the pharisee and the publican-第31节

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em；　desire　of　them；　hungering　after　them？　　Oh！　this　is　a　mighty　thing！　and　yet　prayer　is　no　more　before　God；　than　as　it　is　seasoned　with　these　blessed　qualifications。　　Wherefore　it　is　said；　that　while　men　are　praying；　God　is　searching　of　the　heart；　to　see　what　is　the　meaning　of　the　Spirit　（or　whether　there　be　the　Spirit　and　his　meaning　in　all　that　the　mouth　hath　uttered；　either　by　words；　sighs；　or　groans）；　because　it　is　by　him；　and　through　his　help　only；　that　any　make　prayers　according　to　the　will　of　God；　Rom。　viii。　26；　27。　　Whatever　thy　posture　therefore　shall　be；　see　that　thy　prayers　be　pertinent　and　fervent；　not　mocking　of　thine　own　soul　with　words；　while　thou　wantest；　and　art　an　utter　stranger　to；　the　very　vital　and　living　spirit　of　prayer。

Now；　our　Publican　had　and　did　exercise　the　very　spirit　of　prayer　in　prayer。　　He　prayed　sensibly；　seriously；　affectionately；　hungering；　thirsting；　and　with　longing　after　that　for　which　with　his　mouth　he　implored　the　God　of　heaven；　his　heart　and　soul　was　in　his　words；　and　it　was　that　which　made　his　prayer　PRAYER；　even　because　he　prayed　in　PRAYER；　he　prayed　inwardly　as　well　as　outwardly。

David　tells　us；　that　God　heard　the　voice　of　his　supplication；　the　voice　of　his　cry；　the　voice　of　his　tears；　and　the　voice　of　his　roaring。　　For　indeed　are　all　these　acceptable。　　Affection　and　fervent　desire　make　them　sound　well　in　the　ears　of　God。　　Tears；　supplications；　prayers；　cries；　may　be　all　of　them　done　in　formality；　hypocrisy；　and　from　other　causes；　and　to　other　ends；　than　that　which　is　honest　and　right　in　God's　sight：　　for　God　would　search　and　look　after　the　voice　of　his　tears；　supplications；　roarings；　prayers；　and　cries。

And　if　men　had　less　care　to　please　men；　and　more　to　please　God；　in　the　matter　and　manner　of　praying；　the　world　would　be　at　a　better　pass　than　it　is。　　But　this　is　not　in　man's　power　to　help　and　to　amend。　When　the　Holy　Ghost　comes　upon　men　with　great　conviction　of　their　state　and　condition；　and　of　the　use　and　excellency　of　the　grace　of　sincerity　and　humility　in　prayer；　then；　and　not　till　then；　will　the　grace　of　prayer　be　more　prized；　and　the　specious；　flounting；　complimentary　lips　of　flatterers；　be　more　laid　aside。　　I　have　said　it　already；　and　will　say　it　again；　that　there　is　now…a…days　a　great　deal　of　wickedness　committed　in　the　very　duty　of　prayer；　by　words　of　which　men　have　no　sense　by　reaching　after　such　conclusion　and　clenshes　therein；　as　make　their　persons　be　admired；　by　studying　for；　and　labouring　after；　such　enlargements　as　the　spirit　accompanieth　not　the　heart　in。　　O　Lord　God；　make　our　hearts　upright　in　us；　as　in　all　points　and　parts　of　our　profession；　so　in　this　solemn　appointment　of　God！　　〃If　I　regard　iniquity　in　my　heart；〃　said　David；　〃the　Lord　will　not　hear　my　prayer。〃　　But　if　I　be　truly　sincere；　he　will；　and　then　it　is　no　matter　whether　I　kneel；　or　stand；　or　sit；　or　lie；　or　walk；　for　I　shall　do　none　of　these；　nor　put　up　my　prayers　under　any　of　these　circumstances；　lightly；　foolishly；　and　idly；　but　to　beautify　this　gesture　with　the　inward　working　of　my　mind　and　spirit　in　prayer；　that　whether　I　stand　or　sit；　walk　or　lie　down；　grace　and　gravity；　humility　and　sincerity；　shall　make　my　prayer　profitable；　and　my　outward　behaviour　comely　in　his　eyes；　with　whom　（in　prayer）　I　now　have　to　do。

