Page images
PDF
EPUB

and be counted truly Great in the Christian Church, how foever low they may be in the World; and accordingly rewarded with an high Degree of Glory and Felicity in Heaven. This was the Employment of Chrift himself and his Apostles here upon Earth; this is the Employment which brings most Glory to God, and the greatest Benefit to Men, and therefore it is fit that in that just Retribution, and in that due Estimate of all Mens Actions, it fhould be rewarded in a diftinguishing Manner.

From all this we fee how we may arrive at true Honour and Greatnefs, even by the plain Way of being good our felves, and teaching as many others as we can to be fuch. This Way we fee, is not confined to any particular Rank of Men; but lies open to every one's Industry. Here we need not fear, what is ufual as to the Honours of this World, that when one has taken the Pains, another will run away with the Honour and the Reward; and therefore we have all Encouragement to go on chearfully, every one of us, in our feveral Stations, in obferving God's holy Laws our felves, and in inftructing, inducing, perfwading, and encouraging as many others as poffibly we can, to fear God and keep his Commandments; which of all other Labours and Studies will turn to the beft Account, both to us and them; thro' the Merits and Mediation of our Bleffed Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift; To whom, &c.

[blocks in formation]

SERMON VI.

MATT. V. 20.

For I fay unto you, that except your Righteousness fhall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye fhall in no caje enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

B

The Sixth Sermon on this Text.

[ocr errors]

EFORE we enter upon the Explication of thefe Words, there is one Thing I would obferve concerning the Method and Connexion of them. Our Lord had faid at the feventeenth Verfe, That he was not come to deftroy the Law or the Prophets, but, that is, to finish or perfect them. Now in Purfuance of these two Heads of his defigned Discourse, he begins first at the eighteenth and nineteenth Verses, to fhew how clear he was from any Design of Destroying or Abrogating the Law; meaning ftill the Moral Law with the Explication of the Prophets, by afferting the Perpetuity of it, 'till Heaven and Earth pafs away; and that the Measures by which Men hall be judged in the great Day, shall be taken from their Diligence or Negligence in obferving the Law themselves, and teaching the fame to others. So much for his not diffolving the Law; now in the Words I have read, he proceeds to

the

the other Branch of his propofed Method; namely, to the Perfecting or Finishing the Law, or Rule of Moral Duties; upon which he infists a great deal longer; for all the reft of this Sermon on the Mount belongs to this; befides several other Precepts scattered all over the Gospels. For it is a true Obfervation of them all, that none of them tends to the Abrogating, but all of them to the Perfecting of the Moral Law. In the Words I have read, our Saviour enters upon this Subject, by comparing the Degrees of Duty to be performed by his Difciples, with what was taught and practifed by the Scribes and Pharifees, who were reckoned the learnedeft and ftricteft Interpreters of the Law among the Jews; afferting that if his Disciples do not outstrip the other, they shall have no Share in his Kingdom; that is, he will not look upon them as Genuine Members of his Church Militant upon Earth, or of the Church Triumphant in Heaven. For I fay unto you, that except your Righteousness fhall exceed the Righteoufness of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye shall in no cafe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

For understanding which Affertion, it will be neceffary to explain, 1. What is meant here by Righ teousness. 2. Why the Scribes and Pharifees are brought into this Comparison. 3. What is meant by entring into the Kingdom of Heaven.

I. First, We are to enquire what is here meant by the Word Righteousness. Some there are who place the Comparison here between the legal Performances of the Scribes and Pharifees, and Chrift's imputed Righteousness; but I think the firft View of the Context may quickly convince us, that it is Righteousness in a Moral Senfe our

Saviour

Saviour here means. For the Point he is proving is, that he was not come to destroy the Moral Law, but to finish and perfect it. Now what Sort of Proof would it be of this Doctrine, to tell us, that we shall be pardoned by virtue of our Faith in Chrift, for the Sake of whofe All-fufficient Merits our weak and imperfect Duties shall be accepted. Miftake me not, as if I were speaking against the Truth of this Doctrine, for I believe it is the true Account of the Juftification of a Sinner. I know too that in St Paul's Epiftles it is called the Righteousness of God, or the Righteousness of Faith. But in this Place, the Purport of our Saviour's Difcourfe will by no means admit this Senfe; it being very plain that he is here afferting in himself and his Difciples, a fuperior Regard to the Moral Law, and the Duties therein enjoined, beyond what any the strictest Sect among the Jews had; and accordingly he immediately goes on to prove it in the particular Duties of the Moral Law. By Righteousness then is here meant Moral Righteousness; as if he had faid, Except ye my Hearers interpret and obferve the Moral Law in a more perfect manner than the Scribes and Pharifees do, ye fhall have no Share in the Kingdom of the Meffiah.

II. We are to enquire why the Scribes and Pharifees are brought into this Comparison. I move this Question on Purpose, because I perceive fome Commentators (and therefore more probably fome Readers and Hearers) are apt to think it is with a Defign to leffen and difparage them, as indeed our Saviour does fufficiently expose them elsewhere; and therefore in enlarging upon, and in afferting the Truth of this Comparison,

parison, they make a Collection of all the Faults they can pick up any where mentioned in the Scriptures, of these Men. But whatever juft Occafion there may be to expose them elsewhere, I am of Opinion, if we confider the Context, and the Force of our Saviour's Argument, they are mentioned here rather on an Honourable, than a Dishonourable Account. q. d. I fay unto you my Hearers and Difciples, Except ye interpret and obferve the Moral Law, in a more perfect Manner than it is interpreted by the learnedest and ftricteft Interpreters among the Jews, the Scribes and Pharifees, ye are no Way fit to make Disciples of the Meffiah. I fay, the Scribes and Pharifees are brought in here as the learnedest and ftricteft Interpreters of the Law, that were among the Jews, and not as Hypocrites, proud, cruel, and covetous, as in fome other Paffages of the Gofpel. And therefore in speaking to this Comparison between the Scribes and Pharifees, and our Saviour's Difciples, I should not think that I kept to the Point, fhould I mufter up all their Perfonal Vices; for here they are only to be confidered under the Character of Doctors and Interpreters of the Law; and accordingly to that alone I intend to restrain what I fay of them from the Words.

III. We are to enquire here what is to be meant by entring into the Kingdom of Heaven. This Expreffion is fometimes taken in fo wide a Senfe, as to take in all profeffed Chriftians; but very often too it is limited to the Genuine True Members, who, upon a due Enquiry, fhall be found fincere, and adjudged their Portion in Heaven. It is in this latter Senfe it is here to be understood;

for

« PreviousContinue »