the pharisee and the publican- 第22部分

4。　　The　Pharisee；　as　at　feasts　and　synagogues；　chose　the　chief　and　first　place　for　his　person；　and　for　his　prayer；　counting　that　the　Publican　was　not　meet；　ought　not　to　presume　to　let　his　foul　breath　once　come　out　of　his　polluted　lips　in　the　temple；　till　HE　had　made　his　holy　prayer。　　And；　poor　Publican；　how　dost　thou　hear　and　put　up　this　with　all　other　affronts；　counting　even　as　the　Pharisee　counted　of　thee；　that　thou　wast　but　a　dog　in　comparison　of　him；　and　therefore　not　fit　to　go　before；　but　to　come　as　in　chains；　behind；　and　forbear　to　present　thy　mournful　supplication　to　the　holy　God；　till　he　had　presented　his；　in　his　own　conceit；　brave；　gay；　and　fine　oration？

5。　　The　Pharisee；　as　he　is　numerous　in　his　repeating　his　good　deeds；　so　is　he　stiff　in　standing　to　them；　bearing　up　himself；　that　he　hath　now　sufficient　foundation　on　which　to　bear　up　his　soul　against　all　the　attempts　of　the　law；　the　devil；　sin；　and　hell。　　But；　alas；　poor　Publican！　thou　standest　naked；　nay；　worse　than　naked；　for　thou　art　clothed　with　filthy　garments；　thy　sins　cover　thy　face　with　shame：　nor　hast　thou　in；　or　of　thyself；　any　defence　from；　or　shelter　against；　the　attempts；　assaults；　and　censures　of　thy　spiritual　enemies；　but　art　now　in　thine　own　eyes　（though　in　the　temple）　cast　forth　into　thine　open　field　stark…naked；　to　the　loathing　of　thy　person；　as　in　the　day　that　thou　wast　born；　and　there　ready　to　be　devoured　and　torn　in　pieces　for　thy　transgressions　against　thy　God。

What　wilt　thou　do；　Publican？　　What　wilt　thou　do？　　Come；　let　us　see；　which　way　wilt　thou　begin　to　address　thyself　to　God？　　Bethink　thyself：　　hast　thou　any　thing　to　say？　speak　out；　man：　　the　Pharisee　by　this　time　has　done；　and　received　his　sentence：　　make　an　〃O　yes；〃　let　all　the　world　be　silent；　yea；　let　the　angels　of　heaven　draw　near　and　listen；　for　the　Publican　is　come　to　have　to　do　with　God！　yea；　is　come　from　the　receipt　of　custom　into　the　temple　to　pray　to　him。

〃And　the　Publican；　standing　afar　off；　would　not　lift　up　so　much　as　his　eyes　unto　heaven；　but　smote　upon　his　breast；　saying；　God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃　　And　is　this　thy　way；　poor　Publican！　　O　cunning　sinner！　　O　crafty　Publican！　thy　wisdom　has　outdone　the　Pharisee；　for　it　is　better　to　apply　ourselves　to　God's　mercy　than　to　trust　to　ourselves　that　we　are　righteous。　　But　that　the　Publican　did　hit　the　mark；　yea；　get　nearer　unto；　and　more　in　the　heart　of　God　and　his　Son　than　the　Pharisee；　the　sequel　will　make　manifest。

Take　notice　then　of　this　profound　speech　of　the　Publican；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃　　Yea；　the　Son　of　God　was　so　delighted　with　this　prayer；　that　for　the　sake　of　it；　he　even　as　a　limner　draweth　out　the　Publican　in　his　manner　of　standing；　behaviour；　gestures；　&c。；　while　he　makes　this　prayer　to　God：　　wherefore　we　will　take　notice　both　of　the　one　and　of　the　other；　for　surely　his　gestures　put　lustre　into　his　prayer　and　repentance。

1。　　His　prayer　you　see　is　this；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

His　gestures　in　his　prayer　were　in　general　three。

1。　　He　〃stood　afar　off。〃

2。　　He　〃would　not　lift　up　so　much　as　his　eyes　to　heaven。〃

3。　　He　〃smote　upon　his　breast；〃　with　his　fist；　saying；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

To　begin　first　with　his　prayer。　　In　this　prayer　we　have　two　things　to　consider　of。

1。　　His　confession：　　I　am　a　sinner。

2。　　His　imploring　of　help　against　this　malady：　　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

