the pharisee and the publican-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　when　I　come　to　God　for　life；　much　less　to　be　made　my　friend；　my　advocate；　my　mediator　and　spokesman；　when　I　stand　betwixt　heaven　and　hell；　Isa。　lxiv。　6；　Luke　xvi。　15；　Phil。　iii。　6…8；　to　plead　for　me　that　I　might　be　saved。

Perhaps　some　will　blame　me；　and　count　me　also　worthy　thereof；　because　I　do　not　distinguish　betwixt　the　matter　and　the　manner　of　the　Pharisee's　righteousness。　　And　let　them　condemn　me　still　for　saving　the　holy　law；　which　is　neither　the　matter　nor　manner　of　the　Pharisee's　righteousness；　but　rather　the　rules　（if　he　will　live　thereby）　up　to　which　he　should　completely　come　in　every　thing　that　he　doth。　　And　I　say　again；　that　the　whole　of　the　Pharisee's　righteousness　is　sinful；　though　not　with　and　to　men；　yet　with　and　before　the　God　of　heaven。　　Sinful；　I　say　it　is；　and　abominable；　both　in　itself；　and　also　in　its　effects。

1。　　In　itself；　for　that　it　is　imperfect；　scanty；　and　short　of　the　rule　by　which　righteousness　is　enjoined；　and　even　with　which　every　act　should　be；　for　shortness　here；　even　every　shortness　in　these　duties；　is　sin　and　sinful　weakness；　wherefore　the　curse　taketh　hold　of　the　man　for　coming　short；　but　that　it　could　not　justly　do；　if　his　coming　short　was　not　his　sin：　　Cursed　is　every　one　that　doth　not；　and　that　continueth　not　to　do　all　things　written　in　the　law；　Deut。　xxvii。　26；　Gal。　iii。　10。

2。　　It　is　sinful；　because　it　is　wrought　by　sinful　flesh；　for　all　legal　righteousness　is　a　work　of　the　flesh；　Rom。　iv。　1；　&c。；　Phil。　iii。　3…8。

A　work；　I　say；　of　the　flesh；　even　of　that　flesh；　who；　or　which　also　committeth　the　greatest　enormities；　for　the　flesh　is　but　one；　though　its　workings　are　divers：　　sometimes　in　a　way　most　notoriously　sensual　and　devilish；　causing　the　soul　to　wallow　in　the　mire。

But　these　are　not　all　the　works　of　the　flesh；　the　flesh　sometimes　will　attempt　to　be　righteous；　and　set　upon　doing　actions　that　in　their　perfection　would　be　very　glorious　and　beautiful　to　behold。　　But　because　the　law　is　only　commanding　words；　and　yieldeth　no　help　to　the　man　that　attempts　to　perform　it；　and　because　the　flesh　is　weak；　and　cannot　do　of　itself　that；　therefore　this　most　glorious　work　of　the　flesh　faileth。

But；　I　say；　as　it　is　a　work　of　the　flesh　it　cannot　be　good；　forasmuch　as　the　hand　that　worketh　it　is　defiled　with　sin；　for　in　a　good　man；　one　spiritually　good；　that　is　〃in　his　flesh；　there　dwells　no　good　thing；〃　but　consequently　that　which　is　bad；　how　then　can　the　flesh　of　a　carnal；　graceless　man　（and　such　a　one　is　every　Pharisee　and　self…　righteous　man　in　the　world）；　produce；　though　it　joineth　itself　to　the　law；　to　the　righteous　law　of　God；　that　which　is　good　in　his　sight。

If　any　shall　think　that　I　pinch　too　hard；　because　I　call　man's　righteousness　which　is　of　the　law；　of　the　righteous　law　of　God；　flesh；　let　them　consider　that　which　follows：　　to　wit；　That　though　man　by　sin　is　said　〃to　be　dead　in　sin　and　trespasses；〃　yet　not　so　dead　but　that　he　can　act　still　in　his　own　sphere；　that　is；　to　do；　and　choose　to　do；　either　that　which　by　all　men　is　counted　base；　or　that　which　by　some　is　counted　good；　though　he　is　not；　nor　can　all　the　world　make　him；　capable　of　doing　any　thing　that　may　please　his　God。

Man；　by　nature；　as　dead　as　he　is；　can；　and　that　with　the　will　of　his　flesh；　will　his　own　salvation。　　Man；　by　nature；　can；　and　that　by　the　power　of　the　flesh；　pursue　and　follow　after　his　own　salvation；　but　then　he　wills　it；　and　pursues　or　follows　after　it；　not　in　God's　way；　but　his　own；　not　by　faith　in　Christ；　but　by　the　law　of　Moses。　　See　Rom。　ix。　16；　31；　x。　3；　7。

Wherefore　it　is　no　error　to　say；　that　a　man　naturally　has　will；　and　a　power　to　pursue　his　will；　and　that　as　to　his　own　salvation。　　But　it　is　a　damnable　error　to　say；　that　he　hath　will　and　power　to　pursue　it；　and　that　in　God's　way：　　for　then　we　must　hold　that　the　mysteries　of　the　gospel　are　natural；　for　that　natural　men；　or　men　by　nature；　may　apprehend　and　know　them；　yea；　and　know　them　to　be　the　only　means　by　which　they　must　obtain　eternal　life；　for　the　understanding　must　act　before　the　will；　yea；　a　man　must　approve　of　the　way　to　life　by　Jesus　Christ；　before　his　mind　will　budge；　or　stir；　or　move；　that　way：　　〃But　the　natural　man　receiveth　not　the　things　of　the　Spirit　of　God　（of　the　gospel）；　for　they　are　foolishness　to　him；　neither　can　he　know　them；　because　they　are　spiritually　discerned。〃

