To conclude ; they know that assurance of their propriety in God will make death more desirable than terrible, yea, it will make the thoughts of death sweet, and the approaches of death easy, and all the warnings of death pleasant to their souls, and therefore they follow God hard day and night, with strong cries, prayers, tears, sighs, and groans, that he would make it evident to them that he is their portion, and that he would clear up their interest and propriety in him. Now, how can any man that is in his wits imagine that God should always turn a deaf ear to the prayers of his people in this thing especially, considering that their prayers, cries, tears, sighs, and groans are but the products of his own Spirit in them, Tlom, viii. 26, 27 ; and considering likewise the several promises, whereby he hath engaged himself to answer to the prayers of his people ? I might tire both you and myself in turning to those particular promises, but that I am resolved against, and therefore take that for all : John xvi. 23, 24, * Verily, verily, I say unto you. Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.' This double asseveration, ' Verily, verily,' is never used but in matters of greatest weight and importance ; and this gemination, ' Verily, verily,' is a vehement confirmation of the truth of what Christ speaks. Now, from
136 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD'S NOAHS. [LAM. III. 24.
this gracious promise I may safely and clearly infer, that if God the Father will give to believers whatsoever they ask in the name of Christ, then certainly, at first or last, sooner or later, he will give them assur- ance that he is their portion, and that they have an undoubted interest and propriety in him ; for this is one of the great requests that they are still a-putting up in the name of Christ, and upon the grant of this request depends the fulness of a Christian's joy. But,
[7.] Seventhly and lastly, If Ood should not sooner or later, more or less, assure his people that he is their portion, and that they have an interest and a propriety in him ; then he would he a very great loser, if I may so speak ; he would lose many praises, and many thanks- givings ; he would lose much of that love, of that honour, and of that delight, and of that admiration, which otherwise he might have from among his children. And it is very observable, that of all the duties of religion there are none that are pressed so closely, so frequently, and so strongly upon Christians, as those of praising of God, and rejoicing in God, &c., as all know that know anjrthing of the Scriptures.^ Now, how it will stand with the holiness of God, and with the wisdom of God, and with the care of God, to be so great a loser in the very things which he hath so roundly and earnestly pressed upon his people, whenas by one sweet word of his mouth he might so easily and so happily prevent it, I cannot easily discern. All believers know that there is no such ready, no such effectual way under heaven to draw out their love, their joy, their delight, their praises, and their thanksgiving to God, as God's assuring of them that he is their portion, and that they have an un- questionable interest and propriety in him. Certainly that God that loves the praises of his people, and that delights in the rejoicings of his people, and that is so infinitely pleased with the thanksgivings of his people, that God will not always hide himself from his people, that God will sooner or later so manifest himself to his people, that they shall be able to see their interest and propriety in God, and rejoicing to say, ' The Lord is our portion.'
Now, oh you that are the people of the Lord, and that to this very day do lie under many fears and doubts about your interest and pro- priety in God, be not discouraged, do not hang down the head, do not despond, do not despair, for certainly sooner or later God will assure you that he is your portion, and that you have an interest and a pro- priety in him.
* I might prodace above a hundred scriptures to evidence this.
THE PRIVY EEY OF HEAVEN.
The ' Privy Key of Heaven,' published during the awful Plague of London in • 1665,' seems to have been less known than any of Brooks's writings. I have not been able to trace a reprint until a modem date. The original title-page is given below.* — G.
Twenty Arguments for CLOSET-PRATER:
A Select Discourse on that Subject : With the resolution of several considerable Questions ; the main Objections also against Closet-Prayer, are here answered ; Cautions propounded, and the Point improved ; with several other things of no small importance, in respect of the inter- nal and external welfare of the Christian Reader.
Twenty special Lessons (in the Epistle De- dicatory to some afflicted Friends) that we are to learn by that severe rod, the PESTILENCE, that now rageth in the midst of us.
By Thomas Brooks, Minister of the Gospel.
0 my Dove that art in the clefts of the Rock, in the se- cret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voyce, and thy countenance is lovely, Cant. 2. 14.
LONDON, Printed for, and are to be sold by John
Hancock, at the first shop in Popes-head
Alley, next to Cornhil. 1666.
To my worthy and esteemed ^friends, Mrs Elizabeth Drinkwater, Mrs Susan Bell, Mrs Hannah Bourne, Mrs Mary Taylor, Mrs Anne White, Mrs Elizabeth Juxon, Mrs Rebeccah Juxon, Mrs Mary Baxter, Mrs Deborah Shepherd, Mrs Anne Clemens, Mrs Mary Stonior, Mrs Anne Snell, Mrs Anne Ellis, Mrs Margaret Cutler, Mrs Patience Cartwright, Mrs Mary Shaw, Mrs Philip Garret, Mrs Margaret Winfield, Mrs Hannah Pippet, Mrs Mary Chanlor, Mrs Mary Scot, Mrs Katherine Usher, with their husbands, &c., all happiness both here and hereafter.
HONOUfiED AND BELOVED IN OUR DEAR LORD JeSUS,
I have crowded your names together in one epistle, not from any want of respect unto you, for I owe to each of you more than an epistle, nor because you are in one particular fellowship, for so you are not ; but partly because the Lord hath made you one with himself, in the Son of his love ; and partly because the Lord at several times, and in several ways, hath exercised you all in the furnace of aflBiction ; and partly because this epistle may reach you all, and speak to you all, when I cannot, or when I may not, or which is more, when I am not.
Dear friends, many and great have been the breaches that the Lord hath made upon your persons, upon your near and dear relations, and upon your sweetest comforts and contentments. There is not one of you but may truly say with Job, ' He breaketh me with breach upon breach,' Job xvi. 1 4. God hath chastised you all round with various rods ; and oh that the Lord would help you all to ' hear the rod, and him who hath appointed it,' Micah vi. 9.
Now that you may give me leave a little to open and apply to your particulars, that