3 But when thou doest alms, the streets, that they may be let not thy left hand know seen of men. Verily, I say what thy right hand doeth : unto you, They have their reward.b 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly. 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 a Lu.8.17; 14.14. 6 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. 7 But when ye pray, use not b Pr.16.5. Ja.4.6. c Ps.34.15. Is.65.24. against their showy habits of prayer. It is not the place that is here condemned, but the feeling that gives the act such vain prominence. Pomp and parade in prayer for vain-glory is an awful abomination before God. They chose the most thronged places, and had no relish for secret prayer: they wished to be seen of men, so as to get the character of great devoutness and piety. soul (Psalm 105. 15). These cuts are taken from the plates of Kitto's Encyclopedia, showing the postures prevalent among the Orientals. Standing in prayer is doubtless the scriptural mode for public worship. 1 Ki. 8. 14. 3. Alms should be given in secret; that is, unostentatiously, without a disposition to blaze the good act abroad.- - Let not thy left hand know is a proverbial phrase, to express a modest privacy-not making it known even to ourselves--not making it a merit, or taking the praise to ourselves. This non-appropriation of it-this internal, humble unconsciousness of a good work, contrasts essentially with the trumpeting forth of the Pharisees. Such vain ambition is to summer chamber" (Judges be cured by remembering God's om- 3.20), "the upper chamber" (Kings niscience. He needs no proclama- 23. 12), "the inner chamber" (1 Kings tion of our good deeds to inform 20: 30), may refer to this. It was a Him, and He looketh on the heart. place for retirement and undisturbed He sees, and shall reward thee openly devotion in private. Christ would when the secrets of all hearts shall be teach that we should rather seek revealed (25.34). secrecy, than court a vain publicity. 5. The same warning is directed We should pray alone, because we 6. Thy closet-a retired apartment for prayer. This was commonly, among Orientals, a room rising, like an observatory of a modern house, above the main building. It sometimes had two or three apartments. "The little chamber" (2 Kings 4. 10), "the vain repetitions, d e as the hea- them: for your Father knowthen do for they think that eth what things ye have need they shall be heard for their of before ye ask him. much speaking. 9 After this manner fore pray ye: Our Father 8 Be not ye therefore like unto d Ec.5.2. e 1K.18.26.&c. have private business with God, and every one of us must give account of himself to God. Besides, the advantage is, that one alone can better command his thoughts, and pour them out more freely and fully "where none but God can hear." It is called secret prayer, because it is secluded and apart from the notice of men. But social and public prayer are no less a duty. The main object here is to rebuke pretension and parade in prayer. We read of Christians being gathered for prayer (comp. Acts 1. 4, and 2. 1. Acts 1. 24; 12. 5, 12). In prayer we are to shut out the world and all vain thoughts. 7. Vain repetitions -an empty round of phrases recited, parrot-like, or an idle repeating of the same words, without thought. The term (battologesele) is supposed to be taken from the primary sounds of infancyan incoherent babble. The Old English translation renders it here" Babble not too much." "An endless tumult and hubbub of words," says Augustine," is often substituted for the unspeakable utterances of the spirit." -T The heathen-the Gentiles, or the nations, as the term is, who were foreigners and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. Jews should not be or do as the unenlightened heathen. Christians should not act like the world. It was not against repetition, but vain repetition, that our Lord here spake. This the Gentiles often practised; and the merely formal among nominal Christians will often copy the Pagans. We may pray and pray again for the same thing. We may repeat our desires and words in the same prayer. This sometimes is done devoutly from very earnestness, and in the way of importunity. It is against idle and empty there fLu.12.30. Jno.16.23-27. g Lu. 11.2,&c. h Ro.8.15. words repeated to spin out a heartless prayer, or to make a merit of long prayer, that Christ is speaking. Those to whom he alluded calculated "to be heard for their much speaking." Much praying is a different thing, and is commanded. 8. A Jew ought to know and do better than a Gentile. God was his Father. How consoling to a sincere heart, that God knows its real desires, beyond the poor clothing of words. But though He knows what we need, before we ask, it is right to ask what we want. God's knowing about it does not alter our duty to ask for it: and He has made His promises with this requirement, that we shall ask if we would receive. "That which is unsought would mostly remain unacknowledged also." "Ask and ye shall receive," is a command no less than a promise. "We are to pray," says Bengel," not that we may teach the Father, but worship Him." 9. Here follows the "LORD'S PRAYER," so called because dictated by Christ to His disciples, and so having the Lord for its author. John had delivered some frame-work of prayer to his disciples, and one of Christ's followers requested the same from Him (Luke 11. 1). This was very commonly done by the Jewish teachers.