Bolton - Houston-Packer Collection BX9339.B65 A2 1641

c í1 Difceurfe of tram Happineffe. 65 acceptable. And howfoever otherwife they may purchafe them a name amongfl men, profperitie in the world, fore lefïetorment inhell, and procure goodunto others; yet ex- cept theyproceed from a faith unfained, and a pure confci- ence, to the Chriflians themfelves,in refpeá ofall heavenly happineffe, they are fruideffe andunprofitable. My fecond proofe is out of they . ofMatth. Except your 3 rightestsfneffe exceedthe righteonfneffe ofthe Scribes andf'ha- rifies,yee(hallnot enter into the kingdome of heaven. The out- ward righteoufneffe of the Scribes and Pharifies was fa- mous in thofe times, and much admired : So that if Goddid not principally refpea the heart; ifthat were not true in the 16. of Luke ; That which is highlyefieemedamongii wen, is abomination inthefight of God; they might not onely have carriedaway the garland for pietyon earth; but have juílly teemed to havebeene the onelyheires to a crowne of im- mortalitie in the heavens. For betides their forbearance and proteílation againfl groffer finnes, Murther, Theft, Adulte- rte,Idolatry,and the like: they were frequent and folemne in prayers, failings, almef- deeds; and that with farre greater ItriSneffe anddevotion, then the religious anions of for- mall hypocrifie are performed in theletimes ofthe Gofpel. Befdes, I doubt not but many of them were perfwaded,that their way was the way of life, and that they werein the flareoftruehappineffe : And yet for all this, exceptwee ex- ceed their righteoufnefle, the.fpeech is peremptorie, we 1ha11 not enter into the kingdomeofheaven. For we fee in the 23. ofMatthew, what achaine of curfes, out of the mouthof our llefléd Saviour, did juflly draw them intothe bottome of hell.' Thirdly, this truth is manifefl out ofthe doarine of the Prophets : Efay i, Mich.6. Hag.a. Pfalrne o. andmany o- ther places. Whence arifeth thisconclufion : That theprin- ciple and holiefl exercifes, the moft folemne and facred aionsofreligion, without fincericie and fan6ificationof heart, are butas thecutting off a Dogsnecke, and theoffe- ringoffwines bloud.Their facrifices,oblations, and incenfe, F 4 their

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