5. Other Things to Apply Yourselves To

And as you muſt take heed of theſe five things: So there are ſeveral other things that you muſt carefully and conſcienciouſly apply your ſelves to, as ever you would be found faithful and conſtant in this great duty, viz. Cloſet-prayer.

Now they are theſe;

Firſt, Lament greatly, and mourn bitterly over the neglect of this choice Duty. He that doth not make Conſcience of mourning over the neglect of this Duty, will never make Conſcience of performing this Duty. O that³⁸¹ your heads were waters, and your eyes a Fountain of tears, that you might weep day and night, for the great neglect of Cloſet-prayer, He that mourns moſt for the neglect of this Duty, will be found moſt in the practiſe of this Duty. He that makes moſt Conſcience to accuſe, arraign, and condemn himſelf for neglecting Cloſet-prayer, he will make moſt Conſcience of giving himſelf p. 452 up to Cloſet-prayer. ‘Tis ſaid of Adam, that he turned his face towards the Garden of Eden, and from his heart bitterly lamented his great fall: O that you would turn your faces towards your Cloſets, and bitterly lament your rare going into them. But,

1. 381. Jer. 9. 1. [dropped from the edition]

Secondly, Habituate your ſelves, accuſtom your ſelves, to Cloſet-prayer: Make private prayer your conſtant trade. Frequency begets familiarity, and familiarity confidence, we can go freely & boldly into that friends houſe whom we often viſit. What we are habituted to, we do with eaſe and delight. A man that is habituted or accuſtomed to write, to read, to ride, to run, or to play on this, or that muſical Inſtrument, &c. he doth it all with delight and eaſe; and ſo a man that doth habituate himſelf to Cloſet-prayer, he will manage it with delight and eaſe. But,

Thirdly, Keep a Diary of all³⁸² your Cloſet-experiences; O carefully record and book down all your Cloſet-mercies: O be often in reading over your Cloſet-experiences, and be often in meditating and in pondering upon your Cloſet-experiences. There is no way like this, to enflame your love to Cloſet-prayer, and to engage your hearts in this ſecret trade of private prayer.

1. 382. Deut. 7. 18, 19. Pſal. 66. 12. [dropped from the edition]

O remember that at ſuch a time, you went into your Cloſets with hard hearts, and dry eyes; but before you came out of your Cloſets,³⁸³ ah how ſweetly, how evangelically, how powerfully were you melted, and humbled before the Lord! O remember how that at another time you went into your Cloſets clouded and benighted, but came out of your Cloſets with as glorious a ſhine of God upon your ſouls, as Moſes had upon his face,³⁸⁴ when he came down from the Mount from communing with God! O remember how often p. 454 you have gone into your Cloſets³⁸⁵ with cold, frozen ſpirits, but before you come out of your Cloſets what a fire hath God kindled in your ſouls, what a ſpirit of burning have you found in your hearts! O remember how often you have gone into your Cloſets ſtreightned and ſhut up, but before you have come out, how hath your ſouls been like the Charriots of Aminnadab! O remember what³⁸⁶ power God hath given you againſt corruptions in your Cloſets, and what ſtrenth God hath given you againſt temptations in your Cloſets. O remember the ſweet diſcoveries of divine love that you have had when in your Cloſets: O remember the ſecret viſits, the ſecret kiſſes, the ſecret embraces, the ſecret whiſpers, the ſecret lovetokens that Chriſt hath given you in your Cloſets. O ſeriouſly ponder upon theſe things, and then Cloſet-duties will be ſweet unto you.

1. 383. Pſal. 6. 6. Pſal. 39. 12. Pſal. 56. 8. [dropped from the edition]
2. 384. Exod. 34. 28, 29. [dropped from the edition]
3. 385. Luke 24. 31, 32. Iſa. 4. 4. [dropped from the edition]
4. 386. Can. 6. 12. [dropped from the edition]

‘Twas a ſweet ſaying of Bernard, O Saint, knoweſt thou not that thy Husband Chriſt is baſhful, and will³⁸⁷ not be familiar in company; retire thy ſelf by Meditation into thy Cloſet, or into the fields, and there thou ſhalt have Chriſt’s embraces. Meditatio nutrix orationis, Meditation is the Nurſe of Prayer. O the more any man³⁸⁸ meditates upon his Cloſet-experiences, the more he ſhall find his heart engaged to Cloſet-duties; the more you ponder upon Cloſet-experiences, the ſweeter will Cloſet-experiences be to your ſouls; and the ſweeter Cloſet-experiences are to your ſouls, the more your ſouls will delight to be with God in your Cloſets.

