the pharisee and the publican-第8节

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by　Christ；　to　reconcile　us　to　himself；　canst　thou　attempt　to　seek　by　thy　own　righteousness　to　reconcile　thyself　to　God；　and　not　attempt　（at　least）　to　confront　this　righteousness　of　Christ　before　God；　yea；　to　challenge　it　by　acceptance　of　thy　person　contrary　to　God's　design？

Suppose；　that　when　the　king　has　chosen　one　to　be　judge　in　the　land；　and　has　determined　that　he　shall　be　judge　in　all　cases；　and　that　by　his　verdict　every　man's　judgment　shall　stand；　I　say；　suppose；　after　this；　another　should　arise；　and　of　his　own　head　resolve　to　do　his　own　business　himself。　　Now；　though　he　should　be　every　whit　as　able；　yea；　and　suppose　he　should　do　it　as　justly　and　righteously　too；　yet　his　making　of　himself　a　judge；　would　be　an　affront　to　the　king；　and　an　act　of　rebellion；　and　so　a　transgression　worthy　of　punishment。

Why；　Pharisee；　God　hath　appointed；　that　by　the　righteousness　of　his　Son；　and　by　that　righteousness　only；　men　shall　be　justified　in　his　sight　from　the　curse　of　the　law。　　Wherefore；　take　heed；　and　at　thy　peril；　whatever　thy　righteousness　is；　confront　not　the　righteousness　of　Christ　therewith。　　I　say；　bring　it　not　in；　let　it　not　plead　for　thee　at　the　bar　of　God；　nor　do　thou　plead　for　that　in　his　court　of　justice；　for　thou　canst　not　do　this　and　be　innocent。　　If　he　trust　to　his　righteousness；　he　hath　sinned；　says　Ezekiel。　　Mark　the　text；　〃When　I　shall　say　to　the　righteous；　that　he　shall　surely　live；　if　he　trust　to　his　own　righteousness；　and　commit　iniquity；　all　his　righteousness　shall　not　be　remembered：　　but　for　his　iniquity　that　he　hath　committed；　he　shall　die　for　it；〃　Ezek。　xxxiii。　13。

Observe　a　few　things　from　this　text；　and　they　are　these　that　follow。

1。　　Here　is　a　righteous　man；　a　man　with　whom　we　do　not　hear　that　the　God　of　heaven　finds　fault。

2。　　Here　is　a　promise　made　to　this　man；　that　he　shall　surely　live；　but　on　this　condition；　that　he　trust　not　to　his　own　righteousness。　Whence　it　is　manifest；　that　the　promise　of　life　to　this　righteous　man；　is　not　for　the　sake　of　his　righteousness；　but　for　the　sake　of　something　else；　to　wit；　the　righteousness　of　Christ。

1。　　Not　for　the　sake　of　his　own　righteousness。　　This　is　evident；　because　we　are　permitted；　yea；　commanded；　to　trust　in　the　righteousness　that　saveth　us。　　The　righteousness　of　God　is　unto　us　all；　and　upon　all　that　believe；　that　is；　trust　in　it；　and　trust　to　it　for　justification。　　Now　therefore；　if　thy　righteousness；　when　most　perfect；　could　save　thee；　thou　mightst；　yea　oughtst；　most　boldly　to　trust　therein。　　But　since　thou　art　forbidden　to　trust　to　it；　it　is　evident　it　cannot　save；　nor　is　it　for　the　sake　of　that；　that　the　righteous　man　is　saved；　Rom。　iii。　21；　22。

2。　　But　for　the　sake　of　something　else；　to　wit；　for　the　sake　of　the　righteousness　of　Christ；　〃Whom　God　hath　set　forth　to　be　a　propitiation　through　faith　in　his　blood；　to　declare　his　righteousness　for　the　remission　of　sins　that　are　past；　through　the　forbearance　of　God；　to　declare；　I　say；　at　this　time　his　righteousness；　that　he　might　be　just；　and　the　justifier　of　him　that　believeth　in　Jesus；〃　Rom。　iii。　25；　26；　see　Phil。　iii。　6…8。