In　his　confession　divers　things　are　to　be　taken　notice　of。　　As　…

1。　　The　fairness　and　simplicity　of　his　confession；　〃A　sinner：〃　I　am　a　sinner；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃　　This　indeed　he　was；　and　this　indeed　he　confesses；　and　this；　I　say；　he　doth　of　godly　simplicity。　　For　a　man　to　confess　himself　a　sinner；　it　is　to　speak　all　against　himself　that　can　be　spoken。　　And　man；　as　degenerate；　is　too　much　an　hypocrite；　and　too　much　a　self…flatterer；　thus　to　confess　against　himself；　unless　made　simple　and　honest　through　the　power　of　conviction　upon　his　heart。　　And　it　is　worth　your　noting；　that　he　doth　not　say　he　was；　or　had　been；　but　that　at　that　time　his　state　was　such；　to　wit；　a　sinner。　　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner；〃　or　who　am；　and　now　stand　before　thee　a　sinner；　in　my　sins。

Now；　a　little　to　shew　you　what　it　is　to　be　a　sinner；　for　every　one　that　sinneth　may　not　in　a　proper　sense　be　called　a　sinner。　　Saints；　the　sanctified　in　Christ　Jesus；　do　often　sin；　but　it　is　not　proper　to　call　them　sinners：　　but　here　the　Publican　calls　himself　a　sinner；　and　therefore　in　effect　calls　himself　an　evil　tree；　one　that　beareth　no　good　fruit；　one　whose　body　and　soul　is　polluted；　whose　mind　and　conscience　is　defiled；　one　who　hath　walked　according　to　the　course　of　this　world；　and　after　the　spirit　that　now　worketh　in　the　children　of　disobedience：　　they　having　their　minds　at　enmity　against　God；　and　are　taken　captive　by　the　devil　at　his　will；　a　sinner；　one　whose　trade　hath　been　in　sin；　and　the　works　of　Satan　all　his　days。

Thus　he　waives　all　pleas；　and　stoops　his　neck　immediately　to　the　block。　　Though　he　was　a　base　man；　yet　he　might　have　had　pleas；　pleas；　I　say；　as　well　as　the　Pharisee；　though　not　so　many；　yet　as　good。　　He　was　of　the　stock　of　Abraham；　a　Jew；　an　Israelite　of　the　Israelites；　and　so　a　privileged　man　in　the　religion　of　the　Jews；　else　what　doth　he　do　in　the　temple？　　Yea；　why　did　not　the　Pharisee；　if　he　was　a　heathen；　lay　that　to　his　charge　while　he　stood　before　God？　　But　the　truth　is；　he　could　not；　for　the　Publican　was　a　Jew　as　well　as　the　Pharisee；　and　consequently　might；　had　he　been　so　disposed；　have　pleaded　that　before　God。　　But　he　would　not；　he　could　not；　for　his　conscience　was　under　convictions；　the　awakenings　of　God　were　upon　him；　wherefore　his　privileges　melt　away　like　grease；　and　fly　from　him　like　the　chaff　of　the　summer　threshing…floor；　which　the　wind　taketh　up　and　scattereth　as　the　dust；　he　therefore　lets　all　privileges　fall；　and　pleads　only　that　he　us　a　sinner。

2。　　In　this　confession　he　judges　and　condemns　himself：　　For　a　man　to　say；　I　am　a　sinner；　is　as　much　as　to　say；　I　am　contrary　to　the　holiness　of　God；　a　transgressor　of　the　law；　and　consequently　an　object　of　the　curse；　and　an　heir　of　hell。　　The　Publican；　therefore；　goeth　very　far　in　this　his　confession；　For；

3。　　In　the　third　place；　To　confess　that　there　is　nothing　in　him；　done　or　can　be　done　by　him；　that　should　allure；　or　prevail　with　God　to　do　any　thing　for　him：　　for　a　sinner　cannot　do　good；　no；　not　work　up　his　heart　unto　one　good　thought：　　no；　though　he　should　have　heaven　itself　if　he　could；　or　was　sure　to　burn　in　hell…fire　for　ever　and　ever　if　he　could　not。　　For　sin；　where　it　is　in　possession；　and　bears　rule；　as　it　doth　in　every　one　that　we　may　properly　call　a　sinner；　there　it　hath　the　mastery　of　the　man；　hath　bound　up　his　senses　in　cords　and　chains；　and　made　nothing　so　odious　to　the　soul　as　the　things　that　are　of　the　Spirit　of　God。　　Wherefore　it　is　said　of　such；　that　they　are　〃Enemies　in　their　minds；〃　that　〃The　carnal　mind　is　enmity　against　God；〃　and　that　〃Wickedness　proceedeth　of　the　wicked；〃　and　that　the　Ethiopian　may　as　well　change　his　skin；　or　the　leopard　his　spots；　as　they　that　are　accustomed　to　do　evil　may　learn　to　do　well；　Col。　i。；　Rom。　viii。；　1　Sam。　xxiv。　13；　Jer。　xiii。　23。

