I say or write I will to the best of my understanding make it to be a righteousness neither more nor less than what Jesus Christ hath made it nor will I shew thee any thing but what I will give thee sufficient Scripture-proof for What sayest thou now wilt thou promise What dost thou stick at man Remember what thou hast confessed already Didst thou not confess just now that thou didst verily beleeve that thou canst not possibly bee saved except thou shalt become more righteous than any Pharisee and doest thou now doubt whether it is best for thee to endeavour to exceed them What art thou resolved to sit down short of heaven Ah sinner this is not ignorantly but wilfully to destroy thy self Tell mee then wilt thou resolve to live a more righteous life or wilt thou not thou dying man or woman either resolve or read no more I profess I did not write these lines to dally with thy soul if I had thought that all my Readers would have proved so obstinate I would not have lost that little time I spent in writing what thou now art vewing nor created thee the trouble of so much reading Let God bear witness betwixt thy soul and mine whether I am not more desirous to have thee saved than thou art to save thy self The Sinners Resolve Why then I do resolve as God shall help mee I will endeavour for the future with all my soul and strength to seek that righteousness what ever it bee you shall discover from the Word of God to bee his Will and so my duty Nay I further do resolve That neither flesh nor blood nor any sin nor lust or worldly interest whatever shall hinder mee from seeking a portion in the Kingdome of my Saviour Bear witness O God I am in as good earnest as ever I was in all my life I sayest thou so Let mee then tell thee for thy comfort thou art not far from the Kingdome of God But to keep thee fast to thy resolution that thou mayest neither give thy God nor mee the slip I do here adjure thee by thy God and Saviour by thy immortal and precious soul by Heaven the Crown and all the weights of glory that are there yea by every thing that is or should bee dear and precious to thee not to dare to draw back and eat thy words again And to tye thee yet up faster to thy resolved vow read Heb. 10.38 But the just shall live by faith and if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Oh that now it might bee spoken of thee what follows in the next verse 39. But wee are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that beleeve to the saving of the soul Mark finner if thou drawst back from so just righteous and holy resolution thou hast made thou wilt fall into perdition if thou holdest on thou art passing forward to the salvation of thy soul if hell doth not affright thee let heaven perswade thee to keep fast to what thou hast just now promised The second part of the Text lyes in the discovery of two particulars 1 Wherein did the righteousness of the Pharisees consist which thou must resolve to exceed 2 What is that righteousness of life that will set thee above the Pharisees and put thee into a saving condition Of the first What the Pharisees righteousness was 1 The Pharisees was one of the strictest sect or the most precise society of men among the Jews they were most nice observers of all the outward points of worship according to the Law of Moses and therefore had the esteem of their Country-men for the most Religious people amongst them I know thou wilt beleeve the Apostle Paul if hee tells thee so much for hee was one of them himself before hee left them by being converted to Jesus Christ Take his own words Act. 26.4 5. My manner of life from my youth which was at first among mine own Nation at Jerusalem know all the Jews which knew mee from the beginning if they would testifie that after the most straightest sect of our Religion I lived a Pharisee Mark that well the Pharisees sayes Paul were Religious yea straightly Religious yea most straightly Religious that is as to the outward parts of the Jewish Religion which consisted in being natural-born Jews children of beleeving Abraham admitted into the visible Church by Circumcision the eighth day in being constant Preachers or Hearers in their Synagogues But all this was not enough to speak them righteous enough for the Kingdome of heaven for remember Except thy righteousness exceed theirs thou canst in no case enter Christ hath said it and thou must beleeve it 2 The Pharisees were right in their judgements in many or most of the practical truths in Religion they held that the onely true God of Israel was to bee worshipped That it was a most hainous sin to theeve to commit murder or adultery or to forswear a mans self to lye or bear false witness against a neighbour or to bee drunk or to bee a glutton This must bee all true of them that they held these things as sins yea and that they did forbear those grosser sins I prove it thus 1 Because Jesus Christ permitted his own followers to hear them preach yea and bid them do what they taught Matth. 