I say or write I will to the best of my understanding make it to be a righteousness neither more nor less than what Jesus Christ hath made it nor will I shew thee any thing but what I will give thee sufficient Scripture-proof for What sayest thou now wilt thou promise What dost thou stick at man Remember what thou hast confessed already Didst thou not confess just now that thou didst verily beleeve that thou canst not possibly bee saved except thou shalt become more righteous than any Pharisee and doest thou now doubt whether it is best for thee to endeavour to exceed them What art thou resolved to sit down short of heaven Ah sinner this is not ignorantly but wilfully to destroy thy self Tell mee then wilt thou resolve to live a more righteous life or wilt thou not thou dying man or woman either resolve or read no more I profess I did not write these lines to dally with thy soul if I had thought that all my Readers would have proved so obstinate I would not have lost that little time I spent in writing what thou now art vewing nor created thee the trouble of so much reading Let God bear witness betwixt thy soul and mine whether I am not more desirous to have thee saved than thou art to save thy self The Sinners Resolve Why then I do resolve as God shall help mee I will endeavour for the future with all my soul and strength to seek that righteousness what ever it bee you shall discover from the Word of God to bee his Will and so my duty Nay I further do resolve That neither flesh nor blood nor any sin nor lust or worldly interest whatever shall hinder mee from seeking a portion in the Kingdome of my Saviour Bear witness O God I am in as good earnest as ever I was in all my life I sayest thou so Let mee then tell thee for thy comfort thou art not far from the Kingdome of God But to keep thee fast to thy resolution that thou mayest neither give thy God nor mee the slip I do here adjure thee by thy God and Saviour by thy immortal and precious soul by Heaven the Crown and all the weights of glory that are there yea by every thing that is or should bee dear and precious to thee not to dare to draw back and eat thy words again And to tye thee yet up faster to thy resolved vow read Heb. 10.38 But the just shall live by faith and if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Oh that now it might bee spoken of thee what follows in the next verse 39. But wee are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul Mark finner if thou drawst back from so just righteous and holy resolution thou hast made thou wilt fall into perdition if thou holdest on thou art passing forward to the salvation of thy soul if hell doth not affright thee let heaven perswade thee to keep fast to what thou hast just now promised The second part of the Text lyes in the discovery of two particulars 1 Wherein did the righteousness of the Pharisees consist which thou must resolve to exceed 2 What is that righteousness of life that will set thee above the Pharisees and put thee into a saving condition Of the first What the Pharisees righteousness was 1 The Pharisees was one of the strictest sect or the most precise society of men among the Jews they were most nice observers of all the outward points of worship according to the Law of Moses and therefore had the esteem of their Country-men for the most Religious people amongst them I know thou wilt beleeve the Apostle Paul if hee tells thee so much for hee was one of them himself before hee left them by being converted to Jesus Christ Take his own words Act. 26.4 5. My manner of life from my youth which was at first among mine own Nation at Jerusalem know all the Jews which knew mee from the beginning if they would testifie that after the most straightest sect of our Religion I lived a Pharisee Mark that well the Pharisees sayes Paul were Religious yea straightly Religious yea most straightly Religious that is as to the outward parts of the Jewish Religion which consisted in being natural-born Jews children of beleeving Abraham admitted into the visible Church by Circumcision the eighth day in being constant Preachers or Hearers in their Synagogues But all this was not enough to speak them righteous enough for the Kingdome of heaven for remember Except thy righteousness exceed theirs thou canst in no case enter Christ hath said it and thou must beleeve it 2 The Pharisees were right in their judgements in many or most of the practical truths in Religion they held that the onely true God of Israel was to bee worshipped That it was a most hainous sin to theeve to commit murder or adultery or to forswear a mans self to lye or bear false witness against a neighbour or to bee drunk or to bee a glutton This must bee all true of them that they held these things as sins yea and that they did forbear those grosser sins I prove it thus 1 Because Jesus Christ permitted his own followers to hear them preach yea and bid them do what they taught Matth. 