A = choice Bed of Spices. 319 praying is but as an hideous howling in the account of God. The, cry of the heart is the only cry that God likes , loves and looks for'; he accepts of. no cry, he de- lights in no cry, he rewards no cry but-fhe cry of the heart. Hypocrites are heartlefs in their cryes, and therefore they cry and howl, and howl and cry, and all to no purpofe ; they cry and murmur, and they howl and repine ; they cry and blafpheme, and they howl and rebel;; and therefore they meet with nothing from heaven but frowns, and- blows, and difap- pointments, Ifa. 29. 13. wherefore the Lord find, for as much as this people draw neer me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me. Ezek.3 3.3 i . And they come unto Thee as the people cometh, and they lit before thee trzs nsy people-,and they bear thyriords, but they Oil not do them : for w:th their rno;',tth they fhew much love, but their heart goeth after their copetotufnefic'Though this people flocked to the Prophet in troops, as men and women do to places of pleafure ; and though they carried it before the Prophet, as if they were Saints l as if they were the people, of God, as if they were affeeted with what they heard, as if they were refolved to live out what the'Prophet fhould make out to them,yet their hearts run after their covetoufriefs. Though thefe hypocrites profeft much love and kindnefs to the Prophet, and paid him home with fmooth words,& feemed to be much affeded, de- lighted,ravilhed and taken withhis perfon,voice and do61ii le; yet they made no confcience of bringing their hearts into their duties. An hypocrite may look at fome outward, eafie, ordinary duties of Religion, but he never makes confcience' of bringing his heart into any duties of Reliobion. When did you ever fee an hypocrite a fearching of hisheart, or fitting' iis judgment upon the corruptions of his foul, or lamenting and mourning over the vilenefs and wickednefs of his fpirit ? 'Tis only the fincere Chriftian that is affeaed, affli&ed and woundecliviththe corruptions of his heart. When one told (bleffed) Bradford, that he did all out of hypocrifie, becaufe he wouldhave the people applaud him : He anfwered, It is true, the feeds of hypocrifie and vain glory are in thee and me too, and will be in us as long as we 1iye in this world ; but' As dogs, bruit beafts, and bi- dianr do, wben they are hun- ger-bit.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=