1. 387. Can. 7. 11, 12. [dropped from the edition]
2. 388. Gerſon. [dropped from the edition]

Pliny tells us of one Meſſala Corvinus,³⁸⁹ whoſe memory was ſo bad, that he forgot his own name. And I am afraid that many of your memories are ſo bad, that you forget your Cloſet-mercies, your Cloſet-experiences.

1. 389. lib. 7. c. 24. [dropped from the edition]

I have read of ſuch a Peſtilential diſeaſe once at Athens, as took p. 456 away the memories of thoſe that were infected with it, ſo that they forgat their own names: O that I had not cauſe to fear that ſome Peſtilential Diſeaſe or other, hath ſo taken away the memories of many that they have quite forgot their Cloſet-experiences. Well Friends remember this, though ſtony hearts are bad, yet Iron memories are good; and O that you would all labour after Iron memories, that ſo you may remember and ponder upon your Cloſet-experiences. I have read of the Heathens, how they made uſe of white and black ſtones, for theſe two ends, Firſt, They gave them to perſons at their arraignment before the Judges; if any were condemned to death, they gave him a black Stone, but if abſolved and ſet free, a white Stone! (To which cuſtome the Holy-Ghoſt ſeemes to allude, in that Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give a VVhite Stone.) A ſecond uſe of thoſe Stones was this, p. 457 that by them they might keep an account of all the good dayes, or evil dayes they had met withal in their lives. Hence Giacopo Senzaro having been long in love, and much croſſed about his match, he filled a Pot full of black Stones, putting only one white Stone among them, and being asked the reaſon, anſwered, There will come one VVhite Day (meaning his Marriage Day) which will make amends for all my Black Dayes.

Ah Friends, how often hath God given you the White Stone in your Cloſets! Certainly you have had more White Stones than Black Stones; your Cloſet-mercies and experiences have been more than your publick croſſes and miſeries. O Sirs, did you but reckon your good dayes according to the White Stones you have had in your Cloſets, it would make you more in love with Cloſet-prayer than ever. But,

Fourthly, Be ſure that you do not ſpend ſo much of your precious p. 458 time in publick Duties and Ordinances, as that you can ſpare none for private Duties, for ſecret ſervices. Though Pharoah’s Kine eat up one another, yet our³⁹⁰ Duties muſt not eat up one another; publick Duties muſt not eat up family duties, nor familyduties muſt not eat up publick duties, nor neither of them muſt not eat up Cloſet-duties: The wiſdom of a Chriſtian doth moſt eminently ſparkle & ſhine, in giving every duty its proper time and place, I was going to ſay, that either he was³⁹¹ no Chriſtian, or at leaſt no excellent Chriſtian, that is all eye to read, or all ear to hear, or all tongue to ſpeak, or all knee to bow, to kneel, to pray. Ah how many are there that ſpend ſo 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 Cloſets. O Sirs, your Duties are never ſo amiable and lovely, they are never ſo orient p. 459 and beautiful as when they are ſeaſonably and orderly performed.

1. 390. Gen. 41. 4. [dropped from the edition]
2. 391. Eccl. 8. 5. [dropped from the edition]

Oh how wiſe are the men of this world, ſo to order all their civil affairs, that no one buſineſs ſhall interferre with another; they ſet apart for each buſineſs a convenient proportion of time; they allot an hour for one buſineſs, two for another, three for another, &c. O that we were as wiſe for our ſouls, as wiſe for eternity, as they are for this world. O that our hearts would ſo conſult with our heads, that we may never want a convenient time to ſeek God in a corner. That Devil that loves to ſet one man againſt another, and one Nation againſt another, and one Chriſtian againſt another, that Devil loves to ſet one Ordinance againſt another, and one Duty againſt another: Hence tis that on the one hand he works ſome to cry up publick Prayers, in oppoſition to ſecret Prayer; and one the other hand p. 460 he works others to cry up private Duties in oppoſition to all publick Duties; whereas all Chriſtians ſtand oblieged by God, ſo to manage one ſort of Duties, as not to ſhut out another ſort of Duties. Every Chriſtian muſt find time and room for every Duty incumbent upon him. But,

