Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 6 · Verse 5
vers. ….
And when thou pra…st, be not as the hypocrites: for they louelove to stand and pray in the Synagogues, and in the corners of the streetes, because they would be seene of men: verely I say vntounto you, they hauehave their reward.
In this verse and the rest to the fourteenth, Christ intreateth of the dutie of prayer, wherein he dealeth as in the former point touchingOf prayer. Almes-giuing: for first he forbids a twofold vice in prayer: hypocrisie, and babling; and then teacheth the contrarie vertues, and the right practise of praier. The vice of hypocrisie in prayer is forbidden in this fift verse, and the contrarie vertue inioyned in the next.
The Exposition. When thou prayest▪ To pray, properly is to intreate of God the gift of some good thing concerning our selues: and in this sense, it is onelyonly one part of that holy worship of God, which is called Invocation: for, 1. Tim. 2. 1. the Apostle maketh foure kinds or parts…s of in vocation. of invocation: to wit, I. Supplication, when we intreat God to remooue some euill from vsus. II. 'Prayer, whereby we begge at the hands of God the gift of some good thing vntounto vsus: and these two concerne our selues. The III. is Intercession, when as we intreate the Lord to graunt some good thing vntounto our brethren, or to remooue some euill from them. The IV. is thankesgiuing, whereby we giuegive laud & thanks to God for blessings receiued, either by our selues, or by our brethren. Now in this place Prayer is not to be taken strictly for one part of invocation, but generally for the whole worship of God by invocation; as it is commonly taken of vsus, and often vsed in Scripture, one part beeing put for the whole. Be not as the hypocrites that is, doe not as they doe in prayer; by hypocrites he vnderstandeth principally the Iewish teachers the Scribes and Pharisies, for at them he aimeth in this part of his Sermon. For they louelove to stand and pray in the Synagogues and in the streetes. We must not here conceiue, that Christ condemnes altogether this gesture of standing in prayer as vnlawfull: for himselfe praied standing, when cIoh. 11. 41.he raised vp Lazarus▪ and the primitiue Church in their assemblies called dOrig hom. …. in …umer.Stations, praied standing: but he reprooueth here the abuse of this gesture in these Iewish teachers. For first, they vsed this gesture to a wrong ende, namely, thereby to get the praise of men: because standing is the fittest gesture which a man can vse in praier to make him be seene of others. Secondly, these Scribes and Pharisies thought themselues more righteous then all other men, and therefore iudged that they had no neede to humble themselues so much either in soule or bodie, as the Publicans and sinners did. Againe, Christ here condemneth not the action of praier in these places, the Synagogues and the streets: for no man was euer forbidden of God to pray in any place. The Patriarks were not tied to any place: and vnderunder the law howsoeuer the Temple was the place appointed for Gods outward worship in sacrificing, and such like, yet euen then it was lawfull for the Iewes to pray in any place▪ and after Christs comming Paul …. … … ▪ … ▪willeth, that men pray eueryevery where lifting vp pure hands vntounto God▪ but here is condemned this grosse fault of these Scribes and Pharisies, that they minded to pray no where els, but in these open and publike places, which is expressed by this phrase, they louelove to stand and pray: So that in a word this is the meaning of this verse; You my hearers, when you pray▪ take heede of the hypocrisie of the Scribes and Pharisies, for they regard onelyonly the praise of men, and therefore doe vse such gesture in praier, and chuse such places to pray in, that they may best be seene of men. Where wee see, he directly condemnes their hypocrisie, as well in respect of the ground thereof, which was the pride of their hearts, & not Gods grace▪ as also in regard of the end thereof, which was the praise of men, & not the glory of God.
