who expe a Reward from Gcd | know ot 00 in ſecr,
Vol. ]
| ay outdo thoſe whom you ſo Condemn, both in Offices _ wards God, and Charity towards Men; Bur if you only of FI; edneſs to Your Relations, and to your Countrymen, you _ more than thoſe whom you look upon as Heathens, and - _—_ of Men, who a& only from the Light and Law of Na- _w_—_ nd know of no Reward God hath to give, nor live in an ras Ex eRation of ir. By loving here, is meant doing good Of _ —_ for the Souls or Bodtes of others. By faluting 1s meant ___ on Offices of Kindneſs; ſuch as enquiring of our Neigh- —_— Healch, wiſhing them well, &c. The Publicans were Ct- 2” Officer appointed by the Romans, to gather up Publick Taxes __ Revenues; the chief Commiſſioners were Knights and Gen- y' 1 of Rome, who either ler out theſe Revenues to others, or gens ed others under them in the Colle@ing of them: Theſe ws craployed were ſome Fews, (ſuch were Matthew and Zacheus) ok Romans. Theſe (as1s ordinary) made cheir own Markets, 1nd exa&ted of the People, upon which Accounts they were ex- ceding odious : And therefore ordinarily in Scripture we ſhall Gnd Publicans and Sinners put rogether, chap. 9. 11. and 11. 19. ind they are joyned with Harlots, chap. 21. 32. and the Phariſee in his aſtificarion gloried he was nor as that Publican, Luk. 18.11. Thoſe who Condemn others, ought to take care that they be ber-
ter than others. 48 Beye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven Is perfect.
Perfef here is nor taken in that Senſe, as ir is taken in other Texts of Scripture, where it {ignifieth Sincerity and Uprightneſs, 25h 2. 3. cr where ir ſignifieth a Comparative Perfe&ion, as Paul faith, he ſpare to thoſe that were perfet ; bur for an Abſolute Per- feion, ſuch as is in our Father which is in Heaven; and ſo much is ſiznified by the propoſing of our Heavenly Father as our Ex- ample. Nor will it therefore tollow, either thar this is 2 meet Counſel, not a Precept z or that an Abſolute Perſe&jon in 7ilineſs, is a thing in this Life attainable. Bur that ir is our Duty to la- bour for it, forgetting what #s behind, and reaching forth unto thoſe things which are before, preſſing towards the Mark, for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Feſus Chrift, (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks) Phi- lip. 3. 13, 14+ Pro perfedto eſt, qui perfe#o Proximus, God account- eth him Perfe&t, who is neareſt to Perfection.
CHAP. VL
The Continuation of Chriſt's Sermon 9n the Mount, How to give Alms, 1—4. To pray, 5—I5. To faſt, 16—18. Where our Treaſure 3s to be laid up, 19—23. He ſheweth no Man can ſerve God and Mammon ; and dehorteth from being ſollicitous about worldly things ; as, what to eat, drink, or put on : Sheweth God's Providence over Birds, and Lillies of the Field, much more over them, 24—32. He exhorteth to ſeek: fir| the Kingdom of God ;, and not to be ſolli- citous for the morrow, 33, 34»
7 T4 heed that you do not your Alms before men to be ſeen of them : otherwiſe ye have no re- ; ward || of your Father which is in Heaven.
Alms are any Ads of Kindneſs freely done by us, for the Re- lief of any thar are in Diſtreſs and Miſery; which when they are done, from a Principle of Love to God, Obedience to his Pre- ceprs, commanding them, in Faith ro his Promifes made to the ziving of them, and that he may be Giorified, are truly good Wks, Ads of Religion, and Acceprable to God, tho' Meritori- ous of nothing from him, As 10. 31. Orherwiſe they are meer- ly Atts of Humanity and Morality, ro the Reward of which, God 5 by no Promiſe obliged. Therefore Chriſt's Diſciples are ob- liged ro take heed, thar in the doing of their Alms, tho* the may do them before Men, that God may be Glorified, Phil. 2.15. 8 1Pet, 2, 12, Yet they do them not before Men, on purpoſe that they ſhould rake notice of them, and Applaud them for them; for God rewardeth no Aion, of which he is not the End.
| 2 Therefore when thou doeſt zh:7e Alms, donot ſound a Trumpet before thee, asthe Hypocrites * do, . in the Synagogues, and in the Streets, that they may | have glory of Men. Verily. I ſay unto you, They $ have their reward. 3 But when thou doeft Alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth. | 4 That thy * Alms may be in ſecret: and thy Fa- ther which ſeeth in ſecret, himſelf ſhall reward thee openly.
There are ſome who think that our Saviour here refle&s upon tome Praftice of the Phariſees then in uſe, for Oftentation ; who under a Pretence of a Mean to call People together, cauſed a Trumpet to be ſounded when they diſtribured their Alms: Bur { thoſe char are Jearned in their Writings, aflure us, they could
never find in them any Foundation for ſuch an Opinion. The Speceh is rather Metaphorical, Prohibiring all Oftentation in As | 0 Charity, and inviting others to take notice of them, as Jehu
Invited Tonadab to come and ſee his Zeal, 2 Kings 10. 16, Asthe | third Verſe js bur a Proverbial Expreſſion expounded, v. 4. That iy Alms may be in Secret. Nor that it is nor lawful to give a poor 2 oy Money or Bread, gc. in the fight of others; bur only to do k or that End, that we might be ſeen of- others. The thing for- Fo odden under rhe Metaphorical Expreſſion is Gtentation, and ſeek- & our own Fnour and Applauſe. The thing commanded is $ rs, with reſpe& to our End : The Apoſtle calls it a giving 8 =; Pon ous ſingly aiming ar the Glorifying of God by an # the; ent Performance of our Dury : He rells us, thoſe who give i ir Alms to be honoured of Men, have their reward z that is, b © "ich they are like to have; Men applaud and cry rhe up,
Cloſet; and when thou haſt ſhur thy door, pray to thy Father which is in ſecret, and thy Father which
T HETW. Chap.
good Deeds, and he will reward them openly before Men and Angels at the laſt Day, chap. 25. 34, 36, 37. and ordinarily in this Lite, and 1134.9, 11. Pſal. 37. 25, Pſal. 41. 1.
5 And when thou prayeſt, thou ſhalt not be as
the Hypocrites are :- for they love to pray ſtanding, in the Synagogues, and in the corners of the Streets, that they may be ſeen of Men. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward.
Our Saviour here cautionerh thent againſt che ſame thing in