God would continue the truth of his will to vs and to our posteritie for euer The second Conclusion Whosoeuer shall keepe them and teach men so the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen that is hee shall bee honoured in the Church of God and esteemed a worthie member thereof because by this meanes he endeauoureth to keepe the law vnchangeable for euer In this conclusion two points are to be considered the office of a faithfull Teacher and his reward his office is two-fold First in his owne person hee must be a doer of Gods commandements Secondly in his publike Ministerie hee must teach men so to doe Here first obserue the order of these duties Doing must goe before Teaching This order Christ propounds and that doubtlesle on speciall grounds First because a man cannot with ioy and comfort fitly teach others before himselfe bee a doer of the thing hee teacheth for if a man teach others from the instruction of the spirit hee shall finde his owne heart inclined by the same spirit to the obedience of the word he teacheth Againe the experience of the fruite and efficacie of the word in his owne person is the best Commentarie a man can haue for the opening of it vnto others The writings of men with the knowledge of artes and tongues are excellent helpes yet if a man want the spirit of God framing his heart to beleeue and obey the word hee teacheth whereby he should become a doer of it doubtlesse the word wil seeme but a dreame or riddle vnto him neither can he fitly apply the same vnto others hauing neuer had experience of it in his owne soule This then should mooue all Ministers and such as set themselues to this calling first and chiefly to labour to become doers of the word themselues other helpes of learning are to bee fought for with all diligence to make them fit and able Ministers of so great mysteries but especially they must labour for the spirit of grace to frame their hearts to embrace and their liues to obey the word which they teach that so they may be fitted according to our Sauiour Christs direction Now this spirit is attained by knocking ut heaâ—â—n gates by praier Luke 11. 13. and by opening the doore of our hearts when our Sauiour Christ knocketh thereat by his woâ—d Reuel 3. 20. Secondly in â—aying downe this dutie our Sauiour Christ propoundeth a singular comfort to such faithfull Ministers as be grieued with the vntowardnesse of their people hee propoundeth not the conuersion of the people as a propertie of a faithfull Teacher but the doing and teaching of the will and word of God And doubtlesse a man may bee a faithful Teacher and yet not conuert many vnto God hence the Prophet complaines that hee had laboured in vaine and spent his strength in vaine nay the same Prophet is sent to blinde the eies of his people to make them dull of hearing and to harden their hearts by his Ministerie which was a heauie case but yet that saying of the Apostle Paul must be remembred that howsoeuer vnto some his Ministerie was the sauour of death yet vnto God it was alwaies the sweet sauour of Christ So that a Minister mourning truely for his people to see their hardnes of heart may comfort himselfe with this that in a good conscience hee endeauoureth to obey the word of God and to teach men so II. Point The reward of a faithfull Teacher is this hee shall bee counted great in the kingdome of heauen that is he shall be honoured and counted worthie to bee a member of Christs Church both in this life and in the life to come This must be remembred to incite all Ministers to become faithfull Teachers both in life and doctrine To get respect in Princes courts is much sought after on earth O then how should this high respect with God preuaile in our hearts to incite vs to be faithfull in this calling Verse 20. For I say vnto you except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen These words are commonly taken to bee a Reason of the former verse by way of answer to a secret obiection which the Iewes might frame there-from to this effect Thou saiest whosoeuer breaketh one of these least commandements and teach men so shall be called least in the kingdome of heauen But our Teachers the Scribes and Pharises looke to haue chiefe place in the kingdome of heauen and yet if thy doctrine be true they breake Gods commandements and teach others so to doe Now here-to Christ should answer thus I say vnto you except your righteousnesse exceedes theirs ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heauen But if we marke well the words may more fitly be referred to the 17. verse as a third reason to prooue that Christ came not to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them because he exacts at euery mans hands a more perfect and exact righteousnesse then that which the Scribes and Pharises either haue in themselues or require in others without which no man can enter into the kingdome of heauen In this verse are three points to be handled First what these Scribes and Pharises were Secondly what was their Righteousnesse and thirdly what is that true Righteousnesse whereby a man may enter into the kingdome of heauen and stand iust before God For the first a Scribe is a name of office whereof there were two sorts among the Iewes Ciuill who as Publike Notaries did register the affaires of Princes and such a one was Shimshai Ezra 4. 8. And Ecclesiasticall who were imployed in the expounding of the Scripture such a one was Ezra Ezra 7. 1 5 6. And those of whom our Sauiour Christ saith Matth. 