the pharisee and the publican-第28章

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；　therefore；　goeth　very　far　in　this　his　confession；　For；

3。　　In　the　third　place；　To　confess　that　there　is　nothing　in　him；　done　or　can　be　done　by　him；　that　should　allure；　or　prevail　with　God　to　do　any　thing　for　him：　　for　a　sinner　cannot　do　good；　no；　not　work　up　his　heart　unto　one　good　thought：　　no；　though　he　should　have　heaven　itself　if　he　could；　or　was　sure　to　burn　in　hell…fire　for　ever　and　ever　if　he　could　not。　　For　sin；　where　it　is　in　possession；　and　bears　rule；　as　it　doth　in　every　one　that　we　may　properly　call　a　sinner；　there　it　hath　the　mastery　of　the　man；　hath　bound　up　his　senses　in　cords　and　chains；　and　made　nothing　so　odious　to　the　soul　as　the　things　that　are　of　the　Spirit　of　God。　　Wherefore　it　is　said　of　such；　that　they　are　〃Enemies　in　their　minds；〃　that　〃The　carnal　mind　is　enmity　against　God；〃　and　that　〃Wickedness　proceedeth　of　the　wicked；〃　and　that　the　Ethiopian　may　as　well　change　his　skin；　or　the　leopard　his　spots；　as　they　that　are　accustomed　to　do　evil　may　learn　to　do　well；　Col。　i。；　Rom。　viii。；　1　Sam。　xxiv。　13；　Jer。　xiii。　23。

4。　　In　this　confession　he　implicitly　acknowledgeth　that　sin　is　the　worst　of　things；　forasmuch　as　it　layeth　the　soul　out　of　the　reach　of　all　remedy　that　can　be　found　under　heaven。　　Nothing　below　or　short　of　the　mercy　of　God　can　deliver　a　poor　soul　from　this　fearful　malady。　This　the　Pharisee　did　not　see。　　Doubtless　he　did　conclude；　that　at　some　time　or　other　he　had　sinned；　but　he　never　in　all　his　life　did　arrive　to　a　sight　of　what　sin　was：　　his　knowledge　of　it　was　but　false　and　counterfeit；　as　is　manifest　by　his　cure；　to　wit；　his　own　righteousness。　　For　take　this　for　a　truth　undeniable；　that　he　that　thinks　himself　better　before　God；　because　of　his　reformations；　never　yet　had　the　true　knowledge　of　his　sin：　　But　the　poor　Publican　he　had　it；　he　had　it　in　truth；　as　is　manifest；　because　it　drives　him　to　the　only　sovereign　remedy。　　For　indeed；　the　right　knowledge　of　sin；　in　the　filth；　and　guilt；　and　damning　power　thereof；　makes　a　man　to　understand；　that　not　any　thing　but　grace　and　mercy　by　Christ　can　secure　him　from　the　hellish　ruins　thereof。

Suppose　a　man　sick　of　an　apoplexy　unto　death；　and　should　for　his　remedy　make　use　only　of　those　things　that　are　good　against　the　second　ague；　would　not　this　demonstrate　that　this　man　was　not　sensible　of　the　nature　and　danger　of　this　disease？　　The　same　may　be　said　of　every　sinner　that　shall　make　use　only　of　those　means　to　justify　him　before　God；　that　can　hardly　make　him　go　for　a　good　Christian　before　judicious　men。　　But　the　poor　Publican；　he　knew　the　nature　and　the　danger　of　his　disease；　and　knew　also；　that　nothing　but　mercy；　infinite　mercy；　could　cure　him　thereof。

5。　　This　confession　of　the　Publican　declareth；　that　he　himself　was　borne　up　now　by　an　almighty　though　invisible　hand。　　For　sin；　when　seen　in　its　colours；　and　when　appearing　in　its　monstrous　shape；　frighteth　all　away　from　God。　　This　is　manifest　by　Cain；　Judas；　Saul；　and　others；　who　could　not　stand　up　before　God　under　the　sense　and　appearance　of　their　sin；　but　fled　before　him；　one　to　one　fruit　of　despair；　and　one　to　another。　　But　now　this　Publican；　though　he　apprehends　his　sin；　that　himself　was　one　that　was　a　sinner；　yet　he　beareth　up；　cometh　into　the　temple；　approaches　the　presence　of　an　holy　and　sin…revenging　God；　stands　before　him；　and　confesses　that　he　is　that　man　that　sin　had　defiled；　and　that　had　brought　him　into　the　danger　of　damnation　thereby。

This　therefore　was　a　mighty　act　of　the　Publican。　　He　went　against　the　voice　of　conscience；　against　sense　and　feeling；　against　the　curse　and　condemning　verdict　of　the　law：　　he　went；　as　I　may　say；　upon　hot　burning　coals　to　one　that　to　sin　and　sinners　is　a　consuming　fire。

