For a close, remember that idleness is so great an evil, that it hath been condemned and severely punished by the very worst of men. Among the Egyptians, idleness was a capital crime. Among the Lucans,^ he that lent money to an idle person was to lose it. By Solon's law, idle persons were to suffer death ; and Seneca had rather be sick than idle. The Lacedasmonians called men to an account for their idle hours. Among the Corinthians, idle persons were delivered to the Camifex. Antoninus Pius, being emperor, caused the roofs and coverings of all such houses to be taken away, as were known to receive in idle people, affirm- ing that nothing was more uncomely, or absurd to be suffered, than such idle caterpillars and slow- worms to have their food and nourishment from that commonwealth, in the maintenance of which there was no supply from their industry and labour. All which should steel us and arm us against sloth and idleness. I have the longer insisted on this, because there is not a greater hindrance to closet prayer than sloth and idleness. Slothful and idle persons commonly lie so long a-bed, and spend so much precious time between the comb and the glass, and in eating, drinking sporting, and trifling, &c., that they can find no time for private prayer. Certainly such as had rather go sleeping to hell, than sweating to heaven, will never care much for closet-prayer. And therefore shun sloth and idleness, as you would shun a lion in the way, or poison .in your meat, or coals in your bosom, or else you will never 6nd time to wait upon God in your closets.
* Qu. ' Lucanians' ? — G.
280 THE PRIVY KEY OF HEAVEN. [MAT. VI. 6.
(2.) Secondly, Take heed of spending too much of your precious time ahout circumstantials, about the little things of religion, as ' minty anise, and cummin,' Mat. xxiii. 23, or in searching into the circum- stances of worship, or in standing stoutly for this or that cere- Tuony, and in the mean while neglect the studying of the covenant of grace, or ahout inquiring what fruit that was that Adam ate in paradise, or in inquiring after the authors of such and such hooks, whose names God in his infinite wisdom hath concealed, or in inquir- ing what God did hefore the world was made. When one asked Austin that question, he answered, ' that he was preparing hell for such busy questionists as he was.' It was a saying of Luther, ' From a vain- glorious doctor, from a contentious pastor, and from unprofitable ques- tions, the good Lord deliver his church.' It is one of Satan's great designs to hinder men in the great and weighty duties of religion, by busying them most about the lowest and least matters of religion. Satan is never better pleased, than when he sees Christians puzzled and perplexed about those things in religion that are of no great moment or importance, Col. ii. 21. Such as negotiate and trade in religion more for a good name than a good life, for a good report than a good con- science, for to humour others than to honour God, &c., such will take no pleasure in closet-duties. Such as are more busied about ceremonies than substances, about the form of godliness than the power, 2 Tim. iii. 5, such will never make it their business to be much with God in their closets, as is evident in the Scribes and Pharisees, Mat. vi. 1-6. Such as are more taken up with the outward dress and garb of religion, than they are with the spirit, power, and life of religion : such will never affect to drive a secret trade heavenwards, Luke xi. 34-40. There cannot be a surer nor a greater character of an hypocrite, than to make a great deal of stir about little things in religion, and in the mean while neglect the great and main things in religion. Such as these have all along in the Scripture discovered a strangeness, and a perfect carelessness as to closet duties. I never knew any man hot and zealous about circum- stantials, about the little things of religion, that was ever famous for closet prayer. But,
(3.) Thirdly, Take heed of curiosity, and of spending too much of your precious time in searching into tJwse dark, abstruse, mysterious, cmd hidden truths and things of God and religion, that lie most remote from the understanding of the best and wisest of men. Curioaity is the spiritual adultery of the soul. Curiosity is a spiritual drunkenness ; for look, as the drunkard is never satisfied unless he see the bottom of the cup, be it never so deep, so those that are troubled with the itch of curiosity, will say they can never be satisfied till they come to the bottom of the most deep and profound things of God ; they love to pry into God's secrets, and to scan the mysteries of religion, by their weak, shallow reason, and to be wise above what is written. Curious searchers into the deep mysterious things of God will make all God's depths to be shallows, rather than they will be thought not able to fathom them by the short line of their own reason. Oh that men would once learn to be contentedly ignorant, where God would not have them knowing! Oh that men were once so humble, as to account it no disparagement to them, to acknowledge some depths in God, and
Mat. VI. 6.] the privy key of heaven. 281