The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 273

men is the offence. For God, not man, is the Source of reward. (2) "Let not thy left hand know," etc. So do e:ood things as to be, as little as possible, conscious of it yourself. Mosas wiet not that the skin of his face shone. So the godly shine, though to themselves their shining is unseen. (3) To the truly charitable God is a Rewarder. The pocket of poverty is a safe bank, for God is the Banker. He converts paper into gold-returns spiritual value for material gifts (cf. Prov. xi. 24; xix. 17; 1 Tim. vi. 17-19). (4) The burden of hoarded property is heavy upon the pillow of death. God will confront the miser in the judgment (cf. Luke xvi. 9; Jas. v. 1-4). LESSONS. Avoid monopoly. Spend not upon the rich. Be your own executor.- J. A. M. Vere. 5-8.-Prayer. The dnty of prayer is assumed. To be without prayer is to be without religion. "Behold, he prayeth,'' is another way of saying," He has become a Christian" (Acts ix. 11). Prayer is the language and homage of dependence. The idea is that of coming to God for a blessing with a vow ( ,rpo11•xV11, from •pb•, " with," and dlx77," a vow"), viz. to fulfil the conditions upon which hie blessings are promised. The elements of acceptable prayer are-- L SINCERITY. 1. The prayer of the hypocrite is deception. (1) He decei,·es his fellow. His object is to be seen of men to pray. But his piety to God is but a semblance. God sees no prayer in it. The men who credit the hypocrite with piety are deceived. (2) He deceives himself. He gets what he seeks, viz. the praise of men. But what is it? It is inconsiderate. It is fickle. It is short-lived. And vniu as it is, it is not deserved. 2. The prayer of the hypocrite is idolatry. (1) The true God is not worshipped. The hypocrite's prayer is a slight upon him. His praise is not even sought. (2) In seeking the praise of men, the hypocrite, like other idolaters, makes bis god iu his own image. His prayer is to men. They are his idols. (3) Tn seeking the praise of men, the hypocrite worships himself. He sees himself in bis idol. Idolatry is an inverted self-worship. 3. The true man's prayer is true. (l) He prays to God as bis Father. He has kindredness of nature to the God of truth. To be seen of men is not in bis calculation. (2) He seeks the commendation of his God. This is to him the one thing infinitely desirable. II. SmPLIOITY. The expedients of hypocrisy are avoided. 1. As to posture. (1) Standing is not, in itself, a posture unsuitable to prayer (cf. Neh. ix. 4; Mark xi. 25; Luke xviii. 11-13). The change of posture from kneeling to standing may be found helpful to the spirit of prayer. (2) Standiug "to be seen of men" is quite another thing. Kneeling, if this be its purpose, is equally reprehensible. (3) The spirit :::nay kneel to God in humility, or stand before him in ready obedience, when the bony is otherwise engaged. 2. As to place. (1) The "synagogue" was the proper place for public prayer. Note: In public worship we should avoid whatever might tend to make our personal devotion remarkable. (2) The synagogue was not the place for private devotions. 'l'he custom of opening churches for private worshippers tends to encourage hypocrisy. (3) The "comers of the streets" where the peoplti were in concourse were favourable to ostentation. The hypocrites "loved to pray" there. They did not love to pray. (4) Secret prayer should be in secret. The true God is himself i11 secret. In secret he is sought and found, God seeth iu secret (cf. John i. 48; Acts ix. 11). By secret prayer we give God the glory of uuiversal presence. The true man may find a closet in the busy throng. The closet is in the heart. There we may shut the door against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Secret prayer should be in retire- ment to avoid (a) ostentation, (b) distraction. Isaac went into the field (Geu. xxiv. 63); Christ went up into a mountain; Peter found a closet on the housetop. 3. As to manner. (1) Long prayers are sometimes proper (cf. 1 Kings xviii. 26; Luke vi. 12; Acts xix. 34). But in this case the virtue does not lie in their length. (2) Loog prayers are to be avoided as tending to weary, and therefore to distract the suppliant (cf. Job ix. 14; Eccles. v. 2; Hos. xiv. 2). (3) '!'hey are to be avoided as encouraging vain repetitions. 'l'o repeat words without meaning is especially vain. RL·petiti,,ns suppose ignorance or inattention on the part of God. They are heathenish (see 1 Kings xviii. 26, 36). True prayer is not the language of the lip, but of the heart. (4) Those who would not be " as the hypocrites" in action and manner must not be " il.ii the hypo:rites" in spirit 1md temper.  266 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [ea. vL 1-34.