the pharisee and the publican-第14节

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and；　but　against　the　very　love；　strength；　holiness；　and　faithfulness　of　God：　　and　herein　stands　thy　condition；　thou　hast　not；　thou　sayst；　thou　hast　not　done　injury　to　thy　neighbour；　but　what　of　that；　if　thou　hast　reproached　thy　maker？

Pharisee；　I　will　assure　thee；　thou　art　beside　the　saddle；　thy　state　is　not　good；　thy　righteousness　is　so　far　off　from　doing　any　good；　that　it　maketh　thee　to　be　a　greater　sinner；　because　it　signifieth　more　immediately　against　the　mercy；　the　love；　the　grace；　and　goodness　of　God；　than　the　sins　of　other　sinners；　as　to　degree；　do。

And　as　they　are　more　odious　and　abominable　in　the　sight　of　God　（as　they　needs　must；　if　what　is　said　be　true；　as　it　is）；　so　they　are　more　dangerous　to　the　life　and　soul　of　man；　for　that　they　always　appear　unto　him　in　whom　they　dwell；　and　to　him　that　trusteth　in　them；　not　to　be　sins　and　transgressions；　but　virtues　and　excellent　things；　not　things　that　set　a　man　further　off；　but　the　things　that　bring　a　man　nearer　God；　than　those　that　want　them　are　or　can　be。

This　therefore　is　the　dangerous　estate　of　those　that　go　about　to　establish　their　own　righteousness；　that　neither　have；　nor　can；　while　they　are　so　doing；　submit　themselves　to　the　righteousness　of　God；　Rom。　x。　3。　　It　is　far　more　easy　to　persuade　a　poor　wretch；　whose　life　is　debauched；　and　sins　are　written　in　his　forehead；　to　submit　to　the　righteousness　of　God　（that　is；　to　the　righteousness　that　is　of　God's　providing　and　giving）；　than　it　is　to　persuade　a　self…righteous　man　to　do　it；　for　the　profane　is　sooner　convinced　of　the　necessity　of　righteousness　to　save　him；　as　that　he　has　none　of　his　own；　and　accepteth　of；　and　submitteth　himself　to　the　help　and　salvation　that　is　in　the　righteousness　and　obedience　of　another。

And　upon　this　account　it　is　that　Christ　saith　the　publicans　and　harlots　enter　into　the　kingdom　of　heaven　before　the　scribes　and　Pharisees；　Matt。　xxi。　31。　　Poor　Pharisee；　what　a　loss　art　thou　at？　thou　art　not　only　a　sinner；　but　a　sinner　of　the　highest　form。　　Not　a　sinner　by　such　sins　（by　such　sins　chiefly）　as　the　second　table　doth　make　manifest；　but　a　sinner　chiefly　in　that　way　as　no　self…righteous　man　did　ever　dream　of。　　For　when　the　righteous　man　or　Pharisee　shall　hear　that　he　is　a　sinner；　he　replieth；　〃I　am　not　as　other　men　are。〃

And　because　the　common　and　more　ordinary　description　of　sin　is　the　transgression　against　the　second　table；　he　presently　replieth　again；　〃I　am　not　as　this　Publican　is；〃　and　so　shroudeth　himself　under　his　own　lame　endeavours　and　ragged　partial　patches　of　moral　or　civil　righteousness。　　Wherefore；　when　he　heareth　that　his　righteousness　is　condemned；　slighted；　and　accounted　nothing　worth；　then　he　fretteth　and　fumeth；　and　would　kill　the　man　that　so　slighteth　and　disdaineth　his　goodly　righteousness；　but　Christ；　and　the　true　gospel…teacher　still　go　on；　and　condemn　all　his　righteousness　as　menstruous　rags；　as　an　abomination　to　God；　and　nothing　but　loss　and　dung。

