custom or fashion be thy guide; but reason and religion. The practice
of others is nothing to thee: _every man_ must _give an account of
himself to_ God. Indeed if thou canst save the soul of another, do: but
at least, save one, thy own. Walk not in the path of death, because it
is broad, and many walk therein. Nay, by this very token thou mayest
know it. Is the way wherein thou now walkest, a broad, well-frequented,
fashionable way? Then it infallibly leads to destruction. O be not thou
“damned for company:” cease from evil; fly from sin as from the face
of a serpent. At least, do no harm. _He that committeth sin is of the
devil._ Be not thou found in that number. Touching outward sins, surely
the grace of God is even now sufficient for thee. _Herein_ at least,
_exercise_ thyself _to have a conscience void of offence, toward_ God
_and toward man_.
Secondly, Let not thy righteousness fall short of theirs, with regard
to the ordinances of God. If thy labour or bodily strength will not
allow of thy fasting _twice in the week_, however deal faithfully with
thy own soul, and fast as often as thy strength will permit. Omit no
public, no private opportunity, of pouring out thy soul in prayer.
Neglect no occasion of eating that bread and drinking that cup, which
is the communion of the body and blood of _Christ_. Be diligent in
searching the scriptures; read as thou mayest, and meditate therein
day and night. Rejoice to embrace every opportunity, of hearing _the
word of reconciliation_ declared by _the ambassadors of_ Christ, _the
stewards of the mysteries of_ God. In using all the means of grace, in
a constant and careful attendance on every ordinance of God, live up to
(at least, till thou canst go beyond) _the righteousness of the Scribes
and Pharisees_.
Thirdly, Fall not short of a Pharisee in doing good. Give alms of all
thou dost possess. Is any hungry? Feed him. Is he a-thirst? Give him
drink. Naked? Cover him with a garment. If thou hast this world’s goods,
do not limit thy beneficence to a scanty proportion. Be merciful to
the uttermost of thy power. Why not, even as this Pharisee? Now _make
thyself friends_, while the time is, _of the mammon of unrighteousness,
that when_ thou _failest_, when this earthly tabernacle is dissolved,
they _may receive thee into everlasting habitations_.
13. But rest not here. Let thy _righteousness exceed the righteousness
of the Scribes and Pharisees_. Be not thou content, to _keep the whole
law, and offend in one point. Hold thou fast all his commandments, and
all false ways_ do thou _utterly abhor_. Do all the things, whatsoever
he hath commanded, and that with all thy might. Thou canst do all
things through _Christ_ strengthning thee, though without him thou
canst do nothing.
*Above all, let thy righteousness exceed theirs in the purity and
spirituality of it. What is the exactest form of religion to thee? The
most perfect outside righteousness? Go thou higher and deeper than all
this. Let thy religion be the religion of the heart. Be thou poor in
spirit; little and base and mean and vile in thy own eyes; amazed and
humbled to the dust at the love of God which is in _Christ Jesus_ thy
Lord. Be serious: let the whole stream of thy thoughts, words and works,
be such as flows from the deepest conviction, that thou standest on the
edge of the great gulph, thou and all the children of men, just ready
to drop in, either into everlasting glory, or everlasting burnings.
Be meek: let thy soul be filled with mildness, gentleness, patience,
long-suffering toward all men: at the same time that all which is in
thee is a-thirst for God, the living God; longing to awake up after his
likeness, and to be satisfied with it. Be thou a lover of God and of
all mankind. In this spirit, do and suffer all things. Thus _exceed the
righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees_, and thou shalt be _called
great in the kingdom of heaven_.
SERMON XXVI.
UPON OUR LORD’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
DISCOURSE VI.
MATT. vi. 1‒15.
_Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of
them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in
heaven.
Therefore when thou dost thine alms, do not sound a trumpet
before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may have praise of men. Verily I say unto
you, they have their reward.
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy
right hand doth: that thine alms may be in secret, and thy
Father which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are;
for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily
I say unto you, they have their reward.
