Closet Prayer a Christian Duty, Treatise · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. The firſt Ʋſe, of Information.
SECT. I. Concerning Places of Prayer.
1. IF Cloſet-Prayer be a Chriſtian Duty, then it ſhews us, that in Goſpel-times God ſtands not preciſely upon places: this holy Incenſe may aſcend to Heaven with as much acceptance upon the golden Altar (the merits and mediation of Jeſus Chriſt) as well in a private Chamber as a publick Church. Some have ſcornfully called private devotions, by the derogating title of Chimney-Prayers; and think to confine all religion to publick places: yea a great Scholar ſaid once, God heard Prayer in a conſecrated place [Non quia precatur, ſed quia ibi] not becauſe men pray, but becauſe they pray there, as though the conceited holineſs of the place added ſome vertue to the Prayer,Judaiſmus eſt, alligare religionem ad certa loca. Hoſpin de orig. Temp. lib. 4. c. 2. or rendred it more acceptable to God. This is worſe than plain Judaiſm, to tye Religion to places: The true Goſpelized Chriſtian hath otherwiſe learned Chriſt. 'Tis true, in the Old Teſtament diſpenſation, after the erecting of the Temple, Prayer was to be made at it, or towards it, as it typified Chriſt, by whom our prayers are accepted: But that holineſs being ceremonial, 'tis now aboliſhed by the Goſpel: Now that takes place, in John 4.21. Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye ſhall neither in this Mountain, nor at Jeruſalem, worſhip the Father, i. e. God now doth not ſo much ſtand upon the place, as the manner of worſhip, that they worſhip in ſpirit and truth, ver. 23.24. Now is the prophecy accompliſhed, Mal. 1.11. In every place, Incenſe ſhall be offered to my Name. Which the Apoſtle alſo aſſerts expreſly, 1 Tim. 2.8. Much hath been ſaid in controverſie concerning the holineſs of places; but this ſeems to be an undeniable argument againſt that Conceit, that if ſome places be holy by the Churches conſecration of them to holy uſes, then it followeth that other places not ſo conſecrated, howbeit applyed to the ſame holy uſe, are more prophane, and leſs apt to divine worſhip than places conſecrated: which would directly contradict the Scriptures laſt mentioned.Eccleſ. polit. lib. 5. c. 16. Indeed Hooker teacheth that the ſervice of God in places not ſanctified, as Churches are, hath not in it ſelf ſuch perfection of grace, and comelineſs, as when the dignity of the place (which it wiſheth for) doth concur, and that the very Majeſty and holineſs of the place where God is worſhipped, bettereth even our holieſt and beſt actions: Thus he.Confer. with Hart. c. 8. Divis 4. pag. 491. To whom we dare not ſubſcribe; but rather ſay with Dr. John Reinolds, that to us Chriſtians no Land is ſtrange, no ground unholy: Every coaſt is Jewry, every town Jeruſalem, and every houſe, Zion; and every faithful company, yea every faithful body, a Temple to ſerve God in.
But I ſhall not undertake a diſpute upon this ſubject: The duty of the Text clears it, If God command and accept Cloſet-Prayer, then he doth not make ſo great a matter of the place for this duty as ſome imagine, ſince it cannot be imagined that Cloſet-Prayer can be performed ordinarily in a conſecrated place (as they call it;) and there being no ſuch place where a duty can be performed, to which God hath more expreſly promiſed a reward, than what is performed in a Corner or Cloſet; and therefore we have no warrant to expect acceptance meerly upon the account of one place more than another.
