Matthew 6:1 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

MATTHEW CHAPTER 6 Matthew 6:1-4 Christ continuing his sermon, giveth directions about alms giving, Matthew 6:5-13 prayer, Matthew 6:14-15 forgiving our brethren, Matthew 6:16-18 fasting, Matthew 6:19-21 laying up treasure in heaven, Matthew 6:22-23 keeping a single eye, Matthew 6:24-31 and exhorteth not to be anxious about worldly things, but principally to seek God's kingdom and righteousness. Alms are any acts of kindness freely done by us for the relief of any that are in distress and misery, which, when they are done from a principle of love to God, his precepts commanding them, obedience in faith to his promises made to the giving of them, and that he may be glorified, are truly good works, acts of religion, and acceptable to God, Acts 10:31, though meritorious of nothing from him; otherwise they are merely acts of humanity and morality, to the reward of which God is by no promise obliged. Therefore Christ's disciples are obliged to take heed, that in the doing of their alms, though they may do them before men, God may he glorified, Philippians 2:15 1 Peter 2:12; yet they do them not before men on purpose that they should take notice of them, and applaud them for them, for God rewardeth no action of which he is not the end.