He　receiveth　not　these　things；　that　is；　his　mind　and　will　lie　cross　unto　them；　for　he　counts　them　foolishness；　nor　can　all　the　natural　wisdom　in　the　world　cause　that　his　will　should　fall　in　with　them；　because　it　cannot　discern　them。

Nature　discerneth　the　law；　and　the　righteousness　thereof；　yea；　it　discerneth　it；　and　approveth　thereof；　that　is；　that　the　righteousness　of　it　is　the　best　and　only　way　to　life；　and　therefore　the　natural　will　and　power　of　the　flesh；　as　here　you　see　in　the　Pharisee；　do　steer　their　course　by　that　to　eternal　life；　1　Cor。　ii。　14。

The　righteousness　of　the　law；　therefore；　is　a　work　of　the　flesh；　a　work　of　sinful　flesh；　and　therefore　must　needs　be　as　filth；　and　dung；　and　abominable　as　to　that　for　which　this　man　hath　produced　it　and　presented　it　in　the　temple　before　God。

Nor　is　the　Pharisee　alone　entangled　in　this　mischief；　many　souls　are　by　these　works　of　the　flesh　flattered；　as　also　the　Pharisee　was；　into　an　opinion；　that　their　state　is　good；　when　there　is　nothing　in　it。　The　most　that　their　conversion　amounteth　to　is；　the　Publican　is　become　a　Pharisee；　the　open　sinner　is　become　a　self…righteous　man。　Of　the　black　side　of　the　flesh　he　hath　had　enough；　now　therefore　with　the　white　side　of　the　flesh　he　will　recreate　himself。　　And　now；　most　wicked　must　he　needs　be　that　questioneth　the　goodness　of　the　state　of　such　a　man。　　He；　of　a　drunkard；　a　swearer；　an　unclean　person；　a　Sabbath…breaker；　a　liar；　and　the　like；　is　become　reformed；　a　lover　of　righteousness；　a　strict　observer；　doer；　and　trader　in　the　formalities　of　the　law；　and　a　herder　with　men　of　his　complexion。　　And　now　he　is　become　a　great　exclaimer　against　sin　and　sinners；　denying　to　be　acquaint　with　those　that　once　were　his　companions；　saying；　〃I　am　not　even　as　this　Publican。〃

To　turn　therefore　from　sin　to　man's　righteousness；　yea；　to　rejoice　in　confidence；　that　thy　state　is　better　than　is　that　of　the　Publican　（I　mean；　better　in　the　eyes　of　divine　justice；　and　in　the　judgment　of　the　law）；　and　yet　to　be　found　by　the　law；　not　in　the　spirit；　but　in　the　flesh；　not　in　Christ；　but　under　the　law；　not　in　a　state　of　salvation；　but　of　damnation；　is　common　among　men：　　for　they；　and　they　only；　are　the　right　men；　〃who　worship　God　in　the　spirit；　and　rejoice　in　Christ　Jesus；　and　have　no　confidence　in　the　flesh。〃　　Where；　by　〃flesh；〃　must　not　be　meant　the　horrible　transgressions　against　the　law　（though　they　are　also　called　〃the　works　of　the　flesh；〃　Gal。　iv。　29）；　for　they　minister　no　occasion　unto　men　to　have　confidence　in　them　towards　God：　　but　that　is　that　which　is　insinuated　by　Paul；　where　he　saith；　he　had　no　〃confidence　in　the　flesh；〃　though　he　might　have　had　it；　as　he　said；　〃though　I　might　also　have　confidence　in　the　flesh。〃　　〃If　any　other　man；〃　saith　he；　〃thinketh　that　he　hath　whereof　he　might　trust　in　the　flesh；　I　more；〃　Phil。　iii。　3；　4；　and　then　he　repeats　a　twofold　privilege　that　he　had　by　the　flesh。

1。　　That　he　was　one　of　the　seed　of　Abraham；　and　of　the　tribe　of　Benjamin；　an　Hebrew　of　the　Hebrews；　&c。

2。　　That　he　had　fallen　in　with　the　strictest　men　of　that　religion；　which　was　such　after　the　flesh；　to　wit；　to　be　a　Pharisee；　and　was　the　son　of　a　Pharisee；　had　much　fleshly　zeal　for　God；　and　〃touching　the　righteousness　which　is　of　the　law；　blameless；〃　Phil。　iii。　3；　5；　6。

But　I　say　still；　there　is　nothing　but　flesh；　fleshly　privileges　and　fleshly　righteousness；　and　so；　consequently；　a　fleshly　confidence；　and　trust　for　heaven。　　This　is　manifest；　when　the　man　had　his　eyes　enlightened；　he　counted　all　loss　and　dung　that　he　might　be　found　in　Christ；　not　having　his　own　righteousness；　which　is　of　the　law；　but　that　which　is　through　the　faith　of　Christ；　the　righteousness　which　is　of　God　by　faith。

And　this　leads　me　to　another　thing；　and　that　is；　to　tell　thee；　O　thou　blind　Pharisee；　that　thou　canst　not　be　in　a　safe　condition；　because　thou　hast　thy　confidence　in　the　flesh；　that　is；　in