IV. But though several terms and phrafes, now SERM. ufed by us in speaking of these matters, are not found in Scripture, the fame things are there faid, and there are equivalent expreffions. Righteoufneffe fometimes includes both justice and goodneffe, and even piety likewife, And then it is the fame as virtue, or morality, or moral righteoufneffe. Says the Pfalmift; A little that a righteous man has, that is, a good, or virtuous man, is better than the riches of many wicked. And, the righteous Lord loveth righteoufneffe: his countenance does behold the upright. And in the like manner, very often. Pf. xxxvii 16. ... xi. 7. And though we do not find the words virtue and vice, moral good and evil: yet the Scripture often speaks of good and evil, fuch good and evil, as are really and intrinfically fo by which the characters of men are distinguished, rather than by the obfervation of any. pofitive appointments, and ritual ordinances. To what purpofe is the multitude of If. i. 11. your facrifices, faith the Lord.... Bring no more vain oblations: incenfe is an abomination unto me.... Wash you, make ye clean. Pat wway the evil of your doings from before my eyes, Ceafe to do evil, learn to do well.... ... 17. Seek SERM. Seek judgement, relieve the oppressed. In aIV. nother place: Woe unto them that call evil If. v. 20. good, and good evil; that put darknelle for light, and light for darknele; that put bitter for fweet, and fweet for bitter. Our text fpeaks of juftice, mercie and piety, as good: that is, intrinfically fo: good, in a fuperior degree to all the facrifices and oblations before-mentioned. Luke i. 74. 75. The defign of the gofpel- difpenfation is represented after this manner: that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might ferve him without fear, in bolineffe and righteoufneffe, all the days of our life. In bolinele and righteoufneffe, that is, in a righteous bolineffe: as kingdom and glorie is glorious kingdom: life and immortality is immortal life. So here, bolineffe and righteousneffe is a righteous holineffe or fanctity: or in modern language, the practise of virtue, or moral righte oufneffe. For there is a ritual, ceremonial, legal holineffe or fanctity, confifting in a conformity to ritual precepts, the ordinances and appointments of pofitive law. But the defign of the coming of Chrift is here, agreeably to innumerable other texts of the New Teftament, reprefented to be, that we might IV. ferve God in a righteous fanctity, or the SERM, practise of real holineffe. There is a like expreffion in the epiftle to the Ephefians: Eph. iv. that ye put on the new man, which after God 24. is created in righteousnesse and true bolineffe. And by the Prophets men were often called upon in fuch expreffions as thefe: Amend your ways your ways and your doings: and Re- Jer. vii. turn now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. And, Amend now your ways and your doings, and bbey the voice of the Lord your God. Which is exactly the fame, as that they should amend their manners, and return to the fincere practise of virtue, or moral righteoufneffe. Though therefore we do not find in the Scripture all the fame words and phrafes, which are now frequently made ufe of by us in treating on this fubject: yet the fame things are there faid, and there are also equivalent, on like expreffions with those made ufe of in modern language. 3. ... II. ... 13. xviii. xxvi. SER SERMON V. The Nature, Excellence, and Importance of moral Righteoufneffe. Serm. III. upon the text. MICAH. vi. 8. He hath fhewed thee, o man, what is good. And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercie, and to walk humbly with thy God? H AVING explained these words, I endeavored in a late discourse, to fhew in feveral propofitions the nature and extent of virtue, or moral righteousneffe. II. I am II. I am now to fhew the excellence and importance of virtue, or righteousnesse and true holineffe. 1. This righteousnesse, as to the main parts of it, has a place in every ftate and condition : or is of conftant, perpetual and everlasting obligation as has been already fhewn, it being fit and reafonable in itself. This is one reafon, why St. Paul gives the preference to charity or love above faith and hope, that the virtue, or principle of love, will subsist even in the future ftate: whereas the other two, though very reasonable and beneficial now, will entirely ceafe, and be no more, when the objects of present faith and hope are poffeffed and enjoyed. Charity, fays he, never fails. But whether there be prophecies, they fhall fail: Whether there be tongues, they fhall ceafe: Whether there be knowledge, it fhall vanish away. The way and manner of knowing here is fo flow and tedious: the knowledge, we attain in this ftate, is fo defective and inadequate, that he fcruples not to say, it shall vanish away. And concludes: Now abideth faith, hope, charity. But the greateft of thefe is charity, 2. Moral SERM. V. |