Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 6 · Verse 1
Vers. 1.
Take heede that you giuegive not your Almes before men, to be seene of them, or else yee shall hauehave no reward of your Father which is in heauen.
IN the former Chapter, the Euangelist hath faithfully recorded three parts of our Sauiour Christs Sermon, and here hee beginneth the fourth, which4. part of Christs serman. reacheth to the nineteenth verse of this Chapter; wherein our Sauiour Christ goeth, about to reforme his hearers of all abuses in doing good workes, and hee instanceth in these three; Almes deedes, Praier, and Fasting: not so much commanding them, as giuing direction for the right manner of performing them, so as they may be acceptable vntounto God. From the first verse to the fift, hee intreateth of Almes deedes, propounding two seuerallO… Almes deeds. commandements, touching the manner of giuing Almes: The first is in this 1. verse, Take heed that you giuegive not your Almes before men, to be seene of them: which he enforceth by an effectuall reason in the words following, or else re shall hauehave no reward of your Father which is in heauen. And then exemplifieth it by a particular example of a corrupt manner of giuing Almes, borrowed from the ambitions practise of the Scribes and Pharisies, v. 2. The second commandement touching Almes giuing, is in the 3. verse; whereof he renders a reason in the 4. verse.
For the first commandement, Take heed, &c. This may seeme to bee repugnant to that precept giuen before, Chap. 1. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good workes. But here is no contrarietie, if we marke well; for in the former chapter wee are commanded to doe good workes before men, that they may see them, and glorifie God for the same. Now here wee are not forbidden simply to doe good workes before men, but to doe them before men for this ende, to hauehave our praise of men, that we might be glorified for doing them, howsoeuer it went with God.
Before we come to the Rule, the words are somewhat to bee scanned;A diuers reading. for whereas we read them thus, GiueGive not your Almes before men, &c. Some ancient Churches, after other copies and translations read them thus, Doe not your righteousnesse or iustice before men: which must not seeme strange, that in Gods booke there should be diuers readings; for in former ages, before Printing was inuented, the Scriptures of God were conuaied from hand to hand, by meanes of writing: now they that writ out the copies of Scripture, did now and then mistake some words and letters by negligence, or ignorance, and put one thing for another, whereupon doe come these diuers readings: yet wee must not thinke, that the word of God is hereby maimed, or made imperfect, for the true sense of the holy Ghost, remains sound & perfect, though it may be we cānot discerne of the right reading. And the sense of Scripture is rather to bee iudged the word of God, then the words and letters thereof. Now it beeing here vncertaine, whether reading to follow, (for either of them containe a sense conuenient to the place) therfore I will exclude neither, but from them both propound this instruction.
That the giuing of Almes is Iustice; and a part of Righteousnesse Almes giuing is iustice.which God requires at our hands. This the Apostle sheweth plainely out of the aPs. 112. 9.Psalmes, 2. Cor. 9. 9. He hath distributed and giuen to the poore, his righteousnesse remaineth for euer. And in common reason it must be so, for a man is but a Steward ouer the goods which hee possesseth; the poore with whom hee liueth, hath title to part thereof, and he must giuegive vntounto them by bDeu…. 15. ….Gods expresse commandement: so as vnlesse he giuegive in some sort, he plaies the thiefe, & robs the poore, by keeping backe that which is their due.
In regard whereof we must learne: first, to acknowledge that prouiding of maintenance for the poore, is not a worke of freedome or libertie,Prouision for the pore a dutie. left to mens choise, whether they will doe it or no, but a matter of iustice, and the not doing of it is iniustice, against the law of God and of nature, which require that the poore should be maintained at home without begging abroad. Secondly, this should mooue vsus, to lay aside some portion of our goods to giuegive vntounto the poore, for the poore hauehave interest into thē: & for this cause we ought to cut off our superfluities in feasting, in attire, in sports and pleasures, that so we may be better inabled to doe iustice in giuing vntounto the poore, for hereby commonly men are disabled to doe this part of iustice. Thirdly, this should teach vsus according to our places, to see those good orders well maintained and set forward, which are prouided for the conuenient releefe and maintenance of the poore: for the neglecting of them is iniustice, and a kind of theft against the poore.