Fifthly, Love Chriſt with a more enflamed love, O ſtrengthen your love to Chriſt, and your love to Cloſet-duties. Lovers love³⁹² much to be alone, to be in a corner together. Certainly the more any man loves the Lord Jeſus, the more he will delight to be with Chriſt in a corner. There was a great deal of love between Jonathan³⁹³ and David, and according to their love, ſo was their private converſe, their ſecret communion one with another; they were alwayes beſt, when in the Field together, or when in a corner together or when behind the door together, or when lockt up together, and juſt ſo it would be with you, did you but p. 461 love the Lord Jeſus Chriſt with a more raiſed, and a more enflamed love; you would be alwayes beſt when you were moſt with Chriſt in a corner.

1. 392. Can, 7. 10, 11, 12. [dropped from the edition]
2. 393. 1 Sam. 18. 19. & chap. 20. com. [dropped from the edition]

Divine Love is like a rod of Myrtle, which as Pliny reports, makes the traveller that carries it in his hand ſo lively and cheerful, that he never faints or grows weary. Ah Friends did you but love the Lord Jeſus with a more ſtrong, with a more raiſed love, you would never faint in Cloſet-duties, nor you would never grow weary of Cloſet-duties. Look as the Iſraelites removed their Tents from Mithcah to Haſhmonah, from ſweetneſs³⁹⁴ to ſwiftneſs (as the words import): So the ſweetneſs of Divine Love will make a man move ſwiftly on in a way of Cloſet-duties. Divine Love will make all Cloſet-duties more eaſie to the Soul, and more pleaſant and delightful to the Soul; and therefore do all you can to ſtrengthen your love to Chriſt, and your love to Cloſet-work.

1. 394. Num. 23. 39. [dropped from the edition]

It was obſerved among the Primitive Chriſtians, that they were ſo full of love one to another, 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 Chriſt, and Cloſet-duties, you would quickly be better acquainted with them, you would quickly know, what ſecret communion with Chriſt, behind the door means. But,

Sixthly, Be highly, throughly, and fixedly reſolved in the ſtrength of Chriſt, to keep cloſe to cloſet-duties, in the face of all difficulties and diſcouragements that you may³⁹⁵ meet withal. A man of no reſolution, or of weak reſolution, will be won with a Nut, and loſt with an Apple. Satan, and the world, and carnal relations, and your own hearts, will caſt in many things to diſcourage you, and take you off from Cloſet-prayer; but be ye nobly and firmly reſolved, to keep cloſe to your Cloſet, let p. 463 the World, the Fleſh, and the Devil, doe and ſay what they can. Daniel was a man of an invincible reſolution; rather than he would om it praying in his Chamber he would be caſt into the Den of Lyons. Of all the Duties of Religion, Satan is the moſt deadly enemy to this of ſecret Prayer; partly becauſe Secret prayer ſpoiles him in his moſt ſecret deſigns, plots, and contrivances againſt the Soul; and partly becauſe ſecret prayer is ſo muſical and delightful to God; and partly becauſe ſecret prayer is of ſuch rare uſe and advantage to the Soul; and partly becauſe it layes not the ſoul of open to pride, vain glory, and worldly applauſe, as prayer in the Synagogue doth; and therefore he had rather that a man ſhould pray a thouſand times in the Synagogues, or in the corner of the ſtreets, or behind a Pillar, than that he ſhould pray once in his Cloſet, and therefore you had need to ſteel your hearts with holy courage and reſolution, p. 464 that what ever ſuggeſtions, temptations; oppoſitions, or objections you may encounter with, that yet you will keep cloſe to Cloſet-prayer.

