S e e r. III. Falfe Signs.of-Graee. 46t 4,40.1)040 ,44044.1)44-'iM'i44,4440444,1mto!to?7ooTo SERMON XXVIII. Externall Obedience to the Lal)?;óf odnofore erpi. clencefor Heaven. M A T. 5. W. For 1fay unto you, that except your righteoufnefe exceed the righteoufnef of the scribes and Pharifees, ye fall in no wifeenter into theKingdomof Heaven. !hall take that doirine for granted which the Orthodox prove againft Papills and Socinians, viz, that in this Chapter ourSaviour doth not as a Law-giver impofe new commands, and duties, which were not obligatory in the Old Te- flament; but doth only vindicate the Law of God from corrupt glolfesand in- terpretations ; fo that althoughhis doftrine and interpretation wasnew, through the default of thofe corrupttraditionall Expofitions, which the Pharifees hadde- livered, yet it was not new indeed, for the fame duties had alwaies beencom- manded. Oar Saviour doth asthe Painter, which doth not draw a new image or pieture, only varnithech it over, where the colour and beauty was loft ; He doth not dig up new fountains, but cleanfeth away that earth and mudd which thofe Pharifees had thrown in. The LordChrifl in this Chapter teacheth excellent and admirablepurity and holinetfe, tranfcendent notonly to Pharifaicall gloffes, but to all thecorrupt opinions and judgements of men, prefling upon us heart-du- ties aboveexternal obedience, and prohibiting inward and foul. (inns above out- ward filthinellë. And in the Text, he doth by a vehement affeveration, remove all that reputed righteoulneffe, which dazeled the eyes of the world in thofe daies. So that in the words you have a neceCtaryqualification for our entrance into the Kingdomof Heaven. Thequalification is in an exceptive expref ion ; 7lnleffeyour righteoufncffe, &c. Ey righteoufnelfe is not meant that Evangelical) righteoufneffe imputed to us, but inherent wrought byGods grace, and thereforecalled your righteoufaefle, becaufe lubjelied in us : our holinefle is called righteoufuefle,not becaufe we are jullified or accounted righteous before God becaufe of it : but becaufe there are all the effen- tiall parts of righteoufnelle commanded by the Law, though defeftive in thegra- duallintentions thereof. In the next place there is the neceffary requifrte to our righteoufnefle,viz.that it dothexceed,abound,as the greekword,or encreafe and be greater then that [of the Scribes and Pharifees ] Scribes are named becaufe of their learning, and Pharifees becaufe of their pretended exaelneffe in piety. He doth not fay,unleffe your righte. oufnefI be more then Publicans and Harlots, for that would eafily be granted, tint more then scribes and Pharifees. Nor, amerce it be like and equal} to that of the Pharifees, but anleffe it exceed. This was extreamly offenfive and paradoxall, and it is,faith Meafcalus,as if in the timeof Popery a Preacher had fusel, Unlelfe yourrighteoufaelfeexceed that of the Minoritce and Carthufans, you cannot be faved ; Now the general! ground why the Pharifees obedience was infunecienr, was becaufe it conlifted inan external! conformity to the Law, without any in ward
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=