the pharisee and the publican-第34节

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s　unto　heaven；　but　smote　upon　his　breast；　saying；　God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

From　these　words　I　gather　these　several　conclusions；　with　these　inferences。

1。　　It　doth　not　always　follow；　that　they　that　pray　do　know　God；　or　love　him；　or　trust　in　him。　　This　conclusion　is　evident　by　the　Pharisee　in　the　text；　he　prayed；　but　he　knew　not　God；　he　loved　not　God；　he　trusted　not　in　God；　that　is；　he　knew　him　not　in　his　Son；　nor　loved；　nor　trusted　in　him。　　He　was；　though　a　praying　man；　far　off　from　this。

Whence　it　may　be　inferred；　that　those　that　pray　not　at　all　cannot　be　good；　cannot　know；　love；　or　trust　in　God。　　For　if　the　star；　though　it　shine；　is　not　the　sun；　then　surely　a　clod　of　dirt　cannot　be　the　sun。　Why；　a　praying　man　doth　as　far　outstrip　a　non…praying　man　as　a　star　outstrips　a　clod　of　earth。　　A　non…praying　man　lives　like　a　beast。　〃The　ox　knows　his　owner；　and　the　ass　his　master's　crib；　but　this　man　doth　not　know；　but　this　man　doth　not　consider；〃　Isa。　i。　3。　　The　prayerless　man　is　therefore　of　no　religion；　except　he　be　an　Atheist；　or　an　Epicurean。　　Therefore　the　non…praying　man　is　numbered　among　the　heathens；　and　among　those　that　know　not　God；　and　is　appointed　and　designed　by　the　sentence　of　the　word　to　the　fearful　wrath　of　God；　Psal。　lxxix。　6；　Jer。　x。　25。

2。　　A　second　conclusion　is；　That　the　man　that　prays；　if　in　his　prayer　he　pleads　for　acceptance；　either　in　whole　or　in　part；　for　his　own　good　deeds；　is　in　a　miserable　state。　　This　also　is　gathered　from　the　Pharisee　here；　he　prayed；　but　in　this　prayer　he　pleaded　his　own　good　deeds　for　acceptance；　that　is；　of　his　person；　and　therefore　went　down　to　his　house　unjustified。　　And　he　is　in　this　condition　that　doth　thus。　　The　conclusion　is　true；　forasmuch　as　the　Pharisee　mentioned　in　the　parable　is　not　so　spoken　of　for　the　sake　of　that　sect　of　men；　but　to　caution；　forewarn；　and　bid　all　men　take　heed；　that　they　by　doing　as　he；　procure　not　their　rejection　of　God；　and　be　sent　away　from　his　presence　unjustified。　　I　do　therefore　infer　from　hence；　that　if　he　that　pleadeth　his　own　good　doing　for　personal　acceptance　with　God　be　thus　miserable；　then　he　that　teacheth　men　so　to　do　is　much　more　miserable。

We　always　conclude；　that　a　ring…leader　in　an　evil　way　is　more　blame…　worthy　than　those　that　are　led　of　him。　　This　falls　hard　upon　the　leading　Socinians　and　others；　who　teach　that　men's　works　make　their　persons　accepted　of　God。

True；　they　say；　through　Christ；　but　that　is　brought　in　merely　to　delude　the　simple　with；　and　is　an　horrible　lie；　for　we　read　not　in　all　the　word　of　God　as　to　personal　justification　in　the　sight　of　God　from　the　curse　（and　that　is　the　question　under　consideration）；　that　it　must　be　by　man's　righteousness　as　made　prevalent　by　Christ's；　but　contrariwise；　by　his　and　his　only；　without　the　deeds；　works；　or　righteousness　of　the　law；　which　is　our　righteousness。　　Wherefore；　I　say；　the　teachers　and　leaders　of　this　doctrine　have　the　greater　sin。

3。　　A　third　conclusion　is；　They　that　use　high　and　flaunting　language　in　prayer；　their　simplicity　and　godly　sincerity　is　to　be　questioned　as　to　the　doing　of　that　duty　sincerely。　　This　still　flows　from　our　text；　the　Pharisee　greatly　used　this：　　for　higher　and　more　flaunting　language　can　hardly　be　found　than　in　the　Pharisee's　mouth；　nor　will　ascribing　to　God　by　the　same　mouth　laud　and　praise　help　the　business　at　all：　　for　to　be　sure；　where　the　effect　is　base　and　rotten；　the　cause　cannot　be　good。

The　Pharisee　would　hold　himself　that　he　was　not　as　other　men；　and　then　gives　thanks　to　God　for　this：　　but　the　conclusion　was　most　vilely　false；　and　therefore　the　praise　for　it　could　not　but　be　foolish；　vain；　and　frivolous。　　Whence　I　infer；　that　if　to　use　such　language　in　prayer　is　dangerous；　then　to　affect　the　use　thereof　is　yet　more　dangerous。　　Prayer　must　be　made　with　humble　hearts　and　sensible　words；　and　of　that　we　have　treated　before；　wherefore　high；　flaunting；　swelling　words　of　vanity；　become　not　a　sinner's　mouth；　no；　not　at　any　time；　much　less　when　he　comes　to；　and　presents　himself　before　God　in　that　solemn　duty　of　prayer。　　But；　I　say；　there　are　some　that　so　affect　the　Pharisee's　mode；　that　they　cannot　be　well　if　in　some　sort　or　other　they　be　not　in　the　practice　of　it；　not　knowing　what　they　say；　nor　whereof　they　affirm；　but　these　are　greatly　addicted　to　hypocrisy　and　desire　of　vain…glory；　especially　if　the　sound　of　their　words　be　within　the　reach　of　other　men's　ears。

4。　　A　fourth　conclusion　is；　That　reformation　and　amendment；　though　good；　and　before　men；　are　nothing　as　to　justification　with　God。　　This　is　manifest　by　the　condition　of　our　Pharisee：　　he　was　a　reformed　man；　a　man　beyond　others　for　personal　righteousness；　yet　he　went　out　of　the　temple　from　God　unjustified；　his　works　came　to　nothing　with　God。　Hence　I　infer；　that　the　man　that　hath　nothing　to　commend　him　to　God　of　his　own；　yet　stands　as　fair　before　God　for　justification；　and　so　acceptance；　as　any　other　man　in　the　world。

5。　　A　fifth　conclusion　is；　It　is　the　sensible　sinner；　the　self…　bemoaning　sinner；　the　self…judging　sinner；　the　self…abhorring　sinner；　and　the　self…condemning　sinner；　whose　prayers　prevail　with　God　for　mercy。　　Hence　I　infer；　that　one　reason　why　men　make　so　many　prayers；　and　prevail　no　more　with　God　is；　because　their　prayers　are　rather　the　floatings　of　Pharisaical　fancies　than　the　fruits　of　sound　sense　of　sin；　and　sincere　desires　of　enjoying　God　in　mercy；　and　in　the　fruits　of　the　Holy　Ghost。







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