I say, that make a business of prayer ; others that use it as a com- pliment and customary formality will not be thus affected, or do it as a thing by the by, or a work that might well be spared, do not look upon it as a necessary duty ; but if a man's heart be in it, he will be early at work, and follow it close morning and night. His business is to maintain communion with God ; his desires will not let him sleep, and he gets up early to be calling upon God: Ps. lxxxviii. 13, ' But unto thee have I cried, 0 Lord, and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.' Thus will good men even break their sleep to give themselves to prayer and calling upon the name of God. So Isa. xxvi. 9, ' With my soul have I desired thee in the night, and with my spirit within me will I seek thee early/ A man that hath an earnest desire after God, he will be at it night and day, when others are taking their rest. Their seeking of God is early and earnest ; but where such strong desires are not, God is little minded and regarded ; and of all busi- nesses prayer seemeth that which may be best spared.
That I may fully commend David's practice to you, I shall observe in this his diligence : —
1. That it was a personal, closet, or secret prayer, ' I cried,' I alone, with thee in secret.
2. That it was an early morning prayer, ' I prevented the dawning of the morning.'
3. That it was a vehement and earnest prayer, for it is expressed by crying, which, as Chrysostom saith, noteth ov rovov -n}? <}>covf)<i dWa t?}? 8iavoia<i rrjv hiaOecriv — Chrys. in Ps. v. He proveth it by that of God to Moses, ' Wherefore criest thou unto me ? ' Exod. xiv. 15. And when Moses was silent, yet he crieth ; for crying noteth the affection of the mind, not extension of the voice. Where I shall note, that it was an earnest prayer, though private ; and earnest, though as yet he could get no answer.
4. That it was the prayer of a public person, of a king, and a king entangled in wars, whose calling exposed him to a multitude of business and distractions ; yet he had his times of converse with God. Take all this together, and the pattern will be more fit to be com- mended to your imitation.
First, It was a personal or secret prayer, ' I cried,' I alone, and without company. Our Saviour doth in Mat. xviii. 19, 20, encourage us to public prayer, by the blessed effect of such petitions, where two or three do agree to ask anything of God in the name of Christ. He doth suppose that his disciples will make conscience of personal and solitary prayer, and therefore giveth directions and encouragement about it : Mat. vi. 6, ' But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which seeth in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret will reward thee openly.' He taketh it for granted that every one of his disciples is sufficiently convinced of being often with God in private, and pouring out his heart to God alone. It is not if, but when, as supposing they will be careful of this ; it is not plurally and collectively, ' when ye pray,' but orav irpoaevxv ' when thou prayest.' Elsewhere the context speaketh
68 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CLXV.
of public prayer, or the assemblies of saints and of family worship ; but here he speaketh of personal prayer. Church prayer hath a ►special blessing, when with a combined force we besiege heaven ; as the petition of a shire and county is more than a private man's sup- plication ; but yet this is not without its blessing. God is with you in private. Pray to thy Father in secret, and he that seeth in secret observeth the carriage and posture and frame of thy spirit ; all thy fervour and uprightness of heart is known to him. That which is the hypocrite's fear, that God seeth in secret, is the saint's comfort, that God seeth in secret : it bindeth condemnation upon the thoughts of wicked men, 1 John iii. 21, but is their support, John xxi. 17; Rom. viii. 17, ' He that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the spirit' He knoweth the brokenness or unbrokenness of the heart ; he can pick out the very language of thy sighs and groans, know where thou art, and how thou art employed: Acts ix. 11, 'Arise and go into the street which is called Strait, and inquire in the house of Judas for one Saul of Tarsus, for behold he prayeth.' In such a street, in such a house, in such a chamber of the house, there is one a-praying : a notable place to express God's seeing in secret, where we are, what we do, and how affected. And then his reward is another encouragement ; he will reward thee openly, grant thee what thou prayest for, or bless thee for the conscionable performance of this duty. Openly, either by a sensible answer of thy prayers, as Dan. ix. 20-22; or with an evident blessing, as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the eyes of the world; God highly favoured them. A secret prayer hath an open blessing ; or in convincing the consciences of men ; Pharaoh sendeth for Moses and Aaron when in distress. The consciences of wicked men are convinced that God's praying children have special audience with him ; no magicians sent for then, but Moses and Aaron. Thus God may reward them openly : 1 Sam. ii. 30, ' Those that honour me I will honour.' But chiefly at the day of judgment: Luke xiv. 14, ' He shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.' Then is the great reward of Christians, and most public : ' Then shall every man have praise of God,' 1 Cor. iv. 5. Thus you see how our Lord encourageth us to closet prayer. But let us see other arguments to engage us to this duty.