a flame. 1 Look, as fire is preserved and maintained by blowing and stirring of it up, so holiness is preserved and maintained in the soul by being stirred and blown up in the soul. The habits of grace and holiness are like dull coal-fires, which, if they are not now and then blown and stirred up, will certainly die and go out.
0 Sirs ! it is not the having but the husbanding of holiness that brings glory to God ; for a man to have the habit of holiness, and not to put it in practice, is all one as for a man to have a talent, and to wrap it up in a napkin. It was a notable observation of Pliny upon Phidias the famous painter, that had the habit of that art above all of his time ; saith he, ' That great art and skill that Phidias had, had been to no purpose, had he not exercised and practised it upon some table : ' so it is with the habits of grace and holiness in the saints ; if they are not brought forth into exercise, into action, it is all one as if they had no such habits at all. Holiness out of action is like a candle under a bushel, that yields no comfort to a man's self, nor no light to others. Though gold be gold in the mine, and though it be the most precious and desirable metal in the world, yet so long as it is only in the mine what profit or advantage have we by it? but now, when it is digged out of the mine, and becomes a treasure in men s hands, and is fitted for use and service, then it brings profit and advantage to men, and then the lustre and glory of it appears : so though grace and holiness in the habit, in the mine, be grace and holiness, yet what profit or advantage is there in those habits, till they are brought forth into action, into exercise ? and till then all the lustre and glory of grace and holiness lies hid and obscure. The more the habits of holiness are brought into action, the more holiness will be augmented and in- creased ; and therefore, above all, look to the frequent exercises and actings of that holiness you have ; and this will be a ready way to turn your drop of holiness into a sea, and your spark of holiness into a flame, and your two mites of holiness into a vast treasure. But,
[6.] Sixthly, If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness ; if ever you would perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, then he much in secret prayer, he much in closet duties, Mat. vi. 5, 9. Christ takes a great deal of pleasure to hear and to see his people pour out their souls before him in a corner : Cant. ii. 14, '0 my dove 1 that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice ; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.' Look, as secret meals are very fattening, so secret duties are very soul-enriching. Secret prayers are the pillars of smoke, whereby the soul ascends to God out of the wilderness of this world ; secret prayers are the wings of the soul whereby it flies to God in a more still and silent way for the increase and augmentation of holiness. The tender dew that falls in the silent night, will abun- dantly more cause sweet herbs to flourish and grow than great showers of rain that falls in the stirring day ; so secret prayer will abundantly more cause the sweet herbs of grace and holiness to grow and flourish, than all those more open and visible duties of religion, which too too often
^ ' kva^uirvpeiv, it signifies to rekindle, or revive. When the world, the flesh, and the devil go about to put out that divine fire that should be always flaming in our hearts, we must do all we can to foster it and keep it burning.
390 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
axe mingled and mixed with the sun and wind of pride and hypocrisy. O sirs 1 secret prayer is Jacob's ladder, where you have God in his fulness and holiness descending down into the soul, and it is that ladder whereby the soul ascends to the highest pitch of com- munion with God. Witness Ambrose, who was wont to say, I am never less alone than when I am all alone, for then I can enjoy the presence of my God most freely, fully, and sweetly, without interruption. And witness that heaven-born lady who spent most of her time in secret duties, in closet communion with God ; and when persons of great quality came to visit her, she would so entertain them as she would be sure not to omit her set times for secret prayer. She would rather rudely take her leave of them, as some called it, than omit her closet communion with God. She had found such rare advantages by closet duties, that she would not upon any terms neglect them, or in the least turn her back upon them.i And it was a most sweet and divine saying of Bernard ; ' 0 saint ! knowest thou not,' saith he, ' that thy husband, Christ, is bashful, and will not be familiar in company ; retire thyself, therefore, by meditation into thy closet, or the fields, and there thou shalt have Christ's embraces.' 2 0 sirs 1 it is an experienced truth, that there is no such way under heaven to be rich in grace, and to be high in holiness, as by driving and maintaining a secret trade with God, Cant. i. 11, 12. When had Peter that glorious vision and manifesta- tion of grace, but when he was alone, and on the housetop a-praying ? Acts X. 11, 12. And when was that soul-ravishing, that soul-cheering, and that soul-strengthening message despatched by the angel to Daniel, viz., that he was greatly beloved of God, but when he was alone a-praying ? Dan. ix. 20-23 ; and doubtless many thousand saints have had their hearts melted, their corruptions weakened, their fears scattered, their doubts resolved, their holiness raised, and their assurance sealed, whilst they have been in closet duties. Look, as men many times gives their best, their choicest, and their richest gifts in secret, so doth God many times give the choicest discoveries of his love, and the sweetest dainties and delicacies of glory, and the richest measm-es of grace and holiness to his people in secret.^ Look, as there was none so holy as Christ, so there was none so much in secret prayer as Christ. Look, as many men in this famous city, by driving a secret trade, a private trade, gain very great estates, beyond what many do who drive more pubUc trades ; so many Christians that drive a secret trade, a private trade with God in their closets, they grow abundantly more rich in grace, in holiness, in communion with God, and in all gracious experiences, than many other Christians who make a great deal of bustle in the world, and who are much in the public trade of Christianity, viz., hearing the word, conferences, family duties, &c., but very rarely shall you find them in their closets. As ever you would be eminent and excellent in holiness, keep up your private
' Lady Brooke, the great friend of Sibbes, and of the Puritans generally.— G.