REwards and Punishments are the best Sanction of Laws ; and although the Guardians of Laws strike somtimes with the softest part of the hand in their Executions of sad Sentences , yet in the Sanction they make no abatements , but so proportion the Duty to the Reward , and the Punishment to the Crime , that by these we can best tell what Value the Law-giver puts upon the Obedience . Joshuah put a great rate upon the taking of Kiriath-Sepher , when the Reward of the Service was his Daughter and a Dower . But when the Young men ventur'd to fetch David the waters of Bethlehem , they had nothing but the praise of their Boldness , because their Service was no more than the satisfaction of a Curiosity . But as Law-givers by their Rewards declare the Value of the Obedience , so do Subjects also by the grandeur of what they expect , set a value on the Law and the Law-giver , and do their Services accordingly .

And therefore the Law of Moses , Heb. 7. 19. whose endearment was nothing but temporal goods and transient evils , could never make the comers thereunto perfect : but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the Superinduction of a better Hope hath endeared a more perfect Obedience . When Christ brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel , and hath promised to us things greater than all our explicite Desires , bigger than the thoughts of our heart , then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith the Apostle , then we draw neer to God ; and by these we are enabled to do all that God requires , and then he requires all that we can do ; more Love , and more Obedience than he did of those who for want of these Helps , and these Revelations , and these Promises , which we have , but they had not , were but imperfect persons , and could do but little more than humane Services . Christ hath taught us more , and given us more , and promised to us more than ever was in the world known or believed before him ; and by the strengths and confidence of these , thrusts us forward in a holy and wise Oeconomy , and plainly declares that we must serve him by the measures of a new Love , do him Honour by wise and material Glorifications , be united to God by a new Nature , and made alive by a new Birth , and fulfil all Righteousness ; to be humble and meek as Christ , to be merciful as our heavenly Father is , to be pure as God is pure , to be partakers of the Divine Nature , to be wholly renewed in the frame and temper of our mind , to become people of a new heart , a direct new Creation , new Principles , and a new being , to do better than all the world before us ever did , to love God more perfectly , to despise the World more generously , to contend for the Faith more earnestly ; for all this is but a proper and a just consequent of the great Promises which our Blessed Law-giver came to publish and effect for all the world of Believers and Disciples .

The matter which is here requir'd is certainly very great ; for it is to be more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees ; more holy than the Doctors of the Law , than the Leaders of the Synagogue , than the wise Princes of the Sanhedrim ; more righteous than some that were Prophets and High Priests , than some that kept the Ordinances of the Law without blame ; men that lay in Sackcloth , and fasted much , and prayed more , and made Religion and the Study of the Law the work of their lives : This was very much ; but Christians must do more . Nuncte marmoreum pro tempore fecimus ; at tu , Si foetura gregem suppleverit , aureus esto .

They did well , and we must do better ; their houses were Marble , but our roofs must be gilded and fuller of Glory . * But as the matter is very great , so the necessity of it is the greatest in the world . It must be so , or it will be much worse : unless it be thus , we shall never see the glorious Face of God . Here it concerns us to be wise and fearful ; for the matter is not a question of an Oaken Garland , or a Circle of Bays , and a Yellow Ribband : it is not a question of Money or Land , nor of the vainer rewards of popular noises , and the undiscerning Suffrages of the people , who are contingent Judges of good and evil : but it is the great stake of Life Eternal . We cannot be Christians , unless we be righteous by the new measures : the Righteousness of the Kingdom is now the only way to enter into it ; for the Sentence is fix'd , and the Judgment is decretory , and the Judge infallible , and the Decree irreversible : For I say unto you , said Christ , unless your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees , ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven .

Here then we have two things to consider . 1. What was the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees . 2. How far that is to be exceeded by the Righteousness of Christians .

