deep waters. And when they have, for fome time, prayed for deliverance to no purpofe, they are ready to cry out, in the fpirit of impatience," This evil is of the LORD; why fhould we wait for him any longer ?"-This is worfe, than not to pray at all. Intirely to omit Prayer, denotes, indeed, the neglect of duty; but to caft off Prayer, intimates, a diftate and averfion to duty. The Prayer of Faith, is the only Key to unlock the ftorehoufes and treasuries of all Bleflings, yet how little has this Key been used?-To inftance only in fecret prayer. When we are in the midft of worldly bufinefs and company, how necellary it is to raife up our thoughts to GOD, to give him a vifit, tho' a fhort one, in a defire or two; to fpeak, at least, one or two Heart-words unto him? Too many content themfelves with their folemn vifits to the Throne of Grace, and in the intervals of Duty fcarce ever converfe with GOD. What account fhall we be able to give of our though's (the firft-born of our fouls) from morning to evening? Is not this the highest improvement of them, to fend them in embaflies unto Heaven, and by them to converfe with God? How many precious things, in chriftian converfation, in fermons, and in focial worthip, are loft, for want of prefent lifting up our hearts to God, for his Bleffing thereupon ? How many motions of the Holy Spirit are quenched through this finful negle&t? There is much unkindnefs in it; efpecially when we confider, that GOD is fo gracious, that he lets his Door ftand wide open at all times, and that he affures us of a welcome: Certainly it muft grieve him, that we will not fo much as flep in with a Defire, hour after hour, tho' we may thus vifit Him, without neglecting any bufinefs we have in hand, or behaving uncivil to any company. How few make a Confcience of Clofet-Prayer? Tho' Chrift takes it for granted, that his difciples will thus pray,' and has annexed a gracious promife to the due performance of this Duty, "When thou prayeft, enter into thy clofet, and when thou haft fhut the door, pray to thy Father, who is' in fecret, and thy Father who feeth in fecret, will reward thee openly." Retire thy felf, get thee a place, fet thyself a time, wherein thou mayeft make it thy bufinefs to pray unto GOD. Alas, how Satan prevails with fome to put off this' duty from time to time, by telling them, that they will but play the hypocrite, or that the feafon is not convenient, or that this and the other worldly business must be firft difpatched. O how little do fuch love GOD, who are afraid to talk" too often in fecret with him? Some fatisfy themselves with praying with others, either in public, or in the family. But how can they look upon themfelves as Chriftians, whatever profeffior profeffion they make? What? a Chriftian, and yet never defire any privacy between GOD and thy own foul? A Chriftian, and yet find no errand to invite thee to speak with GOD alone? Sure thou rather feekeft to approve thyfelf to men, than to GOD. The true Lover delights to vifit his Friend, when he may find him alone; like that good man, who, when the fet time for closet prayer was come, would break from any company he was in, with these words, “ I have a Friend that flays for me: Farewell." Others put off this duty, by pretending they pray always; every hour they are lifting up their hearts in ejaculations to Heaven. As the pretence of every Day-Sabbath, comes juft to no Sabbath at all; fo the continual prayer of fome, comes to no praying at all. Ejaculatory Prayer fhould not hinder, but rather fit us for folemn fet prayer. Fire must be kept upon the Altar continually, but that must not hinder the morning and evening Sacrifice. True Chriftians cannot be satisfied with a bit and away, but they muft have their fet meals. Others look upon clofet prayer to be but a Free-will offering (as they term it) which they may offer if they please, but will not own it to be a Duty. Surely they are but little fenfible of their own heart-plagues, or foolishly flatter themselves that Death is to cleanfe them from all their inward corruptions; otherwife, they would be oftener with GOD in fecret, and more importunately plead with him for the accomplishment of all his great and precious promifes. Thro' the courfe of my experience, I have obferved, that the fall of profeffors began in their closet neglects, either by omitting the duty totally, or by a careless, formal, cuftomary management of it. This is the first step towards apoftacy. Backfliders grow first out of acquaintance with GoD in fecret, then delight in the duty declineth by little and little, then they are lefs frequent in their vifits, upon which follows a cafting off the duty: notwithflanding they may appear great zealots in public ordinances, yet if they do not repent, and perform their first works, they will foon be deflitute both of the Form and Power of Religion. A hundred things may combine to keep us in the exercise of public duties. But here is the trial of our uprightnefs, what we do in fecret for GOD, and with God. Scipio tells us, "I have never better company than when I have no company; for then I can freely entertain my own thoughts, and converfe with all the learned that have been in former ages." But we are called to greater honour, to improve our folitude in converfing with GOD. Few obferve the fittest time for private Prayer. GoD would have us, in this fenfe, watch unto prayer: GoD requires us 66 us early to tell the world whofe fervants we are, and that we dare not undertake any business without firft engaging GOD with us :-That we dare not enter on Satan's territories, without Chrift, our great champion with us. A true christian no fooner opens his eyes in the morning, but he opens his heart to the LORD. He expects no good that day, unless it be begun with a good duty; and therefore fays, My voice fhalt thou hear in the morning: In the morning early will I direct my prayer unto thee." But if we venture into the World, before we have got an antidote againft its infection, the confequences too frequently are, deadness of heart, and a multitude of worldly diftractions. And when we enter into our closet, we are befet with wandering, difcontented thoughts; fo that the time which fhould be spent in communion with GOD, is taken up in driving away these fowls from the Sacrifice. Let it also be