Now　menstruous　rags；　things　that　are　an　abomination　and　dung；　are　not　fit　matter　to　make　a　garment　of　to　wear　when　I　come　to　God　for　life；　much　less　to　be　made　my　friend；　my　advocate；　my　mediator　and　spokesman；　when　I　stand　betwixt　heaven　and　hell；　Isa。　lxiv。　6；　Luke　xvi。　15；　Phil。　iii。　6…8；　to　plead　for　me　that　I　might　be　saved。

Perhaps　some　will　blame　me；　and　count　me　also　worthy　thereof；　because　I　do　not　distinguish　betwixt　the　matter　and　the　manner　of　the　Pharisee's　righteousness。　　And　let　them　condemn　me　still　for　saving　the　holy　law；　which　is　neither　the　matter　nor　manner　of　the　Pharisee's　righteousness；　but　rather　the　rules　（if　he　will　live　thereby）　up　to　which　he　should　completely　come　in　every　thing　that　he　doth。　　And　I　say　again；　that　the　whole　of　the　Pharisee's　righteousness　is　sinful；　though　not　with　and　to　men；　yet　with　and　before　the　God　of　heaven。　　Sinful；　I　say　it　is；　and　abominable；　both　in　itself；　and　also　in　its　effects。

1。　　In　itself；　for　that　it　is　imperfect；　scanty；　and　short　of　the　rule　by　which　righteousness　is　enjoined；　and　even　with　which　every　act　should　be；　for　shortness　here；　even　every　shortness　in　these　duties；　is　sin　and　sinful　weakness；　wherefore　the　curse　taketh　hold　of　the　man　for　coming　short；　but　that　it　could　not　justly　do；　if　his　coming　short　was　not　his　sin：　　Cursed　is　every　one　that　doth　not；　and　that　continueth　not　to　do　all　things　written　in　the　law；　Deut。　xxvii。　26；　Gal。　iii。　10。

2。　　It　is　sinful；　because　it　is　wrought　by　sinful　flesh；　for　all　legal　righteousness　is　a　work　of　the　flesh；　Rom。　iv。　1；　&c。；　Phil。　iii。　3…8。

A　work；　I　say；　of　the　flesh；　even　of　that　flesh；　who；　or　which　also　committeth　the　greatest　enormities；　for　the　flesh　is　but　one；　though　its　workings　are　divers：　　sometimes　in　a　way　most　notoriously　sensual　and　devilish；　causing　the　soul　to　wallow　in　the　mire。

But　these　are　not　all　the　works　of　the　flesh；　the　flesh　sometimes　will　attempt　to　be　righteous；　and　set　upon　doing　actions　that　in　their　perfection　would　be　very　glorious　and　beautiful　to　behold。　　But　because　the　law　is　only　commanding　words；　and　yieldeth　no　help　to　the　man　that　attempts　to　perform　it；　and　because　the　flesh　is　weak；　and　cannot　do　of　itself　that；　therefore　this　most　glorious　work　of　the　flesh　faileth。

But；　I　say；　as　it　is　a　work　of　the　flesh　it　cannot　be　good；　forasmuch　as　the　hand　that　worketh　it　is　defiled　with　sin；　for　in　a　good　man；　one　spiritually　good；　that　is　〃in　his　flesh；　there　dwells　no　good　thing；〃　but　consequently　that　which　is　bad；　how　then　can　the　flesh　of　a　carnal；　graceless　man　（and　such　a　one　is　every　Pharisee　and　self…　righteous　man　in　the　world）；　produce；　though　it　joineth　itself　to　the　law；　to　the　righteous　law　of　God；　that　which　is　good　in　his　sight。

If　any　shall　think　that　I　pinch　too　hard；　because　I　call　man's　righteousness　which　is　of　the　law；　of　the　righteous　law　of　God；　flesh；　let　them　consider　that　which　follows：　　to　wit；　That　though　man　by　sin　is　said　〃to　be　dead　in　sin　and　trespasses；〃　yet　not　so　dead　but　that　he　can　act　still　in　his　own　sphere；　that　is；　to　do；　and　choose　to　do；　either　that　which　by　all　men　is　counted　base；　or　that　which　by　some　is　counted　good；　though　he　is　not；　nor　can　all　the　world　make　him；　capable　of　doing　any　thing　that　may　please　his　God。