The vse. 1. Whereas Christ saith, When thou praiest: he taketh it for graunted, that all men of yeares must pray: and whereas he condemnes the false manner of prayer, and sets downe the right forme and manner thereof, he teacheth vsus that it is a most necessarie thing for all that hauehave discretion, to exercise themselues religiously in this dutie of prayer. And because our Sauiour here vrgeth this dutie so much, I will here shew the necessitie of prayer; which may appeare vntounto vsus by sundrieThe necessitie of praier. reasons. I. Prayer is one of the most principall parts of Gods worship:1 for herein we acknowledge him to be the giuer of all goodnes, the searcher and knower of our hearts; and hereby we testifie the faith, hope, and confidence we hauehave in God. And prayer is called Hos▪ …. ….the …alue… of our lippes, because it is a sacrifice well pleasing vntounto God. II. By2 prayer we doe obtaine, and also continue and preserue vntounto our selues eueryevery good grace and blessing of God, especially such as concerne eternall life: for God promiseth his spirit to them that aske it by praier:…k▪ …. …. & the first conuersion of a sinner, howsoeuer it be the free gift of God, yet by Gods grace moouing and inabling a man thereunto▪ is obtained by praier; and so are all the good graces following our conuersion, both gotten and increased. III. The true gift of prayer is a pledge of the3 spirit of Adoption: and therefore f… …Zacharie calls the spirit of prayer the spirit of grace. And gR… …. …. ….Paul saith, the spirit helps our infirmities▪ euen the spirit of our Adoption, which teacheth vsus to crie▪ A…ba, father. IV.4 By prayer we hauehave spirituall communion and famili…tie with God: for in the preaching of the word, God speakes to vsus; and in praier we speake to God, and the more we pray, the nearer and greater fellowship we hauehave with God: which one reason (if there were no more) is sufficient to perswade vsus of the necessitie of prayer, and to mooue vsus vntounto diligence therein.
But sundrie obiections are made against the necessitie of praier: 1.Obiect. 1. It is said God knows our thoughts before we praie, and therefore it is needlesse to expresse them by praier vntounto him. Answ. We praie not, to acquainte God with our suites, or with our hearts, as though he knew them not, but to performe obedience vntounto his commandement, who requireth this duty at our hands. Againe, we praie vntounto God, to honour him, in acknowledging him to be the knower of our hearts, the giuer of all goodnes, the stay of our faith and hope, in whome only we put all our trust and considence.
Obiect. 2. Whether we pray or not, God will giuegive vsus the blessings which he meanes to bestow on vsus. Ans. This is …lat Atheisine: and yet we must distinguish of Gods blessings, for some are common blessings which God oft giues to men without their asking, because they serue to preserue nature: as raine and fruitfull seasons, food, raiment, &c. Act. 14. 16. and yet euen these common blessings must be praied for: Phil. 4. 6. In all things let your requests be made knowne to God: and Iames Iam. 4. 1.saith, Ye lust and hauehave not, because ye aske not: Psal. 106. 23. Moses prayer saues the people from destruction. Others, are speciall blessings of the Elect, and these must alwaies be sought and obtained by prayer.
Obiect. 3. God hath decreed all euents, and eueryevery thing shall so fall out as he hath appointed, and therefore its needlesse to pray, and oftentimes its but the crossing of Gods will. Ans. This reason is naught: for as God hath decreed the euent of all things, so likewise he hath appointed the meanes whereby his decree shall be effected: and prayer many times, is a principall meanes to bring Gods will to passe: 1. King. 18. 1. God shewed to Eliah that he would send raine in Israel after that long drought, and yet the …s 42.Prophet crouched vntounto the earth, and put his face betweene his knees; no doubt humbling himselfe in praier to God for it, as S. kIam. 5. 18.Iames saith. Where we may see, that praier is not contrarie to Gods decree, but a subordinate meanes to bring the same to passe: and therefore we must rather reason thus, that because God hath decreed the euent of all things, and hath appointed praier as a meanes to effect sundrie of his decrees, therefore we must vse it.
Considering then that praier is necessarie, notwithstanding all thatVse. Diligence in prayer. can be saide against it, we must learne with speciall …euerence to giuegive our selues vntounto this dutie, both publikely in the assemblies of the Saints, and priuately in our families, beeing masters and gouernours: for no family ought to want this morning and euening sacrifice of praier and thankesgiuing; yea, we must pray by our selues particularly in regard of our particular wants. Indeede the most doe thus plead for themselues, that they vse to pray often: but the truth is, that the cōmon practise of our people in prayer, is nothing els but lippe-labour and a mocking of God: for what be their praiers, but the saying ouer the ten Commandements and the Creede, which are no praiers: yea, their repetition of the Lords praier without vnderstāding or deuotion, is no praier with God, when they doe it onelyonly of custome, and rest in the worke done. But here is required an other manner of praier then this. And to incite vsus vntounto it, let vsus consider the worthie examples of Gods seruants herein: Moses praied for the sauing of the Israelites fourtie daies and Deut 9. 1…, 19. Psal. 119. 1…4 Luk. 6. 12▪fourtie nights without meat or drinke: Dauid praied seauen times a day! and our Sauiour Christ spent whole nights in prayer. Now these examples were written for our learning, to teach vsus to addict our selues to this holy dutie wherein our hearts speake vntounto God. The want hereof is the cause of the common Atheisme that is in the world, of iniustice, and crueltie in mens callings, of swearing, pride, & backbiting in mens liues: for if men would often set themselues in the presence of God, by vnfained inuocation, the remembrance thereof would still be before their eyes, and cause them to abstaine from all these iniquities: for who beeing stained with such transgressions durst present himselfe before the maiestie of God, who is a consuming fire against all sinne and wickednes, hauing Rev. 1. 13, 14.fierie eyes to see their sinnes, and feete of brasse to bruise them in pieces that will not repent.
