the pharisee and the publican-第17章

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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　the　righteousness　of　the　flesh。　　〃For　all　flesh　is　grass；　and　all　the　glory　of　it　as　the　flower　of　the　field；〃　and　the　flesh；　and　the　glory　of　that　being　as　weak　as　the　grass；　which　to…day　is；　and　to…morrow　is　cast　into　the　oven；　is　but　a　weak　business　for　a　man　to　venture　his　eternal　salvation　upon。　　Wherefore；　as　I　also　hinted　before；　the　godly…wise　have　been　afraid　to　be　found　in　their　righteousness；　I　mean　their　own　personal　righteousness；　though　that　is　far　better　than　can　be　the　righteousness　of　any　carnal　man：　　for　the　godly　man's　righteousness　is　wrought　by　the　Spirit　and　faith　of　Christ；　but　the　ungodly　man's　righteousness　is　of　the　flesh；　and　of　the　law。　　Yet　I　say；　this　godly　man　is　afraid　to　stand　by　his　righteousness　before　the　tribunal　of　God；　as　is　manifest　in　these　following　particulars。

1。　　He　sees　sin　in　his　righteousness；　for　so　the　prophet　intimates；　when　he　saith；　〃All　our　righteousnesses　are　as　filthy　rags〃　（Isa。　lxiv。）；　but　there　is　nothing　can　make　one's　righteousness　filthy　but　sin。　　It　is　not　the　poor；　the　low；　the　mean；　the　sickly；　the　beggarly　state　of　man；　nor　yet　his　being　hated　of　devils；　persecuted　of　men；　broken　under　necessities；　reproaches；　distresses；　or　any　kind　of　troubles　of　this　nature　that　can　make　the　godly　man's　righteousness　filthy；　nothing　but　sin　can　do　it；　and　that　can；　doth；　hath；　and　will　do　it。　　Nor　can　any　man；　be　he　who　he　will；　and　though　he　watches；　prays；　strives；　denies　himself；　and　puts　his　body　under　what　chastisement　or　hardships　he　can；　yea；　though　he　also　get　his　spirit　and　soul　hoisted　up　to　the　highest　peg　or　pin　of　sanctity　and　holy　contemplation；　and　so　his　lusts　to　the　greatest　degree　of　mortification；　but　sin　will　be　with　him　in　the　best　of　his　performances：　　with　him；　I　say；　to　pollute　and　defile　his　duties；　and　to　make　his　righteousness　speckled　and　spotted；　filthy　and　menstruous。

I　will　give　you　two　or　three　instances　for　this。

（1。）　　Nehemiah　was　a　man　（in　his　day）；　one　that　was　zealous；　very　zealous；　for　God；　for　his　house；　for　his　people；　and　for　his　ways；　and　so　continued；　and　that　from　first　to　last；　as　they　may　see　that　please　to　read　the　relation　of　his　actions；　yet　when　he　comes　seriously　to　be　concerned　with　God　about　his　duties；　he　relinquisheth　a　standing　by　them。　　True；　he　mentioneth　them　to　God；　but　confesseth　that　there　are　imperfections　in　them；　and　prayeth　that　God　will　not　wipe　them　away。　　〃Wipe　not　out　my　good　deeds；　O　my　God；　that　I　have　done　for　the　house　of　my　God；　and　for　the　offices　thereof。〃　　And　again；　〃Remember　me；　O　my　God；　concerning　this　also　（another　good　deed）；　and　spare　me　according　to　the　greatness　of　thy　mercy；　and　remember　me；　O　my　God；　for　good；〃　Neh。　xiii。

I　do　not　think　that　by　these　prayers　he　pleadeth　for　an　acceptance　of　his　person；　as　touching　justification　from　the　curse　of　the　law　（as　the　poor　blind　Pharisee　doth）；　but　that　God　would　accept　of　his　service；　as　he　was　a　son；　and　not　deny　to　give　him　a　reward　of　grace　for　what　he　had　done；　since　he　was　pleased　to　declare　in　his　testament；　that　he　would　reward　the　labour　of　love　of　his　saints　with　an　exceeding　weight　of　glory；　and　therefore　prayeth；　that　God　would　not　wipe　away　his　good　deeds；　but　remember　him　for　good；　according　to　the　greatness　of　his　mercy。

（2。）　　A　second　instance　is　that　of　David；　where　he　saith；　〃Enter　not　into　judgment　with　thy　servant；　O　Lord；　for　in　thy　sight　shall　no　man　living　be　justified；〃　Psalm　clxiii。　2。　　David；　as　I　have　hinted　before；　is　said　to　be　a　man　〃after　God's　own　heart；〃　Acts　xiii。；　and　as　here　by　the　Spirit　he　acknowledges　him　for　his　servant；　yet　behold　how　he　shrinketh；　how　he　draweth　back；　how　he　prayeth；　and　petitioneth；　that　God　would　vouchsafe　so　much　as　not　to　enter　into　judgment　with　him。　　Lord；　saith　he；　if　thou　enterest　into　judgment　with　me；　I　die；　because　I　shall　be　condemned；　for　in　thy　sight　I　cannot　be　justified；　to　wit；　by　my　own　good　deeds。　　Lord；　at　the　beginning　of　thy　dealing　with　me；　by　the　law　and　my　works；　I　die：　therefore　do　not　so　much　as　enter　into　judgment　with　me；　O　Lord。　　Nor　is　this　my　case　only；　but　it　is　the　condition　of　all　the　world：　　〃For　in　thy　sight　shall　no　man　living　be　justified。〃

