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UPON BEING

RIGHTEOUS OVER-MUCH.

DISCOURSE VI.

UPON BEING

RIGHTEOUS OVER-MUCH.

DISCOURSE VI.

ECCLES. vii. 16.

Be not righteous over-much.

THE generality of men think it a very easy matter to get into heaven. They have never tried in earnest to get in, and therefore they are not sensible of any difficulty. Scripture may speak contrary to their opinion, but they will not hear it. Plain matter of fact may be against them, but they will not regard it. They sit down easy and unconcerned about their eternal state, resolved to enjoy the present world, like the fool upon record, Soul, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be "merry," live jovially at present. Give thyself no trouble about religion, and let not one thought of death disturb thee. It will be time enough to prepare for eternity at some future period. Thus they think and act. Nay, many have arrived at such an absolute indolence, that they are angry and provoked, if any one tells them they are certainly in the wrong, and they will not bear it, no, not from their minister whose office and duty it is to try to convince them of the necessity of striving to get into the kingdom of heaven. But if such careless creatures will not hear us, yet they ought

to hear him who has the power of life and death, and who says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for "wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth "to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat. "Because, strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that "leadeth to life, and few there be that find it," Matt. ix. 13, 14.

As soon as these great numbers, who are going through the wide gate and in the broad way, see any of their acquaintance beginning to strive to enter in at the strait gate, and to walk in the narrow way, immediately they are offended, and they try to stop them with urging the authority of the text- Be not righteous over much."-Why, say they, cannot you be content with the religion of your forefathers; you used to keep to your church, and you lived as good a life as any of your neighbours, and you was righteous enough, what occasion is there then for so many prayers, and sermons, and sacraments? Indeed you carry things too far, and if you do not stop in time, in time, you will quite ruin your character.

This is their manner of talking to every man, who is determined to save his soul. As soon as he begins to live different from his neighbours, and refuses to join with them in their way of murdering their time, they mark him out for a precise godly fellow. They think he makes more ado about religion than need be, and if, after many trials, they cannot laugh him out of his oddities, they heartily despise him for an over-righteous fool.

But if the same man should be convinced of the great change which Christianity ought to make in him. If he begin to talk of the necessity of the new birth, and of the Holy Spirit's beginning and carrying on a saving work of grace in his heart, without which, no. man is a Christian, than in name, then worldly men are thoroughly provoked: they cannot bear this enthusiastic stuff. But if he insist farther upon the necessity of Christ's righteousness, without which no sinner can be

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