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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10393	The necessitie of righteousnes. Or A profitable and fruitfull sermon vpon the fift chapter of the Gospell of S. Mathew. vers. 20. Preached and penned by that famous, learned, iudicious, orthodoxall, holy, wise, and skilfull preacher and servant of God, now deceased, and with his God triumphing in Heaven, Iohn Randall, Batchelour of Divinitie, pastour of St Andrewes Hubbart in little East-cheape London, sometimes fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford. And now published, to the glory of God, the edification of his Church, and the honourable memoriall of the author, by William Holbrooke, preacher of the Word of God in the church aforesaid	Randall, John, 1570-1622.; Holbrooke, William.	1622 (1622)	STC 20675; ESTC S115634	15,134	32

righteousnesse Text. and thirdly the measure of that righteousnesse so qualified it must not be scant but abound and exceede your righteousnesse must exceede Or els Text. that we may draw it into a narrower Division The thing required is righteousnesse which our Saviour describes by way of comparison with the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees In whose righteousnesse he seemes to taxe a double defect and requires in the righteousnesse of his Disciples the supplying of both those defects First their righteousnesse it was but counterfeit it was not good enough and therefore the righteousnesse of Christs Disciples must be a better righteousnesse and secondly their righteousnesse was very scarse and sparing and therefore the righteousnesse of Christs Disciples must be more there must be greater store of righteousnesse in them then was in the Scribes and Pharisees so that it must exceed both in goodnes in greatnes First of the matter of this Dutie which is righteousnesse whereby we are to vnderstand the whole obedience which a man doth owe vnto God both in respect of his faith and in respect of his life both for doctrine and also for manners For indeed so much is enforced exactly by the Antithesis or Opposition here specified whereas exception is made both against the Scribes and the Pharisees too For as it shall afterwards God willing more plainly appeare the Scribes they were skilfull in the knowledge of the Law and the Pharisees they were precise and formall in the practise of the Law the Scribes were the men of greatest learning and the Pharisees the men of exactest living that these times did affoord Therefore exception being taken against them both it is very plaine that our Saviour would haue his Disciples both to know the Law better then the Scribes and to practise the Law better then the Pharisees Your righteousnesse sayth he must exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees both God as he hath appointed and prepared a Kingdome in heaven so because that is the holy of holies there is no way for any prophane or vncleane thing to enter into it and therefore the Lord requires that every one that would enter therin should be righteous and holy according to that Psal 118.20 This is the gate of the Lord the righteous shall enter into it It is the wedding garment which every one of vs must be covered withall if we would be fit ghosts for that wedding feast which the Lord hath prepared in Heaven The Scripture makes mention of a twofold righteousnesse Righteousnesse inherent and righteousnesse imputed First there is a righteousnesse that is within vs our obedience to the will of God or at least our endevour to performe it as neere as we can and secondly there is a righteousnes that is without vs which being inherent in Christ is apprehended of vs by a true and a liuely faith and so is imputed vnto vs accounted ours as really as if it were within vs. For true righteousnesse is nothing els but the fulfilling of the Law as contrariwise Sinne is nothing els but the transgression of the Law and if we do performe the Law of God our selues here is inherent righteousnesse here is our sanctitie and holinesse of life Nay if we do not performe it to the full for this never any mortall man could reach vnto but the Son of God alone yet if we endevour and striue to it the best we can God that accepts of the will as of the deed as the Apostle speakes doth in great mercie esteeme it for righteousnesse But because this our righteousnes is defectiue too light to be waighed in the ballance of Gods justice therefore wee must goe out of our selues to seeke for a better righteousnes such as may stand before God without controlment and be admitted without any exception and this is to be found in Christ alone who onely hath fulfilled the Law in every point which if we faithfully lay hold vpon perswading our selues assuredly that whatsoever Christ hath done he hath done it for vs then we make it become our righteousnesse The inherent righteousnes is the matter of our sanctification the imputed righteousnes is the matter of our iustification Now our Saviour requires here of his Disciples that they should be furnished with both these sorts of righteousnes Howbeit he aymeth principally at our inherent righteousnesse that is our holinesse of life wherein we must exceed the Scribes and Pharisees So then you see that this is an exhortatiō to good works For howsoever our Saviour came downe from Heaven to Preach the Gospell and the free remission of our sins through faith in his bloud yet he would not haue men to think that faith were enough to saue them without good workes but as many as looke to be partakers of his merites they must be careful to avoid sin and zealous of good works and with all their power