&s;t for edification, he is not the man that is cut out for Clo&s;et-prayer. Such as affect &s;ublime notions, ob|&s;cure expre&s;&s;ions, and are men of ab&s;tracted conceits, are but a com|pany of wi&s;e fools, that will never take any delight to be with God in a corner. Had many men &s;pent but half that time in &s;ecret prayer, that they have &s;pent in &s;eeking after the <HI>Phylo&s;ophers Stone,</HI> how happy might they have been! O how holy, how happy, how heavenly, how hum|ble, how wi&s;e, how knowing, might many men have been, had they &s;pent but half that time in Clo&s;et-prayer, that they have &s;pent in &s;earching after tho&s;e things that are hard to be under&s;tood! 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 16. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, Take heed of engage|ing your &s;elves in a crowd of
<PB N="419" REF="265"> worldly bu&s;ine&s;&s;es. Many have &s;o much to do on earth that they have no time to look up to Hea|ven. As much earth puts out the fire, &s;o much worldly bu&s;ine&s;s puts out the fire of heavenly affections. Look as the earth &s;wallowed up <HI>Korah, Dathan</HI> and <HI>Abiram,</HI> &s;o much <NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 22. 32&punc;</NOTE> worldly bu&s;ine&s;s &s;wallows up &s;o much precious time, that many men have no lea&s;ure to be with God in their Clo&s;ets; this bu&s;ine&s;s is to be done, and that bu&s;ine&s;s can|not be omitted, and t'other nece&s;&s;a|ry occa&s;ion mu&s;t be attended, &s;o that I have no lea&s;ure to &s;tep out of my &s;hop into my Clo&s;et, &s;aith <NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3. 19.</NOTE> the earthly minded man; thus a crowd of worldly bu&s;ine&s;&s;es crowds Clo&s;et-prayer quite out of doors. Many drive &s;o great a trade in their &s;hops, that their private trade to Heaven is quite laid by. There is nothing that hath kept men more from Chri&s;t and Clo&s;et-prayer, than the &s;hop, the Ex|change, the Farm, and the Ox|en, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 14. 16.&mdash;22.</NOTE> <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The Stars which have
<PB N="420" REF="266"> lea&s;t circuit are neere&s;t the Pole; and men that are lea&s;t perplexed with worldly bu&s;ine&s;&s;es are com|monly neere&s;t to God, to Chri&s;t, to Heaven, and &s;o the fitter for Clo|&s;et-prayer. 'Tis &s;ad when men gra&s;p &s;o much bu&s;ine&s;s, that they can have no lea&s;ure for Commu|nion with God in a corner. The noi&s;e is &s;uch in a mill, as hinders all private intercour&s;e between man and man; and &s;o a multi|tude of worldly bu&s;ine&s;&s;es make &s;uch a noi&s;e, as that it hinders all private entercour&s;e between God and the &s;oul. If a man of much bu&s;ine&s;s &s;hould now and then &s;lide into his Clo&s;et, yet his head and his heart will be &s;o filled and di|&s;tracted with the thoughts of his employments, that God &s;hall have little of him but his bodily pre|&s;ence, or at mo&s;t, but bodily pre|&s;ence, or at mo&s;t, but bodily exer|ci&s;e, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 4. 8.</NOTE> which profits little. If Chri&s;t blamed <HI>Martha</HI> for the multitude of her dome&s;tical employments, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 10. 40, 41, 42.</NOTE> though they were undertaken for the immediate &s;ervice and enter|tainment
<PB N="421" REF="266"> of him&s;elf, becau&s;e they hindred her in her &s;oul-concern|ments; Oh how will he one day blame all tho&s;e, who by running them&s;elves into a crowd of world|ly bu&s;ine&s;&s;es, do cut them&s;elves off from all opportunities of pouring out their &s;ouls before him in &s;e|cret. But,</P>
<P>Fifthly, Take heed of &s;ecret &s;ins. There is no greater hinder|ance to &s;ecret prayer in all the world than &s;ecret &s;ins; and there|fore &s;tand upon your watch, and arme your &s;elves with all your might again&s;t them. There is an Antipathy betwixt &s;ecret &s;inning, and &s;ecret praying, partly from guilt, which makes the &s;oul &s;hy of coming under Gods &s;ecret eye; and partly from tho&s;e fears, doubts, di&s;putes, and di&s;orders, that &s;ecret &s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters"> rai&s;e in the heart. Light is not more oppo&s;ite to darkne&s;s, Chri&s;t to <HI>Belial,</HI> nor Heaven to Hell, than &s;ecret prayer is to &s;ecret &s;ins; and therefore what ever you do, look that you keep clear of &s;e|cret
<PB N="422" REF="267"> &s;ins: To that purpo&s;e con&s;ider the&s;e four things.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, That God is privy to our mo&s;t &s;ecret &s;ins; his eye is as much upon &s;ecret &s;ins, as it is upon open <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 139. 1, 2, 3, 4. Jer. 13. 27. Chap. 29. 23. P&s;al. 39. 1. 1 Kings 20. 39. Jer. 20. 20 Job. 10. 12.</NOTE> &s;ins, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 90. 8. <HI>Thou ho&s;t &s;et our iniquities before thee, our &s;ecret &s;ins in the light of thy countenance.</HI> God hath an eye upon our inmo&s;t evils, he &s;eeth all that is done in the dark, <HI>Jer.</HI> 23. 24. <HI>Can any hide him|&s;elf in &s;ecret places, that I &s;hall not &s;ee him, &s;aith the Lord? do not I fill Heaven and Earth, &s;aith the Lord? Prov.</HI> 15. 3. <HI>The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.</HI> To &s;ay that God doth not &s;ee the mo&s;t &s;ecret &s;ins of the chil|dren of men, is not only derogato|ry to his omni&s;cience, but al&s;o to his mercy; for how can God par|don tho&s;e &s;ins, which he doth not &s;ee to be &s;ins? There is no cloud, nor curtain, nor moment of darkne&s;s, that can &s;tand betwixt the eyes of God and the wayes of men, <HI>Prov.</HI> 5. 21. <HI>The wayes of men are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all</HI>
<PB N="423" REF="267"> <HI>his goings.</HI> In this Scripture <HI>Solo|mon</HI> mainly &s;peaks of the wayes of the Adulterer, which u&s;ually are plotted with the mo&s;t cunning &s;ecrecy; yet God &s;eeth all tho&s;e wayes. Look as no boldne&s;s can exempt the Adulterer from the ju|&s;tice of God; &s;o no &s;ecrecy can hide him from the eye of God. Though men labour to hide their wayes from others, and from them&s;elves, yet 'tis but labour in vain to endea|vour to hide them from God. Men that labour to hide God from them&s;elves, can never hide them|&s;elves from God.</P>
<P>I have read that <HI>Paphnutius</HI> con|verted <HI>Thais</HI> and <HI>Ephron,</HI> two fa|mous Strumpets, from uncleanne&s;s, only with this Argument, <HI>That God &s;eeth all things in the dark, when the doors are fa&s;t, the windows &s;hut, and the curtains drawn. Heb.</HI> 4. 13. <HI>Nei|ther is there any creature that is not manife&s;t in his &s;ight; but all things are naked and opened</HI> (anotamized) <HI>even to the eyes of him, with whom we have to do:</HI> 'Tis an allu&s;ion to the Prie&s;ts
<PB N="424" REF="268"> under the Law, who when they killed a bea&s;t, all things that were within the bea&s;t were laid open and naked before the Prie&s;t, that he might &s;ee what was &s;ound, and what was corrupted. Though evil be done out of the eye of all the world, yet it is naked and ma|nife&s;t in his &s;ight with whom we have to do.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e &s;ins which lye clo&s;e&s;t, and are mo&s;t &s;ecretly lurking in the heart, are as obvious and odious to God as tho&s;e that are mo&s;t fairly written upon a mans forehead. God is <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>all eye;</HI> &s;o that he &s;ees all, the mo&s;t &s;ecret, turnings and windings of our hearts. Our mo&s;t &s;ecret &s;ins are as plainly &s;een by him, as any thing can be by us at noon-day, <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> 139. 11, 12, <HI>If I &s;ay, &s;urely the darkne&s;s &s;hall cover me, even the night &s;hall be light about me. Yea, the darkne&s;s hideth not from thee, but the night &s;hineth as the day; the darkne&s;s and the light are both alike to thee.</HI> 'Tis not the thicke&s;t Clouds
<PB N="425" REF="268"> that can bar out his ob&s;ervance, who&s;e eyes fill Heaven and earth. What is the Curtain, or the darke&s;t night, or the double lock, or the &s;ecret Chamber, to him who cleer|ly ob&s;erves all things in a perfect nakedne&s;s. God hath an eye upon the mo&s;t inward intentions of the heart, and the mo&s;t &s;ubtile moti|ons of the &s;pirit. Tho&s;e Philo&s;o|phers were out, that held the eye and care of God de&s;cended no low|er than the heavens. Certainly there is not a creature, not a thought, not a thing, but lyes open to the all-&s;eeing eye of God. The Lord knows our &s;ecret &s;innings, as exactly as our vi&s;ible &s;innings. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 44. 21. <HI>He knoweth the &s;ecrets of our hearts.</HI> Would not a malector &s;peak truly at the Bar, did he know, did he believe that the Judge had Windows that did look into his brea&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Athenodorus</HI> a Heathen could &s;ay, that all men ought to be carefull in the actions of their life, becau&s;e God was every
<PB N="426" REF="269" MS="y"> where, and beheld all that was done.</P>
<P><HI>Zeno</HI> a wi&s;e <HI>Heathen</HI> affirmed, that God beheld even the thoughts.</P>
<P>'Twas an excellent &s;aying of <HI>Am|bro&s;e, If thou can&s;t not hide thy &s;elf</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ambro&s;. Offic. l.</HI> 1. <HI>c.</HI> 14.</NOTE> <HI>from the Sun, which is Gods Mini&s;ter of light, how impo&s;&s;ible will it be to hide thy &s;elf from him, who&s;e eyes are ten thou&s;and times brighter than the Sun!</HI> Though a &s;inner may baffle his Con&s;cience, yet he cannot baffle the eye of Gods omni&s;ciency. Oh that poor &s;ouls would remember, that as they are never out of the reach of Gods hand, &s;o they are never from under the view of his eye. God is <HI>totus oculus, all eye; Jer.</HI> 16. 17. <HI>For mine eyes are upon all their wayes; they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. Job</HI> 34. 21, 22. <HI>For his eyes are upon the wayes of man, and he &s;eeth all his goings. There is no dark|ne&s;s, nor &s;hadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide them&s;elves. Jer.</HI> 32. 19. <HI>For thine eyes are open upon all the wayes of the &s;ons of men, to give</HI>
<PB N="427" REF="269"> <HI>every one according to his wayes, and the fruit of his doings.</HI> You know what <HI>Aha&s;uerus</HI> that great Mo|narch &s;aid concerning <HI>Haman,</HI> when coming in he found him ca&s;t upon the Queens Bed, on which &s;he &s;ate, <HI>What</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>will he force</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;t. 7. 8.</NOTE> <HI>the Queen before me in the Hou&s;e?</HI> There was the killing empha&s;is in the words <HI>before me; will he force the Queen before me?</HI> what will he dare to commit &s;uch villany and I &s;tand and look on? O Sirs, to &s;in in the &s;ight of God, to do wick|edly under the eye of God, is a thing that he looks upon as the greate&s;t affront, and as the highe&s;t indignity that can po&s;&s;ibly be done unto him: What (&s;aith he) wilt thou be drunk before me? wilt thou &s;wear and bla&s;pheme before me? wilt thou be wanton and un|clean before me? wilt thou be un|ju&s;t and unrighteous under mine eye? wilt thou prophane my Sab|baths, and polute my Ordinances before my face? wilt thou de&s;pi&s;e and per&s;ecute my Servants in my