But thou when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou
hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and
thy Father which seeth in secret, he shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the Heathen do;
for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what
things ye have need of, before you ask him.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in
heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that
trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power
and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you.
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses._
1. IN the preceding chapter our Lord has described inward religion,
in its various branches. He has laid before us those dispositions of
soul, which constitute real Christianity: the inward tempers contained
in that holiness, _without_ which _no man shall see the_ Lord; the
affections which, when flowing from their proper fountain, from
a living faith in God thro’ _Christ Jesus_, are intrinsically and
essentially good, and acceptable to God. He proceeds to shew in this
chapter, how all our actions likewise, even those that are indifferent
in their own nature, may be made holy and good and acceptable to God,
by a pure and holy intention. Whatever is done without this, he largely
declares, is of no value before God. Whereas, whatever outward works
are thus consecrated to God, they are in his sight of great price.
2. The necessity of this purity of intention, he shews first, with
regard to those, which are usually accounted religious actions, and
indeed are such, when performed with a right intention. Some of these
are commonly termed works of piety; the rest, works of charity or mercy.
Of the latter sort, he particularly names almsgiving; of the former,
prayer and fasting. But the directions given for these are equally to
be applied to every work, whether of charity or mercy.
I. 1. And first, with regard to works of mercy. _Take heed_, saith he,
_that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them. Otherwise ye
have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. That ye do not your
alms._ Altho’ this only is named, yet is every work of charity included,
every thing which we give, or speak, or do, whereby our neighbour may
be profited, whereby another man may receive any advantage, either
in his body or soul. The feeding the hungry, the cloathing the naked,
and entertaining or assisting the stranger, the visiting those that
are sick or in prison, the comforting the afflicted; the instructing
the ignorant, the reproving the wicked, the exhorting and encouraging
the well-doer; and if there be any other work of mercy, it is equally
included in this direction.
2. _Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them._
The thing which is here forbidden, is not, barely the doing good in
the sight of men: this circumstance alone, that others see what we do,
makes the action neither worse nor better: but the doing it before men,
_to be seen of them_; with this view, from this intention only. I say,
from _this intention only_; for this may, in some cases, be a part of
our intention; we may design that some of our actions should be seen,
and yet they may be acceptable to God. We may intend, that our _light
should shine before men_, when our conscience bears us witness, in the
Holy Ghost, that our ultimate end in designing they should _see our
good works_, is, _That they may glorify our Father which is in heaven_.
But take heed that ye do not the least thing with a view to your own
glory. Take heed that a regard to the praise of men, have no place at
all in your works of mercy. If ye seek your own glory, if you have any
design to gain the honour that cometh of men, whatever is done with
this view is nothing worth: it is not done unto the Lord: he accepteth
it not; _ye have no reward_ for this _of your Father which is in
heaven_.
3. _Therefore when thou dost thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before
thee, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues and in the streets,
that they may have praise of men._ The word _synagogue_ does not here
mean, a place of worship, but any place of public resort, such as the
market-place or exchange. It was a common thing among the _Jews_, who
were men of large fortunes, particularly among the Pharisees, to cause
a trumpet to be sounded before them in the most public parts of the
city, when they were about to give any considerable alms. The pretended
reason for this was, to call the poor together to receive it: but the
real design, that they might have praise of men. But be not thou like
unto them. Do not thou cause a trumpet to be sounded before thee. Use
no ostentation in doing good. Aim at the honour which cometh of God
only. _They_ who seek the praise of men, _have their reward_. They
shall have no praise of God.
4. _But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right
hand doth._ This is a proverbial expression, the meaning of which is,
do it in as secret a manner as is possible: as secret as is consistent
with the doing it at all; (for it must not be left undone: omit no
opportunity of doing good, whether secretly or openly) and with the
doing it in the most effectual manner. For here is also an exception
to be made. When you are fully persuaded in your own mind, that by
your not concealing the good which is done, either you will yourself
be enabled, or others excited to do the more good, then you may not
conceal it: then let your light appear, and _shine to all that are in
the house_. But unless where the glory of God and the good of mankind
oblige you to the contrary, act in as private and unobserved a manner,
as the nature of the thing will admit: _that thy alms may be in secret,
and thy Father which seeth in secret, he shall reward thee openly_.
