3 56 Chriflianity cloth not defiroy, Vol. I. Difcourfe. In the beginningofhis Sermon, hepromifeth Bleffing to thole thofe only who were endowed with thofe Virtues which are required by the pts the Moral Law, or comprehended in them ; and then he tells them, that Chriftians muft bevery eminent and confpicuous for the practice of them, V. t 6. Let Prece yoxrlight of fothine before Men, that they mayfeeyour good works, andglorifieyour Father which is in Heaven ; and then he cautions them not to entertain any fuch imaginations, as if he intended to diffolve theobligation of the Law, and to free Men from the pra - ctice of Moral Duties, which probably fome might have fuggefted againft him ; think not that Iamcome to defiroy the Law andthe Prophets ; as if he had laid, you cannot entertain any fuch conceit, if you confider that the precepts which I incul- cate upon you, and thofe Virtues, the practice whereof I recommend to you, are the fame which are contained in the Lawand the Prophets. So that 1, am fo far from croffing the main deign of the Lawand the Prophets,and taking away the obligation ofMoral Duties enjoyned by the Jewifh Religion, that I come purpofely to carry on the fame Defign to further perfection, to givea more perfeíï and clear Law, and to give a greater enforcement and encouragement to the prafkice of Moral Duties ; thefe were always the fumand fubftance ofReligion, the ultimatedefign of the Law and the Prophets, and therefore I am fo far from difcharging Men from the obligation of the Moral Precepts of the Law, that I come to bind them more ftrongly upon you. And verily I fay unto you, that is, I folemnly declare, that whofoever (hall break one of thefe leaft Commandments, and (hall teach Menfo, he fhall be called the leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven ; that is, he (hall in no wife enter therein. You think the Scribes and Pharifees veryPious and excellent Men, and tohave attained to a high pitch of Righteoufnefs5but Ifayuntoyou, thexeept yourRighteoufnef fhall exceed the righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye fhallin no wife enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And then he inftanceth in feveral Precepts of the Moral Law, which in the letter ofthem, efpecially as they were interpreted by the Teachers of the Law among theJews, were very much short of thatRighteoufnefsand Perfectionwhich he now requires of his Difciples and Followers. So that his wholeDifcourfe is a- bout Precepts and Obligations of the Moral Law, and not a word concerning the Ritual and Ceremonial Law ; which makes me very prone to think, that our Sa- viour's meaning in the Text is this, that his Religion was fo far from thwarting and oppofrng that which was the main defign of the Lawand the Prophets, that is, of the Jewifh Religion, that the principal intention of Chriftianity was to advance thepra- &ice of goodnefs and virtue, by ftrengthning the obligation ofMoral Duties, and givingus a more perte& Law and Ruleof Life, and offering better Arguments and greater Encouragements to the obedience ofthis Law. Therefore for the fuller expli- cation and illuftrationof this Matter, I (hall endeavour to clear thefe three Points. Firfi,That theMain and Ultimate Defign ofthe Lawand the Prophets, was to engage Men to the pra&iceof Moral Duties, that is, ofreal and Subftantial Goodnefs. Secondly, That the Law of Mofes, or the difpenfation of the Jewi(h Religion, Was comparatively veryweak, and infufficient to this purpofe. Thirdly, That the Chrifiian Religion hath fupplied all the defe&s, and weak- neffes and imperfections of that difpenfation ; thefe three Particulars will fully clear our Saviour's meaning in this Text. Firft', That the Main and Ultimate Defignofthe Law andthe Prophets, was toen- gage Men to the pra&ice of Moral Duties ; that is, of real and fubflantial Good.. nefs, confifking in thofe Virtues which our Saviour mentions at the beginning of thisSermon ; Humility, and Meeknefs, and Mercy, and Righteoxfnefs, and Purity, and Peaeeablenefs. This our Saviour more than once tellsus was the fun) and fub- fiance, the main fcope and defign of the whole Do&rifle of the Lam and thePro- phets, Mat. 7. z a. Therefore all things whatfoever ye wouldthat Men Amiddo untoyou, do ye evenfo unto them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. And Mat. 22. 4o. That the love ofGod and our Neighbour, thofe twogreat Commands, to which all Moral Du- ties are reduced, are the twogreat hinges of the Jewifh Religion ; on thefe two hang alltheLawand the Prophets. St. Paulcalls Love, the foulingofthe whole Law, Rom. 13. Io. St. 7ames, the Perfeeá and the Royal Law, as that which hath aSovereign In- fluenceupon all parts ofReligion. And therefore the Apoflie Rom. 3.2 e. tells us that thismore perte&Righteoufnefs which was brought in by the Gofpel, or the Cbri- flian
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