Then & Now · 20 of 28
17. Your Relations to the Lord Call for Secret Prayer
17. Your Relations to the Lord Call for Secret Prayer
Seventeenthly, Conſider, That47 the near and dear relations, that you ſtand in to the Lord, calls aloud for ſecret prayer. You are his friends. Now a true friend loves to viſit his friend when he may find him alone, and enjoy privacy with p. 108 him. A true friend loves to pour out his heart into the boſom of his friend, when he hath him in a corner, or in the field, or under a hedge. You are his favourites: and48 what favourite is there that hides his ſecret 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 father49 when he is alone, when no body is by? O how free and open are children when they have their parents alone, beyond what they are when company is preſent. You are the Spouſe of Chriſt: and what ſpouſe, what wife is there that doth not love to be much with her huſband when he is all alone? True lovers are alwayes beſt when they are moſt alone, Cant. 7. 10, 11, 12. I am my beloveds, and his deſire is towards 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 ſee if the vines flouriſh, p. 109 whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. The Spouſe of Chriſt is very deſirous to enjoy his company in the fields, that ſo having her beloved alone, ſhe might the more freely, and the more ſecretly open her heart to him. As wives, when they are walking alone with their husbands in the fields, are more free to open their minds, and the ſecrets of their hearts, than they are when in their houſes with their children and ſervants about them; ſo ‘twas with the ſpouſe.
‸ Consider that the near and dear relation that you stand in to the Lord‸ calls aloud for secret prayer (John 15:14–15). You are His friends. Now, a true friend loves to visit his friend when he may find him alone‸ and enjoy privacy with him. A true friend loves to pour out his heart into the bosom of his friend‸ when he hath him in a corner, or in the field, or under a hedge. You are His favorites. And what favorite is there that hides his secret from his prince? Do not all favorites open their hearts to their princes‸ when they are alone? You are His children. And what ingenuous child is there‸ that doth not delight to be much with his father when he is alone, when nobody is by? Oh, how free and open are children when they have their parents alone, beyond what they are when company is present. You are the spouse of Christ. And what spouse, what wife, is there that doth not love to be much with her husband when he is ‸ alone? True lovers are always best when they are most alone‸‸. “‸I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward 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 see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves” (Song 7:10–12). The spouse of Christ is very desirous to enjoy His company in the fields, that so having her beloved alone‸ she might the more freely‸ and the more secretly open her heart to Him. As wives, when they are walking alone with their husbands in the fields, are more free to open their minds‸ and the secrets of their hearts‸ than they are when in their houses with their children and servants about them, so it was with the spouse.
Without all peradventure, they have very great cauſe to queſtion, whether they are Chriſts real friends, favourites, children, ſpouſe, who ſeldom or never converſe with Chriſt in their cloſets, who are ſhie of Chriſt when they are alone, who never accuſtome themſelves to give Chriſt ſecret viſits? What Dalilah ſaid to Sampſon, Judg. 16. 15. How canſt thou ſay, I love thee, when thou haſt not told me, wherein thy great ſtrength lieth (the diſcovery p. 110 of which ſecret at laſt coſt him his life) that Chriſt may ſay to very many in our dayes; How can you ſay you love me, when you never acquaint me with your ſecrets? how can you ſay you love me, when you never beſtow any private viſits upon me? How can you ſay that you are my friends, my faithful friends, my boſom friends, when you never in private unboſom your ſelves to me? How can you ſay that you are my favourites, when you can ſpend one moneth after another, and one quarter of a year after another, and yet not let me know one of all your ſecrets, when every day you might have my ear in ſecret if you pleaſed? How can you ſay that you are my children, and yet be ſo cloſe and reſerved as you are? How can you ſay you are my ſpouſe, and that you lye in my boſome, & yet never take any delight to open your hearts, your ſecrets, to me when I am alone? What Alexander ſaid to one that was of his name, but a Coward, p. 111 Either lay down the name of Alexander, or fight like Alexander; that I ſay to you, Either be frequent in cloſet duties, as becomes a Chriſtian, or elſe lay down the name of a Chriſtian; either unboſom your ſelves in ſecret to Chriſt, as friends, favourites, children, ſpouſes, or elſe lay down theſe names, &c. But,
Without all peradventure, they have very great cause to question‸ whether they are Christ’s real friends, favorites, children, spouse, who seldom or never converse with Christ in their closets, who are shy of Christ when they are alone, who never accustom themselves to give Christ secret visits. Christ may say to very many in our days what Delilah said to Samson‸‸: “‸How canst thou say, I love thee, when thou hast not told me‸ wherein thy great strength lieth” (Judg 16:15), the discovery of which secret at last cost him his life. How can you say you love Me when you never acquaint Me with your secrets? How can you say you love Me when you never bestow any private visits upon Me? How can you say that you are My friends, My faithful friends, My bosom friends, when you never in private unbosom yourselves to Me? How can you say that you are My favorites, when you can spend one month after another, and one quarter of a year after another, and yet not let Me know one of all your secrets, when every day you might have My ear in secret if you pleased? How can you say that you are My children‸ and yet be so close and reserved as you are? How can you say you are My spouse, and that you lie in My bosom, and yet never take any delight to open your hearts, your secrets, to Me when I am alone? What Alexander said to one that was of his name, but a coward, “‸Either lay down the name of Alexander, or fight like Alexander,” that I say to you. Either be frequent in closet duties‸ as becomes a Christian, or else lay down the name of a Christian. Either unbosom yourselves in secret to Christ‸ as friends, favorites, children, spouses, or else lay down these names‸‸. ‸