Closet Prayer a Christian Duty, Title page – To the reader
CLOSET-PRAYER A Chriſtian Duty: OR, A TREATISE UPON MAT. VI. VI.
Tending to prove that the Worſhip of God in Secret, is the indiſpenſible duty of all Chriſtians; both by ſundry Examples and Arguments.
TOGETHER, With a ſevere rebuke of Chriſtians for their neglect of, or negligence in, the duty of Cloſet-Prayer: And many Directions for the managing thereof, Exhortations to it, Objections anſwered, Caſes of Conſcience cleared.
By O. HETWOOD, Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Jer. 13.17.
But if ye will not hear it, my ſoul ſhall weep in ſecret places for your pride, and mine eye ſhall weep ſore, and run down with tears, becauſe the Lords Flock is carried away captive.
…ndon, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Bible and …ce Crowns, at the lower end of Cheapſide, 1671.
There is of this Author two other Books Printed.
1. Heart-Treaſure, from Mat. 12.35.
2. The ſure Mercies of David, Explained and Applied, in ſeveral Sermons, from Iſa. 55.3.
The Epiſtle to the Reader: Eſpecially to the ſtrict and ſerious Profeſſor of Chriſtianity.
Chriſtian Friend,
THE power of Godlineſs is much ſpoken of, but (I am afraid) very rarely to be found amongſt [even] famous profeſſors: Moſt content themſelves with external viſible duties, which Formaliſts may carry on with as much ſeeming zeal and applauſe as ſincere worſhippers: A formal ſpirit is the diſeaſe of the preſent day: The beams of Goſpel-light, in the late noon-tyde-diſpenſations, have ſo far extracted an aſſent to fundamental truths, and the neceſſity of ſome practical duties, that 'tis a ſhame in ſome places not to have a form of Godlineſs: Many will be found Orthodox in their judgments, and externally conformable in their practiſes; yet without a principle of Grace in their hearts, or the life of Religion in their lives, in the day of accounts; witneſs the fooliſh Virgins. Thouſands do finally miſcarry beſides the groſly prophane: Some go to hell with a candle in their hands, Chriſt's Colours in their hats, his Word in their mouths, and in the habit of Religion: Every one is not a Saint, that looks like one; a painted picture makes a fair ſhew, but wants life: A Formaliſt will be comely indeed, if animated with the truth of grace: But the leaven of hypocriſe ſpoyls many good duties: This was that leaven of the Phariſees that ſowred their prayers, and rendred them diſtaſtful to God: They made Religious duties a ſtage to act vain glory upon, their Prayers had a thick ſhell and little kernel. Our Saviour would not have the Saints like them, Chriſts Diſciples muſt do ſome ſingular thing, more than others; Their righteouſneſs muſt go beyond that of the Scribes and Phariſees: Sincerity is that ſpirit and life that is to run through Religion: elſe it is a Body without a Soul, or Cloaths without the Man: This is the chief drift of our Saviours teaching, and main deſign of Goſpel-commands, to render Profeſſors ſincere and ſpiritual, approving their hearts to God in Evangelical performances. I have many times bewailed the condition of thoſe who are very buſie in Externals of Religion abroad, and are groſly negligent of the main Eſſentials at home. They are like thoſe who are propping up ſome remote members of their body, while their Vitals are waſting in a languiſhing Conſumption: Theſe are like a Man in a Feaver, his face and hands burn, but his heart ſhakes and quivers for cold: Theſe I may call Pepper-profeſſors, hot in the mouth, but cold at the ſtomack: There are thouſands in the World will run many miles to hear a Sermon, will countenance the beſt Preachers, will read the Scriptures and good Books, will pray in their families, yea keep days of Faſting and Prayer with others, that yet will not ſet about heart-work and fleſh-diſpleaſing duties, of mortifying beloved luſts, loving, forgiving and praying for enemies, — yea that will not ſet themſelves ſolemnly to the duties of Meditation, Self-examination, and ſecret Prayer: The Veſſel will not ſtir except the wind of applauſe blow the ſails; theſe are like the Nightingale in the wood, of which it is recorded, that ſhe ſings moſt ſweetly when ſhe thinks any is near her. An Hypocrite can pray beſt, when taken notice of by men, you ſhall ſeldom ſee him at work with his heart in a Cloſet: he is of the mind of thoſe carnal perſons of Chriſts natural kindred, Joh. 7.4. who ſaid to Chriſt, If thou do theſe things ſhew thy ſelf to the World, for, ſaith the Text, ver. 5. Neither did his brethren believe in him: q. d. Such as carry on duties, or counſel others to ſuch undertakings as may expoſe them to publick view for oſtentation, declare plainly they want true grace, which makes perſons Jews inwardly, Whoſe circumciſion is of the heart, in the Spirit, whoſe praiſe is not of men, but of God: Rom. 2.29. The main trade of a Chriſtian, is his Home-trade, as one ſaith,Jurnal Chriſtian Armour, Chap. 12. Sect. 3. p. 304. which is ſpent in ſecret betwixt God and his own ſoul: here he drives an unknown Trade, he is at Heaven and home again, richly laden in his thoughts with heavenly meditations before the World knows where he hath been.