<PB N="428" REF="270"> pre&s;ence? <HI>&amp;c.</HI> This then is the kil|ling aggravation of all &s;in, that it is done before the face of God, that it is committed in the Royal pre|&s;ence of the King of Kings; where|as the very con&s;ideration of Gods Omnipre&s;ence &s;hould bravely arm us again&s;t &s;in and Satan; the con|&s;ideration of his all-&s;eeing eye &s;hould make us &s;hun all occa&s;ions of &s;in, and make us &s;hy of all ap|pearances of &s;in. Shall the eye of the Ma&s;ter keep the Scholar from blotting his Copy? &s;hall the eye of the Judge keep the Malefactor from picking and &s;tealing? &s;hall the eye of the Ma&s;ter keep the Ser|vant from idling and trifling? &s;hall the eye of the Father keep the Child from wandring and gad|ding? &s;hall the eye of the Husband keep the Wife from extravagan|cies and indecencies? &s;hall the &s;harp eye of wi&s;e <HI>Cato,</HI> o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> the quick eye of a neer Neighbour, or the &s;e|vere eye of a bo&s;om Friend, keep thee from many enormities &amp; vani|ties? &amp; &s;hall not the &s;trict, the pure,
<PB N="429" REF="270"> the jealous eye of an All-&s;eeing God, keep thee from &s;inning in the &s;ecret Chamber, when all Curtains are drawn, doors bolted, and every one in the hou&s;e a bed or abroad, but thee &amp; thy <HI>Dalilah?</HI> Oh what dread|ful Athei&s;me is bound up in that mans heart, who is more afraid of the eye of his Father, his Pa&s;tor, his Child, his Servant, than he is of the eye, the pre&s;ence of the eter|nal God? O that all whom this concerns, would take &s;uch &s;erious notice of it, as to judge them&s;elves &s;everely for it, as to mourn bitter|ly over it, as to &s;trive mightily in prayer with God, both for the par|don of it, and for power again&s;t it.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle &s;adly complains of &s;ome in his time who wallowed in &s;ecret &s;ins. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 2. <HI>For it is a &s;hame even to &s;peak of tho&s;e things which are done of them in &s;ecret:</HI> He &s;peaks of &s;uch as lived in &s;ecret for|nications and uncleanne&s;s, there were many that had put on a form of godline&s;s, who yet did al|low
<PB N="430" REF="271"> them&s;elves in the &s;ecret actings of abominable wickedne&s;s and fil|thine&s;s, as if there were no God to behold them, nor Con&s;cience to accu&s;e them, nor Judgement day to arraign them, nor Ju&s;tice to condemn them, nor Hell to tor|ment them. O how infiniitely odious mu&s;t they be in the eyes of a holy God, who can highly court and complement him in publick, and yet are &s;o bold as to provoke him to his face in private; the&s;e are like tho&s;e whores, who pretend a great deal of affection and re|&s;pect to their Husbands abroad, and yet at home will play the Harlots before their Husbands eyes.</P>
<P>Such as perform Religious du|ties only to cloak and colour over their &s;ecret filthine&s;&s;es, their &s;ecret wickedne&s;&s;es; &s;uch as pretend to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 7. 13, 14, 15. Job. 24. 15.</NOTE> pay their vows, and yet wait for the twilight; &s;uch as commit wick|edne&s;s in a corner, and yet with the Harlot wipe their mouths, and &s;ay, <HI>What have we done?</HI> &s;uch &s;hall at
<PB N="431" REF="271"> la&s;t find the Chambers, the Stones, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Hab. 2. 11.</NOTE> out of the Wall, the Beame out of the Timber, the Seats they &s;it on, and the Beds they lye on, to wit|ne&s;s again&s;t all their want on dali|ances, and la&s;civious carriages in &s;ecret. <HI>Heb.</HI> 13. 4. <HI>Who remongers and Adulterers God will judge:</HI> He will &s;entence them him&s;elf; and why? but becau&s;e &s;uch &s;inners carry it &s;o clo&s;ely and craftily, that often|times none but God can find them out. Magi&s;trates often neglect the puni&s;hing of &s;uch &s;inners, when their &s;ecret wickedne&s;s is made known; and therefore God him|&s;elf will &s;it in judgment upon them. Though they may e&s;cape the eyes of men, yet they &s;hall never e&s;cape the judgment of God. Heart-ini|quities fall not under any humane &s;entence. U&s;ually Whoremongers and Adulterers are marvelous clo&s;e, and &s;ecret and &s;ubtile to con|ceal their abominable filthine&s;s; therefore the Harlot is &s;aid to be <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rab. Sol. in hunc ver&s;.</NOTE> &s;ubtile of heart, <HI>Prov.</HI> 7. 10. The Hebrew by <HI>Rabbi Solomon</HI> is tran|&s;lated
<PB N="432" REF="272"> <HI>munito corde,</HI> and having her heart fenced; <HI>for,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>as a City is environed with fortifications, &s;o her heart is fertified round about with &s;ubtilty:</HI> or el&s;e it may be rendred <HI>occlu&s;a corde, fa&s;t &s;hut up in the heart, even as clo&s;e as a be&s;iedged City,</HI> that is, <HI>mo&s;t &s;ecret in the &s;ubtilty of her heart, how open &s;oever &s;he be in the boldne&s;s of her outward carriage.</HI> So the Pro|phet <HI>Agur</HI> reckoneth the way of a Man with a Maid, and the way of an adulterous Woman, among tho&s;e things which neither him&s;elf nor any other man was po&s;&s;ibly able to di&s;cover and find out, and compares it to the way of three things, which no wit nor indu&s;try of man is able to de&s;cry; but yet God &s;eeth all, and will bring them <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 30. 19, 20.</NOTE> to the Bar for all. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, Con&s;ider, That &s;e|cret <NOTE PLACE="marg">In my Treati&s;e called <HI>Ap+ples of Gold,</HI> &amp;c. I have proved by many ar|guments, that the &s;ins of the Saints &s;hall not be brought into the judgment of Di&s;cu&s;&s;i|on and di&s;covery in the great day, pag. 155, to pag. 172. and there|fore un|der&s;tand this &s;e|cond par|ticular of &s;uch who live and die in their &s;e|cret &s;ins without Repen|tance and faith in the blood of Chri&s;t.</NOTE> &s;ins &s;hall be revealed. The mo&s;t hidden works of darkne&s;s &s;hall be openly manife&s;ted; for though the actings of &s;in be in the dark, yet the judgings of &s;in &s;hall be in the light, <HI>Luke</HI> 8. 17. <HI>For nothing</HI>
<PB N="433" REF="272"> <HI>is &s;ecret that &s;hall not be made manife&s;t; neither any thing hid, that &s;hall not be known, and come abroad.</HI> The &s;land|ers of the Jews concerning the ma|gical arts of Chri&s;t and his Apo|&s;tles; the horrible lyes of the <HI>Pa|gans</HI> concerning the ince&s;tuous co|pulations of the Chri&s;tians, and their drinking mans-blood, were in time di&s;covered what they were, <HI>Eccl.</HI> 12. 14. <HI>God &s;hall bring every work into judgement, with every &s;ecret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil:</HI> Mark, he doth not &s;ay &s;ome work, but <HI>every work;</HI> and not only <HI>works,</HI> but <HI>&s;ecrets;</HI> and not only <HI>&s;ecrets,</HI> but <HI>every &s;ecret;</HI> and not only <HI>&s;ecret good things,</HI> but <HI>evil</HI> to; whether good works or ill works, whether &s;ecret or open, all mu&s;t be brought to judgement. The Books of Gods Omni&s;cience, and mans Con&s;ci|ence, &s;hall then be opened, and then &s;ecret &s;ins &s;hall be as legible in thy forehead, as if they were written with the mo&s;t gli&s;tering Sun-beams upon a wall of Chry|&s;tal. All mens &s;ecret &s;ins are prin|ted
<PB N="434" REF="273"> in Heaven, and God will at la&s;t read them aloud in the ears of all the world, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4. 5. <HI>Judg nothing be|fore the time until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkne&s;s, and will make manife&s;t the coun&s;els of the heart.</HI> Look as there are a world of flies and motes in the Aire, which we never &s;ee till the Sun &s;hines; &s;o there are ma|ny thou&s;and thou&s;ands of proud thoughts, and unclean thoughts, and worldly thoughts, and malici|ous thoughts, &amp; envious thoughts, and bloudy thoughts, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which the world &s;ees not, knows not; but in the great day, when the coun|&s;els of all hearts &s;hall be manife&s;t, then all &s;hall out, then all &s;hall appear, both to the upper and the lower world. In the great day all Masks, Vizards, and Hoods &s;hall be pulled off, and then all &s;hall out; all that ever thou ha&s;t done in the &s;ecret Chamber, in the dark corner, &s;hall be made known to men and Angels, yea, to the whole Court of Heaven, and to
<PB N="435" REF="273"> all the world be&s;ide, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2. 16. <HI>In the day when God &s;hall judge the &s;ecrets of men by Je&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> In this great day God will judge not only our words but our works, not only our open works, but al&s;o our &s;ecret works and wayes. When <HI>Jehoia|kim</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 36 8.</NOTE> was dead, there was found the characters, &s;uper&s;titious marks, and prints of his &s;orcery upon his bo|dy; which &s;hews how deeply Ido|latry was rooted in his heart, &s;ee|ing he bare the marks in his fle&s;h: during his life, he being a King bore it out bravely, and kept all clo&s;e, but when he was dead, then all came out, then the marks of his abominable Idolatry appeared upon his body: Though &s;inners, though the greate&s;t of &s;inners may hide and keep clo&s;e their horrid abominations for a time, yet there will come a time when all &s;hall out, when all their &s;ecret marks and &s;ecret abominations &s;hall be obvious to all the world.</P>
<P>But &s;inners may be ready to Ob|ject and &s;ay, <HI>Let us but alone in our &s;e|cret</HI>
<PB N="436" REF="274"> <HI>&s;ins till that day, and then we &s;hall do well enough.</HI> And therefore in the</P>
<P>Third place, Con&s;ider, that God many times doth, even in this life, <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 41. 21, 22, 23.</NOTE> di&s;cover and make known to the world mens &s;ecret &s;ins.</P>
<P>God loves to act &s;uitable to his own names: Now to be a re|vealer of &s;ecrets is one of his Names, <HI>Dan.</HI> 2. 47. and accord|ingly, even in this world, he often brings to light the mo&s;t hidden things of darkne&s;s. Of all the glorious Attributes of God, there is none that &s;uffers &s;o deeply by &s;e|cret &s;ins, as the Attribute of his Omni&s;cience; and therefore in this world God often &s;tands up to vindicate the Honour of that At|tribute, by unmasking of &s;inners, and by bringing to the light all tho&s;e &s;ecret paths and wayes of wickedne&s;s, wherein they have long walked undi&s;covered. 'Twas for the honour of this ble&s;&s;ed At|tribute of God, that the &s;ecret plot|ted <NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 5. 1,&mdash;12.</NOTE> &s;in of <HI>Ananias</HI> and <HI>Saphira</HI>
