The door of salvation opened by the key of regeneration

The Pharisees gave alms, made long prayers, fasted, and some of them twice in a week, and yet you know what Christ saith, That except our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, we should not inherit the Kingdom of God, Matth, 5.20. They were some (especially) so frequent at their duties towards God, so righteous in their dealings with men to the eyes of others, that the Jews had a common saying. That if but two in the world were saved, the one should be a Scribe, the other a Pharisee; and yet, if thou wilt believe the Lord Jesus, he that goes not beyond them both, shall come short of heaven: And the reason is plain, because they were not regenerated: Their practices were seemingly good, but their principles really bad. The tree was corrupt, and therefore could not bring forth good fruit, Mat. 7.17. The Israelites did seek God daily, saith the Prophet, they delighted to know his ways, they asked of him the Ordinances of Justice, and they delighted in approaching to him, Isa. 58.2. they there heard and prayed, and both with seeming delight, nay, they joined fasting to prayer, verse 3. farther, they add ⟨p. 78⟩mourning to fasting, Zac. 7.4, 5. and yet all this, was but the face, the shell, the appearance of Religion, and thereby of no acceptance with God. If any beast were sacrificed by heathens without an heart, 'twas accounted ominous to the person for whom it was offered as in the case of Julian: now all the sacrifices of hypocrites, are without an heart, Isa. 29.30.

The Pharisees gave alms, made long prayers, fasted, and some of them twice in a week, and yet you know what Christ saith, That except our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, we should not inherit the Kingdome of God, Matth, 5.20. They were some (especially) so frequent at their duties towards God, so righteous in their dealings with men to the eyes of others, that the Jews had a common saying. That if but two in the world were saved, the one should be a Scribe, the other a Pharisee; and yet, if thou wilt believe the Lord Jesus, he that goes not beyond them both, shall come short of heaven: And the reason is plain, because they were not regenerated: Their practices were seemingly good, but their principles really bad. The tree was corrupt, and therefore could not bring forth good fruit,