The conſideration of theſe things hath ingaged me to ſpend ſome thoughts, concerning this great and much neglected Duty of Cloſet Prayer; which when I had delivered, and ſeveral had got Copies thereof, it was judged fit for the Preſs, ſome hopes conceived of its further uſefulneſs: I peruſed it again, and methodized it into this form, and communicated my thoughts to ſome concerning the publication of it. A friend gave me notice there was a Book extant upon the ſame Subject, which I enquired after, and found one of Mr. Brooks on the ſame Text: That Book I look'd over, and was ready to think it would ſave me a labour; but, upon ſecond thoughts, I conſidered that this might fall into ſome hands that that would not; that ſeveral men writing on the ſame Subject may be uſeful, is ordinary; that our Method and moſt of our Matter is different; for I had finiſh'd mine before I ſaw the other, except two or three leaves in the cloſe: Beſides that, the other is larger, this a ſmall Piece, and more portable, as a pocket-book, or Vade mecum: let it be then a ſhort Appendix to that excellent Piece.
I am heartily glad, any of Gods ſervants have ſet themſelves to promote this part of practical piety; 'tis an excellent deſign, and I am well aſſu…, if Chriſtians were more in their Cloſets with God, their own ſouls would thrive better, and things would ſucceed better abroad; Mr. Rogers being ſilenced from publick work; deſired his Hearers to ſpend that time they were want to come to his Lecture in, in ſerious Prayer and Meditation in their Cloſets, and he was confident Satan would be a loſer, and their ſouls gainers by that providence: And this I can affirm, that if perſons would ſpend part of that time in ſecret Prayer they take to run abroad to Sermons in, they would be better proficients: Not but that hearing the word is neceſſary and ſo is this; nor muſt the one juſtle out the other: yea, theſe ſecret duties help us to profit by publick Ordinances. If dung be poured down on heaps in the field, it doth no good; it muſt be ſpread abroad, before it make fruitful ground. The plaiſter heals not, except it be applyed; ſo the Word muſt be ſpread on our hearts by ſerious and ſecret Meditation and Application, or elſe it will never make our ſouls healthful and fruitful; and then we muſt pray over it, for the ſhowers of divine grace to waſh it and work it into our hearts: Many Sermons are loſt for want of ſouls taking them home to their Cloſets, and turning them to Prayer: I fear all will be little enough that Miniſters can preach or write upon this theam, I doubt ſtill, this work will be either totally neglected or negligently performed: its an hard work; the ſpirit muſt travel in it; and (ſaith good Mr. Bains) the Saints can indure better to hear an hour, than to pray a quarter: yea our trifling hearts will make any excuſe to ſhift from this duty, or ſhuffle it off; nay, though it be in exchange for another, a ſign the work is of God, and tending much to the ſouls good, or elſe Satan and our corrupt hearts would never ſo much hinder or oppoſe it.
P…or Soul, it may be thou lookeſt abroad, and ſeeſt much wickedneſs committed, holineſs perſecuted, thy God diſhonoured, many things out of order thou wanteſt a capacity to bring a remedy: I muſt therefore ſay to thee as it's reported, Albertus Crantzius ſaid to …her, when he began to oppoſe the Pope [Frater vade in cellam, & die, Miſerere mei Deus] Brother, go into thy cell, and ſay God be merciful unto me; ſo ſay I. Alas thy intereſt and influence reacheth but a little way to mend a wicked world, (though thou muſt ſeek to perform as far as thy place and calling extends;) but go thy way to thy God in thy Cloſet, bewail thy ſins, and the ſins of others plead with God for thine own ſoul: Buſie thy ſelf about thyſelf, ſet all ſtraight at home, take heed of that which the poor Church complains of, Cant. 1.6. They made me the keeper of the vinyards, but mine own vinyard have I not kept. Oh leave other things undone, rather than this great matter, that concerns the affairs of thine own ſoul.