〃If　he　trust　to　his　own　righteousness；　and　commit　iniquity；　all　his　righteousness　shall　not　be　remembered；　but　for　his　iniquity　that　he　hath　committed　（in　trusting　to　his　own　righteousness）；　he　shall　die　for　it。〃

Note　hence　further。

1。　　That　there　is　more　virtue　in　one　sin　to　destroy；　than　in　all　thy　righteousness　to　save　thee　alive。　　If　he　trust；　if　he　trust　ever　so　little；　if　he　do　at　all　trust　to　his　own　righteousness；　all　his　righteousness　shall　be　forgotten；　and　by；　and　for；　and　in；　the　sin　that　he　hath　committed；　in　trusting　to　it；　he　shall　die。

2。　　Take　notice　also；　that　there　are　more　damnable　sins　than　those　that　are　against　the　moral　law。　　By　which　of　the　ten　commandments　is　trusting　to　our　own　righteousness　forbidden？　　Yet　it　is　a　sin：　　it　is　a　sin　therefore　forbidden　by　the　gospel；　and　is　included；　lurketh　close　in；　yea；　is　the　very　root　of；　unbelief　itself；　〃He　that　believes　not　shall　be　damned。〃　　But　he　that　trusteth　in　his　own　righteousness　doth　not　believe；　neither　in　the　truth；　nor　sufficiency　of　the　righteousness　of　Christ　to　save　him；　therefore　he　shall　be　damned。

But　how　is　it　manifest；　that　he　that　trusteth　to　his　own　righteousness；　doth　it　through　a　doubt；　or　unbelief　of　the　truth　or　sufficiency　of　the　righteousness　of　Christ？

I　answer；　because　he　trusteth　to　his　own。　　A　man　will　never　willingly　choose　to　trust　to　the　worst　of　helps；　when　he　believes　there　is　a　better　as　near；　and　to　be　had　as　soon；　and　that　too；　upon　as　easy；　if　not　more　easy　terms。　　If　he　that　trusteth　to　his　own　righteousness　for　life；　did　believe　that　there　is　indeed　such　a　thing　as　the　righteousness　of　Christ　to　justify；　and　that　this　righteousness　of　Christ　has　in　it　all…sufficiency　to　do　that　blessed　work；　be　sure　he　would　choose　that；　thereon　to　lay；　lean；　and　venture　his　soul；　that　he　saw　was　the　best；　and　most　sufficient　to　save；　especially　when　he　saw　also　（and　see　that　he　must；　when　he　sees　the　righteousness　of　Christ）；　to　wit；　that　that　is　to　be　obtained　as　soon；　because　as　near；　and　to　be　had　on　as　easy　terms：　　nay；　upon　easier　than　man's　own　righteousness。　　I　say；　he　would　sooner　choose　it；　because　of　the　weight　of　salvation；　of　the　worth　of　salvation；　and　of　the　fearful　sorrow　that　to　eternity　will　overtake　him　that　in　this　thing　shall　miscarry。　　It　is　for　heaven；　it　is　to　escape　hell；　wrath；　and　damnation；　saith　the　soul；　and　therefore　I　will；　I　must；　I　dare　not　but　choose　that；　and　that　only；　that　I　believe　to　be　the　best　and　most　sufficient　help　in　so　great　a　concern　as　soul…concern　is。　　So　then　he　that　trusteth　to　his　own　righteousness；　does　it　of　unbelief　of　the　sufficiency　of　the　righteousness　of　Christ　to　save　him。

Wherefore　this　sin　of　trusting　to　his　own　righteousness　is　a　most　high　transgression；　because　it　contemneth　the　righteousness　of　Christ；　which　is　the　only　righteousness　that　is　sufficient　to　save　from　the　curse　of　the　law。　　It　also　disalloweth　the　design　of　heaven；　and　the　excellency　of　the　mystery　of　the　wisdom　of　God；　in　designing　this　way　of　salvation　for　man。　　What　shall　I　say；　It　also　seeketh　to　rob　God　of　the　honour　of　the　salvation　of　man。　　It　seeketh　to　take　the　crown　from　the　head　of　Christ；　and　to　set　it　upon　the　hypocrite's　head；　therefore；　no　marvel　that　this　one　sin　be　of　that　weight；　virtue；　and　power；　as　to　sink　that　man　and　his　righteousness　into　hell；　that　leaneth　thereon；　or　trusteth　unto　it。

