Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 5 · Verse 20
Verse 20.
For I say vntounto you, except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises▪ you cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen.
These words are commonly taken to bee a Reason of the former verse, by way of answer to a secret obiection, which the Iewes might frame there-from, to this effect; Thou saiest, whosoeuer breaketh one of these least commandements, and teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdome of heauen: But our Teachers the Scribes and Pharises, looke to hauehave chiefe place in the kingdome of heauen; and yet (if thy doctrine be true) they breake Gods commandements, and teach others so to doe. Now here-to Christ should answer thus; I say vntounto you, except your righteousnesse exceedes theirs, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heauen. But if we marke well, the words may more fitly be referred to the 17. verse, as a third reason, to prooue that Christ came not to destroyScope. the Law, or the Prophets, but to fulfill them; because he exacts at eueryevery mans hands, a more perfect and exact righteousnesse, then that which the Scribes and Pharises either hauehave in themselues, or require in others; without which, no man can enter into the kingdome of heauen.
In this verse are three points to be handled: First, what these Scribes and Pharises were: Secondly, what was their Righteousnesse: and thirdly, what is that true Righteousnesse, whereby a man may enter into the kingdome of heauen, and stand iust before God.
For the first: a Scribe is a name of office, whereof there were twoA Scribe. 1. Ciuill. sorts among the Iewes; Ciuill, who as Publike Notaries, did register the affaires of Princes, and such a one was Shimshai, Ezra 4. 8. And Ecclesiasticall, who were imployed in the expounding of the Scripture;2. Ecclesiastlcall. such a one was Ezra, Ezra, 7. 1, 5, 6. And those of whom our Sauiour Christ saith, Matth. 13. 52. EueryEvery Scribe taught vntounto the kingdome of heauen, is like a good housholder: and Matthew 32. 2. the Scribes and Phraises sit in Moses chaire: that is, they are expounders of the law of Moses. And such Scribes are meant in this place; to wit, men in Ecclesiasticall office, descending from the tribe of Leuie, who expounded the Law vntounto the people; and these were all one with the Priests and Leuites vnderunder the Law: and therefore Ezra is called both a Scribe and Priest, Nehem. 8. 1, 2.
The name Pharise betokeneth a sect, not an office; for there werePharise. three speciall sects among the Iewes: The Essenes, the Sadduces, and…. Sects. 1. Essenes. Pharises. The Essenes were like Popish Monkes and Friers, which did separate themselues from the people, vowing and dedicating themselues to liue in perpetuall sanctitie. The Sadduces were a sect that did…. Sadduces. expound the law, according to the letter and syllable, and with-all denied the resurrection, and the immortalitie of the soule; as is plaine, Acts 23, 8. The Pharises were such, as did forsake the common exposition…. Pharises. of the Scribes▪ and taught and framed a more exact and strict exposition of the Law, according to the traditions of the Fathers; and they were most holy outwardly, and of chiefe account among the Iewes: and therefore the Apostle Paul saith, nAct. 26. 5.that after the most strict sect of their religion, he liued a Pharis… & that he was oAct. 23. 6.a Pharise, the sonne of a Pharise. Yet besides these, there were another sect, called Herodiās, who (as some think) were courtiers, which held & taught thatHerodia…s. Herod was the Messias. And thus we see what the Scribes and Pharises were, whome Christ here ioyneth together for amplification sake; vnderstanding thereby such teachers among the Iewes, Priests and Levites, as liued after the most strait custome of the Pharisies: for the Pharisies were by office Scribes, as we may plainely see by comparing together, Ioh. 1. 19. with v. 24. where the Priests and Leuites (who were Scribes as we hauehave shewed) are called Pharisies.
II. Point. What was that righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisies, which is here so debased, as beeing vnable to bring a man to heauen? By the tenour of Scripture it will appeare, that it was pLuk. 11. 3… Matth. 23. 25.an externall righteousnes onelyonly, standing in the outward obseruation of the law: for they were carefull to abstaine from actuall grosse sinnes; as whoredome, theft, murther, idolatrie, and such like, and they were very forward in qLuk. 18. 11, 12. Matth. 6. 2. 5. 16.fasting, praying, and giuing of almes openly, and in rMark. 7. 3. 4.keeping the traditions and ceremonies of the Elders, and in all things to carrie themselues in shew sPhil. 3. 6.conformable to the law; but the inward righteousnes of the heart they nothing regarded, thinking that perfect righteousnes consisted in outward obedience, & by that they looked to be saued; as it is said, Rom. 10. 2. neglecting vtterly the righteousnes of God.