<PB N="437" REF="274"> was &s;o openly di&s;covered; <HI>And great fear came upon all the Church, and upon as many as heard the&s;e things. Jo&s;ephs</HI> Brethren for a long time hide their malice, their craft, their <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 42. 21, 22. Chap. 50. 15,&mdash;22.</NOTE> cruelty, their envy, their tretchery, in &s;elling their Brother into <HI>Egypt;</HI> but at la&s;t by amazing and amu|&s;ing providences all was brought to light. Con&s;cience that for a time may &s;eem to be a&s;leep, yet will in time awake, and make the &s;inner know, that he is as faithful in recording, as he is fearful in ac|cu&s;ing, and this <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> Brethren found by &s;ad experience. So <HI>Ge|hazi,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kings 5. 20. <HI>&punc;ult.</HI></NOTE> he &s;ins &s;ecretly, he lyes fear|fully, and after all he defends it &s;toutly; but at la&s;t all comes out, and in&s;tead of being cloathed rich|ly, he and his po&s;terity was cloath|ed with a Lepro&s;ie for ever; and in&s;tead of two changes of Gar|ments, God hangs him up in Chains, as a Monument of his wrath to all Generations. So <HI>Achan</HI> &s;ecretly and &s;acriledgiou&s;ly &s;teales a goodly <HI>Babyloni&s;h</HI> Gar|ment,
<PB N="438" REF="275"> and two hundred Shekels of Silver, and a Wedge of Gold of Fifty Shekels Weight, and hides them in the earth in the mid&s;t of his Tent, and by rea&s;on of this <HI>I&s;rael</HI> flyes before their ene|mies; but at la&s;t <HI>Achan</HI> is taken, and all comes out, and his Gold|en Wedge proved a Wedge to cleave him, and his <HI>Babyloni&s;h</HI> Gar|ment a Garment to &s;hrowd him: <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> makes a bonfire of all that he had &s;ecretly and &s;infully &s;toln, and burns him, and his children, and all that he had, in it. Oh how openly, how &s;everely doth God &s;ometimes puni&s;h men for their mo&s;t &s;ecret iniquity! The &s;ame you may &s;ee in that great in&s;tance of <HI>David,</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 12. 9, 10, 11, 12. <HI>Wherefore ha&s;t thou de&s;pi&s;ed the Commandement of the Lord, to do evil in his &s;ight? thou ha&s;t killed &V;riah the Hit|tite with the &s;word</HI> (this was done in a &s;ecret Letter) <HI>and ha&s;t taken his Wife to be thy Wife. Now therefore the &s;word &s;hall never depart from thy hou&s;e, be|cau&s;e thou ha&s;t de&s;pi&s;ed me, &amp; ha&s;t taken</HI>
<PB N="439" REF="275"> <HI>the Wife of &V;riah the Hittite to be thy Wife. Thus &s;aith the Lord, Behold, I will rai&s;e up evil again&s;t thee out of thine own hou&s;e, and I will take thy VVives before thy eyes and give them to thy Neighbour, and he &s;hall lye with thy VVives in the &s;ight of the Sun. For</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 16. 22.</NOTE> <HI>thou did&s;t it &s;ecretly, but I will do this thing before all I&s;rael, &amp; before the Sun. David</HI> was very &s;tudious &amp; very in|du&s;trious to hide his &s;in, and to &s;ave his credit; but the covering made of <HI>&V;riah's</HI> blood was too &s;hort, and too narrow to hide his folly with <HI>Bath&s;heba,</HI> and therefore when he had done all he could, his &s;in was to&s;t like a ball, from man to man, through Court, City and Coun|try.</P>
<P>I have read of one <HI>Parthenius</HI> an homicide, trea&s;urer to <HI>Theodobert</HI> King of <HI>France,</HI> who having trai|terou&s;ly &s;lain an e&s;pecial friend of his, called <HI>Au&s;anius,</HI> with his Wife <HI>Papianilla,</HI> when no man &s;u&s;pected or accu&s;ed him thereof, he detected &amp; accu&s;ed him&s;elf after this &s;trange manner: As he &s;lept in his Bed,
<PB N="440" REF="276"> &s;uddenly he roared out mo&s;t piti|fully, crying for help, or el&s;e he pe|ri&s;hed; and being demanded what he ailed, he half a&s;leep an&s;wered, <HI>That his friend Au&s;anius and his wife, whom he had &s;lain long ago, &s;ummoned him to judgment before God:</HI> Upon which confe&s;&s;ion he was appre|hended, and after due examination &s;toned to death: Thus the ter|rors and horrors of his own con&s;ci|ences di&s;cover that &s;ecret wicked|ne&s;s, which none could prove again&s;t him.</P>
<P>I have read how that <HI>Mahomet</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Turk Hi&s;t.</HI> Fol. 400.</NOTE> the great <HI>Turk</HI> had with great re|wards procured two Turks to un|dertake to kill <HI>Scanderbeg:</HI> The&s;e Traytors came to <HI>Scanderbeg</HI> mak|ing &s;uch a &s;hew of the dete&s;tation both of <HI>Mahomets</HI> Tyranical Go|vernment, and vain &s;uper&s;tition, that they were both by <HI>Scanderbeg</HI> and others reputed to be indeed the men they de&s;ired to be accoun|ted, and &s;o after they had learned the Principles of the Chri&s;tian Re|ligion, they were both by their
<PB N="441" REF="276"> own de&s;ire Baptized: Soon after by a providence it &s;o fell out, that the&s;e two Traytors fell at variance betwixt them&s;elves, by which meanes the plot came to be di&s;co|vered, and after due examination and confe&s;&s;ion of the fact, they were pre&s;ently condemned and ex|ecuted.</P>
<P>Con&s;cience is Gods &s;py in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;ci|ence, &s;aith <HI>Philo,</HI> is the little con&s;i&s;tory of the &s;oul. Con&s;ci|ence is <HI>mille te&s;tes,</HI> a thou&s;and witne&s;&s;es, for or a|gain&s;t a man. Con&s;ci|ence is a Court of Record, and what|&s;oever it &s;ees it writes down; and Con&s;ci|ence is al|wayes as quick in writing as the &s;in|ner can be in &s;inning. The very Heathen could &s;ay, that Con|&s;cience was a God to every man.</NOTE> bo&s;ome. Con&s;cience as a Scribe, a Regi&s;ter, &s;its in the Clo&s;et of your hearts with Pen in hand, and makes a Diurnal of all your &s;ecret wayes, and &s;ecret crimes, which are above the cognizance of men. Con&s;cience &s;ets down the time when, the place where, the man|ner how, and the per&s;ons with whom &s;uch and &s;uch &s;ecret wick|edne&s;&s;es have been committed, and that &s;o clear and evident, that go where you will, and do what you can, the characters of them &s;hall never be cancelled or ra&s;ed out, till God appear in judgment. Let a man &s;in in the clo&s;e&s;t retirement that humane policy can contrive;
<PB N="442" REF="277"> let him take all the wayes he can to hide his &s;ins, to cloak and cover his &s;in as <HI>Adam</HI> did; yet Con&s;ci|ence will &s;o play the Judge, that it will bring in the evidence, produce the Law, urge the penalty, and pa&s;s the &s;entence of Condemnati|on upon him. There is many a man who makes a fair profe&s;&s;ion, and who hath a great name in the world, who yet is <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;elf-condemned for tho&s;e &s;ecret &s;ins which are not obvious to the eyes of man, nor puni&s;hable by the Laws or hands of men; yea, many times in this life God rai&s;eth &s;uch a hell of horror &amp; terror in many mens Con&s;ciences, by rea&s;on of their &s;ecret &s;ins, that they can have no re&s;t nor quiet, neither at bed nor at board, neither lying down nor ri|&s;ing up; fain they would conceal their &s;ins, unwilling they are that the world &s;hould know how vile they have been in &s;ecret; but Con&s;ci|ence being upon the rack, and &s;till a gnawing, accu&s;ing, &amp; condemning of them, they can hold no longer;
<PB N="443" REF="277"> now all mu&s;t out; and now tho&s;e &s;ins that were mo&s;t &s;ecret &amp; concealed come to be publi&s;hed upon the hou&s;e-top.</P>
<P>Some that have been under an|gui&s;h of Con&s;cience, others that have been &s;mitten with a Fren&s;ie, and many in their very &s;leep have been often the blazers and pro|claimers of their own &s;ecret filthi|ne&s;s and wickedne&s;s. In tho&s;e ca&s;es God hath made many a &s;e|cret &s;inner to cry out with the <HI>Le|per, unclean, unclean;</HI> and with <HI>Ju|das</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev. 13. 45. Mat. 27. 4.</NOTE> (before all pre&s;ent) <HI>I have &s;in|ned, I have &s;inned.</HI> Many times in this life, God doth very &s;trangely and wonderfully di&s;cover tho&s;e &s;e|cret works of darkne&s;s, in which per&s;ons have lived long undi&s;cover|ed.</P>
<P>A <HI>Pythagorean</HI> bought a pair of Shooes upon tru&s;t, the Shoomaker dies, he is glad, thinks them gain|ed; but a while after his Con&s;ci|ence flyes upon him, and becomes a continual chider and tormentor of him; he hereupon repairs to
<PB N="444" REF="278"> the hou&s;e of the dead, ca&s;ts in his money with the&s;e words, <HI>There, take thy due; thou live&s;t to me, though dead to all be&s;ides.</HI> But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, Con&s;ider, That &s;e|cret &s;ins are in &s;ome re&s;pects more dangerous than open &s;ins. Many a man bleeds to death inwardly, and no man perceives it. The more inward and &s;ecret the di&s;ea&s;e is, the more the man is in danger to lo&s;e his life. There are no Fevers &s;o dangerous, as tho&s;e that prey upon the &s;pirits and inward parts; &s;o there are no &s;ins &s;o dangerous and pernicious to the &s;ouls of men, as tho&s;e that are mo&s;t inward and &s;ecret. &s;ecret &s;ins often reign in the &s;ouls of men mo&s;t powerful|ly when lea&s;t apparently.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Con&s;ider, That he that &s;ins &s;ecretly deprives him&s;elf of tho&s;e helps and remedies, which by a divine ble&s;&s;ing might arm him again&s;t &s;in, yea, make him victorious over &s;in, to wit, the Prayers, Coun&s;els, Reproofs, Ex|amples and Encouragements of
<PB N="445" REF="278"> Friends, Relations, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> A mans hou&s;e may be on fire; but while&s;t 'tis all inward help comes not in; but when the fire flames out, when it catcheth the out&s;ide of the hou&s;e, then help runs in, then help on all hands is ready. He that &s;ins in &s;e|cret debars him&s;elf of all pub|lick Remedy, and takes great pains to damn his &s;oul in a cor|ner, and to go to Hell in the dark. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, Secret &s;ins will make way for publick &s;ins. He that makes no Con&s;cience of &s;inning in the &s;ecret Chamber, will e're long with <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI> be ready to &s;pread a Tent upon the top of the <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 King. 16. 21, 22,</NOTE> hou&s;e, and to go in to his Concu|bines in the &s;ight of all <HI>I&s;rael.</HI> Such as have made no Con&s;cience of &s;tealing a few pins or pence, or a few &s;hillings in private, have in time come to be &s;o bold, as to take a pur&s;e on the road at high-noon. The <HI>Cockatrice</HI> mu&s;t be cru&s;hed in the Egge, el&s;e it will &s;oon become a Serpent. The very thought of
<PB N="446" REF="279"> &s;in, if not thought on, will break forth into action, action into cu|&s;tom, cu&s;tom into habit, and then both body and &s;oul are irrecover|ably lo&s;t to all eternity.</P>
<P>If Satan can but wound our heel (as the Poets feign of <HI>Achil|les)</HI> he will make a hard &s;hift but he will &s;end death from the heel to the heart. If this &s;ubtile Ser|pent can but wriggle in his tayl by an ill thought, he will &s;oon get in his head by a wor&s;e action. Hence it is that Chri&s;t calls hatred mur|der, and a wanton eye adultery. Secret hatred often i&s;&s;ues in upon murder, and &s;ecret wanton glances of the eye do often i&s;&s;ue in vi&s;ible adultery. If <HI>Ammon</HI> be &s;ick with the &s;inful conceptions of ince&s;tuous lu&s;t, how will his &s;oul be in pain and travail till he hath brought forth! And how many are there that in &s;ecret have taken now and then but one Cup more than enough, who now may be &s;een at high-noon reeling again&s;t every Po&s;t. Look as &s;ecret di&s;ea&s;es in
