the pharisee and the publican-第29节

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fe　by　the　law；　and　the　sentence　of　death　is；　in　conclusion；　most　justly　and　righteously　passed　upon　him　by　the　judge。　　Suppose　now；　that　after　this；　this　man　lives；　and　is　exalted　to　honour；　enjoys　great　things；　and　is　put　into　place　of　trust　and　power；　and　that　by　him　that　he　has　offended；　even　by　him　that　did　pass　the　sentence　upon　him。

What　will　all　say；　or　what　will　they　conclude；　even　upon　the　very　first　hearing　of　this　story？　　Will　they　not　say；Well；　whoever　he　was　that　found　himself　wrapped　up　in　this　strange　providence；　must　thank　the　mercy　of　a　gracious　prince；　for　all　these　things　bespeak　grace　and　favour。　　But；

3。　　As　the　Publican　falleth　willingly　under　the　sentence；　and　justifieth　the　passing　of　it　upon　him；　so　by　his　flying　to　mercy　for　help；　he　declareth　to　all　that　he　cannot　deliver　himself：　　he　putteth　help　away　from　himself；　or　saith；　It　is　not　in　me。

This；　I　say；　is　another　thing　included　in　this　prayer；　and　it　is　a　thing　distinct　from　that。　　For　it　is　possible　for　a　man　to　justify；　and　fall　under；　the　sentence　of　the　judge；　and　yet　retain　that　with　himself　that　will　certainly　deliver　him　from　that　sentence　when　it　has　done　its　worst。　　Many　have　held　up　their　hand；　and　cried　Guilty；　at　the　bar；　and　yet　have　fetched　themselves　off　for　all　that；　but　then　they　have　not　pleaded　mercy　（for　he　that　doth　so；　puts　his　life　altogether　into　the　hands　of　another）；　but　privilege　or　good　deeds；　either　done　or　to　be　done　by　them。　　But　the　Publican　in　our　text　puts　all　out　of　his　own　hand；　and　in　effect　saith　to　that　God　before　whom　he　went　up　into　the　temple　to　pray；　Lord；　I　stand　here　condemned　at　the　bar　of　thy　justice；　and　that　worthily；　for　the　sentence　is　good；　and　hath　in　righteousness　gone　out　against　me：　　nor　can　I　deliver　myself：　　I　heartily　and　freely　confess　I　cannot；　wherefore　I　betake　myself　only　to　thy　mercy；　and　do　pray　thee　to　forgive　the　transgressions　of　me　a　sinner。　　O　how　few　be　there　of　such　kind　of　publicans；　I　mean　of　publicans　thus　made　sensible；　that　come　unto　God　for　mercy！

Mercy；　with　most；　is　rather　a　compliment；　I　mean　while　they　plead　it　with　God；　than　a　matter　of　absolute　necessity；　they　have　not　awfully；　and　in　judgment　and　conscience；　fallen　under　the　sentence；　nor　put　themselves　out　of　all　plea　but　the　plea　of　mercy；　indeed；　thus　to　do　is　the　effect　of　the　proof　of　the　vanity　and　emptiness　of　all　experiments　made　use　of　before。

Now；　there　is　a　twofold　proof　of　experiments；　the　one　is　the　result　of　practice；　the　other　is　the　result　of　faith。

The　woman　with　her　bloody　issue　made　her　proof　by　practice；　when　she　had　spent　all　that　she　had　upon　physicians；　and　was　nothing　bettered；　but　rather　grew　worse；　Mark　v。　　But　our　Publican　here　proves　the　emptiness　and　vanity　of　any　other　helps；　by　one　cast　of　faith　upon　the　contents　of　the　Bible；　and　by　another　look　upon　his　present　state　of　condemnation；　wherefore　he　presently；　without　any　more　ado；　condemneth　all　other　helps；　ways；　modes；　or　means　of　deliverance；　and　betakes　himself　only　to　the　mercy　of　God：　　saying；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