endevour themselues to fulfill the Law of God It is a controversie betwixt vs the Church of Rome concerning the necessitie of good workes they charge vs that we teach the doctrine of faith alone trample the doctrine of good workes vnder our feet and that we proclaime a Gospel of liberty and security But this is a manifest slander against vs for we doe teach the doctrine of good workes and exhort men to be careful in seeking to please God by holines of life as earnestly as they doe True indeed that wee deny good workes to be necessary in the worke of our justification for it is faith alone that doth iustifie vs in the sight of God but wee hold them to be absolutely necessary to our salvation so that our adversaries doe very deceitfully change the state of the questiō that is betwixt vs bearing the world in hand that we deny all good works therby to discredit reproch our religion No beloved we for our parts doe very constantly hold against all the Libertines in the world that there never was any man nor ever can any man ordinarily be saued without good works We do indeed magnifie the doctrine of faith but doe we thereby disanull the doctrine of good workes God forbid saith the Apostle Nay rather we establish the law of workes by establishing the law of faith For when we preach vnto men the singular loue of Iesus Christ wherewith he hath loued them even aboue his owne life his own precious bloud which is the matter of our faith presently we make vse hereof as being a very forcible motiue to perswade men that they should endevour themselues by all meanes possible to requite this loue of Christ with loving him againe which is the matter of our good works But to leaue our adversaries and to come to the present matter it selfe which we haue in hand Our Saviour here exhorting his Disciples to righteousnesse shewes vs plainely what an odious thing it is in his sight for a man to be a professed Christian and Scholler of his when he hath no care to glorifie the name of God to grace his owne profession by liuing righteously in this present world nay he shews further that all that ever he hath done for vs he hath done it to this end that we might still be conversant in the exercises of righteousnesse A thing which the Apostle hath set downe in more plaine and expresse termes Tit. 2.11 where he saith the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared to what end that we should liue in security that we should turne it in wantonnes No but to this end that we should deny all vngodlines and worldly lusts and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world And as this duty is laid vpon all those that professe the name of Iesus Christ so it concernes vs of the Ministery more then any other let vs not content our selues with a vaine shaddow of Faith and let not vs thinke that it is our knowledge that can saue vs for vnlesse we haue righteousnes 〈…〉

THE NECESSITIE OF RIGHTEOVSNES OR A PROFITABLE AND FRVITFVLL SERMON Vpon the fift Chapter of the Gospell of S. Mathew vers 20. Preached and Penned by that famous learned iudicious Orthodoxall holy wise and skilfull Preacher and servant of God now deceased and with his God triumphing in Heaven IOHN RANDALL Ba●●elour of Divinitie Pastour of St Andrewes Hubbart in little East-cheape LONDON Sometimes Fellow of Lincolne Colledge in OXFORD And now published to the glory of God the edification of his Church and the honourable Memoriall of the Author by WILLIAM HOLBROOKE Preacher of the Word of God in the Church aforesaid LONDON Printed by I. D. for Nathaniel Newbery and William Sheffard and are to be sold at their Shops in Popes-head Alley 1622. TO THE RELIGIOVSLY AFFECTED LADY THE LADY BENNET Wife to Sir Iohn Bennet all happinesse here and hereafter bee multiplied MADAM AS you were a great looser by the death of that servant of God master Randall who was to you whilst he lived a faithful and able counseller both spiritually and bodily and from whom you received great satisfaction direction and comfort in all distresses whensoever you resorted to him as you haue oft confessed to the glory of God And as your loue was great to him manifested many wayes whilst he liued and in his sicknesse and since his death by your much lamenting and weeping for the death of him that a man may say of you and your loue to this man departed as the Iewes did of our Saviour concerning his loue to Lazarus when he wept over him Behold how he loued him Ioh. 11.36 So I know your Ladiship will be readie to receiue and yeeld your best countenance to whatsoever was his wherevpon I haue made bolde in testimony of my thankfulnesse to your Ladiship for your readinesse lately to doe me good here to Dedicate vnto you a Sermon of his Preached and penned by his owne hand as it commeth to your view I need not perswade your Ladiship to accept it I know the child shall be welcome both for it owne and Fathers sake especially considering that it will in some sort supply the losse and absence of a profitable and deare friend whom though you cannot heare nor see any more speaking vnto you and counselling viva voce yet you may heare and see counselling you by this and other of his writings for friends absent whether liuing or dead speake by writing when they cannot be personally present and viva voce speake Consider then good Madam when you reade this and other of this mans writings you heare him speaking vnto you and counselling you and this will be motiue enough to perswade your Ladiship to entertayne what is here presented vnto you The Lord Iesus that Counseller of his Church and People by his Spirit counsell direct and comfort you and so supply the lacke of this and