Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 23:14

14 Woe unto you scribes, and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye devour widows houses, and for a pretence make long prayers, therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Mark hath the same, Ch. 12.40. and Luke Ch. 20.47. If any should think that Long Prayers are here condemned, he will be Confuted, by Luke 6.12. where he will find that our Saviour continued all Night in Prayer to God. It is the end of their long Prayers, which alone our Saviour blameth, their making them a Pretence to devour Widows Houses. Which whether they did as interested in the Civil Power (in which it is certain the Pharisees amongst the Jews were imployed) or by Vertue of their Ecclesiastical Power, or Influence, perswading silly Women to give them their E[illegible: 1 letter]tates, or at least to give them a great part of them, to the Service of the Tabernacle, that they might pray for their Souls, was an Abomination to God, not only for the Hopocrify of such Prayers designed for another end than they pretended, but because God had taken upon him the special care[illegible: 1 letter] and protection of the Widows. As our Saviour had before blamed their Religious Acts for the Ostentation in them, seeking only their own Honour, and Applause: So he here blameth them for their Covetous design in them.

Marginal references: 2 Tim. 3.6. Tit. 1.11.