[5.] Fifthly, and lastly. Because the servant's redeeming of time for private prayer from his sleep. Ids meals, his recreations, &c., cannot but be infinitely pleasing to God ; and that which will afford, him most comfort when he comes to die. The more any poor heart acts contrary to flesh and blood, the more he pleases God ; the more any poor heart denies himself, the more he pleases God ; the more any poor heart acts against the stream of sinful examples, the more he pleases God; the more difficulties and discouragements a poor heart meets with in the discharge of his duty, the more love he shews to God ; and the more love a poor heart shews to God, the more he pleases God : Jer, ii. 2, 3, ' Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying. Thus saith the Lord, I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the first-fruits of his increase : all that devour him shall offend ; evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord.' God was very highly pleased and greatly de- lighted with the singular love and choice affections of his people towards him, when they followed after him, and kept close to him, in that tedious and uncouth passage through the waste, howling wilderness. How all these things do comport with that poor pious servant that redeems time for private prayer tipon the hardest terms imaginable, i shall leave the ingenuous reader to judge. And certainly, upon a dying bed, no
Mat. VI. 6.] the privy key of heaven. . 219
tongue can express, nor heart conceive but he that feels it, the unspeak- able comfort that closet-duties will afford to him that hath been exercised in them, upon those hard terms that are under present con- sideration. But,
(9.) Ninthly, I answer, If tJwu art a gracious servant, then the near and dear relations that is between God and thee, and the choice pri- vileges that thou art interested in, calls aloud for pHvate prayer, John viii. 32, 33, 36. As thou art thy Master's servant, so thou art the Lord's free-man : 1 Cor. vii, 22, 23, ' For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's iree-man ; likewise, also he that is called being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price ; be not ye servants of men,' — either when they command you things forbidden by Christ, or forbid you things commanded by Christ; or when they would exercise a dominion over your faith, or a lordship over your consciences. Suffer not yourselves in spiritual things to be brought into such bon- dage by any men or masters in the world, as not to use that freedom and liberty that Christ hath purchased for you with his dearest blood, GaL V. 1, Col. ii. 20, GaL ii. 4. No servants are to serve their masters in opposition to Christ ; nor no servants are to serve their masters as spiritual masters ; nor no servants are to serve their masters as supreme masters, but as subordinate masters, Eph. vi. 5-7. And as every gracious servant is the Lord's free-man, so every gracious servant is the Lord's friend, Isa. xli. 8, James ii. 23, John xv. 13-15. And as every gracious servant is the Lord's friend, so every gracious servant is the Lord's son, Gal. iv. 5, 6, Rom. viii. 16. And as every gracious servant is the Lord's son, so every gracious servant is the Lord's spouse, Hosea ii 19, 20, 2 Cor. xi. 2.
And now I appeal to the consciences of all that have tasted that the Lord is gracious, whether the near and dear relations that is between the Lord and pious servants doth not call aloud upon them to take all opportunities and advantages that possibly they can to pour out their souls before the Lord in secret, and to acquaint him in a corner with all their secret wants, and weaknesses, and wishes, &c. And as gracious servants are thus nearly and dearly related to God, so gracious servants are very highly privileged by God. Gracious servants are as much freed from the reign of sin, the dominion of sin, and the damnatory power of sin, as gracious masters are, Rom. vi. 14. Gracious servants are as much freed from hell, from the curse of the law, and from the wrath of God, as their gracious masters are, Rom. viii. 1. Gracious servants are as much adopted, as much reconciled, as much pardoned, as much justified, and as much redeemed, as their gracious masters are. Gal. iii. 13. Gracious servants are as much heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, as their gracious masters are.' Gracious ser- vants are as much a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, called out of darkness into his marvellous light, as their gracious masters are. And therefore they being all alike interested in all these great and glorious privileges which belong to saints as saints, they are, without all peradventure, alike obliged and engaged to all those duties which lies upon saints as saints, among which
> 1 Thes. i. 10 ; Col. iii. 11 ; Gal. v. 6 ; Eora. viii. 17 ; Gal. vi. 14 ; 1 Peter ii. 9.
220 THE PRIVY KEY OF HEAVEN. [MaT. VI. 6.
private prayer is one ; and therefore they are to buckle to this duty against all carnal reasons and objections whatsoever. But,