Perhaps in the present world; many instances of this stands recorded
in all ages: but infallibly in the world to come, before the general
assembly of men and angels.
II. 1. From works of charity or mercy, our Lord proceeds to those which
are termed works of piety. _And when thou prayest_, saith he, _thou
shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in
the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be
seen of men. Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are._ Hypocrisy then,
or insincerity, is the first thing we are to guard against in prayer.
Beware not to speak what thou dost not mean. Prayer is, the lifting
up of the heart to God: all words of prayer without this are mere
hypocrisy. Whenever therefore thou attemptest to pray, see that it
be thy one design, to commune with God, to lift up thy heart to him,
to pour out thy soul before him. Not _as the hypocrites_, who _love_,
or are wont, _to pray standing in the synagogues_, the exchange or
market-places, _and in the corners of the streets_, wherever the most
people are, _that they may be seen of men_: this was the sole design,
the motive and end, of the prayers which they there repeated. _Verily
I say unto you, they have their reward._ They are to expect none from
your Father which is in heaven.
2. But it is not only, the having an eye to the praise of men, which
cuts us off from any reward in heaven; which leaves us no room to
expect the blessing of God, upon our works whether of piety or mercy.
Purity of intention is equally destroyed by a view to any temporal
reward whatever. If we repeat our prayers, if we attend the public
worship of God, if we relieve the poor, with a view to gain or interest,
it is not a whit more acceptable to God, than if it were done with a
view to praise. Any temporal view, any motive whatever on this side
eternity, any design but that of promoting the glory of God, and the
happiness of men, for God’s sake, makes every action, however fair it
may appear to men, an abomination unto the Lord.
3. _But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast
shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret._ There is a
time, when thou art openly to glorify God, to pray and praise him in
the great congregation. But when thou desirest more largely and more
particularly to make thy requests known unto God, whether it be in
the evening or in the morning or at noon-day, _enter into thy closet
and shut the door_. Use all the privacy thou canst. (Only leave it not
undone, whether thou hast any closet, any privacy or no. Pray to God if
it be possible, when none seeth but he: but if otherwise, pray to God.)
Thus _pray to thy Father which is in secret_; pour out all thy heart
before him. _And thy Father which is in secret, he shall reward thee
openly._
4. _But when ye pray_, even in secret, _use not vain repetitions,
as the Heathen do_. μὴ βαττολογήσητε. Do not use abundance of words
without any meaning. Say not the same thing over and over again: think
not the fruit of your prayers depends on the length of them: like the
Heathens; for _they think they shall be heard for their much speaking_.
The thing here reproved, is not simply the length, any more than
the shortness of our prayers: but, first, length without meaning;
the speaking much, and meaning little or nothing: the using (not all
repetitions; for our Lord himself prayed thrice, repeating the same
words; but) vain repetitions, as the Heathens did, reciting the names
of their Gods over and over: as they do among Christians, (vulgarly so
called) and not among the papists only, who say over and over the same
string of prayers, without ever feeling what they speak: secondly, the
thinking to be heard for our much speaking, the fancying God measures
prayers by their length, and is best pleased with those which contain
the most words, which sound the longest in his ears. These are such
instances of superstition and folly, as all who are named by the name
of _Christ_, should leave to the Heathens, to them on whom the glorious
light of the gospel hath never shined.
5. _Be not ye therefore like unto them._ Ye who have tasted of the
grace of God in _Christ Jesus_, are throughly convinced, _your Father
knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him_. So that the
end of your praying, is not to inform God, as tho’ he knew not your
wants already; but rather to inform yourselves, to fix the sense of
those wants more deeply in your hearts, and the sense of your continual
♦dependence on him, who only is able to supply all your wants. It is
not so much to move God, who is always more ready to give than you
to ask; as to move yourselves, that you may be willing and ready to
receive, the good things he has prepared for you.