- -T After this mannerlike this-in this style-not as the Gentiles or Pharisees. This was intended as a guide to devotion. Α skeleton and frame-work of all prayer -a normal petition. Our Lord was teaching them how to pray, not what to pray. He did not mean that all our prayers should be in these exact words. Luke has given the same prayer in different words (Luke 11). Christ and the Apostles used other words of prayer (Matt. 26. 39; 42. 44. which art in heaven, hallow-| will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. ed be thy name : iPs.115.3. j Ps.111.9; 139.20. k c.16.28. Re.11.15. Acts 1. 24, 25). This should always be the substance of a well-ordered prayer; brief, concise, comprehensive, and to the point. It consists of a preface, six petitions, and a doxology, and it is found substantially in the 19 prayers of the Jewish Liturgy, except the clause," as we forgive our debtors." -T Our Father. God will, first of all, be owned in his true character, as the paternal source of all His creatures · - Creator, Preserver, Governor, Benefactor, and the covenant Father of believers. And we cannot go on with our prayer until we recognize Him in His endearing relations to us. We never have the heart to pray, nor can we ask aright, until we see Him as our reconciled Father in Christ Jesus. Under the old Covenant, they could only say Master; under the new, we say Abba Father (Rom. 8. 15. John 1. 12). It is our Father, not my Father. It is meant to be the prayer of brethren, who in Christ are knit together into one body, adopted in Him into the same family. In heaven. Most Exalted, the High and Lofty One. This expresses utmost reverence, and acknowledges His omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and all His loftiest attributes. (See Psalms 2. 4; 115. 3.) This address was common in the Jewish prayers with the same meaning; yet God is every where present as a spirit, and a dispenser of spiritual blessings to His worshippers. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," &c. His glory is such that the "heaven of heavens cannot contain Him" (2 Chron. 2.6). We are thus taught to look for God, not in ourselves, but out of and above ourselves. "This is a protest," says Augustine, "against pantheistic notions, against all philosophical schemes, of the identity of 11 Give us this day our m daily bread : 7 Ps. 103.20,21. m Pr.30.8. Is.33 16. our spirit and the Spirit of God." The Spirit witnesseth with the spirits of believers that they are the children of God.- -T Hallowed be thy name. Let that whereby thou makest thyself known be held sacred, kept holy, and every where revered. God's name means "His titles, attributes, ordinances, words and works;" because a name is that whereby any one is made known; and this first petition begs that God and all divine things may be held sacred, venerated and adored among men and in all the universe. We are, first of all, and in all our conduct, and all our prayers, to have respect to God's glory. To keep the Sabbath holy is to hallow it; and so of all that belongs to true religion.- -T Thy kingdom come. The kingdom spoken of in Scripture, is the kingdom of Christ—the reign of grace which He has set up in the world, called the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of God. This petition recognizes His Divinity, and shows that He is to be regarded as one with the Father. Let Satan's kingdom be destroyed, and the kingdom of grace be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it and kept in it, and let the kingdom of glory be hastened (see Shorter Catechism). Men oppose this kingdom because they dislike its holy restraints and pure government, and so they help on the kingdom of Satan by serving sin. The darkness, degradation and vices of heathen countries show that this kingdom has not come among them, because it is "righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14. 17). We can help forward every Christian enterprize as we have opportunity and ability, and we can always put up this petition, and so we can extend the kingdom by our labours and our prayers.- -Thy will be done. God's will is the only true standard of conduct for all creatures; and on this fallen earth we must have fiom Him the power to do His will. We must pray for ability "to know, o ey, and submit to His will in all things, as the angels do in heaven." The Scriptures contain His will as here spoken of. We are to seek the circulation of the Scriptures, and their widest influence, and the most complete subjection of men to their divine rules. Most men seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. Yet, if they had their desire, it would end in their own ruin not only, but in that of the universe. On the other hand, if God's will were done by all as by angels, this earth would be like heaven, where the angels dwell. They do His will most perfectly (Psalm 103. 20). And we are here taught not to be content with doing our duty as others do it, but as angels do it (chap. 5. 48). We are to aim at being perfect, "like as our Father in heaven" and "the angels in heaven are perfect;" and we are to pray that more and more God's will may be every where and in every way obeyed. Christ had a human will subordinated to the Divine will in Him, yet not abolished by it. -T Daily. This word means essential-sufficient for our support. Luke says, "Give us day by day our daily (or sufficient) bread." It is meant to include all daily supplies, as well for the body as for the soul. This whole prayer is meant for more than one. Our Father"—" give us "—"forgive us -"deliver us," &c.; and being here set forth for a style of daily prayer, we are taught to pray socially, day by day. This can be done in the family; and it is daily, family prayer that seems supposed here, where the family head asks daily for such bounties as are needed. 