the pharisee and the publican-第13章

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　live　in　and　by　them。　　And　again；　the　doers　of　the　law　shall　be　justified；　not　in　a　way　of　mercy；　but　in　a　way　of　justice：　　〃He　shall　live　by　them。〃　　But　what　hast　thou　done；　O　blind　Pharisee？　　What　hast　thou　done；　that　thou　art　emboldened　to　venture　to　stand　and　fall　to　the　most　perfect　justice　of　God？　　Hast　thou　fulfilled　the　whole　law；　and　not　offended　in　one　point？　　Hast　thou　purged　thyself　from　the　pollutions　and　motions　of　sin　that　dwell　in　thy　flesh；　and　work　in　thy　own　members？　　Is　the　very　being　of　sin　rooted　out　of　thy　tabernacle？　　And　art　thou　now　as　perfectly　innocent　as　ever　was　Jesus　Christ？　hast　thou；　by　suffering　the　uttermost　punishment　that　justice　could　justly　lay　upon　thee　for　thy　sins；　made　fair　and　full　satisfaction　to　God；　according　to　the　tenor　of　his　law；　for　thy　transgressions？　　If　thou　hast　done　all　these　things；　then　thou　mayst　plead　something；　and　yet　but　something；　for　thyself；　in　a　way　of　justice。　　Nay；　in　this　I　will　assert　nothing；　but　will　rather　inquire：　　What　hast　thou　gained　by　all　this　thy　righteousness？　　（We　will　now　suppose　what　must　not　be　granted：）　Was　not　this　thy　state　when　thou　wast　in　thy　first　parents？　　Wast　thou　not　innocent；　perfectly　innocent　and　righteous？　　And　if　thou　shouldst　be　so　now；　what　hast　thou　gained　thereby？　　Suppose　that　the　man　that　had；　forty　years　ago；　forty　pounds　of　his　own；　and　had　spent　it　all　since；　should　yet　be　able　now　to　shew　his　forty　pounds　again；　what　has　he　got　thereby；　or　how　much　richer　is　he　at　last　than　he　was　when　he　first　set　up　for　himself？　　Nay；　doth　not　the　blot　of　his　ill　living　betwixt　his　first　and　his　last；　lie　as　a　blemish　upon　him；　unless　he　should　redeem　himself　also；　by　works　of　supererogation；　from　the　scandal　that　justice　may　lay　at　his　door　for　that。

But；　I　say；　suppose；　O　Pharisee；　this　should　be　thy　case；　yet　God　is　not　bound　to　give　thee　in　justice　that　eternal　which　by　his　grace　he　bestoweth　upon　those　that　have　redemption　from　sin；　by　the　blood　of　his　Son。　　Injustice；　therefore；　when　all　comes　to　all；　thou　canst　require　no　more　than　an　endless　life　in　an　earthly　paradise；　for　there　thou　wast　set　up　at　first；　nor　doth　it　appear　from　what　hath　been　said；　touching　all　that　thou　hast　done　or　canst　do；　that　thou　deservest　a　better　place。

Did　I　say；　that　thou　mayst　require　justly　an　endless　life　in　an　earthly　paradise？　　Why；　I　must　add　to　that　saying　this　proviso；　If　thou　continuest　in　the　law；　and　in　the　righteousness　thereof；　else　not。

But　how　dost　thou　know　that　thou　shalt　continue　therein？　　Thou　hast　no　promise　from　God's　mouth　for　that；　nor　is　grace　or　strength　ministered　to　mankind　by　the　covenant　that　thou　art　under。　　So　that　still　thou　standest　bound　to　thy　good　behaviour；　and　in　the　day　that　thou　dost　give　the　first；　though　ever　so　little　a　trip；　or　stumble　in　thy　obedience；　thou　forfeitest　thine　interest　in　paradise　（and　in　justice）；　as　to　any　benefit　there。

But　alas！　what　need　is　there　that　we　should　thus　talk　things；　when　it　is　manifest　that　thou　hast　sinned；　not　before　thou　wast　a　Pharisee；　but　when　after　the　most　strictest　sect　of　thy　religion　thou　livest　also　a　Pharisee；　yea；　and　now　in　the　temple；　in　thy　prayer　there；　thou　shewest　thyself　to　be　full　of　ignorance；　pride；　self…conceit；　and　horrible　arrogancy；　and　desire　of　vain　glory；　&c。；　which　are　none　of　them　the　seat　or　fruits　of　righteousness；　but　the　seat　of　the　devil；　and　the　fruit　of　his　dwelling；　even　at　this　time　in　thy　heart。

Could　it　ever　have　been　imagined；　that　such　audacious　impudence　could　have　put　itself　forth　in　any　mortal　man；　in　his　approach　unto　God　by　prayer；　as　has　shewed　itself　in　thee？　　〃I　am　not　as　other　men；〃　sayst　thou！　　But　is　this　the　way　to　go　to　God　in　prayer？　　〃The　prayer　of　the　upright　is　God's　delight。〃　　But　the　upright　man　glorifies　God's　justice；　by　confessing　to　God　the　vileness　and　pollution　of　his　state　and　condition：　　he　glorifies　God's　mercy；　by　acknowledging；　that　that；　and　that　only；　as　communicated　of　God　by　Christ　to　sinners；　can　save　and　deliver　from　the　curse　of　the　law。

