19. Satan Is a Very Great Enemy to Secret Prayer

19thly, Conſider, that Satan is a very great enemy to ſecret prayer. Secret prayer is a ſcourge, a hell, to Satan; every ſecret prayer adds to the Devils torment, and every ſecret ſigh adds to his torment, and every ſecret groan adds to his torment, & every ſecret tear adds to his torment. When a child of God is on his knees in his ſecret addreſſes⁵¹ to God, O the ſtrange thoughts, the earthly thoughts, the wandring thoughts, the diſtracted thoughts, the hideous thoughts, the blaſphemous thoughts, that Satan often injects into his ſoul! and all to wean him from ſecret prayer, and to weary him of ſecret prayer. Sometimes he tells the ſoul, that ‘tis in vain to ſeek God in ſecret; p. 114 and at other times he tells the ſoul ‘tis too late to ſeek God in ſecret, for the door of mercy is ſhut, and there is no hope, no help for the ſoul: Sometimes he tells the ſoul, that ‘tis enough to ſeek God in Publick; and at other times he tells the ſoul, that ‘tis but a preciſe trick to ſeek the Lord in private: Sometimes he tells the ſoul, that ‘tis not elected, and therefore all his ſecret prayers ſhall be rejected; and at other times he tells the ſoul, that ‘tis ſealed up unto the day of wrath and therefore ſecret prayer can never reverſe that ſeal: and all this to diſhearten and diſcourage a poor Chriſtian in his ſecret retirements. Sometimes Satan will object to a poor Chriſtian, the greatneſs of his ſins; & at other times he will object againſt a Chriſtian, the greatneſs of his unworthyneſs: Sometimes he will object againſt a Chriſtian his want of grace; and at other times he will object againſt a Chriſtian his want of gifts to manage ſuch a duty, as it ſhould be managed: p. 115 Sometimes he will object againſt a Chriſtian his former ſtreightnedneſs in ſecret prayer; and at other times he will object againſt a Chriſtian, the ſmal yearnings that he makes of ſecret prayer: and all to work the ſoule out of love with ſecret prayer, yea, to work the ſoul to loath ſecret prayer; ſo deadly an enemy is Satan to ſecret prayer. O the ſtrange fears fancies, and conceits, that Satan often raiſes in the ſpirits of Chriſtian, when they are alone with God in a corner; and all to work them to caſt off private prayer.

1. 51. There is no one thing that many hundred Chriſtians have more ſadly lamented and bewailed, as many ſaithful Miniſters can witneſs, than the ſad interruptions 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 ſcared, affrighted, and amazed by noyſes & ſtrange apparitions, at leaſt to their fancies, when they have been alone with God in a corner. [dropped from the edition]

‘Tis none of Satans leaſt deſignes, to interrupt a Chriſtian in his private trade with God. Satan watches all a Chriſtians motions; ſo that he cannot turn into his cloſet, nor creep into any hole to converſe privately with his God, but he followes him hard at heels, & will be ſtil injecting one thing or another into the ſoul, or elſe objecting one thing or another againſt the ſoul▪ A Chriſtian is as well able to tell the ſtars of p. 116 Heaven, and to number the ſands of the ſea, as he is able to number up the ſeveral devices and ſlights that Satan uſes to obſtruct the ſouls private addreſſes to God. Now from that great oppoſition that Satan makes againſt private prayer, a Chriſtian may ſafely conclude theſe five things.

Firſt, The excellency of private prayer. Certainly, If it were not an excellent thing, for a man to be in ſecret with God, Satan would never make ſuch head againſt it.

Secondly, The neceſſity of this duty. The more neceſſary any duty is to the internal and eternal welfare of a Chriſtian, the more Satan will beſtir himſelf, to blunt a Chriſtians Spirit in that duty.

Thirdly, The utility or profit that attends a conſcientious diſcharge of this duty. Where we are like to gain moſt, there Satan loves to oppoſe moſt.

Fourthly, The prevalency of private prayer. If there were not a kind of an omnipotency in it, if it p. 117 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 ſuch an akeing tooth againſt it, as he hath.

Fifthly, That God is highly honoured by this duty, or elſe Satan would never be ſo greatly enraged againſt it. This is certaine, The more Glory God hath from any ſervice we do, the more Satan will ſtrive by all his wiles and ſlights to take us, either off from that ſervice, or ſo to interrupt us in that ſervice, that God may have no honour, nor we no good, nor himſelf no hurt, by our private retirements. But in the