that by the Grace of God, we are what we are, and that by the Influence of that Grace, those Performances are wrought, and confefsing 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 Pharifees 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 Sense of their Unworthiness, and of the great Imperfection of their Services; and though they Fafted often, yet that was not so much to arrive to an humble Sense 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 these Men stumbled: And as they were unacquainted with true Humility toward God, so they understood not, what it was to condescend to Men of low Estate. In Humility therefore we are to exceed them; in Humility toward God and Man; for, as there is nothing that separates more betwixt the Creator and the Creature, than Pride and Self-Conceitedness, for which Reason, God • is faid to behold the Proud afar off, so nothing unites Heaven and Earth, God and the Soul,

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 distressed Persons; I fay, all forts, for that of the Pharisees was narrow and sneaking, 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 so, that it may not be so much, as a part of it, according to the case St. Paul puts, 1 Cor. xiii. 3. where he makes it possible, 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 considerable 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 so genuine a Character of it, I Cor. xiii. that it's impossible to mistake the Nature of it, except Men be wilfully Blind. It extends its Arms not only to all forts of Objects, whether Friends or Foes, whether Relations or Strangers, but as far as its Ability reaches, and opportunity offers it self to all forts of Distresses: It doth not only Feed and give Drink, and Cloath and Visit, but Admonish too, and Reprove, and Teach, and Entreat, and and Counsel, and Advise, and Help and Assist, and sometimes Correct and Punish. It embraces Enemies, and like the wounded Earth, receives even those that cut, and digg'd it, into its Bosom; and like the kind Balsom Tree, heals those that made Incisions 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 Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees.

5. In Universality of Obedience; or in making Confcience of the several Commands of the Gospel, 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 same 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 excuse our not doing Good, by our not committing of Evil, but are impartial in our Obedience, and cheerfully submit, not only to the gentler, but harder Injunctions of the Gospel, not only to such as are agreeable, but to those also which are contrary to our natural Temper and Inclination.

The

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The Pious Christian will not always get the better of the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, except his Obedience becomes larger, and spreads more than theirs. Had these Men carried on their Obedience to that Extent, I speak of, as St. Paul, a Pharisee, and the Son of a Pharisee 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 false, viz. If there were but two Men to be Saved, the one would be a Scribe, the other a Pharisee.

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

IV. The Danger. Except your Righteousness Shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, Ye shall in no caso enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

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This Word, one would think, should rouze every Soul here present, and puts us all upon a serious Inquiry, Whether our Righteousness doth actually exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees: If it doth not, we hear our Doom. And can any Man think, Christ was very ferious in saying so, 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, and what it is, not to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; Awake, awake, (why should 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 Sea curity ?

I say unto you; Thus the Commination begins; which shews, the Thing is firm, and like the Laws of Medes and Perfians, unalterable. Our Master, even He whom we believe to be God, as well as Man, hath spoke the Word. He that is Truth it self, hath said it, and thus it must 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 Consequence of this Neglect. We suggest, we intimate so much to you; we pull you by the Sleeve, we proclaim these Words in your Ears, as poor, as mean, as inconfiderable Creatures, as we are; I would to God, they might fink into your Hearts! We beg of you, to lay aside your Divertisements, and your Businesses for a while, and allow this Threatning some Attention of Mind.

If you go no farther in your Righteousness; than these unhappy Men did, not all your Cries at laft, Lord, Lord, open to us; Not all your Tears, and Calls, Lord, have Mercy upon in! Not all your Arguings, and Pleadings