remembered, that GOD is an holy God, and jealous of his Name; and he juftly confiders it as a difhonour done unto himself, to be so neglected, that He must be served laft of all, and therefore withholds his influences from the foul. By neglect of early prayer, we honour the World too much, as if it were more worthy of our time and strength than the LORD is: Whereas we should profefs, that all our hours are GoD's and therefore we dare not but honour him with the Firft-fruits of all our increafe; we fhall thereby fanctify all the harvest, by presenting GOD with the green ears. The morning is the fitteft feason for devotion, for then the mercies of the night smell fweeteft, which after awhile, like flowers, will lofe their fcent with us; Whilft the iron is hot, it is our business to ftrike: His mercies are renewed every morning, fo fhould our praises. By entering on business without calling on God, we in effect declare that we need not his affiftance, and that we can make a fhift without him. Whereas God feeds us from hand to mouth, and hath left no ftores with us, that we may make our addrefs to him night and day, who muft, water us every moment. Did we but fee the dangers we are every moment exposed to from the three-fold armies, the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, we fhould not be fo fool-hardy as to venture abroad, without first imploring and obtaining the divine prefence and bleffing. Let us remember, we want as soon as we awake; and want even thofe things which none but God can fupply. By neglecting the proper time for prayer, the Devil and the World often make us forget, or omit the duty for the day. We pretend, that we have no leifure in the morning; XVII. Jan. 1794. F and and the enemy takes care to fill the hand with unexpected bufinefs, fo that the excufe grows ftronger, and more plaufible: But muft we ferve the flave, and neglect the Lord of Glory? O what hazards do we run, not only by preferring other things and bufinefs before GoD, but by neglecting the fir hour of the day, when we are not fure of a fecond? For what is our life but a vapour, which may difappear in a moment! Mr. FLETCHER'S Paftoral Letters, Dear Brother, MY To Mr. WILLIAM WASE. Newington, Feb. 18, 1777 Y dear friend Mr. Ireland brought me, laft week, Sir John Elliot, who is effeemed the greateft phyfician in London, in confumptive cafes. He gave hopes of my recovery upon using proper diet and means. I was bled yefterday for the third time; and my old doctor thinks, by gentle evacuations and fpring herbs, to mend my juices. Be that as it may, I calmnly leave all to God; and use the means without trufting in them. I am perfectly taken care of by my kind friends, whom I recommend to your prayers, as well as myfelf. With refpect to my foul, I calmly, wait, in unfhaken refolution, for the full falvation of my God; ready to trust him, and to venture on his faithful love, and on the fure mercies of David, either at midnight, noon-day, or cock crowig for my times are in his hand, and his time is best, and is y time. Death has loft its fling; and, I thank God, I know not what hurry of fpirit is, or unbelieving fears, under my. moft terrifying fymptoms. Glory be to God in Chrift, for this unfpeakable mercy! Help me to praise him for it. You talk of my "laft trials." I can hardly guess what you mean, unless Mr. fhould have mistaken tears of holy ihame before God, and of humble love to my opponents, for great trials; but they only indicated fuch a trial, as I pray God to make me live and die in,-I mean a deep fenfe of my unworthinefs, and of what I have fo often prayed for, in thefe words, I would be by myself abhorr'd, I thank you, however, for the comfort you adminifter to me upon, I fuppofe, Mr.'s mistake. With refpect to our intended room, I beg Mr. Palmer, Mr. Lloyd, and yourfelf to confult about it, and that Mr. Palmer would contract for the whole. For my own part, I fhall contribute 100l. including 10l. I have had for it from Mr. Ireland and 10l. from Mr. Thornton. Give my kindeft love to all friends and neighbours. I would mention all their dear names, but am ftrictly forbidden a longer epifile. Farewell,in Jefus. Yours, J. F. P. S. If the room cannot be completed for what I have mentioned, and 201. more be wanting, afk Mr. Lloyd how much the royalty might come to, and tell him I would appro. priate it to the building. To Mr. MICHAEL ONIONS. My dear Brother, Bath, July 8, 1777. Heartily thank you for your kind letter; and by you, I I defire to give my beft thanks to the dear companions in tribulation whom you meet, and who fo kindly remember fo worthlefs and unprofitable a minifter as me. May the God of all grace and love, our common Father, and our all, bless you all, and all our brethren, with all bleffings fpiritual; and with fuch temporal favours, as will best serve the end of your growth in grace. My defire is, if I fhould be fpared to minifter to you again, to do it with more humility, zeal, diligence, and love; and to make more of you all than I have done. But as matters are, you must take the will for the deed. Let us all praise God for what is paft, and truft him for what is to come. The Lord enable you to cleave together to Chrift, and in him, to abide in one mind, ftriving together for the hope of the gofpel, the fulnefs of the Spirit, and that kingdom of righteoufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, of which we have fo often difcourfed together, but into which we have not preffed with fufficient ardour and violence. God give us the humble, violent faith, which inherits the promife of the Father, that we may triumph in Chrift, and adorn his gofpel in life and death. I hope to fee you before the Summer is ended, if it please God to fpare me and give me ftrength for the journey. I am in fome refpects better than when I came here, and was enabled to bury a corpfe laft Sunday, to oblige the minister of the parith; but, whether it was that little exertion of voice, or fomething elfe, bad fymptoms have returned fince. Be that as it may, all is well; for he that does all things well, Jules and over-rules all. I have flood the heats we have had teefe two days, better than I expected. I defire you will help me to blefs the Author of all good, for this, and every other blefling of this life; but above all for the lively hopes |