The Epistle to the Reader: Especially to the Strict and Serious Professor of Christianity
Christian Friend,
The power of godliness is much spoken of, but (I am afraid) very rarely to be found amongst [even] famous professors: Most content themselves with external visible duties, which formalists may carry on with as much seeming zeal and applause as sincere worshippers: A formal spirit is the disease of the present day: The beams of Gospel-light, in the late noon-tide-dispensations, have so far extracted an assent to fundamental truths, and the necessity of some practical duties, that it's a shame in some places not to have a form of godliness: Many will be found orthodox in their judgments, and externally conformable in their practices; yet without a principle of grace in their hearts, or the life of religion in their lives, in the day of accounts; witness the foolish Virgins. Thousands do finally miscarry besides the grossly profane: Some go to hell with a candle in their hands, Christ's colors in their hats, his Word in their mouths, and in the habit of religion: Every one is not a saint, that looks like one; a painted picture makes a fair show, but wants life: A formalist will be comely indeed, if animated with the truth of grace: But the leaven of hypocrisy spoils many good duties: This was that leaven of the Pharisees that soured their prayers, and rendered them distasteful to God: They made religious duties a stage to act vain glory upon, their prayers had a thick shell and little kernel. Our Savior would not have the saints like them, Christ's disciples must do some singular thing, more than others; Their righteousness must go beyond that of the Scribes and Pharisees: Sincerity is that spirit and life that is to run through religion: else it is a body without a soul, or clothes without the man: This is the chief drift of our Savior's teaching, and main design of Gospel-commands, to render professors sincere and spiritual, approving their hearts to God in Evangelical performances. I have many times bewailed the condition of those who are very busy in externals of religion abroad, and are grossly negligent of the main essentials at home. They are like those who are propping up some remote members of their body, while their vitals are wasting in a languishing consumption: These are like a man in a fever, his face and hands burn, but his heart shakes and quivers for cold: These I may call Pepper-professors, hot in the mouth, but cold at the stomach: There are thousands in the world will run many miles to hear a Sermon, will countenance the best preachers, will read the Scriptures and good books, will pray in their families, indeed keep days of fasting and prayer with others, that yet will not set about heart-work and flesh-displeasing duties, of mortifying beloved lusts, loving, forgiving and praying for enemies — indeed that will not set themselves solemnly to the duties of meditation, self-examination, and secret prayer: The vessel will not stir except the wind of applause blow the sails; these are like the nightingale in the wood, of which it is recorded, that she sings most sweetly when she thinks any is near her. A hypocrite can pray best, when taken notice of by men, you shall seldom see him at work with his heart in a closet: he is of the mind of those carnal persons of Christ's natural kindred (John 7:4), who said to Christ, If you do these things show yourself to the world, for, says the Text, (verse 5) Neither did his brethren believe in him: that is to say, Such as carry on duties, or counsel others to such undertakings as may expose them to public view for ostentation, declare plainly they want true grace, which makes persons Jews inwardly, Whose circumcision is of the heart, in the Spirit, whose praise is not of men, but of God (Romans 2:29). The main trade of a Christian, is his home-trade, as one says, which is spent in secret between God and his own soul: here he drives an unknown trade, he is at Heaven and home again, richly laden in his thoughts with heavenly meditations before the world knows where he has been.
The consideration of these things has engaged me to spend some thoughts, concerning this great and much neglected duty of closet prayer; which when I had delivered, and several had got copies thereof, it was judged fit for the press, some hopes conceived of its further usefulness: I perused it again, and organized it into this form, and communicated my thoughts to some concerning the publication of it. A friend gave me notice there was a book extant upon the same subject, which I inquired after, and found one of Mister Brooks on the same text: That book I looked over, and was ready to think it would save me a labor; but, upon second thoughts, I considered that this might fall into some hands that that would not; that several men writing on the same subject may be useful, is ordinary; that our method and most of our matter is different; for I had finished mine before I saw the other, except two or three leaves in the close: Besides that, the other is larger, this a small piece, and more portable, as a pocket-book, or Vade mecum: let it be then a short appendix to that excellent piece.
I am heartily glad any of God's servants have set themselves to promote this part of practical piety; it is an excellent design, and I am well [reconstructed: assured], if Christians were more in their closets with God, their own souls would thrive better, and things would succeed better abroad. Mr. Rogers being silenced from public work desired his hearers to spend that time they were accustomed to come to his lecture in, in serious prayer and meditation in their closets, and he was confident Satan would be a loser, and their souls gainers by that providence. And this I can affirm, that if persons would spend part of that time in secret prayer they take to run abroad to sermons in, they would be better proficients. Not but that hearing the word is necessary and so is this; nor must the one jostle out the other: indeed, these secret duties help us to profit by public ordinances. If dung be poured down on heaps in the field, it does no good; it must be spread abroad, before it make fruitful ground. The plaster heals not, except it be applied; so the word must be spread on our hearts by serious and secret meditation and application, or else it will never make our souls healthful and fruitful; and then we must pray over it, for the showers of divine grace to wash it and work it into our hearts. Many sermons are lost for want of souls taking them home to their closets, and turning them to prayer. I fear all will be little enough that ministers can preach or write upon this theme, I doubt still, this work will be either totally neglected or negligently performed. It is a hard work; the spirit must travel in it; and (says good Mr. Bains) the saints can endure better to hear an hour, than to pray a quarter. Indeed our trifling hearts will make any excuse to shift from this duty, or shuffle it off; in fact, though it be in exchange for another, a sign the work is of God, and tending much to the soul's good, or else Satan and our corrupt hearts would never so much hinder or oppose it.