Man；　by　nature；　as　dead　as　he　is；　can；　and　that　with　the　will　of　his　flesh；　will　his　own　salvation。　　Man；　by　nature；　can；　and　that　by　the　power　of　the　flesh；　pursue　and　follow　after　his　own　salvation；　but　then　he　wills　it；　and　pursues　or　follows　after　it；　not　in　God's　way；　but　his　own；　not　by　faith　in　Christ；　but　by　the　law　of　Moses。　　See　Rom。　ix。　16；　31；　x。　3；　7。

Wherefore　it　is　no　error　to　say；　that　a　man　naturally　has　will；　and　a　power　to　pursue　his　will；　and　that　as　to　his　own　salvation。　　But　it　is　a　damnable　error　to　say；　that　he　hath　will　and　power　to　pursue　it；　and　that　in　God's　way：　　for　then　we　must　hold　that　the　mysteries　of　the　gospel　are　natural；　for　that　natural　men；　or　men　by　nature；　may　apprehend　and　know　them；　yea；　and　know　them　to　be　the　only　means　by　which　they　must　obtain　eternal　life；　for　the　understanding　must　act　before　the　will；　yea；　a　man　must　approve　of　the　way　to　life　by　Jesus　Christ；　before　his　mind　will　budge；　or　stir；　or　move；　that　way：　　〃But　the　natural　man　receiveth　not　the　things　of　the　Spirit　of　God　（of　the　gospel）；　for　they　are　foolishness　to　him；　neither　can　he　know　them；　because　they　are　spiritually　discerned。〃

He　receiveth　not　these　things；　that　is；　his　mind　and　will　lie　cross　unto　them；　for　he　counts　them　foolishness；　nor　can　all　the　natural　wisdom　in　the　world　cause　that　his　will　should　fall　in　with　them；　because　it　cannot　discern　them。

Nature　discerneth　the　law；　and　the　righteousness　thereof；　yea；　it　discerneth　it；　and　approveth　thereof；　that　is；　that　the　righteousness　of　it　is　the　best　and　only　way　to　life；　and　therefore　the　natural　will　and　power　of　the　flesh；　as　here　you　see　in　the　Pharisee；　do　steer　their　course　by　that　to　eternal　life；　1　Cor。　ii。　14。

The　righteousness　of　the　law；　therefore；　is　a　work　of　the　flesh；　a　work　of　sinful　flesh；　and　therefore　must　needs　be　as　filth；　and　dung；　and　abominable　as　to　that　for　which　this　man　hath　produced　it　and　presented　it　in　the　temple　before　God。

Nor　is　the　Pharisee　alone　entangled　in　this　mischief；　many　souls　are　by　these　works　of　the　flesh　flattered；　as　also　the　Pharisee　was；　into　an　opinion；　that　their　state　is　good；　when　there　is　nothing　in　it。　The　most　that　their　conversion　amounteth　to　is；　the　Publican　is　become　a　Pharisee；　the　open　sinner　is　become　a　self…righteous　man。　Of　the　black　side　of　the　flesh　he　hath　had　enough；　now　therefore　with　the　white　side　of　the　flesh　he　will　recreate　himself。　　And　now；　most　wicked　must　he　needs　be　that　questioneth　the　goodness　of　the　state　of　such　a　man。　　He；　of　a　drunkard；　a　swearer；　an　unclean　person；　a　Sabbath…breaker；　a　liar；　and　the　like；　is　become　reformed；　a　lover　of　righteousness；　a　strict　observer；　doer；　and　trader　in　the　formalities　of　the　law；　and　a　herder　with　men　of　his　complexion。　　And　now　he　is　become　a　great　exclaimer　against　sin　and　sinners；　denying　to　be　acquaint　with　those　that　once　were　his　companions；　saying；　〃I　am　not　even　as　this　Publican。〃

To　turn　therefore　from　sin　to　man's　righteousness；　yea；　to　rejoice　in　confidence；　that　thy