23.1 2. Then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his Disciples saying The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seat the meaning is that they were Preachers of the Commands of God delivered by Moses all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do but do not after their works But secondly I prove that they abstained from grosser sins at least to the outward act 1 They abstained from drunkenness and gluttony I gather from that blasphemous reproach they cast upon our blessed Saviour in calling him a Winebibber and a Glutton which speaks that they accounted them most disgraceful sins 2 If they had not abominated the act of murder adultery perjury with drunkenness and the like and so refrained from them in their lives it were impossible they could ever have got that repute amongst the Jewes of being the most strict religious sort of people in all their Country who would ever have thought a society of Drunkards or Gluttons or Whoremongers or perjured persons a strict religious sect as the Apostle Paul confesseth they were reputed From this that hath been said thou mayest easily see that thou mayest bee neither Rogue nor Whore nor Theef nor Drunkard nor Lyar and yet bee out of a state of salvation as these Scribes and Pharisees were though guilty of none of these sins 3 These Pharisees were more righteous yet for they were strict observers of the Sabbath day so far as to abstain from all bodily labour and to attend on the worship of God in reading praying preaching or expounding the Word of God this was their Sabbath dayes imployment in their
first make bold to press thee to a revew of the text I say unto you Except your Righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees yee can in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven This verse is a part of that Bible that thou and I and all the Christian world do take to bee the word of God which is as free from any lye or falshood as the Sun-beams are from darkness I shall not therefore injure thee so much as if I did mistrust thee to ask whether thou beleevest this portion of Scripture to bee true or false but rather dost thou beleeve that it is so written there as here it is transcribed if thou doubtest take thy Bible and turn to the Chapter and the Verse if thou wilt take it for granted on my word I profess I have not I would not deceive thee for a world The first part of the Text opened I say unto you To you Who are those Why those that were present at that time in which Christ was preaching this Sermon they were his Disciples his followers such as owned him for their Saviour and called him Lord and Christ in a word they were such as thou professest thy self to bee that art my Reader 2 I say unto you who is this I It was heâ— that preached the Sermon Jesus Christ it was Christ and not Matthew that did record it it was Christ and not I that am about to plead withthee at this time for thy life And now thou knowest the Author I presume the Text will have some authority upon thy heart I hope thou wilt not say of Jesus Christ as the prophane worldlings say of us his Ministers that wee are a company of prating sawcy fellows and they hope that all is not true that wee say and they are confident that God is more merciful than wee Preachers would make them beleeve But think Reader it is not I nor any Minister on earth that is the Preacher in my Text it is Jesus Christ the Master of us all and canst thou hope it is not true that Christ here tells thee were not this all one as to hope Jesus Christ is a lyar and is not this to make thy self a blasphemer or darest thou bee so impudent to say or think that God is more merciful than Christ hath made him what canst thou think thy gracious Saviour would deceive thee or that the Son of God would make false reports of God his Father he tells thee the contrary if thou hast a minde to beleeve him Joh. 12.49 I have not spokex of my self but the Father which sent mee hee gave mee Commandement what I should say and what I should speak And wilt thou dare yet to unsay all his sayings though hee tells thee hee sayes nothing but what God his Father commanded him If hee tells thee plainly Except thy righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees thou shalt in no case enter into the Kingdome of heaven Wilt thou boldly contradict all and say that notwithstanding what ever Jesus Christ hath said I yet hope to bee saved yea though thou hast no righteousness at all or such as falls short of what the Pharisees had wilt thou give the lye both to God the Father and the Son No sinner no I know thou hast not such hard thoughts of the Saviour of the world to think hee is a lyar Thou callest him Jesus Christ and confessest him to bee the Son of God and that it is impossible hee should