thy right hand doth: 4. That thine alms may be in fecret: and thy Father which feeth in fecret, bimfelf fhall reward thee openly. 5. And when thou prayeft,thou fhalt not be as the bypocrites are: for they love to pray ftanding in the Synagogues, and in the corners of Streets, that they may be feen of men. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward. 6. But thou when thou prayeft, enter into thy clofet, and when thou hast but thy door, pray to thy Father which is in fecret,and thy Father which feeth in fecret, hallrewardthee openly. Father, who fees and obferves that you have only an Eye to him in it, will reward you openly in the great Day of Judgment. 5. In Prayer likewife, do not imitate thofe Hypocrites, who chufe to pray in the moft publick Places, and with a Defign to be taken Notice of, and admired, or trufted and preferred by the World, as Men of great Piety and Devotion. This, I affure you, is the only Reward they are to expect. 6. Instead of this Vain-glory and Oftentation, do ye contrive to perform your fecret Devotions as quietly as poffibly ye can, retired from Company and Bufinefs: And God, who is never excluded from the most fecret Place, fhall publickly reward you before Men and Angels, in the Judgment of the great Day. 7. Ano 7. But when ye pray, ufe not 7. Another Thing in their Prayers, which Hypocrites va vain repetitions, lue themfelves upon, is the great as the Heathen Length of them, and the feem do: for they thinking Zeal of their frequent Re that they fhall be beard for their much speaking. petitions; a Cuftom the Heathen likewife follow, as believing their gods are to be prevailed upon by Clamour and Noife. 8. But do not ye imitate them in this; for it is neither to inform nor to perfuade God, that Prayers are defigned; for he knows all your Wants before ye ask him. And therefore your Prayers fhould be contrived in a Way moft fuitable to his Honour, and your Good. A 9. And that ye may know the better in what Manner this Duty of Prayer is to be performed; let it be in fome general, fhort, fubmiffive and important Petitions, like thefe following. "O Father of Angels "and Men, who art both able "and ready to help and relieve thy poor Creatures, the first Thing we defire of thee is, "that all Things may be con"trived for thy Honour and Glory; and that we and all thy Servants may be directed. "to the best Methods for pro-. "moting 66 10. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in beaven. 11. Give us this day our daily bread. 12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. moting it; and that all our "other Petitions may be regu "lated and limited by it." 10. Next we pray that the Gospel may be propagated all the World over; and that the good Effects of it may appear in the Obedience and holy Lives of the Profeffors of it, which we defire may be daily improving to higher Degrees of Perfection; that it may come as near as is poffible for human Infirmity, to the ready, chearful Obedience of the Angels in Heaven. II. Further we beseech thee in thy good Providence to fupply us with fuch a Competency of worldly Neceffaries, as thou knoweft will beft fuit our prefent Condition and Circumftances. 12. And forgive us our Sins, as we forgive those who have injured us. 13. And keep us out of the Way of Temptation to Sin; and when we are under the Power of it, deliver us from the Sin to which we are then tempted, and from all other Snares of the Devil. encouraged to put up We are these Pe Amen. titions 14. For if ye forgive men their trefpaffes, your beavenly Father will alfo forgive you. 15. But if ye forgive not men their trefpales, neither will your Father forgive your trefpaffes. 16. Moreover when ye faft, be not as the hypocrites, of a fad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may titions to thy holy Majefty; for thou art our King, we thy Subjects; we are weak Creatures, but thou art Omnipotent; and all thefe Petitions, as they make for our Benefit, fo they aim at thy Honour and Glory, in which we defire all our Prayers may terminate for ever and ever, So be it. 14. It is not in vain that to the Petition for Pardon of Sin, I teach you to add this Limitation, As ye forgive them that injure you; for this is a fettled Rule that God has set, and most neceffary for you to remember, even in your Prayers and Devotions, that if ye are of a merciful forgiving Temper, God will forgive you. 15. But if ye are hard-hearted and revengeful, ye are by no Means to expect Mercy and Forgiveness at his Hands. 16. And now the fame Caution I have given you againft Oftentation and Vainglory, in the Duties of Almsgiving and Prayer, ye are to obferve likewife in the Duty of Fafting. Do not put on a demure fad Look, as the Hypo crite may appear unto men to fast. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward. 17. But thou, when thou fafteft, anoint thine head, and wash thy face. 18. That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in fecret: and thy Father which feeth in fecret, ball reward thee openly. 19. Lay not up for your felves treasures upon earth, where moth and ruft doth corrupt,and where thieves break through and steal. crites do, when they fast, that they may be taken Notice of by Men, and receive the Applaufe of mortified Perfons. This is what they aim at; and it is all the Reward they shall have. 17. But ye, my Difciples, when ye faft, appear in your ufual, cleanly, and gay Garb and Drefs. 18. Like Men who aim not at the fetting off their Devotion and Mortification to the World, but are content with the Eye and Approbation of Almighty God; who will openly reward in the Day of Judgment, the good Things which he beholds thus fincerely done in secret. 19. Another Part of the Pharifaical Spirit I must caution you againft, is that of their Covetousness and Anxiety as to the World. Strive not fo much to lay up Treasures of earthly Things; to have Wardrobes full of rich Clothes and Furniture; Granaries well replenished with all forts of Grain; and Chefts and Cabinets well stored with Money and Jewels; all which are fubject to divers Accidents |