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which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in
secret, shall reward thee openly."
(Spiritual sanctuary)
So spake Jesus. The closet typifies the sanctuary of
Spirit, the door of which shuts out sinful sense but
lets in Truth, Life, and Love. Closed to
error, it is open to Truth, and vice versa.
The Father in secret is unseen to the physical senses,
but He knows all things and rewards according to
motives, not according to speech. To enter into the
heart of prayer, the door of the erring senses must be
closed. Lips must be mute and materialism silent,
that man may have audience with Spirit, the divine
Principle, Love, which destroys all error.
(Effectual invocation)
In order to pray aright, we must enter into the
closet and shut the door. We must close the lips and
silence the material senses. In the quiet
sanctuary of earnest longings, we must
deny sin and plead God's allness. We must resolve to
take up the cross, and go forth with honest hearts to
work and watch for wisdom, Truth, and Love. We
must "pray without ceasing." Such prayer is answered,
in so far as we put our desires into practice.
The Master's injunction is, that we pray in secret and
let our lives attest our sincerity.
(Trustworthy beneficence)
Christians rejoice in secret beauty and bounty, hidden
from the world, but known to God. Self-forgetfulness,
purity, and affection are constant prayers.
Practice not profession, understanding not
belief, gain the ear and right hand of omnipotence and
they assuredly call down infinite blessings. Trustworthiness
is the foundation of enlightened faith. Without a
fitness for holiness, we cannot receive holiness.
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