the pharisee and the publican-第20节

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perfect　righteousness；　and　before　that　be　come　to；　and　put　upon　the　poor　sinner；　God　cannot　bestow　other　spiritual　blessings　upon　him；　because　by　the　law　he　has　pronounced　him　accursed；　by　the　which　curse　he　is　also　so　holden；　until　a　righteousness　shall　be　found　upon　the　sinner；　that　the　law　and　divine　justice　can　approve　of；　and　be　contented　within。　　So　then；　as　to　the　justification　of　the　sinner；　there　must　be　a　righteousness　for　God；　I　say；　for　the　sinner；　and　for　God：　　for　the　sinner　to　be　clothed　within；　and　for　God　to　look　upon；　that　he　may；　for　the　sake　thereof　in　a　way　of　justice；　bless　the　sinner　with　forgiveness　of　sins：　　for　forgiveness　of　sins　is　the　next　thing　that　followeth　upon　the　appearance　of　the　sinner　before　God　in　the　righteousness　of　Christ；　Rom。　iv。　6；　7。

Now；　upon　this　forgiveness　follows　the　second　blessing。　　Christ　hath　redeemed　us　from　the　curse　of　the　law；　being　made　a　curse　for　us；　and　so；　consequently；　hath　obtained　for　us　the　forgiveness　of　sins：　　for　he　that　is　delivered　from　the　curse　hath　received　forgiveness　of　sins；　or　rather　is　made　partaker　thereof。　　Now；　being　made　a　partaker　thereof；　the　second　blessing　immediately　follows；　to　wit；　the　blessing　of　Abraham；　that　is；　the　promise　of　the　Spirit　through　faith；　Gal。　iii。　13。　14。　　But　this　our　Pharisee　understandeth　not。

But　now；　although　it　be　of　absolute　necessity　that　imputed　righteousness　be　first；　to　the　soul；　that　is；　that　perfect　righteousness　be　found　upon　the　sinner　first　by　God；　that　he　may　bestow　other　blessings　in　a　way　of　justice：

Let　God　then　put　the　righteousness　of　his　Son　upon　me；　and　by　virtue　of　that；　let　the　second　blessing　of　God　come　into　me；　and　by　virtue　of　that；　let　me　be　made　to　see　myself　a　sinner；　and　Christ's　righteousness；　and　my　need　of　it；　in　the　doctrine　of　it；　as　it　is　revealed　in　the　scriptures　of　truth。　　Let　me　then　believe　this　doctrine　to　be　true；　and　be　brought　by　my　belief　to　repentance　for　my　sins；　to　hungering　and　thirsting　vehemently　after　this　righteousness：　for　this　is　the　kingdom　of　God；　and　his　righteousness。　　Yea；　let　me　pray；　and　cry；　and　sigh；　and　groan；　day　and　night；　to　the　God　of　this　righteousness；　that　he　will　of　grace　make　me　a　partaker。　　And　let　me　thus　be　prostrate　before　my　God；　all　the　time　that　in　wisdom　he　shall　think　fit；　and　in　his　own　time　he　shall　shew　me　that　I　am　a　justified　person；　a　pardoned　person；　a　person　in　whom　the　Spirit　of　God　hath　dwelt　for　some　time；　though　I　knew　it　not。

So　then；　justification　before　God　is　one　thing；　and　justification　in　mine　own　eyes　is　another；　not　that　these　are　two　justifications；　but　the　same　righteousness　by　which　I　stand　justified　before　God；　may　be　seen　of　God；　when　I　am　ignorant　of　it：　　yea；　for　the　sake　of　it　I　may　be　received；　pardoned；　and　accounted　righteous　of　him；　and　yet　I　may　not　understand　it。　　Yea；　further；　he　may　proceed　in　the　way　of　blessing　to　bless　me　with　additional　blessings；　and　yet　I　be　ignorant　of　it。

