you that the Word Righteousness, which instead of that of Alms, is here put into the Margin of your Bibles, is countenanced by the Copies of the beft Credit, and by moft of the ancient Fathers, and fome of our beft modern Criticks, who read this first Verse thus, Take heed that ye do not your Righteousness before Men, to be feen of them.

Following then this Reading, which feems to me to be backed with the best Authority, there are these two Things contained in the Words.

do

I. A Precept to avoid Vain-glory, and Self-feeking, in all our good Deeds: Take heed that ye not your Righteousness before Men, to be feen of them.

II. The Reafon of that Precept: Otherwife ye have no Reward of your Father which is in Heaven.

I. First, We have here a Precept to avoid Vain-glory in all our good Deeds: Take heed that ye do not your Righteousness before Men, to be jeen of them.

By Righteousness I think is to be meant, not only all Works of Charity and Alms-Deeds, but all manner of good and commendable Actions whatever Such as are, for Example, a Man's diligent minding the Duties of his Calling; as in the Apoftles, the careful preaching of the Gofpel. No doubt this Precept of avoiding Vain-glory, reaches that, as well as the giving of Alms, and the giving of ourselves to Fafting and Prayer. St Paul complains that fome preached Chrift out of Envy and Strife, while others did it of good Will And it is likewife to be feared, that fome in preaching hunt for Vain-Glory, while others fincerely

B 2

fincerely propose to themselves the Glory of God, and the Good of Souls. This Vain-glory is a Moth which is apt to breed in our best Actions, as Worms breed in Rofes, and therefore ought carefully to be watched. In fpeaking to it, I shall endeavour,

1. To give a Description of it, that we may know wherein it confifts.

2. To fhew the dangerous and infinuating Nature of it, that we may take heed and beware of it.

1. As to the first, the Defcription of it, we have it in these Words of the Text; it is the doing of our Righteousness, that is, our good Actions before Men, with an exprefs Defign to gain Praise and Honour to ourselves. In which Description, we are not to imagine, that we are obliged to do all our good Works fo much in Secret, that the World may know nothing of them; nor that it is unlawful for us to contrive to give good Ex-amples; but all the Sin lies in contriving our good Works in fuch a Manner, or with fuch an Intention, as that the Praife and Glory of them may terminate folely or principally in ourselves. A right Aim and Intention is abfolutely neceffary in all our good Actions and there is not any one Thing, perhaps, which doth more effentially diftinguish the Virtue of a good Chriftian from that of an Hypocrite, than this regulating the Intention. The Hypocrite in his good Actions, has a Defign to be observed by Men, for his own temporal Ends of Honour or Profit; whereas a good Chriftian, in all the Good he does, aims at the Glory of God, his Neighbour's Good, and his own eternal Happinefs. And thefe two laft are

;

never separate from the first, but they go hand in hand together.

But that we may the better understand this Duty of my Text, it will not be amifs to confider more particularly, both what is not, and what is prohibited by it.

1. First then, we are not to think that all publick good Works are prohibited, or that we are commanded fo to conceal our good Actions, that the World may know nothing of them. This would be directly contrary to a Precept of our Saviour's, which we had under our Confideration in the last Chapter, Matt. v. 16. Let your Light fo fhine before Men, that they may fee your good Works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. Nay, contrary to the giving a good Example, which is a neceffary Duty at all times.

2. Nor, Secondly, is every Degree of Praise and Commendation for our good Works to be avoided, fo it be not principally defigned by us, but in Subordination to the Glory of God. A Stock of Efteem and Credit, like other worldly Bleffings, may be accepted and employed to good Ends and Purposes, and is a Spur to virtuous Actions; but great Care is to be taken, that it come in in its own Rank, in an inferiour fubordinate manner, aiming ftill at the Glory of God in the first place, and at the Good of our Neighbour, and the Salvation of our own Souls; and if it please God to add any of thefe inferiour Bleffings, fuch as the Love, and Efteem, the Praife, and good Word of others, they may be admitted as Acceffaries.

But, more pofitively, by this Duty in my Text, is prohibited a wrong Intention in doing good Works, fuch as an Intention of Praife, or Profit,

or Luft, or Ambition, which wicked Men often propose to themselves in doing their good Works; that is, Works externally good before Men; for that is what they aim at, and not the making them truly good before God.

The great Neceffity of this Precept will appear, if we confider both how bad Men are apt to counterfeit religious Practices from wrong Ends and Intentions, and likewife how good Men are apt to be too much in love with those inferiour Things, the Praise, Applause, and other Rewards attending external virtuous Actions.

1. First, I fay, bad Men are apt to do good Things from wrong Ends and Intentions. Whatever Virtues are popular, or fashionable; whatever will gain, or preferve an Intereft; (for a worldly Intereft ferves for many Designs and Purposes, which worldly and defigning Men are fharp-fighted enough to fee through, or find out) whatever Virtues are creditable, and wellfpoken of, that may fetch in People's good Word and Applaufe; whatever Virtues do fuit the Temper and Inclinations of the Person whom we defign to oblige or gain: Thefe defigning Men are apt to run into, with no further Aim or View, than that of gaining these Men to their Intereft.

2. Secondly, Good Men, tho' they begin with a better Intention, yet are in danger of being too much pleafed and tickled with that Applaufe, and other worldly Encouragements, which commonly attend good Actions, and, by Degrees, are ftolen away with thefe inferiour Confiderations, which it has pleafed God, for wife Ends and Purposes, to annex to good Actions.

The

The great Duty then here aimed at, is, that in all the Good we do, or defign, we fet God before our Eyes, and that we go about it with an express Defign to promote his Glory, and in Obedience to his Commands, and with Application for his Aid and Affiftance. So much for the Defcription of the Duty.

II. In the next Place, I am to confider the Caution here given, with relation to the Vice guarded againft. Take heed that do not your Righteouf nefs before Men, to be feen of them. Now this Caution has an Afpect to thefe two Things.

1. The Greatness

ye

of the Sin here

2. The infinuating Nature guarded against. Both which it will be requifite that we confider more particularly.

First, The Greatnefs of this Sin of doing our Righteoufnefs before Men, to be feen of them. To convince us of the Heinousness of this Sin, I offer the following Confiderations.

(1.) That the Defign and Intention, is the Life and Soul of the Action. The best external Work, without a good Intention, is but a dead Carcafe. What fignified, for Example, (a) Ananias and Sapphira's felling their Poffeffion, and bringing a great Part of the Money, and laying it at the Apoftles Feet? This, had it been done with a Charitable Defign, that Christians might be relieved out of that common Stock, had been an excellent Work; but while they defigned thereby, only to put a Trick upon the Church, and to entitle themselves to a better Share in that B 4

(a) Acts v. 1, &c.

common