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deed, that we fhall not confine our religion and our devotion to that day only; but even that day properly employed, will in fome degree fanctify all the reft. It will difengage us (as it was meant to do) gradually and gently from that world, which we muft foon (perhaps fooner than we imagine) quit for ever; it will raife our thoughts above the low and trivial pursuits of the prefent fcene, and fix them on nobler and worthier objects; it will refine and purify, exalt and spiritualize our affections; will bring us nearer and nearer to God, and to the world of fpirits; and thus lead us on to that CELESTIAL SABBATH, that EVERLASTING REST, for which the Christian sabbath was meant to prepare and harmonize our fouls.

LECTURE VII.

MATTH. CHAP. vi. AND vii..

I

N these two chapters our Lord continues and con cludes his admirable difcourfe from the Mount.

The first thing to be noticed here is a ftrong and repeated caution to avoid all show and oftentation in the performance of our religious duties.

The three inftances fpecified are the acts of giving alms, of praying, and of fasting.

The direction with regard to the firft is, "Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be feen of them, otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doeft thy alms, do not found a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do in the fynagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men; verily I fay unto you, they have their reward. But when thou doeft alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in fecret; and thy Father which feeth in fecret himself shall reward thee openly."*

In the fame manner with regard to prayer; the rule is, "When thou prayeft thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the fynagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men; verily I fay unto you they have their reward.But thou, when thou haft fhut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in fecret; and thy Father which feeth in fecret shall reward thee openly."+

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Laffly, a fimilar precaution applies alfo to the act of fafting; "When ye faft, be not as the hypocrites of a fad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to faft; verily I fay unto you they have their reward. But thou, when thou fafteft, anoint thy head and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to faft, but unto thy Father which is in fecret; and thy Father which feeth in fecret fhall reward thee openly.”*

In all thefe paffages the point to be noticed is a strong and marked dilapprobation of every thing that looks like oftentation, parade, vain-glory, infincerity, or hypocrify, in the discharge of our Chriftian duties. They fhow in the clearest light the fpirit and temper of the Chriftian religion, which is modeft, filent, retired, quiet, unobtru five, fhunning the observation and the applaufe of men, and looking only to the approbation of him who feeth every thought of our hearts, and every fecret motive of our actions.

They establish this as the grand principle of action for every difciple of Chrift, that in every part of his moral and religious conduct he is to have no other object in view but the favour of God. This is the motive from which all his virtues are to flow. If he is actuated by any other; if he courts the applaufe of the world, or is ambitious to acquire, by a fhow of piety, a character of fanctity among men, he may perhaps gain his point; but it is all he will gain. He will have his reward here; he muft expect none hereafter.

Having made this general obfervation upon the whole, I fhall now proceed to remark on the particular inftances adduced, in order to establish the leading principle.

And first, we are directed to give our alms fo privately, that (as our Lord moft emphatically and elegantly exprefles it) "our left hand fhall not know what our right hand doeth." This evidently implies the utmost fecrecy in the diftribution of our charity; and this is undoubtedly the

* Matth. vi. 16--18.

rule we are in general to obferve. But it is by no means to be inferred from hence that we are never, on any occafion, to give our alms in public. In fome cafes, publicity is fo far from being culpable, that it is neceffary, useful, and laudable. In contributing, for inftance, to any public charity, or to the relief of fome great calamity, private or public, we cannot well conceal our beneficence, or if we could we ought not. Our example may induce many others to exert a fimilar generosity; and befides this there are perfons in certain fituations who are expected to be charitable, and who fhould give proofs to the world that they are fo. And accordingly in these and in fuch like cafes we are required to make our "light for fhine be- ̈ fore men, that they may fee our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven."* As far therefore as the reafon of this command goes, it is not only allowable, but our duty, to let our generous deeds be fometimes known to the world. But then we ought to take especial care at the fame time that we bestow a much larger proportion of our alms in fecrecy and in filence; that we fuffer no one to witness our benificence but Him who muft see every thing we do, and that we have no other object whatever in view but his approbation, and his immortal rewards.

The next inftance adduced to confirm the general principle of feeking the approbation not of men, but of God, is that of prayer.

"When thou prayeft, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the fynagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men; verily I fay unto you, they have their reward.But thou when thou prayeft, enter into thy clofet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in fecret and thy Father which feeth in fecret fhall reward thee openly."

This paffage has been made ufe of by fome writers as an argument against all public prayer, which they fay is here plainly prohibited. But for this there is not the

* Matth. v. 16,

fmalleft foundation. It is of private prayer only that our Lord is here fpeaking; and the hypocrites whom he condemns were thofe oftentatious Jews, who performed those devotions which ought to have been confined to the closet, in the fynagogues, and even in the public ftreets, that they might be noticed and applauded for their extraordinary piety and fanctity. But this reproof could not poffibly mean to extend to public devotions in places of worship.— This is evident from the corners of streets being mentioned; for thofe are places in which public devotions are never performed. But befides this, we find in Scripture that public worship is enjoined as a duty of the highest importance. It made a confiderable part of the Jewish religion, and the Mosaic law is filled with precepts and directions concerning it. God declares, by the prophet Isaiah, "that his houfe fhall be called a house of prayer for all people."* Our Saviour quotes these very words when he caft out those that polluted the temple; and was himfelf a constant frequenter of divine worship, both in the temple and in the fynagogues. He taught his difciples (as we fhall foon fee) a form of prayer, which, though very proper to be used by any fingle perfon in private, yet is throughout expreffed in the plural number, and adapted to the use of several perfons praying at the fame time."If two of you," fays he to his disciples on another occafion, "fhall agree on earth touching any thing that they fhall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven; for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."+ By St. Paul we are commanded "not to forfake the affembling of ourselves together, as the manner of fome is." And we find, that after our Saviour's afcenfion his followers "continued ftedfaftly in the apoftles doctrine and fellowship, and in prayer, and fupplication, praifing God, and having favor with all the people."§

It is therefore inconteftably clear, that our Saviour could not poffibly mean to forbid that public worship which he himself practised and commanded. His intentions could + Matth. xviii. 19—20. $ Acts ii. 42. 47.

*Ifaiah Ivi. 7.
+ Heb. x. 25.

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