N00254:173
Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness
Practical truths tending to promote the power of godliness: wherein several important duties, are urged, and the evil of divers common sins, is evinced; delivered in sundry sermons. / By Increase Mather, teacher of a church at Boston in New-England. ; [Ten lines of Scripture texts]
printed by Samuel Green upon assignment of Samuel Sewall, 1682
The Sincere Servants of God will make Conscience of Secret Prayer.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. The truth is further evident, in that every sincere Servant of God doth make Conscience of obeying all his Commandments, Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy precepts. Now the Lord hath commanded men that they should worship him, not only in public, and in Families, but in secret also, Eph. 6.18. Pray with all Prayer: we have formerly showed, that secret prayer is in that precept enjoined, as well as public and family Prayer. And when the Lord in his word faith to men, Commune with your hearts, Psal. 4. 4. those two great duties, wherein much of Religion doth consist, viz. self examination, and secret Prayer are implied. Yes, this duty is most expressly commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ, who saith When thou prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door pray to thy Father which seeth in secret. Matth. 6.6. The sincere man doth not live in the commission of any known sin, nor in the wilful omission of any known duty. Surely then, not in the omission of so great and known and plainly commanded duty as this of secret prayer, is:
2. The truth is further evident, in that every sincere Servant of God doth make Conscience of obeying all his Commandments, Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy precepts. Now the Lord hath commanded men that they should worship him, not only in publick, and in Families, but in secret also, Eph. 6.18. Pray with all Prayer: we have formerly shewed, that secret prayer is in that precept enjoined, as well as publick and family Prayer. And when the Lord in his word faith to men, Commune with your hearts, Psal. 4. 4. those two great duties, wherein much of Religion doth consist, viz. self examination, and secret Prayer are implied. Yes, this duty is most expresly commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ, who saith When thou prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door pray to thy Father which seeth in secret.