13. 52. Euery Scribe taught vnto the kingdome of heauen is like a good housholder and Matthew 32. 2. the Scribes and Phraises sit in Moses chaire that is they are expounders of the law of Moses And such Scribes are meant in this place to wit men in Ecclesiasticall office descending from the tribe of Leuie who expounded the Law vnto the people and these were all one with the Priests and Leuites vnder the Law and therefore Ezra is called both a Scribe and Priest Nehem. 8. 1 2. The name Pharise betokeneth a sect not an office for there were three speciall sects among the Iewes The Essenes the Sadduces and Pharises The Essenes were like Popish Monkes and Friers which did separate themselues from the people vowing and dedicating themselues to liue in perpetuall sanctitie The Sadduces were a sect that did expound the law according to the letter and syllable and with-all denied the resurrection and the immortalitie of the soule as is plaine Acts 23 8. The Pharises were such as did forsake the common exposition of the Scribes and taught and framed a more exact
and strict exposition of the Law according to the traditions of the Fathers and they were most holy outwardly and of chiefe account among the Iewes and therefore the Apostle Paul saith that after the most strict sect of their religion he liued a Pharisâ—â— that he was a Pharise the sonne of a Pharise Yet besides these there were another sect called HerodiaÌ„s who as some think were courtiers which held taught that Herod was the Messias And thus we see what the Scribes and Pharises were whome Christ here ioyneth together for amplification sake vnderstanding thereby such teachers among the Iewes Priests and Levites as liued after the most strait custome of the Pharisies for the Pharisies were by office Scribes as we may plainely see by comparing together Ioh. 1. 19. with v. 24. where the Priests and Leuites who were Scribes as we haue shewed are called Pharisies II. Point What was that righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisies which is here so debased as beeing vnable to bring a man to heauen By the tenour of Scripture it will appeare that it was an externall righteousnes onely standing in the outward obseruation of the law for they were carefull to abstaine from actuall grosse sinnes as whoredome theft murther idolatrie and such like and they were very forward in fasting praying and giuing of almes openly and in keeping the traditions and ceremonies of the Elders and in all things to carrie themselues in shew conformable to the law but the inward righteousnes of the heart they nothing regarded thinking that perfect righteousnes consisted in outward obedience by that they looked to be saued as it is said Rom. 10. 2. neglecting vtterly the righteousnes of God In these Scribes and Pharisies we may obserue what is the naturall perswasion of man touching righteousnes to wit that an outward righteousnes will serue the turne and therefore euery man naturally contents himselfe therewith and hence it is that men will bring their bodies vsually to the place of Gods worship to pray to heare the word and receiue the Sacraments but few haue care to bring their hearts with them that they may inwardly worship God in spirit and truth so likewise many are content to rest from their ordinarie labours on the Sabbath day but few are carefull to consecrate their rest vnto God men be carefull to abstaine from actuall murther but few make conscience of malice hatred reuiling and quarelling many hate theft that yet will not sticke to robbe their neighbours of their good name by vile reports many are ashamed to robbe openly that make no bones to deceiue by false weights and measures by glosses and such like and yet all these will blesse themselues with their outward righteousnes and think all is well not doubting but they shall be saued by it though they haue no more but this is Pharisaicall pride and folly for all such outward righteousnes is here condemned as vnable to saue the soule Againe here wee may see the palpable and grosse opinion of all worldly men euen of those who coÌ„monly are called honest men if they be told of their sinnes of the danger of daÌ„nation except they repent their answer is they are no theeues no murtherers no grosse sinners and therefore they hope God will saue them for they liue orderly and doe no man wrong but let all such take heede lest they deceiue their owne soules for this ciuill honestis was the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises which could neither bring them nor any other into the kingdome of heauen as Christ the God of truth saith expresly in this place To giue almes to fast to praie and to deale vprightly with men be very good things but yet wee must labour for more then these if euer wee meane to come to heauen wee must get another righteousnesse of the heart renouncing vtterly our owne righteousnesse in the matter of Iustification and condemne our selues for our best actions that so we may be fit to receiue that true righteousnesse which will commend vs vnto God III. Point What is that true righteousnesse which will bring a man to heauen Answ. It is the righteousnesse of Christ 1. Cor. 1. 