23.1 2. Then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his Disciples saying The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses seat the meaning is that they were Preachers of the Commands of God delivered by Moses all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do but do not after their works But secondly I prove that they abstained from grosser sins at least to the outward act 1 They abstained from drunkenness and gluttony I gather from that blasphemous reproach they cast upon our blessed Saviour in calling him a Winebibber and a Glutton which speaks that they accounted them most disgraceful sins 2 If they had not abominated the act of murder adultery perjury with drunkenness and the like and so refrained from them in their lives it were impossible they could ever have got that repute amongst the Jewes of being the most strict religious sort of people in all their Country who would ever have thought a society of Drunkards or Gluttons or Whoremongers or perjured persons a strict religious sect as the Apostle Paul confesseth they were reputed From this that hath been said thou mayest easily see that thou mayest bee neither Rogue nor Whore nor Theef nor Drunkard nor Lyar and yet bee out of a state of salvation as these Scribes and Pharisees were though guilty of none of these sins 3 These Pharisees were more righteous yet for they were strict observers of the Sabbath day so far as to abstain from all bodily labour and to attend on the worship of God in reading praying preaching or expounding the Word of God this was their Sabbath dayes imployment in their
Synagogues or Churches and Christ permitted as I shewed before his own Disciples to hear them and to observe their Doctrine and do it but as for doing any servile work on this day they reckoned it a greevous sin yea if it were but dressing any provision to eat and therefore you have them quartelling with the Disciples of Christ for pulling ears of Corn on this day and rubbing them in their hands to satisfie their hunger Luke 6.1 And iâ— came to pass on the Sabbath after the first that Jesus went through the Corn-fields and his Disciples plucked the ears of Corn and did eat And certain of the Pharisees said unto them Why do yee that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day Mark Reader See how strictly righteous they were Sabbaths must bee kept strictly kept nothing must take up the day with them but reading preaching praying expounding no one must dress meat on that day though to satisfie his hunger thou wilt say perhaps Is it possible for men to bee more righteous Nay stay there for I will shew thee presently wherein thou must exceed them in all this or in no case shalt thou enter into Heaven 4 Yet farther they were a sort of men that for the encouragement of Religion and upholding the external form oâ— worship in paying Tythes commanded by God in the Law of Moses were precisely just or righteous and Jesus Christ confesseth as much unto them Matth. 23.23 Wo unto you Scribes Pharisâ—es Hypocrites for yee pay tithe of Mint and Anise and Cummin These were the least of herbs that were titheable and it was disputable by many of their Lawyers whether they were titheable or not yet the Pharisees for their part lest they might seem to â—ob God and his Church in the least resolved to pay them and Christ approves of them in that particular bâ— telling them These things yee ought to have done but hee adds withall by way of reproof Yee have omitted the weightier matters of the Law Judgement Mercy and Faith and here their righteousness fell short So Reader think thou mayest bee an incourager of Religion in the place where thou art mayest give freely and liberally to the maintaining of a godly Minister where thou livest which the Lord Christ approves of and commends yet except thou doest somewhat more this will not do thou mayest still remain in a state of perdition 5 They were charitable to the poor This likewise thou hast acknowledged from the mouth of Christ Matth. 6.2 When thou doest thine alms do not sound a trumpet before thee as the Hypocrites do meaning the Pharisees in the Synagogues and in the streets that they may have praise of men verily I say unto you they have their reward that is the value of many a penny or shilling they threw into the poors box at Church and many peece of bread at their doors many a penny or teaster they distributed by the high wayes and streets and many a beggar cryed out after them God bless you Master and yet they were all this while but Pharisees and curst of God for the text is plain that they shall never bee saved it sayes They have their reward already Oh therefore Reader dare not to sit down here unless thou intendest to bear them company to the gates of hell where thou mayest easily enter with them but it is impossible ever to get out 6 They were more righteous yet for they were a praying people and Christ confesseth as much Matth. 