Secondly, obserue the word translated Almes: it is very pithie, signifying merciemercy and pitie; whence we may learne: first, what it is thatWhat makes giuing to be almes. makes our giuing to the poore to be Almes: it is not the thing giuen, but the mercifull and pitifull heart of the giuer, be the thing neuer so small, as was the poore widows mite: and therefore all our almes must proceede from a pitifull heart. Secondly, it sheweth what a one that partie must be that is to be releeued, namely, such a one as is to be pitied, not our lustie beggers, but infants, orphanes, the lame, blind, weake, maimed, and aged persons.
Thus much for the words: now followeth the commandement it selfe. Take heede that you giuegive not your Almes before men to be seene of them. This commandement tendeth to this ende, to teach men how toScope. auoide the vnlawfull manner of giuing Almes: for a good thing may be done in an ill manner, and vsually men offend this way in their good deedes. Now this commandement prescribes a double circumspection in giuing Almes: first, touching the ground: secondly, touching the ende of almes giuing. The ground of our Almes must not be the prideA bad groād of our almes giuing. of our hearts: this Christ forewarnes vsus of, if we looke it should be good and acceptable in the sight of God. This is a point of great importance, and therefore for the better obseruing of it, I will here shew two points: I. what this pride is: II. why it must be so carefully auoided in our almes deedes. By pride, I meane not outward pride inPride of heart. apparell, but that which is inward in the soule, consisting partly in the minde, and partly in the will and affections, Pride of minde, is a corruptPri…de of minde. disposition thereof, whereby a man thinks himselfe to be better, & more excellent then indeede he is: this was the sinne of the Pharisie, who boasted vntounto God of his owne goodnesse, Luk. 18. 11, 12. And hence it came that the Church of Laodicea aRev. 3. 16.gloried in her selfe, saying, I am rich, and increased in wealth, and lacke nothing; when as indeede shee was poore, and blind, and miserable, and naked. This conceit is most dangerous, especially in the point of grace, causing many to deceiue their owne soules, by thinking they hauehave grace when they hauehave none,Pride in will. and ouerweening that which they hauehave. Pride in will, is an inward affection, whereby a man is not contented with that estate wherein God hath placed him, but desires a better. This befell bGen. 3.Adam and Eue, who sought to be like vntounto God himselfe; and this taketh hold of mostPractise of pride. men in eueryevery age. Now from these two proceedeth that practise of prìde in mans life, whereby he endeauours to doe whatsoeuer he can for his owne praise and glorie. This pride is not in some few persons alone, but in eueryevery man naturally that comes of Adam, Christ Iesus onelyonly excepted. And where it takes place it is so strong, that it will not be crossed: for rather then a man will not hauehave his will in this, he will commit any sinne. This caused Absalon to banish his father out of his owne kingdome: and Achitophel to hang himselfe, when his counsell was refused;Sylvest. 2. Platina: and fasc. Temp. and some Popes (as histories makes mention) to bequeath their soules vntounto the deuill for the obtaining of the Popedome. And this is that inward corruption which Christ here forbids to be the ground of our Almes deedes.
II. Point. The reasons why this inward pride must be carefully auoided,Why pride must be auoided. be these two. First, because whatsoeuer outward good worke the child of God can do by grace, the same may a wicked man do thorough pride; as conceiue a prayer, preach the word, and practise the outward duties of repentance, of louelove, and such like: for pride is a sinne that will counterfeit grace, and man cannot discerne it, but God onelyonly. Secondly, many other sinnes preuaile in the wicked, but pride is the sinne that troubleth the children of God, and when other sinnes die, then will pride reuiue, yea it will arise out of grace it selfe: for the child of God will be proud, because he is not proud: therefore Paul'c2. Cor. 12. 7. must be buffeted by the messenger of Satan, least he should be puffed vp with abundance of reuelations.
