the pharisee and the publican-第28节

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lp：　　It　is　God　that　justifies；　who　shall　condemn？　　Rom。　viii。　　Suppose　a　man　should　live　many　days　in　rebellion　against　God；　and　after　that　leave　off　to　live　any　longer　so　rebelliously；　would　this　help　him　against　the　guilt　which　he　had　contracted　before？　　No；　verily；　without　remission　there　is　no　help；　but　the　rebel　is　undone。　Wherefore　the　first　blessedness；　yea；　and　that　without　which　all　other　things　cannot　make　one　blessed；　it　lies　in　pardon。　　〃Blessed　is　he　whose　transgression　is　forgiven；　whose　sin　is　covered。　　Blessed　is　the　man　unto　whom　the　Lord　will　not　impute　sin；〃　Psalm　xxxii。；　Rom。　iv。

Suppose　a　man　greatly　sanctified　and　made　holy；　I　say；　suppose　it：　yet　if　the　sins　before　committed　by　him　be　not　pardoned；　he　cannot　be　a　blessed　man。

Yet　again；　suppose　a　man　should　be　caught　up　to　heaven；　not　having　his　sins　pardoned；　heaven　itself　cannot　make　him　a　blessed　man。　　I　suppose　these　thingsnot　that　they　can　beto　illustrate　my　matter。　There　can　be　no　blessedness　upon　any　man　who　yet　remaineth　unforgiven。　　You　see　therefore　here；　that　there　was　much　of　the　wisdom　of　the　Holy　Ghost　in　this　prayer　of　the　Publican。　　He　was　directed　the　right；　the　only；　the　next　way　to　shelter；　where　blessedness　begins；　even　to　mercy　for　the　pardon　of　his　sins。　　Alas！　what　would　it　advantage　a　traitor　to　be　taken　up　into　the　king's　coach；　to　be　clothed　with　the　king's　royal　robe；　to　have　put　upon　his　finger　the　king's　gold　ring；　and　to　be　made　to　wear；　for　the　present；　a　chain　of　gold　about　his　neck；　if　after　all　this　the　king　should　say　unto　him；　But　I　will　not　pardon　thy　rebellion；　thou　shalt　die　for　thy　treason？　　Pardon；　then；　to　him　that　loves　life；　is　better；　and　more　to　be　preferred　and　sought　after；　than　all　other　things；　yea；　it　is　the　highest　wisdom　in　any　sinner　to　seek　after　that　first。

This　therefore　confuteth　the　blindness　of　some；　and　the　hypocrisy　of　others。　　Some　are　so　silly　and　so　blind　as　quite　to　forget　and　look　over　the　pardon　of　sin；　and　to　lay　their　happiness　in　some　external　amendments；　when；　alas！　poor　wretches　as　they　are；　they　abide　under　the　wrath　of　God。　　Or　if　they　be　not　quite　so　foolish　as　utterly　to　forget　the　forgiveness　of　sin；　yet　they　think　of　it　but　in　the　second　place；　they　are　for　setting　of　sanctification　before　justification；　and　so　seek　to　confound　the　order　of　God；　and　that　which　is　worse　unto　them；　they　by　so　doing　do　what　they　can　to　keep　themselves　indeed　from　being　sharers　in　that　great　blessing　of　forgiveness　of　sins　by　grace。

But　the　Publican　here　was　guided　by　the　wisdom　of　heaven。　　He　comes　into　the　temple；　he　confesseth　himself　a　sinner；　and　forthwith；　without　any　delay；　before　he　removeth　his　foot　from　where　he　stands；　craves　help　of　pardon；　for　he　knew　that　all　other　things；　if　he　remained　in　guilt；　would　not　help　him　against　that　damnation　that　belonged　to　a　vile　and　unforgiven　sinner。