1. Concerning the first . I will not be so nice in the Observation of these words , as to take notice that Christ does not name the Sadduces , but the Scribes and Pharisees , though there may be something in it : the Sadduces were called Caraim from Cara , to read ; for they thought it Religion to spend one third part of their day in reading their Scriptures , whose fulness they so admired , they would admit of no suppletory Traditions : But the Pharisees were called Thanaim , that is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , they added to the Word of God words of their own , as the Church of Rome does at this day ; they and these fell into an equal fate ; while they taught for Doctrines the Commandments of men , they prevaricated the Righteousuess of God : What the Church of Rome to evil purposes hath done in this particular , may be demonstrated in due time and place ; but what false and corrupt glosses , under the specious Title of the Tradition of their Fathers , the Pharisees had introduc'd , our Blessed Saviour reproves ; and are now to be represented as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that you may see that Righteousness beyond which all they must go that intend that Heaven should be their Journeys end .

1. The Pharisees obeyed the Commandments in the Letter , not in the Spirit : They minded what God spake , but not what he intended . They were busie in the outward work of the hand , but incurious of the affections and choice of the heart . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , said Justin Martyr to Tryphon the Jew , Ye understand all things carnally 3 that is , they rested 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as Nazianzen calls it , in the outward work of Piety , which not only Justin Martyr , but St. Paul calls Carnality , not meaning a carnal Appetite , Ga. 3. 3. & Gal. 6. 12 , 13. Phil. 3. 34. but a carnal Service . Their errour was plainly this ; they never distinguish'd Duties natural from Duties relative ; that is , whether it were commanded for it self , or in order to something that was better ; whether it were a principal Grace , or an instrumental Action : So God was served in the Letter , they did not much inquire into his Purpose : And therefore they were curious to wash their hands , but cared not to purifie the hearts ; They would give Alms , but hate him that received it ; They would go to the Temple , but did not revere the Glory of God that dwelt there between the Cherubins ; They would fast , but not mortifie their Lusts ; They would say good Prayers , but not labour for the Grace they prayed for . This was just as if a man should run on his Masters errand , and do no business when he came there . They might easily have thought that by the Soul only a man approaches to God , and draws the Body after it ; but that no washing or corporal Services could unite them and the Shechina together , no such thing could make them like to God , who is the Prince of Spirits . * They did as the Dunces in Pythagoras School , who when their Master had said , Fabis abstineto , by which he intended they should not ambitiously seek for Magistracy , they thought themselves good Pythagoreans if they did not eat Beans , and they would be sure to put their Right foot first into the shooe , and their Left foot into the water , and supposed they had done enough ; though if they had not been Fools they would have understood their Masters meaning to have been , that they should put more affections to labour and travel , and less to their pleasure and recreation ; and so it was with the Pharisee : For as the Chaldees taught their Mora●●●y by mystick words , and the Aegyptians by Hieroglyphicks , and the Greeks by Fables ; so did God by Rites and Ceremonies external , leading them by the Hand to the Purities of the Heart , and by the Services of the Body to the Obedience of the Spirit ; which because they would not understand , they thought they had done enough in the observation of the Letter .

2. In moral Duties , where God express'd Himself more plainly , they made no Commentary of kindness ; but regarded the Prohibition so nakedly , and divested of all Antecedents , Consequents , Similitudes , and Proportions , that if they stood clear of that hated name which was set down in Moses Tables , they gave themselves liberty in many instances of the same kindred and alliance : If they abstained from murder , they thought it very well , though they made no scruple of murdering their Brothers Fame ; they would not cut his throat , but they would call him Fool , or invent lies in secret , and publish his disgrace openly ; they would not dash out his brains , but they would be extremely and unreasonably angry with him ; they would not steal their brothers money , but they would oppress him in crafty and cruel bargains . The Commandment forbade them to commit Adultery , but because Fornication was not named , they made no scruple of that ; and being commanded to Honour their Father and their Mother , they would give them good words and fair observances ; but because it was not named that they should maintain them in their need , they thought they did well enough to pretend Corban , and let their Father starve .

