Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 6 · Verse 7
Verse 7.
And when you pray▪ vse … vaine repetitions, a… the heathen, for they thinke to be heard for their much babling.
Our Sauiour Christ hauing de…lt against hypocrisie in prayer, dothAgainst babling in prayer. here come to the second vice, which hee intends to reforme therein, namely babling, consisting in the outward forme of praier. The words containe two parts▪ … commandement; and a reason thereof; The commandement, When ye pray vse n… vaine repetitions▪ a… the heathen doe▪ where first we must know, th… Christ reproues not repetition in praier simply, but needelesse repetitions only; for Psal. 51. Dauid doth sundrie times repeat his requests, for the pardon of sinne, and for sanctification: also Moses▪ El… ▪ and our Sauiour Christ, praied fourtie da…es together, and in these long praiers (no doubt) vsed many repetitions; much lesse can we pray one day together without many repetitions. Here then by vaine repetitions is meant babling; that is, a desire and affectation to vse and speake many words in praier: and vnderunder this one vice, are condemned all sinnes of the same kind▪ that is, all superst…ous multiplication of words in praier, as the heathen, that is, such, as were not Eph. 2. 12.the people of God, but al…ns from the common wealth of Israel, and strangers from the couenant of promise.
In this commandement are condemned many abuses in the mannerAbuses in prayer. of praier; 1. Meere babling, when words are vsed for praier, which containe neither requests vntounto God, nor giuing of thanks; such are many1 Popish praiers; and such is the vse of the Aue Maria; among our common people, for it is the s…ut…tion of the Angel Gabriel, to the virgin Marie, calling her by commission from God, to bee the mother of Christ; which words, none since that daie, had warrant to vse to the virgin Marie, onelyonly they are to be read as a part of that historie: yea, the rehearsall of the tenne Commandements, and of the Creede for prayers, is but meere babling. 2. Praiers made in ignorance are here condemned▪ 2thus the Popish sort offend; who vse to praie vntounto God in an vnknowne tongue; and thus many sinne, that vse the Lords praier without vnderstanding of the words. 3. Cold and d…ll praying is here condemned,3 when the lippes drawe neere vntounto God, but the heart is no whit▪ affected therewith … this is a common vico▪ and some …aint hereof may eueryevery man finde … his owne▪ … ▪ …w Superstitious… prayers▪ 4H…rae Virgini… Mariae ad vsum Sa…sb. Eccles.when a… Gods worship … measured▪ ou… by see numbers. This is the Popish practise answerable to their doctrine; that the rehear…ing of so many Pa…er …osters, Au…s, Dirges, Masses, and such like, are effectuall with God, to procure such and such things: this opinion takes place with our common people▪ for they thinke God is serued by the worke done, if the words bee said, all is …. Rash praying▪ without5 due preparation, is here conden…, wh… men pray onelyonly on the suddaine, by the motion of the spir… ▪ … they vse to speake: too many are of this minde, allowing no set forme of prayer to any sort; but howsoeuer conceiued prayer bee most comfortable, yet without▪ due preparation of the heart, it is most subiect to vaine repetitions. 6. Rash 6vowes, especially of things not lawfull▪ …or aboue our power▪ 7. Rash 7wishes of good or euill, beeing frame… according to ou… carnall affections, and not by the word of God. And in a word▪ all vaine and s… perfluous speech in any manner of inuocation, wherein the heart is not affected according to the will of God: all which must be remembred, for they shew plainely, that ou… common praiers are farre short of that which the Lord requireth and alloweth.
