Ioo Chap. 27. An Expofition upon the Book of o B. . . Verf. S; hypocrices prayer is none of there, and therefore is not under a promife to be heard. Yea the Scripture thunders againfl him, when he feemes to thunder toheaven in prayer ; David fpeakes thus ( Plat.. 18. 4o, 41. ) Thou haft' givenme the neckesofmine enemies, that IHaight de(lroy them that hats me ;They cryeod, but there was noire tofave them ; and leafl we.fiaould think they cry- ed to falle gods, or knockt at awrong doore for helpe, he adds, They cryed, even to the Lord, but beanfwered them not, andwhat followes ? Thendid I beat themfinal! as the loft before thewinde I didcall` them out as the dort in theftreets, that is,notwirhflanding all theircrying and praying for favour,the Lord declaredhis high- e(l difpleafure againfl them, and gave themno anfwer, but by gi- ving them over to deflru&tion.Further,the Lord is fo far fromac- cepting fuch prayers, that he bath cafl them not only as finfull butas fin ; When be (hail bejudged, let him be condemned t and let bis prayerbecome fin,( Pfal. 109.7. ) The prayerof the hypocrite is finformally, and it is fin in the effe&, that is, in flead of get- ting auygood by ir, he gets hurt, and che.Lord inilead of helping him becaufe heprayeth,punifheth him becaufe of the finfulnefs of hisprayers. Thus his prayers become fin tohire, becaufe he re- ceives nomore refpe& from God when he prayes , thenwhen he fins. And fin doth not only mingle with his prayer (as it cloth with the prayers of the holyefl ) but his prayer isnothing elfe but a mixture (r mingle mangle (as we fpeak) of many fins, The Spirit in wonderfull flraines of holyEloquence profecutes this poynt againfl hypocrites ( Pro, r. 27, 2:.) When yourfeareeot» sth as defolation, and your deflrathion cometh asa whirl-wind ; when difireffe and anguifh cometbupon you ; then 'hall they call up- en me, but I will not anfwer ; they (hallfeeke me early, boot they jhall not findme ; for that they bated knowledg, and did not chore the feare of the Lord. Here 's without anfwering,and early feeking without finding. And bath not the Lord reafon to take no knowledg of them calling, who hated the knowledgof him commanding, and not to deliver them from their feares, who did not chufehis feare ? Is it not jufi, that when God call to duty, and manwill not anfwer by obeying him, that manfhould call in mifery, and Clod not anfwer by releevinghim ? Againe (¡fai. I is. ) whenyoufpread forth your hinds, fwill bide ani;oe eyes from you ; yea, when you make many pray.: s 1 will not haare r your bands are
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