If you thus behave your felves, you will be the Imitators of your heavenly Father, and deferve to be ftil'd his Sons: for he is thus beneficent to all men, bleffing Good and Bad alike with the common influence of the Sun and fruitful Showers. But if you love thofe only who have the fame Affection for you, what Reward and Favour can you for this expect from God? Certainly the very Publicans, the worst of Men, return Love for Love. If your Converfation be kind and friendly with thofe only who are of the fame Family or Religion, what do you more than the moft profligate? The very Publicans do the fame. If you confer Benefits on thofe only from whom you have receiv'd,what reafon have you to expect Favour from God on this account? The worst of Men can make the fame boaft. If you lend only to thofe of whom your felves have borrowed, or with a profpect of Intereft, what Reward for this can you expect from God? This is the common practice of S 2. the LUKE. CH A P. VI. ners alfo lend to fin- 35 But love ye your 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father alfo is merciful. JOHN. the World, and the Bad perform good turns mutually towards one another. Act like Friends with your greatest Enemies, confer Benefits, and lend to thofe from whom you expect neither Intereft, nor the like good Offices. In fo doing great will your Reward be from God, and you will be defervedly ftil'd his Sons, in thus imitating him who is beneficent to the Wicked and Ungrateful. If you then aim at Perfection, be full of Pity and Bounty towards thofe from whom you expect nothing, nay fuch as feem to deferve quite another Ufage; for thus your heavenly Father pours down his Benefits upon the Good and Bad, and expreffes his Kindness indifferently to all men. CHAP. Other Difcourfes of Jefus upon the Mount concerning Alms, Prayers, Fafts, the true Treasure, the avoiding an anxious Inquiry into Futu rity, charitable Cenfures, Prudence in preaching the Gospel, the neceffity of Prayer, Loans, the difference between Hypocrites and fincere Profeffors of Religion. Have told you, you ought to be beneficent; but take heed that you do not exercife your Bounty merely to be taken notice of by Men, if you expect any Reward from God, which you will be fruftrated of, if Glory and the Praise of Men be the only thing you aim at. In fuch a cafe your Charity would proceed not from. any true fenfe of the Miseries of the needy, or a willing Obedience to God's Commands, but out of a defire of obtaining the Applause of Men, which if it were the custom to gain by quite contrary Arts, you would not fcruple to make use of them. When therefore you are inclin'd to do good to the Poor, do not make oftentation of it in the Affemblies and publick Places, as the Hypocrites who make, as it were, Proclamation of their Bounties, not that they are really affected with a fenfe of their Duty in this particular, but only to gain the Applaufe of Men, which therefore fhall be the fole Reward of this their Liberality. As for you, let your Charity be done in fecret, and according to the Proverb, Let not your left Hand know what your right Hand doth: Then God, who is a Lover of Sin MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE. JOHN. CHAP. VI. which feeth in fecret, himself fhall reward thee openly. : 5 And when thou prayeft, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are for they love to pray ftanding in the fynagogues, and in the corners of the 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 closet, and when thou haft shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in fecret; and thy Father which feeth in fecret, shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do for they think that they fhall be heard for their much speaking. t8 Be not ye the refore like unto them for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. cerity and Goodwill, and who takes notice of what you act in private, fhall one day beftow a Reward upon you in the prefence of Men and Angels, When you pray to God, do not imitate thofe Diffemblers in Religion, who are wont to ftand praying in the Synagogues and molt frequented Places, not out of any Zeal for Devotion, but to obtain the Character of religious Perfons, which Reputation is all the Reward they will receive. But as for you, when you are difpos'd to pray, let it be in the most retir'd part of your Houfe; and there fhutting the Door, pour forth your Petitions to God, who fall one day publickly reward this your fecret Devotion. In your Prayers do not frequently repeat the fame Words, like the Heathens, and fome of the Jews after their example, who hope to have their Requefts granted, not by a devout Affection of the Mind, but a Multitude of Words. Take heed that you do not imitate them; for God knows what you ftand in need of before you ask him, and is ready to grant the Petitions of thofe only who are of a religious and pious Temper. Now, Now, when you pray, make use of this or a like Form of Prayer: O our heavenly Father, grant that all Mankind may with a holy Awe and Reverence ac knowledg thy Protection and Supremacy over all things, that they may be obedient to thy Will, and execute thy Commands on Earth as readily as the Angels do in Heaven. Give us daily what may fuffice for the fuftenance of Life: pardon our Crimes. committed against thee, as we forgive the failings of other men towards us. Suffer us not to be tempted beyond our ability, but in all Dangers affift us, and fecure our Virtue: For thou art the King of the Univerfe, which thou governest as thou pleaseft by thy Power, and for which all intelligent Creatures ought to give thee eternal Praife. This is the fum of our Withes, which we intreat thou wilt grant unto us. You fee here, you beg that God would give you Forgiveness of your Sins in like manner as you forgive the faults of Men towards you, to fhow you the true way to the obtaining God's Pardon; for unless you your felves are of fuch a merciful difpofition, 'tis in vain for you to expect to appeafe God's Anger.. * When |