Chap. 27. An Expofition upon the Book of Jo B. Verf.9. 101 are fallof blood. (fer.14.12.)When theyfafllwill not are their cry ( Ezek.$.18.) Though they cry in mane tares withAttie' voyce, yet mill snot hears them. Oncemore, (Mic. z. 4. ) Then (MI theycry unto the Lord, and he will not anfwer them, he will even bide hisface from themat tbat time,as they have behaved tbemfelvs in their doings. Thus in Scripture all along we find nothing but Negatives and denialls upon the prayer of the wicked ; They who behave ehemfelves ill in their doings, do in vaine aske or ex- fpe&good fromGod in the time of their fufferings. Theeffectual fervent prayer ofa righteous-ma» avayletbmuch ( James 5 r6. ) But how fervent foever the prayer of a wickedman is,it isneither cffeduall nor avayling. eA hypocrite may wake bard inprayer, his bisprayer worker not. Sixthly, The delign of the whole verle, being to thew the miferable condition of anhypocrite upon this Tingle account, be- caufe God will not heare hint in his mifery. Will god bear hi, cry when troublecomes upon him? Obferve ; Not to have prayers heard in trouble, is the worfi of all troubles. It is worfe than all the evills that takehold of us, that our prayers for the removing of evil are rejefted. This is the wora of a wicked mansbad elate, the Lord will not heart him when he cryes.And this is the bell of the Saints good eRate, that the Lord is ready to heare their cry. That which ç4(ofes fpakç, as thepri- viledg and happineffe of the Jewi(h Nation ingenerali, is true ofevery true Ifraelite in particular, (Deut. 4.7.) What Nation is therefogreat, who bath God fo nigh unto them, at the Lordour God is, an all things that we call upon him for ? thiswas a peculiar mercy to them above all Nations, that God was nigh unto them inall things that they called unto him for ; and this is the happi- neffe of every true Ifraelite, of every Jew in the Spirit, God is nigh unto him in all the things that hecryeth unto him for ; and God is then neared to him when trouble is nigh at handJt lets the heart above all dangers, yea it makes our very dangersa fafety to us, to have an affurance that God will be with us, in danger, for the asking. So the Apoflle( fob. S. 14.) This is our confidence that webave in biro, (that ifweatkany thing according toNssill he
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