Indeed, there is a common practice of ſome perſons, which is, to perform their private devotions in publick places. For you ſhall ſee ſome at their entrance into a Church or Chappel, whatever publick worſhip is in hand, fall down upon their knees, or put their hats or hands before their faces, and ſo fall to Prayer. I will not call this the ſacrifice of fools, but I judge it very unſeaſonable: for we ſhould joyn with Gods people in the publick Ordinances, and prefer them before any thing that we can then undertake: The original of this practice was,Eo propoſito Dominus …etat in conventu or are, ut à conventu videatur: Chryſoſt. Ho. 13. op. im. perf. ſup. Math. a conceit that the place was more holy than their own houſes; and that their Prayer ſhall be heard there rather than at home: 'Tis too ſad a ſign they had not prayed before they came thither. I am ſure, it favours rankly of a Phariſaical ſpirit, for this is the fault our Saviour here rectifies, which was their private praying in publick places; and in oppoſition thereunto directs his Diſciples to the duty of the Text, which is to pray in their Cloſets.
SECT. II. The Nature of Prayer.
2. WE may hence be informed concerning the nature, uſefulneſs, excellency, and efficacy of the duty of Prayer: I ſpeak not now of Prayer in general, but in reference to Cloſet-Prayer. And on that account there are two Conſectaries hence, concerning Prayer.
1. It follows, that Prayer is an immediate worſhip of God: For what hath been ſaid, ſhews that we have to do immediately with God, yea that a man alone ſingly hath to do with God: therein it's different from other parts of Gods inſtituted worſhip, which doth neceſſarily require company; as in preaching of the Word, there muſt be hearers; in the ſeals of the Covenant, as in Baptiſm and the Lords-Supper, there muſt be a ſociety, ſuch a number as may be called a Church: Hence the latter is called a Communion, becauſe ſaith the Apoſtle,1 Cor. 10.16, 17. We being many are one bread, and one body: But it is not abſolutely or eſſentially requiſite to Prayer, that there be a ſociety; one man or woman, by him or her ſelf alone, may perform this duty of Prayer as acceptably to God, as if in the company of a thouſand Saints: We deny not the publick or private Meetings of Gods people for Prayer; but withal affirm, that the nature of the duty is ſuch, that it may be performed ſolitary and alone: Hence Schoolmen diſtinguiſh of Prayer,Aq. 2: 2ae q. 83: Art. 12. that it is either [Communis or Singularis] Common or Singular: Both have their place and uſe: Though they lay great ſtreſs upon Chriſts promiſe, in Mat. 18.20. promiſing to be where two or three are met in his Name; which as we deny not, ſo we aſſert the force of this Prayer of a ſingle perſon according to the Text: We give both their due, without compariſons.
2. Prayer cannot be ſtopt in its aſcent to God: All the perſecutors on earth, cannot hinder a ſoul's praying. This is demonſtrated two wayes: 1. A Child of God baniſht out of all human ſociety may pray ſtill. Suppoſe a man were rejected by men, and ejected out of all companies of men, and were ſhut up in the Cloſeſt Priſon, or ſhut out in the remoteſt Wilderneſs; ſuppoſe a man were in the Caves and Dens of the Earth; yet ſtill he might pray and be heard, according to Solomon's Prayer, that, If Gods People were carried captive into the Land of their Enemies, far or near, yet if they repented and prayed unto God towards their Land, and that Houſe of God; then he begs that God would hear them: and God teſtifies that he did hear this Prayer of Solomon, 1 King. 8.46, 48. with chap. 9.3. The paſſage to Heaven is as near and open from one part of the earth as another: therefore David ſaith he will cry to God from the end of the Earth, Pſal. 61.2. A notable inſtance for this we have in Jonah: he was got into the bottom of the Sea (as far from Heaven locally as one could imagine) into a great Fiſhes belly, which he calls the very belly of Hell; and as he was then far from men, ſo he looks upon himſelf as caſt out of the ſight of God, and he pathetically expreſſeth his miſery and hopeleſs ſtate. What doth he in this doleful plight? Why he will look towards Gods holy Temple, Alas poor Jonah knew not now which way the Temple ſtood, he had but a ſhort proſpect in that dark and narrow Priſon; yes, faith can ſet Jonah upon one of the Mountains of Iſrael, that thence he may ſee as far as Mount Zion, and reach as high as Heaven; he prayes, yea cryes; God hears, and delivers: as low as he was he knocks at Heaven gates, and his Prayer doth pierce the Clouds, it makes bold, and ſteps in, My prayer, ſaith he, came in unto thee, into thine holy Temple, Jonah 2.2, 7. Oh the ſtrange and ſwift motion of a believing Prayer! Let the praying ſoul be where it will, the Prayer will come to God's ear, and get an anſwer.