30. for Christ is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse yea hee was made sinne for vs that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him This is that righteousnesse which exceedes the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises and whereby a sinner doth stand iust before God for when as by Adams fall wee all became guiltie of sinne and thereby subiect to the curse of God and to eternall condemnation from which we could neuer haue deliuered our selues then it pleased Christ to come from the bosome of his father and to become our suretie and Sauiour who in his life became obedient to the law for vs and in and by death vpon the crosse suffered whatsoeuer was due vnto our sinnes which obedience and satisfaction beeing made by him that was both God and man was alone all-sufficient both to free vs from the curse of the law and also to iustifie vs before God and this righteousnesse of Christ is that which exceeds the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises and is able to bring a man to heauen Yet further for our Iustification Christs righteousnesse hath three parts the puritie of his humane nature the integritie and obedience of his life and the merit of his sufferings vpon the crosse and all this must be ours to answer for our corrupt nature and sinnefull life deseruing a cursed death Here some make question how Christs righteousnesse can be ours and how one mans righteousnes can saue so many thousands Answ. Christs righteousnes is not the righteousnes of a meere man for then it could saue but one at the most but it is the righteousnesse of that person who is both God and man and therfore is an infinit righteousnes of merit sufficient to saue a thousand worlds But some here say If Christs righteousnesse bee ours then we are as righteouse as Christ Answ. The same righteousnesse that is in Christ is ours but not in the same manner or measure for Christ hath it by merit and action of himselfe we haue it onely by mercie and imputation it is in Christ as a roote and fountaine in vs by reception and application like the light in the Moone and in the Starres which is not in them originally but receiued from the Sunne the fountaine thereof Thirdly it is said If we by Christs righteousnesse be iustified and made the sonnes of God then is Christ by our sinnes made vniust and so the childe of the diuell Answer We may safely say that Christ was made a sinner by our sinnes not actually but by imputation now hence it will not follow that hee should bee the childe of the diuell for that commeth by the acte and habite of sinning after
how to correct and reforme our foolish conceite we haue of men in the world We thinke of those that haue worldly wisdome to be able to goe beyond others in the greater affaires of this life that they are the onely men deseruing best place of gouernment both in Church and common wealth But we must know that these men though they haue neuer so good heads for the things of this life yet if they faile in the knowledge of this dutie to God or in the practise thereof are here by our Sauiour Christ noted with the brand of follie The rich man in the Gospel had notable forecast for the augmenting of his wealth when his substance increased he could pull downe his barnes and make them greater but yet because he failed in the maine point of his saluation he is noted for a rich foole Luk. 12. 20. And therefore in all sorts and estates of men he is the wisest who hath grace to know and answerably to obey the will of God II. This must excite vs to a carefull endeauour after true obedience to God in all his commandements We all desire to be freed from the reproach of folly among men and we take it for a great disgrace to be counted fooles well if we would auoid this ignominie indeede let vs be willing to heare and carefull to obey the word of Christ both in thought word and deede otherwise let men iudge as they list God will account vs fooles III. Point The practise of this follie which consists in this that he builds his house vpon the sands whereby is signified another thing concerning the soule namely to build our saluation vpon insufficient foundation and that doth euery hearer of Gods word that makes not conscience of obedience for profession is as it were the erecting or rearing of an house and the not performing obedience withall is the setting of this house vpon the sands There be three sorts of men that thus build vpon the sands I. The Papist that will be iustified and saued by Christ but yet withall he must haue works of grace to concurre for the increase of his iustification and for the accomplishment of his saluation Now this is to build vpon the sands when we ioyne workes with Christ in the matter of saluation for though Christ be a sure rocke in himselfe yet if we will fortifie him by our works we fall from this rocke into perdition and our foundation is no better then sand Gal. 5. 2. Behold I Paul say vnto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing and v. 4 Ye are fallen from Christ whosoeuer will be iustified by the law in which â—laces the Apostle labours to ouerthrow the opinion of the Galatians learned of the false Apostles which was to ioyne works with Christ in the matter of iustification Rom. 9. 32. Christ became vnto the Iewes a rocke of offence when as they would be saued by the works of the law A second sort that build vpon the sands are the common Protestants by whome I meane such as beare the name of Christians and yet rest themselues contented and satisfied with their ciuill liues thinking that because they abstaine from outward euill and grosse sinnes and doe no man wrong therefore God will hold them excused whereupon they professe religion more for obedience to the lawes of men then for conscience to God But this will not serue the turne these men though they professe Christ outwardly yet in deede they denie him for by their course though it may be they thinke not so they will needes become Sauiours and so Christs vnto themselues which thing they doe when as they stay themselues on their owne ciuill life The Scribes and Pharisies for outward actions were very godly and many of them liued vnblameably but yet Christ saith to his Disciples Math. 5. 