<PB N="447" REF="279"> the body (if not cured) will in time openly break forth; &s;o &s;ecret &s;ins in the &s;oul (if not pardoned and purged) will in time be openly re|vealed. Covetou&s;ne&s;s was <HI>Judas</HI> his &s;ecret &s;in; and no &s;ooner doth an occa&s;ion, or a temptation pre|&s;ent it &s;elf, but he is very ready and forward to betray and &s;ell his Lord and Ma&s;ter, for thirty pieces of Sil|ver before all the world. <HI>Lu&s;t having conceived brings forth &s;in;</HI> and <NOTE PLACE="marg">James 1. 15.</NOTE> that thus, Fir&s;t, Sin hath its con|ception, and that's delight; and then its formation, and that's de|&s;ign; and then its birth, and that's action; and then its growth, and that's cu&s;tome; and then its end, and that's damnation. But,</P>
<P>Thirdly, Secret &s;inning puts far more re&s;pect &amp; fear upon men than upon God. Thou wilt be unju&s;t in &s;ecret, and wanton in &s;ecret, and unclean in &s;ecret, and treache|rous in &s;ecret, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and why? but becau&s;e thou art afraid that &s;uch or &s;uch men &s;hould know it, or that &s;uch and &s;uch Friends &s;hould
<PB N="448" REF="280"> know it, or that &s;uch and &s;uch Relations &s;hould know it: Ah poor wretch, art thou afraid of the eye of a man, of a man that &s;hall <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 51. 12.</NOTE> dye, and of the Son of man, which &s;hall be made as Gra&s;s? and yet not tremble under his eye, <HI>who&s;e eyes are as a flame of fire, &s;harp and terrible, &s;uch as pierce into the in|ward</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 1. 14. Heb. 4. 13.</NOTE> <HI>parts?</HI> Ah how full of athe|i&s;me is that mans heart, that ta|citly &s;aith, <HI>If my &s;ins be but hid from the eyes of the world, I do not care though the Lord knows them, though the Lord &s;trictly ob&s;erves them, though the Lord &s;ets a mark, a Memorandum up|on them.</HI> What is this, O Man, but to brave it out with God, and to tempt him, and provoke him to to his very face, <HI>who is Light, and in whom there is no darkne&s;s at all?</HI> Ah &s;inner, &s;inner, can man <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 1. 5, 6.</NOTE> damn thee? can man di&s;-inherit thee? can man fill thy Con&s;cience with horrors and terrors? can man make thy life a very Hell? can man bar the gates of Glory again&s;t thee? can man &s;peak thee
<PB N="449" REF="280"> into the Grave by a word of his mouth? and after all, can man ca&s;t thee into endle&s;s, ea&s;ele&s;s, and remedile&s;s torments? O no; can God do all this? O yes; why then doth not thy heart &s;tand more in awe of the eye of the great God, than it doth of the eye of a poor, weak, mortal man.</P>
<P>I have in&s;i&s;ted the longer on this particular, becau&s;e there is not any one thing in all the world, that doth more hinder &s;ecret Communion with God, and &s;ecret prayer, than &s;ecret &s;ins. And Oh that you would all make it your great bu&s;ine&s;s, to watch again&s;t &s;ecret &s;ins, and to pray again&s;t &s;ecret &s;ins, and to mourn over &s;ecret &s;ins, and deep|ly to judge and condemn your &s;elves for &s;ecret &s;ins, and careful|ly and Con&s;cientiou&s;ly to &s;hun and avoid all occa&s;ions and pro|vocations that may be as fuel to &s;ecret &s;ins.</P>
<P>Certainly there are no men or women that are &s;o &s;incere and &s;e|rious in Clo&s;et-prayer, or, that are
<PB N="450" REF="281"> &s;o frequent, &s;o fervent, &s;o con|&s;tant, in Clo&s;et-prayer, or, that are &s;o delightful, &s;o re&s;olulute, &s;o undaunted, or &s;o unwearied in Clo&s;et-prayer, as tho&s;e that keep them&s;elves mo&s;t cleer and free from &s;ecret &s;ins.</P>
<P>For a Clo&s;e remember this, That though &s;ecret &s;ins are in &s;ome re&s;pects more dangerous than other &s;ins are, yet in three re&s;pects they are not &s;o bad nor &s;o dangerous as other &s;ins are.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, In that they do not &s;o &s;candalize Religion as open &s;ins do.</P>
<P>Secondly, In that they do not &s;hame, grieve, and wound, the hearts of the Saints, as open &s;ins do.</P>
<P>Thirdly, In that they are not &s;o infectious to others, nor &s;uch provo|cations to others, to &s;in again&s;t the Lord, as open &s;ins are. And thus you may &s;ee, what tho&s;e things are that you mu&s;t carefully take heeed of, as ever you would adict your &s;elves to Clo&s;et-prayer.</P>
<PB N="451" REF="281">
<P> And as you mu&s;t take heed of the&s;e five things: So there are &s;everal other things that you mu&s;t carefully and con&s;cienciou&s;ly ap|ply your &s;elves to, as ever you would be found faithful and con|&s;tant in this great duty, <HI>viz.</HI> Clo&s;et-prayer.</P>
<P>Now they are the&s;e;</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Lament greatly, and mourn bitterly over the neglect of this choice Duty. He that doth not make Con&s;cience of mourn|ing over the neglect of this Duty, will never make Con&s;cience of performing this Duty. O that <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 9. 1.</NOTE> your heads were waters, and your eyes a Fountain of tears, that you might weep day and night, for the great neglect of Clo&s;et-pray|er, He that mourns mo&s;t for the neglect of this Duty, will be found mo&s;t in the practi&s;e of this Duty. He that makes mo&s;t Con&s;cience to accu&s;e, arraign, and con|demn him&s;elf for neglecting Clo&s;et-prayer, he will make mo&s;t Con&s;cience of giving him|&s;elf
<PB N="452" REF="282"> up to Clo&s;et-prayer. 'Tis &s;aid of <HI>Adam,</HI> that he turned his face towards the Garden of <HI>Eden,</HI> and from his heart bitterly lamen|ted his great fall: O that you would turn your faces towards your Clo&s;ets, and bitterly la|ment your rare going into them. But,</P>
<P>Secondly, Habituate your &s;elves, accu&s;tom your &s;elves, to Clo&s;et-prayer: Make private pray|er your con&s;tant trade. Frequency begets familiarity, and familiarity confidence, we can go freely &amp; bold|ly into that friends hou&s;e whom we often vi&s;it. What we are habitu|ted to, we do with ea&s;e and de|light. A man that is habituted or accu&s;tomed to write, to read, to ride, to run, or to play on this, or that mu&s;ical In&s;trument, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> he doth it all with delight and ea&s;e; and &s;o a man that doth ha|bituate him&s;elf to Clo&s;et-prayer, he will manage it with delight and ea&s;e. But,</P>
<PB N="453" REF="282">
<P> Thirdly, Keep a Diary of all <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 7. 18, 19. P&s;al. 66. 12.</NOTE> your Clo&s;et-experiences; O care|fully record and book down all your Clo&s;et-mercies: O be often in reading over your Clo&s;et-experi|ences, and be often in meditating and in pondering upon your Clo|&s;et-experiences. There is no way like this, to enflame your love to Clo&s;et-prayer, and to engage your hearts in this &s;ecret trade of pri|vate prayer.</P>
<P>O remember that at &s;uch a time, you went into your Clo&s;ets with hard hearts, and dry eyes; but be|fore you came out of your Clo&s;ets, <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 6. 6. P&s;al. 39. 12. P&s;al. 56. 8.</NOTE> ah how &s;weetly, how evangeli|cally, how powerfully were you melted, and humbled before the Lord! O remember how that at another time you went into your Clo&s;ets clouded and benighted, but came out of your Clo&s;ets with as glorious a &s;hine of God upon your &s;ouls, as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had upon his face, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 34. 28, 29.</NOTE> when he came down from the Mount from communing with God! O remember how often
<PB N="454" REF="283"> you have gone into your Clo&s;ets <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 24. 31, 32. I&s;a. 4. 4.</NOTE> with cold, frozen &s;pirits, but be|fore you come out of your Clo&s;ets what a fire hath God kindled in your &s;ouls, what a &s;pirit of burn|ing have you found in your hearts! O remember how often you have gone into your Clo&s;ets &s;treight|ned and &s;hut up, but before you have come out, how hath your &s;ouls been like the Charriots of <HI>Aminnadab!</HI> O remember what <NOTE PLACE="marg">Can. 6. 12.</NOTE> power God hath given you again&s;t corruptions in your Clo&s;ets, and what &s;trenth God hath given you again&s;t temptations in your Clo|&s;ets. O remember the &s;weet di&s;|coveries of divine love that you have had when in your Clo&s;ets: O remember the &s;ecret vi&s;its, the &s;ecret ki&s;&s;es, the &s;ecret embraces, the &s;ecret whi&s;pers, the &s;ecret love|tokens that Chri&s;t hath given you in your Clo&s;ets. O &s;eriou&s;ly pon|der upon the&s;e things, and then Clo&s;et-duties will be &s;weet unto you.</P>
<PB N="455" REF="283">
<P>'Twas a &s;weet &s;aying of <HI>Bernard, O Saint, knowe&s;t thou not that thy Husband Chri&s;t is ba&s;hful, and will</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Can. 7. 11, 12.</NOTE> <HI>not be familiar in company; retire thy &s;elf by Meditation into thy Clo&s;et, or into the fields, and there thou &s;halt have Chri&s;t's embraces. Meditatio nutrix orationis, Meditation is the Nur&s;e of Prayer.</HI> O the more any man <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ger&s;on.</NOTE> meditates upon his Clo&s;et-experi|ences, the more he &s;hall find his heart engaged to Clo&s;et-duties; the more you ponder upon Clo|&s;et-experiences, the &s;weeter will Clo&s;et-experiences be to your &s;ouls; and the &s;weeter Clo&s;et-ex|periences are to your &s;ouls, the more your &s;ouls will delight to be with God in your Clo&s;ets.</P>
<P><HI>Pliny</HI> tells us of one <HI>Me&s;&s;ala Cor|vinus,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>lib.</HI> 7. <HI>c.</HI> 24.</NOTE> who&s;e memory was &s;o bad, that he forgot his own name. And I am afraid that many of your memories are &s;o bad, that you forget your Clo&s;et-mercies, your Clo&s;et-experiences.</P>
<P>I have read of &s;uch a Pe&s;tilenti|al di&s;ea&s;e once at <HI>Athens,</HI> as took
<PB N="456" REF="284"> away the memories of tho&s;e that were infected with it, &s;o that they forgat their own names: O that I had not cau&s;e to fear that &s;ome Pe&s;tilential Di&s;ea&s;e or other, hath &s;o taken away the memories of many that they have quite for|got their Clo&s;et-experiences. Well Friends remember this, though &s;tony hearts are bad, yet Iron me|mories are good; and O that you would all labour after Iron me|mories, that &s;o you may remem|ber and ponder upon your Clo&s;et-experiences. I have read of the Heathens, how they made u&s;e of white and black &s;tones, for the&s;e two ends, Fir&s;t, They gave them to per&s;ons at their arraignment before the Judges; if any were condemned to death, they gave him a black Stone, but if ab&s;ol|ved and &s;et free, a white Stone! (To which cu&s;tome the Holy-Gho&s;t &s;eemes to allude, in that <HI>Rev.</HI> 2. 17. <HI>To him that overcometh will I give a VVhite Stone.)</HI> A &s;e|cond u&s;e of tho&s;e Stones was this,
