Heywood - BS2575 H49 1687

g Clt~~i«tau ~t,tr~ 29 · not feen orheard·bym~n, yet they are weU known ·thy God, Pfal. 38'. 9·· L~rd, all_ my dejire is b~for:e hee : and my gr~aning u n(!)_t hi~froin thee. As i( .Davit! fhould fa y, Lord, I 1nany times withdraw my feif into a Clofet or retireq,plac~, and there I open befqre the Lord the farrows of my foul, I pour out my heart lik._r; water before the face of the Lord, Lam. 2. L9o Sometimes in the night-watches, or in folirary places, noneknows what I am doing; n9 eye fees, noear hears, my 'briny tears or bitter out-cryes; but the all- ·feeing God hides not his eyes from~y tears, fiops not his ears to m.y cryes, but knows my gro~ns, yea my v~rydefires: Obferve it.,There is not~ BelievingPray- , er but it -is upon the file, and on record in Heaven, thoughofferedup by an obfcureperfon& in an obfcure . plac.e ; y~~ ~od knoweth th~meaning Ro : • ofhts Sptrlt Hi the hearts oJhrs peqple, ~· 8 17 though the troubled Saint cannot tell whether it be in..– ~eed the Spirit.of ·Gdd or no : But this know? Jlfat fecret prayers tn a chamber ,are as well known to God, as open prayers in a pubJick Church ; he/rt-eja, ~ulatioqs .are owned by God as \Vell ~s loudefr acda– ·mations. God tooknotice ofHe~ik.iah \Vheft he turn..r 'ed his face toward the wall, agd/ Wept, · 1d prayed, and fahh God; '1 have heard th,;j'l Prajer, f have feen r ·th'y Tears., Ifa. 3 8. 5. Though ~en did no~ much take noti~e, God did: yea more, he ·expreffeth . his appro– bation arid acceptation of thefe facrifices in fecret. But of rhar; anon. , · / · . . 4· Godfees infec.ret., Therefore Clofet.:t'rayer is af~.. Jemn acknowledment of Gods omnifcience and omni– prefence: when you 'Pray in a corner you teilifieyour ' · · faith inGods ubiquity, and look upon him as filli~tg Heaven and Earth ; arid.this God 'commands us to be– ~ieve, yea would have us to lyeunder the fenfe hereof. . Hence that vehement expo~ <~~l tion, Jer. 23. 24. C11n ., .• c ' • ' :r .. . - • I ,., r' • ,

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