Closet-prayer a Christian duty, or, A treatise upon Mat. VI, VI. tending to prove that worship of God in secret is the indispensible duty of all Christians ... 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 ... / by O. Heywood.

SECT. II. Several Objections, Answered.

TIs strange if our carnal hearts and cavilling spirits have not something to say against this difficult du∣ty: I shall therefore mention what Objections, I can foresee may be made, and briefly answer them.

1. Obj. We pray in our families, and is not that e∣nough? What needs all this ado?

Answ. 1. This Objection cannot be made by all: some have no Families to pray with, but if thou dost pray in thy family, 'tis well; there's many graceless heads and prayerless houses: Of which it may be said, The fear of God is not in this place: Oh the wrath that shall be poured out on such Families: But suppose thou dost, Family-prayer is one thing, and Closet-pray∣er is another: and let me tell thee, God never made one duty to supersede another; you must not justle out one work, because you are bound to perform another. Every thing is beautiful in its place and season. Gods Commandments are exceeding broad, and take in a great compass of duties. You must worship God in your Houses; that exempts you not from worshipping God in your Closets, no more than in the publick Assem∣blies: There's equal commands for all, necessity of all; neglect any at your peril: Besides, I told you, a Child of God hath a secret errand to his Father, that it is not fit his family should know of; and upon this account God hath appointed Closet-Prayer, as tendering the credit of his people, that they might not discover their spiritual nakedness to any but to that God who knows their secrets, and will keep their counsel: And I must tell thee, Soul, thou art very little sensible of thy spiri∣tual state or wants, if thou have nothing to say to God that thou wouldst not have others to hear.

2. Obj. But I am a poor man, and busie in my cal∣ling, and cannot take so much time in Closet-Prayer, I have other occasions.

Answ. Friend, hast thou any greater business than the affairs of thy soul; let thy calling stand still rather than thy soul should be damned: Cursed be those oc∣casions that eat out Religion: But consider, you may follow both Callings, if you be observant; our gene∣ral

and particular callings must not interfere. Clean creatures divided the hoof, considerate Christians are such as rightly proportion works to their particular seasons. A chief part of David's Arithmetick of num∣bring daies, was in that which we call Division, to cast the account of this our short life, so as to divide the lit∣tle total sum thereof into the several portions of time due for performing every duty in: The hand-maid may not thrust out the Mistress; nor the Shop have all, and Chamber none of our time: You are flat A∣theists, if you think Praying will hinder your work: No, no, it bles∣seth and expediteth temporal af∣fairs. We use to say, Meat and Mattins hinder no work. Canst thou not get time for eating, sleeping? Yea, dost thou not spend as much time in idleness, and vain dis∣course, as would be required every day for this duty? If thou hadst an honest heart, thou wouldst redeem time from thy meat, or sleep, or recreations, for Prayer, ra∣ther than neglect a duty, or damn thy soul: The truth is, we complain we want time, but we waste time: There's not the poorest Labourer, but he mis-spends more time than Prayer-time comes to: And why should any water be left off, when there's little enough in the channel to turn the Mill for, or towards our God?

3. Obj. But I am a Servant, and must obey my Ma∣ster; I am kept too hardly at work, to get time for se∣cret Prayer; I am called to work betimes, dogged to it all the day.

Answ. Though you be servants to do mens work, yet not slaves to their lusts: in that respect you must not be the Servants of Men; if you be Servants, you are the Lords Free-men, if free, yet you are Christs ser∣vants, 1 Cor. 7.22, 23. Remember, you have a Master in Heaven; no mortal creature can discharge you from your attendance on God: You must do Gods

work as well as your Masters, and your Masters work for God's sake. Oh sirs, do not neglect your duty to God, to pleasure men. Can your superiour answer for your neglect? Or interpose betwixt flaming wrath and your sinning souls? But I am afraid, some lay the blame on Masters, when the fault is in themselves: Deceive not thy self by accusing others to clear thy self; this was Adam's fault: Think not that anothers rigour can ex∣cuse thy neglect: Let me tell you, there's never a ser∣vant so strictly watch'd, but might steal some time from his Master for his God; and yet do him no wrong: Only see that you be prudent in chusing such seasons as may not justly provoke your Master, or pre∣judice his occasions: And be often in your callings lift∣ing up your hearts to God; be content with your con∣dition: had you more liberty, it may be your hearts would not be in so good a frame: But let me bespeak Masters indulgence to poor and pious Servants; oh hin∣der them not in any good work, rather put them up∣on it, encourage them in it, bless God that you have praying servants, this is a hopeful presage of good suc∣cess: Let not your servants fare the worse, but the bet∣ter, for being God's servants.

4. Obj. But I have no Closet to pray in, no conve∣nient room for secret Prayer; I have a little house, a busie full family, and cannot retire my self.

Answ. A good good heart will find room, either within doors, or without: a gracious soul will seek out places to pray in; any sorry cote will be a Bethel, where it can injoy its God: or, if he cannot get to it under the roof, he will (with good Isaac) walk out in∣to the fields to meditate, and to pray: Could Heathens and Idolatrous Jews plant groves for their superstition, in an Apish imitation of Abraham's practice? And can∣not a Bird of Paradise take its flight out of some Wood

or Arbour into Heaven? But, most need not make this silly slight excuse; they have good roofs to be in, and need not worship God [sub Dio] in the open air: few of us but we have convenient rooms, but most of us want affectionate hearts to visit God therein: But, Christians, make good use of your houses to serve God therein, else they may justly spue you out, and leave you harbourless; and then, what a dreadful sting and guilt will follow you whither-soever you go? Oh consider London's flames and ruines; your houses are no better built, nor more secured from the like Cata∣strophe: do not weaken their foundations by wilful neglects, or scandalous sins.

5. Obj. But I know some good Christians that never use it, yea, that maintain it in their judgements that it is not necessary, except in some extraordinary cases; What say you to that?

I Answ. I never yet met with such persons that had the face of Religion, that ever spoke against the or∣dinary practise of this duty of Closet-Prayer. I con∣fess, I have met with some, who being urged to Fa∣mily-Prayer, have put it off with this evasion, that they would pray in their Closets (how well, the God of Heaven knows.) But if any professors judgement be so far bribed to plead for the flesh in this neglect, the Lord rebuke them, and forgive them, they know not what they say. This is a lamentation, that there's scarce any truth so sacred, or duty so spiritual, but it hath been contradicted in these licentious daies: Some have pleaded against Family-Prayer, Catechising, Christian-meetings, and what not? But they can produce no so∣lid arguments: do not you follow their example con∣trary to plain Scripture, precepts, and precedents. Ma∣ny were produced for confirmation, most whereof were not only in extraordinary cases, but were an ordinarie practice: And can you find the day that affords not

some special matter to occasion you to make addresses to God in secret Prayer? If you be sensible and ob∣servant, surely you will see great need for such retire∣ments in ordinary practice. Remember this, that you follow no man, but as he follows Christ: but I am sure our precious Saviour used this practice.

Notes

• Nobis pietate pecu∣l••a C••escunt. Mant.
• Eph. 6.6, 7.