stipulate with God for preferment, honour, wealth, and they shall have their bellies filled with those things; (Ps. 17. 14.) but let them expect no more; these are their consolation, (Luke 6. 24.) their good things, (Luke 16. 25.) and they shall be put off with these. "Didst not thou agree with me for a penny? It is the bargain thou art likely to abide by."
(2.) It is a reward, but it is a present reward, they have it; and there is none reserved for them in the future state. They now have all that they are likely to have from God; they have their re ward here, and have none to hope for hereafter. ἀπέχουσι τὸν μισθὸν. It signifies a receipt in full. What rewards the godly have in this life are but in part of payment; there is more behind, much more; but hypocrites have their all in this world, so shall their doom be; themselves have decided it. The world is but for provision to the saints, it is their spending money; but it is pay to hypocrites, it is their portion.
2. What is the precept of our Lord Jesus about it. v. 3, 4. He that was himself such an example of humility, pressed it upon his disciples, as absolutely necessary to the acceptance of their performances. "Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth when thou givest alms." Perhaps it alludes to the placing of the Corban, the poor man's box, or the chest into which they cast their free-will offerings, on the right hand of the passage into the temple; so that they put their gifts into it with the right hand. Or the giving of alms with the right hand, intimates readiness to it and resolution in it; do it dexterously, not awkwardly, or with a sinister intention. The right hand may be used in helping the poor, lifting them up, writing for them, dressing their sores, and other ways besides giving to them; but "whatever kindness thy right hand doeth to the poor, let not thy left hand know it: conceal it as much as possible; industriously keep it private. Do it because it is a good work, not because it will get thee a good name." In omnibus factis, re, non teste, moveamur—In all our actions, we should be influenced by a regard to the object, not to the observer. Cic. de Fin. It is intimated, (1.) That we must not let others know what we do; no, not those that stand at our left hand, that are very near us. Instead of acquainting them with it, keep it from them if possible; however, appear so desirous to keep it from them, as that in civility they may seem not to take notice of it, and keep it to themselves, and let it go no further. (2.) That we must not observe it too much ourselves: the left hand is a part of ourselves; we must not within ourselves take notice too much of the good we do, must not applaud and admire ourselves. Self-conceit and self-complacency, and an adoring of our own shadow, are branches of pride, as dangerous as vain-glory and ostentation before men. We find those had their good works remembered to their honour, who had themselves forgotten them: When saw we thee an hungred, or athirst?
3. What is the promise of those who are thus sincere and humble in their alms-giving. Let thine alms be in secret, and then thy Father which seeth in secret will observe them. Note, When we take least notice of our good deeds ourselves, God takes most notice of them. As God hears the wrongs done to us when we do not hear them, (Ps. 38. 14, 15. ) so he sees the good done by us, when we do not see it. As it is a terror to hypocrites, so it is a comfort to sincere christians, that God sees in secret. But this is not all; not only the observation and praise, but the recompense, is of God, himself shall reward thee openly. Note, They who in their alms-giving study to approve themselves to God, only turn themselves over to him for their Paymaster. The hypocrite catches at the shadow, but the upright man makes sure of the substance. Observe how emphatically it is expressed; himself shall reward, he will himself be the Rewarder, Heb. 11. 6. Let him alone to make if up in kind or kindness; nay, he will himself be the Reward, (Gen. 15. 1.) thine exceeding great reward. He will reward thee as thy Father, not as a master who gives his servant just what he earns, and no more, but as a father who gives abundantly more, and without stint, to his son that serves him. Nay, he shall reward thee openly, if not in the present day, yet in the great day; then shall every man have praise of God, open praise, thou shalt be confessed before men. If the work be not open, the reward shall, and that is better.
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 maybe seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. 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 vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
In prayer we have more immediately to do with God than in giving alms, and therefore are yet more concerned to be sincere, which is what we are here directed to. When thou prayest; (v. 5. ) it is taken for granted that all the disciples of Christ pray. As soon as ever Paul was converted, behold, he prayeth. You may as soon find a living man that does not breathe, as a living christian that does not pray. For this shall every one that is godly pray. If prayerless, then graceless. "Now, when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are, nor do as they do." (v. 2.) Note, Those who would not do as the hypocrites do in their way and actions, must not be as the hypocrites are in their frame and temper. He names nobody, but it appears by ch. 23. 13. that by the hypocrites here he means especially the Scribes and Pharisees.
Now there were two great faults they were guilty of in prayer, against each of which we are here cautioned—vain-glory; (v. 5, 6.) and vain repetitions, v. 7, 8.
I. We must not be proud and vain-glorious in prayer, nor aim at the praise of men. And here observe,
1. What was the way and practice of the hypocrites. In all their exercises of devotion, it was plain the chief thing they aimed at was to be commended by their neighbours, and thereby to make an interest for themselves. When they seemed to soar upwards in prayer, (and if it be right, it is the soul's ascent toward God,) yet even then their eye was downwards upon this as their prey. Observe,
(1.) What the places were which they chose for their devotion; they prayed in the synagogues, which were indeed proper places for public prayer, but not for personal. They pretended hereby to do honour to the place of their assemblies, but intended to do honour to themselves. They prayed in the corners of the streets, the broad streets, (so the word signifies,) which were most frequented. They withdrew