lye yea I know thou wilt confess hee here speaks true and what hee speaks hee speaks to thee That except thy righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees thou canst by no means bee saved Doest thou beleeve it Answer mee Doest thou verily beleeve That except thou A. B. by name provest a more righteous man or woman than ever any Scribe or Pharisee was thou canst in no case enter into heaven Come Come I know thou beleevest it as thou lovest heaven then and thine own soul I intreat thee pronounce these words after mee but speak them seriously to thine own conscience I A B Who am reading this book do in the presence of God that searcheth my heart and will judge mee at the last day do unfeignedly beleeve that except I am by the power of the Spirit through the preaching of the Word made a more righteous man or woman than ever any Scribe or Pharisee yea and this before I dye I never hope by any means to enter into the Kingdome of heaven but must assuredly as now I am reading within a few dayes bee in everlasting torments where I shall weep and wail and gnash my teeth without all remedy Hast thou confessed so much yea and unfeignedly yea as in the presence of God the searcher of thy heart Yea. Well said Now let mee tell thee thou hast taken one step towards heaven thou art half way there already Ah sinner bee not so much thine own enemy as to withdraw thy foot and recall thy words why shouldest thou repent that step that is taken towards a Kingdome that is so blessed or draw in that breath that hath filled thysails and will make thy voyage to heaven both quick and easie if it continue For know Reader that when thy soul is once throughly convinced of that righteousness that is absolutely necessary to salvation half the work of thy conversion is done the new creature is half formed in thee and thy soul half saved but when that righteousness is attained that is when it is brought down into thy conversation and thou livest righteously then is conversion finished the new creature perfected thy salvation secured and thou art made a blessed man or woman But thou wilt say What am I the nearer for all this if I neither know how righteous these Pharisees were nor what a righteousness it is wherein I must exceed them pray will you tell mee how righteous they were and how much more righteous I must bee than they Answ I will tell thee but if I do I must have another promise from thee and I profess as in the presence of the living God if I thought that thou wouldest not grant it to mee I would not tell thee what those things mean but rather out of pity to thee suffer thee to lie and dye in thy ignorance tell me wilt thou promise God and mee that when I have told thee what the righteousness is that thou must seek wilt thou by the help of God endeavour with all thy soul and strength to live that righteous life this Doctrine will call for But stay sayest thou There is no haste tell mee what it is first Answ What doest thou scruple Art thou afraid I will deceive thee and make it harder than it is Reader to put thee out of doubt from that I protest solemnly as I shall answer it before the Judge of quick and dead before whom I am confident I must give an account of what
Synagogues or Churches and Christ permitted as I shewed before his own Disciples to hear them and to observe their Doctrine and do it but as for doing any servile work on this day they reckoned it a greevous sin yea if it were but dressing any provision to eat and therefore you have them quartelling with the Disciples of Christ for pulling ears of Corn on this day and rubbing them in their hands to satisfie their hunger Luke 6.1 And iâ— came to pass on the Sabbath after the first that Jesus went through the Corn-fields and his Disciples plucked the ears of Corn and did eat And certain of the Pharisees said unto them Why do yee that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day Mark Reader See how strictly righteous they were Sabbaths must bee kept strictly kept nothing must take up the day with them but reading preaching praying expounding no one must dress meat on that day though to satisfie his hunger thou wilt say perhaps Is it possible for men to bee more righteous Nay stay there for I will shew thee presently wherein thou must exceed them in all this or in no case shalt thou enter into Heaven 4 Yet farther they were a sort of men that for the encouragement of Religion and upholding the external form oâ— worship in paying Tythes commanded by God in the Law of Moses were precisely just or righteous and Jesus Christ confesseth as much unto them Matth. 