In these Scribes and Pharisies we may obserue, what is the naturallMans naturall conceit of righteousnes. perswasion of man, touching righteousnes: to wit, that an outward righteousnes will serue the turne: and therefore eueryevery man naturally contents himselfe therewith: and hence it is that men will bring their bodies vsually to the place of Gods worship to pray, to heare the word, and receiue the Sacraments; but few hauehave care to bring their hearts with them, that they may inwardly worship God in spirit and truth: so likewise, many are content to rest from their ordinarie labours on the Sabbath day, but few are carefull to consecrate their rest vntounto God: men be carefull to abstaine from actuall murther, but few make conscience of malice, hatred, reuiling, and quarelling: many hate theft, that yet will not sticke to robbe their neighbours of their good name, by vile reports: many are ashamed to robbe openly, that make no bones to deceiue by false weights and measures, by glosses, and such like: and yet all these will blesse themselues with their outward righteousnes, and think all is well; not doubting but they shall be saued by it, though they hauehave no more: but this is Pharisaicall pride and folly: for all such outward righteousnes is here condemned, as vnable to saue the soule.
Againe, here wee may see the palpable and grosse opinion of allCiuill honestie insufficient for the soule. worldly men, euen of those who cōmonly are called honest men: if they be told of their sinnes, & of the danger of dānation, except they repent: their answer is; they are no theeues, no murtherers, no grosse sinners, and therefore they hope God will saue them; for they liue orderly, and doe no man wrong: but let all such take heede, lest they deceiue their owne soules, for this ciuill honestis was the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises, which could neither bring them, nor any other into the kingdome of heauen, as Christ the God of truth saith expresly in this place. To giuegive almes, to fast, to praie, and to deale vprightly with men, be very good things; but yet wee must labour for more then these, if euer wee meane to come to heauen: wee must get another righteousnesse of the heart, renouncing vtterly our owne righteousnesse, in the matter of Iustification, and condemne our selues for our best actions, that so we may be fit to receiue that true righteousnesse, which will commend vsus vntounto God.
III. Point. What is that true righteousnesse which will bring aTrue righteousnesse. man to heauen? Answ. It is the righteousnesse of Christ, 1. Cor. 1. 30. for Christ is made vntounto vsus of God, wisedome, righteousnesse; yea, hee was made sinne for vsus, that wee might be made the t2 Cor. 5. 21righteousnesse of God in him. This is that righteousnesse, which exceedes the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises, and whereby a sinner doth stand iust before God: for when as by Adams fall wee all became guiltie of sinne, and thereby subiect to the curse of God, and to eternall condemnation, from which we could neuer hauehave deliuered our selues; then it pleased Christ to come from the bosome of his father, and to become our suretie and Sauiour, who in his life became obedient to the law for vsus, and in and by death vponupon the crosse, suffered whatsoeuer was due vntounto our sinnes: which obedience and satisfaction beeing made by him that was both God and man, was alone all-sufficient, both to free vsus from the curse of the law, and also to iustifie vsus before God: and this righteousnesse of Christ, is that which exceeds the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises, and is able to bring a man to heauen. Yet furtherParts of Christs righteousnesse. for our Iustification, Christs righteousnesse hath three parts; the puritie of his humane nature, the integritie and obedience of his life, and the merit of his sufferings vponupon the crosse; and all this must be ours, to answer for our corrupt nature, and sinnefull life, deseruing a cursed death.
Here some make question, how Christs righteousnesse can be ours?Obiect. 1. Bellar. de Iustific. l. 2. c. 7. Answ. and how one mans righteousnes can saue so many thousands? Answ. Christs righteousnes is not the righteousnes of a meere man (for then it could saue but one at the most,) but it is the righteousnesse of that person, who is both God and man, and therfore is an infinit righteousnes, of merit sufficient to saue a thousand worlds. But some here say, If Christs righteousnesse bee ours, then we are as righteouse as Christ?Obiect. 2. Answ. The same righteousnesse that is in Christ, is ours, but not in theAnsw. same manner or measure; for Christ hath it by merit and action of himselfe, we hauehave it onelyonly by merciemercy and imputation: it is in Christ as a roote and fountaine, in vsus by reception and application; like the light in the Moone, and in the Starres, which is not in them originally, but receiued from the Sunne, the fountaine thereof. Thirdly, it is said, If weObiect 3. by Christs righteousnesse be iustified, and made the sonnes of God; then is Christ by our sinnes made vniust, and so the childe of the diuell? Answer. We may safely say, that Christ was made a sinner byAnsw. our sinnes, not actually, but by imputation: now hence it will not follow, that hee should bee the childe of the diuell, for that commeth by the acte and habite of sinning, after sinnefull conception; al which, our Sauiour Christ was free from: for at the very time when hee bare our sinnes, hee was in himselfe more holy, then all men, and all Angels. Fourthly, it is said, that if Christs righteousnesse bee madeObiect. 4. Answ. ours, then wee are made Sauiours? Answer. It followeth not; for Christs merits and righteousnesse are conuaied and applied vntounto men, not as they are in Christs person, in whom they are sufficient to saue ten thousand worlds; but as they serue to saue and iustifie that particular person onelyonly, to whom they are imputed: so that this remaines an vndoubted truth, that that righteousnesse which brings saluation, is Christs righteousnesse onelyonly.