And　had　not　our　Publican　been　inwardly　seasoned　with　these；　Christ　would　have　taken　but　little　pleasure　in　his　modes　and　outward　behaviour：　　but　being　so　honest　inwardly；　and　in　the　matter　of　his　prayer；　his　gestures　by　that　were　made　beauteous　also；　and　therefore　it　is　that　our　Lord　so　delightfully　delateth　upon　them；　and　draweth　them　out　at　length　before　the　eyes　of　others。

I　have　often　observed；　that　which　is　natural　and　so　comely　in　one；　looks　odiously　when　imitated　by　another。　　I　speak　as　to　gestures　and　actions　in　preaching　and　prayer。　　Many；　I　doubt　not；　but　will　imitate　the　Publican；　and　that　both　in　the　prayer　and　gestures　of　the　Publican；　whose　persons　and　actions　will　yet　stink　in　the　nostrils　of　him　that　is　holy　and　just；　and　that　searcheth　the　heart　and　the　reins。

Well；　the　Publican　stood　and　prayed；　he　stood　afar　off；　and　prayed；　and　his　prayers　came　even　to　the　ears　of　God。

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

We　are　now　come　to　another　of　his　postures。　　He　would　not；　says　the　text；　so　much　as　lift　up　his　eyes　to　heaven。　　Here；　therefore；　was　another　gesture　added　to　that　which　went　before；　and　a　gesture　that　a　great　while　before　had　been　condemned　by　the　Holy　Ghost　himself。　　〃Is　it　such　a　fast　that　I　have　chosen；　a　day　for　a　man　to　afflict　his　soul？　　Is　it　to　bow　down　his　head　as　a　bulrush？〃　Isa。　lviii。　5。

But　why　condemned　then；　and　smiled　upon　now？　　Why？　　Because　done　in　hypocrisy　then；　and　in　sincerity　now。　　Hypocrisy；　and　a　spirit　of　error；　that　he　shall　take　no　pleasure　in　them；　but　sincerity；　and　honesty　in　duties；　will　make　even　them　comely　in　the　sight　of　men　may　I　not　say　before　God？　　The　Rechabites　were　not　commanded　of　God；　but　of　their　father；　to　do　as　they　did；　but；　because　they　were　sincere　in　their　obedience　thereto；　even　God　himself　maketh　use　of　what　they　did；　to　condemn　the　disobedience　of　the　Jews；　and；　moreover；　doth　tell　the　Rechabites　at　last；　that　they　should　not　want　a　man　to　stand　before　him　for　ever。　　〃And　Jeremiah　said　unto　the　house　of　the　Rechabites；　Thus　saith　the　Lord　of　Hosts；　the　God　of　Israel；　because　ye　have　obeyed　the　commandment　of　Jonadab　your　father；　and　kept　all　his　precepts；　and　done　according　unto　all　that　he　hath　commanded　you；　therefore；　thus　saith　the　Lord　of　Hosts；　the　God　of　Israel；　Jonadab；　the　son　of　Rechab；　shall　not　want　a　man　to　stand　before　me　for　ever。〃

He　would　not　lift　up　his　eyes　to　heaven。　　Why？　　Surely　because　shame　had　covered　his　face。　　Shame　will　make　a　man　blush　and　hang　his　head　like　a　bulrush；　shame　for　sin　is　a　virtue；　a　comely　thing；　yea；　a　beauty…spot　in　the　face　of　a　sinner　that　cometh　to　God　for　mercy。