4。　　In　this　confession　he　implicitly　acknowledgeth　that　sin　is　the　worst　of　things；　forasmuch　as　it　layeth　the　soul　out　of　the　reach　of　all　remedy　that　can　be　found　under　heaven。　　Nothing　below　or　short　of　the　mercy　of　God　can　deliver　a　poor　soul　from　this　fearful　malady。　This　the　Pharisee　did　not　see。　　Doubtless　he　did　conclude；　that　at　some　time　or　other　he　had　sinned；　but　he　never　in　all　his　life　did　arrive　to　a　sight　of　what　sin　was：　　his　knowledge　of　it　was　but　false　and　counterfeit；　as　is　manifest　by　his　cure；　to　wit；　his　own　righteousness。　　For　take　this　for　a　truth　undeniable；　that　he　that　thinks　himself　better　before　God；　because　of　his　reformations；　never　yet　had　the　true　knowledge　of　his　sin：　　But　the　poor　Publican　he　had　it；　he　had　it　in　truth；　as　is　manifest；　because　it　drives　him　to　the　only　sovereign　remedy。　　For　indeed；　the　right　knowledge　of　sin；　in　the　filth；　and　guilt；　and　damning　power　thereof；　makes　a　man　to　understand；　that　not　any　thing　but　grace　and　mercy　by　Christ　can　secure　him　from　the　hellish　ruins　thereof。

Suppose　a　man　sick　of　an　apoplexy　unto　death；　and　should　for　his　remedy　make　use　only　of　those　things　that　are　good　against　the　second　ague；　would　not　this　demonstrate　that　this　man　was　not　sensible　of　the　nature　and　danger　of　this　disease？　　The　same　may　be　said　of　every　sinner　that　shall　make　use　only　of　those　means　to　justify　him　before　God；　that　can　hardly　make　him　go　for　a　good　Christian　before　judicious　men。　　But　the　poor　Publican；　he　knew　the　nature　and　the　danger　of　his　disease；　and　knew　also；　that　nothing　but　mercy；　infinite　mercy；　could　cure　him　thereof。

5。　　This　confession　of　the　Publican　declareth；　that　he　himself　was　borne　up　now　by　an　almighty　though　invisible　hand。　　For　sin；　when　seen　in　its　colours；　and　when　appearing　in　its　monstrous　shape；　frighteth　all　away　from　God。　　This　is　manifest　by　Cain；　Judas；　Saul；　and　others；　who　could　not　stand　up　before　God　under　the　sense　and　appearance　of　their　sin；　but　fled　before　him；　one　to　one　fruit　of　despair；　and　one　to　another。　　But　now　this　Publican；　though　he　apprehends　his　sin；　that　himself　was　one　that　was　a　sinner；　yet　he　beareth　up；　cometh　into　the　temple；　approaches　the　presence　of　an　holy　and　sin…revenging　God；　stands　before　him；　and　confesses　that　he　is　that　man　that　sin　had　defiled；　and　that　had　brought　him　into　the　danger　of　damnation　thereby。

This　therefore　was　a　mighty　act　of　the　Publican。　　He　went　against　the　voice　of　conscience；　against　sense　and　feeling；　against　the　curse　and　condemning　verdict　of　the　law：　　he　went；　as　I　may　say；　upon　hot　burning　coals　to　one　that　to　sin　and　sinners　is　a　consuming　fire。

Now　then；　did　the　Publican　this　of　his　own　head；　or　from　his　own　mind？　　No；　verily；　there　was　some　super…natural　power　within　that　did　secretly　prompt　him　on；　and　strengthen　him　to　this　more　noble　venture。　　True；　there　is　nothing　more　common　among　wicked　men；　than　to　trick　and　toy；　and　play　with　this　saying　of　the　Publican；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner：〃　not　at　all　being　sensible　either　what　sin　is；　or　of　their　nee