66 'Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content (1 Tim. 6. 8). Daily piety is requisite we are to live daily and hourly upon God. 12. Debts. In Luke another word is used, which reads "trespasses." That is here the meaning (see vs. 14). The Scriptures often speak of sin in this light. Trespasses, or sins, are debts. Sinners are debtors. They owe God vast amounts of love and service, which they have never paid Him, and never can pay. "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me" (Psalm 116. 12). To forgive a debt is to free the debtor 11. After having first sought the from payment, and blot out the glory of God in our petitions, we may charges against him. God forgives pray even for bread. Whatever we the debts or sins of His people, by need for our daily sustenance we may blotting them out, and not rememberask of Him. Unless He favour us, ing against them their iniquities, of we cannot obtain a morsel by greatest which they repent. Christ has satisindustry and toil; therefore we ought fied the claims of Justice for all whɔ daily to thank Him for all that we get. trust in Him, and He can claim forWe should feel this dependence upon giveness for all who are His, while it Him for every thing, and we should is all of grace to them. He has taken desire to receive every good gift as away the condemnation (Rom. 8. 1) from His hand, even though we may and now God can be just and yet jusearn it from others. Every good gift tify. Reference is here made to daily is from above, and cometh down from trespasses, for no man liveth and sinthe Father of lights. Jas. 1. 17. This neth not.- TAs we forgive. We brief prayer covers all temporal mer- must be able to say, as it reads in cies, and includes all that we need Luke, "for we also forgive." Our ask. Such a style of petition for Lord dwells here on this duty (se earthly things, teaches us moderation. | vss. 14 and 15). God confines us inɔst evil for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen. q Re.5. 12,13. specially and solemnly here to the great gospel law of forgiveness. Our forgiving others will not, of itself, save us; no virtue can atone, and no worship is acceptable with hatred or ill-will in our hearts, or wilful quarrels with others (vs. 23); and no prayer for forgiveness need be offered unless we are ready to forgive. Matt. 18. 35. Mark 11. 25, 26. So Christ has joined together this important duty of forgiving others, and this most important prayer of a sinner to be forgiven. Christ, in forgiving us, sets us the most perfect example of forgiving injuries. "How terrible may this prayer become to us (says Augustine), if we be unforgiving." We are taught, in all our prayers, to examine well our own tempers. How important to put up this prayer in the right spirit! If we are unforgiven or unforgiving, we must surely perish! Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity" (Matt. 25). This petition alludes to daily trespasses as the bread to daily bread. How can perfectionists use the Lord's prayer? 1 John 1. 8. 13. Temptation. Let not our course lie through temptation. Christ was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted-yet He was tempted "of the devil;" and in the execution of His official work, His mediatorial course was marked out through that field of trial. And as we know our sinfulness and weakness, it is fit that we should not ask forgiveness for the past, without imploring this exemption from trial for the future. This is an implied confession of our frail and erring nature, and of our imperfect state. It is the sin of many that they do not dread and deprecate temptation, but run into it. If they prayed against it, as Christ has taught, they would be more watchful of it (Matt. 26. 41). The young are especially exposed. Young professors of Christ often fall. Gay amusements and vain 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. companions surround them, and they apologize for these allowances. They oiten feel strong, and think there is no danger; but they run into the temptations, and are led astray by an enticing world. There is no safe rule but this to dread and pray against all forms of temptations, and so to deny ourselves those occasions, companions, and employments which are calculated to ensnare our souls. "As strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul." 1 Pet. 2. 11.- - Evil. Literally, "the evil;" that is, the evil or dreadful consequence of temptation. Or, it may mean, "the Evil One," Satan (Matt. 15. 19. 1 John 2. 13), and so include all sin and misery in the widest sense. We may and ought to pray for deliverance from all that belongs to sin. God alone is the Deliverer. To be delivered or set free from our evil natures, from Satan's snares, from sorrow, and suffering, and sins, is matter for daily prayer. Sin is the greatest evil, and the source of all beside. Christ has come to bring us deliverance from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God.T Kingdom. Here follows the doxology, ascribing to God all the power to perform these things, and all the praise and glory for their performance, and from it.- -T Amen. word is from the Hebrew verb, to be firm, sure. It means, so let it be! or, may it be made sure! It is added at the close, to express the strong desire of the petitioner for all that he has asked. It is a form of subscription and seal set to the prayer, confirming it as the hearty wish of the suppliant, or it is a general enforcement of the request. Such phrases are commonas in memorials to government we say, "So your petitioners will ever pray." This word, amen, though often spoken lightly, is properly a This |