SERM. fect, and fo promulge it with a mightier XV. Sanction of Rewards and Punishments ex

prefly declared. So my Text, and the 17th, 18th, and 19th Verfes before it Think not that I am come to deftroy the Law or the Prophets: I am not come to deftroy, but to fulfil. For verily I fay unto you, till Heaven and Earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wife pass from the Law till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore fhall break one of thefe leaft Commandments, and fhall teach Men fo, be fhall be called the leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven: But whofoever shall do, and teach them, the fame fhall be called great in the Kingdom of Hea ven. For I fay unto you, that except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye fhall in no Cafe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Scribes and Pharifees, you know, profeffed the greatest Zeal for the Law of Mofes, of which they appeared to be rigid Obfervers and accurate Expofitors. And as for the Word Righteoufnefs, that fignifies not only fuftice, but every other Vir tue that is requifite to denominate a Man blameless with refpect to the Law he is under.

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under. To which Purpose it may be ob- SERM, ferv'd, that the Word fo render'd, was in XV. all probability, in the Original of St. Matthew, that which fignifies Mercy and Charity, as well as Uprightness. Accordingly, in the firft Verfe of the next Chapter, there is great Reason to judge, that the true Reading in the firft and authentick Tranflation, gives us the fame Word for Alms, as here in the Text for Righteouf nefs. So that take it all together, and you will understand, our Lord, in laying down this Sum of his Doctrine, prefuppofes and expreffes only in general, a due Obedience to the Commandments already injoin'd his People by God; THAT Law of Righteousness very well known to them, which may be found in the Writings of David and Solomon, and the Prophets, and of Mofes, efpecially the Ten Commandments. i. In the firft Place, we muft EQUAL the Righteoufnefs of the Scribes and Pharifees, if any of them equal'd their own Pretences of Holiness in zealous kceping the Law and the Commandment, which is holy, and just, and good. Upon this Foundation it is, that our Law-giver and Prophet has been pleas

ed

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SERM. ed to build, taking away Nothing of the XV. ancient Structure that was of any Solidity or univerfal Ufe. And of THAT the Nature and Substance is compriz'd in few Words, and in the fame it may fuffice at this Time to mention it from the most remarkable Place of St. Matthew, Ch. xxii. beginning at the 37th Verfe, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind. This is the first and great Commandment. And the fecond is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy felf; for, as it is there added, on these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

But it is reasonable to fpeak more at large to the Queftion which the Text fuggefts to every body's Mind; wherein our Righteousness must EXCEED that of thefe Profeffors of Judaifm? And in anfwering whereof, our Lord feems to have fpent, in a manner, all the reft of this Chapter and the two following, which comprehend his great Sermon on the Mount. Out of them therefore we may feek for Satilfaction; and it will be found, that all the Points recommended for diftinguishing the

Difciple

Difciple from the Pharifee, may be redu- SERM. ced under three Heads.

The first relates to Defects in the Law itfelf. The fecond to the falfe Gloffes of these corrupt Interpreters of it. And the third to other evil Practices of theirs, and that Hypocrify with which they cover'd, or fhadowed them.

The first then contains thofe Precepts of our Saviour whereby he hath fulfilled the Law. For that Rule itself, though given by God, and without question very proper, and a very great Bleffing to the People and Times it was given to, was not without Defects; which it pleased God, when the Fulness of Time was come for the teaching all Nations, to supply, Speaking to them by his Son. Of these there are two Branches; the former, where fomething was indulg'd to the Jews, tho' lefs agreeable to Right and the primary Defign of God in his general Institution of Things, and indulg'd, with exprefs Mention of the Cafe; the latter, where they were not fully and clearly taught the Perfection and Extent of what is now plainly our Duty, but were left with some

4

Latitude,

XV.

SERM. Latitude, at leaft Uncertainty, of Judg XV. ment and Practice..:

The first mention'd I find but one Inftance of; and that is declared, and corrected in the 31ft and 32d Verfes of this Chapter, It bath been faid, whosoever shall put away bis Wife, let him give her a Writing of Divorcement. But I fay unto you, that whofoever shall put away his Wife, faving for the Caufe of Fornication, caufeth, her to commit Adultery; and whosoever.. Jhall marry her that is divorced, committeth Adultery. So that here is a notable Liberty retrench'd from Chriftian Men, that was fuffer'd in the Jews for the Hardness of their Heart. And the Obedience to this primitive Law of the Sanctity of Wedlock, reftor❜d by our Lord, must distinguish the Righteoufnefs of his Followers (as many as are concerned) from that of the Scribes and Pharifees.

But fecondly, there are divers Inftances, in which he hath fulfilled, that is, render'd complete, perfect, and perfpicuous, the Law of Mofes, where it was left defective and loofe, or obfcure by reafon of its Generality and Want of exprefs and diftinct Particu

lars.