fenfes for every place of scripture: Which at length fwelled to that number, that by reafon of their new and figurative interpretations, the word of God was fo corrupted, and the true meaning of it fo miferably perverted, that our Saviour himself tells them, they had made the word of God of none effect by their tradition. Thefe were the fcribes. - To exhibit a proper notion of the Pharifees, it is to be observed, that at the time when our Saviour Chrift appeared in the world, there were three famous fects among the Jews: the Pharifees, the Sadducees, and the Effenes. The Pharifees are very frequently mentioned in the New Teftament, the Sadducees but feldom, and the Effenes never. The Pharifees were an order of men, who distinguished themselves from the vulgar, by certain aufterities and mortifications, and a feemingly precifer way of living. Yet they lived and converfed in cities and towns; and were fo far from avoiding, that they feemed to affect places where there was a great concourfe of people. When they began, or who was the first founder of them, is uncertain. But it is probable, the inftitution of the Nazarites of old, who we read of in the fixth chapter of the book of Numbers; and the order of the Rechabites afterward, whom we meet with in the thirty fifth chapter of Jeremiah; or the strictness of the Hafideans, of whom mention is made by the Jewish writers of those times; I fay, it is probable, that the inflitution of these, or fome of thefe focieties, might give occafion to this peculiar way of living; tho' the Pharifees afterwards degenerated from thofe fober patterns; and at last abused the pious and well meant felf-denials of those that went before them, into fuperftition. The Effenes were a kind of hermits, who chofe to dwell in the country, as far from crouds as they could. And though they had ftewards of their own in cities and populous places, to receive and entertain those of their fect, whose occafions led them to pass that way, yet their chief abode was in a wilderness, not far from Jericho; from whence, as they increased in number, they difperfed themselves, and planted colonies in other places. These were a modefter and foberer fort of people, and ftudied felfdenial N 3 denial too, but to better and greater purposes than the pharifees; and that is poffibly the reason, why our Lord paffeth no cenfure upon them; because their service for the most part was reasonable; and in their morals, they came very near to the christian inftitution: And it is likely, that moft of them turned chriftians afterwards, being fo well qualified and prepared already for that excellent difcipline. The Sadducees were fenfualifts, and Epicureans, and denied the being of another world. They pretended indeed to keep close to the letter of the law of Mofes, and rejected tradition, and derided the pharifees, who were great admirers of it; but they were at the fame time loose and profligate, debauched and cruel, which is a temper agreeable enough to their main principle, namely, that men die like beafts, and that there is no refurrection of the dead. The word pharifee fignifies a feparatist. And they were fo called, because they separated themselves from other people, by an affected piety, which paffed for great ftrictnefs in those days, and gave occafion to St. Paul to fay, that before his converfion, he lived after the strictest way of the Jewish reli religion, that is to fay, he lived a pharifee. These were the fcribes and pharifees. The IId thing I propofed was to fhew, what fuch was their righteousness. Many instances thereof are recited in holy fcripture. They gave alms: They prayed, and prayed very long: They fafted; and when they fafted, disfigured their faces, and looked dismally: They praifed God, and gave him thanks for his mercies: They were no fcandalous offenders, extortioners, unjust, adulterers: They were ready to resolve cases of confcience: They taught the doctrine, and maintained the law of Mofes : They garnished, adorned, and beautified the fepulchres of the ancient prophets, and kept them in repair with great veneration: They had a great regard for the traditions of their church: They were very punctual in paying tithes They were often purifying and washing themselves, not only their hands and feet, but their whole bodies; especially, when they came from the market place, or other places of public refort; being fearful left fome uncleannefs fhould ftick to then, which they might have contracted by conN 4 verfing verfing in public: They took great pains to make profelytes and converts to their reli-, gion; for they compaffed fea and land to do it: They were so ftrict, or so nice rather, that they were afraid of touching a perfon, who was counted an open and fcandalous finner; would not only not eat with him, but not fo much as touch him; which was the reason why the pharifee, in whofe house Chrift dined, found fault with our Saviour, for fuffering himself to be touched by a woman, who had been a notorious. finner. Besides their tithes, they separated their firft-fruits, and the thirtieth and fiftieth part of their incomes to pious ufes." And as to all vows and facrifices, no perfons were more punctual to pay or discharge them, than they were. This was the righteoufnefs of the fcribes and Pharifees. And now, moft of this looks well. And one would wonder at first sight, how our Lord could find fault with these performances. One would fuppose, that instead of blaming, he fhould have commended them for fo doing. And how many thousands are there in the world, that do not half fo much in matters of religion? and |