the pharisee and the publican-第12章

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hey　had　made　themselves　kings　and　priests　unto　God　to　offer　any　oblation；　sacrifice；　or　offering　whatsoever；　but　that　the　same　Lamb　had　made　them　such：　　for　they；　as　is　insinuated　by　the　text；　were　in；　among；　one　with；　and　no　better　than　the　kindreds；　tongues；　nations；　and　people　of　the　earth。　　Better！　　〃No；　in　no　wise；〃　saith　Paul　（Rom。　iii。　9）；　therefore　their　separation　from　them　was　of　mere　mercy；　free　grace；　good　will；　and　distinguishing　love；　not　for；　or　because　of　works　of　righteousness　which　any　of　them　have　done；　no；　they　were　all　alike。　　But　these；　because　beloved　when　in　their　blood　（according　to　Ezek。　xvi。）；　were　separated　by　free　grace；　and　as　another　scripture　hath　it；　〃redeemed　from　the　earth；〃　and　from　among　men　by　blood；　Rev。　xiv。　3；　4。　　Wherefore　deliverance　from　the　ireful　wrath　of　God　must　not；　neither　in　whole　nor　in　part；　be　ascribed　to　the　whole　law；　or　to　all　the　righteousness　that　comes　by　it；　but　to　this　Lamb　of　God；　Jesus；　the　Saviour　of　the　world；　for　it　is　he　that　delivered　us　from　the　wrath　to　come；　and　that　according　to　God's　appointment；　〃for　God　hath　not　appointed　us　to　wrath；　but　to　obtain　salvation　by　（or　through）　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ；〃　1　Thess。　i。　10；　v。　9。　　Let　every　man；　therefore；　take　heed　what　he　doth；　and　whereon　he　layeth　the　stress　of　his　salvation；　〃For　other　foundation　can　no　man　lay　than　that　is　laid；　which　is　Jesus　Christ；〃　1　Cor。　iii。　ii。

But　dost　thou　plead　still　as　thou　didst　before；　and　wilt　thou　stand　thereto？　　Why　then；　thy　design　must　overcome　God；　or　God's　design　must　overcome　thee。　　Thy　design　is　to　give　thy　good　life；　thy　good　deeds；　a　part　of　the　glory　of　thy　justification　from　the　curse。　　And　God's　design　is　to　throw　all　thy　righteousness　out　into　the　street；　into　the　dirt　and　dunghill；　as　to　that　thou　art　for　glory；　and　for　glorying　here　before　God；　yea；　thou　art　sharing　in　the　glory　of　justification　when　that　alone　belongeth　to　God。　　And　he　hath　said；　〃My　glory　will　I　not　give　to　another。〃　　Thou　wilt　not　trust　wholly　to　God's　grace　in　Christ　for　justification；　and　God　will　not　take　thy　stinking　righteousness　in　as　a　partner　in　thy　acquitment　from　sin；　death；　wrath；　and　hell。　　Now　the　question　is；　Who　shall　prevail？　God；　or　the　Pharisee？　and　whose　word　shall　stand？　his；　the　Pharisee's？

Alas！　the　Pharisee　here　must　needs　come　down；　for　God　is　greater　than　all。　　Also；　he　hath　said；　that　no　flesh　shall　glory　in　his　presence；　and　that　he　will　have　mercy；　and　not　sacrifice。　　And　again；　that　it　is　not　（or　shall　be）　in　him　that　wills；　nor　in　him　that　runs；　but　in　God　that　sheweth　mercy。　　What　hope；　help；　stay；　or　relief；　then　is　there　left　for　the　merit…monger？　　What　twig；　or　straw；　or　twined　thread；　is　left　to　be　a　stay　for　his　soul？　　This　besom　will　sweep　away　his　cobweb：　　the　house　that　this　spider　doth　so　lean　upon；　will　now　be　overturned；　and　he　in　it；　to　hellfire；　for　nothing　less　than　everlasting　damnation　is　designed　by　God；　and　that　for　this　fearful　and　unbelieving　Pharisee：　　God　will　prevail　against　him　for　ever。

3。　　But　wilt　thou　yet　plead　thy　righteousness　for　mercy？　　Why；　in　so　doing　thou　takest　away　from　God　the　power　of　giving　mercy。　　For　if　it　be　thine　as　wages；　it　is　no　longer　his　to　dispose　of　at　pleasure；　for　that　which　another　man　oweth　me；　is　in　equity　not　at　his；　but　at　my　disposal。　　Did　I　say　that　by　this　thy　plea　thou　takest　away　from　God　the　power　of　giving　mercy？　　I　will　add；　yea；　and　also　of　disposing　of　heaven　and　life　eternal。　　And　then；　I　pray　you；　what　is　left　unto　God；　and　what　can　he　call　his　own？　　Not　mercy；　for　that　by　thy　good　deeds　thou　hast　purchased：　　not　heaven；　for　that　by　thy　good　deeds　thou　hast　purchased：　　not　eternal　life；　for　that　by　thy　good　deeds　thou　hast　purchased。　　Thus；　Pharisee　（O　thou　self…righteous　man）；　hast　thou　set　up　thyself　above　grace；　mercy；　heaven；　glory；　yea；　above　even　God　himself；　for　the　purchaser　should　in　reason　be　esteemed　above　the　purchase。

Awake；　man！　　What　hast　thou　done？　　Thou　hast　blasphemed　God；　thou　has　undervalued　the　glory　of　his　grace；　thou　hast；　what　in　thee　lieth；　opposed　the　glorious　design　of　heaven；　thou　hast　sought　to　make　thy　filthy　rags　to　share　in　thy　justification。

