.

for tho' Hypocrites may get into the Visible Church, as the Man without the Wedding Garment, in the Parable, got in to the Marriage-fupper, Matt. xxii. 11. yet they cannot, no more than he, be faid to be admitted; for he was prefently detected, and difgracefully thruft out; and fo fhall they. By the not entring into the Kingdom of Heaven then, is not meant that they should never take upon them the Chriftian Profeffion; but that they shall be fhut out as no true Members of Chrift's Church, and fo fhall never partake of the Glory and Happiness of Heaven.

From the Words thus explained, we may gather our Saviour's Senfe in this one Propofition: That if we do not take care to obferve the Moral Law more exactly than the Scribes and Pharifees required in their Interpretations of it, we fhall be judged unworthy to be Members of Chrift's Church here, or to go to Heaven hereafter. In handling which Propofition, I intend to do these Four or Five Things.

1. To enquire into the Defects of this Pharifaical Righteousness, by fhewing what Sort of Obedience it was which they required to the Law.

2. To fhew what farther Degrees of Perfection Chrift requires of his Difciples.

3. To confider the Penalty upon which this Higher Degree of Duty is enjoined, Exclufion from the Kingdom of Heaven,

4. I shall endeavour to fhew the Equity of this Sentence, why the Duty of a Chriftian fhould be carried higher than the learnedeft Doctors among the Jews carried it.

5. Lastly, I fhall draw fome practical Inferences from the whole.

1. First,

1. First, In Order to the finding out the Meaning of our Saviour in this Place, it is neceffary that we enquire into the Defects of the Righteoufness of the Scribes and Pharifees. Now in doing of this, I shall not think myself at Liberty, as I told you, to rake into all the Perfonal Faults of the Scribes and Pharifees; for I think their Faults and their Righteoufnefs are to be distinguished; by their Righteousness I mean that Rule of Duties which they fet; or the Law with their Interpretations of it, called here the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees. Their Faults, like other Men's, might be perfonal Tranfgreffions of good Rules; and we have nothing to do with them in this Place.

The only Thing then we are here to enquire is, what Sort of Righteoufness the Scribes and Pharifees approved of, and where the Defects of it lay. I fhall be but brief upon this, because it is more fully treated by our Saviour in the following Parts of the Sermon, which feem to me to be fo many particular Proofs of this General Affertion. But fome brief Heads of this their Righteousness it will be neceffary to produce, that we may the better understand the Nature of that Evangelical Righteousness which our Saviour here requires, and fets in Oppofition to it.

1. First then, the Scribes and Pharifees, in their Interpretations of the Law, contented themfelves with the External Part of Duty, without minding the full Latitude of the fpiritual Senfe, which obliges us in all Sins to cleanse our Hearts of those inward bad Difpofitions, which are Violations of the Law, and defile the Man; and in all Duties, to join the inward Sincerity and Hear

tiness

[SERM. tiness to the outward doing of the good Work. Thus our Lord doth several Times represent them as having only a fair Outside, but being rotten at Heart; as Matt. xxiii. 25. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharifees, Hypocrites; for ye make clean the outfide of the Cup and of the Platter, but within they are full of Extortion and Excefs. Thou blind Pharifee, cleanfe first that which is within the Cup and Platter, that the outfide of them may be clean aljo. And fo he goes on there to compare them to whited Sepulchres, which appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead Mens Bones, and of all Uncleannefs. And that this fair Outfide doth not relate only to a fair outward Profeffion, while fecretly they lived wicked Lives; but that it has reference to their Opinion, that they were only tied to the external Part of Duty; I am convinced from what follows immediately after my Text; where our Saviour teacheth his Difciples, that the fixth Commandment prohibits all Rancour and Malice in the Heart, as well as the outward Act of Murder; and that the Seventh Commandment prohibits the Luft of the Heart, as well as the grofs Act of Adultery.

2. Another Part of the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees confifted in a Strictness concerning the Ceremonials and Circumstantials of Religion, with a Neglect of the greater and more fubftantial Duties. In this Refpect our Saviour calls them Blind Guides, which strain at a Gnat and fwallow a Camel; paying Tythe of Mint, Anife and Cummin, but omitting the weightier Matters of the Law, Judgment, Mercy and Fidelity.

3. A Third Part of the Righteoufness of the Scribes and Pharifees confifted in a Zeal for Traditions, which they obferved with an equal Veneration with the Precepts of Almighty God; nay, fometimes gave them the Preference. As our Saviour Objects to them, Mark vii. 9. Full well, fays he, ye reject, or as it is in the Margin of our Bibles, ye fruftrate the Commandment of God, that ye may keep your own Tradition; for Mofes faid, Honour thy Father and Mother: and whojo curfeth Father or Mother, let him die the Death. But ye fay, If a Man fhall fay to his Father or Mother, it is Corban, that is to fay, a Gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, he fhall be free; and ye fuffer him no more to do ought for his Father or Mother: making the Word of God of none Effect through your Tradition; and many fuch like Things ye do.

4. A Fourth Part of the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, was, when they were pinched between Duty and Intereft, to ftock themselves with Evafions and Diftinctions, whereby they fatisfied their Confciences in feveral Things, wherein they would have been bound by the Law. Our Saviour gives an Inftance of this in the Matter of Oaths, Matt. xxiii. 16. Wo unto you yè blind Guides, which fay, whofoever shall fwear by the Temple, it is nothing: but whosoever shall fwear by the Gold of the Temple, he is a Debtor. Ye Fools and blind: for whether is greater, the Gold, or the Temple that fanctifieth the Gold? And whofoever shall fwear by the Altar, it is nothing: but whafoever fweareth by the Gift that is upon it, be is guilty. Ye Fools and blind: for whether is greater, the Gift, or the Altar that fanctifieth the

Gift? and concludes that all these Oaths are binding, and that these their Evafions therefore were infignificant; whofo therefore fhall fwear by the Altar, fweareth by it, and by all Things thereon. And whofo fhall fwear by the Temple, fweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that Shall fwear by Heaven, fweareth by the Throne of God, and by him that fitteth thereon.

5. A Fifth Part of the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, confifted in a Zeal for all thofe Duties and Customs which made a great Shew of Devotion and Mortification to the World; fuch as long Prayers, Fafting, ftrict keeping the Sabbath, enlarging the Borders of their Garments, that they might more conveniently have the Sentences of the Law fixed on them; Honouring the Memory of the old Prophets, and repairing their Sepulchres; Propagating their Party with an infinite Diligence, and condemning and perfecuting all others.

6. I fhall name but one Part more of their Righteousness, which is, that they valued themfelves exceedingly upon their External Privileges, as being defcended from Abraham; as if they had been the only elect People of God, and all the reft of the World Caft-aways. This great Privilege beyond the reft of Mankind they expected would atone for all their other Faults and Infirmi ties, and secure them of God's Favour, notwithstanding the many Defects of their Lives. And therefore John the Baptift thought it neceffary to undeceive them in this Point, Matt. iii. 7. For when he faw them come to his Baptifm without Repentance and Amendment of Life, he thus accofted them: O Generation of Vipers, who hath

warned