8. A Pharisee, secondly, (to express his sense in our common way) used all the means of grace. As he fasted _often and much, twice in_ every _week_, so he attended all the sacrifices. He was constant in public and private prayer, and in reading and hearing the scriptures. Do you go as far as this? Do you fast _much and often_? Twice in the week? I fear not. Once, at least; “on all _Fridays_ in the year?” (So our church clearly and peremptorily enjoins all her members to do: to observe all these, as well as the vigils and the forty days of lent, as “days of fasting or abstinence.”) Do you fast twice in the year? I am afraid, some among us cannot plead even this!――Do you neglect no opportunity of attending and partaking of the Christian Sacrifice? How many are they, who call themselves Christians, and yet are utterly regardless of it? Yet do not eat of that bread, or drink of that cup, for months, perhaps years, together? Do you every day, either hear the scriptures, or read them and meditate thereon? Do you join in prayer with the great congregation? Daily, if you have opportunity: if not whenever you can, particularly on that day, which you _remember, to keep it holy_? Do you strive to _make_ opportunities? Are you _glad when they say unto you, we will go into the house of the_ Lord? Are you zealous of, and diligent in private prayer? Do you suffer no day to pass without it? Rather, are not some of you so far, from spending therein (with the Pharisee) several hours in one day, that you think one hour full enough, if not too much? Do you spend an hour in a day, or in a week, in praying to your Father which is in secret? Yea, an hour in a month? Have you spent one hour together in private prayer ever since you was born? Ah poor Christian! Shall not the Pharisee rise up in the judgment against thee and condemn thee? His righteousness is as far above thine, as the heaven is above the earth.
9. The Pharisee, thirdly, _paid tithes_ and gave alms _of all that he possest_. And in how ample a manner? So that he was (as we phrase it) “a man that did much good.” Do we come up to him here? Which of us is so abundant as he was, in good works? Which of us gives a fifth of all his substance to God? Both of the principal, and of the increase? Who of us, out of (suppose) an hundred pounds a year, gives twenty to God and the poor: out of fifty, ten; and so in a larger or a smaller proportion? When shall our righteousness, in using all the means of grace, in attending all the ordinances of God, in avoiding evil and doing good, equal at least the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees?
10. Although if it only equalled theirs, what would that profit? _For verily I say unto you except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven._ But how can it exceed theirs? Wherein does the righteousness of a Christian exceed that of a Scribe or Pharisee?
Christian righteousness exceeds theirs, first, in the extent of it. Most of the Pharisees, though they were rigorously exact in many things, yet were emboldened by the traditions of the elders to dispense with others of equal importance. Thus they were extremely punctual in keeping the fourth commandment; they would not even _rub an ear of corn_ on the sabbath day: But not at all in keeping the third, making little account of light, or even false swearing. So that their righteousness was partial: whereas the righteousness of a real Christian is universal. He does not observe one, or some parts of the law of God, and neglect the rest; but keeps all his commandments, loves them all, values them above gold or precious stones.
11. It may be indeed, that some of the Scribes and Pharisees, endeavoured to keep all the commandments, and consequently were, as touching the righteousness of the law, that is, according to the letter of it, blameless. But still the righteousness of a Christian exceeds all this righteousness of a Scribe or Pharisee, by fulfilling the Spirit as well as the letter of the law, by inward as well as outward obedience. In this, in the spirituality of it, it admits of no comparison. This is the point which our Lord has so largely proved, in the whole tenor of this discourse. Their righteousness was external only: Christian righteousness is in the inner man. The Pharisee _cleansed the outside of the cup and the platter_; the Christian is clean within. The Pharisee laboured to present God with a good life; the Christian with a holy heart. The one shook off the leaves, perhaps the fruits of sin; the other _lays the axe to the root_: as not being content with the outward form of godliness, how exact soever it be, unless the life, the Spirit, the power of God unto salvation, be felt in the inmost soul.