（3。）　　A　third　instance　is　that　general　conclusion　of　the　apostle；　〃But　that　no　man　is　justified　by　the　law　in　the　sight　of　God　is　evident；　for　the　just　shall　live　by　faith。〃　　By　this　saying　of　St　Paul；　as　he　taketh　up　the　sentence　of　the　prophet　Habakkuk；　chap。　ii。　4；　so　he　taketh　up　this　sentence；　yea；　and　the　personal　justice　of　David　also。　　No　man；　saith　he；　is　justified　by　the　law　in　the　sight　of　God：　　no；　no　just　man；　no　holy　man；　not　the　strictest　and　most　righteous　man。　　But　why　not？　　Why；　because　〃the　just　shall　live　by　faith。〃

The　just　man；　therefore；　must　die；　if　he　has　not　faith　in　another　righteousness　than　that　which　is　of　the　law；　called　his　own：　　I　say；　he　must　die；　if　he　has　none　other　righteousness　than　that　which　is　his　own　by　the　law。　　Thus　also　Paul　confesses　of　himself：　　〃I　（saith　he）　know　nothing　by　myself；〃　either　before　conversion　or　after；　that　is；　I　knew　not　that　I　did　any　thing　before　conversion；　either　against　the　law；　or　against　my　conscience；　for　I　was　then；　touching　the　righteousness　which　is　of　the　law；　blameless。　　Also；　since　my　conversion；　I　know　nothing　by　myself；　for　〃I　have　walked　in　all　good　conscience　before　God　unto　this　day。〃

A　great　saying；　I　promise　you。　　Well；　but　yet　〃I　am　not　hereby　justified；〃　Phil。　iii。　7；　Acts　xxiii。　1；　1　Cor。　iv。　4。　　Nor　will　I　dare　to　venture　the　eternal　salvation　of　my　soul　upon　mine　own　justice；　〃for　he　that　judgeth　me　is　the　Lord；〃　that　is；　though　I；　through　my　dim…sightedness；　cannot　see　the　imperfections　of　my　righteousness；　yet　the　Lord；　who　is　my　judge；　and　before　whose　tribunal　I　must　shortly　stand；　can　and　will；　and　if　in　his　sight　there　shall　be　found　no　more　but　one　spot　in　my　righteousness；　I　must；　if　I　plead　my　righteousness；　fall　for　that。

2。　　That　the　best　of　men　are　afraid　to　stand　before　God's　tribunal；　there　to　be　judged　by　the　law　as　to　life　and　death；　according　to　the　sufficiency　or　non…sufficiency　of　their　righteousness；　is　evident；　because　by　casting　away　their　own　（in　this　matter）；　they　make　all　the　means　they　can　for　this；　that　is；　that　his　mercy；　by　an　act　of　grace；　be　made　over　to　them；　and　that　they　in　it　may　stand　before　God　to　be　judged。

Hence　David　cries　out　so　often；　〃Lead　me　in　thy　righteousness。〃　〃Deliver　me　in　thy　righteousness。〃　　〃Judge　me　according　to　thy　righteousness。〃　　〃Quicken　me　in　thy　righteousness。〃　　〃O　Lord　（says　he）；　give　ear　to　my　supplications：　　in　thy　faithfulness　answer　me；　and　in　thy　righteousness。〃　　〃And　enter　not　into　judgment　with　thy　servant；　O　Lord：　　for　in　thy　sight　shall　no　flesh　living　be　justified。〃　　And　David；　what　if　God　doth　thus？　　Why；　then；　saith　he；　〃My　tongue　shall　speak　of　his　righteousness。〃　　〃My　tongue　shall　sing　of　thy　righteousness。〃　　〃My　mouth　shall　shew　forth　thy　righteousness。〃　　〃Yea；　I　will　make　mention　of　thy　righteousness；　even　of　thine　only；〃　Psalm　lviii。；　xxxi。　1；　xxxv。　24；　cxix。　40；　xxxv。　28；　li。　14；　lxxi。　15；　16。

Daniel　also；　when　he　comes　to　plead　for　himself　and　his　people；　he　first　casts　away　his　and　their　righteousness；　saying；　〃For　we　do　not　present　our　supplications　unto　thee　for　our　righteousness：〃　　And　he　pleads　God's　righteousness；　and　that　he　might　have　a　share　and　interest　in　that　saying；　〃O　Lord；　righteousness　belongeth　to　thee；〃　to　wit；　that　righteousness；　for　the　sake　of　which；　mercy　and　forgiveness；　and　so　heaven　and　happiness；　is　extended　to　us。

Righteousness　belongeth　to　thee；　and　is　thine；　as　nearly　as　sin；　shame；　and　confusion；　are　ours；　and　belongeth　to　us。　　Read　the　16th　and　17th　verses　of　the　9th　of　Daniel。　　〃O　Lord　（saith　he）；　according　to　all　thy　righteousness；　I　beseech　thee；　let　thine　anger；　and　thy　fury；　be　turned　away　from　thy　city　Jerusalem；　thy　holy　mountain；　because　for　our　sins；　and　for　the　iniquities　of　our　fathers；　Jerusalem；　and　thy　people；　are　become　a　reproach　to　all　that　are　about　us。　　Now；　therefore；　O　our　God；　he