the pharisee and the publican-第5节

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ou　make　to　appear。　　This　part；　therefore；　of　this　positive　righteousness；　was　positive　superstition；　and　abuse　of　God's　law；　and　a　gratification　of　thy　own　erroneous　conscience。　　Hitherto；　therefore；　thou　art　defective　in　thy　so　seemingly　brave　and　glorious　righteousness。

Yet　this　let　me　say；　in　commendation　of　the　Pharisee；　in　my　conscience　he　was　better　than　many　of　our　English　Christians；　for　many　of　them　are　so　far　off　from　being　at　all　partakers　of　positive　righteousness；　that　neither　all　their　ministers；　Bibles；　and　good　books；　good　sermons；　nor　yet　God's　judgments；　can　persuade　them　to　become　so　much　as　negatively　holy；　that　is；　to　leave　off　evil。

The　second　thing　that　I　take　notice　of　in　this　prayer　of　the　Pharisee；　is　his　manner　of　delivery；　as　he　stood　praying　in　the　temple：　　〃God；　I　thank　thee；〃　said　he；　〃that　I　am　not　as　other　men　are。〃　　He　seemed　to　be　at　this　time　in　more　than　an　ordinary　frame；　while　now　he　stood　in　the　presence　of　the　divine　Majesty：　　for　a　prayer　made　up　of　praise；　is　a　prayer　made　up　of　the　highest　order；　and　is　most　like　the　way　of　them　that　are　now　in　a　state　beyond　prayer。　　Praise　is　the　work　of　heaven；　but　we　see　here；　that　an　hypocrite　may　get　into　that　vein；　even　while　an　hypocrite；　and　while　on　earth　below。　　Nor　do　I　think　that　this　prayer　of　his　was　a　premeditated　stinted　form；　but　a　prayer　extempore；　made　on　a　sudden　according　to　what　he　felt；　thought；　or　understood　of　himself。

Here　therefore　we　may　see；　that　even　prayer；　as　well　as　other　acts　of　religious　worship；　may　be　performed　in　great　hypocrisy；　although　I　think；　that　to　perform　prayer　in　hypocrisy；　is　one　of　the　most　daring　sins　that　are　committed　by　the　sons　of　men。　　For　by　prayer；　above　all　duties；　is　our　most　direct　and　immediate　personal　approach　into　the　presence　of　God；　as　there　is　an　uttering　of　things　before　him；　especially　a　giving　to　him　of　thanks　for　things　received；　or　a　begging　that　such　and　such　things　might　be　bestowed　upon　me。　　But　now；　to　do　these　things　in　hypocrisy　（and　it　is　easy　to　do　them　so；　when　we　go　up　into　the　temple　to　pray）；　must　needs　be　intolerable　wickedness；　and　it　argueth　infinite　patience　in　God；　that　he　should　let　such　as　do　so　arise　alive　from　their　knees；　or　that　he　should　suffer　them　to　go　away　from　the　place　where　they　stand；　without　some　token　or　mark　of　his　wrath　upon　them。