23.23 Wo unto you Scribes Pharisâ—es Hypocrites for yee pay tithe of Mint and Anise and Cummin These were the least of herbs that were titheable and it was disputable by many of their Lawyers whether they were titheable or not yet the Pharisees for their part lest they might seem to â—ob God and his Church in the least resolved to pay them and Christ approves of them in that particular bâ— telling them These things yee ought to have done but hee adds withall by way of reproof Yee have omitted the weightier matters of the Law Judgement Mercy and Faith and here their righteousness fell short So Reader think thou mayest bee an incourager of Religion in the place where thou art mayest give freely and liberally to the maintaining of a godly Minister where thou livest which the Lord Christ approves of and commends yet except thou doest somewhat more this will not do thou mayest still remain in a state of perdition 5 They were charitable to the poor This likewise thou hast acknowledged from the mouth of Christ Matth. 6.2 When thou doest thine alms do not sound a trumpet before thee as the Hypocrites do meaning the Pharisees in the Synagogues and in the streets that they may have praise of men verily I say unto you they have their reward that is the value of many a penny or shilling they threw into the poors box at Church and many peece of bread at their doors many a penny or teaster they distributed by the high wayes and streets and many a beggar cryed out after them God bless you Master and yet they were all this while but Pharisees and curst of God for the text is plain that they shall never bee saved it sayes They have their reward already Oh therefore Reader dare not to sit down here unless thou intendest to bear them company to the gates of hell where thou mayest easily enter with them but it is impossible ever to get out 6 They were more righteous yet for they were a praying people and Christ confesseth as much Matth. 6.5 And when thou prayest thou shalt not bee as the Hypocrites are meaning still the Pharisees for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may bee seen of men verily I say unto you they have their reward See here again the Pharisees pray love to pray and yet Christ is peremptory that they shall have no reward but that on earth which speaks him resolved to deny them heaven Reader still consider thou mayest bee one that prayest in thy Family to stop the mouthes of thy friends and servants thy godly neighbours and Minister that none of them may think or say thou art an ungodly man or woman thou mayest come to Church and clap thy hat or hand before thy face to bee seen of men to pray yet thou mayest bee no better than an hypocritical Pharisee out of a state of salvation 7 Lastly The Pharisees beleeved the Resurrection of the dead the blessed or miserable state of souls after this life wherein they exceeded the Sadduces who beleeved no Resurrection yea and hoped or were confident if it fared well with any at the Resurrection it would with them Concerning their beleeef in the great Article of the Christian faith I mean the resurrection thou needest no other proof of it than their taking the Apostle Pauls part against the Sadduces Acts 23.6 7 8. sayes Paul I am a Pharisee the son of a Pharisee of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in Question Object But was Paul a Pharisee How could Paul then bee saved if no Pharisees are saved Ans Paul calls himself a Pharisee because he was one his father was such an one till hee was converted to Christ But sayes hee I am still such an one Answ True hee was so but not absolutely in all parts for hee preached Christ whom the Pharisees crucified but in this single point hee kept still a Pharisee in holding the Refurrection of the dead which the Sadduces denied and therefore the Pharisees strike in with Paul against them saying vers 9. Wee finde no evil in this man but if a Spirit or Angel hath spoken to him let us not fight against God Who would but think that such men as these were good 1 How tender do they seem to bee in opposing God in any revelation of his will and minde 2 They take an Apostles part for teaching the true doctrine of the Resurrection 3 They express much zeal in opposing the Sadduces for their Heresie 4 They make a clear profession of their faith in the point of Angels Spirits and the Resurrection and consequently of the immortality of their souls and their hope of a blessedness after this life yet still remember they were Pharisees and that Christ hath said it Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees yee can in no case enter into the Kingdome of God Oh Reader take warning and do not dare to venture thy eternal life upon such a shallow sandy righteousness as the Pharisees did Thus have I finished the first particular in shewing thee what the righteousness of the Pharisees was Now Reader pull up thy spirits and gird up thy loins like a man I will shew thee now the mark that thou must shoot at the Garland thou must run for and the Crown thou must fight for the righteousness that will bear thee up above the clouds and set thee safe in the Kingdome of Heaven