Mr. Fox tells us of one Peter Moyce, a German Martyr, being called before the Synod at Dornick, Acts mon. 2. vol. lib. 8. fol. 1…2.they began to examine him in certain Articles of Religion to whom as he was about to anſwer boldly and expreſly to every point, they interrupting him, bad him ſay in two words, Yea or Nay. Then ſaid he, If you will not ſuffer me to anſwer for my ſelf in things of ſuch importance ſend me to my Priſon again among my Toads and Frogs, which will not interrupt me while I talk with my Lord my God. Oh Chriſtian, the time may come, or is already, when men may ſtop thy mouth, and will not ſuffer thee to witneſs a good confeſſion, withdraw thy ſelf from men, and retire unto thy God, who will make thee freely welcom, to pour out thy ſoul to him in ſecret. He'l neither ſtop thy mouth nor ſtop his car; he bids thee Open thy mouth wide, Pſal. 81.10. And he tells thee, His ear is open to thy cry, Pſal. 34.15. That caſt not ask ſuch great things as he can and will give. Only ſee thou beeſt a Child of God. Naturaliſts tell of a precious Stone of an excellent vertue yet loſeth all its efficacy when 'tis put into a dead mans mouth: ſo Prayer in the lips of a Saint or a righteous man, availeth much, but the Prayer of the wicked is not only ineffectual, but abominable to God: See to your ſtates, and then ſee that you pray aright, for manner, matter, end, many ask and receive not, becauſe they ask amiſs: Above all, Soul, in thy ſecret addreſſes to God, take heed of a trifling ſpirit; thou'lt find moſt ado with thy ſelf herein: our wanton ſpirits are loath to be pent up in the narrow room of a ſpiritual performance; we love to take our liberty in ranging abroad to a thouſand objects: but Chriſtian, as thou loveſt thy peace, thy Soul, thy God, look to thy ſpirit in ſecret Prayer: Do not trifle away thy time upon thy knees, let not thy words freeze as they come from thee, let no diſcouragements beat thee off: the Woman of Canaan, as one ſaith, takes the Bullets that Chriſt ſhot at her, and with an humble boldneſs of faith, ſends them back again in Prayer; which indeed reach'd his heart, and prevailed with God for mercy.
But, I ſhall inlarge no more at preſent, but refer thee to this ſmall Treatiſe, wherewith I have (according to my poor talent) laid before thee this great duty: What effect it ſhall have I know not, my God knows, in whoſe hands the bleſſing of our endeavours lyes; Get alone and pray over this Book, and for the unworthy ſinful Author, as he deſires to do for thee into whoſe hand this may come: let our Prayers daily meet at the throne of Grace, till our ſouls meet before the throne of God; if thou receiveſt any good by this or any other work this poor worm hath handed to thee, aſcribe nothing to the inſtrument, but all to the agent, and efficient: our good God, from whom comes every good and perfect gift, diſdains not the work for the plainneſs of the ſtile; it was purpoſely put in this dreſs for the vulgars benefit; and if it or my ſelf be expoſed to cenſure for that, 'tis welcom. I write not to pleaſe learned Scholars, but to profit plain Chriſtians; whoſe ſpiritual good I prefer above any credit to my ſelf. I am ſure, there is none due: there being few of my brethren but they tranſcend me in parts and learning, But by the grace of God I am what I am, 1 Cor. 15.10. Nor is that grace altogether in vain: for as it hath helped me in labours ſo he hath in ſome meaſure bleſſed my labours, though I be nothing, the leaſt of Saints, not meet to be called a Miniſter. Did thoſe that read my labours know me, they would be ready to deſpiſe my undertakings: this I ſpeak, becauſe my former book hath found ſuch good acceptance, and this is ſo much deſired. And that no man think of me, above what he knoweth to be in me: my heart hath been near fainting through diſcouragements from my great weakneſs, had I not been ſupported many a time with that word, in 2 Cor. 4.7. But we have this treaſure in earthen veſſels, that the excellency of the Power may be of God, and not of Man. Whence I gather, that God can make uſe of weak, unlearned, ſinful inſtruments to do great works; and he can uſe perſons of mean abilities, to accompliſh his glorious ends, in converting ſouls, as well as the profoundeſt Clerks, or wiſeſt men on earth: yea ſometimes be layeth aſide theſe, and rather uſeth the former, that all the glory might be his, And that no fleſh might glory in his preſence: 1 Cor. 1.29. But ſuch as I am or have, is all devoted to the honour of our Redeemer, and welfare of Souls.
Octob. 31. 1668. Whiles I am Oliver Heywood.