the pharisee and the publican-第23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！



But；　alas！　who　knows　（the　many　straits；　and　as　I　may　say；　the　stress　of　weather；　I　mean）　the　cold　blasts　of　hell；　with　which　the　poor　soul　is　assaulted；　betwixt　its　receiving　of　grace；　and　its　sensible　closing　with　Jesus　Christ？　　None；　I　dare　say；　but　it　and　its　fellows。　〃The　heart　knows　its　own　bitterness；　and　a　stranger　intermeddleth　not　with　his　joy；〃　Prov。　xiv。　10。　　No　sooner　doth　Satan　perceive　what　God　is　doing　with　the　soul；　in　a　way　of　grace　and　mercy；　but　he　endeavoureth　what　he　may　to　make　the　renewing　thereof　bitter　and　wearisome　work　to　the　sinner。　　O　what　mists；　what　mountains；　what　clouds；　what　darkness；　what　objections；　what　false　apprehensions　of　God；　of　Christ；　of　grace；　of　the　word；　and　of　the　soul's　condition；　doth　he　now　lay　before　it；　and　haunt　it　with；　whereby　he　dejecteth；　casteth　down；　daunteth；　distresseth；　and　almost　driveth　it　quite　into　despair！　　Now；　by　the　reason　of　these　things；　faith　（and　all　the　grace　that　is　in　the　soul）　is　hard　put　to　it　to　come　at　the　promise；　and　by　the　promise　of　Christ；　as　it　is　said；　when　the　tempest　and　great　danger　of　shipwreck　lay　upon　the　vessel　in　which　Paul　was；　they　had　〃much　work　to　come　by　the　boat；〃　Acts　xxvii。　16。　　For　Satan's　design　is；　if　he　cannot　keep　the　soul　from　Christ；　to　make　his　coming　to　him；　and　closing　with　him；　as　hard；　as　difficult　and　troublesome；　as　he　by　his　devices　can。　　But　faith；　true　justifying　faith；　is　a　grace；　is　not　weary　by　all　that　Satan　can　do；　but　meditateth　upon　the　word；　and　taketh　stomach；　and　courage；　fighteth　and　crieth；　and　by　crying　and　fighting；　by　help　from　heaven；　its　way　is　made　through　all　the　oppositions　that　appear　so　mighty；　and　draweth　up　at　last　to　Jesus　Christ；　into　whose　bosom　it　putteth　the　soul；　where；　for　the　time；　it　sweetly　resteth；　after　its　marvellous　tossings　to　and　fro。

And　besides　what　hath　been　said；　let　me　yet　illustrate　this　truth　unto　you　by　this　familiar　similitude。

Suppose　a　man；　a　traitor；　that　by　the　law　should　die　for　his　sin；　is　yet　such　an　one　that　the　king　has　exceeding　kindness　for；　may　not　the　king　pardon　this　man　of　his　clemency；　yea；　order　that　his　pardon　should　be　drawn　up　and　sealed；　and　so　in　every　sense　be　made　sure；　and　yet；　for　the　present；　keep　all　this　close　enough　from　the　ears　or　the　knowledge　of　the　person　therein　concerned？　　Yea；　may　not　the　king　after　all　leave　this　person；　with　others　under　the　same　transgression；　to　sue　for　and　obtain　this　pardon　with　great　expense　and　difficulty；　with　many　tears　and　heart…achings；　with　many　fears　and　dubious　cogitations？

Why；　this　is　the　case　between　God　and　the　soul　that　he　saveth；　he　saveth　him；　pardoneth　him；　and　secureth　him　from　the　curse　and　death　that　is　due　unto　sin；　but　yet　doth　not　tell　him　so；　but　he　ascends　in　his　great　suit　unto　God　for　it。　　Only　this　difference　we　must　make　between　God　and　the　potentates　of　this　world；　God　cannot　pardon　before　the　sinner　stands　before　him　righteous　by　the　righteousness　of　Christ；　because　he　has　in　judgment；　and　justice；　and　righteousness；　threatened　and　concluded；　that　he　that　wants　righteousness　shall　die。

And　I　say　again；　because　this　righteousness　is　God's　and　at　God's　disposal　only；　it　is　God　that　must　make　a　man　righteous　before　he　can　forgive　him　his　sins；　or　bestow　upon　him　of　his　secondary　blessings；　to　wit；　his　Spirit；　and　the　graces　thereof。　　And　I　say　again；　it　must　be　this　righteousness；　for　it　can　be　no　other　that　justifies　a　sinner　from　sin　in　the　sight　of　God；　and　from　the　sentence　of　the　law。

Secondly；　This　is；　and　must　be　the　way　of　God　with　the　sinner；　that　faith　may　not　only　have　an　object　to　work　upon；　but　a　motive　to　work　by。

（1。）　　Here；　as　I　said；　faith　hath　an　object　to　work　upon；　and　that　in　the　person　of　Christ；　and　that　personal　righteousness　of　his；　which　he　in　the　days　of　his　flesh　did　finish　to　justify　sinners　withal。　This　is；　I　say；　the　object　of　faith　for　justification；　whereunto　the　soul　by　it　doth　continually　resort。　　Hence　David　saith　to　Christ；　〃Be　thou　my　strong　habitation　（or　as　you　have　it　in　the　margin；　Be　thou　to　me　a　rock　of　habitation）　whereunto　I　may　continually　resort；〃　Psalm　lxxi。　3。　　And　two　things　he　infers　by　so　saying。