20. Except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisies ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen 1. Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing by my selfe saith Paul and yet I am not thereby iustified this was a notable thing for a man to walke so vprightly in his calling that his conscience could not accuse him of any offence against God or man and yet this is nothing in the matter of Iustification because euery man therein must answer to God The third sort of those that build vpon the sand is the Protestant that is more forward in religion then the former I meane such as doe heare the word and receiue it with ioy bringing forth some good fruit thereof It had beene hard I must confesse to haue called such men foolish builders vnles Iesus Christ had reuealed them to be such and yet that these doe build on the sand it is plaine in the parable of the seede that fell on stonie ground Luke 8. 13. whereby are resembled such men as heare Gods word and receiue it with ioy and bring forth some fruit but yet in the time of temptation doe fal away for though they professed Christ yet they were not founded on him they wanted sound humilitie and true faith which want in the time of peace they could not espie Uses I. Seeing that men which heare and receiue the word of God with ioy may build on a fandie foundation we must pray to God for this one blessing that he would write his word in our hearts by the finger of his spirit as he writ the law on the tables of stone in Mount Sina for our hearts are deceitfull and will counterfeit grace till the time of triall come now God hath promised this blessing to his Church in the new Testament and therefore we must pray for it that hauing his law written in our hearts we may be the doers of it II. This must mooue vs to looke vnto the deceitfulnes of our hearts for faire shewes will not serue the turne in time of triall and our hearts be deceitfull aboue all things for when a man shall receiue the word with ioy and bring forth some fruit thereof how should he not thinke himselfe to be in a good case and yet in time of triall this will disappoint him and deceiue him Wherefore we must looke that in our profession we carie a true heart vnto God and to our selues and for this cause must see that we be throughly humbled in our selues for our sinnes that we may make God and his feare to be our chiefe treasure for which cause we must remember that we are not our owne but Gods and so must not haue the disposing of our selues but subiect our selues wholly to his will in all things and if thus we make him our treasure we shall be sure to make him our rocke also III. We must not content our selues only to know Christ to be our Sauiour and to imbrace religion in profession but we must labour further to feele in our selues the power of Christs death to mortifie sinn in vs and
finished till death So then it is plaine there is a perfection in the child of God though ioyned with much weakenesse euen in this life his nature is perfect being renued in soule to sound iudgement to an honest heart and a good conscience his actions are perfect in Gods acceptance through Christ while he bewailes his imperfection and endeauours sincerely to please God in all things This is that which Christ enioynes to his Disciples this we must labour for if we wil resemble our heauenly father we can get no higher in this life but let vs attaine to this and in the life to come we shall bee perfect in degrees for then our regeneration shall be accomplished But herein men faile and come short of their dutie as first all those that spend their strength and wit to get the things of this world these men little thinke of this perfection which the Lord requires in his children it may be they will heare the word but yet their hearts are so glued to the earth earthly things that they sauour not of regeneration they know not what it meanes but if they will be Gods children they must follow Iehosaphat 2. Chro. 17. 6. who lift vp his heart to the waies of the Lord for that is the meanes to come to perfection Secondly those also are reprooued that content themselues with a small measure of knowledge and doe not striue after perfection as Christ requireth how can they haue a sound iudgement which studie not to know the doctrine of the Scripture Thirdly that generall want of Christian perfection is here reproued when men content themselues to yeeld respect to the outward duties of the first Table that concerne Gods worship and yet neglect the duties of the second Table that concerne their brethren in generall and pertaine to their functions and callings in particular This is a common fault in Magistrates Ministers Parents Masters Seruants c. they will be Christians in the Church but they neglect to shew the power thereof in their callings but this is a grieuous want of sincerity which makes them farre vnlike their heauenly father for hee is euer like himselfe and therefore looke what men professe in Gods worship that must they practise in their callings A magistrate must be a Christian vpon the Bench as well as in the Church in the administration of iustice as well as in the Congregation and so must Ministers Masters and all estates God allowes not of their seruice in the Church that serue their wicked lusts at home Ierem. 