Matt. vi. 5 — 8. And when thou pray est, thou shalt not he as the hypocrites are : for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may he seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, ivhen thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and vohen thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father tvhich is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But ivhen ye pray, use not vain repeti- tions, as the heathen do : for they thinh that they shall he heard for their much speaking . Be not ye therefore like unto them : for your Father knoioeth ivhat things ye have need of, hefore ye ask him.
WHAT David spoke respecting the Pentateuch is strongly exemplified in the Sermon on the Mount ; " By it are God's servants warned." Both sins and duties are here exhibited to us in their proper light : the sins of the heart are reprobated, no less than those of the outward act : and the duties which are performed without proper motives and dispositions are shewn to be void of any real worth. Hence we are warned to look chiefly at the heart, and to judge of our state entirely by what we find there. If, for instance, we have been in the habit of dispensing alms, we must not therefore conclude that we have pleased God, unless, upon an examination of our own hearts, we have the testimony of our conscience that we desired to please him. In like manner, if we have been given to prayer, we must not imagine that our prayers have been accepted, unless they have been offered in sincerity and truth. To this effect our Lord teaches us in the words of our text ; in which he gives us directions respecting prayer, and guards us against those dispositions which are too frequently indulged in the performance of that duty.
I. Against hypocrisy —
An ostentatious display of devotion is most hateful to God —
[The Pharisees of old were intent only on gaining the applause of man. Hence, on every occasion, they acted a part,