But；　Pharisee；　I　need　not　talk　thus　unto　thee；　for　thou　art　not　the　man　that　hath　that　righteousness　that　God　findeth　not　fault　withal；　nor　is　it　to　be　found；　but　with　him　that　is　ordained　to　be　the　Saviour　of　mankind；　nor　is　there　any　such　one　besides　Jesus；　who　is　called　Christ。　　What　madness　then　has　brought　thee　into　the　temple；　there　in　an　audacious　manner　to　stand　and　vaunt　before　God；　saying；　〃God；　I　thank　thee；　I　am　not　as　other　men　are？〃

Dost　thou　not　know；　that　he　that　breaks　one；　breaks　all　the　commandments　of　God；　and　consequently；　that　he　that　keeps　not　all；　keeps　none　at　all　of　the　commandments　of　God？　　Saith　not　the　scripture　the　same？　　〃For　whosoever　shall　keep　the　whole　law；　and　yet　offend　in　one　point；　he　is　guilty　of　all；〃　Jam。　ii。　10。　　Be　confounded　then；　be　confounded。

Dost　thou　know　the　God　with　whom　now　thou　hast　to　do？　　He　is　a　God　that　cannot　（as　he　is　just）　accept　of　an　half　righteousness　for　a　whole；　of　a　lame　righteousness　for　a　sound；　of　a　sick　righteousness　for　a　well　and　healthy　one；　Mal。　i。　7；　8。　　And　if　so；　how　should　he　then　accept　of　that　which　is　no　righteousness？　　I　say；　how　should　he　accept　of　that　which　is　none　at　all；　for　thine　is　only　such？　　And　if　Christ　said；　〃When　you　have　done　all；　say；　We　are　unprofitable；〃　how　camest　thou　to　say；　before　thou　hadst　done　one　thing　well；　I　am　better；　more　righteous　than　other　men？

Didst　thou　believe；　when　thou　saidst　it；　that　God　knew　thy　heart？　Hadst　thou　said　this　to　the　Publican；　it　had　been　a　high　and　rampant　expression；　but　to　say　this　before　God；　to　the　face　of　God；　when　he　knew　that　thou　wert　vile；　and　a　sinner　from　the　womb；　and　from　the　conception；　spoils　all。　　It　was　spoken　to　put　a　check　to　thy　arrogancy　when　Christ　said；　〃Ye　are　they　that　justify　yourselves　before　men；　but　God　knoweth　your　hearts；〃　Luke　xvi。　15。

Hast　thou　taken　notice　of　this；　that　God　judgeth　the　fruit　by　the　heart　from　whence　it　comes？　　〃A　good　man；　out　of　the　good　treasure　of　his　heart；　bringeth　forth　that　which　is　good；　and　an　evil　man；　out　of　the　evil　treasure　of　his　heart；　bringeth　forth　that　which　is　evil；〃　Luke　vi。　45。　　Nor　can　it　be　otherwise　concluded；　but　that　thou　art　an　evil　man；　and　so　that　all　thy　supposed　good　is　nought　but　badness；　for　that　thou　hast　made　it　to　stand　in　the　room　of　Jesus；　and　hast　dared　to　commend　thyself　to　the　living　God　thereby：　　for　thou　hast　trusted　in　thy　shadow　of　righteousness；　and　committed　iniquity。　　Thy　sin　hath　melted　away　thy　righteousness；　and　turned　it　to　nothing　but　dross；　or；　if　you　will；　to　the　early　dew；　like　to　which　it　goeth　away；　and　so　can　by　no　means　do　thee　good；　when　thou　shalt　stand　in　need　of　salvation　and　eternal　life　of　God。

But；　further；　thou　sayst　thou　art　righteous；　but　they　are　but　vain　words。　　K