Now the way to auoide this daungerous sinne stands in two things:How pride may be auoided. first, we must be carefull to know the pride of our owne heart, for eueryevery man hath it in him more or lesse, and the more we see it, the lesse it is; but the lesse we see it, the more it is in vsus indeed: and though we know nothing by our selues, yet let vsus suspect our selues hereof, and labour to see it in our hearts: for he that is the most humbled, is not altogether free from this inward pride; Secondly, when we see ouer pride, we must labour to subdue it; which we shall doe; first, by considering the Iudgements of God vponupon this sinne: were not our first parents cast out of Paradise when they would needes be as Gods, and Herod was eaten vp of wormes when he tooke vntounto himselfe the glorie due vntounto God; Act. 12. 23. Therefore Peter …. Pet 5. 5.saith, God resisteth the proud, and giueth grace to the humble. A man that would begge an almes, must not goe in proud apparell; and so he that would procure the fauour of God, must not come with a proud heart. Secondly, we must search into our selues, and labour to see our owne wants and corruptions, as our blindnes of minde and ignorance, our vnbeleefe, &c. and the sight of our sinnes will be a meanes to humble vsus: for they that feele no wants in themselues cannot choose but be puffed vp. Thirdly, we must meditate vponupon the death and passion of Christ, which he endured for our redemption; how he sweat water and blood, and suffered the wrath of God both in soule and bodie for our sinnes; now how can a man thinke that Christ endured all this for him, and yet be not cast downe with the sight of his owne sinnes, which had a part in the cause of all the curse that caused Christ to crie; My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
The second branch of circumspection in Almes giuing here commanded,An ill e…d in Almes-giuing. respects the ende thereof: We must not giuegive Almes to be seene of men, that is, to get praise and fame among men. This caueat Christ giues for waightie cause: for the corruption of mans nature through the instigation of the deuill, causeth eueryevery one almost to doe all good works for wrong endes: why doe many men toyle themselues so much in their ordinarie callings? is it not partly for honour, partly for pleasure, partly for profit? and doe not the most men propound this ende to themselues herein, to maintaine their families? But though this be a good and commendable thing, yet neither that, nor the rest are the right ends for which man should labour and trauell: the right ende of all, is the glorie of God in mans good, or the good of man in Gods glorie; now when our good workes proceede from an humble heart, which syncerely intends the glorie of God in mans good, then is the worke pleasing vntounto God. Other endes or beginnings doe prophane mens labours: and therefore Christ giueth this caueat, to looke both to the beginning, and the ende of our Almes deedes.
Thus much of the commandement; the reason of it is this: Or els ye hauehave no reward of your father which is in heauen: so the words are, ye hauehave no reward; and they are very significant, importing thus much: If you doe your good workes from an humble heart, for Gods glorie in mans good, then you hauehave a reward laide vp for you in heauen; which though it appeares not presently, yet it is as sure as if you had it alreadie in possession: but if you doe not so, you hauehave no reward laide vp for you by your heauenly father.
From this reason in general we may gather, that he which hath grace to doe, if it be but one good worke (as to giuegive Almes) vponupon a good ground, and for a good ende, shall neuer perish, but shall receiue eternall life: which may be a notable motiue to prouoke eueryevery man to doe good works: as also it prooues that the child of God can neuer perish or finally fall away; for nothing is lost that is laide vp with God.
More particularly, first obserue that the word reward is not takē properly, but by resemblance, thus; like as a labourer after he hath done his worke receiueth his wages; so the child of God hauing don that which God commandeth him, receiueth a reward. Secondly, it it is said of your father, to signifie that this reward is not merited, but is the free gift of a father vntounto his children. Lastly, Christ saith your Father, speaking to all his hearers, among whom was Iudas, whom els-where he calls a deuill, and others, whom he knew to be none of Gods children, & yet beeing here a preacher and Minister of Circumcision (as the ApostleeRom. 15. 8. speaketh) …e leaueth the secret iudgement vntounto God, & following the iudgement of hope and charitie, taketh all his hearers, to be the children of God: which is a notable president to all Gods Ministers, for Christ here preaching of louelove, practiseth it; and so ought his seruants doe. This also condemneth the practise of those, that vponupon a litle falling out will not stick to call others damned wretches, or reprobates; there is no charitie in such censures, for louelove alwaies hopeth the best. 1. Cor. 13.