1

publickly taken notice of with the highest respect on all occafions, and by this affected fanctity make a property of their devout, but ignorant admirers. The project was to raise their credit and their fortunes; and therefore it was their business to appear righteous outwardly unto men, though within they were full of hypocrify and iniquity. But the fame woes, which upon this very account were with fo much earneftness pronounced, even by the meek and merciful Saviour of the world, against them, are equally level'd against us, if we take not care to excel them in this material article, the fincerity of those principles, by which we do righteousness. * A good man out of the good treasure of the HEART brings forth good things, fays Chrift; representing to us thereby the neceffity of a fincere and rightcous mind, to the production of good and righteous practices: For however otherwise the appearance may be plaufible to the world, and the effect of it vifible and useful, as the alms of a Pharifee may be a true relief to the poor; yet if the defign, which is the act of the heart, be vicious and irregular, the whole action is finful, and the disguise and varnish of it ferves only to aggravate the guilt of the actor. But then,

(3.) IN refpect of the degree and measure of our righteousness, it must have a much more generous compass than that of the Scribes and Pharifees; it muft be an impartial and univerfal righteousness. Let us not think it enough, when we are exact in fome things, and negligent in others; let us not fit down contented with the first and more eafy attainments and imperfect efforts in religion, with having fet out well, and made fome little progrefs in it, or with a formal use of certain means and inftruments of righteousness; but grasp at every

*Matth. xii. 35.

virtue,

virtue, and press forward to perfection in the extent of each particular. And here I might enlarge upon the idle and imperfect religion of feveral forts of people, who never confidering to what severe precepts they are obliged, and what a perfect example they are to imitate, and what mighty aids and affiftances are offered them, and what great rewards are propofed to them; content themselves with low and common measures, fuch as mere nature would teach them, and fuch as no way anfwer the prophecies and defcriptions of that age of righteoufnels, which the Meffiah, the laft and great Prophet, came to inftruct. But I will content

my felf with a few inftances.

FIRST, There are fome who think it fufficient, that they are a little more civilized than the profane and profligate world about them. Thus we find the vain-glorious Pharifee valuing himself, and dreffing up his own character, as he thought, to the best advantage, upon this, that he was better than the generality of men, that he was no extortioner, not unjust, nor lewd and debauched, as many others were; and yet he was far fhort of what he fhould have been, he was weighed in the balance, and found wanting: For the poor Publican, being a fincere and thorough penitent, went home accepted by God, when the other did not. I doubt we have a great number of Chriftians, who can make no better pretence to the favour of God, than this Pharifee here, yet entertain a vain conceit of their being religious enough, because they are more regular and decent in their character than notoriously bad men are. 'Tis a good rule, that we should never compare our felves with thofe that are worse, but with fuch as are better than our felves: The former comparison will fill us only with pride; but the latter will fhew us our defects, and teach us to improve. SECOND

SECONDLY, There are fome who fatisfy themselves with the obfervance only of the most obvious and literal fenfe of feveral precepts. Whatever the cafe of the Jews was in respect of this, the Gospel of Chrift has taught us a more extenfive obe-dience. So that it is not enough now that we abftain from murder and adultery, from theft and falfe accufation, and the like plain and vifible acts of violence and wickedness; but we must likewife lay afide all envy, and fpite, and bitterness, and evilfpeaking, every unclean and brutish imagination, and the very love and defire of evil. For if we indulge our felves in thefe, though we abftain from the groffer actions, we are far from the measure of the chriftian righteousness.

THIRDLY, There are others who rely upon a prefent good fenfe and difpofition of mind, expreffing it felf in forrow and contrition, together with refolutions of better obedience; but yet upon the whole matter, are no better than before, never bringing forth the fruit of godly forrow, which is amendment. That they are forry for what they have done, fhews that they have done amifs; and if they go fo far as to make good refolutions, 'tis ftill in order to do better; but if these resolutions comé to nothing, 'tis certain that flafhy repentance of theirs will be of no fervice to them.

THERE are, fourthly, another fort of men, who reft only in the common means and helps of righteouf nefs, who read much, and hear frequently, and pray often, which are all profitable means, and recommended to our use; not only as the inftruments of obtaining good things, but alfo as the methods of acknowledging and reverencing Almighty God, and paying to him that obedience and praife which he requires of us. But yet how many have mifcarried even here? I do not fay by the too frequent exercifcs of devotion, but the depending upon them, as

if

if there was nothing more to be done. Whereas in truth, fo far as they are really acts of worship and obedience to God, they are ftill but parts of righteousness, and not the whole: But taking them (as reading and hearing more efpecially are) as methods appointed by God for our inftruction in righteoufness, it is not the bare ufe of, and attendance upon thefe, without the due effects of fuch inftructions for pursuing practically those directions for an holy life, which they fupply us with, that can denominate us righteous. And even prayer it self, though it is indeed an act of worship, and so a part of our religion, is alfo a means appointed, as other means are, for our advance in righteoufnefs; and fo we are only to reckon men righteous in the ufe of it, as it has that influence and effect upon them: For when men pray much and often, and yet live dishonesftly and viciously in the world, they are no more to be called righteous, than men are to be esteemed healthful, that use much phyfick, when they languish all the time under a vifible infirmity.

BUT, in the fifth and laft place, there are others who pick and chufe out fome particular duties or virtues, wherein they will be very exact, and fancy God Almighty will excufe them as to all the reft. Thus taught the Scribes and Pharifees, * who fat in Mofes feat, and were the received interpreters of the law of God amongst the Jews; they laid a mighty stress upon the religion of fome one precept, to the neglect of others; and only differed in their opinion which precept fhould be fo recommended, as appears by that question of the Jewish doctor, Which is the great commandment in the law? And our Saviour accordingly in his answer fums up the whole law, the love of God and of our

* Matth. xxiii. 2.

† Ibid. ver. 36.

neighbour,

neighbour, to obviate the mistake, and fhew that one part of the law as well as another demands our faithful obedience. We must take the whole law of God before us, and have refpect unto all his commands. We ought to confider 'em as the commands of God, whofe authority is equally impreffed upon all as upon any one. For fays St. James, *He that faid, Do not commit adultery, faid alfo, Do not kill. He therefore who abftains, from the one, in confcience of the authority of the impofer, fhould for that reafon abftain from the other alfo, otherwise he does not do it in obedience to God. Some virtues are easy to fome mens temper and conftitution, or they have been fix'd in them by education; or the eyes of men, and the rewards of the world, and the power of laws, are fo many encouragements to the practice of them. And from hence it comes to pass, that men are many times fevere and fuperftitious in fome things, and yet very careless and negligent in others. They can govern one paffion, but not another; they will not be revengeful, but must be allow'd to be intemperate; or they can bridle their appetites, but not their tongue; or they dare venture to cheat and bear falfe witness, though they will not kill: And fo they perform only an imperfect and partial righteoufnefs, the principle of obedience not being the fpring and fountain of their religion. Others, as if they were still difciples of the Scribes and Pharifces, rather than of Chrift, are very nice and punctual in little things of lefs concernment, and think by that to atone for folid and fubftantial virtues. We find it charged upon those whom our Saviour affures us we must excel in goodness, or be undone for ever, that they were exact in paying tythe, even of the smallest products, *mint, annife,

* James ii, 11.

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Matth. xxiii, 23.....

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