other friends he being in stead of all To him I doe and will commend your Ladiship for euery good blessing by Prayer And in Him I rest and acknowledge my selfe your Ladiships much bounden friend WILLIAM HOLBROOKE TO THE RELIGIOVS GENTLEVVOMAN Mris THOMASIN OVVEFIELD All happinesse in this life and that which is to come be multiplied GOod Mris Owefield Considering your case to be the same with the Lady Bennets aforesaid both in respect of your losse in Mr Randall who was as to her so to you a faithfull Counseller every way as you haue often confessed and also in respect of your loue to him both in life sicknes death and since onely the odds is on your side in that you haue not onely in your owne particular susteyned a losse but your Family also by the death of that worthy servant of God who oft instructed them in the way of the Lord considering I say your case to be like vnto the foresaid Ladies in the foresaid respects I haue made bolde as a testimony of my thankefulnes for your loue divers times shewed vnto me to Dedicate this Worke also to you that your losse may in some sort be supplyed by seeing and hearing him speaking to and counselling you in Print whom you so reioyced to see and heare speake when he was living by word of mouth I make no question of your acceptance of what was his as this was both penned and Preached by him as here it commeth to your View My desire shall be to God for you to blesse this and all the labours of his which you haue inioyed any way to the furthering edifying and confirming of you and yours vnmoueably in your present faith which God grant for his Christs sake in whom I am And rest your much bounden Friend WILLIAM HOLBROOKE THE NECESSITIE OF RIGHTEOVSNES MATHEVV 5.20 For I say vnto you Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises you shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven AS soone as our SAVIOVR had wonne certaine Disciples and followers to himselfe some by his Word and expresse commandement as Peter Andrew Iames and Iohn whom he called from their Nettes to follow him that he might make them fishers of men as it is in the fourth Chapter of this Gospell verse 22. and some by his Doctrine teaching in their Synagogues and Preaching the Gospell of the Kingdome verse 23. and other some by his Miracles healing the Lunaticke curing the Palsie dispossessing the Devils and helping every sicknesse and every disease among the people as it is vers 24. so that there followed him great multitudes out of Galilee and Decapolis and Ierusalem and Iudea and from beyond Iordan as it is in the 25. verse of that Chapter As soone I say as he had so done he went vp into a Mountaine and his Disciples thither resorting to him he opened his mouth and made a Sermon to them as it is in the beginning of this Chapter In which his Sermon having first proposed vnto them whole troupes and multitudes of blessings and withall shewed them how to attaine thereunto he giues them certaine necessary instructions for their vocation and that especially they should be carefull in doing good workes that whereas they were the Salt of the earth they must not be vnsavoury but by their good example season the hearts of the people and whereas they were the light of the world they should so shine before men that they seeing their good workes might glorifie their Father which is in heaven as it is vers 16. And because the Law and the Prophets of God are the onely rule of good workes therefore vers 17. hee puts them in mind of them both shewing that he is not come to destroy them but to fulfill them and therefore howsoever he preaches faith and the free remission of sins and the glad tydings of the Gospell yet he is so farre from abrogating the Law from disanulling good workes that contrariwise the chiefe end of his comming was to establish good workes and to fulfill the Law For as a Painter that hath first cast

Kingdome this is a lesson for you You that I haue made speciall choise of to preach my Gospell this is a lesson for you I say it to you first that you might learne it and practise it your selues and I say it to you that afterwards you may teach it to others For as it was in that miraculous banket when fiue thousand people were fedde with fiue Barly loaues and two fishes our Saviour tooke the victuals and gaue first to his Disciples and the Disciples gaue to them that were set downe as it is Ioh. 6.11 even so in this spirituall banquet of feeding soules our Saviour first giues this heavenly food to his Disciples I say vnto you sayth he that his Disciples might afterward deliver and impart the same vnto others Briefly vnderstand him thus I say vnto you as if he should familiarly conferre with them on this manner I am your Master and you are my Disciples and I would faine haue you to be saved howsoever all the world speedes besides therefore I say vnto you young beginners and petie Schollers are taught by those that are of a higher fourme and of longer standing then themselues are but the greatest and best Schollers are taught by the Master himselfe and therefore howsoever your predecessours being but as it were young Schollers haue beene taught by Moses or Elias or some one of the Prophets and Priests yet you as being the highest Schollers in the Schoole of my Gospell you I teach in my owne person I say vnto you that except your righteousnesse c. And so much for the opening of the true meaning of the Asleveration Now let vs see what profitable Observations may hence be gathered for our Instruction And first concerning the Author and Teacher of this Doctrine which is Iesus Christ himselfe who here sayth I say Behold here Beloved the wonderfull