This　also　confuteth　the　hypocrites；　such　as　is　our　Pharisee　here　in　the　text；　that　glory　in　nothing　so　much　as　that　they　are　not　as　other　men；　not　unjust；　no　adulterer；　no　extortioner；　nor　even　as　this　Publican；　and　thus　miss　of　the　forgiveness　of　sin；　and　if　they　have　missed　of　the　beginning　good；　they　shall　never；　as　so　standing；　receive　the　second　or　the　third。　　Justification；　sanctification；　glorification；　they　are　the　three　things；　but　the　order　of　God　must　not　be　perverted。　　Justification　must　be　first；　because　that　comes　to　man　while　he　is　ungodly　and　a　sinner。

Justification　cannot　be　where　God　has　not　passed　a　pardon。　　A　pardon；　then；　is　the　first　thing　to　be　looked　after　by　the　sinner。　　This　the　Pharisee　did　not；　therefore　he　went　down　to　his　house　unjustified；　he　set　the　stumbling…block　of　his　iniquity　before　his　face　when　he　went　to　inquire　of　the　Lord；　and　as　he　neglected；　slighted；　scorned；　because　he　thought　that　he　had　no　need　of　pardon；　therefore　it　was　given　to　the　poor；　needy；　and　miserable　Publican；　and　he　went　away　with　the　blessing。

Publicans；　since　this　is　so　weighty　a　point；　let　me　exhort　you　that　you　do　not　forget　this　prayer　of　your　wise　and　elder　brother；　to　wit；　the　Publican　that　went　up　into　the　temple　to　pray。　　I　say；　forget　it　not；　neither　suffer　any　vain…glorious　or　self…conceited　hypocrites　with　argument　to　allure　you　with　their　silly　and　deceitful　tongues　from　this　wholesome　doctrine。　　Remember　that　you　are　sinners　as　abominable　as　the　Publican；　wherefore　do　you；　as　you　have　him　for　your　pattern；　go　to　God；　confess；　in　all　simple；　honest；　and　self…　abasing；　your　numerous　and　abominable　sins；　and　be　sure　that　in　the　very　next　place　you　forget　not　to　ask　for　pardon；　saying；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃　　And　remember　that　none　but　God　can　help　you　against；　nor　keep　you　from；　the　damnation　and　misery　that　comes　by　sin。

Secondly；　As　the　Publican　imploreth　help；　so　notwithstanding　the　sentence　of　the　law　that　is　gone　out　against　him；　he　saith　to　God；　Be　merciful　to　me：　　and　also　in　that　he　concludes　himself　a　sinner。　　I　say；　he　justifieth；　he　approveth　of　the　sentence　of　the　law；　that　was　now　gone　out　against　him；　and　by　which　he　now　stood　condemned　in　his　own　conscience　before　the　tribunal　of　God's　justice。　　He　saith　not　as　the　hypocrite；　Because　I　am　innocent；　surely　his　anger　shall　turn　from　me；　or；　What　have　we　spoken　so　much　against　thee？　　No；　he　is　none　of　these　murmurs　or　complainers；　but　fairly　falls　before　the　law；　witnesses；　judge；　and　jury；　and　consenteth　to　the　verdict；　sentence；　and　testimony　of　each　of　them；　Jer。　ii。　36；　Mal。　ii。　13。

To　illustrate　this　a　little；　suppose　a　malefactor　should　be　arraigned　before　a　judge；　and　that　after　the　witnesses；　jury；　and　judge；　have　all　condemned　him　to　death　for　his　fact；　the　judge　again　should　ask；　him　what　he　can　say　for　himself　why　sentence　of　death　should　not　pass　upon　him？　　Now；　if　he　saith；　Nothing；　but　good　my　lord；　mercy；　he　confesseth　the　indictment；　approveth　of　the　verdict　of　the　jury；　and　consenteth　to　the　judgment　of　the　judge。