Here some may say, How is Christs righteousnesse made ours, andChrists righteousnesse is made ours by faith. wee assured of it? Answ. It is made ours by sauing faith, which the holy Ghost creates in the heart and soule, as an hand whereby wee may laie hold on Christ, and applie his righteousnesse vntounto our selues, as hee is offered vntounto vsus in the promises of the Gospel. Some obiect, that if Christs righteousnesse be made ours, by our beleeuing it to bee ours; then if a man beleeue his neighbours house to be his, it is his also: and so for any other thing? Answer. There is not the like reason in these things; for it is a meere fancie and imagination, for a man to beleeue his neighbours house to be his, hauing no ground for it, besides his owne conceit: but when a man beleeueth Christs righteousnesse to be his, he hath Gods commandement and promise, for his warrant and assurance, that it shall be imputed vntounto him; and withall, that faith so grounded, maketh Christs righteousnesse as truely his, as any thing aSanctificatiō goeth with Iustification. man hath is his owne, beeing giuen him of another. Now this sauing faith, laying hold on Christs righteousnesse, for mans iustification, is neuer seuered from sanctification by the spirit, with the fruits thereof, whereby the old man beeing mortified, and the new man in Christ renued, according to his image, in knowledge, righteousnesse, and true holinesse, the whole person is turned vntounto God, and made carefull to… please him, both in thought, word, and deede: and hereby doe wee receiue assurance of our iustification; for true sanctification is the earnest of the spirit of adoption in our hearts, whereby we are sealed vntounto the day of our redemption.
Doth that righteousnesse, whereby we must be iustified and sauedThe vse. in the day of our Lord, come from Christ onelyonly, and not from our1 selues? then we see what iust cause we hauehave to humble our selues, and to acknowledge our great vnrighteousnesse, and want of all goodnesse in our selues: and when wee can doe this vnfainedly, wee hauehave gone one steppe in the way to true happinesse. Secondly, we also must hereby2 learne, to esteeme all things as drosse and dongue, with the aPhil. 3. 8, 9.Apostle, in respect of Christ Iesus, and his righteousnesse; for he it is that brings vsus to heauen, and therefore wee must honour him aboue all, and value his righteousnesse, as that most pretious iewel, which when a man hath found, hee will sell all that he hath, to get and keepe it, Matth. 13. 46. Thirdly, we must hunger and thirst after Christ, and his righteousnesse,3 for it is the fountaine of all blessednes, and without it we are most miserable: yea, though wee had all the world beside, yet without it weeMatth. 16. 26. loose our saluation. Now what will it profit a man to winne all the world, if he loose his soule? Fourthly, seeing Christs righteousnesse is4 made ours by faith, & we made assured of it, by sanctification of heart, and life; wee must labour for true faith, whereby our hearts may bee inwardly renued: we must not content our selues with an outward holinesse, for that will neuer bring a man to heauen; but our endeauour must be for inward holinesse, whereby we shal be preferred with God, aboue all the Pharises in the world, and get assurance of eternall happinesse. And this faith wee must shewe forth in all holy exercises; as when we heare the word, wee must lend the inward eare of the heart, with the bodily eare; and when we fall downe to praier, we must bowe the knees of our hearts; and in fasting from meate, wee must abstaine from sinne: yea, in all things wee must be carefull to serue God, in spirit and truth; for which cause, wee must pray with Dauid, Lord renue Psal. 51. 10.a right spirit within me, that so feeling Christ to liue in vsus by grace, wee may bee assured that Christs righteousnesse shall bring vsus vntounto glorie.