<PB N="457" REF="284"> that by them they might keep an account of all the good dayes, or evil dayes they had met withal in their lives. Hence <HI>Giacopo Senzaro</HI> having been long in love, and much cro&s;&s;ed about his match, he filled a Pot full of black Stones, putting only one white Stone a|mong them, and being asked the rea&s;on, an&s;wered, <HI>There will come one VVhite Day</HI> (meaning his Mar|riage Day) <HI>which will make amends for all my Black Dayes.</HI></P>
<P>Ah Friends, how often hath God given you the White Stone in your Clo&s;ets! Certainly you have had more White Stones than Black Stones; your Clo&s;et-mer|cies and experiences have been more than your publick cro&s;&s;es and mi&s;eries. O Sirs, did you but reckon your good dayes accord|ing to the White Stones you have had in your Clo&s;ets, it would make you more in love with Clo|&s;et-prayer than ever. But,</P>
<P>Fourthly, Be &s;ure that you do not &s;pend &s;o much of your preci|ous
<PB N="458" REF="285"> time in publick Duties and Ordinances, as that you can &s;pare none for private Duties, for &s;ecret &s;ervices. Though <HI>Pharoah's</HI> Kine eat up one another, yet our <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 41. 4.</NOTE> Duties mu&s;t not eat up one ano|ther; publick Duties mu&s;t not eat up family duties, nor family|duties mu&s;t not eat up publick du|ties, nor neither of them mu&s;t not eat up Clo&s;et-duties: The wi&s;dom of a Chri&s;tian doth mo&s;t eminently &s;parkle &amp; &s;hine, in giving every duty its proper time and place, I was going to &s;ay, that either he was <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccl. 8. 5.</NOTE> no Chri&s;tian, or at lea&s;t no excel|lent Chri&s;tian, that is all eye to read, or all ear to hear, or all tongue to &s;peak, or all knee to bow, to kneel, to pray. Ah how ma|ny are there that &s;pend &s;o much time in hearing of this man and that, and in running up and down from meeting to meeting, that they have no time to meet with God in their Clo&s;ets. O Sirs, your Duties are never &s;o amiable and lovely, they are never &s;o orient
<PB N="459" REF="285"> and beautiful as when they are &s;ea&s;onably and orderly perfor|med.</P>
<P>Oh how wi&s;e are the men of this world, &s;o to order all their civil affairs, that no one bu&s;ine&s;s &s;hall interferre with another; they &s;et apart for each bu&s;ine&s;s a conveni|ent proportion of time; they al|lot an hour for one bu&s;ine&s;s, two for another, three for another, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> O that we were as wi&s;e for our &s;ouls, as wi&s;e for eternity, as they are for this world. O that our hearts would &s;o con&s;ult with our heads, that we may never want a convenient time to &s;eek God in a corner. That Devil that loves to &s;et one man again&s;t ano|ther, and one Nation again&s;t an|other, and one Chri&s;tian again&s;t another, that Devil loves to &s;et one Ordinance again&s;t another, and one Duty again&s;t another: Hence tis that on the one hand he works &s;ome to cry up publick Prayers, in oppo&s;ition to &s;ecret Prayer; and one the other hand
<PB N="460" REF="286"> he works others to cry up private Duties in oppo&s;ition to all publick Duties; whereas all Chri&s;tians &s;tand oblieged by God, &s;o to ma|nage one &s;ort of Duties, as not to &s;hut out another &s;ort of Duties. Every Chri&s;tian mu&s;t find time and room for every Duty incum|bent upon him. But,</P>
<P>Fifthly, Love Chri&s;t with a more enflamed love, O &s;trength|en your love to Chri&s;t, and your love to Clo&s;et-duties. Lovers love <NOTE PLACE="marg">Can, 7. 10, 11, 12.</NOTE> much to be alone, to be in a corner together. Certainly the more any man loves the Lord Je&s;us, the more he will delight to be with Chri&s;t in a corner. There was a great deal of love between <HI>Jonathan</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 18. 19. &amp; chap. 20. com.</NOTE> and <HI>David,</HI> and according to their love, &s;o was their private conver&s;e, their &s;ecret communion one with another; they were alwayes be&s;t, when in the Field together, or when in a corner together or when behind the door together, or when lockt up together, and ju&s;t &s;o it would be with you, did you but
<PB N="461" REF="286"> love the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t with a more rai&s;ed, and a more enflamed love; you would be alwayes be&s;t when you were mo&s;t with Chri&s;t in a corner.</P>
<P>Divine Love is like a rod of Myrtle, which as <HI>Pliny</HI> reports, makes the traveller that carries it in his hand &s;o lively and cheerful, that he never faints or grows wea|ry. Ah Friends did you but love the Lord Je&s;us with a more &s;trong, with a more rai&s;ed love, you would never faint in Clo&s;et-duties, nor you would never grow weary of Clo&s;et-duties. Look as the <HI>I&s;rae|lites</HI> removed their Tents from <HI>Mithcah</HI> to <HI>Ha&s;hmonah,</HI> from <HI>&s;weet|ne&s;s</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 23. 39.</NOTE> to <HI>&s;wiftne&s;s</HI> (as the words im|port): So the &s;weetne&s;s of Di|vine Love will make a man move &s;wiftly on in a way of Clo&s;et-du|ties. Divine Love will make all Clo&s;et-duties more ea&s;ie to the Soul, and more plea&s;ant and de|lightful to the Soul; and there|fore do all you can to &s;trengthen your love to Chri&s;t, and your love to Clo&s;et-work.</P>
<PB N="462" REF="287">
<P> It was ob&s;erved among the Primitive Chri&s;tians, that they were &s;o full of love one to ano|ther, that they could be acquainted one with another as well in half an hour, as in half a year. O Sirs, If your hearts were but more full of love to Chri&s;t, and Clo&s;et-du|ties, you would quickly be better acquainted with them, you would quickly know, what &s;ecret com|munion with Chri&s;t, behind the door means. But,</P>
<P>Sixthly, Be highly, throughly, and fixedly re&s;olved in the &s;trength of Chri&s;t, to keep clo&s;e to clo&s;et-duties, in the face of all difficulties and di&s;couragements that you may <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 44. 17, 18, 19, 20</NOTE> meet withal. A man of no re&s;o|lution, or of weak re&s;olution, will be won with a Nut, and lo&s;t with an Apple. Satan, and the world, and carnal relations, and your own hearts, will ca&s;t in many things to di&s;courage you, and take you off from Clo&s;et-prayer; but be ye nobly and firmly re&s;olved, to keep clo&s;e to your Clo&s;et, let
<PB N="463" REF="287"> the World, the Fle&s;h, and the De|vil, doe and &s;ay what they can. <HI>Daniel</HI> was a man of an invincible re&s;olution; rather than he would om it praying in his Chamber he would be ca&s;t into the Den of Ly|ons. Of all the Duties of Religi|on, Satan is the mo&s;t deadly ene|my to this of &s;ecret Prayer; partly becau&s;e Secret prayer &s;poiles him in his mo&s;t &s;ecret de&s;igns, plots, and contrivances again&s;t the Soul; and partly becau&s;e &s;ecret prayer is &s;o mu&s;ical and delightful to God; and partly becau&s;e &s;ecret prayer is of &s;uch rare u&s;e and advantage to the Soul; and partly becau&s;e it layes not the &s;oul of open to pride, vain glory, and worldly applau&s;e, as prayer in the Synagogue doth; and therefore he had rather that a man &s;hould pray a thou&s;and times in the Synagogues, or in the corner of the &s;treets, or behind a Pillar, than that he &s;hould pray once in his Clo&s;et, and therefore you had need to &s;teel your hearts with holy courage and re&s;olution,
<PB N="464" REF="288"> that what ever &s;ugge&s;tions, temp|tations; oppo&s;itions, or objections you may encounter with, that yet you will keep clo&s;e to Clo&s;et-pray|er.</P>
<P>There is not any better Bulwark in the day or battel, than an he|roick re&s;olution of heart before the day of battel. Sanctified re&s;olu|tions doe exceedingly weaken and di&s;courage Satan in his a&s;&s;aults, they doe greatly daunt and di&s;|hearten him in all his undertakings again&s;t the Soul. That man will never long be quiet in his Clo&s;et, who is not &s;tedfa&s;tly re&s;olved to &s;eek the Lord in a corner, though all the powers of darkne&s;s, &s;hould make head again&s;t him. O Sir, Divine fortitude, holy re&s;olutions, will make you like a Wall of Bra&s;s, that no Arrows can pierce; they will make you like Armour of proof, that no &s;hot can hurt; they will make you like that An|gel <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 28. 2.</NOTE> that rolled away the Stone from before the door of the Se|pulchre; they will either enable
<PB N="465" REF="288"> you to remove the greate&s;t Moun|taines of oppo&s;ition that lye be|tween you and Clo&s;et prayer, or el&s;e they will enable you to &s;tep over them.</P>
<P><HI>Lather</HI> was a man of great re&s;o|lution, and a man that &s;pent much time in Clo&s;et-prayer. And &s;uch another was <HI>Nehemiah,</HI> who met with &s;o much oppo&s;ition, that had he not been &s;teeled by a &s;trong and ob&s;tinate re&s;olution, he could never have rebuilded the Temple, but would have &s;unk in the mid&s;t of his work: Now he was a man for private prayer, as I have &s;hew|en in the beginning of this Trea|ti&s;e. Who more re&s;olute than <HI>David?</HI> &amp; who more for &s;ecret prayer than <HI>David?</HI> the &s;ame I might &s;ay of <HI>Paul, Ba&s;il,</HI> and many others, who have been famous in their Gene|rations.</P>
<P>O Sirs, Sanctified Re&s;olutions for Clo&s;et-prayer, will chain you fa&s;ter to Clo&s;et-prayer, than ever <HI>Vli&s;&s;es</HI> his re&s;olutions did chain him to the ma&s;t of the &s;hip. 'Twas
<PB N="466" REF="289"> a noble re&s;olution that kept <HI>Ruth</HI> clo&s;e to her mother, when her &s;i&s;ter <HI>Orpah</HI> only complements her, ki&s;&s;es her, and takes her leave of her. Be but nobly re|&s;olved <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ruth 1. 10,&mdash;20.</NOTE> for Clo&s;et-prayer, and then you will keep clo&s;e to it, when others only court it, and take their leaves of it.</P>
<P>In the <HI>Salentine</HI> Country, there is mention made of a Lake, that is &s;till brim full, if you put in ne|ver &s;o much it never runs over, if you draw out never &s;o much it is &s;till full. The re&s;olution of eve|ry Chri&s;tian for Clo&s;et-prayer, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Plin. Hi&s;t. l.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 103.</NOTE> &s;hould be like this Lake, &s;till brim full: Tide life tide death, come honour or reproach, come lo&s;s or gain, come liberty or bonds come what can come, the true bred Chri|&s;tian mu&s;t be fully and con&s;tantly re&s;olved to keep clo&s;e to his Clo|&s;et. But,</P>
<P>Seventhly, Labour for a greater effu&s;ion of the Holy Spirit, for the greater mea&s;ure any man hath of the Spirit of God, the more
<PB N="467" REF="289"> that man will delight to be with God in &s;ecret, <HI>Zech.</HI> 12. 10. <HI>And I will pour upon the Hou&s;e of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jeru&s;alem, the Spirit of grace and of &s;upplications. ver&s;.</HI> 12, 13, 14. <HI>And the Land &s;hall mourn, every family apart; the family of the Hou&s;e of David apart, and their Wives apart; the family of the Hou&s;e of Nathan apart, and their Wives apart: The family of the Hou&s;e of Levi apart, and their Wives apart; the family of the Hou&s;e of Shimei apart, and their VVives apart: All the fa|milies that remain, every family apart, and their VVives apart.</HI> Mark, in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Joel 2. 28, 29. I&s;a. 44 3.</NOTE> la&s;t of the la&s;t dayes, when men &s;hall be generally under a greater effu&s;ion of the Holy Spirit than ever, then they &s;hall be more giv|en up to &s;ecret prayer than ever. There will never be &s;uch praying apart, and &s;uch mourning apart, as there will be when the Lord &s;hall pour out mo&s;t richly, glori|ou&s;ly, abundantly, of his Spirit upon his poor people; now every one &s;hall pour out his tears and
