Then & Now · 18 of 28
15. He That Neglects the Closet Is Neglected in Public
15. He That Neglects the Closet Is Neglected in Public
Fifteenthly, He that willingly neglects private prayer, ſhall certainly be neglected in his publick prayer; he that will not call upon God in ſecret, ſhall find by ſad experience, that God will neither hear him nor regard him in publick. Want of private duties is the great reaſon why the hearts of many are ſo dead and dull, ſo formal and carnal, ſo barren and unfruitful under publick Ordinances. O that Chriſtians would ſeriouſly lay this to heart. Certainly, that man or womans heart is beſt in publick, who is moſt frequent in private. They p. 101 make moſt yearnings in publick Ordinances, that are moſt conſcientiouſly exerciſed in cloſet duties. No mans graces riſes ſo high, nor no mans experiences riſes ſo high, nor no mans communion with God riſes ſo high, nor no mans divine enjoyments riſes ſo high, nor no mans ſprings of comfort riſes ſo high, nor no mans hopes riſes ſo high, nor no mans parts and gifts riſes ſo high, &c. as theirs do, who conſcientiouſly wait upon God in their Cloſets, before they wait upon him in the Aſſembly of his people; and who, when they return from publick Ordinances, retire into their Cloſets, and look up to Heaven for a bleſſing upon the publick means. ‘Tis certain, that private duties fit the ſoul for publick ordinances. He that makes conſcience to wait upon God in private, ſhall finde by experience, that God will wonderfully bleſſe publick44 Ordinances to him. My deſigne is not to ſet up one Ordinance of God above another, nor to cauſe p. 102 one ordinance of God to claſh with another, the publick wth the private, or the private with the publick, but that every Ordinance may have its proper place, & right: The deſires of my ſoul being to prize every Ordinance & to praiſe every ordinance, and to practiſe every Ordinance, & to improve every ordinance, & to bleſſe the Lord for every Ordinance. But as ever you would ſee45 the beauty and glory of God in his ſanctuary, as ever you would have publick Ordinances to be lovely and lively to your ſouls; as ever you would have your drooping ſpirits revived, and your languiſhing ſouls refreſhed, and your weak graces ſtrengthned, and your ſtrong corruptions weakned under publick Ordinances, be more careful & conſcientious in the performance of Cloſet duties. O how ſtrong in grace! O how victorious over ſin! O how dead to the world! O how alive to Chriſt! O how fit to live! O how prepared to die, might many a Chriſtian have been, had they p. 103 been but more frequent, ſerious, and conſcientious, in the diſcharge of Cloſet duties. Not but that I think there is a truth in that ſaying of Bede (the word Church being rightly underſtood, viz.) That he that comes not willingly to Church, ſhall one day go unwillingly to Hell. But,
‸ He that willingly neglects private prayer‸ shall certainly be neglected in his public prayer. He that will not call upon God in secret‸ shall find by sad experience‸ that God will neither hear him nor regard him in public. Want of private duties is the great reason why the hearts of many are so dead and dull, so formal and carnal, so barren and unfruitful under public ordinances. Oh, that Christians would seriously lay this to heart! Certainly, that man or woman’s heart is best in public who is most frequent in private. They make most yearnings in public ordinances that are most conscientiously exercised in closet duties. No man’s graces rise so high, nor no man’s experiences rise so high, nor no man’s communion with God rises so high, nor no man’s divine enjoyments rise so high, nor no man’s springs of comfort rise so high, nor no man’s hopes rise so high, nor no man’s parts and gifts rise so high‸ ‸ as theirs do‸ who conscientiously wait upon God in their closets before they wait upon Him in the assembly of His people, and who‸ when they return from public ordinances retire into their closets and look up to heaven for a blessing upon the public means. It is certain‸ that private duties fit the soul for public ordinances. He that makes conscience to wait upon God in private‸ shall find by experience‸ that God will wonderfully bless public ordinances to him (Mic 2:7). My design is not to set up one ordinance of God above another, nor to cause one ordinance of God to clash with another—‸the public with the private, or the private with the public—‸but that every ordinance may have its proper place and right, the desires of my soul being to prize every ordinance, and to praise every ordinance, and to practice every ordinance, and to improve every ordinance, and to bless the Lord for every ordinance. But as ever you would see the beauty and glory of God in His sanctuary, as ever you would have public ordinances to be lovely and lively to your souls, as ever you would have your drooping spirits revived, and your languishing souls refreshed, and your weak graces strengthened, and your strong corruptions weakened under public ordinances, be more careful and conscientious in the performance of closet duties (Ps 63:1–3). Oh, how strong in grace! Oh, how victorious over sin! Oh, how dead to the world! Oh, how alive to Christ! Oh, how fit to live! Oh, how prepared to die‸ might many a Christian have been, had they been but more frequent, serious, and conscientious‸ in the discharge of closet duties. Not but that I think there is a truth in that saying of Bede‸—the word church being rightly understood‸‸—that he that comes not willingly to church shall one day go unwillingly to hell. ‸