Heaven upon earth, or, The best friend in the worst of times. Delivered in…

2 Another duty by which the Soul doth visit God in a special manner, is Secret Prayer; by this the Soul knocks, and God is quick of hearing, and none of his Friends shall wait without doors so long as to catch cold. By this the Soul doth as it were storm Heaven, by this it gets into the presence Chamber, and presents its requests. In this duty, a Christian doth as it were return the Key of Heavens Doors, and by this he unlocks the door of his own Soul; and so there is free access on both sides, the Soul visits God, and God visits the Soul, and this creates an intimacy. The poor wounded Creature opens his wounds, and then the great Physician comes with the Balm of Gilead. When Jacob is thus weeping and praying alone, he meets with God, he meets a blessing, he wrestles, he conquers. This duty of Secret Prayer, and that other of Meditation, are two fattening duties, by which the Souls of Believers come to Gods Table, and eat, and drink of strengthening food; and for want of these, many poor souls are thin. O why do Christians, why do Professors maintain no fairer correspondency with God in such duties wherein he doth manifest himself more than ordinary to the Soul? The reason of this may be because God accounts himself more highly honoured, and more truly loved by them which are much in these, than by others. By this a man doth as it were honour the goodness of God, in that it shows it worth the while to steal ⟨p. 310⟩out of the world, and to leave the best company on Earth to go to God: He honours the Truth of God, by being earnest for what God hath promised though it be unseen; he honours the Omniscience of God, by contenting himself with his eye and his car alone; he sanctifies his Omnipresence, by believing that his God can hear him and be with him in what corner soever he creeps into. I might be large in speaking of the excellencies of this duty, but I refer it rather to another place. But I would not be mistaken in what I have delivered, as if I would by this exclude Family-prayer, no, far be it from me; for God in these doth many times exceedingly refresh his. But because a man can't possibly judge so well of himself by public prayer, as he can by secret: And hypocrisy and pride, do not usually so much attend secret duty, as more public.

2 Another duty by which the Soul doth visit God in a special manner, is Secret Prayer; by this the Soul knocks, and God is quick of hearing, and none of his Friends shall wait without doors so long as to catch cold. By this the Soul doth as it were storm Heaven, by this it gets into the presence Chamber, and presents its requests. In this duty, a Christian doth as it were return the Key of Heavens Doors, and by this he unlocks the door of his own Soul; and so there is free access on both sides, the Soul visits God, and God visits the Soul, and this creats an intimacy. The poor wounded Creature opens his wounds, and then the great Physician comes with the Balm of Gilead. When Jacob is thus weeping and praying alone, he meets with God, he meets a blessing, he wrestles, he conquers. This duty of Secret Prayer, and that other of Meditation, are two fatning duties, by which the Souls of Believers come to Gods Table, and eat, and drink of strengthening food; and for want of these, many poor souls are thin. O why do Christians, why do Professors maintain no fairer correspondency with God in such duties wherein he doth manifest himself more than ordinary to the Soul? The reason of this may be because God accounts himself more highly honoured, and more truly loved by them which are much in these, than by others. By this a man doth as it were honour the goodness of God, in that it shews it worth the while to steal