4. Again, there Christ speaks of the general bent of our conver- sation, and here only of particular and private duties. It would argue too much hypocrisy to do these in public, though the whole frame and course of our carriage before men must be religious in their sight. And that is agreeable to what the apostle saith, 2 Cor. viii. 21, 'We should provide for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.' And, Phil. ii. 15, Chris- tians are advised there to be ' blameless and harmless, the sons of God, w^ithout rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, shining among them as lights in the world.' That which
6 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE [MaT. VI. 6-8.
is obvious to the sight and observance of men, must be such as will become our holy calling. But our private and particular duties, which are to pass between God and us, these must be out of sight. I hope another man may approve himself to be honest and religious to me, though he doth not fall down and make his personal and private prayers before me. But to leave no scruple, if possible ;
5. We must distinguish of the diverse significations of that phrase which is used here, ottw^, that ice may he seen. There is a twofold sense of ottw?, or that. It may be taken two ways, as they speak, either causally or eventually. Causally, and then it implies and imports the end and scope why we do such a thing, namely, for this very purpose, that we may obtain it. And thus the Pharisees here did pray, ottw?, that they might he seen of men, that is, this was their main end and scope. Thus that is taken causall3^ Secondly, that sometimes is taken eventually, and then it doth not import the end and scope, but only the event that wdll fall out and follow upon such a thing. Thus that is often taken in scripture. John ix. 39 : Christ saith there, ' For judgment I am come into the world, that they which see not, might see ; and that they which see, might be made blind.' It was not Christ's scope to do so, but Christ foresaw that this would be the event of his coming into the world, and, there- fore, he saith, that, &c. So Luke xiv. 10: Christ tells them there, ' But when thou art bidden to a feast, go and sit down in the low-est room, that wdien he that bade thee comes, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher : then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.' That is taken eventually, not causally ; for Christ doth not bid them there to set themselves at tlie lower end of the table, for this very end, or to make this their scope : that is the thing he forbids — affectation of precedency ; but that, hoc est, then it will follow, that is, this is likely to be the event ; then the master of the house will come to you if you do this. Not that it should be your scope to feign humility, that you may obtain the highest place at the table. And so may Christ's words be taken, ' Let your light so shine/ &c. This will fall out upon it then — men will be conscious to your Christian carriage and gracious behaviour, and by that means God will be much honoured and glorified. There it is taken eventually, but here it is taken causally. The Pharisees did it that they might be seen of men ; that is, this w^as their scope and ]irincipal intention. And thus may you reconcile these two places of scripture.
W^ell, now, Chi'ist having taxed them for these two faults : for their undue ])lace, the synagogue and corners of the streets being unfit for a private and personal act of worship ; and for their end, that they miglit be seen of men, — he saith, ' They have their reward.' That is, the whole debt is paid, they can challenge nothing at God's hands. God will be behindhand w^ith none of his creatures. As they have what they looked for, so they must expect no more, they must be con- tent with their penny. The phrase is borrow^ed from matters of con- ti-act between man and man, and is a word proper to those which give a discharge for a debt. As creditors and money-lenders, when they are paid home the full sum wdiich is due to them, then they can exact
Mat. YI. 0-8.] exposition' of the lord's prayer. 7
no more ; so here they must be contented with the empty, windy pufis of vainglory, and to feed upon the unsavoury breath of the people : they can expect no more from God, for the bond is cancelled, and they have received their full reward already. Briefly, here is the differ- ence in the several rewards that the hypocrites and the children of God have : the hypocrites, they are all for the present, and have their reward, and much good may it do them ; there is not a jot behind, it will be in vain to expect any more : but now, for the children of God, your Father will reward you ; they must expect and wait for the future. And yet in scripture we read oftentimes that the children of God have their reward in this life ; but then the word in the original is exovac, which signifieth they have but in part ; not the word which is used here, uTrexpvai, which signifies they have what is due, it is fulfilled, paid them. So those expressions in scripture are to be taken: 'Ye have eternal life,' 'and he hath,' 'and that ye may have/ It is often spoken in scripture of the children of God, so that they seem to have their reward too. They have their reward, but it is partially, not totally : there is something, the best things, yet behind. A child of God, he hath promises, first-fruits, some beginnings of communion with God here, but he looks for greater things to come.