Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Ver. 1. _Take heed that ye do not your alms_] Your justice, saith the Syriac. For first, we do the poor but right when we relieve them; for they have an interest in our... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore when thou doest _thine_ alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the 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. Ver. 2. _Therefore when thou doest thine alms_] Unless thou set light by thy reward,... [ Continue Reading ]
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: Ver. 3. _But thou when thou doest thine alms_] The godly Christian must walk in a diverse way to a world of wicked people, as Noah did, _a_ really reproving their darkness by his light, their pride by his lowliness, the... [ Continue Reading ]
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Ver. 4. _Thy Father that seeth in secret_] And best accepteth of secret service. Song of Solomon 2:14; "O thou that art in the clefts of the rocks, let me see thy face, let me hear thy voice," &... [ Continue Reading ]
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 say unto you, They have their reward. Ver. 5. _And when thou prayest_] A duty of that necessity, that neither... [ Continue Reading ]
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Ver. 6. _But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, &c._] The proper place for secret prayer (as the family... [ Continue Reading ]
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen _do_ : for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Ver. 7. _But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions_] Babble not, bubble not, saith the Syriac, as water out of a narrow mouthed vessel. Do not iterate or inculcate the... [ Continue Reading ]
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Ver. 8. _Be not ye therefore like unto them_] God would not have his Israel conform to the heathens' customs, nor so much as once name their idols, Exodus 23:13; Psalms 16:4. No more should C... [ Continue Reading ]
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Ver. 9. _After this manner therefore pray ye_] Forms of wholesome words are profitable. A set form of prayer is held fittest for the public, and for such weak Christians as are not yet able to express their o... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as _it is_ in heaven. Ver. 10. _Thy kingdom come_] Thy kingdom of power and providence; but especially enlarge thy kingdom of grace, and hasten thy kingdom of glory. The Jews pray almost in every prayer, "Thy kingdom come," and that _Bimheroth, Bejamenu,... [ Continue Reading ]
Give us this day our daily bread. Ver. 11. _Give us this day_] We have not a bit of bread of our own earning, but must get our living by begging. Peter himself was to obtain his very bread by humble petition, how much more his salvation? He that shall go to God, as the prodigal did, with, "Give me... [ Continue Reading ]
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Ver. 12. _And forgive us our debts, &c._] Loose us (saith the original) and let us go free, (αφες): for unpardoned sinners are in the bond of iniquity, as Simon Magus, Acts 8:23; and remission is called a relaxation (παρεσις), Romans 3:25. The gu... [ Continue Reading ]
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Ver. 13. _And lead us not into temptation_] Here we beg sanctification, as in the former petition, justification; and are taught, after forgiveness of sins, to look for... [ Continue Reading ]
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: Ver. 14. _For if ye forgive men their trespasses_] Our Saviour resumeth, and inculcateth the fifth petition with a repetition; because upon charity (which is chiefly seen in giving and forgiving) hangeth, after a so... [ Continue Reading ]
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Ver. 15. _But if ye will not, &c._] This is a matter much to be observed, therefore so often inculcated. Judgment without mercy shall be to them that show no mercy, James 2:13. There is but a hair's breadt... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Ver. 16. _Moreover, when ye fast_] Fast then they must, yea, even after the Lord's ascension, when God's grac... [ Continue Reading ]
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; Ver. 17. _But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, &c._] Not but that a man is bound at such a time to abridge himself of the comforts and delights of life, whence it is called a day of restraint, Joel 2:15, and of afflicting... [ Continue Reading ]
That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Ver 18. _That thou appear not unto men to fast, &c._] Hypocrites fitly resemble the glow worm, which seems to have both light and heat; but touch it, and i... [ Continue Reading ]
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: Ver. 19. _Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth_] This is the fourth common place handled here by our Saviour, of casting away the inordinate care of earthly things,... [ Continue Reading ]
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: Ver. 20. _But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven_] That which you may draw out a thousands years hence. For in a treasure there are three things, -a layi... [ Continue Reading ]
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Ver. 21. _For where your treasure is, &c._] _i.e._ Where your chief happiness is, there your affections will be settled: where the carcase is, there will the eagles be also. Beetles delight in muck hills; but Christ's eagles are never in th... [ Continue Reading ]
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. Ver. 22. _The light of the body is the eye, &c._] Here our blessed Saviour illustrateth what he had said before, of laying up, not on earth, but in heaven, by a fit similitude. Like as the eye... [ Continue Reading ]
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great _is_ that darkness! Ver. 23. _But if thine eye be evil, &c. If the light that is in thee be darkness, &c._] An evil eye is here opposed to a single eye, that looks on Go... [ Continue Reading ]
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Ver. 24. _No man can serve two masters, &c._] The mammonist's mind must needs be full of darkness, because utterly destitute of... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Ver. 25. _Therefore I say unto you, Take no careful thought, &c._] This life is called in Isaia... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Ver. 26. _Behold (or cast your eyes upon) the fowls of the air_] Look upon them intently (εμβλεψατε), consider them wisely, learn of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? Ver. 27. _Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?_] And as little able are we (though we take never so much care and pains) to add one mite to that dimension of our estate, which God by his wise and powerf... [ Continue Reading ]
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: Ver. 28. _Consider the lilies of the field_] Contemplate them, saith Luther: understand them well, saith Erasmus: learn how they grow, saith Beza: hang upon these fair flowers,... [ Continue Reading ]
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Ver. 29. _And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory_] In all his bravery, which doubtless was very great, in the day of his espousals, especially, when his mother crowned him, Song of Solo... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, _shall he_ not much more _clothe_ you, O ye of little faith? Ver. 30. _The grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven_] A fit resemblance of all outward things, the... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? Ver. 31. _Therefore take no careful thought, &c._] From the afore named grounds, our Saviour here resumeth and enforceth the former exhortation. _Sollicitudo est aegritudo cum cogitat... [ Continue Reading ]
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Ver. 32. _For after all these things do the Gentiles seek_] With whom if you should symbolize in sins, or not exceed in virtue, it were a shame to you. They studiously seek the... [ Continue Reading ]
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Ver. 33. _But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness_] That as the end, this as the means; for grace is the way to glory, holiness to happiness. If men be not righteous there i... [ Continue Reading ]
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day _is_ the evil thereof. Ver. 34. _Take therefore no thought for the morrow_] The Lord Christ, well knowing which way our heart hangs and pulse beats, beats much upon this str... [ Continue Reading ]