6.5 And when thou prayest thou shalt not bee as the Hypocrites are meaning still the Pharisees for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may bee seen of men verily I say unto you they have their reward See here again the Pharisees pray love to pray and yet Christ is peremptory that they shall have no reward but that on earth which speaks him resolved to deny them heaven Reader still consider thou mayest bee one that prayest in thy Family to stop the mouthes of thy friends and servants thy godly neighbours and Minister that none of them may think or say thou art an ungodly man or woman thou mayest come to Church and clap thy hat or hand before thy face to bee seen of men to pray yet thou mayest bee no better than an hypocritical Pharisee out of a state of salvation 7 Lastly The Pharisees beleeved the Resurrection of the dead the blessed or miserable state of souls after this life wherein they exceeded the Sadduces who beleeved no Resurrection yea and hoped or were confident if it fared well with any at the Resurrection it would with them Concerning their beleeef in the great Article of the Christian faith I mean the resurrection thou needest no other proof of it than their taking the Apostle Pauls part against the Sadduces Acts 23.6 7 8. sayes Paul I am a Pharisee the son of a Pharisee of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in Question Object But was Paul a Pharisee How could Paul then bee saved if no Pharisees are saved Ans Paul calls himself a Pharisee because he was one his father was such an one till hee was converted to Christ But sayes hee I am still such an one Answ True hee was so but not absolutely in all parts for hee preached Christ whom the Pharisees crucified but in this single point hee kept still a Pharisee in holding the Refurrection of the dead which the Sadduces denied and therefore the Pharisees strike in with Paul against them saying vers 9. Wee finde no evil in this man but if a Spirit or Angel hath spoken to him let us not fight against God Who would but think that such men as these were good 1 How tender do they seem to bee in opposing God in any revelation of his will and minde 2 They take an Apostles part for teaching the true doctrine of the Resurrection 3 They express much zeal in opposing the Sadduces for their Heresie 4 They make a clear profession of their faith in the point of Angels Spirits and the Resurrection and consequently of the immortality of their souls and their hope of a blessedness after this life yet still remember they were Pharisees and that Christ hath said it Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees yee can in no case enter into the Kingdome of God Oh Reader take warning and do not dare to venture thy eternal life upon such a shallow sandy righteousness as the Pharisees did Thus have I finished the first particular in shewing thee what the righteousness of the Pharisees was Now Reader pull up thy spirits and gird up thy loins like a man I will shew thee now the mark that thou must shoot at the Garland thou must run for and the Crown thou must fight for the righteousness that will bear thee up above the clouds and set thee safe in the Kingdome of Heaven
of his highest Wisdome that sees into the secrets of their hearts and sees into every corner of them what truth or falshood lodgeth there 2 And it yeelds him the glory of his Omnipotency whereby it is acknowledged hee is able to punish the perjured 3 It honours his Justice and Mercy because thereby men acknowledge that hee will infallibly defend truth and bee a revenger of falshood Lastly It is the bond of politick order and humane society neither of which can long continue without faithfulness and truth nor could there bee that dispatch of strifes and controversies Exod. 22. Heb. 11.6 To condemn therefore every Oath seems to detract from Gods glory and to destroy humane society and wee may bee sure the Son of God would neither bee the Authour of the one nor of the other 6 Can it bee thought without madness that Christ would condemn the commended examples of the Saints in Scriptures not onely of the Patriarchs but also of the Apostles yea and God himself their solemn Oaths so frequently recorded as signs of their great zeal and devotion that it were endless to enumerate them see that of Pauls Gal. 20. before God I lie not And so 2 Cor. 12.19 7 I might adde as farther proof that the Prophets very often foretold that God by his new Church under the reign of the Messiah should bee honoured by the Oaths of his people as Isa 65.16 Hee that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth Isa 19.15 In that day shall five Cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan and swear to the Lord of Hosts And can it yet bee imagined that when Jesus Christ gave birth to all other Prophesies hee should render this abortive and render that unlawful which was foretold to bee one of the glories of his Kingdome But to conclude Reader after all that hath been said this is plain that all manner of Oaths except in the aforesaid cases are unquestionably sinful and must bee refrained if thou intendest to excel the Pharisees which is certain that thou must or forgo all thy hopes in Heaven 5 The Pharisees paid Tythe most justly for the maintaining the outward form of service to God but in their more ordinary civil matters they were most unconscionably unjust and fraudulent witness the poor widows houses they devoured and to hide the matter from the world they made long prayers But if thou wouldest bee more righteous than they let thy purse bee open for the promoting the service of thy God but seek not to repair thy layings out by unjust oppressive cousening ways of trading this is to rob Churches to build Hospitals or to pick thy Customers pocket to make an oblation to God or to steal a sheep to make a sacrifice bee not such an one lest God send thee to hell for thine offering 6 The Pharisees as thou hast heard were strict observers of Sabbaths but their covetous proud lives spake them disobedient to the God of Sabbaths so that if thou conscientiously wilt endeavour to live over in the week dayes what thou learnest of God on the Sabbath day thy righteousness excels theirs 7 They gave alms but with an intent to bee seen and praised of men Give thou thine alms but out of an unfeigned love to God and thy needy brethren and still thy righteousness is greater 8 They beleeve the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the dead but yet their earthly sensual living spake as if they understood no higher life than this that is meerly mortal But if thou wilt beleeve thy soul shall never dye and therefore alwayes live here on earth as if thou wert upon the borders of Eternity expecting a departure into another world in all temperance justice mercy faithfulness there is then as much difference betwixt thy righteousness and theirs as betwixt the clear Sun or the brightest star and a clod of clay or dirt 9 Lastly This rotten frame of external righteousness they thought sufficient to answer the severest Law of God and to bring them off acquitted and fully justified at the final judgement they dreamed not of a Saviours blood or any necessity for the bloody sacrifice of the Son of God for the expiation of sins But if sinner thou wilt resolve for thy part to rowl thy faith and all the garments of thy inward righteousness in the blood of Christ and never hope to finde acceptance for the most precious life of faith and holiness that can bee lived by thee but by the mediation of a Saviour then hast thou hit the mark and answered fully the expectations of thy Saviours call who called thee to a righteousness above the Pharisees here it is and here thou must resolve to live and dye And now I have shewed thee what a man or woman thou mayest and must bee if ever thou hopest to bee saved remember now the Vow thou madest to God before I shewed thee what that Righteousnesse is that thou must seek And I now claime thy promise and challenge thee on thy Vow to tell mee what thy purpose is to do in these particulars that I shall ask thee Art thou resolved from thy soul to love the Lord Jesus with all thy heart and strength Wilt thou reckon neither of sin nor lust nor life dear to part with for him and in a way of obedience wilt thou trust to him for his free remitting all thy sins Wilt thou endeavour to live a more strict life and more spiritual than ever Pharisee did Wilt thou not onely account of Murder to bee a sin but wilt thou abhor all unlawful anger against thy brother or the calling of him Fool without a cause and wilt thou think so doing a degree of Murder Wilt thou condemn Adultery not onely in the act but likewise in the eye and heart and bee rather willing to pull out thy right eye than wound thy conscience and offend thy God wilt thou keep the Sabbath not onely in the letter but in the spirit and in truth In a word wilt thou resolve to pray unto thy God and bring thy heart in to thy prayers wilt thou conscientiously endeavour in thy calling to maintain thy self and family and to bee able to relieve thy poor brother by thy charity and wilt thou do both out of pure love to God and thy neighbour and not for the love of praise from men wilt thou beleeve the immortality of thy soul the resurrection of the dead and the blessedness of those that dye in the Lord and wilt thou endeavour a fellowship in that Resurrection by walking with God and living a holy innocent humble chaste sober heavenly beleeving life What sayest thou man What amazed Sin Ah I cannot I dare not I will not promise any such thing Here is a task indeed enough to break any mans heart and to make mee live miserably all my dayes I would your book had been burnt before it came into my hands or within my
