After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses._ 1. IN the preceding chapter our Lord has described inward religion, in its various branches. He has laid before us those dispositions of soul, which constitute real Christianity: the inward tempers contained in that holiness, _without_ which _no man shall see the_ Lord; the affections which, when flowing from their proper fountain, from a living faith in God thro’ _Christ Jesus_, are intrinsically and essentially good, and acceptable to God. He proceeds to shew in this chapter, how all our actions likewise, even those that are indifferent in their own nature, may be made holy and good and acceptable to God, by a pure and holy intention. Whatever is done without this, he largely declares, is of no value before God. Whereas, whatever outward works are thus consecrated to God, they are in his sight of great price. 2. The necessity of this purity of intention, he shews first, with regard to those, which are usually accounted religious actions, and indeed are such, when performed with a right intention. Some of these are commonly termed works of piety; the rest, works of charity or mercy. Of the latter sort, he particularly names almsgiving; of the former, prayer and fasting. But the directions given for these are equally to be applied to every work, whether of charity or mercy. I. 1. And first, with regard to works of mercy. _Take heed_, saith he, _that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them. Otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. That ye do not your alms._ Altho’ this only is named, yet is every work of charity included, every thing which we give, or speak, or do, whereby our neighbour may be profited, whereby another man may receive any advantage, either in his body or soul. The feeding the hungry, the cloathing the naked, and entertaining or assisting the stranger, the visiting those that are sick or in prison, the comforting the afflicted; the instructing the ignorant, the reproving the wicked, the exhorting and encouraging the well-doer; and if there be any other work of mercy, it is equally included in this direction.