[reconstructed: Poor] soul, it may be you look abroad, and see much wickedness committed, holiness persecuted, your God dishonored, many things out of order you lack a capacity to bring a remedy. I must therefore say to you as it is reported, Albertus Crantzius said to [reconstructed: Luther], when he began to oppose the Pope — [Frater vade in cellam, & die, Miserere mei Deus] — Brother, go into your cell, and say God be merciful to me; so say I. Alas your interest and influence reaches but a little way to mend a wicked world, (though you must seek to perform as far as your place and calling extends;) but go your way to your God in your closet, bewail your sins, and the sins of others plead with God for your own soul. Busy yourself about yourself, set all straight at home, take heed of that which the poor Church complains of (Song of Solomon 1:6): They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard have I not kept. Oh leave other things undone, rather than this great matter, that concerns the affairs of your own soul.
Mr. Fox tells us of one Peter Moyce, a German martyr, being called before the Synod at Dornick, they began to examine him in certain articles of religion, to whom as he was about to answer boldly and expressly to every point, they interrupting him, told him to say in two words, Yes or No. Then said he, If you will not suffer me to answer for myself in things of such importance send me to my prison again among my toads and frogs, which will not interrupt me while I talk with my Lord my God. Oh Christian, the time may come, or is already, when men may stop your mouth, and will not suffer you to witness a good confession, withdraw yourself from men, and retire to your God, who will make you freely welcome, to pour out your soul to him in secret. He'll neither stop your mouth nor stop his [reconstructed: ear]; he bids you open your mouth wide (Psalm 81:10). And he tells you, His ear is open to your cry (Psalm 34:15). That cannot ask such great things as he can and will give. Only see you are a child of God. Naturalists tell of a precious stone of an excellent virtue yet loses all its efficacy when it is put into a dead man's mouth: so prayer in the lips of a saint or a righteous man avails much, but the prayer of the wicked is not only ineffectual, but abominable to God. See to your states, and then see that you pray aright, for manner, matter, end, many ask and receive not, because they ask amiss. Above all, soul, in your secret addresses to God, take heed of a trifling spirit; you'll find most ado with yourself herein: our wanton spirits are loath to be pent up in the narrow room of a spiritual performance; we love to take our liberty in ranging abroad to a thousand objects. But Christian, as you love your peace, your soul, your God, look to your spirit in secret prayer: do not trifle away your time upon your knees, let not your words freeze as they come from you, let no discouragements beat you off. The woman of Canaan, as one says, takes the bullets that Christ shot at her, and with a humble boldness of faith, sends them back again in prayer; which indeed reached his heart, and prevailed with God for mercy.
But, I shall enlarge no more at present, but refer you to this small treatise, with which I have (according to my poor talent) laid before you this great duty: What effect it shall have I know not, my God knows, in whose hands the blessing of our endeavors lies; Get alone and pray over this book, and for the unworthy sinful author, as he desires to do for you into whose hand this may come: let our prayers daily meet at the throne of Grace, till our souls meet before the throne of God; if you receive any good by this or any other work this poor worm has handed to you, ascribe nothing to the instrument, but all to the agent, and efficient: our good God, from whom comes every good and perfect gift, disdains not the work for the plainness of the style; it was purposely put in this dress for the vulgar's benefit; and if it or myself be exposed to censure for that, it is welcome. I write not to please learned scholars, but to profit plain Christians; whose spiritual good I prefer above any credit to myself. I am sure, there is none due: there being few of my brethren but they transcend me in parts and learning, But by the grace of God I am what I am (1 Corinthians 15:10). Nor is that grace altogether in vain: for as it has helped me in labors so he has in some measure blessed my labors, though I am nothing, the least of saints, not meet to be called a minister. Did those that read my labors know me, they would be ready to despise my undertakings: this I speak, because my former book has found such good acceptance, and this is so much desired. And that no man think of me, above what he knows to be in me: my heart has been near fainting through discouragements from my great weakness, had I not been supported many a time with that word in (2 Corinthians 4:7). But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the Power may be of God, and not of man. From where I gather, that God can make use of weak, unlearned, sinful instruments to do great works; and he can use persons of mean abilities, to accomplish his glorious ends, in converting souls, as well as the profoundest clerks, or wisest men on earth: indeed sometimes he lays aside these, and rather uses the former, that all the glory might be his, And that no flesh might glory in his presence (1 Corinthians 1:29). But such as I am or have, is all devoted to the honor of our Redeemer, and welfare of souls.
October 31, 1668. While I am Oliver Heywood.