III. 1. After having taught the true nature and ends of prayer, our
Lord subjoins an example of it: even that divine form of prayer, which
seems in this place to be proposed by way of pattern chiefly, as the
model and standard of all our prayers: _After this manner therefore
pray ye_. Whereas elsewhere he enjoins the use of these very words,
[97]_He said unto them, when ye pray, say_――
2. *We may observe in general concerning this divine prayer. First,
that it contains all we can reasonably or innocently pray for. There
is nothing which we have need to ask of God, nothing which we can
ask without offending him, which is not included either directly or
indirectly in this comprehensive form: secondly, that it contains all
we can reasonably or innocently desire; whatever is for the glory of
God, whatever is needful or profitable not only for ourselves, but
for every creature in heaven and earth. And indeed our prayers are
the proper test of our desires; nothing being fit to have a place
in our desires, which is not fit to have a place in our prayers:
what we may not pray for, neither should we desire: thirdly, that it
contains all our duty to God and man: whatsoever things are pure and
holy, whatsoever God requires of the children of men, whatsoever is
acceptable in his sight, whatsoever it is whereby we may profit our
neighbour, being exprest or implied therein.
3. It consists of three parts, the preface, the petitions, and the
doxology or conclusion. The preface, _Our Father which art in Heaven_,
lays a general foundation for prayer; comprizing what we must first
know of God, before we can pray, in confidence of being heard. It
likewise points out to us all those tempers, with which we are to
approach to God, which are most essentially requisite, if we desire
either our prayers or our lives should find acceptance with him.
4. “Our _Father_.” If he is a father, then he is good, then he is
loving to his children. And here is the first and great reason for
prayer. God is willing to bless, let us ask for a blessing. “Our
_Father_,”――Our Creator: the author of our being; he who raised us
from the dust of the earth, who breathed into us the breath of life,
and we became living souls. But if he made us, let us ask and he will
not with-hold, any good thing from the work of his own hands. “Our
_Father_”――Our preserver; who day by day sustains the life he has
given: of whose continuing love we now and every moment receive life
and breath and all things. So much the more boldly let us come to him,
and _we_ shall _find mercy and grace to help in time of need_. Above
all, the Father of our Lord _Jesus Christ_, and of all that believe in
him: who justifies us _freely by his grace, through the redemption that
is in_ Jesus: who hath _blotted out all our sins, and healed all our
infirmities_; who hath received us for _his own children, by adoption
and grace_, and _because we are sons_, hath _sent forth the Spirit of
his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father: who hath begotten us
again of incorruptible seed_, and _created us a-new in_ Christ Jesus.
Therefore we know that he heareth us always: therefore we _pray_ to him
_without ceasing_. We pray, because we love. And _we love him, because
he first loved us_.
5. “_Our_ Father”――Not _mine_ only who now cry unto him; but _our’s_,
in the most extensive sense. The God and _Father of the Spirits
of all flesh_; the Father of angels and men: (so the very Heathens
acknowledged him to be, Πατήρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε·) The Father of the
universe, of all the families both in heaven and earth. Therefore with
him there is no respect of persons. He loveth all that he hath made.
He _is loving unto every man, and his mercy is over all his works_.
And _the_ Lord’s _delight is in them that fear him, and put their trust
in his mercy_; in them that trust in him thro’ the Son of his love,
knowing they are _accepted in the Beloved_. But _if_ God _so loved us,
we ought also to love one another_. Yea, all mankind: seeing God _so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son_, even to die the
death, that they _might not perish but have everlasting life_.