loue of God towards mankinde He had vsed the Ministery of the Patriarkes to instruct their Families but that did not satisfie him He had vsed the Ministery of Moses in the Law to instruct his people but that did not satisfie him He had vsed the Ministery of the Prophets to instruct them but that did not satisfie him He had vsed the Ministery of the Priests and Levites to instruct them but that did not satisfie him yea he had vsed the Ministery of Iohn Baptist one that was greater then a Prophet and yet that did not satisfie him And therefore after all those he sent downe his owne Sonne into the world to speake vnto men face to face and to instruct them in the matters of their salvation And this his loue will appeare yet to be the greater if we consider the desperate estate which the world in those times was come vnto all the foundations of the earth being out of course Psal 82.5 as the Psalmist speakes 1 Ioh. 5.9 and the whole world then lying downe in wickednesse as the Apostle speakes and there is as much here insinuated by our Saviour when he withdrawes his Disciples from the Scribes and Pharisees as being corrupted themselues and corrupting others They sate in the chaire of Moses and from their mouthes the people were to require the Law and the whole substance of salvation both for life and doctrine they were the very light and the eye of the body of the Church that then was Now the eye being wicked and the light being darkned oh how great was the darkenesse of the whole body In the middest of this darkenesse came the true light of the world to cleare the Law to cleare the Doctrine of salvation to loose the workes of the Devill as himselfe speakes 1 Ioh. 3.8 that whereas the Scribes and Pharisees Sathans instruments had taught the people hypocrisie he might convert them from being hypocrites and teach them true righteousnesse and whereas they had seduced the world into the pathes of destruction he might rectifie their course and shew and lead them the ready way to everlasting life Vse 1 Here then we learne with what reverence to embrace and in what price to esteeme the Gospell Christ himselfe being both the Author and the Messenger thereof If there were no further reason but onely because it is the wholesome Doctrine of our owne salvation we were to esteeme of it very highly but now that we see it comes from heaven that Christ himselfe is both the Author and Messenger of it oh how deare and precious ought it to be vnto vs This is the Vse which the Apostle makes of it Heb. 2. cap. the three first verses where he compares the Gospell with the word of Angels that is with the Law which was given by the hands of Angels If it were such great danger to neglect the word whereof the Angels were the Messengers how shall we escape if we neglect the great salvation even the Gospell wherof Christ himselfe was a Messenger who is much more excellent then all the Angels are as he had shewed in the 4. ver of the former chapter So likewise he compares it in the same terms of amplification with the word of Moses Heb. 10.28.29 He that despiseth the law of Moses he dieth without mercy of how much sorer punishment shall he be worthy which treadeth vnder foot the Son of God and the Gospell whereof he is a Messenger For as he had shewed before cap. 3. ver 3. Christ was far greater then Moses Were this imprinted throughly in our hearts as it ought to be that it is the word of Christ we would be more eager and desirous of it then now a dayes we are Consider who is the Author of it and what great danger there is in refusing and neglecting it We should flock to Christ as to our prey if we were true Eagles and resort to him in great abundance as we reade in the Gospell that the people still preased vpon him and ran after him thronged him for the earnest desire they had to heare him but now if Christ come to vs so it is but we will scarce so much as step out of our doores to heare him or if we doe it is but scatteringly and sparingly as if a man should gather Grapes after the Vintage Is this the fruit of so many happy yeares of the preaching of the Gospel amongst vs And as this warnes vs to thirst after the word more earnestly so also to embrace it more reverently as being not the word of any mortall man but as it is indeed the word of the true ever-living God Thinke not when you heare the word Preached that it is the Minister only which speaks it for it is the Lord that speakes it and it is he that fayth as here to his Disciples I say vnto you Vse 2 Againe here we see when we are in any error whither we must goe to be reformed even to Christ himselfe by whom the Disciples are here reclaimed for he is our only shepherd that must bring vs home againe when wee

his ground of white or black or any such colour when afterward he staines it againe in sundry places with sundry other colours to fashion his worke cannot be sayd to destroy or quite deface his ground but rather to garnish it and fill it vp and make it perfect even so our Saviour comming to teach vs the right sense and vse and end of the Law cannot be sayd to destroy the Law but rather garnishes as it were the ground of the Law with his true Interpretations and right vses supplying all the imperfections thereof and filling it vp in every poynt so that as it is in the 18. verse not one iot or title thereof should escape vnfulfilled And whereas the Law was before depraved and so the people seduced and deluded by the Scribes and Pharisees therefore in this his Sermon he examines their false glosses from point to point and reformes all their depravation of the Law laying this Verse which I haue read vnto you as the ground of that which