that by the Grace of God, we are what we are, and that by the Influence of that Grace, thofe Performances are wrought, and confeffing from the Heart, when we have done all that we are commanded to do, that we are unprofitable Servants, and have done no more than • what was our Duty to do, Luke xvii. 10. This humble Temper the Scribes and Pharisees were very great strangers to, who look'd upon their Religious Services, as Things which God was obliged in Honour, and Equity to look upon and Reward; Pride, Self-Conceitedness, and Self-Admiration, mingling with almost all they did; and they did not, would not know, what a contrite and humble Heart meant, and what it was to lie low before God, with a deep Senfe of their Unworthiness, and of the great Imperfection of their Services; and though they Fasted often, yet that was not fo much to arrive to an humble Senfe of their Corrup tions and Infirmities, as to increase their Merits, and to do Things which might Challenge God's kinder Inclinations; and this was the Rock against which thefe Men ftumbled: And as they were unacquainted with true Humility toward God, fo they understood not, what it was to condescend to Men of low Eftate. In Humility therefore we are to exceed them; in Humility toward God and Man; for, as there is nothing that feparates more betwixt the Creator and the Creature, than Pride and Self-Conceitednefs, for which Reafon, God is faid to behold the Proud afar off, fo nothing. unites Heaven and Earth, God and the Soul,

more

more than Humility; for thus faith the High and Lofty One, who inhabiteth Eternity, I dwell in the High and Holy Place, with him also, that is of a contrite, and humble Spirit, Ifa. lvii. 15.

4. In Charity, or, a compaffionate Temper toward all forts of diftreffed Perfons; I fay, all forts, for that of the Pharifees was narrow and fneaking, and confined to People of their own Sect. I need not tell you, that Charity consists not only in giving Alms, that's but one part of it; nay, it may happen fo, that it may not be so much, as a part of it, according to the cafe St. Paul puts, 1 Cor. xiii. 3. where he makes it poffible, for a Man to bestow all his Goods to Feed the Poor, and yet to have no Charity. Had Almsgiving been all the Charity, that was neceffary to Salvation, the Scribes and Pharifees had been confiderable Men, for they were free and liberal enough of their Purses toward Men of their own Party; but Charity is a larger and nobler Vertue; if it be of the true Eagle-kind; an unfeigned Love of God is the cause of it, and the effect is ever answerable to the Beauty which produces it. St. Paul hath given fo genuine a Character of it, 1 Cor. xiii. that it's impoffible to mistake the Nature of it, except Men be wilfully Blind. It extends its Arms not only to all forts of Qbjects, whether Friends or Foes, whether Relations or Strangers, but as far as its Ability reaches, and opportunity offers it felf to all forts of Diftreffes It doth not only Feed and give Drink, and Cloath and Vifit, but Admonish too, and Reprove, and Teach, and Entreat,

and

and Counsel, and Advise, and Help and Affift, and fometimes Correct and Punish. It embraces Enemies, and like the wounded Earth, receives even those that cut, and digg'd it, into its Bofom; and like the kind Balfom Tree, heals those that made Incifions upon it. It Judges favourably of Pious Heathens, much more of Pious Christians, tho' differing from it in Opinion; it damns none whom God hath not damned; in a Word, it works no Evil to its Neighbour, but is ready unto every good Word and Work. And in this Charity we are to exceed the Righteoufness of the Scribes and Pharifees.

5. In Univerfality of Obedience; or in making Confcience of the feveral Commands of the Gofpel, of one as well as of another, Joh. xv. 14. Then we exceed them, without any danger of being over-much Righteous, when at the fame time, that we are fervent for Circumstances in God's Worship, we are not forgetful of the substantial part of Religion, when we do not let our Publick Devotion justle out our Private, nor the Private the Publick ; when we do not make the Practice of one Precept an Argument to justify our neglect of another, nor excufe our not doing Good, by our not committing of Evil, but are impartial in our Obedience, and cheerfully fubmit, not only to the gentler, but harder Injunctions of the Gofpel, not only to fuch as are agreeable, but to those also which are contrary to our natural Temper and Inclination.

The

The Pious Christian will not always get the better of the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, except his Obedience becomes larger, and fpreads more than theirs. Had thefe Men carried on their Obedience to that Extent, I fpeak of, as St. Paul, a Pharifee, and the Son of a Pharifee afterwards did, there would not have been greater Men in the World than they; and the Proverb, which was unjustly made concerning them, would not have been altogether falfe, viz. If there were but two Men to be Saved, the one would be a Scribe, the other a Pharifee.

And these are the Particulars in which our Righteousness is to exceed that of the Scribes. and Pharifees. If it doth not, we fhall in no cafe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Danger, and the Last Part, which will deferve our Examination.

IV. The Danger. Except your Righteousness Shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, Te fhall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

This Word, one would think, fhould rouze every Soul here prefent, and puts us all upon a ferious Inquiry, Whether our Righteousness doth actually exceed the Righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees: If it doth not, we hear our Doom. And can any Man think, Chrift was very ferious in faying fo, without being concerned, how to prevent, and escape that fatal Exit? All ye, that have any Care of your Salvation, and believe another World, and know, what the Terrors of the Lord

mean,

mean, and what it is, not to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; Awake, awake, (why fhould you not, when your Great Redeemer calls?) and take this Threatning into ferious Confideration. Either it will be fulfilled, or not If it will not be fulfilled, where is Christ's Veracity? If it be, where is your Se curity?

I fay unto you; Thus the Commination begins; which fhews, the Thing is firm, and like the Laws of Medes and Perfians, unalterable. Our Mafter, even He whom we bélieve to be God, as well as Man, hath spoke the Word. He that is Truth it felf, hath faid it, and thus it muft be, nor will all the Intreaties of Men and Angels oblige him to depart from his peremptory Declaration!

You that hear, and now read all this, cannot pretend Ignorance, that you did not know the dreadful Confequence of this Neglect. We fuggeft, we intimate fo much to you; we pull you by the Sleeve, we proclaim thefe Words in your Ears, as poor, as mean, as inconfiderable Creatures, às we are; I would to God, they might fink into your Hearts! We beg of you, to lay afide your Divertisements, and your Businesses for a while, and allow this Threatning fome Attention of Mind.

If you go nó farther in your Righteoufnefs, than thefe unhappy Men did, not all your Cries at laft, Lord, Lord, open to us; Not all your Tears, and Calls, Lord, have Mercy upon is! Not all your Arguings, and Pleadings