3. The Scribes and Pharisees placed their Righteousness in Negatives ; they would not commit what was forbidden , but they car'd but little for the included positive , and the omissions of good Actions did not much trouble them ; they would not hurt their brother in a forbidden instance , but neither would they do him good according to the intention of the Commandment : It was a great innocence if they did not rob the poor , then they were righteous men ; but they thought themselves not much concerned to acquire that god-like excellency , a Philanthropy and love to all mankind : Whosoever blasphem'd God was to be put to death ; but he that did not glorifie God as he ought , they were unconcern'd for him , and let him alone : He that spake against Moses was to die without mercy ; but against the ambitious and the covetous , against the proud man and the unmerciful , they made no provisions . Virtus est vitium fugere , & sapientia prima Stultitiâ caruisse .

They accounted themselves good , not for doing good , but for doing no evil ; that was the sum of their Theology .

4. They had one thing more as bad all this : They broke Moses Tables into pieces , and gathering up the fragments took to themselves what part of Duty they pleased , and let the rest alone : For it was a Proverb amongst the Jews , Qui operam dat praecepto , liber est à praecepto ; that is , If he chuses one positive Commandment for his business , he may be less careful in any of the rest . Indeed they said also , Qui multiplicat Legem , multiplicat Vitam ; He that multiplies the Law increa●●s Life ; that is , if he did attend to more good things , it was so much the b●tter ; but the other was well enough : but as for Universal Obedience , that was not the measure of their righteousness ; for they taught that God would put our good works and bad into the balance , and according to the heavier scale give a portion in the world to come ; so that some evil they would allow to themselves and their Disciples , always provided it was less than the good they did . They would devour Widows houses , and make it up by long Prayers : They would love their Nation , and hate their Prince ; offer Sacrifice , and curse Caesar in their heart ; advance Judaism , and destroy Humanity .

Lastly , St. Austin summ'd up the difference between the Pharisaical and Evangelical Righteousness in two words ; Brevis differentia inter Legem & Evangelium ; timor & amor . They serv'd the God of their Fathers in the spirit of Fear , and we worship the Father of our Lord Jesus in the Spirit of Love , and by the Spirit of Adoption . And as this slavish Principle of theirs was the cause of all their former Imperfections , so it finally and chiefly express'd it self in these two particulars . 1. They would do all that they thought they lawfully could do . 2. They would do nothing but what was expresly commanded .

This was the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees , and their Disciples the Jews ; which because our Blessed Saviour reproves , Sed Belzebulis callida Commenta Christus destruit . not only as imperfect then , but as criminal now , calling us on to a new Righteousness , the Righteousness of God , to the Law of the Spirit of Life , to the Kingdom of God and the proper Righteousness thereof , it concerns us in the next place to look after the measures of this , ever remembring that it is infinitely necessary that we should do so ; and men do not generally know , or not consider what it is to be a Christian ; they understand not what the Christian Law forbiddeth or commandeth . But as for this in my Text , it is indeed our great measure : but it is not a question of good and better , but of Good and Evil , Life and Death , Salvation and Damnation ; for unless our Righteousness be weighed by new Weights , we shall be found too light , when God comes to weigh the Actions of all the World : and unless we be more righteous than they , we shall in no wise , that is , upon no other terms in the world , enter into the Kingdom of Heaven .

Now concerning this , we shall do very much amiss , if we take our measures by the Manners and Practises of the many who call themselves Christians ; for there are , as Nazianzen expresses it , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the old and the new Pharisees . I wish it were no worse amongst us ; and that all Christians were indeed Righteous as they were ; est aliquid prodire tenus ; it would not be just nothing . But I am sure that to bid defiance to the Laws of Christ , to laugh at Religion , to make a merriment at the debauchery and damnation of our Brother , is a state of evil worse than that of the Scribes and Pharisees : and yet even among such men how impatient would they be , and how unreasonable would they think you to be , if you should tell them , that there is no present hopes or possibility that in this state they are in they can be saved ! 〈…〉 ●demur nobis esse belluli 〈…〉 , Saperdae cum simus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 .