6. _Which art in heaven_:――high and lifted up; God over all, blessed
for ever. Who sitting on the circle of the heavens, beholdeth all
things both in heaven and earth. Whose eye pervades the whole sphere
of created being; yea and of uncreated night: unto whom _are known
all his works_, and all the works of every creature, not only _from
the beginning of the world_ (a poor, low, weak translation) but ἀπ᾽
♦αἰῶνος· from all eternity, from everlasting to everlasting: who
constrains the host of heaven, as well as the children of men, to
cry out with wonder and amazement, O the depth! _The depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of_ GOD! _Which art
in heaven_――the Lord and ruler of all, superintending and disposing
all things: who art the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the blessed
and only Potentate: who art strong and girded about with power, doing
whatsoever pleaseth thee! The Almighty: for whensoever thou willest,
to do is present with thee. _In heaven_,――eminently there. Heaven is
thy throne, the place where thine honour particularly dwelleth. But not
there alone; for thou fillest heaven and earth, the whole expanse of
space. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord
most high!
Therefore should we _serve the_ Lord _with fear, and rejoice unto
him with reverence_. Therefore should we think, speak and act, as
continually under the eye, in the immediate presence of the Lord, the
King.
7. *_Hallowed be thy name._ This is the first of the six petitions,
whereof the prayer itself is composed. The name of God is God
himself; the nature of God, so far as it can be discovered to man:
it means therefore, together with his existence, all his attributes
or perfections――his eternity, particularly signified by his great and
incommunicable name Jehovah, as the apostle _John_ translates it, τὸ ἀ,
καὶ τὸ ω, ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος. ὁ ὤν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος· _The alpha and
omega, the beginning and the end, he which is, and which was, and which
is to come_:――His _fulness of being_, denoted by his other great name,
_I am that I am_――His omnipresence――His omnipotence; who is indeed the
only agent in the material world; all matter being essentially dull and
inactive, and moving only as it is moved by the finger of God: and he
is the spring of action in every creature, visible and invisible; which
could neither act nor exist, without the continued influx and agency
of his almighty power――His wisdom, clearly deduced from the things that
are seen, from the goodly order of the universe――His trinity in unity
and unity in trinity, discovered to us in the very first line of his
written word ברא אלהים: literally _the_ Gods _created_, a plural noun
joined with a verb of the singular number: as well as in every part of
his subsequent revelations, given by the mouth of all his holy prophets
and apostles――His essential purity and holiness――and above all, his
love, which is the very brightness of his glory.
In praying that God, or his _name_ may _be hallowed_ or glorified,
we pray that he may be known, such as he is, by all that are capable
thereof, by all intelligent beings, and with affections suitable to
that knowledge: that he may be duly honoured and feared and loved by
all in heaven above and in the earth beneath; by all angels and men,
whom for that end he has made capable of knowing and loving him to
eternity.
8. _Thy kingdom come._ This has a close connexion with the preceding
petition. In order that the name of God might be hallowed we pray that
his kingdom, the kingdom of _Christ_ may come. This kingdom then comes
to a particular person, when he _repents and believes the gospel_:
when he is taught of God, not only to know himself, but to know _Jesus
Christ_ and him crucified. As _this is life eternal, to know the only
true_ God, _and_ Jesus Christ _whom he hath sent_, so it is the kingdom
of God begun below, set up in the believer’s heart: the Lord God
omnipotent then reigneth, when he is known through _Christ Jesus_. He
taketh unto himself his mighty power; that he may subdue all things
unto himself. He goeth on in the soul conquering and to conquer,
’till he hath put all things under his feet, ’till _every thought_ is
_brought into captivity to the obedience of_ Christ.
When therefore God shall _give his Son the Heathen for his inheritance,
and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession_; when _all
kingdoms shall bow before him, and all nations shall do him service_;
when _the mountain of the_ Lord’s _house_, the church of _Christ shall
be established in the top of the mountains_; when _the fullness of the
Gentiles shall come in, and all Israel shall be saved_: then shall it
be seen, that _the_ Lord _is King and hath put on glorious apparel_,
appearing to every soul of man, as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
And it is meet for all those who _love his appearing_, to pray that
he would hasten the time: that this his kingdom, the kingdom of grace
may come quickly, and swallow up all the kingdoms of the earth; that
all mankind receiving him for their king, truly believing in his name,
may be filled with righteousness and peace and joy, with holiness and
happiness, ’till they are removed hence into his heavenly kingdom,
there to reign with him for ever and ever.