2. A Child of God that cannot ſpeak a word, may put up an acceptable Prayer: ſuppoſe the tongue which is the organ of ſpeech, were cut out, yet a Saint cannot thereby be obſtructed in his acceſs to God by Prayer. For, as Ameſius ſaith, [Oratio formaliter eſt actus voluntatis] Prayer is formally the act of the Will; deſire is the ſoul of Prayer which God may hear, though it be not expreſſed, for he knows the heart, Pſal. 10.17. Lord thou haſt heard the deſire of the humble: A Saints deſire is a real Prayer; if the deſire be right, words are but the outward garb, habit, or cloaths (as I may ſo ſay) of Prayer, the carcaſs or ſhell of the duty, ardent deſires are the life, kernel,Exod. 14.15. 1 Sam. 1.13. Neh. 2.4. marrow of the performance: Hence we find that Moſes, Hannah, and Nehemiah, are ſaid to pray, when Scripture doth not expreſs a word they ſpeak, nor is it probable they did make an articulate ſound: I ſpeak not this to indulge carnal men in their lazy conceited ejaculations,Deus exaudit non ſolum preces indicativas ſed & optativas, Luth. as though they could pray well enough, and never ſpeak; or while they are working, walking, talking: Let me hint a word by the way to theſe. Conſider, ſilly ſoul, God hath given thee a body, and thou muſt offer it to God as a reaſonable ſacrifice; thou art bound in conſcience to pray and praiſe God with thy tongue, which is thy glory; yea let me tell thee, if thou haſt thoſe members of body, and an opportunity to pray thus ſolemnly with thy tongue upon thy knees, and doſt never do it, I queſtion whether thou prayeſt at all or no, ſince thou liveſt in the apparent neglect of a known duty: What I ſpeak of the Saints real (though ſometimes without vocal) Prayers is to commend the duty, and comfort thoſe Saints that may be put to theſe exigencies, that though they cannot ſpeak, yet they may pray, and be heard and anſwered.
SECT. III. Shewing the Power of Prayer.
I Might from hence take occaſion to diſcover the ſtrength and efficacy of this duty of Prayer, from the conſideration of Cloſet-Prayer: though but a poor ſingle perſon get upon his knees in a Corner, and have no creature to help him, yet he can even undertake to grapple with the omnipotent and eternal God, yea by his ſtrength may have power with God, as we heard of Jacob; who by ſingle wreſtling with him (hand to fiſt as it were) wreſtled a bleſſing from him: One poor ſingle Elijah could ſtand againſt at leaſt four hundred Prophets of Baal, 1 King. 18.36.and prevail, having recourſe to the living God by Prayer, yea the Apoſtle tells us, that this Elijah, though but a mortal man, yet he ſhut up and opened Heaven, that it rained, and rained not, according to his Prayer; hence he infers an univerſal Maxim, that the effectual ſervent Prayer of a righteous man avails much; and illuſtrates it by that notable inſtance, James 5.16, 17, 18. But ſome may object, Elijah was a great Prophet, an extraordinary perſon; he might prevail when we cannot: he anſwers, He was no more than a man, a Man ſubject to like paſſions as we are, a ſinful creature; he prevailed not for any merits of his own, but through faith in the Mediator of the Covenant, and ſo may we. There's not the meaneſt Child of God but hath the ſame plea:Mr. Gurnal on, Eph. 6.10. p. 42. God hath ſtrength enough to give, ſaith one; but he hath no ſtrength to deny. Here the Almighty himſelf (with reverence be it ſpoken) is weak: even a child, the weakeſt in grace of his family, that can but ſay, Father, is able to overcome him for Prayer is in a ſort omnipotent; it can conquer the invincible Jehovah, Vincit invincibilem, ligat omnipotentem.and bind the hands (as it were) of an omnipotent God, ſo that God is fain to cry out to wreſtling Moſes, Let me alone: 