Secondly, in this prohibition against hypocrisie in praier we may see, that to conceiue a praier, and to make profession of religion, may for the outward worke, as well be performed from pride of heart as from the grace of God: carnall men may doe it in pride, which Gods children doe by grace, as we shewed in the former point of Almes giuing: that therfore which Christ said of hearing the word, take heed how you heare, must be conceiued to be spoken to vsus of praier and the profession of religion, take heed how you praie, and how you professe religion. And indeed before we pray, we ought to enter into our hearts, and there to search out our corruptions diligently, that we may be able to discerne in our selues between pride, and Gods grace; and so perceiue vponupon what ground we pray, that it be not from a damnable pride, but from the sauing grace of Gods holy spirit.
Thirdly, in this prohibition Christ condemnes this false ende of praier, when men doe it to hauehave praise of men; whereby we may see, that it is a thing incident to the professors of the Gospel, to doe the duties of religion, for the approbation of men: which notably bewraies the hypocrisie of our hearts, which naturally hauehave more respect to men, then to the Lord, euen then when we hauehave to deale with God himselfe. Thus did the Scribes and Pharisies, and it is to be feared, the same fault is common among vsus; for men are farre more forward and carefull to performe the publike duties of religion, in the assemblies of the Church, then priuate duties, either in their families, or by themselues: Many will praie in the Church, that neuer regard priuate praier at home. Againe, in performing publike duties, men hauehave more care of the outward action, then of truth and sinceritie in the heart; and many studie more for fit words to delight mens eares, then for good affections, which God approoueth; for what is the cause that many ancient professors, when they come to die, know not how to commend their soules to God? Surely, this especially, that in the whole course of their profession, they more respected men then God; and therefore in the time of death, when they must needs deale with God indeed, they know not what to doe, nor how to behaue themselues.
Lastly, Christ here reprooues their behauiour in praier, which wasVnreuerēce in praier. standing, without all humbling of themselues, either in soule or bodie. This is a thing incident to many in our congregations, who vse to shew no manner of reuerence or humilitie in the time of praier; but either stand, or fit, as though they had no need to humble themselues; or else intended onelyonly that men should see them. But we must know, that howsoeuer the word of God prescribes no peculiar gesture in this action, yet it is not a thing indifferent, either to vse, or not to vse, some seemely gesture of humiliation in this worship of God; but some must needes be vsed, to expresse and further the humilitie of the heart, which is chiefly required: Isay, 6. 2. the S…raphims standing before God, couer their feete and faces with their wings, in regard of Gods presence: and the poore Publicane that praied with the Pharisie, howsoeuer he praied standing, yet Luk. 1…. 13he cast downe his countenance, and smote himselfe on the breast, to testifie his humiliation. Yea, Christ Iesus our Lord, when hee bare the punishment of our sinnes in the garden, fell downe vponupon his face, and praied: thus also did Num. 16. 45Moses, and Aaron, b1. Ki. 18. 42Elijah, c…. 9. 5.Ezra, & dD…. …. 10.Daniel, humble themselues. And it hath alwaies beene the practise of Gods seruants in praier, by some conuenient gesture of the bodie, to expresse the humilitie of their hearts; which checketh the custome of our common people in praier, who are so farre from bringing a broken heart to God, which is the thing he chiefly requires, that they know not what to aske; and many there be that will not submit themselues to such outward gesture, as might expresse their inward humiliation. These things are farre vnseemely for Gods people, and therefore let vsus learne to humble our selues at Gods footestoole, first in our very hearts, and withall, we must be carefull to testifie the same, by some conuenient outward humiliation.