Matt. xvi. 6. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
EVERY object around us is capable of affording us much important instruction. Our blessed Lord took occasion from all the common affairs of life, and all the things that presented themselves to his view, to lead his Disciples to the contemplation of heavenly things. It happened that his Disciples had neglected to take with them a proper supply of bread; and consequently that they would be necessitated to pro- cure some on the other side of the lake, whither they were going. In reference to this circumstance he
bade them beware of a certain kind of leaven. They, not apprehending his meaning, supposed that his words were to be taken in a literal sense : but our Lord, bringing to their remembrance the miraculous supplies of bread which he had recently and repeatedly afforded them, shewed them, that his caution had a spiritual import, and that it referred, not to bread, but to certain pernicious doctrines, of which they were to beware.
We propose,
I. To shew what the caution refers to —
If the characters of the Pharisees and the Sad- ducees be duly considered, it will appear that our Lord cautioned his Disciples against,
L A formal, hypocritical religion —
[The Pharisees laid a very great stress on forms ; and multiplied them, not only beyond what the law of Moses pre- scribed, but even to the subversion of moral duties ^ At the same time they were extremely negligent in matters of more importance ^ Amidst their high professions of religion, they sought only the applause of men'^, and their own temporal advantage*^. With respect to real piety, they were not only destitute of it% but adverse to it in the highest degree^. Some few among them indeed were more upright^; but in general they were proud, worldly, hypocritical*^.
And what is the religion of the generality amongst our- selves ? Do not the greater part of those who appear to respect religion, rest in some outward observances? They attend the public worship; they go to the table of the Lord; they read the Scriptures occasionally, and say their prayers at stated seasons : but their hearts are glued to the world ; and they are more anxious to be thought religious than to be so, and to gain the applause of man than to secure the honour that Cometh of God.
Whether such a state can be acceptable to God, judge ye\]
2. An indifference about all religion —
[The Sadducees were the free-thinkers of the day : they denied the resiu-rection of the body, and the immortality of the soul''; and formed their notions of religion without any
» Mark vii. 8 — 13. ^ Matt, xxiii. 23. <= Matt, xxiii. 5 — 7.
d Matt. v. 14, 25. e Matt. v. 20.
<■ Matt, xxiii, 13, 31. with Acts xiii. 50. e Phil. iii. 5, 6.
''- Matt, xxiii. 25—28. i Luke xvi. 15. ^ Acts xxiii. 8.