2. But it is not only, the having an eye to the praise of men, which cuts us off from any reward in heaven; which leaves us no room to expect the blessing of God, upon our works whether of piety or mercy. Purity of intention is equally destroyed by a view to any temporal reward whatever. If we repeat our prayers, if we attend the public worship of God, if we relieve the poor, with a view to gain or interest, it is not a whit more acceptable to God, than if it were done with a view to praise. Any temporal view, any motive whatever on this side eternity, any design but that of promoting the glory of God, and the happiness of men, for God’s sake, makes every action, however fair it may appear to men, an abomination unto the Lord. 3. _But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret._ There is a time, when thou art openly to glorify God, to pray and praise him in the great congregation. But when thou desirest more largely and more particularly to make thy requests known unto God, whether it be in the evening or in the morning or at noon-day, _enter into thy closet and shut the door_. Use all the privacy thou canst. (Only leave it not undone, whether thou hast any closet, any privacy or no. Pray to God if it be possible, when none seeth but he: but if otherwise, pray to God.) Thus _pray to thy Father which is in secret_; pour out all thy heart before him. _And thy Father which is in secret, he shall reward thee openly._ 4. _But when ye pray_, even in secret, _use not vain repetitions, as the Heathen do_. μὴ βαττολογήσητε. Do not use abundance of words without any meaning. Say not the same thing over and over again: think not the fruit of your prayers depends on the length of them: like the Heathens; for _they think they shall be heard for their much speaking_. The thing here reproved, is not simply the length, any more than the shortness of our prayers: but, first, length without meaning; the speaking much, and meaning little or nothing: the using (not all repetitions; for our Lord himself prayed thrice, repeating the same words; but) vain repetitions, as the Heathens did, reciting the names of their Gods over and over: as they do among Christians, (vulgarly so called) and not among the papists only, who say over and over the same string of prayers, without ever feeling what they speak: secondly, the thinking to be heard for our much speaking, the fancying God measures prayers by their length, and is best pleased with those which contain the most words, which sound the longest in his ears. These are such instances of superstition and folly, as all who are named by the name of _Christ_, should leave to the Heathens, to them on whom the glorious light of the gospel hath never shined.