Now；　all　these　are　mighty　sins；　these　have　made　thine　iniquity　infinite。　　What　wilt　thou　do？　　Thou　hast　created　to　thyself　a　world　of　needless　miseries。　　I　call　them　needless；　because　thou　hadst　more　than　enough　before。　　Thou　hast　set　thyself　against　God　in　a　way　of　contending；　thou　standest　upon　thy　points　and　pantables；　thou　wilt　not　bate　God　an　ace　of　what　thy　righteousness　is　worth；　and　wilt　also　make　it　worth　what　thyself　shalt　list：　　thou　wilt　be　thine　own　judge；　as　to　the　worth　of　thy　righteousness；　thou　wilt　neither　hear　what　verdict　the　word　has　passed　about　it；　nor　wilt　thou　endure　that　God　should　throw　it　out　in　the　matter　of　thy　justification；　but　quarrelest　with　the　doctrine　of　free　grace；　or　else　dost　wrest　it　out　of　its　place　to　serve　thy　Pharisaical　designs；　saying；　〃God　I　thank　thee；　I　am　not　as　other　men；〃　fathering　upon　thyself；　yea；　upon　God　and　thyself　a　stark　lie；　for　thou　art　as　other　men　are；　though　not　in　this；　yet　in　that；　yea；　in　a　far　worse　condition　than　the　most　of　men　are。　　Nor　will　it　help　thee　anything　to　attribute　this　thy　goodness　to　the　God　of　heaven；　for　that　is　but　a　mere　toying；　the　truth　is；　the　God　that　thou　intendest　is　nothing　but　thy　righteousness；　and　the　grace　that　thou　supposest　is　nothing　but　thine　own　good　and　honest　intentions。　　So　that；

4。　　In　all　that　thou　sayst　thou　dost　but　play　the　downright　hypocrite：　　thou　pretendest　indeed　to　mercy；　but　thou　intendest　nothing　but　merit：　　thou　seemest　to　give　the　glory　to　God；　but　at　the　same　time　takest　it　all　to　thyself：　　thou　despisest　others；　and　criest　up　thyself；　and　in　conclusion；　fatherest　all　upon　God　by　word；　and　upon　thyself　in　truth。　　Nor　is　there　anything　more　common　among　this　sort　of　men；　than　to　make　God；　his　grace；　and　kindness；　the　stalking…horse　to　their　own　praise；　saying；　〃God；　I　thank　thee；〃　when　they　trust　to　themselves　that　they　are　righteous；　and　have　not　need　of　any　repentance；　when　the　truth　is；　they　are　the　worst　sort　of　men　in　the　world；　because　they　put　themselves　into　such　a　state　as　God　hath　not　put　them　into；　and　then　impute　it　to　God；　saying；　God；　I　thank　thee；　that　thou　hast　done　it；　for　what　greater　sin　than　to　make　God　a　liar；　or　than　to　father　that　upon　God　which　he　never　meant；　intended；　or　did：　　and　all　this　under　colour　to　glorify　God；　when　there　is　nothing　else　designed；　but　to　take　all　glory　from　him；　and　to　wear　it　on　thine　own　head　as　a　crown；　and　a　diadem；　in　the　face　of　the　whole　world。

A　self…righteous　man；　therefore；　can　come　to　God　for　mercy　no　otherwise　than　fawningly：　　for　what　need　of　mercy　hath　a　righteous　man？　　Let　him　then　talk　of　mercy；　of　grace；　and　goodness；　and　come　in　an　hundred　times　with　his；　〃God；　I　thank　thee；〃　in　his　mouth；　all　is　but　words；　there　is　no　sense；　nor　savour；　nor　relish；　of　mercy　and　favour；　nor　doth　he　in　truth；　from　his　very　heart；　understand　the　nature　of　mercy；　nor　what　is　an　object　thereof；　but　when　he　thanks　God；　he　praises　himself：　　when　he　pleads　for　mercy；　he　means　his　own　merit；　and　all　this　is　manifest　from　what　doth　follow；　for；　saith　he；　I　am　not　as　this　Publican：　　thence　clearly　insinuating；　that　not　the　good；　but　the　bad；　should　be　rejected　of　the　God　of　heaven：　　that　not　the　bad　but　the　good；　not　the　sinner；　but　the　self…righteous；　are　the　most　proper　objects　of　God's　favour。　　The　same　thing　is　done　by　others　in　this　our　day：　　favour；　mercy；　grace；　and；　〃God；　I　thank　thee；〃　is　in　their　mouths；　but　their　own　strength；　sufficiency；　free…　will；　and　the　like；　they　are　the　things　they　mean　by　all　such　high　and　glorious　expressions。

But；　secondly；　If　thy　plea　be　not　for　mercy；　but　for　justice；　then　to　speak　a　little　to　that。　1。　　Justice　has　measures　and　rules　to　go　by；　unto　which　measures　and　rules；　if　thou　comest　not　up；　justice　can　do　thee　no　good。　　Come　then；　O　thou　blind　Pharisee；　let　us　pass　away　a　few　minutes　in　some　discourse　about　this。　　Thou　demandest　justice；　because　God　hath　said；　that　the　man　that　doth　these　things　shall　live　in　and　by　them。　　And　again；　the　doers　of　the　law　shall　be　justified；　not　in　a　way　of　mercy；　bu