Ambrose brings in the devil boasting against Christ, and challeng- ing Judas as his own. ' He is not thine. Lord Jesus, he is mine: his thoughts beat for me ; he eats with thee, but is fed by me ; he .takes bread from thee, but money from me ; he drinks with thee, and sells thy blood to me.' There is not a sin that a saint commits, but Satan would trumpet it out to all the world, if God would but give him leave. No man that is in his right wits, will lay open to every one his bodily infirmities, weaknesses, diseases, ailments, griefs, &c., but to some near relation, or bosom friend, or able physician. So no man that is in his right wits will lay open to every one his soul-infirmities, weaknesses, diseases, ailments, griefs, &c., but to the Lord, or to some particular person that is wise, faithful, and able to contribute something to his soul's relief. Should a Christian but lay open or rip up all his follies and vanities to the world, how sadly would some deride him and scorn him ! and how severely and bitterly would others censure him and judge him ! &c. When David was alone in the cave, then he poured out his complaint to God, and shewed before him his trouble, Ps. cxlii. 2. And when Job was all alone, then his eyes poured out tears to God, Job xvi. 20. There is no hazard, no danger, in ripping up of aU before God in a comer, but there may be a great deal of hazard and danger in ripping up of all before men.
[5.] Fifthly, Secret duties shall have open rewards.^ Mat. vi. 6, ' And thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.' So, ver. 18, God will reward his people here in part, and hereafter in all perfection. He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him in a comer. They that sow in tears secretly, shall reap in joy openly. Private prayer shall be rewarded before men and angels publicly. How openly did God reward Daniel for his secret prayer ! Dan. vi. 10, 23-28. Mordecai privately discovered a plot of treason against the person of king Ahasuerus, and he is rewarded openly, Esther ii. 21-23, with chap. 6th. Darius, before he came to the kingdom, received privately a gar- ment for a gift of one Syloson; and when he came to be a king, he rewarded him openly with the command of his country Samus.^ God, in the great day, will recompense his people before all the world, for every secret prayer, and secret tear, and secret sigh, and secret groan that hath come from his people. God, in the great day, will declare to men and angels, how often his people have been in pouring out their
* Eccles. xii. 14 ; 2 Cor. v. 10 ; Rev. xxii. 12 ; Ps. cxxvi. 5 ; Luke xiv. 14 ; Mat.xxv &4, 37. » Samos. Told by Herodotus, iii. 89, 139-149, vi. 13 ; Strabo, xiv.— G.
174; THE PEIVY KEY OF HEAVEN. [MAT. VI. 6.
souls before him in such and such holes, corners, and secret places ; and accordingly he will reward them.
Ah, Christians ! did you really believe this, and seriously dwell on this, you would,
(1.) Walk more thankfully.
(2.) Work more cheerfully.
(3.) Suffer more patiently.
(4.) Fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil, more courage- ously.
(5.) Lay out yourselves for God, his interest and glory, more freely.
(6.) Live with what providence hath cut out for your portion, more quietly and contentedly. And,
(7.) You would be in private prayer more frequently, more abundantly.
[6.] Sixthly, Consider thai God hath usually let out himself most to his people ivhen they have been in secret, when they have been alone ai the throne of grace} Oh the sweet meltings, the heavenly warmings, the blessed cheerings, the glorious manifestations, and the choice com- munion with God, that Christians have found when they have been alone with God in a corner, in a closet, behind the door ! When had Daniel that vision and comfortable message, that blessed news, by the angel, that he was 'greatly beloved,' but when he was all alone at prayer ? Dan. ix. 20-23, ' And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God, for the holy mountain of my God ; yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, wliom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation ; and he informed me, and talked with me, and said, 0 Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.' Whilst Daniel was at private prayer, God, by the angel Gabriel, reveals to him the secret of his counsel, concerning the restoration of Jerusalem, and the duration thereof, even to the Messiah ; and whilst Daniel was at private prayer, the Lord appears to him, and in an extra- ordinaiy way assures him that he was ' a man greatly beloved,' or as the Hebrew chumudoth hath it, ' a man of desires,' that is, a man whom God's desires are towards, a man singularly beloved of God, and highly in favour with God, a man that art very pleasing and delightful to God. God loves to lade the wings of private prayer with the sweetest, choicest, and chiefest blessings. Ah ! how often hath God kissed a poor Christian at the beginning of private prayer, and spoke peace to him in the midst of private prayer, and filled him with light and joy and assurance upon the close of private prayer ? And so Cornelius is highly commended and graciously rewarded upon the account of his private prayer : Acts X. 1-4, ' There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a cen- turion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house ; which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always : he saw in a vision evidently, about the ninth
' 0 Lord, I never come to thee but by thee ; I never go from thee without thee. — Bernard.
Mat. VI. 6.] the privy key of heaven. 175