1. 395. Pſal. 44. 17, 18, 19, 20 [dropped from the edition]

There is not any better Bulwark in the day or battel, than an heroick reſolution of heart before the day of battel. Sanctified reſolutions doe exceedingly weaken and diſcourage Satan in his aſſaults, they doe greatly daunt and diſhearten him in all his undertakings againſt the Soul. That man will never long be quiet in his Cloſet, who is not ſtedfaſtly reſolved to ſeek the Lord in a corner, though all the powers of darkneſs, ſhould make head againſt him. O Sir, Divine fortitude, holy reſolutions, will make you like a Wall of Braſs, that no Arrows can pierce; they will make you like Armour of proof, that no ſhot can hurt; they will make you like that Angel³⁹⁶ that rolled away the Stone from before the door of the Sepulchre; they will either enable p. 465 you to remove the greateſt Mountaines of oppoſition that lye between you and Cloſet prayer, or elſe they will enable you to ſtep over them.

1. 396. Mat. 28. 2. [dropped from the edition]

Lather was a man of great reſolution, and a man that ſpent much time in Cloſet-prayer. And ſuch another was Nehemiah, who met with ſo much oppoſition, that had he not been ſteeled by a ſtrong and obſtinate reſolution, he could never have rebuilded the Temple, but would have ſunk in the midſt of his work: Now he was a man for private prayer, as I have ſhewen in the beginning of this Treatiſe. Who more reſolute than David? & who more for ſecret prayer than David? the ſame I might ſay of Paul, Baſil, and many others, who have been famous in their Generations.

O Sirs, Sanctified Reſolutions for Cloſet-prayer, will chain you faſter to Cloſet-prayer, than ever Vliſſes his reſolutions did chain him to the maſt of the ſhip. ‘Twas p. 466 a noble reſolution that kept Ruth cloſe to her mother, when her ſiſter Orpah only complements her, kiſſes her, and takes her leave of her. Be but nobly reſolved³⁹⁷ for Cloſet-prayer, and then you will keep cloſe to it, when others only court it, and take their leaves of it.

1. 397. Ruth 1. 10,—20. [dropped from the edition]

In the Salentine Country, there is mention made of a Lake, that is ſtill brim full, if you put in never ſo much it never runs over, if you draw out never ſo much it is ſtill full. The reſolution of every Chriſtian for Cloſet-prayer,³⁹⁸ ſhould be like this Lake, ſtill brim full: Tide life tide death, come honour or reproach, come loſs or gain, come liberty or bonds come what can come, the true bred Chriſtian muſt be fully and conſtantly reſolved to keep cloſe to his Cloſet. But,

1. 398. Plin. Hiſt. l. 2. c. 103. [dropped from the edition]

Seventhly, Labour for a greater effuſion of the Holy Spirit, for the greater meaſure any man hath of the Spirit of God, the more p. 467 that man will delight to be with God in ſecret, Zech. 12. 10. And I will pour upon the Houſe of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jeruſalem, the Spirit of grace and of ſupplications. verſ. 12, 13, 14. And the Land ſhall mourn, every family apart; the family of the Houſe of David apart, and their Wives apart; the family of the Houſe of Nathan apart, and their Wives apart: The family of the Houſe of Levi apart, and their Wives apart; the family of the Houſe of Shimei apart, and their VVives apart: All the families that remain, every family apart, and their VVives apart. Mark, in the³⁹⁹ laſt of the laſt dayes, when men ſhall be generally under a greater effuſion of the Holy Spirit than ever, then they ſhall be more given up to ſecret prayer than ever. There will never be ſuch praying apart, and ſuch mourning apart, as there will be when the Lord ſhall pour out moſt richly, gloriouſly, abundantly, of his Spirit upon his poor people; now every one ſhall pour out his tears and p. 468 his ſoul before God in a corner, to ſhew the ſoundneſs of their ſorrow, and to ſhew their ſincerity by their ſecrecy; for Ille dolet vere, qui ſine teſte dolet, He grieves with a witneſs, that grieves without a witneſs.

