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. III. More Objections, answered.

6. Obj. BUT I find not my heart affected or pre∣pared: Is it not a tempting of God, to go when the spirit doth not move me?

I Answ. 'Tis a dangerous mistake to think you may not go to duty, but when the spirit moves you: For it may be long before it stir; the spirit bloweth where, and when it listeth: You are therefore to lay your selves in the way of the spirit, call in its aid, which ordinarily comes when souls do their duty: Holy performances are (as it were) the walk of the spirit, the air where he breaths: and be sure he is most likely to be found in his own way, and walk; but you cannot expect him in the neglect of plain duty: Try this way, put God to't, plead his promise, you cannot think to be warm, if you run from the fire: If you have not an appetite to pray, you must pray for an appetite; for neglect, or omis∣sion of a duty, never fits, but alwaies unfits for a duty: If you'll heed your trifling spirits, and accept every ex∣cuse which they make, you shall never pray: If you play the truant one time, you'll have less mind to go to God the next time; guilt makes you afraid, and you dare not come near that God whom you have wrong∣ed;

as Adam run from God, and Peter would thrust Christ from him, when conscious of guilt. How dare you look God in the face, whom you have slighted? Besides, you'll find that neglect of duty, doth not make the next performance more easie, but more difficult. It will (as one saith) require more time and pains for you to tune your instrument, than for another to play his lesson: And is it not more likely God should come to you in pains-taking, than total omission? Do you not read in the Psalms, how often David begun faintly, and ended triumphantly? Try the Lord, and see if he be not better than you expect.

7. Obj. I, but (saith a poor soul) I meet with temp∣tations when I go to God in secret; Satan assaults me, I am timorous, and dare not be alone, or in the dark, but am afrighted.

Answ. 'Tis a sign the duty is good, because so bad a spirit opposeth it: the more Satan sees a duty is for the souls advantage, the more diligent he is to hinder the performance; but must Satan be gratified rather than God glorified, or thy soul edified? Wilt thou give way to him? Resist the devil, and he will flee from thee: think not thou canst perform a flesh-displeasing duty, when Satan is quiet, and doth not molest; he will be busie to tempt when thou art going to thy God; this is no new thing, he will jog thy hand when thou art wri∣ting thy letter to thy Friend in Heaven: think not to be more exempted than even thy Saviour himself, he was set upon by the Devil in his solitary recesses in the wil∣dernesse; and, oh the horrible nature of those tempta∣tions! Mat. 4. When Joshua the High-Priest prayed, Sa∣tan stood at his right hand to resist him, but the issue was good, God rebuk'd him, Zech. 3.1, 2. And thus he will do for thee, he will tread Satan under thy feet, and make thee a conqueror; only when thou art annoyed with this foul spirit, turn to thy God, leave not thy

work, let not Satan take thee off duty; then he hath at∣tained his end: fall closer to the work; consider, fasting and prayer cast out the devil; watch∣ing and prayer are preservatives from infection, yea, Prayer it self is a chief piece of a Christians Armour: if you be beat off this, you are routed; this ingageth God for you; without this, you are but like other men, and the Philistin will put out your eyes, lead you captive, and make sport of you: stick close to this what ever you do; though all the devils in hell roar upon you, yet run to your God in Prayer; they are sluggards, or cowards, that say there's a Lion in the way, when they are called out to hard ser∣vice, or difficult duty; nay, rather say as he once in an arduous undertaking, Here's a work fit for the spirit of an Alexander; so, here's a duty that becomes a Chri∣stian to manage: By your God you may run through a Troop, and leap over a Wall. But more of that a∣non.

8. Obj. But I get no good by Closet-Prayer, I have used it so long, and still my heart is as cold, hard, dead, as ever; I will give over now.

Answ. Is not this too like the language of those that say, It is in vain to serve God? Mal. 3.14. And are you like those Atheists, that think Prayer is to no purpose? I hope not: You think it doth good to some, but not to you. Well, what's the reason? Is it not because you do not pray aright? Therefore search your selves, see how you prayed, mourn over your defects, and mend the matter: It's true, one who sees the Well dry, breaks, or throws away his Pitcher; but, Is God a barren wil∣derness? Is it not good for you to draw near to God? Were they ever ashamed that waited on him? Hast not thou sometimes found benefit by secret Prayer? God is good to the soul that seeks him: try again, you will not lose your labour; be not weary of well-doing, in

due time you shall reap, if you faint not, let not your hands hang down, let not your knees grow feeble; the Text tells you, your Father that sees in secret, will reward you openly, and dare you not trust him beyond sense and experience? There may be more advantage by this du∣tie, than you are aware of, you shall not yet know the profit you have by secret Prayer, you must keep on in a patient continuance in well-doing, and not give over till you receive a full reward; but oh take heed of giving over prayer, because you think you want present profi••: You cannot do Satan greater service, or your souls more prejudice: But more of this anon.