<PB N="468" REF="290"> his &s;oul before God in a corner, to &s;hew the &s;oundne&s;s of their &s;or|row, and to &s;hew their &s;incerity by their &s;ecrecy; for <HI>Ille dolet vere, qui &s;ine te&s;te dolet, He grieves with a witne&s;s, that grieves without a wit|ne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P>Certainly the more any man is now under the ble&s;&s;ed pouring out of the Spirit of Chri&s;t, the more that man gives him&s;elf up to &s;ecret Communion with Chri&s;t. Eve|ry man is more or le&s;s with Chri&s;t in his Clo&s;et, as he is more or le&s;s under the anointings of the Spirit of Chri&s;t. The more any man hath of the Spirit of Chri&s;t, the more he loves Chri&s;t, and the more any man loves Chri&s;t, the more he delights to be with Chri&s;t alone: Lovers love to be alone. The more any man hath of the Spirit of Chri&s;t, the more his heart will be &s;et to plea&s;e Chri&s;t: Now nothing plea&s;eth Chri&s;t more than the &s;ecret prayers of his peo|ple. <HI>(Cant.</HI> 2. 14. <HI>O my D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ve that art in the clefts of the Rock, in the &s;e|cret</HI>
<PB N="469" REF="290"> <HI>places of the &s;tairs, let me &s;ee thy Countenance, let me hear thy voice; for &s;weet is thy voyce, and thy counte|nance is comely.)</HI> And therefore &s;uch a one will be much in &s;ecret prayer. The more any man hath of the Spirit of Chri&s;t, the more his heart will be &s;et upon glorifying and exalting Chri&s;t: Now no|thing glorifies Chri&s;t more, nor exalts him more, than &s;ecret pray|er; and therefore the more any man hath of the Spirit of Chri&s;t, the more that man will be found in &s;ecret prayer.</P>
<P>There are many per&s;ons who &s;ay, they would be more in their Clo&s;ets than they are, but that they meet with many hinderan|ces, many occa&s;ions, many di|ver&s;ions&punc; many temptations, ma|ny oppo&s;itions, many difficulties, many di&s;couragements, which prevent them. Ah Friends, had you a greater mea&s;ure of the Ho|ly Spirit upon you, none of the&s;e things &s;hould ever be able to hin|der your &s;ecret trade Heaven|ward:
<PB N="470" REF="291"> Had you a more rich anointing of the Spirit upon you, you would never plead, there is a Lyon in the way, a Lyon in the Streets; but were there a thou|&s;and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 26. 13.</NOTE> Lyons between you and your Clo&s;ets, you would either &s;tep over them, or make your way through them, that &s;o you might enjoy Communion with Chri&s;t in your Clo&s;ets. But,</P>
<P>Eighthly and La&s;tly, As ever you would keep clo&s;e to private prayer, Be frequent in the &s;erious Con&s;ideration of Eternity. O &s;ee Eternity &s;tanding at the end of every Clo&s;et-Prayer, and this will make you pray to purpo&s;e in your Clo&s;ets.</P>
<P>O Sirs, every work you doe, is a &s;tep to a ble&s;&s;ed, or to a cur|&s;ed Eternity. Every motion, eve|ry action in this life, is a &s;tep to|ward Eternity. As every &s;tep that a Traveller takes brings him forward to his journeys end: So every &s;tep that a man takes in the &s;ecret wayes of Righteou&s;ne&s;s and
<PB N="471" REF="291"> Holine&s;s, &s;uch as Clo&s;et-Duties are, they bring him neerer to his journeys end, they bring him neerer to a ble&s;&s;ed Eternity. Look as every &s;tep the &s;inner takes in a way of wickedne&s;s brings him neerer to Hell; &s;o every &s;tep that a Saint takes in a way of Holine&s;s brings him neerer to Heaven. Look as every &s;tep that a wicked man takes in the wayes of un|righteou&s;ne&s;s brings him nearer to a cur&s;ed Eternity, &s;o every &s;tep that a godly man takes in a way of Righteou&s;ne&s;s brings him neer|er to a ble&s;&s;ed Eternity.</P>
<P><HI>Zeuxis</HI> the famous Painter was &s;o exceeding careful and curious in drawing all his Lines, that he would let no Piece of his go a|broad into the World to be &s;een of men, till he had turn'd it over and over, and viewed it on this &s;ide and that &s;ide, again and a|gain, to &s;ee if he could &s;pie any fault in it; and being asked the rea&s;on, why he was &s;o curious, and &s;o long in drawing his Lines,
<PB N="472" REF="292"> an&s;wered, <HI>Aeternitati pingo, I paint for Eternity.</HI> O Sirs, we all pray for Eternity, we fa&s;t for Eternity, we read for Eternity, we hear for Eternity, we wait for Eternity, we weep for Eternity; and there|fore O how curiou&s;ly, how exact|ly, how wi&s;ely, how faithfully, how carefully, how diligently, how unweariedly, &s;hould we be in all our Clo&s;et-Duties and &s;ervi|ces; &s;eeing that all we do is in order to Eternity! Friends, you mu&s;t all e're long be eternally ble&s;t, or eternally cur&s;t; eternally happy, or eternally mi&s;erable; eternally &s;aved, or eternally damned; eter|nally accepted, or eternally reje|cted: And therefore what infi|nite cau&s;e have you, frequently to &s;hut to your Clo&s;et Doors, and to plead mightily with God in in a corner, for the lives of your poor, precious, and immortal &s;ouls, that they may be eternally &s;aved in the great day of our Lord Je&s;us. O Sirs, when any hinderances to Clo&s;et-prayer pre|&s;ent
<PB N="473" REF="292"> them&s;elves to you, &s;eriou&s;ly remember Eternity, and that will remove them.</P>
<P>It is related of one <HI>Pachomius,</HI> that when&s;oever he felt any un|lawful <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Drex. de Eternit. con&s;id.</HI> 8.</NOTE> de&s;ires to ari&s;e in his mind. he was wont to drive them away with the remembrance of Eterni|ty.</P>
<P>The &s;ame Author relates a &s;to|ry out of <HI>Benedictus Rhrexanus,</HI> of an ungodly fellow, who on a certain <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ibid. con.</HI> 5.</NOTE> night could not &s;leep, who up on the &s;erious Con&s;ideration of Death and Eternity, and the damned ly|ing in Hell, could not be at re&s;t, but Eternity did &s;till run in his mind; fa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">n would he have &s;haken off the thoughts thereof, as gnaw|ing worms; therefore he fol|lowed &s;ports, and pa&s;times, and merry meetings, and &s;ought out Companions like him&s;elf, and &s;at oftentimes &s;o long at his Cups, that he laid his Con&s;cience a&s;leep, and &s;o &s;eemed to take &s;ome re&s;t, but when he was awakened, his Con&s;cience flew in his face, and
<PB N="474" REF="293"> would &s;till be a &s;ugge&s;ting &s;ad thoughts of Eternity to him; of all things in the world he could not bear it, to be kept awake in the night; but &s;o it happened, that being &s;ick, he was kept awake one night, and could not &s;leep at all, whereupon the&s;e thoughts ri&s;e in him, <HI>VVhat is it &s;o tedious then to be kept from &s;leep one night, and to lye a few hours in the dark? Oh what is it then to be kept in torments and everla|&s;ting darkne&s;s! I am here in my own hou&s;e upon a &s;oft bed in the dark, kept from &s;leep but one night, but to lye in flames and endle&s;s mi&s;ery, how dreadful mu&s;t that needs be!</HI> The&s;e and &s;uch like meditations were the happy means of this young mans conver|&s;ion.</P>
<P>I have read a notable Story of one <HI>Theodorus,</HI> a Chri&s;tian young man in <HI>Egypt,</HI> who when there was a great deal of fea&s;ting, mirth, and mu&s;ick in his Fathers hou&s;e, withdrew him&s;elf from all the company, and being got alone, he thus thought with with him|&s;elf,
<PB N="475" REF="293"> <HI>Here is content and delight enough for the fle&s;h, I may have what I de&s;ire, but how long will this la&s;t? this will not hold out long; then falling down upon his knees before the Lord in &s;ecret, he &s;aid, O Lord my heart is open unto thee, I indeed know not what to ask, but only this Lord, let me not dye eternally; O Lord, thou knowe&s;t I love thee, O let me live eternally to prai&s;e thee.</HI></P>
<P>If there be any way or means on earth to bring us upon our knees before God in &s;ecret, it is the &s;eri|ous and &s;olemn thoughts of Eter|nity. O that the fear of Eternity might fall upon all your &s;ouls: O that you would all &s;eriou&s;ly con|&s;ider that after a &s;hort time is ex|pired, you mu&s;t all enter upon an eternal e&s;tate. O con&s;ider that Eter|nity is an infinite, endle&s;s, bottom|le&s;s gulph, which no line can fa|thom, no time can reach, no age can extend to, no tongue can ex|pre&s;&s;e: it is a duration alwayes pre|&s;ent, a being alwayes in being; its <HI>&V;num perpetuum hodie, one perpetual</HI>
<PB N="476" REF="294"> <HI>day,</HI> which &s;hall never &s;ee light. O Sirs, this is, and mu&s;t be for a la|mentation, <HI>viz.</HI> that Eternity is a thing that mo&s;t men never think of, or el&s;e very &s;lenderly; a &s;natch and away, as Dogs are &s;aid to lap and away at the River <HI>N<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">lus.</HI> But as ever you would have your hearts chained to your clo&s;ets, and to clo|&s;et-duties, as the men of <HI>Tyrus</HI> chained their God <HI>Apollo</HI> to a po&s;t, that they might be &s;ure of him, then &s;eriou&s;ly and frequently pon|der upon Eternity, and with tho&s;e fourty valiant Martyrs, be &s;till a crying out <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>O</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ba&s;il</HI> 40. Martyr.</NOTE> <HI>Eternity, Eternity&punc;</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>VVood</HI> after &s;ome holy di&s;|cour&s;e fell a mu&s;ing, and cryed out before all pre&s;ent, for neer half a quarter of an hour together, <HI>for ever, for ever, for ever. Au&s;tins</HI> Prayer was, <HI>Hack me, hew me, burn me here, but &s;pare me heareafter, &s;pare me here|after.</HI> Certainly if Chri&s;tians would but &s;pend one quarter of an hour every day in the &s;olemn thoughts of Eternity, it would make them
<PB N="477" REF="294"> more in love with Clo&s;et-prayer than ever, yea, it would make them more fearful of omitting Clo&s;et-prayer than ever, and more care|ful and Con&s;cientious in the di&s;charg of all Clo&s;et-Duties than ever.</P>
<P>And thus according to my weak mea&s;ure, I have given out all that at pre&s;ent the Lord hath graciou&s;ly given in to my poor &s;oul, concern|ing this mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary, mo&s;t glori|ous, and mo&s;t u&s;eful point of points <HI>viz.</HI> Clo&s;et-prayer, I &s;hall by a&s;&s;i|&s;ting grace follow this poor piece with my prayers that it may be &s;o ble&s;t from on high, as that it may work mightily to the internal and eternal welfare, both of Reader, Hearer, and Writer.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<PB REF="295">
<HEAD>ERRATA.</HEAD>