Now　then；　did　the　Publican　this　of　his　own　head；　or　from　his　own　mind？　　No；　verily；　there　was　some　super…natural　power　within　that　did　secretly　prompt　him　on；　and　strengthen　him　to　this　more　noble　venture。　　True；　there　is　nothing　more　common　among　wicked　men；　than　to　trick　and　toy；　and　play　with　this　saying　of　the　Publican；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner：〃　not　at　all　being　sensible　either　what　sin　is；　or　of　their　need　of　mercy。　　And　such　sinners　shall　find　their　speed　in　the　Publican's　prayer　far　otherwise　than　the　Publican　sped　himself；　it　will　happen　unto　them　much　as　it　happened　unto　the　vagabond　Jews；　exorcists；　who　took　upon　them　to　call　over　them　that　had　evil　spirits；　the　name　of　the　Lord　Jesus；　that　were　beaten　by　that　spirit；　and　made　fly　out　of　that　house　naked　and　wounded；　Acts　xix。　13。　　Poor　sinner；　thou　wilt　say　the　Publican's　prayer；　and　make　the　Publican's　confession；　and　say；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃　But　hold；　dost　thou　do　it　with　the　Publican's　heart；　sense；　dread；　and　simplicity？　　If　not；　thou　dost　but　abuse　the　Publican　and　his　prayer；　and　thyself　and　his　God；　and　shalt　find　God　rejecting　of　thee　and　thy　prayers；　saying；　The　Publican　I　know；　his　prayers　and　godly　tears　I　know；　but　who　or　what　art　thou？　and　will　send　thee　away　naked。　　They　are　the　hungry　that　he　filleth　with　good　things；　but　the　rich　（and　the　senseless）　he　sendeth　empty　away。

For　my　part；　I　find　it　one　of　the　hardest　things　that　I　can　put　my　soul　upon；　even　to　come　to　God；　when　warmly　sensible　that　I　am　a　sinner；　for　a　share　in　grace　and　mercy。　　Oh！　methinks　it　seems　to　me　as　if　the　whole　face　of　the　heavens　were　set　against　me。　　Yea；　the　very　thought　of　God　strikes　me　through；　I　cannot　bear　up；　I　cannot　stand　before　him；　I　cannot　but　with　a　thousand　tears　say；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner；〃　Ezra　ix。　15。

At　another　time；　when　my　heart　is　more　hard　and　stupid；　and　when　his　terror　doth　not　make　me　afraid；　then　I　can　come　before　him；　and　ask　mercy　at　his　hand；　and　scarce　be　sensible　of　sin　or　grace；　or　that　indeed　I　am　before　God。　　But　above　all；　they　are　the　rare　times；　when　I　can　go　to　God　as　the　Publican；　sensible　of　his　glorious　majesty；　sensible　of　my　misery；　and　bear　up；　and　affectionately　cry；　〃God　me　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

But　again；　the　Publican；　by　his　confession；　sheweth　a　piece　of　the　highest　wisdom　that　a　mortal　man　can　shew；　because；　by　so　doing；　he　engageth　as　well　as　imploreth　the　grace　and　mercy　of　God　to　save　him。　You　see　by　the　text　he　imploreth　it；　and　now　I　will　shew　you　that　he　engageth　it；　and　makes　himself　a　sharer　in　it。

〃He　that　covereth　his　sins　shall　not　prosper；　but　whoso　confesseth　and　forsaketh　them　shall　have　mercy。〃　　And　again；　〃If　we　confess　our　sins；　he　is　faithful　and　just　to　forgive　us　our　sins　and　to　cleanse　us　from　all　unrighteousness；〃　Prov。　xxviii。　13；　1　John。　i。　9。

First；　In　the　promise　of　pardon；　〃he　shall　have　mercy；〃　he　shall　have　his　sins　forgiven。　　As　also　Solomon　prays；　that　God　will　forgive　them　that　know　their　own　sores；　and　they　are　indeed　such　as　are　sensible　of　the　plague　of　their　own　heart；　2　Chron。　vi。　29；　30；　1　Kings　viii。　37；　38。　　And　the　reason　is；　because　the　sinner　is　now　driven　to　the　farthest　point；　for　confession　is　the　farthest　point；　and　the　utmost　bound　unto　which　God　has　appointed　the　Publican　to　go；　with　reference　to　his　work；　as　it　is　said　of　Saul　to　David；　when　he　was　about　to　give　him　Michal　his　daughter　to　wife；　〃I　desire　not　any　dowry；　but　an　hundred　foreskins　of　the　Philistines；　to　be　avenged　of　the　king's　enemies。〃

So　says　God　in　this　matter；　I　desire　no　sacrifices；　nor　legal　righteousness　to　make　thee　acceptable　to　me：　　〃Only　acknowledge　and　confess　thine　iniquity；　that　thou　hast　transgressed　against　me；〃　1　Sam。　xviii。　25；　Jer。　iii。　12；　13。　　And　though　this　by　some　may　be　thought　to　be　a　very　easy　way　to　come　at；　and　partake　of　the　mercy　of　God；　yet　let　the　sensible　sinner　try　it；　and　he　shall　find　it　one　of　the　hardest　things　in　the　world。　　And　there　are　two　things　to　which　man　is　prone；　that　makes　confession　hard：

First；　There　is　a　great　proneness　in　us　to　be　partial；　and　not　thorough　and　plain　in　our　confessions。　　We　are　apt　to　make　half　confessions；　to　confess　some；　and　hide　some；　or　else　to　make　feigned　confessions；　flattering　both　ourselves；　and　also　God；　while　we　make　confession　unto　him；　or　else　to　confess　sin；　as　our　own　fancies　apprehend；　and　not　as　the　word　descries　them。　　These　things　we　are　very　prone　to　do；　men　can　confess　little　sins；　while　they　hide　great　ones。　　Men　can　feign