File 4: Hassall family, correspondence, volume 1, pp. 8096-8750, ca. 1825-ca. 1900

Matt 5/20

Hypocrisy of the Scribes & Pharisees

St Pauls 6/11-42 St ?? 3/5-47/8

Matt 5/20

For I say unto you except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes & Pharisees ye shall in no case enter the kingdom of heaven. Who was it that uttered these words? it was that august person before whose judgment seat we must all appear and from whose mouth we must each receive the last decisive sentence: which will fix our state in unutterable bliss or never ending misery for ever & ever & these words point out how far we may go in outward duties

and appearances & yet never enter the Kingdom of Heaven - The Persons our Lord speaks of are the Scribes & Pharisees who were thought to be the most holy & righteous people amongst the Jews and the Jews were at that time a nation whom God had separated from the rest of the world to be His peculiar people - To look at them every thing seemed to be in their favour. Their strictness was such that many of them supposed & some of them decla red that they had walked in all the Commandments of the Law Blameless

Instance the ruler who came to Church who said all these things have I kept from my youth and Paul himself before his Conversion.

With the People also they have so excel lent a character that it was a common saying amongst the Jews that if only two men upon earth should be found fit to enter into heaven one of them would be a Pharisee nay more so amia ble was their outward deportment that our Lord himself declared they were "beautiful to look at" - yet here in addressing all his followers, those then present with others to the end of the world nay to all who should profess to believe on him through their word to these he solemnly declares - "Except your righteousness

these words ought to be brought home to our heart so that we might strictly examine our lives; lest on the one hand we fall into the sin of self right -ousness & pride or on the other into lukewarmness or indifference - Did these men after all "their works & fastings prayers find the gate of heaven closed against them - Are they after all lift -ing up their eyes where hope never comes - Whither then are we going Where will our lot be at the last -

What says your concience to these things? Is there no fear that too many of us fall short of their

righteousness? Is there no reason to fear that too few of us exceed it - Yet the Lord the Righteous, Judge of all the earth hath spoken the word "Except your Righteousness [indecipherable]" - Let us then enquire I What their righteousness was II Where it was defective which will lead us IIIIII to shew in what respects ours must exceed it if we would have a place in the kingdom of heaven - Let us then enquire or examine II into the righteousness of these Scribes & Pharisees, what was their Piety towards God & their moral behaviour in the sight of men - Their piety towards

God appeared 1 In their strict observance of the Sabbath day; such was their strictness that they were not satisfied with the manner in which the Son of God himself observed it - 2 Is their constant attendance in the sanctuary of God even several hours in the day 3 Is their continuing instant in progress five times a day in the Temple three times a day in their chamber & often in the private places in the streets, and about the corners of the temple - 4 In their regular & faithful payment of tithes - Tithes were of God's own appointment and hence they gave tithes of all they possess 5 In the mortification of all their mem -bers that are upon earth for which purpose they fasted two days in a week

6 In instructing the people diligently out of the law & lastly in their services de portment becoming gravity & regularity of life - But let us pass on to their observance of the second table or their upright - and with in the sight of men - This may be done briefly - They considered themselves as to the letter of the Law blameless; they separated from the company of open sinners & thus far they came out of the world: they were remarkable for giving much alms nay more; as before remarked they "were beau tiful to look at" even so said the sinless Son of God - II May we not, then, with some degree of surprise enquire how he could denounce so many woes against them & assume all professing