A discourse about the state of true happiness delivered in certain sermons in Oxford,…A discourse about the state of true happinesse deliuered in certaine sermons in Oxford,…

My second proof is out of the 5. of Matth. Except your §2righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. The outward righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees was famous in those times, and much admired: So that if God did not principally respect the heart; if that were not true in the 16. of Luke; That which is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God; they might not only have carried away the garland for piety on earth; but have justly seemed to have been the only heirs to a crown of immortality in the heavens. For besides their forbearance and protestation against grosser sins, Murder, Theft, Adultery, Idolatry and the like, they were frequent and solemn in prayers, fastings, alms-deeds, and that with far greater strictness and devotion, then the religious actions of formal hypocrisy are performed in these times of the Gospel. Besides, I doubt not but many of them were persuaded, that their way was the way of life, and that they were in the state of true happiness: And yet for all this, except we exceed their righteousness, the speech is peremptory, we shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. For we see in the 23. of Mat. what a chain of curses, out of the mouth of our blessed Saviour, did justly draw them into the bottom of hell.

My second proofe is out of the 5. of Matth. Except your §2righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies, ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen. The outward righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies was famous in those times, and much admired: So that if God did not principally respect the heart; if that were not true in the 16. of Luke; That which is highly esteemed amongst men, is abomination in the sight of God; they might not onely haue carried away the garland for piety on earth; but haue iustly seemed to haue beene the onely heires to a crowne of immortality in the heauens. For besides their forbearance and protestation against grosser sinnes, Murther, Theft, Adulterie, Idolatrie and the like, they were frequent and solemne in prayers, fastings, almes-deeds, and that with farre greater strictnesse and deuotion, then the religious actions of formall hypocrisie are performed in these times of the Gospell. Besides, I doubt not but many of them were persuaded, that their way was the way of life, and that they were in the state of true happinesse: And yet for all this, except wee exceede their righteousnesse, the speech is peremptorie, we shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen. For we see in the 23. of Mat. what a chaine of curses, out of the mouth of our blessed Sauiour, did iustly draw them into the bottome of hell.