God　complains　of　the　house　of　Israel；　that　they　could　sin；　and　that　without　shame；　yea；　and　threateneth　them　too　with　sore　repeated　judgments；　because　they　were　not　ashamed；　it　is　in　Jer。　viii。　　Their　crimes　in　general　were；　they　turned　every　one　to　his　course；　as　the　horse　runneth　into　the　battle。　　In　particular；　they　were　such　as　rejected　God's　word；　they　loved　this　world；　and　set　themselves　against　the　prophets；　crying；　〃Peace；　peace；〃　when　they　cried；　〃Judgment；　judgment！〃　　And　were　not　ashamed　when　they　had　committed　abomination；　〃Nay；　they　were　not　at　all　ashamed；　neither　could　they　blush；　therefore　shall　they　fall　among　them　that　fall：　　in　the　time　of　their　visitation　they　shall　be　cast　down；　saith　the　Lord；〃　ver。　12。　　Oh！　to　stand；　or　sit；　or　lie；　or　kneel；　or　walk　before　God　in　prayer；　with　blushing　cheeks　for　sin；　is　one　of　the　most　excellent　sights　that　can　be　seen　in　the　world。

Wherefore　the　church　taketh　some　kind　of　heart　to　herself　in　that　she　could　lie　down　in　her　shame；　yea；　and　makes　that　a　kind　of　an　argument　with　God　to　prove　that　her　prayers　did　come　from　her　heart；　and　also　that　he　would　hear　them；　Jer。　iii。　22…25。

Shame　for　sin　argueth　sense　of　sin；　yea；　a　right　sense　of　sin；　a　godly　sense　of　sin。　　Ephraim　pleads　this　when　under　the　hand　of　God：　I　was　（saith　he）　〃ashamed；　yea；　even　confounded；　because　I　did　bear　the　reproach　of　my　youth。〃　　But　what　follows？　　〃Is　Ephraim　my　dear　son？　is　he　a　pleasant　child？　for　since　I　spake　against　him；　I　do　earnestly　remember　him　still：　　therefore　my　bowels　are　troubled　for　him：　　I　will　surely　have　mercy　upon　him；　saith　the　Lord；〃　Jer。　xxxi。　19；　20。

I　know　that　there　is　a　shame　that　is　not　the　spirit　of　an　honest　heart；　but　that　rather　floweth　from　sudden　surprisal；　when　the　sinner　is　unawares　taken　in　the　actin　the　very　manner。　　And　thus　sometimes　the　house　of　Israel　were　taken：　　and　then；　when　they　blushed；　their　shame　is　compared　to　the　shame　of　a　thief。　　〃As　the　thief　is　ashamed　when　he　is　found；　so　is　the　house　of　Israel　ashamed；　they；　their　kings；　their　princes；　and　their　priests；　and　their　prophets。〃

But　where　were　they　taken；　or　about　what　were　they　found？　　Why；　they　were　found　〃saying　to　a　stock；　Thou　art　my　father；　and　to　a　stone；　thou　hast　brought　me　forth。〃　　God　catched　them　thus　doing；　and　this　made　them　ashamed；　even　as　the　thief　is　ashamed　when　the　owner　doth　catch　him　stealing　his　horse。

But　this　was　not　the　Publican's　shame。　　This　shame　brings　not　a　man　into　the　temple　to　pray；　to　stand　willingly；　and　to　take　shame　before　God　in　prayer。　　This　shame　makes　one　rather　to　fly　from　his　face；　and　to　count　one's　self　most　at　ease　when　farthest　off　from　God；　Jer。　ii。　26；　27。

The　Publican's　shame；　therefore；　which　he　demonstrated　by　hanging　down　his　head；　was　godly　and　holy；　and　much　like　that　of　the　prodigal；　when　he　said；　〃Father；　I　have　sinned　against　heaven；　and　in　thy　sight；　and　am　no　more　worthy　to　be　called　thy　son；〃　Luke　xv。　21。　I　suppose　that　his　postures　were　much　the　same　with　the　Publican's；　as　were　his　prayers；　for　the　substance　of　them。　　O　however　grace　did　work　in　both　to　the　same　end！　they　were　both　of　them；　after　a　godly　manner；　ashamed　of　their　sins。

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

He　could　not；　he　would　not：