And　herein　he　sheweth　wonderful　wisdom。　　For；

1。　　By　this　he　thrusts　himself　under　the　shelter　and　blessing　of　the　promise；　and　I　am　sure　it　is　better　and　safer　to　do　so；　than　to　rely　upon　the　best　of　excellencies　that　this　world　can　afford：　　Hos。　xiv。　1…3。

2。　　He　takes　the　ready　way　to　please　God：　　for　God　takes　more　delight　in　shewing　of　mercy　than　in　any　thing　that　we　can　do；　Hos。　vi。　6；　Matt。　ix。　13；　xii。　7。　　Yea；　and　that　also　is　the　man　that　pleaseth　him；　even　he　that　hopes　in　his　mercy；　Psalm　cxlvii。　11。　　The　Publican；　therefore；　whatever　the　Pharisee　might　think；　stood　all　this　while　upon　sure　ground；　and　had　by　far　the　start　of　him　for　heaven。　　Alas！　his　dull　head　could　look　no　further　than　to　the　conceit　of　the　pitiful　beauty　and　splendour　of　his　own　filthy　righteousness。　　Nor　durst　he　leave　that　to　trust　wholly　to　the　mercy　of　God；　but　the　Publican　comes　out；　though　in　his　sins；　yet　like　an　awakened；　enlightened；　resolved　man；　and　first　abases　himself；　then　gives　God　the　glory　of　his　justice；　and　after　that　the　glory　of　his　mercy；　by　saying；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner；〃　and　thus　in　the　ears　of　the　angels　he　did　ring　the　changes　of　heaven。　　And；

3。　　The　Publican；　in　his　thus　putting　himself　upon　mercy；　sheweth；　that　in　his　opinion　there　is　more　virtue　in　mercy　to　save；　than　there　is　in　the　law　and　sin　to　condemn。　　And　although　this　is　not　counted　a　great　matter　to　do；　while　men　are　far　from　the　law；　and　while　their　conscience　is　asleep　within　them；　yet　when　the　law　comes　near；　and　conscience　is　awake；　who　so　tries　it　will　find　it　a　laborious　work。　Cain　could　not　do　thus　for　his　heart；　no；　nor　Saul；　nor　Judas　either。　This　is　another　kind　of　thing　than　most　men　think　it　to　be；　or　shall　find　it；　whenever　they　shall　behold　God's　angry　face；　and　when　they　shall　hear　the　words　of　his　law。

However；　our　Publican　did　it；　and　ventured　his　body；　soul；　and　future　condition　for　ever　on　this　bottom　with　other　the　saints　and　servants　of　God；　leaving　the　world　to　swim　over　the　sea　of　God's　wrath　（if　they　will）　in　their　weak　and　simple　vessels　of　bulrushes；　or　to　lean　upon　their　cobweb…hold；　when　he　shall　arise　to　the　judgment　that　he　hath　appointed。

In　the　mean　time；　pray　God　awaken　us　as　he　did　the　Publican；　pray　God　enlighten　us　as　he　did　the　Publican；　pray　God　grant　us　boldness　to　come　to　him　as　the　Publican　did；　and　also　in　that　trembling　spirit　as　he　did；　when　he　cried　in　the　temple　before　him；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

Thus　having　passed　over　his　prayer；　we　come　in　the　next　place　to　his　GESTURES；　for　in　my　judgment　the　right　understanding　of　them　will　give　us　yet　more　conviction　of　the　Publican's　sense　and　awakening　of　spirit　under　this　present　action　of　his。

And　I　have　observed　many　a　poor　wretch　that　hath　readily　had　recourse　to　the　Publican's　prayer；　that　never　knew　what　the　Publican's　gestures；　in　the　presence　of　God；　while　in　prayer　before　him；　did　mean。　　Nor　must　any　man　be　admitted　to　think；　that　those　gestures　of　his　were　a　custom；　and　a　formality　among　the　Jews　in　those　days；　for　it　is　evident　enough　by　the　carriage　of　the　Pharisee；　that　it　was　below　them　and　their　mode；　when　they　came　into　the　temple；　or　when　they　prayed　any　where　else；　and　they　in　those　days　were　counted　for　the　best　of　men；　and　in　religious　matters　men　were　to　imitate　and　take　their　examples　at　the　hands　of　the　best；　not　at　the　hands　of　the　worst。

