Ch:6. OfA/rnsgiving. St. Matthew. Offerret Prayer., Ch.6> others ? do nor even the Publicans fo ? 48. Be ye therefore perfeet, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfeéi, 46, 47, 48. If you look for any Reward from God, it aloft befor obeyingand ferv- inghim : But to love men for loving you, is but to ferve your felvesand your (elf love, and then you mutt reward your (elves. What bad man will not love tern for loving hint ? And ifasjews yoube kind toJ ws, orpraife, honour, and love thole ofyour own Sea, or Party, or Opinion, what bad men or Hea- thens do not the like] All, out of felfe- fteem, love and honour their "Parry, and thofe of their own Opinion. But if you 'will approve your fèlves the Children of God, and have his reward, Love Men for bis fake, even all men impartially, whether they be for you or ag"ainft you, fo far as a- ny thing ofGod is in them, whether it be Nature or Grace, commonGrace or (pedal ; yea for their capacity of being good and doing good hereafter. The moß full uni- verfal Love is that perfeetion ir, which you mufìbe like to God. Judge of your (elves by ir; and reckon that } ou -have no more Goodnefs than you have Love. CHAP. VI. i,,"Ake heed that ye do not j your alms before men, to be feen of them : otherwife ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. r. Be careful to avoid Hy'pocrifre, and a proud defireofpraile in your works of Cha- rity : You may do it when men fee you s but not to be feen : If you take mens e- lk= and praife for your reward, you for- feit and lofe God's heavenlyreward. s. Therefore when thou dolt thine alms, do not found a trum- pet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the Synagogues, and in the fireets, that they may have glory ofmen. Verily I fay unto you, They have their reward. 2: Make not oltentation of your Chari- ty, as Hypocrites: They Aall have nobetter reward than the vain glory which they ehufe : (Alas what a pitiful reward ?) 3. But when'thoudaf alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth : 4. That thine alms may be in fecret: And thy Father which feeth in fecret, him-,, felf shall reward thee openly. 3, 4 But (tho your good works mutt Aine before men to God's Glory, yet) be fo carefully afraid of all affeaation ofvain - glory to your Caves, as purpofely toconceal all, when nothing but your own praife re- quireth opennels; yea, do not note it too much in your (elves, to puff you up ; and then as your hearts and lives ate all knowt to God, he will openly reward than to the full. ç. And when thou prayefe, thou (halt not be as the Hypocrites are 5 for they lóve topray Banding in the Synagogues, and in the cor- ners of the flreets, that they may be feen of men : Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward. s So let not your prayer be like the Hy- pocrites, all done in publick, as on a Stage, to be feen of men : I tell you mens praife is all the reward they (hall have. t N. Not but that publick Church Prayer, and Family- Prayer are as great duties as fecret Prayer: But they midi not be done for to be thought religious, nor fecret Pray- er made open or neglected. 2. Stand- ing is a lawful praying geture in it felt : But where kneeling hgnifieth more reve- rence, it mutt be prefaced in humbling duties. 6. But thou, when thou prayeft; eeter into thy clofet;and when thou haft Phut thy door, pray to thy Fa- ther which is in fecret; and thy Father which feeth in fecret (hall reward theeopenly. 6., But do thou pray feeretly where only God is witnefs of thy Prayers, (and there- fore approve to him thy fecret delires and heart, as well as thy words) and believe that God will openly reward thee. N. r. Bothpublick and fecret Prayer are our duty. 2. Praying only before men is grofs hypocrifie : But all fecret prayer will not prove fincerity. 3 They that fay, We mull not ferve God for reward, oppofe Chrift, and Scripture and all Religion. It is not a reward in CommutativeJuJhce, as if we profited God : But in Fatherly Love and Juftice, as pleating God through Chriß, as Fathers reward good Children and not bad ones. 7. But
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