This；　I　say；　is　the　sum　of　the　prayer　of　the　just　and　upright　man；　Job。　i。　8；　xl。　4；　Acts　xiii。　22；　Psalm　xxxviii。；　li。；　2　Sam。　vi。　21；　22；　and　not　as　thou　most　vain…gloriously　vauntest　with　thy；　〃God；　I　thank　thee；　I　am　not　as　other　men　are。〃

True；　when　a　man　is　accused　by　his　neighbours；　by　a　brother；　by　an　enemy；　and　the　like；　if　he　be　clear　（and　he　may　be　so；　as　to　what　they　shall　lay　to　his　charge）；　then　let　him　vindicate；　justify；　and　acquit　himself；　to　the　utmost　that　in　justice　and　truth　he　can；　for　his　name；　the　preservation　whereof　is　more　to　be　chosen　than　silver　and　gold；　also　his　profession；　yea；　the　name　of　God　too；　and　religion　may　now　lie　at　stake；　by　reason　of　such　false　accusations；　and　perhaps　can　by　no　means　（as　to　this　man）　be　covered　and　vindicated　from　reproach　and　scandal；　but　by　his　justifying　of　himself。　Wherefore；　in　such　a　work；　a　man　serveth　God；　and　saves　religion　from　hurt；　yea；　as　he　that　is　a　professor；　and　has　his　profession　attended　with　a　scandalous　life；　hurteth　religion　thereby；　so　he　that　has　his　profession　attended　with　a　good　life；　and　shall　suffer　it　notwithstanding　to　lie　under　blame　by　false　accusations；　when　it　is　in　the　power　of　his　hand　to　justify　himself；　hurteth　religion　also。　But　the　case　of　the　Pharisee　is　otherwise。　　He　is　not　here　a…dealing　with　men；　but　God；　not　seeking　to　stand　clear　in　the　sight　of　the　world；　but　in　the　sight　of　heaven　itself；　and　that　too；　not　with　respect　to　what　men　or　angels；　but　with　respect　to　what　God　and　his　law　could　charge　him　with；　and　justly　lay　at　his　door。

This　therefore　mainly　altereth　the　case；　for　a　man　here　to　stand　thus　upon　his　point；　it　is　death；　for　he　affronteth　God；　he　giveth　him　the　lie；　he　reproveth　the　law；　and；　in　sum；　accuseth　it　of　bearing　false　witness　against　him；　he　doth　this；　I　say；　even　by　saying；　〃God；　I　thank　thee；　I　am　not　as　other　men　are；〃　for　God　hath　made　none　of　this　difference。　　The　law　condemneth　all　man　as　sinners；　testifieth　that　every　imagination　of　the　thought　of　the　heart　of　the　sons　of　men　is　only　evil；　and　that　continually；　wherefore　they　that　do　as　the　Pharisee　did；　to　wit；　seek　to　justify　themselves　before　God　from　the　curse　of　the　law　by　their　own　good　doings；　though　they　also；　as　the　Pharisee　did；　seem　to　give　God　the　thanks　for　all；　yet　do　most　horribly　sin；　even　by　their　so　doing；　and　shall　receive　a　Pharisee's　reward　at　last。　　Wherefore；　O　thou　Pharisee；　it　is　a　vain　thing　for　thee　either　to　think　of；　or　to　ask　for；　at　God's　hand；　either　mercy　or　justice。　　Because　mercy　thou　canst　not　ask　for；　from　sense　of　want　of　mercy；　because　thy　righteousness；　which　is　by　the　law；　hath　utterly　blinded　thine　eyes；　and　complimenting　with　God　doth　nothing：　and　as　for　justice；　that　can　do　thee　no　good；　but　the　more　just　God　is；　and　the　more　by　that　he　acteth　towards　thee；　the　more　miserable　and　fearful　will　be　thy　condition；　because　of　the　deficiency　of　thy　so　much；　by　thee；　esteemed　righteousness。

What　a　deplorable　condition　then　is　a　poor　Pharisee　in！　　For　mercy　he　cannot　pray；　he　cannot　pray　for　it　with　all　his　heart；　for　he　seeth　indeed　no　need　thereof。　　True；　the　Pharisee；　though　he　was　impudent　enough；　yet　would　not　take　all　from　God；　he　would　still　count；　that　there　was　due　to　him　a　tribute　of　thanks：　　〃God；　I　thank　thee；〃　saith　he：　　but　yet　not　a　bit　of　this　for　mercy；　but　for　that　he　had　let　him　live　（for　I　know　not　for　what　he　did　thank　himself）；　till　he　had　made　himself　better　than　other　men。　　But　that　betterment　was　a　betterment　in　none　other's　judgment　than　that　of　his　own；　and　that　was　none　other　but　such　an　one　as　was　false。　　So　then　the　Pharisee　is　by　this　time　quite　out　of　doors：　　his　righteousness　is　worth　nothing；　his　prayer　is　worth　nothing；　his　thanks　to　God　are　worth　nothing；　for　that　what　he　had　was　scanty　and　imperfect；　and　it　was　his　pride　that　made　him　offer　it　to　God　for　acceptance；　nor　could　his　fawning　thanksgiving　better　his　case；　or　make　his　matter　at　all　good　before　God。

But　I　will　warrant　you；　the　Pharisee　was　so　far　off　from　thinking　thus　of　himself；　and　of　his　righteousness；　that　he　thought　of　nothing　so　much　as　of　this；　that　he　was　a　happy　man：　　yea；　happier　by　far　than　other　his　fe