wert not blinde whither canst thou turn thy self but thou must see hell and damnation before thee and ready to devoure thee Sinner Oh Sir What shall I do to bee saved I tell thee how there is one way left thee to salvation and but one and my Text hath told it Endeavour to bee exceeding righteous in thy life and that is the way to life let thy love and faith to God and Christ Jesus let thy sincere obedience to all his Commands to the utmost that tou art able let thy thoughts thy words thy prayers thy alms speak thee a more righteous man or woman than the strictest Scribe and Pharisee that ever breathed upon the earth this this is the way to heaven If after all this thou art resolved to continue as thou art thy blood bee on thine own head I have discharged my duty Sinner Lord have mercy upon mee What a blinde wretch have I been thus to mistake my way and think I have been going to heaven when I now see plainly I am in the broad road to hell Well I thank God I am not yet swallowed up of that gulph Mercy hath hitherto kept mee out and I am resolved to abuse long-suffering mercy not an hour longer It is but leaving my drunken companions and my filthy Harlots and who would not leave them to gain the love of God and my blessed Saviour It is but leaving my lying swearing and turning my curses into prayers and blessings and what harm is there in prayers and bessings I am sure they will please my God better and trouble my conference less It is but loving my neighbour as my self but especially my God and Saviour with all my heart soul and strength and to account of gold and silver friends credit and my sins as dung and dross in a compare to them and I am sure that they are better than them all and so they deserve as much and more of love from mee It is but to pray praise and thank them for the offer of eternal life and to relye upon the blood of Jesus for pardon and acceptance and I am sure that Jesus Christ will prove my fastest friend Well my resolution is this God men and Angels shall see I am another man Heaven shall see mee more on my knees in my Closet it shall bee my next work when I have read out this book my Family shall see and hear mee more in reading and praying I and my house shall serve the Lord and all my neighbours shall see mee walk in those very wayes that I have formerly most prophanely laughed and scoffed at I know it will bee my turn now to bee scorned and derided by others yea some of my familiar drunken companions but what care I Christ suffered more for my sake and I remember holy Paul that was once a persecuter of honest hearted Christians was afterwards content to bee persecuted for being such an one himself But let them laugh on I am sure I am a dying man and if I keep on to follow Christ I shall shortly bee in heaven and then above their scorns where I am sure they will never come if they repent not and seek a righteousness above the Pharisees I have read what this righteousness is and now I will try it in my life there is no more time for talk I will up and do Caution Yea and do so thou Son or Daughter of God for so I dare call thee if thou holdest this resolution to the death Onely let mee caution thee 〈…〉 whilst thou art so set and resolved upon the work Remember that of thy Saviour Joh. 15.4 5. As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee I am the Vine yee are the branches hee that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without mee yee can do nothing And so Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Again Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what wee should pray for as wee ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot bee uttered 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinketh hee standeth take heed lest hee fall By these Texts I would put thee in minde of thine own weakness and self-insufficiency Set to the working out thy salvation with fear and trembling but look up to Christ thy treasury that hath a stock of grace and strength for thee to spend upon till death and to all eternity and now let mee intreat thee to form thy conclusion thus with the holy Apostle Philip. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth mee Thou mayest with Christ do wonders but without him just nothing Ask and thou shalt have seek and thou shalt finde knock and it shall bee opened And lastly I say unto thee Watch and pray lest thou enter into temptation Now the Lord bless thee and make thy root to spread on the Mountain of the Lord let his dews fall upon thee and give thee to flourish as a pleasant branch in the Vineyard of thy God Let not that curse come ever near thee It is a barren tree cut it down why cumbers it the ground but bee thou ever laden with fruit that death may finde thee mellow and ripe for Heaven A Postscript I Am sufficiently aware of what exceptions the more curious may make against the management of this small Discourse as 1 That I have observed a method somewhat too loose 2 That I have handled the Species before the Genus that is spoken to the nature of inherent righteousness without giving any account of righteousness in general 3 That I have scarce touched upon the other species of righteousness which lyes in the active and passive obedience of our Lord and Saviour 4 That I have not handled fully the nature of inherent righteousness that is the subject of the whole having neglected in a manner the explication of any of its affections And lastly that I have insisted too little on the Doctrinal part Answ It may bee some satisfaction to thee that I know my defects before thou tellest mee of them but thou must know 1 That I intended to have delivered my whole minde on this subject in one sheet to make it as little chargeable as I could 2 That I intended it for the meaner sort of my people whom by long observation I have found them to understand mee least when I think I speak best and most accurately 3 I do not conceive my method so loose as thou mayest imagine seeing I have all along kept close to the parts of the Text and if I mistake not they lye together in as good a posture as the nature of things in their dependency can well bear 4 And as to my speaking so little to the righteousness of the Saints as is treasured up in the active and suffering life and death of the Lord Jesus I reply thus 1 I have not wholly omitted it but have besprinkled the whole with blood that the attentive Reader may plainly see that I little dreamed that the purest inherent righteousness could bee meritorious 2 And I was bound to follow the intendments of the Text that points most directly at the righteousness of the souls and spirits of men that must act them in their lives 3 And I knew that it is this inward righteousness the common people I speak to see lesse need of and it is their ignorance of this which is the ordinary rock on which they split and it was my duty here to help to save them if I could If this will not satisfie thee I cannot help it I writ not to please all but to profit some if the Lord shall please to bless it to that end it will content mee though it doth not thee FINIS A Catalogue of some Books sold and Printed for Andrew Kembe at his Shop at St. Margarets Hill in Southwark A Vew of holy Scriptures by Mr. Hugh Broughton Fol. Ancient Funeral Monuments within the united Monarchy of Great Britain Ireland and the Islands adjacent their Founders and what eminent persons have been interred The Gospel-Covenant or the Covenant of Grace opened by Peter Buckly sometimes Fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Gods holy minde in ten Words or ten Commands which hee himself uttered and taught his Disciples by Questions and Answers by the late learned and faithful Preacher Mr. Elton late Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Bermondsy near London 4o. Arraignment of Errour by Doct. Samuel Bolton late Master of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Bounds of Christian Freedome The Exposition of the five first Chapters of Ezekiel with the other three parts 4o. All Mr. Henry Smiths Sermons gathered into one Volume with his Life ' and Picture Mr. Dod on the Commandments 4o. Military Discipline the exactest way or the young mans Artillery wherein is shewn the posture both of Musket and pike Whereunto is added the postures and use of the half Pike joyned with Musket by Col. Wil. Barriff The Art of Dialling or Court of Arts By S. M. Mr. Slater on the fourth of the Romans 4o. Also on the book of Malachy Dariotts Judgement of the Stars containing the whole Art of Astrology Hudsons Vindication of the Church Catholick visible and the priority thereof in regard of particular Churches Also an Addition or Postscript to the Church Catholick visible Mr. Cradicoâ—s Sermon preached at the Spittle 4o. The Guard to the Tree of Life by Dr. Samuel Bolton late Master of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Octavoes Mr. Goodwin on the Sacrament On Family Duties On the Sabbath Bradshaw on the Sacrament Mr. Ford of the singing of Psalms Bakers Arithmetick Mr. Tippin of Eternity Dr. Sibbs on Canticles Amesius upon the whole Book of Psalms the two Epistles of Peter Francis Spira School-Books Farnabies Phrases Farnaby on Seneca Farnaby on Juvenal and Persius Farnaby on Martial Farnabies Epigrams Greek Latine Dux Grammaticus by Mr. Clark Matropedius de conscribend is Epistolis Vigerius Idiotism Graecae Lingua Ovids Metamorphosis Grammatically translated by Mr. Brinsly