So　that　the　question　is　not；　Do　I　find　that　I　am　righteous？　but；　Am　I　so？　　Doth　God　find　me　so；　when　he　seeth　that　the　righteousness　of　his　Son　is　upon　me；　being　made　over　to　me　by　an　act　of　his　grace？　　For　I　am　justified　freely　by　his　grace；　through　the　redemption　which　is　in　Jesus　Christ；　whom　God　hath　set　forth　to　be　a　propitiation　through　faith　in　his　blood；　to　declare　his　righteousness　for　the　remission　of　sins　that　are　past；　through　the　forbearance　of　God；　Rom。　iii。　24。　But　this　our　Pharisee　understandeth　not。

I　am　then　made　righteous　first　by　the　righteousness　of　another；　and　because　I　am　thus　righteous；　God　accepteth　of　my　person　as　such；　and　bestoweth　upon　me　his　grace；　the　which；　at　first；　for　want　of　skill　and　experience　in　the　word　of　righteousness；　I　make　use　of　but　poorly；　and　have　need　to　be　certified　that　I　am　made　righteous；　and　that　I　have　eternal　life；　not　by　faith　first　and　immediately；　but　by　the　written　word　which　is　called　〃the　word　of　faith；〃　which　word　declareth　unto　me　（to　whom　grace；　and　so　faith　in　the　seed　of　it；　is　given）；　that　I　have　eternal　life；　and　that　I　should　with　boldness；　in　peace　and　joy；　believe　on　the　Son　of　God；　Heb。　v。　13；　Rom。　xv。　13；　1　John　v。　13。　　But；

Again；　I；　in　the　first　acts　of　my　faith；　when　I　come　at　Christ；　do　not　accept　of　him；　because　I　know　I　am　righteous；　either　with　imputed　righteousness；　or　with　that　which　is　inherent。　　Both　these；　as　to　my　present　privilege　in　them；　may　be　hidden　from　mine　eyes；　and　I　only　put　upon　taking　of　encouragement　to　close　with　Christ　for　life　and　righteousness；　as　he　is　set　forth　to　be　a　propitiation　before　mine　eyes；　in　the　word　of　the　truth　of　the　gospel；　to　which　word　I　adhere　as；　or　because　I　find；　I　want　peace　with　God　in　my　soul；　and　because　I　am　convinced　that　the　means　of　peace　is　not　to　be　found　any　where　but　in　Jesus　Christ。　　Now；　by　my　thus　adhering　to　him；　I　find　stay　for　my　soul；　and　peace　to　my　conscience；　because　the　word　doth　ascertain　to　me；　that　he　that　believeth　on　him　hath　remission　of　sins；　hath　eternal　life；　and　shall　be　saved　from　the　wrath　to　come。

But；　alas！　who　knows　（the　many　straits；　and　as　I　may　say；　the　stress　of　weather；　I　mean）　the　cold　blasts　of　hell；　with　which　the　poor　soul　is　assaulted；　betwixt　its　receiving　of　grace；　and　its　sensible　closing　with　Jesus　Christ？　　None；　I　dare　say；　but　it　and　its　fellows。　〃The　heart　knows　its　own　bitterness；　and　a　stranger　intermeddleth　not　with　his　joy；〃　Prov。　xiv。　10。　　No　sooner　doth　Satan　perceive　what　God　is　doing　with　the　soul；　in　a　way　of　grace　and　mercy；　but　he　endeavoureth　what　he　may　to　make　the　renewing　thereof　bitter　and　wearisome　work　to　the　sinner。　　O　what　mists；　what　mountains；　what　clouds；　what　darkness；　what　objections；　what　false　apprehensions　of　God；　of　Christ；　of　grace；　of　the　word；　and　of　the　soul's　condition；　doth　he　now　lay　before　it；　and　haunt　it　with；　whereby　he　dejecteth；　casteth　down；　daunteth；　distresseth；　and　almost　driveth　it　quite　into　despair！　　Now；　by　the　reason　of　these　things；　faith　（and　all　the　grace　that　is　in　the　soul）　is　hard　put　to　it　to　come　at　the　promise；　and　by　the　promise　of　Christ；　as　it　is　said；　when　the　tempest　and　great　danger　of　shipwreck　lay　upon　the　vessel　in　which　Paul　was；　they　had　〃much　work　to　come　by　the　boat；〃　Acts　xxvii。　16。　　For　Satan's　design　is；　if　he　cannot　keep　the　soul　from　Christ；　to　make　his　coming　to　him；　and　closing　with　him；　as　hard；　as　difficult　and　troublesome；　as　he　by　his　devices　can。　　But　faith；　true　justifying　faith；　is　a　grace；　is　not　weary　by　all　that　Satan　can　do；　but　meditateth　upon　the　word；　and　taketh　stomach；　and　courage；　fighteth　and　crieth；　and　by　crying　and　fighting；　by　help　from　heaven；　its　way　is　made　through　all　the　oppositions　that　appear　so　mighty；　and　draweth　up　at　last　to　Jesus　Christ；　into　whose　bosom　it　putteth　the　soul；　where；　for　the　time；　it　sweetly　resteth；　after　its　marvellous　tossings　to　and　fro。