<P><HI>In the Epi&s;tle Dedicatory, neer the middle, for,</HI> for are, <HI>r.</HI> are for corro|&s;ives. <HI>for</HI> appropiating, <HI>r.</HI> appropria|ting. <HI>In the</HI> 3. <HI>Le&s;&s;on for</HI> Mow, <HI>r.</HI> Now. <HI>In the</HI> 7. <HI>Le&s;&s;on, for</HI> hang up, <HI>r.</HI> hang upon. p. 21. <HI>l.</HI> 28. <HI>read</HI> thus <HI>p.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">0 <HI>l.</HI> 28. <HI>read</HI> Paul. <HI>p.</HI> 98. <HI>l.</HI> 26. <HI>dele</HI> as well. <HI>p.</HI> 99. <HI>r. in the marg.</HI> Deus. <HI>p.</HI> 149. <HI>l.</HI> 2. <HI>dele</HI> mu&s;t. <HI>p.</HI> 126. <HI>l.</HI> 7. <HI>r.</HI> lyes. <HI>p.</HI> 168. <HI>l.</HI> 16. <HI>r.</HI> decree, <HI>for</HI> degree. <HI>p.</HI> 170 <HI>l.</HI> 4. <HI>r.</HI> evade. <HI>p.</HI> 175 <HI>l.</HI> 20. <HI>r.</HI> Solomon. <HI>p.</HI> 189. <HI>l. ult. r.</HI> adre&s;&s;ing. <HI>p.</HI> 190. <HI>l.</HI> 14. <HI>r.</HI> or, <HI>for</HI> for. <HI>p.</HI> 209. <HI>l. utl. r.</HI> and. <HI>p.</HI> 224 <HI>l.</HI> 18. <HI>r.</HI> drink. <HI>l.</HI> 22. <HI>r.</HI> affliction <HI>p.</HI> 254. <HI>l</HI> 7. <HI>r.</HI> he, <HI>for</HI> the. <HI>p.</HI> 298. <HI>l.</HI> 22. <HI>r.</HI> cum. <HI>p.</HI> 357. <HI>l.</HI> 8. <HI>r.</HI> Marque&s;s, <HI>for</HI> Martyr. <HI>p.</HI> 371. <HI>l.</HI> 28. <HI>r.</HI> a very, <HI>for</HI> every.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="index">
<PB REF="295">
<HEAD>A TABLE Containing The Chief Heads of this BOOK.</HEAD>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Afflictions.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>THat <HI>Afflictions</HI> refemble a Rod in Seven Particulars, you may &s;ee in the Epi&s;tle Dedicatory.</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Allegories.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Of <HI>Allegories,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 1. <HI>to</HI> 19.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of the Blood of Chri&s;t.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>That the lea&s;t drop of <HI>Chri&s;ts Blood</HI> was not &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">fficient for the redemption
<PB REF="296"> of our Souls, is made good by five Ar|guments,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 303, 304, 305.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>C</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Doct.</HI> That Clo&s;et-Prayer (or private prayer) is an indi&s;pen&s;able duty, that Chri&s;t him&s;elf hath laid upon all, that are not willing to lye under the woful brand of being Hypocrites,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 6.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Five Arguments to prove Clo&s;et-Pray|er to be a Duty,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 6. <HI>to p.</HI> 8.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The mo&s;t eminent Saint in all Ages have applied them&s;elves to Clo&s;et-Prayer,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 8, <HI>to p.</HI> 19.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>We may more freely, fully, and &s;afely, unbo&s;ome our &s;ouls to God in our Clo|&s;ets, than we can in the pre&s;ence of many or a few,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 30, <HI>to p.</HI> 34.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chri&s;tians enjoy mo&s;t of God in their Clo&s;ets,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 36, <HI>to p.</HI> 46.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The time of this life is our only time for Clo&s;et-Prayer,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 46, 47.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The prevalency of Clo&s;et-Prayer,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 47. <HI>to p.</HI> 67.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>See <HI>Secret.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB REF="296">
<ROW>
<CELL>Rules to be ob&s;erved in Clo&s;et-Prayer.</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Fir&s;t, Be frequent in <HI>Clo&s;et-Prayer,</HI> and that upon eight grounds,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 297, <HI>to p.</HI> 30<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Secondly, Take fit &s;ea&s;ons and opp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r|tu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ities for <HI>Clo&s;et Prayer.</HI> Three unfit &s;ea&s;ons for <HI>Clo&s;et Prayer</HI> are hinted at,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 305. <HI>to</HI> 311.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Thirdly, Look that you do not per|form <HI>Clo&s;et-Duties&punc;</HI> meerly to &s;till your Con&s;ciences,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 312, <HI>to p.</HI> 315.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Fourthly, Take heed of re&s;ting upon <HI>Clo&s;et-Duties,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 315, <HI>to p.</HI> 322.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Fifthly, Labour to bring your hearts into all your <HI>Clo&s;et-Pray|ers,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 322, <HI>to p.</HI> 328.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Sixthly, Be &s;ervent, be warm, be importunate with God in all your <HI>Clo&s;et-performances,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 328. <HI>to p.</HI> 339.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Seventhly, Be con&s;tant in <HI>Clo&s;et-Prayer,</HI> hold on, and hold out in <HI>Clo&s;et-prayer,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 339 <HI>to p.</HI> 347.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Eighthly, In all your <HI>Clo&s;et Prayers,</HI>
<PB REF="297"> thir&s;t and long after Communion with God,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 347, <HI>to p.</HI> 384.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Ninthly, In all your <HI>Clo&s;et-Du|ties,</HI> look that your ends be right,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 384, <HI>to p.</HI> 387.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Tenthly, Be &s;ure that you offer all your <HI>Clo&s;et-Prayers</HI> in Chri&s;t's name, and his alone,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 387, <HI>to p.</HI> 393.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Eleventhly, When you come out of your <HI>Clo&s;ets</HI> narrowly watch what becomes of your <HI>Clo&s;et-Prayers.</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 393, <HI>to p.</HI> 399.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was much in Secret Prayer,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 19, <HI>to</HI> 24.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Six Arguments why <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was &s;o much in Secret Prayer,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 24, <HI>to</HI> p. 27.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Chri&s;t</HI> was very much affected, and delighted in the Secret Prayers of his people,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 73, <HI>to p.</HI> 75.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>What a friend <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is, &s;hewed in Ten particulars,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 76, 77, 78.</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB REF="297">
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Combates.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The <HI>Combate</HI> between the Allmigh- and <HI>Jacob,</HI> opened in Six particu|lars,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 49, <HI>to p.</HI> 58.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Communion with God.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> How &s;hall a man know when he hath real <HI>Communion with God</HI> in his Clo&s;et, or no? An&s;wer|ed eight wayes,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 352, <HI>to p.</HI> 384.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Six Arguments to prove that all Chri|&s;tians do not enjoy a like <HI>Commu|nion with God</HI> in their Clo&s;ets,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 356, <HI>to p.</HI> 363.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Curio&s;ity.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Curio&s;ity</HI> is a very great hinderance to Clo&s;et-prayer,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 410, <HI>to p.</HI> 418.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>E</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Examples.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>We are bound to follow the best <HI>Exam|ples,</HI></CELL>
<PB REF="298">
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 16, <HI>to p.</HI> 19.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Chri&s;t's <HI>Example</HI> is for our imitation,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 22, 23.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Eternity.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>As ever you would keep clo&s;e to Clo&s;et-Prayer, be frequent in the con&s;idera|tion of <HI>Eternity,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 470, <HI>to the end.</HI></CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Experiences.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>He that would keep clo&s;e to Clo&s;et-Du|ties, mu&s;t keep a diary of his <HI>Clo&s;et-Experiences,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 453, <HI>to p.</HI> 457.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>F</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of a Friend, or Friends.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>VVhat a <HI>Friend</HI> Chri&s;t is, &s;hewed in Ten particulars,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 76, 77, 78.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>H</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Hypocrites.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>No <HI>Hypocrites</HI> make &s;ecret Prayer their ordinary trade or work.</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 27. <HI>to p.</HI> 30.</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB REF="298">
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>I</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Idlene&s;s.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Idlene&s;s</HI> is a very great hinderance to Clo&s;et-Prayer; and therefore take heed of it,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 400, <HI>to p.</HI> 408.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>L</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Love.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>He that would be much with God in his Clo&s;et, mu&s;t labour to <HI>Love</HI> Chri&s;t with a more enflamed <HI>Love,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 460, 461, 462.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>M</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Eight &s;pecial <HI>Meanes</HI> to help on that great Duty of Clo&s;et-Prayer,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>from p.</HI> 451, <HI>to the end of the Book.</HI></CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>N</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Neglecting Prayer.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>He that willingly <HI>Neglects private Prayer,</HI> &s;hall certainly be neglected in his Publick prayer,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 100, <HI>to p.</HI> 103.</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB REF="299">