The　Publican's　gestures　then　were　properly　his　own；　caused　by　the　guilt　of　sin；　and　by　that　dread　of　the　majesty　of　God　that　was　upon　his　spirit。　　And　a　comely　posture　it　was；　else　Christ　Jesus；　the　Son　of　God；　would　never　have　taken　that　particular　notice　thereof　as　he　did；　nor　have　smiled　upon　it　so　much　as　to　take；　and　distinctly　repeat　it；　as　that　which　made　his　prayer　the　more　weighty；　also　to　be　taken　notice　of。　　Yea；　in　my　opinion；　the　Lord　Jesus　committed　it　to　record；　for　that　he　liked　it；　and　for　that　it　will　pass　for　some　kind　of　touchstone　of　prayer　that　is　made　in　good　sense　of　sin　and　of　God；　and　of　need　of　his　goodness　and　mercy。　　For　verily；　all　these　postures　signify　sense；　sight　of　a　lost　condition；　and　a　heart　in　good　earnest　for　mercy。

I　know　that　they　may　be　counterfeited；　and　Christ　Jesus　knows　who　doth　so　too；　but　that　will　not　hinder；　or　make　weak　or　invalid　what　hath　already　been　spoken　about　it。　　But　to　forbear　to　make　a　further　prologue；　and　to　come　to　the　handling　of　particulars：

〃And　the　Publican　standing　afar　off；　would　not　lift　up　so　much　as　his　eyes　to　heaven；　but　smote　upon　his　breast；〃　&c。

Three　things；　as　I　told　you　already；　we　may　perceive　in　these　words；　by　which　his　publican　posture　or　gestures　are　set　forth。

1。　　He　stands　〃afar　off。〃

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

3。　　He　〃smote　upon　his　breast；〃　&c。

For　the　first　of　these；　He　stood　afar　off。　　〃And　the　Publican　standing　afar　off。〃　　This　is；　I　say；　the　first　thing；　the　first　posture　of　his　with　which　we　are　acquainted；　and　it　informeth　us　of　several　things。

First；　That　he　came　not　with　senselessness　of　the　majesty　of　God　when　he　came　to　pray；　as　the　Pharisee　did；　and　as　sinners　commonly　do。　For　this　standing　back；　or　afar　off；　declares；　that　the　majesty　of　God　had　an　awe　upon　his　spirit；　he　saw　whither；　to　whom；　and　for　what；　he　was　now　approaching　the　temple。　　It　is　said　in　the　20th　of　Exodus；　that　when　the　people　saw　the　thunderings　and　lightnings；　and　the　noise　of　the　trumpet；　and　the　mountain　smoking　（and　all　these　were　signs　of　God's　terrible　presence　and　dreadful　majesty）；　they　removed　themselves；　and　〃stood　afar　off；〃　Exod。　xx。　18。　　This　behaviour；　therefore；　of　the　Publican　did　well　become　his　present　action；　especially　since；　in　his　own　eyes；　he　was　yet　an　unforgiven　sinner。　　Alas！　what　is　God's　majesty　to　a　sinful　man　but　a　consuming　fire？　　And　what　is　a　sinful　man　in　himself；　or　in　his　approach　to　God；　but　as　stubble　fully　dry？

How　then　could　the　Publican　do　otherwise　（than　what　he　did）　than　stand　afar　off　if　he　either　thought　of　God　or　himself？　　Indeed　the　people　afore　named；　before　they　saw　God　in　his　terrible　majesty；　could　scarcely　be　kept　off　from　the　mount　with　words　and　bounds；　as