[17.] Seventeenthly, Consider that the near and dear relations that you stand in to the Lord calls aloud for secret prayer, John xv. 14, 1 5. You are his friends. Now, a true friend loves to visit his friend when he may find him alone, and enjoy privacy with him. A true friend loves to pour out his heart into the bosom of his friend when he hath him in a comer, or in the field, or under a hedge. You are his favourites ; and what favourite is there that hides his secret from his prince ? Do not all favourites open their hearts to their princes when they are alone ? You are his children ; and what ingenuous child is there that doth not delight to be much with his father when he is alone, ■when nobody is by ? Oh, how free and open are children when they have their parents alone, beyond what they are when company is pre- sent. You are the spouse of Christ ; and what spou.se, what wife is there that doth not love to be much with her husband when he is alone? True lovers are always best when they are most alone : Cant, vii, 10-1 2, ' I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me. Come, my beloved,
Mat. VI 6.] the privy key of heaven. 195
let us go forth into the field ; let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards ; let us see if the vines flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth : there will I give thee my loves.' The spouse of Christ is very desirous to enjoy his com- pany in the fields, that so, having her beloved alone, she might the more freely and the more secretly open her heart to him. As wives, when they are walking alone with their husbands in the fields, are more free to open their minds and the secrets of their hearts, than they are when in their houses with their children and servants about them, so it was with the spouse. Without all perad venture, they have very great cause to question whether they are Christ's real friends, favourites, children, spouse, who seldom or never converse with Christ in their closets, who are shy of Christ when they are alone, who never accustom themselves to give Christ secret visits. What Delilah said to Samson, Judges xvi. 15, ' How canst thou say, I love thee, when thou hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth' (the discovery of which secret at last cost him his life), that, Christ may say to very many in our days : How can you say you love me, when you never acquaint me with your secrets ? How can you say you love me, when you never bestow any private visits upon me ? How can you say that you are my friends, my faithful friends, my bosom-friends, when you never in private un- bosom yourselves to me ? How can you say that you are my favourites, when you can spend one month after another, and one quarter of a year after another, and yet not let me know one of all your secrets, when every day you might have my ear in secret if you pleased ? How can you say that you are my children, and yet be so close and reserved as you are ? How can you say you are my spouse, and that you lie in my bosom, and yet never take any delight to open your hearts, your secrets, to me when I am alone ? What Alexander said to one that was of his name, but a coward, * Either lay down the name of Alex- ander, or fight like Alexander,'^ that I say to you. Either be frequent in closet duties, as becomes a Christian, or else lay down the name of a Christian ; either unbosom yourselves in secret to Christ, as friends, favourites, children, spouses, or else lay down these names, &c. But,
[18.] EigMeentMy, Consider that God hath set a special mark of favour, honour, a/rid observation, upon those that have prayed in secret. As you may see in Moses, Exod. xxxiv. 28 ; and in Abraham, Gen. xxi. 33 ; and in Isaac, Gen. xxiv. 63 ; and in Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 24-29 ; and in David, Ps. Iv. 16, 17 ; and in Daniel, chap. vi. 10 ; and in Paul, Acts ix. 11 ; and in Cornelius, Acts x. 2, 4 ; and in Peter, Acts X. 9-12 ; and in Manasseh, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 18, 19. God hath put all these worthies that have exercised themselves in secret prayer upon record, to their everlasting fame and honour. The Persians seldom write their king's name but in characters of gold. God hath writ, as I may say, their names in characters of gold who have made conscience of exercising themselves in secret prayer. The precious names of those that have addicted themselves to closet-duties are as statues of gold, which the polluted breath of men can no ways stain ; they are like so many shining suns that no clouds can darken ; they are like so many sparkling diamonds that shine brightest in the darkest night. A Chris- ' Plutarch, Alexander.— Qt.
196 THE PRIVY KEY OF HEAVEN. [MAT. VI 6.
tian can never get into a hole, a corner, a closet, to pour out his soul before the Lord, but the Lord makes an honourable observation of him, .and sets a secret mark of favour upon him, Ezek. ix. 4-6. And how- should this provoke all Christians to be much with God alone ! The Romans were very ambitious of obtaining a great name, a great report, in this world ; and why should not Christians be as divinely ambitious of obtaining a good name, a good report, in the other world ? Heb. xi, 39. A good name is always better than a great name, and a name in heaven is infinitely better than a thousand names on earth ; and the way to both these is to be much with God in secret. But,