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>O</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Objections.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Object.</HI> 1. We have much bu&s;ine&s;s upon our hands, and we cannot &s;pare time for Clo&s;et-Prayer, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Eight An|&s;wers are given to this <HI>Objection,</HI> that it might never more have a re&s;urrection,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 134, <HI>to p.</HI> 162.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Object.</HI> 2. Sir, We grant that Clo|&s;et-Prayer is an indi&s;pen&s;able Duty that lyes upon the People of God, but we are &s;ervants and have no time that we can call our own; and our Ma|&s;ters bu&s;ine&s;&s;e is &s;uch as will not al|low us any time for private Prayer; and therefore we hope we may be excu&s;ed.</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Ten An&s;wers are given to this <HI>Obje|ction,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>from p.</HI> 162. <HI>to p.</HI> 202.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Object.</HI> 3. O but we cannot pray alone, we want tho&s;e gifts and endowments, which others have, we are &s;hut up,
<PB REF="299"> and know not how to pour out our &s;ouls before God in a corner.</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Six An&s;wers are given to this <HI>Obje|ction,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>from p.</HI> 202, <HI>to p.</HI> 251.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Object.</HI> 4. God is very well acquain|ted with all our wants, nece&s;&s;ities, &s;traits, and tryals, and there is no moving of him to be&s;tow any fa|vours upon us, which he doth not intend to be&s;tow upon us, whether we pray in our Clo&s;ets, or no.</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Four An&s;wers are given to this <HI>Objection,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 251, <HI>to p.</HI> 257.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Object.</HI> 5. I would drive a private trade wtth God,: I would exerci&s;e my &s;elf in &s;ecret Prayer; but I want a convenient place to retire into; I want a private corner to unbo&s;ome my Soul to my Father in.</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Three An&s;wers are given to this <HI>Ob|jection,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 257, <HI>to p.</HI> 261.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Object.</HI> 6. VVe would be often in private with God; we would give
<PB REF="300"> our &s;elves up to Clo&s;et-Prayer; but that we can no &s;ooner &s;hut our Clo|&s;et-doores, bu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a multitude of infir|mities, weakne&s;&s;es, and vanities, doe face us, and ri&s;e up again&s;t us; be&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es both our bodies and &s;ouls are under great indi&s;po&s;itions; and how then can we &s;eek the face of God in a corner.</CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Six An&s;wers are given to this <HI>Ob|jection,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>from p.</HI> 261, <HI>to p.</HI> 297.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Gods Omnipre&s;ence.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>God is Omnipre&s;ent,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 96, <HI>to p.</HI> 100.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>O<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Prayer.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Fir&s;t Such are reproved, that put off Private Prayer till they are moved to it by the Spirit,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 123, 124, 125.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Secondly, Such that pray not at all, neither in their families, nor in their Clo&s;ets,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 125, 126, 127</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB REF="300">
<ROW>
<CELL>Thirdly, Such as are all for publick Prayer, for going up to the Temple, but never care to go into their Clo|&s;ets,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 127, 128.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Fourthly, Such who in their Clo&s;ets, pray with a loud and clamorous voice,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 128, 129.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>(Five Arguments to redre&s;&s;e this evil,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 130, 131, 132)</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Fifthly, Such are reproved, that do all they can to hinder and di&s;courage others from Private Prayer,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 232, 133.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of the Promi&s;es.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Eight con&s;iderable hints about the <HI>Promi&s;es,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 207, 208, 209.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>R</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of the Rod.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>In &s;even particulars Afflictions re&s;em|ble a <HI>Rod, in the Epi&s;tle Dedica|ry.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB REF="301">
<ROW>
<CELL>Twenty &s;pecial Le&s;&s;ons we are to learn by the <HI>Rod, in the Epi&s;tle Dedica|tory.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Rewards.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Secret Duties &s;hall have open <HI>Re|wards,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 34, 35.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Re&s;olutions.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>He that would be much in his Clo&s;et, he mu&s;t be a man of high, through, and fitted <HI>Re&s;olutions,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 462, 463, 464, 465.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>S</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of the Spirit.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Seven Arguments to prove that all the Children of God have the <HI>Spi|rit of God,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 216, <HI>to p.</HI> 228.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>He that would keep clo&s;e to Clo&s;et-Duties, had need labour for a great|er effu&s;ion of the <HI>Spirit,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 466, <HI>to p.</HI> 470.</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB REF="301">
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of the Spirits Sealing.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Ten &s;pecial <HI>Sealing</HI> times of the <HI>Spi|rit,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 228, <HI>to p.</HI> 249.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Secret Prayer.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Secret Prayer</HI> is mo&s;t enriching,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 67, <HI>to p.</HI> 70.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Secret Prayer</HI> is a Chri&s;tians meat and drink; it is his chief City of refuge in times of Affliction and Per|&s;ecution,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 91, <HI>to p.</HI> 96.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Our neer and dear relations to God calls aloud for <HI>Secret Prayer,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 107, <HI>to p.</HI> 111.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>God hath &s;et a &s;pecial mark of favour and honour upon tho&s;e that have Prayed in <HI>Secret,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 111, <HI>to p.</HI> 113.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Satan is a great enemy to <HI>Secret Pray|er,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 113, <HI>to p.</HI> 116.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Five things we may infer from thence,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 116, 117.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>See <HI>Clo&s;et-Prayer.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB REF="302">
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Secret Sins.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>All Chri&s;tians have their <HI>Secret Sins,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 70, <HI>to p.</HI> 73.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Four Arguments to take heed of <HI>Secret Sins,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 421, <HI>to p.</HI> 451.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Secrets.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>God reveales his <HI>Secrets</HI> only to his People,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 75, <HI>to p.</HI> 78.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>There are three &s;orts of divine <HI>Secrets</HI> that God reveals to his People,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 78, <HI>to p.</HI> 91.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of Gods Secret ones.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The Saints are only <HI>the Lords Se|cret ones,</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 117, <HI>to p.</HI> 123.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>T</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The <HI>Text</HI> opened,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 1, <HI>to p.</HI> 6.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of the Times, and of Time.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The times wherein we live, calls aloud
<PB REF="302"> for Secret Prayer,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 103, <HI>to p.</HI> 107.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>We mu&s;t take heed of &s;pending too much of our precious <HI>Time</HI> about the lit|tle things of Religion,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 408, 409, 410.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>About Redeeming of Time.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Five Rea&s;ons why Servants &s;hould <HI>Re|deem Time</HI> for Private Prayer, from their &s;leep, recreations or &s;et meals, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 185, <HI>to p.</HI> 193.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>W</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Of the World.</HI></CELL>
<CELL>&nbsp;</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>A man that would exerci&s;e him&s;elf in Clo&s;et-Prayer, mu&s;t take heed of en|gaging him&s;elf in a crowd of <HI>World|ly</HI> bu&s;ine&s;&s;es,</CELL>
<CELL><HI>p.</HI> 418, <HI>to p.</HI> 421.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="303" MS="y">
<PB REF="303">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