The　Publican　therefore　in　crying；　Mercy；　justifieth　the　sentence　of　the　law　that　was　gone　out　against　his　sins。　　He　wrangleth　not　with　the　law；　saying；　that　was　too　severe；　though　many　men　do　thus；　saying；　〃God　forbid；　for　then　woe　be　to　us。〃　　He　wrangleth　not　with　the　witness；　which　was　his　own　conscience；　though　some　will　buffet；　smite；　and　stop　its　mouth；　or　command　it　to　be　silent。　　He　wrangleth　not　with　the　jury；　which　were　the　prophets　and　apostles；　though　some　men　cannot　abide　to　hear　all　that　they　say。　　He　wrangleth　not　with　the　judge；　nor　sheweth　himself　irreverently　before　him；　but　in　all　humble　gestures　that　could　bespeak　him　acquiescing　with　the　sentence；　he　flieth　to　mercy　for　relief。

Nor　is　this　alone　the　way　of　the　Publican；　but　of　other　godly　men　before　his　time。　　When　David　was　condemned；　he　justified　the　sentence　and　the　judge；　out　of　whose　mouth　it　proceeded；　and　so　fled　for　succour　to　the　mercy　of　God；　Psalm　li。　　When　Shemaiah　the　prophet　pronounced　God's　judgments　against　the　princes　of　Judah　for　their　sin；　they　said；　〃The　Lord　is　righteous。〃　　When　the　church　in　the　Lamentations　had　reckoned　up　several　of　her　grievous　afflictions　wherewith　she　had　been　chastised；　she；　instead　of　complaining；　doth　justify　the　Lord；　and　approve　of　the　sentence　that　was　passed　upon　her；　saying；　〃The　Lord　is　righteous；　for　I　have　rebelled　against　his　commandment。〃　　So　Daniel；　after　he　had　enumerated　the　evils　that　befel　the　church　in　his　day；　addeth；　〃Therefore　hath　the　Lord　brought　it　upon　us；　for　the　Lord　our　God　is　righteous　in　all　his　works　which　he　doth：　　for　we　obeyed　not　his　voice；〃　2　Chron。　xii。　6；　Lam。　i。　18；　Dan。　ix。　14。

And　this　is　the　case　with　our　Publican。　　He　has　transgressed　a　law　that　is　holy；　just；　and　good：　　the　witness　that　accuseth　him　of　this　is　God　and　his　conscience；　he　is　also　cast　by　the　verdict　of　holy　men；　and　all　this　he　knows；　and　implicitly　confesses；　even　in　that　he　directs　his　prayer　unto　his　judge　for　pardon。　　And　it　is　one　of　the　excellentest　sights　in　the　world；　to　see　or　understand　a　sinner　thus　honestly　receiving　the　sentence　of　the　law　that　is　gone　out　against　him；　to　see　and　hear　a　Publican　thus　to　justify　God。　　And　this　God　would　have　men　do　for　these　reasons。

1。　　That　it　might　be　conspicuous　to　all　that　the　Publican　has　need　of　mercy。　　This　is　for　the　glory　of　the　justice　of　God；　because　it　vindicates　it　in　its　goings　out　against　the　Publican。　　God　loveth　to　do　things　in　justice　and　righteousness；　when　he　goeth　out　against　men；　though　it　be　but　such　a　going　out　against　them　as　only　tendeth　to　their　conviction　and　conversion。　　When　he　dealt　with　our　father　Abraham　in　this　matter；　he　called　him　to　his　foot；　as　here　he　doth　the　Publican。　　And；　sinner；　if　God　counts　thee　worthy　to　inherit　the　throne　of　glory；　he　will　bring　thee　hither。　　But；

2。　　The　Publican；　by　the　power　of　conviction；　stoops　to；　and　falleth　under；　the　righteous　sentence　gone　forth　against　him；　that　it　might　be　also　manifest；　that　what　afterward　he　shall　receive　is　of　the　mere　grace　and　sovereign　goodness　of　God。　　And　indeed　there　is　no　way　that　doth　more　naturally　tend　to　make　this　manifest　than　this。　　For　thus；　there　is　a　man　proceeded　against　for　life　by　the　law；　and　the　sentence　of　death　is；　in　conclusion；　most　justly　and　righteously　passed　upon