followeth wherein he disswades and brings his Disciples out of conceit with their former Teachers he seekes to purge them of the old leaven of the Pharisees and would not haue them retaine the least smatch or relish thereof the very righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees must become odious to Christs Disciples Text. Your righteousnesse sayth he must exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees Neither was this onely a counsell or exhortation as though it onely were a thing meete and convenient for his Disciples to be better then the Pharisees and he would faine haue them so to be but this is an absolute Precept of great waight and importance it is as much as their soules are worth Text. for except this be so they shall never enter into the Kingdome of heaven And that they might consider the better of it and beleeue it more certainely he tells them that this Doctrine is not from earth but from heaven it comes not from man but from God Text. I say vnto you sayth our Saviour that it is so indeed For I say vnto you except your righteousnesse c. So then this Scripture is a kind of Intermination or Threatning which our Saviour makes to his Disciples Wherein we may obserue First the Asseverant manner of speech here vsed Christ sayth I say vnto you Why all this Chapter is spoken by Christ for it is a Sermon that he Preached to his Disciples but he would haue this Doctrine sticke more closely to their hearts and throughly considered aboue all other poynts therefore he layes it before them nay he fastens it vpon them with speciall termes of Asseveration I say vnto you Secondly the Dutie which here is required of them and in them of vs their righteousnesse must exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees Thirdly the Penaltie here threatned them vpon default of the performance of that Dutie even the losse of Heaven it selfe you shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven First of the Asseveration I say vnto you As if our Saviour should thus haue spoken to his Disciples 1. I. The Scribes and Pharisees haue seduced you and taught you all this while erronious Doctrine they were blind Leaders of the blind but I that am the light of the World I teach you better Doctrine I say vnto you otherwise then they did The Scribes and Pharisees taught you that externall and outward righteousnesse was sufficient to salvation they are lyers but I that am the Truth I say vnto you otherwise The Scribes and Pharisees taught you that the Law goeth no farther then to the outward man it speakes nothing to the inward motions and affections of the heart they are destroyers and corrupters of the Law but I that came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it I that was present at the making of the Law I that was an agent in the publishing of the Law I that came out of the bosome of my Father to teach the right sense and the true vse of the Law I say vnto you otherwise that except your righteousnesse exceed c. Or as if our Saviour should thus haue spoken to his Disciples See that you make no doubt of the truth of this Doctrine for it is I that speake it therefore beleeue it certainely I say You need not suspect any danger in it for it is I that speake it therefore receiue it ioyfully I say Let it not slip you without due meditation for it is I that speake it therefore remember it carefully I say See that you faile not to yeeld present obedience to this Doctrine for it is I that speake it therefore practise it dutifully I say vnto you I say Very fitly doth this word Say agree with the person of him that speaks it He sayth here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Say I say who is indeed properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbum the Substantiall Word himselfe This is peculiar to Iesus Christ the Sonne of God the second person in the ever-blessed Trinitie to reveale vnto vs the secrecies of God and by the words of his mouth to teach vs the way of our salvation At sundry times and in divers manners saith the Apostle God spake in old time to our Fathers by the Prophets but in these dayes he hath spoken vnto vs by his owne Sonne Heb. cap. I. ver 1 2. He hath spoken sayth the Text not onely by his Messengers but even mouth to mouth and face to face as we see in this place I say vnto you Many things our Saviour knew within himselfe which were not meete to be imparted to his Disciples but this was a matter that concerned them very neere and therefore he telles them of it I say vnto you Many things our Saviour was to tell his Disciples but they must first be growne to some better perfection according to that Ioh. 16.12 I haue many things to say vnto you but you cannot beare them as yet but this was a principall ground-worke of that holy Religion which he was afterward to build vp in his Disciples hearts and therefore it is one of the first lessons he teaches them one of the first things that he sayth vnto them Many things our Saviour would haue his Disciples acquainted withall even whilest they were novices in the Faith whereof he giues them but onely as it were an inkling to whet on their witts by some Parables and darke speeches leaving it to be found out by their owne industrie but this was a mayne poynt of their salvation and therefore without any Parable without any circumlocution without any trope or figure at all he telles them of it openly and plainely in very expresse termes I say vnto you Vnto you I speake not to the Scribes and Pharisees they are ignorant You. and let them be ignorant still but it is you that I desire to instruct and therefore I say vnto you You that looke for a portion in my