An exposition on the Lord's prayer with a catechistical explication thereof, by way of…

In this Chapter, which contains in it a great part of our Saviour's Sermon on the Mount, our Lord lays before his Hearers several Directions concerning two necessary Duties in a Christian's Practice; and they are Alms-giving and Prayer; the former a Duty relating more immediately unto Men; the latter a Duty in a more especial manner respecting God himself; in both which he not only cautions us against, but strictly forbids all Ostentation and Vain-Glory. Therefore, says he, when thou dost thine Alms, do not sound a Trumpet before thee, for this is the Practice of Hypocrites, that they may have Glory of Men, verse 2. And when thou prayest be not as the Hypocrites, for they love to pray in the Synagogues, and Corners of the Streets, that they may be seen of Men, verse 5. Thus must we not do in either of these Cases: For as we must not give Alms that we may be seen of Men, so neither must we pray that we may be heard and observed of Men: For what can be more absurd and ridiculous, as well as wicked and impious, than to be begging Applause from some, when we are giving Alms to others; or whilst we are praying to the great God of Heaven and Earth, to make frail mortal Men, like our selves, our Idols; which we do, whensoever we pray, rather that we may be heard and admired by Men, than that God should hear us and accept us.

In the next words our Saviour proceeds in laying down some other Directions concerning the Duty of Prayer, and therein he forbids his Hearers to use vain Repetitions in Prayer: verse 7. When you Pray, use not vain Repetitions as the Heathens do. Not that all Repetitions in Prayer are vain babblings, in the sight of God; for our Lord himself Prayed thrice using the same words, for so we read Matth. 26. and 44. For doubtless as Copiousness and Variety of fluent Expressions in any, usually flow from raised Affections; ⟨p. 4⟩so when those Affections are heightened and raised to an Ecstasy and Agony of Soul in our wrestlings with God in Prayer, Ingeminations are then the most Proper and most Elegant way of expressing them, doubling and redoubling the same Petitions again and again; not allowing God (if I may so speak with Holy Reverence) so much time, nor our selves so much leisure, as to form in our minds, much more with our Lips to offer up any new requests, till by a Holy Violence in wrestling with God, we have extorted out of his hands those Mercies and Blessings our Hearts are set upon the suing to him for. Vain Repetitions therefore are such as are made use of by any without new and lively Stirrings and Motions of the Heart and Affections at the same time. And that which makes a Prayer vain, makes a Repetition in Prayer to be vain also. Now that is a vain Prayer, and we shall certainly find it so, when the requests we offer up to God therein, are heartless and lifeless. For we must know, God hath Commanded us to Pray; not that he might be excited and moved by hearing the Voice of our Cries in Prayer, to give unto us those Mercies and Blessings, which he himself was not resolved before hand to bestow upon us; but that we our selves might be fitted and prepared to receive from him, what he is always ready and willing to confer upon us. He requires Prayer from us, not that he might be affected therewith; for as the Apostle St. James tells us, With him there is no variableness nor shadow of turning,