I　also　observe；　that　this　extempore　prayer　of　the　Pharisee　was　performed　by　himself；　or　in　the　strength　of　his　own　natural　parts；　for　so　the　text　implieth。　　〃The　Pharisee；〃　saith　the　text；　〃stood　and　prayed　thus　with　himself；〃　or　〃by　himself；〃　and　may　signify；　either　that　he　spoke　softly；　or　that　he　made　this　prayer　by　reason　of　his　natural　parts。　　〃I　will　pray　with　the　Spirit；〃　said　Paul；　1　Cor。　xiv。　15。　　〃The　Pharisee　prayed　with　himself；〃　said　Christ。　　It　is　at　this　day　wonderfully　common　for　men　to　pray　extempore　also；　to　pray　by　a　book；　by　a　premeditated　set　form；　is　now　out　of　fashion。　　He　is　counted　nobody　now；　that　cannot　at　any　time；　at　a　minute's　warning；　make　a　prayer　of　half　an　hour　long。　　I　am　not　against　extempore　prayer；　for　I　believe　it　to　be　the　best　kind　of　praying；　but　yet　I　am　jealous；　that　there　are　a　great　many　such　prayers　made；　especially　in　pulpits　and　public　meetings；　without　the　breathing　of　the　Holy　Ghost　in　them；　for　if　a　Pharisee　of　old　could　do　so；　why　not　a　Pharisee　do　the　same　now？　　Wit　and　reason；　and　notion；　are　not　screwed　up　to　a　very　great　height；　nor　do　men　want　words；　or　fancies；　or　pride；　to　make　them　do　this　thing。　　Great　is　the　formality　of　religion　this　day；　and　little　the　power　thereof。　　Now；　where　there　is　a　great　form；　and　little　power　（and　such　there　was　among　the　Jews；　in　the　time　of　our　Lord　and　Saviour　Jesus　Christ）；　there　men　are　most　strangely　under　the　temptation　to　be　hypocrites；　for　nothing　doth　so　properly　and　directly　oppose　hypocrisy；　as　the　power　and　glory　of　the　things　we　profess。　　And　so；　on　the　contrary；　nothing　is　a　greater　temptation　to　hypocrisy；　than　a　form　of　knowledge　of　things　without　the　savour　thereof。　　Nor　can　much　of　the　power　and　savour　of　the　things　of　the　gospel　be　seen　at　this　day　upon　professors　（I　speak　not　now　of　all）；　if　their　notions　and　conversations　be　compared　together。　　How　proud；　how　covetous；　how　like　the　world　in　garb　and　guise；　in　words　and　actions；　are　most　of　the　great　professors　of　this　our　day！　　But　when　they　come　to　divine　worship；　especially　to　pray；　by　their　words　and　carriage　there；　one　would　almost　judge　them　to　be　angels　in　heaven。　But　such　things　must　be　done　in　hypocrisy；　as　also　the　Pharisee's　was。

〃The　Pharisee　stood　and　prayed　thus　with　himself。〃

And　in　that　it　is　said　he　prayed　with　himself；　it　may　signify；　that　he　went　in　his　prayer　no　further　than　his　sense　and　reason；　feeling　and　carnal　apprehensions　went。　　True　Christian　prayer　ofttimes　leaves　sense　and　reason；　feeling　and　carnal　apprehensions；　behind　it；　and　it　goeth　forth　with　faith；　hope；　and　desires　to　know　what　at　present　we　are　ignorant　of；　and　that　unto　which　our　sense；　feeling；　reason；　&c。；　are　strangers。　　The　apostle　indeed　doth　say；　〃I　will　pray　with　the　understanding；〃　1　Cor。　xiv。　15；　but　then　it　must　be　taken　for　an　understanding　spiritually　enlightened。　　I　say；　it　must　be　so　understood；　because　the　natural　understanding；　as　such；　receiveth　not　the　things　of　God；　therefore　cannot　pray　for　them；　for　they　to　such　are　foolish　things；　1　Cor。　ii。　14。

Now；　a　spiritually　enlightened　understanding　may　be　officious　in　prayer　these　ways　…

1。　　As　it　has　received　conviction　of　the　truth　of　the　being　of　the　Spirit　of　God；　for　to　receive　conviction　of　the　truth　and　being　of　such　things；　comes　from　the　Spirit　of　God；　not　from　the　law；　sense；　or　reason；　1　Cor。　ii。　10…12。　　Now　the　understanding　having；　by　the　Holy　Ghost；　received　conviction　of　the　truth　of　things；　draweth　out　the　heart　to　cry　in　prayer　to　God　for　them。　　Therefore　he　saith；　he　would　pray　with　the　understanding。