7. 9 10. Gods sacrifices vnder the law must be whole and sound not halt and lame or maimed and such should our obedience be vnder the Gospel with sincere respect to all Gods commandements It profited Herod little to heare Iohn gladly and to doe many things so long as he kept his brothers wife nor Iudas to follow Christ while his heart was vpon the bagge Let our practise of religion therefore shew forth the truth of our publike profession and so shall we in some sort resemble our heauenly Father Chap. 6. Vers. 1. Take heede that you giue not your Almes before men to be seene of them or else yee shall haue no reward of your Father which is in heauen IN the former Chapter the Euangelist hath faithfully recorded three parts of our Sauiour Christs Sermon and here hee beginneth the fourth which reacheth to the nineteenth verse of this Chapter wherein our Sauiour Christ goeth about to reforme his hearers of all abuses in doing good workes and hee instanceth in these three Almes deedes Praier and Fasting not so much commanding them as giuing direction for the right manner of performing them so as they may be acceptable vnto God From the first verse to the fift hee intreateth of Almes deedes propounding two seuerall commandements touching the manner of giuing Almes The first is in this 1. verse Take heed that you giue not your Almes before men to be seene of them which he enforceth by an effectuall reason in the words following or else re shall haue no reward of your Father which is in heauen And then exemplifieth it by a particular example of a corrupt manner of giuing Almes borrowed from the ambitions practise of the Scribes and Pharisies v. 2. The second commandement touching Almes giuing is in the 3. verse whereof he renders a reason in the 4. verse For the first commandement Take heed c. This may seeme to bee repugnant to that precept giuen before Chap. 1. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes But here is no contrarietie if we marke well for in the former chapter wee are commanded to doe good workes before men that they may see them and glorifie God for the same Now here wee are not forbidden simply to doe good workes before men but to doe them before men for this ende to haue our praise of men that we might be glorified for doing them howsoeuer it went with God Before we come to the Rule the words are somewhat to bee scanned for whereas we read them thus Giue not your Almes before men c. Some ancient Churches after other copies and translations read them thus Doe not your righteousnesse or iustice before men which must not seeme strange that in Gods booke there should be diuers readings for in former ages before Printing was inuented the Scriptures of God were conuaied from hand to hand by meanes of writing now they that writ out the copies of Scripture did now and then mistake some words and letters by negligence or ignorance and put one thing for another whereupon doe come these diuers readings yet wee must not thinke that the word of God is hereby maimed or made imperfect for the true sense of the holy Ghost remains sound perfect though it may be we cānot discerne of the right reading And the sense of Scripture is rather to bee iudged the word of God then the words and letters thereof Now it beeing here vncertaine whether reading to follow for either of them containe a sense conuenient to the place therfore I will exclude neither but from them both propound this instruction That the giuing of Almes is Iustice and a part of Righteousnesse which God requires at our hands This the Apostle sheweth plainely out of the Psalmes 2. Cor. 9. 9. He hath distributed and giuen to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer And in common reason it must be so for a man is but a Steward ouer the goods which hee possesseth the poore with whom hee liueth hath title to part thereof and he must giue vnto them by Gods expresse commandement so as vnlesse he giue in some sort he plaies the thiefe robs the poore by keeping backe that which is their due In regard whereof we must learne first to acknowledge that prouiding of maintenance for the poore is not a worke of
praiest in secret that is as though thou wert in secret intending onely to approoue thine heart vnto God in praier then thy father seeth thee he knowes thine heart and heares thy praier This is verefied by the example of Ionas who was heard praying in the Whales bellie of Daniel praying in the Lyons denne and of Moses who is said to crie vnto the Lord when as he praied onely in heart The vse of this point is manifold 1. It serueth to admonish vs that when wee pray wee must in singlenesse of heart bring our selues into Gods presence and heartily and truely put vp our requests vnto God so as we may approoue vnto him both our hearts and our prayers for there is nothing in our prayers that can be hid from God and therefore we must not content our selues with the thing done but labour so to pray that God may be well pleased with the manner thereof Secondly hereby we are taught to make conscience not only of our doings and speeches but euen of our very thoughts and that in secret places for though we may conceale the same from