THE CLOSET.

TRUE religion has a twofold movement,

an inward and an outward,—towards God and towards man. But this movement, though twofold, is simultaneous and reciprocal. So it was perfectly exemplified by Jesus. It is not enough to say that love to God led him to the closet, and love to man out into the world; for love to man also led him to prayer, and love to God into action. In his nearest approaches to the Father, he bore his brethren upon his heart, and when he stooped in lowliest services to the sinful and the poor, he brought the Father down to his debased and suffering chil dren. The midnight on the lonely mountain of Galilee had vital and beautiful connections with the noonday in the crowded streets of Jerusalem. His most beneficent action responded to his deepest contemplation. The higher his spiritual ascent, the more intense his practical influence. The more intimate his communion with God, the more earnest his converse with men. Tenderest tones to his disciples followed his profoundest prayers. And when he came down from adoring visions of Heaven's most august glories, his face shone most benignantly upon his friends, and precious promises of grace and peace fell most profusely from his lips.

Without regarding this twofold action, Christianity cannot be described nor understood; its power and beauty cannot be manifested, nor can its results be obtained. To look away from man is mysticism; to look away from God is impiety. To dwell mostly in the closet is to be a visionary; to be immersed in the world is irreligion. To divorce piety from benevolence is spiritual conceit; to divorce benevolence from piety, practical infidelity. Prayer without work is a valueless offering to God, and work without prayer a specious benefit to man.

In leading your thoughts, my hearers, to the inward rather than the outward movement of Christian life, I do not intend to fall into the error which I have just indicated. I do not wish to put asunder two things which Jesus has joined together, and which appear so lovely in conjunction. Nay, it is my wish rather to find, and to feel, and, if possible, to show, their essential harmony, union, and reciprocity of spirit, aim, and result.

But wherefore, on such an occasion as the present, choose the precept," Enter into thy closet," rather than the other, "Go forth into my vineyard"? Why, at this period, when the combined light of Christianity and knowledge is displaying so much work to be done, when the wide field around us is white already to harvest, and the cry is coming to humane ears on every breeze for laborers to go forth in the harvest, and when, moreover, we are met to survey together our own province of labor, and to cheer and gird one another for the husbandry of God, why lead the thoughts to the closet rather than the field, to spiritual exercises rather than devoted labors? To this I might reply, in the first place, because we are in the midst of a stirring age; because the light is shining so strongly upon social wants, that attention is likely to be diverted from the soul's secret necessities;

because there is reason to fear that we may be induced to trust so much to the combination of men and machinery moved by human hands, as to be less and less disposed to seek and rely upon the help and blessing of God, and feel our individual allegiance and responsibility to him; because, if the popular danger is of losing the balance in the one direction or the other, the preponderance is obviously likely to be in favor of the outward rather than the inward.

Or, again, I might answer, because we are in a period demanding great activity, and therefore we need the greater spiritual vitality, the greater faith and love, more intensity of religious affection, more prayerfulness, more of the power of godliness, a deeper background of piety, a profounder and livelier conviction of spiritual realities, a stand-point out of and above the world, from which to move and bless the world.

These are answers which might be given, and might well be deemed sufficient to justify the choice of the one precept rather than the other. But there is yet another reply, the substance of which lies covered under the language of our text itself, but easily made manifest on a close inspection of the whole sentence.

Apparently, and by reason of the emphatic clause of the verse, our Saviour might seem, in this instance, to have separated devotional religion from practical, nay, to have elevated the former at the expense of the latter. But it is only in appearance. In very truth he has joined them both together and presented them together, and in their true order and proportion. "Enter into thy closet, shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret." Why? With what motives, with what wishes, and for what results? With the feelings of the mystic? For the airy purposes of the visionary? With no eye to practice, no thought of the VOL. XXII. No. 257. 1*

sphere of man's relative and social duties? For our private spiritual excitement,- for high devotional enjoyment, for abstraction from actual life, and absorption into Deity, the perfection of Oriental dreamers? Read on: "And thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." And now, what is this reward,—this open reward of secret prayer, this open result of secret devotion, this return outward, consequent upon the retreat inward ? Who can question the meaning of Jesus? The reward is in the fruits of prayer; in righteous character; in worthy action; in efforts blessed for good; in greater power and greater success of usefulness; in increased desire and augmented energy to do the will of God and finish his work. For, surely, it is not outward prosperity, an increase of earthly goods, a larger share of temporal comforts, or any such outward things as the selfish and the sensual mind covets, to which Jesus alluded, or which that soul would think of craving which would leave the world and shut itself up in the closet for spiritual communion with God. Nay, Jesus manifestly designed, not to lead us away from outward action, from social duties, from thoughts and works of benevolence, by leading us to the closet; but in very deed to qualify us more fully, and prepare us more thoroughly, and quicken us more powerfully, for these very results.

He leads us directly and simply to the very fount of religious life, the source of all spiritual wisdom and holy influence, the spring of all useful and happy action, all successful work. If, then, we were consulting only for outward results, if we were surveying the field of our associated enterprise with the single object of its more extensive culture and more successful husbandry, — if the only question with us were how to enlarge our churches, augment our associated influence, and extend our benevolent operations,

all discussion and all discourse would obviously leave out of view the one thing needful, that should not begin and end with the recognition of the power that dwelleth and worketh in secret with the Father, and manifests itself openly through the good and holy lives of those who in secret draw nigh to him.

The text, thus interpreted, covers a wide field of thought, which I can hope only partially to explore and illustrate. Let me trace in it a few paths, that we may see somewhat of its extent and richness, and, if possible, glean some sheaves as we go along.

The first thought suggested by the text which claims our notice is, that the power of religious influence and the essential value of religious activity are in proportion to the quality and the amount of secret religious life. The nearer the spirit dwells to the Father, the more bright and clear its light, the more spiritual wisdom and power in its operation, the more elevating and deep its influence. And our Father is in secret; dwelleth in secret, and in secret is to be sought and found. In secret,-in spirit, in silence, in thought, in meditation, in prayer, in feeling. Through the door of the heart that opens inwards and upwards his communications of grace come in, his spirit enters to visit the soul, the Divine life flows down. And through this door he is to be approached, and the heart's incense of love and adoration is to go up to heaven. Through this door leads the path to highest truth. It opens out upon the infinite and the eternal. Through this door the soul correspondeth with the Deity, and in proportion to this correspondence is faith and love, is wisdom and might, is true life, life for all holy sentiments, life for all duties, life flowing out toward man, and life returning again toward God.

The great question is, How much have we of this life?