Here …ome will say▪ If so many things be dis…llowed in praier▪ howHow to speake aright in prayer. shall we speake aright in prayer? Answ. As the Apost… Paul said of singing, so say I of prayer; it must bee bCol 3. 16.with grace in our hearts▪ and all our words, both for measure and number▪ must be tempered thereto, & no more ought to be vsed in praier, thē may serue to expresse & further in o… selue… ▪ or others, some … ward grace of God▪ a… …h, repen…n…, …ale of Gods glorie, &c. Eccles▪ 5. …. Be not rush … thy mouth▪ … let thine heart be hastie to vtter a thing before God; for God i… i… heauen▪ and thou art …n earth, therefore let thy words be …e…e? where wee hauehave expresse command, not only to prepare▪ our hearts; but our words also, when we come before God in prayer, that they be such as may expresse some grace of our hearts▪
As the heathen.▪ In this instance we may note▪ that …hon had some …n▪ sight into matters of religon; for first, they knowe there was a God, and that the same God must bee worshipped▪ Secondly, they practised many excellent vertues of the second Table; as Iustice both in word and deede▪ liberalitie, con…en…e▪ …delit…e▪ and such like … ye…, they cared to …o some duties of the first Table, as here, we see they praied vntounto God: and some of them … this … they obtained hereby some temporall▪ blessings. cIon. 1. 14.The heathen Mariners that carried I… towards Tarshish, praied vntounto God and obtained safetie: and Ahab, a wicked Idolater, d1. Ki. 21. 28.humbled himselfe vntounto God in prayer and fasting▪ and obtained a temporall freedome from a fearefull iudgement. Now the consideration of this point, serues to checke many among vsus, who thinke that God will hold thē excused, because they meane wel, & do no man harme; they plead that they are no adulterers, thieues, nor outragious offenders: but all this the heathen man can doe, and yet he is but in a damnable case; for though these be good things, yet they wil not bring any man to saluation: we must therfore get faith in Christ, and from th…ce practise all Christian vertues.
For they thinke to be heard by their much babling. These words are a reason of the former commandement, wherein we may note 3. opinions3. opinions of the heathen concerning God. of the heathen concerning God. 1. They thought that God was like & earthly mā, who might be instructed & perswaded by words. 2. They1 denied Gods prouidence, & were not perswaded, that God saw thē, or2 regarded their estate; & therfore they vsed many words to acquaint him therwith. 3. They thought by the force of words to preuaile with God.3
Hence we may learne these instructions. 1. That though the heathen knew there was a God, yet they turned him into an idoll, when they worshipped him; and therefore Paul saith, Eph. 2. 12.they were without God in the world for they made him like vntounto man, without any prouidence, & perswa… also by m…ns reason, and by many words.
2. By these opinions of the heathen touching Gods, we may gather that there was not alwaies in the olde Testament, an vniuersall grace giuen to all, whereby they might be s…ued, if they would▪ for if they had had any such grace, they would neuer hauehave thought so grosly of God as they did: one sparke of true knowledge of the M…ssi…s, would hauehave exp…lled all these carnall conceits of God out of mens hearts; and therefore howsoeuer the heathen had so much knowledge of God, as made them without excuse, yet we are to hold, that before Christs comming, they were left to themselues, and forsaken of God in his iust iudgment, in regard of his speciall grace and fauour.
…. By …se heathen wee may see what bee our naturall conceitsMens naturall conceit of God. of God, … our nature is the same with theirs; & therfore of our selues we thinke God to be like some old man, sitting in heauen, without any regard of vsus at all; and when, w… hauehave all things needfull wee will trust in God▪ but when meanes faile, wee forsake him straight: and th… w… shewe, by vsing vnlawfull meanes to helpe our selues in the time of distresse▪ as by …king to wit…s, &c. Lastly, naturally wee thinke wee can preuaile with God by our words: The Papists teach, that the saying of fiue words, na… hoc est corpus meum, will turne the bread and wine in the Sacrament into the bodie and blood of Christ:ex vi verborum: Concil▪ …rident. sess▪ 13. …. …. and it is the common opinion of our ignorant people, that the saying of words pleaseth God▪ they thinke that the words of Scripture written or spoken, hauehave vertue in them to doe strange things, and this is one maine ground of all the practises of sorcerie which be so common among vsus: but we are to know that there is no such vertue in any words, it is onelyonly faith in the heart that makes Gods word effectuall, for our good. Words of themselues can doe no more but signifie, and that they doe not of themselues, but by the pleasure of men: and therefore we are to renounce the vse of all spells and charmes; for be the words neuer so good, they are but the deuills watch word, and the ceremonies vsed therewithall, are his sacraments to cause him to worke wonders. We therefore must learne by the word of God to conceiue better of God then nature can teach vsus, as of an heauenly inuisible God, gouerning all creatures by his prouidence, and not perswaded by mans reason, but working all things according to the counsell of his owne will.