N00254:181
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.
Reas. 1. From the consideration of the omnipresence of God. He seeth and bears what is done not only in public Assemblies, and in Families, but in closets, Jer. 23. 24. Can any side himself in secret places, that I shall not see him, saith the Lord do not I fill Heaven and Earth? This reason is urged as an Argument for secret Prayer, even because our Heavenly Father seeth in secret, Mat 6. 6. If men do not practise this duty, it argueth great Atheism and that they do not really, and with their whole hearts, believe the omnipresence of God; so by the practice hereof, they testify that they have the seen of this Truth upon their hearts; therefore should they pray in secret.
Reas. 1. From the consideration of the omnipresence of God. He seeth and bears what is done not only in publick Assemblies, and in Families, but in closets, Jer. 23. 24. Can any side himself in secret places, that I shall not see him, saith the Lord do not I fill Heaven and Earth? This reason is urged as an Argument for secret Prayer, even because our Heavenly Father seeth in secret, Mat 6. 6. If men do not practise this duty, it argueth great Athelsme and that they do not really, and with their whole hearts, believe the omnipresence of God; so by the practice hereof, they testifie that they have the sene of this Truth upon their hearts; therefore should they pray in secret.
Reas 2. Because there are many requests fit and necessary to be mentioned before the Lord in secret, that may not be expressed before other, e. g. Requests concerning a mans particular wants, which may press him, and oppress him: and concerning his ecret sins which he hath been guilty of before the Lord. It God by his providence hath kept a mans sins from the knowledge of the world he would sin grievously in divulging his own secret sins, and yet as ever he doth desire the pardon of them, or the salvation of his soul, he must confess and bewail them before God in in secret places: in which respect, secret prayer is necessary. Again, a child of God may be molested with the prevalency of some particular corruption or temptation, which it is no meet to