〈…〉 world is too full of Christians whose Righteousness is very little 〈…〉 their Iniquities very great ; and now adays , a Christian is a man 〈…〉 to Church on Sundays , and on the week following will do 〈…〉 things ; 〈◊〉 corvos sequitur , testâque lutoque 〈…〉 quo pes ferat , atque ex tempore vivit , being ●●●ording to the Jewish proverbial reproof , as so many Mephibosheths : discipuli sapientum qui incessu pudefaciunt praeceptorem suum ; their Master teaches them to go uprightly ; but they still show their lame leg , and shame their Master ; as if a man might be a Christian , and yet be the vilest person in the world , doing such things for which the Laws of men have provided smart and shame , and the Laws of God have threatned the intolerable pains of an insufferable and never ending damnation . Example here cannot be our rule unless men were much better , and as long as men live at the rate they do , it will be to little purpose to talk of exceeding the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees : but because it must be much better with us all , or it will be very much worse with us at the latter end , I shall leave complaining and go to the Rule , and describe the necessary and unavoidable measures of the Righteousness Evangelical , without which we can never be saved .

1. Therefore when it is said our Righteousness must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees , let us first take notice by way of praecognition , that it must at least be so much : we must keep the Letter of the whole Moral Law ; we must do all that lies before us , all that is in our hand : and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifies to be Religious , the Grammarians derive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from reaching forth the hand : the outward work must be done ; and it is not enough to say , My heart is right , but my hand went aside . Prudentius saith , that St. Peter wept so bitterly , because he did not confess Christ openly , whom he lov'd secretly . Flevit negator denique Ex ore prolapsum nefas , Cum mens maneret innocens , Animusque servârit fidem .

A right heart alone will not do it ; or rather the heart is not right when the hand is wrong . If a man strikes his Neighbor , and sayes , Am not I in jest ? It is folly and shame to him , said Solomon . For , once for all ; Let us remember this , that Christianity is the most profitable , the most useful , and the most bountiful institution in the whole world , and the best definition I can give of it is this ; It is the Wisdom of God brought down among us to do good to men ; and therefore we must not do less than the Pharisees , who did the outward work ; at least let us be sure to do all the work that is laid before us in the Commandments . And it is strange that this should be needful to be press'd amongst Christians whose Religion requires so very much more . But so it is , upon a pretence that we must serve God with the mind , some are such fools as to think that it is enough to have a good meaning . Iniquum perpol verbum est , bene vult , nis● qui bene facit . And because we must serve God in the Spirit , therefore they will not serve God with their Bodies ; and because they are called upon to have the power and the life of Godliness , they abominate all external works as mere forms ; and 〈◊〉 the true fast is to abstain from Sin , therefore they will not abstain 〈◊〉 meat and drink , even when they are commanded ; which is 〈◊〉 if a Pharisee being taught the Circumcision of the heart shou●● 〈◊〉 to Circumcise his Flesh ; and as if a Christian , being instructed in the Excellencies of Spiritual Communion , should wholly neglect 〈◊〉 Sacramental ; that is , because the Soul is the life of man , therefore 〈◊〉 fitting to die in a humour , and lay aside the Body . * This is a taking away the Subject of the Question ; for our inquiry is , How we should keep the Commandments ; how we are to do the work that lyes before us , by what Principles , with what Intention , in what Degrees , after what manner , ut bonum bene fiat , that the good thing be done well . This therefore must be presupposed ; we must take care that even our Bodies bear a part in our Spiritual Services . Our voice and tongue , our hands and our Feet , and our very bowels must be servants of God , and do the work of the Commandments .

This being ever supposed , our Question is , how much more we must do ; and the first measure is this ; Whatsoever can be signified and ministred to by the Body , the Heart and the Spirit of a man must be the principal Actor . We must not give Alms without a charitable Soul , nor suffer Martyrdom but in Love and in Obedience ; and when we say our Prayers , we do but mispend our time unless our mind ascend up to God upon the wings of desire .

Desire is the life of prayer ; and if you indeed desire what you pray for , you will also labour for what you desire ; and if you find it otherwise with your selves , your coming to Church is but like the Pharisees going up to the Temple to pray . If your heart be not present , neither will God ; and then there is a sound of men and women between a pair of dead walls , from whence because neither God nor your Souls are present , you must needs go home without a Blessing .