3 25 Spirikual Per Ei orz in the Clofet without reverence and fo- femnity, without a holy heat of defires, as if the bodily. fervice were accepted : But fuch Worfhip, inffead of propitiar. ting God, provokes his difpleafure. Hear ven is brafi : to all cold Petitioners, their Prayers cannot pierce through it. 'Tis obfervable, that fecrecy is a counfellor and incentive to a vicious perf ©n to .do Evil : He choofes the filent and dark night as the fittell feafon When he is f'ecure,no ray of Light can difcover what is done, he is effeaually tempted to fa- tisfie his Lulls. On the contrary, a real Saint choofes to ferve God in fecret ; for then.he glorifies him as God, the Infpe- aor and Judge of the Heart, and the privacy of ,his Worfhip, is to Coníèience an evidence of his Sincerity, and of an excellent degree of Grace. - Conftancy' is requifite in the performance of Relit gious Duties in fecret. Many when they feel. prefent Pain, or fear imminent Dana gers, will addrefs their Requefts to God in fecret; but when freed from Trouble, they neglea their Duty. But Prayer is a Duty of daily revolution ; the Natu- ral Life may be as well preferved withr out Breathing, as the Spiritual without Prayer. And lince we have always pe- culiar, Wants , and are often furprifed with newNeceffities, .which, are not .tt to
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