1. 399. Joel 2. 28, 29. Iſa. 44 3. [dropped from the edition]

Certainly the more any man is now under the bleſſed pouring out of the Spirit of Chriſt, the more that man gives himſelf up to ſecret Communion with Chriſt. Every man is more or leſs with Chriſt in his Cloſet, as he is more or leſs under the anointings of the Spirit of Chriſt. The more any man hath of the Spirit of Chriſt, the more he loves Chriſt, and the more any man loves Chriſt, the more he delights to be with Chriſt alone: Lovers love to be alone. The more any man hath of the Spirit of Chriſt, the more his heart will be ſet to pleaſe Chriſt: Now nothing pleaſeth Chriſt more than the ſecret prayers of his people. (Cant. 2. 14. O my D•ve that art in the clefts of the Rock, in the ſecret p. 469 places of the ſtairs, let me ſee thy Countenance, let me hear thy voice; for ſweet is thy voyce, and thy countenance is comely.) And therefore ſuch a one will be much in ſecret prayer. The more any man hath of the Spirit of Chriſt, the more his heart will be ſet upon glorifying and exalting Chriſt: Now nothing glorifies Chriſt more, nor exalts him more, than ſecret prayer; and therefore the more any man hath of the Spirit of Chriſt, the more that man will be found in ſecret prayer.

There are many perſons who ſay, they would be more in their Cloſets than they are, but that they meet with many hinderances, many occaſions, many diverſions▪ many temptations, many oppoſitions, many difficulties, many diſcouragements, which prevent them. Ah Friends, had you a greater meaſure of the Holy Spirit upon you, none of theſe things ſhould ever be able to hinder your ſecret trade Heavenward: p. 470 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 thouſand⁴⁰⁰ Lyons between you and your Cloſets, you would either ſtep over them, or make your way through them, that ſo you might enjoy Communion with Chriſt in your Cloſets. But,

1. 400. Pro. 26. 13. [dropped from the edition]

Eighthly and Laſtly, As ever you would keep cloſe to private prayer, Be frequent in the ſerious Conſideration of Eternity. O ſee Eternity ſtanding at the end of every Cloſet-Prayer, and this will make you pray to purpoſe in your Cloſets.

O Sirs, every work you doe, is a ſtep to a bleſſed, or to a curſed Eternity. Every motion, every action in this life, is a ſtep toward Eternity. As every ſtep that a Traveller takes brings him forward to his journeys end: So every ſtep that a man takes in the ſecret wayes of Righteouſneſs and p. 471 Holineſs, ſuch as Cloſet-Duties are, they bring him neerer to his journeys end, they bring him neerer to a bleſſed Eternity. Look as every ſtep the ſinner takes in a way of wickedneſs brings him neerer to Hell; ſo every ſtep that a Saint takes in a way of Holineſs brings him neerer to Heaven. Look as every ſtep that a wicked man takes in the wayes of unrighteouſneſs brings him nearer to a curſed Eternity, ſo every ſtep that a godly man takes in a way of Righteouſneſs brings him neerer to a bleſſed Eternity.

Zeuxis the famous Painter was ſo exceeding careful and curious in drawing all his Lines, that he would let no Piece of his go abroad into the World to be ſeen of men, till he had turn’d it over and over, and viewed it on this ſide and that ſide, again and again, to ſee if he could ſpie any fault in it; and being asked the reaſon, why he was ſo curious, and ſo long in drawing his Lines, p. 472 anſwered, Aeternitati pingo, I paint for Eternity. O Sirs, we all pray for Eternity, we faſt for Eternity, we read for Eternity, we hear for Eternity, we wait for Eternity, we weep for Eternity; and therefore O how curiouſly, how exactly, how wiſely, how faithfully, how carefully, how diligently, how unweariedly, ſhould we be in all our Cloſet-Duties and ſervices; ſeeing that all we do is in order to Eternity! Friends, you muſt all e’re long be eternally bleſt, or eternally curſt; eternally happy, or eternally miſerable; eternally ſaved, or eternally damned; eternally accepted, or eternally rejected: And therefore what infinite cauſe have you, frequently to ſhut to your Cloſet Doors, and to plead mightily with God in in a corner, for the lives of your poor, precious, and immortal ſouls, that they may be eternally ſaved in the great day of our Lord Jeſus. O Sirs, when any hinderances to Cloſet-prayer preſent p. 473 themſelves to you, ſeriouſly remember Eternity, and that will remove them.

It is related of one Pachomius, that whenſoever he felt any unlawful⁴⁰¹ deſires to ariſe in his mind. he was wont to drive them away with the remembrance of Eternity.