men yet we cannot couer them from the eies of God he is inuisible and yet all things are naked before him Thirdly this prooueth that no prayer can lawfully be made to the virgin Marie or to any other Saint departed for he alone is to bee called vpon in praier who sees in secret but God onely sees in secret neither the virgin Marie nor any other of the Saints can see in secret and therefore praier is to be made to none but to God alone The Papists answer that Saints departed see in secret though not of themselues yet by God and in God but that is false the Angels before their fall saw not their own future fal nor the fall of man The blessed Angels in heauen know not now the time and day of the last iudgement yea the Saints departed lie vnder the Altar crying how long Lord beeing ignorant of the time of their full redemption and therfore the Saints departed see not in secret The second reason drawne from Gods promised bountie is in these words shall reward thee openly that is shall repay thee for thy praier in the day of iudgement before the Saints and holy Angels as we expouÌ„ded the same words in the fourth verse This is a notable reason to induce men to pray in a true and holy manner wherein we may see the endlesse mercie of God vouchsafed to them that pray aright if any subiect put vp a supplication to his earthly Prince he takes it for a speciall fauour if the Prince vouchsafe to admit him to his presence behold here the King of Kings will not onely vouchsafe vs accesse vnto the throne of his grace when wee put vp our supplications vnto him but if we pray aright he doth hold himselfe indebted vnto vs for the same and promiseth one day to reward vs openly This farâ—e exceedes the loue of all creatures in heauen and earth no Prince is so kinde and gratious to his best subiects as the Lord is to all that call vpon him in spirit and truth From this place the Papists would gather that prayer is a worke that merits at Gods hand eternall life for thus they reason Where there is repaying by way of reward there is something done which meriteth but vnto prayer there is a repaying therefore it doth merit at Gods hand Answ. Reward is due to man two waies either by desert or of free gift and promise now in this place God will reward man for his prayers not for their desert but of his owne free will and grace because he hath promised so to doe That this is so may thus appeare If a Begger should aske an almes of any man it were absurd to say that the begger by asking did deserue the almes and so stands the case for the merit of our prayers thereby we beg things at Gods hands and therefore can no more merit thereby then the begger can deserue his almes by asking nay rather we may gather hence that Gods rewarding them that pray proceedes from his owne free grace alone for prayer properly is a worke of man vnto God wherein man giues nothing vnto God as the Iewes did in the sacrifices or as is done in some other spiritual sacrifices of the new Testament but onely asketh and receiueth some thing from God and therefore cannot hereby merit any thing at Gods hands And by this may all other places be expounded where reward is promised to mans worke Lastly note the phrase here vsed he shall reward thee openly that is at the last day whence I gather that till the day of iudgement no seruant of God shall fully reape the fruite and benefit of his praiers This must bee well considered of all that haue care to call vpon God vnfainedly for many times after long and earnest praier we feele little or no comfort whereby we may be brought to dislike our estate as though God had no respect vnto vs but we must know that God doth often long deferre to reward his seruants that praie vnto him not doubt but Zacharie and Elizabeth prayed for 〈◊〉 in their yonger age and yet they were not heard till they were both oldeâ— and Dauid saith his eies failed for waiting on God when hee would accomplish his promise made vnto him this we may also see in the petitions of the Lords prayer for they be all according to his will yet the full fruition of the benefits there asked is reserued to the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ Verse 7. And when you pray vse 〈◊〉 vaine repetitions aâ— the heathen for they thinke to be heard for their much babling Our Sauiour Christ hauing deâ—lt against hypocrisie in prayer doth here come to the second vice which hee intends to reforme therein namely babling consisting in the outward forme of praier The words containe two parts â— commandement and a reason thereof The commandement When ye pray vse nâ— vaine repetitions aâ— the heathen doe where first we must know thâ—â— Christ reproues not repetition in praier simply but needelesse repetitions only for Psal. 51. Dauid doth sundrie times repeat his requests for the pardon of sinne and for sanctification also Moses Elâ—â— and our Sauiour Christ praied fourtie daâ—es together and in these long praiers no doubt vsed many repetitions much lesse can we pray one day together without many repetitions Here then by vaine repetitions is meant babling that is a desire and affectation to vse and speake many words in praier and vnder this one vice are condemned all sinnes of the same kind that is all superstâ—ous multiplication of words in praier as the heathen that is such as were not the people of God but alâ—â—ns from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the couenant of promise In this commandement are condemned many abuses in the manner of