2。　　The　spiritually　enlightened　understanding　hath　also　received；　by　the　Holy　Ghost；　conviction　of　the　excellency　and　glory　of　the　things　that　are　of　the　Spirit　of　God；　and　so　inflameth　the　heart　with　more　fervent　desires　in　this　duty　of　prayer；　for　there　is　a　supernatural　excellency　in　the　things　that　are　of　the　Spirit：　　〃For　if　the　ministration　of　death　（to　which　the　Pharisee　adhered）；　written　and　engraven　in　stones；　was　glorious；　so　that　the　children　of　Israel　could　not　steadfastly　behold　the　face　of　Moses；　for　the　glory　of　his　countenance；　which　glory　was　to　be　done　away；　how　shall　not　the　ministration　of　the　Spirit　be　rather　glorious？　　For　if　the　ministration　of　condemnation　be　glory；　much　more　doth　the　ministration　of　righteousness　exceed　in　glory：　　for　even　that　which　was　made　glorious　hath　no　glory　in　this　respect；　by　reason　of　the　glory　that　excelleth；〃　2　Cor。　iii。　7…10。　　And　the　Spirit　of　God　sheweth；　at　least；　some　things　of　that　excellent　glory　of　them　to　the　understanding　that　it　enlighteneth；　Eph。　i。　17…19。

3。　　The　spiritually　enlightened　understanding　hath　also　thereby　received　knowledge；　that　these　excellent　supernatural　things　of　the　Spirit　are　given　by　covenant　in　Christ　to　those　that　love　God；　and　are　beloved　of　him。　　〃Now　we　have　received；〃　says　Paul；　〃not　the　spirit　of　the　world　（that　the　Pharisee　had）；　but　the　Spirit　which　is　of　God；　that　we　make　know　the　things　that　are　freely　given　to　us　of　God；〃　1　Cor。　ii。　12。　　And　this　knowledge；　that　the　things　of　the　Spirit　of　God　are　freely　given　to　us　of　God；　puts　yet　a　greater　edge；　more　vigour；　and　yet　further　confidence；　into　the　heart　to　ask　for　what　is　mine　by　gift；　by　a　free　gift　of　God　in　his　Son。　　But　all　these　things　the　poor　Pharisee　was　an　utter　stranger　to；　he　knew　not　the　Spirit；　nor　the　things　of　the　Spirit；　and　therefore　must　neglect　faith；　judgment；　and　the　love　of　God；　Matt。　xxiii。　23；　Luke　xi。　42；　and　follow　himself　only；　as　to　his　sense；　feeling；　reason；　and　carnal　imagination　in　prayer。

He　stood　and　prayed　thus　〃with　himself。〃　　He　prayed　thus；　talking　to　himself；　for　so　also　it　may　（I　think）　be　understood。　　It　is　said　of　the　unjust　judge；　〃he　said　within　himself；　Though　I　fear　not　God；　nor　regard　man；〃　&c。；　Luke　xviii。　4；　that　is；　he　said　it　to　himself。　　So　the　Pharisee　is　said　to　pray　with　himself：　　God　and　the　Pharisee　were　not　together；　there　was　only　the　Pharisee　and　himself。　　Paul　knew　not　what　to　pray　for　without　the　Holy　Ghost　joined　himself　with　him；　and　helping　him　with　groans　unutterable；　but　the　Pharisee　had　no　need　of　that；　it　was　enough　that　he　and　himself　were　together　at　this　work；　for　he　thought　without　doubting　that　he　and　himself　together　could　do。　　How　many　times　have　I　heard　ancient　men；　and　ancient　women　at　it　with　themselves；　when　all　alone　in　some　private　room；　or　in　some　solitary　path；　and　in　their　chat　they　have　been　sometimes　reasoning；　sometimes　chiding；　sometimes　pleading；　sometimes　praying；　and　sometimes　singing；　but　yet　all　has　been　done　by　themselves　when　all　alone；　but　yet　so　done；　as　one　that　has　not　seen　them　must　needs　have　concluded　that　they　were　talking；　singing；　and　praying　with　company；　when　all　that　they　had　said；　they　did　it　with　themselves；　and　had　neither　auditor　nor　regarder。

So　the　Pharisee　was　at　it　with　himself；　he　and　himself　performed