9. Obj. But I am weak in parts, and know not what to say; Fain I would, but alas I cannot open my wants to God in Prayer, I want gifts, abilities.

Answ. I am glad to hear thee thus complain: thou art fitter for praying, when thou canst lie under the sense of thy inabilitie to pray, that's an useful dispositi∣on in dutie: But thou saist thou canst not pray, then I'll tell thee what to do; Go thy waies alone, and fall down upon thy knees, and plainly tell the Lord thou canst not pray, and intreat him to help thee by his bles∣sed Spirit, which he hath promised to them that ask it: tell the Lord, that thou canst not think a good thought, or speak a good word without that blessed Spirit, but it shall help thine infirmities, and teach thee what to say: oh beg hard for that holy Spirit; and then, let some means be used to get matter of Prayer: you know it consists of confession of sin, petition for good things, de∣precation of evil, and thanksgiving for mercies: Well then, sit down, and think with thy self, what sins thou art guilty of; original, or actual; of omission, or com∣mission; this is too too fruitful a subject: take them home, tell God of them, by ingenious confession: Then bethink thy self what thou wantest at the hands of God, as Pardon, Grace, Peace, Heaven, and begg these;

consider also what thou art afraid of, as guilt, strength, effects of sin, Gods wrath, Satans malice; and desire the Lord to prevent, and remove these, for Christ's sake: And lastly, recollect what mercies thou hast had from God, and reckon them up to God, with expressions of thankfulness: Do this with plainness, and seriousness; heed not so much for exact method, or fine phrases: the gilt of the key makes it not open the door a jot the better; and a Prayer doth not work upon God any, rather because of the neat language therein, but unbosome thy self plainly, and seriously before thy God, and thou shalt find present assistance and acceptance, and future inlargement and incouragement: Be honest, though never so homely in Prayer.

10. Obj. But I like not this stir, it's an hard and dif∣ficult work: I would rather do any thing than this, my spirit is wonderful averse to it; say what you will, it will not down with me, to make all this ado in Closet-Prayer; it's pretty fair if I can keep up such duties as Church and Family require.

Answ. This is the pleading of flesh and blood, this is the bottom of the former objections, I expected this all along: if the tongue speak not thus, the heart doth: let a duty be pressed never so home, a carnal heart will make some evasions; though the mouth be stopped, yet a ca∣villing heart will have something to say against a spiri∣tual duty: And if it cannot be mad with reason, it grows mad without reason, and against Scripture: 'Tis easier to bring arguments to convince the judgement, than to draw the will and affections to a through obedience: But soul, wilt thou plead for Baal? Wilt thou take the de∣vils part, and yield to carnal reason? or wilt thou baulk any divine commands to gratifie a lazie humour, or a base lust? God forbid; methinks, if thou canst not obey as thou ought'st, yet thou should'st take God's part, and plead for obedience: Paul doth so, Rom. 7.15, 16. Though

he saith, What I would, that do I not, But what I hate, that do I, — (yet saith he) I consent to the Law that it is good: i. e. I take patt with God, and joyn with Gods will against my corrupt and carnal affections, that would draw my neck from under this heavenly yoke: And if you have not something within you that takes part with Gods revealed will, you are not of God: But a princi∣ple of grace doth facilitate and make easie the hardest duties, because there is a likeness betwixt holy hearts and holy performances: Love makes every thing easie; hence it comes to pass that Christs yoke is easie, Mat. 11.30. His ways pleasant, and his commandments not grievous, 1 Joh. 5.3. If thy heart were right, duties would be sweet to thy soul; 'tis no burden to eat, drink, sleep; the acts of nature are delightful to persons in a right temper; if they be not, nature is opprest, and out of order: A child of God in duty, so far as regenerated, is like a man in his calling, or a crea∣ture in its proper Element: Besides, wert thou more accustomed to duty in secret, it would be more familiar to thee, and less irksom: We see by experience, Use makes heavy things light, we hardly feel the weight of our cloaths, because fitted to us, and constantly carried by us, when as the same weight upon our shoulders would trouble us: Christians, consider all Christian duties are not of equal difficulty; yet withal observe it, Duties that are hardest to go through, many times bring in the sweetest income: And so is this; the pro∣fit of it will abundantly recompence for your pains in it: Be sure when a duty is lined with difficulty, and your corrupt hearts draw back, and have most averse∣ness to it, there is something of God in that duty, and God aims you more than ordinary advantage by it: Therefore do not say a word against it, but stir up your selves, spur on your hearts, shake off sloth, and run to God, whatever Satan, the World, or Flesh say to the contrary: thus much for the Objections.

Notes

• Matt. 26.4. Eph 6.18.