and others in another branch. St. Paul himself was of that sect, as his parents also had been before him ; and he was as fair a specimen of them, as any that can be found in all the records of antiquity. He was, "as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the Church, (whom he considered as enemies to God ;) and, as touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."
Having thus ascertained what their righteousness was, we can now proceed to point out wherein ours must exceed it.
But here it will be proper to observe, that as all were not equally eminent in what may be called their righteousness, so, on the other hand, all were not equally faulty in the vicious part of their character. We must take the Pharisees as a body, (for it is in that view that our Saviour speaks of them in the text;) and must not be understood to impute to every in- dividual the same precise degree either of praise or blame. Nor must we be considered as saying, that no one of that sect was ever saved : because, previous to the coming of our Lord, there doubtless were many who served God according to the light that they en- joyed : but this we must be understood distinctly to affirm, that no person wlio enjoys the clearer light of the Gospel, can be saved, unless he attain a better righteousness than the Scribes and Pharisees, as a body, ever did attain, or than any one of them, while he rejected the Gospel, could possibly attain.
I am well aware, that, when we consider their fastings, their prayers, their alms-deeds, their strict observances of all the ritual laws, toojether with their zeal m promoting the religion they professed; and take into the account also, that they were free from many of the more gross and common sins ; we shall seem to have left no room for superiority in our obedience. But, whatever may be thought of their attainments, our righteousness must exceed theirs : it must exceed theirs, first, in the nature and extent of it ; and next, in the principle and end of it.
First, In the nature and extent of it —