The　first　is；　That　the　Christian　is　a　man　under　continual　exercises；　sometimes　one　way；　and　sometimes　another；　but　all　his　exercises　have　a　tendency　in　them　more　or　less　to　spoil　him；　therefore　he　is　rather　for　flying　to　Christ　than　for　grappling　with　them　in　and　by　his　own　power。

The　second　is；　that　Christ　is　of　God　our　shelter　as　to　this　very　thing。　　Hence　his　name　is　said　to　be　〃a　strong　tower；〃　and　that　the　righteous　run　into　it；　and　are　safe；　Prov。　xviii。　10。　　That　also　of　David　in　the　fifty…sixth　Psalm　is　very　pregnant　to　this　purpose；　〃Mine　enemies；〃　saith　he；　〃would　daily　swallow　me　up；　for　they　be　many　that　fight　against　me；　O　thou　Most　High。〃　　And　what　then？　　Why；　saith　he；　〃I　will　trust　in　thee。〃　　Thus　you　see；　faith　hath　an　object　to　work　upon　to　carry　the　soul　unto；　and　to　secure　the　soul　in　times　of　difficulty；　and　that　object　is　Jesus　Christ　and　his　righteousness。　But；

（2。）　　Again；　as　faith　hath　an　object　to　work　upon；　so　it　hath　a　motive　to　work　by；　and　that　is　the　love　of　God　in　giving　of　Christ　to　the　soul　for　righteousness。　　Nor　is　there　any　profession；　religion；　or　duty　and　performance；　that　is　at　all　regarded；　where　this　faith；　which　by　such　means　can　work；　is　wanting。　　〃For　in　Jesus　Christ　neither　circumcision　availeth　any　thing；　nor　uncircumcision；　but　faith　which　worketh　by　love〃　（so　Gal。　v。　6）　acteth　lovely；　or；　by　faith　whose　fruit　is　love　（though　true　faith　hath　love　for　its　offspring）　but　faith　which　worketh　by　love；　that　is　true；　saving；　justifying　faith；　as　it　beholdeth　the　righteousness　of　Christ　as　made　over　to　the　soul　for　justification；　so　it　beholdeth　love；　love　to　be　the　cause　of　its　so　being　made　over。

It　beholdeth　love　in　the　Father；　in　giving　of　his　Son；　and　love　in　the　Son；　in　giving　of　himself　to　be　made　soul…saving　righteousness　for　me。　　And　seeing　it　worketh　by　it；　that　is；　it　is　stirred　up　to　an　holy　boldness　of　venturing　all　eternal　concerns　upon　Christ；　and　also　to　an　holy；　endeared；　affecting　love　of　him；　for　his　sweet　and　blessed　redeeming　love。　　Hence　the　apostle　saith；　〃The　love　of　Christ　constraineth　us；　because　we　thus　judge；　that　if　one　died　for　all；　then　were　all　dead：　　and　that　he　died　for　all；　that　they　which　live；　should　not　henceforth　live　unto　themselves；　but　unto　him　which　died　for　them　and　rose　again；〃　2　Cor。　v。　14；　15。

Thus　then　is　the　heart　united　in　affection　and　love　to　the　Father　and　the　Son；　for　the　love　that　they　have　shewed　to　the　poor　sinner　in　their　thus　delivering　him　from　the　wrath　to　come。　　For　by　this　love　faith　worketh；　in　sweet　passions　and　pangs　of　love；　to　all　that　are　thus　reconciled；　as　this　sinner　seeth　he　is。　　The　motive　then；　whereby　faith　worketh；　both　as　to　justification　and　sanctification；　the　great　motive　to　them；　I　say；　is　love；　the　love　of　God；　and　the　love　of　Christ：　　〃We　love　him；　because　he　first　loved　us。〃　　That　is；　when　our　faith　hath　told　us　so；　for　so　are　the　words　above；　〃We　have　known　and　believed　the　love　that　God　hath　to　us。〃　　And　then；　〃We　love　him；　because　he　first　loved　us。〃　　And　then；　〃This　commandment　have　we　from　him；　that　he　that　loveth　God；　loveth　his　brother　also；〃　1　John　iv。　16…21。　　But　this　our　poor　Pharisee　understandeth　not。　　But；

5。　　Righteousness　by　imputation　must　be　first；　to　cut　off　boasting　from　the　heart；　conceit；　and　lips　of　men。　　Wherefore　he　saith；　as　before；　that　we　are　justified　freely　by　the　grace　of　God；　not　through；　or　for　the　sake　of　an　holy　gospel…principle　in　us；　but　〃through　the　redemption　that　is　in　Jesus　Christ；〃　&c。　　〃Where　is　boasting　then？　　It　is　excluded。　　By　what　law？　　Of　works？　　Nay；　but　by　the　law　of　faith。〃　　And　this　is　the　law　of　faith；　by　which　we　are　justified　as　before；　Rom。　iii。　27；　28。

Nor　can　any　man　propound　such　an　essential　way　to　cut　off　boasting　as　this；　which　is　of　God's　providing：　　For　what　is　man　here　to　boast　of？　No　righteousness；　nor　yet　of　the　application　of　it　to　his　soul。　　The　righteousness　is　Christ's；　not　the　sinner's。　　The　imputation　is　God's；　not　the　sinner's。　　The　cause　of　imputation　is　God's　grace　and　love；　not　the　sinner's　works