'Tis ſaid of Luther; That man could do with God even what he would. Prayer hath a kind of commanding compulſive power: That's a ſtrange Text, Iſa. 45.11. — Ask me of things to come concerning my Sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me: So ſome take it; ye ſhall find me as ready to do you ſervice, as if ye had me at command: yet this muſt be warily received, not as though God were forced to any thing againſt his will, but when Gods people pray aright in the name of Chriſt according to his will,1 Joh. 5.14. he heareth them; and this he attributes to Prayer, for the credit of that duty and incouragement of praying ſouls: That's a notable Text to ſhew the readineſs of God to anſwer Prayer, Joh. 16.26, 27. — I ſay not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you, for the father himſelf loveth you. — Chriſt in this place doth not ſimply deny, that he will intercede for them; but ſhews how ready God is of his own accord to grant the Saints petitions: They ſhall not be put to any great trouble about it, but ſhall be quickly diſpatcht in their errand to the Throne of Grace: For as *Exiguus gemitus in auribus Dei fortiſſimas eſt clamor; & ita coelum & terram replet, ut praeter eum Deus nihil audiat, atcompeſcit omnes omnium aliarum rerum clamores: Luth. tom. 4.Luther ſpeaks, a poor groan in the ears of God is a mighty noiſe, and doth ſo fill Heaven and earth, that God can hear nothing beſides it, and ſilenceth all other tumults to hearken to it.
Of what an eaſie quick acceſs
My bleſſed Lord, art thou? how ſuddenly
May our requeſts thy ear invade!
To ſhew that State diſlikes not eaſineſs:
If I but lift mine eyes my ſuit is made:
Thou canſt no more not hear, than thou canſt dye:
See more in Herberts Poems, pag. 95.
SECT. IV. Shewing the property of a true Chriſtian.
ONce more I might ſhew the duty and property of a ſincere Chriſtian, that can make this excellent uſe of ſolitarineſs: Carnal perſons love not to be alone, except they be ſuch whoſe conſtitution inclines them to Melancholy, and then they ſit poring on things without profit; 'tis only the gracious ſoul that can tell how to make the right uſe of ſolitarineſs by having recourſe to God: No man cares for being alone but the ſerious perſon; and no man cares for going to God when alone, but the ſincere Chriſtian: Man is a ſociable creature, and naturally we have no mind to entertain our ſelves by our ſelves; A carnal heart hates a domeſtical audit, men that have ſhrewiſh wives love not to be at home, and perſons that have guilty conſciences cannot endure to hold diſcourſe with them, left they be tormented before the time: Oh but a Chriſtian that is upright, and down-right, would know all that concerns his own heart; the beſt and worſt; therefore he communes with his own heart,Pſal. 77.6. as David did; and left he miſs or miſtake in his ſearch, he turns him to the heart-ſearching God by Prayer, and cryes out to him to ſearch his heart and diſcover him to himſelf: The life of Religion conſiſts in a ſouls communion with God in ſecret; a man hath ſo much Religion as he hath betwixt God and his own Soul, and no more: A true Saint dares approve his heart to God in a Corner: He is there exerciſing himſelf, like a Souldier by himſelf handling his Pike, and keeping his poſtures, that he may be better fitted for a more ſolemn onſet: Yea a Chriſtian doth purpoſely withdraw himſelf from company that he may converſe with God: Papiſts are true Chriſtians Apes: hence comes the ſolitary life of Monks; pretending to imitate Eliah, and Eliſha, John Baptiſt and the Apoſtles: but 'tis acknowledged by Hierom, and great ſticklers for a monaſtick life, that this practice begun not till about the year 260, or 300. Some ſay Hilarion, others Paulus