His exactness in all those particulars, which comprize men’s duty to God, their neighbour and themselves, was such, and so well known, that it would be easy to swell this chapter, by enlarging on each of them, to an enormous size. But passing over the greater part of them, I shall only point out a few particulars, relating chiefly to his internal state, which were within my own notice: referring the reader, for a larger, and more satisfactory picture of him, to the following collection from his diary: in which are represented, those secret transactions of God upon his soul, to which himself alone could be privy.
The particulars I premise are,
I. _His Prayer._
From the earliest dawn of the grace of God in his soul, he was singularly remarkable for constancy and importunity in prayer. He was early a wrestler with God, and prevailed to the obtaining that eminency in the knowledge of God, for which he was apprehended in Christ, and which is here related in part. The more he got acquainted with divine things, the more did he increase in this soul-enriching exercise. “He that has never prayed, can never _conceive_; and he that has prayed, as he ought, can never _forget_, how much is to be gained by prayer.”
Beside the daily, and often public pouring out of his soul, in general intercession, and occasional addresses to God, in behalf of needy souls (groaning under the guilt of sin, or body of corruption, or whatever was the cause) who often came to him for that purpose; he had his own stated times for approaching God in secret; in which it was far from sufficing, barely to present himself, and wait, whether in silence, or in discourse before the Lord. He accounted the work still to do, unless he felt his spirit affected with sentiments suitable to his condition; whether of holy mourning, self reprehension, recovery, or increase of peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, or some establishment in faith, meekness, patience, hope, or love.
_Praying with all prayer_, seemed the business of his life; for the doing of which, he waited neither for postures, times, or places. An heart so disposed, rendered holy to him, every thing of this kind, which may be said of places.
*Prostrate upon his face, kneeling, standing, walking, eating; in every posture, and in every place and condition, he was a man mighty in prayer. In sleep itself, to my certain knowledge, his soul went on (_Canticles v. 2._) in groans, and sighs, and tears to God. His heart having attained such a habit of tendency to its Lord, could then only give over, when it ceased to beat.
The enjoyments of the divine sweetness, which God imparted to him in secret, and the nearness of access to the divine Majesty, with which he was favoured, were indeed amazing. He has been sometimes, as it were, lost in glorious absence, on his knees, with his face heavenward, and arms clasped round his breast: in such composure, that scarce could one hear him so much as breathe.
His soul seemed absorbed in God, and enjoyed a calmness and transport, which can here, be well enough reconciled. From the serenity, and something resembling splendor, which appeared on his countenance, and in all his gestures afterwards, one might easily discover, what he had been about.
*It was especially towards the conclusion of his Lord’s work, that he was favoured with such near fellowship with him. He approached the throne of grace with much of the reverential boldness of faith, _believing_, that whatever he asked, he should have the petitions he asked for; the holy Spirit making intercession in his heart, according to the will of God. And to such a degree of confidence in him, did he arrive by this means, that in the greatest straits of his life (and he met with some things which came home to him, with the deepest sensibility) he was more than kept up; so that he seemed to fear nothing, even where, to all human apprehension, every thing was to be feared. He so abandoned himself to God, in the discharge of his duty, that his very friends were sometimes ready to charge him with being a little rash or imprudent. Altho’ he endeavoured to use his understanding as far as ever it would go; yet acting in view of _those things which are not seen_, and from motives referring to eternity, he was not, it is true, so attentive to the decorums among men, as mere human prudence would have dictated. And in reality it is a truth, which is learned from a series of experience, and confirmed by numberless examples, that whoever would do much for God, should take care of being (in a sense) too wise. There is reason to think, that if the apostles themselves had consulted the directions of bare human reason, they never had undertook the conversion of the world.