And　besides　what　hath　been　said；　let　me　yet　illustrate　this　truth　unto　you　by　this　familiar　similitude。

Suppose　a　man；　a　traitor；　that　by　the　law　should　die　for　his　sin；　is　yet　such　an　one　that　the　king　has　exceeding　kindness　for；　may　not　the　king　pardon　this　man　of　his　clemency；　yea；　order　that　his　pardon　should　be　drawn　up　and　sealed；　and　so　in　every　sense　be　made　sure；　and　yet；　for　the　present；　keep　all　this　close　enough　from　the　ears　or　the　knowledge　of　the　person　therein　concerned？　　Yea；　may　not　the　king　after　all　leave　this　person；　with　others　under　the　same　transgression；　to　sue　for　and　obtain　this　pardon　with　great　expense　and　difficulty；　with　many　tears　and　heart…achings；　with　many　fears　and　dubious　cogitations？

Why；　this　is　the　case　between　God　and　the　soul　that　he　saveth；　he　saveth　him；　pardoneth　him；　and　secureth　him　from　the　curse　and　death　that　is　due　unto　sin；　but　yet　doth　not　tell　him　so；　but　he　ascends　in　his　great　suit　unto　God　for　it。　　Only　this　difference　we　must　make　between　God　and　the　potentates　of　this　world；　God　cannot　pardon　before　the　sinner　stands　before　him　righteous　by　the　righteousness　of　Christ；　because　he　has　in　judgment；　and　justice；　and　righteousness；　threatened　and　concluded；　that　he　that　wants　righteousness　shall　die。

And　I　say　again；　because　this　righteousness　is　God's　and　at　God's　disposal　only；　it　is　God　that　must　make　a　man　righteous　before　he　can　forgive　him　his　sins；　or　bestow　upon　him　of　his　secondary　blessings；　to　wit；　his　Spirit；　and　the　graces　thereof。　　And　I　say　again；　it　must　be　this　righteousness；　for　it　can　be　no　other　that　justifies　a　sinner　from　sin　in　the　sight　of　God；　and　from　the　sentence　of　the　law。

Secondly；　This　is；　and　must　be　the　way　of　God　with　the　sinner；　that　faith　may　not　only　have　an　object　to　work　upon；　but　a　motive　to　work　by。

（1。）　　Here；　as　I　said；　faith　hath　an　object　to　work　upon；　and　that　in　the　person　of　Christ；　and　that　personal　righteousness　of　his；　which　he　in　the　days　of　his　flesh　did　finish　to　justify　sinners　withal。　This　is；　I　say；　the　object　of　faith　for　justification；　whereunto　the　soul　by　it　doth　continually　resort。　　Hence　David　saith　to　Christ；　〃Be　thou　my　strong　habitation　（or　as　you　have　it　in　the　margin；　Be　thou　to　me　a　rock　of　habitation）　whereunto　I　may　continually　resort；〃　Psalm　lxxi。　3。　　And　two　things　he　infers　by　so　saying。

The　first　is；　That　the　Christian