Thebaeus, others Antonius, begun this manner of converſation: But certainly there is a vaſt difference betwixt thoſe ancient Chriſtians ſolitary life, and the Papiſts way of Monaſtick living, 1. Thoſe firſt Chriſtians lived ſolitary of neceſſity that they might lye hid more ſafely in a time of perſecution: 2. They were not compelled to give all to the poor; 3. They were not bound to a certain Rule, nor did they ingage themſelves by a perpetual Vow to that place and ſtate,Vid. Perk. Demonſtr. problem. Monach. p. 227, 228. but might change their manner of life if they ſaw good; they were not bound as to meats, marriage, faſting; 4. Theſe ancient Monks were of the Laity, not of the Clergy, nay not ſo much as Deacons, or Presbyters: 5. They had no conceit of merit in a Monaſtick life, till theſe latter ages: I may add, 6.Clarks Eccleſ. Hiſt. fol. 13. Thoſe ancient Monks had a particular Calling and did work, as the Monks of Bangor that lived by the ſweat of their brows; and, 7. They were not tyed up from converſing abroad as there was occaſion; and occaſions there are manifold: 'Tis not fit perſons ſhould be always coopt up in a Corner, but that they be of uſe to others in their places and capacities: We were not born for our ſelves, nor muſt we live only within our ſelves, which would contradict the Law of Love and Charity:Vita ſolitaria communi inferior eſt; quia importunis cogitationibus plena, quae tanquam muſcae minutiſſimae de timo ſurgentes, volunt in oculos co…dis & interrumpunt Sabbathum mentis: Ivo Carnatenſis Epiſt. 258. Videſis plura in Perk Ubi ſupra, demonſtrat. Monaſteria veterum, ut plurimum, faiſſe ſcholas publicas, i. e. communitates docentium & diſcentium. A conſtant ſolitarineſs expoſeth perſons to a world of temptations, it is not good to be alone, ſaith Solomon. An ancient could ſpeak it from his own experience, that a ſolitary life is inferiour to a common converſing, becauſe 'tis full of importunate cogitations, which like little flyes ariſing from dung, fly in the eyes of the heart, and interrupt the Sabbath of the mind: Thus he.
But I need not trouble you with the mention of Popiſh Fopperies. A right-bred Chriſtian, that hath learned the truth as it is in Jeſus, being thruſt into a Corner, knows how to improve ſolitarineſs for ſoul-advantage; and voluntarily doth withdraw himſelf into a Corner, that he may ſet himſelf to the work of God in good earneſt: Hence ſaith the Apoſtle, concerning Husband and Wife, 1 Cor. 7.5. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with conſent for a time, that you may give your ſelves to faſting and prayer: — Thence note, that it's convenient ſometimes for Chriſtians to ſequeſter themſelves from neareſt Relations,Vide Pareum in loc. that they may have freer communion with God in holy Duties: Only let theſe four cautions and limitations of the Text be obſerved, 1. That it be with mutual conſent, 2. But for a Seaſon, 3. The end, an advantage for Faſting and Prayer, 4. That they come together again: This reſpects not every days ordinary performances; but ſome ſolemn undertakings of ſtated and extraordinary Faſts in a day of danger or calamity; at which time, the Bridegroom is to go forth of his Chamber, and the Bride out of her Cloſet, Joel 2.16. i. e. to ſequeſter themſelves from conjugal delights, to afflict their ſouls by Faſting and Prayer: But in theſe caſes, a ſound Chriſtian's due diſcretion regulated by the general rules laid down in Scripture, will help in ſuch performances, that he may not daſh on either rock, of Superſtition or Negligence; but maintain a cloſs and conſtant communion with God, both in the duties of his general and particular calling in publick Ordinances, and in private and ſecret duties.
Thus much for the firſt Uſe.