1. 401. Drex. de Eternit. conſid. 8. [dropped from the edition]

The ſame Author relates a ſtory out of Benedictus Rhrexanus, of an ungodly fellow, who on a certain⁴⁰² night could not ſleep, who up on the ſerious Conſideration of Death and Eternity, and the damned lying in Hell, could not be at reſt, but Eternity did ſtill run in his mind; fa•n would he have ſhaken off the thoughts thereof, as gnawing worms; therefore he followed ſports, and paſtimes, and merry meetings, and ſought out Companions like himſelf, and ſat oftentimes ſo long at his Cups, that he laid his Conſcience aſleep, and ſo ſeemed to take ſome reſt, but when he was awakened, his Conſcience flew in his face, and p. 474 would ſtill be a ſuggeſting ſad thoughts of Eternity to him; of all things in the world he could not bear it, to be kept awake in the night; but ſo it happened, that being ſick, he was kept awake one night, and could not ſleep at all, whereupon theſe thoughts riſe in him, VVhat is it ſo tedious then to be kept from ſleep one night, and to lye a few hours in the dark? Oh what is it then to be kept in torments and everlaſting darkneſs! I am here in my own houſe upon a ſoft bed in the dark, kept from ſleep but one night, but to lye in flames and endleſs miſery, how dreadful muſt that needs be! Theſe and ſuch like meditations were the happy means of this young mans converſion.

1. 402. Ibid. con. 5. [dropped from the edition]

I have read a notable Story of one Theodorus, a Chriſtian young man in Egypt, who when there was a great deal of feaſting, mirth, and muſick in his Fathers houſe, withdrew himſelf from all the company, and being got alone, he thus thought with with himſelf, p. 475 Here is content and delight enough for the fleſh, I may have what I deſire, but how long will this laſt? this will not hold out long; then falling down upon his knees before the Lord in ſecret, he ſaid, 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 knoweſt I love thee, O let me live eternally to praiſe thee.

If there be any way or means on earth to bring us upon our knees before God in ſecret, it is the ſerious and ſolemn thoughts of Eternity. O that the fear of Eternity might fall upon all your ſouls: O that you would all ſeriouſly conſider that after a ſhort time is expired, you muſt all enter upon an eternal eſtate. O conſider that Eternity is an infinite, endleſs, bottomleſs gulph, which no line can fathom, no time can reach, no age can extend to, no tongue can expreſſe: it is a duration alwayes preſent, a being alwayes in being; its Ʋnum perpetuum hodie, one perpetual p. 476 day, which ſhall never ſee light. O Sirs, this is, and muſt be for a lamentation, viz. that Eternity is a thing that moſt men never think of, or elſe very ſlenderly; a ſnatch and away, as Dogs are ſaid to lap and away at the River N•lus. But as ever you would have your hearts chained to your cloſets, and to cloſet-duties, as the men of Tyrus chained their God Apollo to a poſt, that they might be ſure of him, then ſeriouſly and frequently ponder upon Eternity, and with thoſe fourty valiant Martyrs, be ſtill a crying out , O⁴⁰³ Eternity, Eternity▪

1. 403. Baſil 40. Martyr. [dropped from the edition]

Mr. VVood after ſome holy diſcourſe fell a muſing, and cryed out before all preſent, for neer half a quarter of an hour together, for ever, for ever, for ever. Auſtins Prayer was, Hack me, hew me, burn me here, but ſpare me heareafter, ſpare me hereafter. Certainly if Chriſtians would but ſpend one quarter of an hour every day in the ſolemn thoughts of Eternity, it would make them p. 477 more in love with Cloſet-prayer than ever, yea, it would make them more fearful of omitting Cloſet-prayer than ever, and more careful and Conſcientious in the diſcharg of all Cloſet-Duties than ever.

And thus according to my weak meaſure, I have given out all that at preſent the Lord hath graciouſly given in to my poor ſoul, concerning this moſt neceſſary, moſt glorious, and moſt uſeful point of points viz. Cloſet-prayer, I ſhall by aſſiſting grace follow this poor piece with my prayers that it may be ſo bleſt from on high, as that it may work mightily to the internal and eternal welfare, both of Reader, Hearer, and Writer.

FINIS.