the pharisee and the publican-第29章

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gs　we　are　very　prone　to　do；　men　can　confess　little　sins；　while　they　hide　great　ones。　　Men　can　feign　themselves　sorry　for　sin　when　they　are　not；　or　else　in　their　confessions　forget　to　judge　of　sin　by　the　word。　　Hence　it　is　said；　They　turned　to　God；　〃not　with　their　whole　hearts；　but　as　it　were　feignedly。〃　　〃They　spake　not　aright；　saying；　What　have　I　done？〃　　〃They　flatter　him　with　their　mouth；　and　lie　unto　him　with　their　tongues；〃　and　do　their　wickedness　in　the　dark；　and　sin　against　him　with　a　high　hand；　and　then　come　to　him　and　〃cover　the　altar　with　their　tears。〃　　These　things　therefore　demonstrate　the　difficulty　of　sincere　confession　of　sin；　and　that　to　do　it　as　it　should；　is　no　such　easy　thing。

To　right　confession　of　sin；　several　things　must　go：　　as；

1。　　There　must　be　sound　conviction　for　sin　upon　the　spirit：　　for　before　a　man　shall　be　convinced　of　the　nature；　aggravation；　and　evil　of　sin；　how　shall　he　make　godly　confession　of　it？　　Now；　to　convince　the　soul　of　sin；　the　law　must　be　set　home　upon　the　conscience　by　the　Spirit　of　God：　　〃For　by　the　law　is　the　knowledge　of　sin。〃　　And　again；　〃I　had　not　known　lust；　unless　the　law　had　said；　Thou　shalt　not　covet；〃　Rom。　vii。　7。　　This　law；　now　when　it　effectually　ministereth　convictionof　sin　to　the　conscience；　doth　it　by　putting　of　life；　and　strength；　and　terror　into　sin。　　By　its　working　on　the　conscience；　it　makes　sin　revive；　〃and　the　strength　of　sin　is　the　law；〃　Rom。　vii。；　1　Cor。　xv。　　It　also　increaseth　and　multiplieth　sin；　both　by　the　revelation　of　God's　anger　against　the　soul；　and　also　by　mustering　up　and　calling　to　view　sins　committed　and　forgotten　time　out　of　mind。　Sin　seen　in　the　glass　of　the　law　is　a　terrible　thing；　no　man　can　behold　it　and　live。　　〃When　the　commandment　came；　sin　revived；　and　I　died；〃　when　it　came　from　God　to　my　conscience；　as　managed　by　an　almighty　arm；　then　it　slew　me。　　And　now　is　the　time　to　confess　sin；　because　now　a　soul　knows　what　it　is；　and　sees　what　it　is；　both　in　the　nature　and　consequence　of　it。

2。　　To　a　right　confession　of　sin；　there　must　be　sound　knowledge　of　God；　especially　as　to　his　justice；　holiness；　righteousness；　and　purity；　wherefore　the　Publican　here　begins　his　confession　by　calling　upon　or　by　the　acknowledgement　of　his　Majesty：　　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner：〃　　As　if　he　should　say；　God；　O　God；　O　great　God；　O　sin…　revenging　God；　I　have　sinned　against　thee；　I　have　broken　thy　law；　I　have　opposed　thy　holiness；　thy　justice；　thy　law；　and　thy　righteous　will。　　O　consuming　fire　（〃for　our　God　is　a　consuming　fire〃）；　I　have　justly　provoked　thee　to　wrath；　and　to　take　vengeance　on　me　for　my　transgressions。　　But　alas！　how　few　that　make　confession　of　sin　have　right　apprehension　of　God；　unto　whom　confession　of　sin　doth　belong。　Alas！　it　is　easy　for　men　to　entertain　such　apprehensions　of　God　as　shall　please　their　own　humours；　to　bear　up　under　the　sense　of　sin；　and　that　shall　make　their　confession　rather　facile　and　fantastical；　than　solid　and　heartbreaking。　　The　sight　and　knowledge　of　the　great　God　is；　to　sinful　man；　the　most　dreadful　thing　in　the　world；　which　makes　confession　of　sin　so　rare。　　Most　men　confess　their　sins　behind　God's　back；　but　few　to　his　face；　and　you　know　there　is　ofttimes　a　vast　difference　in　thus　doing　among　men。

3。　　To　the　right　confession　of　sin；　there　must　be　a　deep　conviction　of　the　terribleness　of　the　day　of　judgment。　　This　John　the　Baptist　inserts；　where　he　insinuates；　that　the　Pharisees'　want　of　（sense　of；　and）　the　true　confession　of　sin；　was　because　they　had　not　been　warned　（or　had　not　taken　the　alarm）　to　flee　from　the　wrath　to　come。　　What　dread；　terror；　or　frightful　apprehension　can　there　be；　where　there　is　no　sense　of　a　day　of　judgment；　and　of　our　giving　unto　God　an　account　for　it？　　Matth。　iii。　7；　Luke　iii。　7。

I　say；　therefore；　to　confession　of　sin；　there　must　be；

（1。）　　A　deep　conviction　of　the　certainty　of　the　day　of　judgment；　namely；　that　such　a　day　is　coming；　that　such　a　day　shall　be。　　This　the　apostle　insinuates；　where　he　saith；　〃God　commandeth　all　men；　every　where；　to　repent：　　because　he　hath　appointed　a　day　in　the　which　he　will　judge　the　world　in　righteousness　by　that　man　whom　he　hath　ordained；　whereof　he　hath　given　assurance　unto　all　men；　in　that　he　hath　raised　him　from　the　dead；〃　Acts　xvii。　30；　31。

This　will　give　a　sense　of　what　the　soul　must　expect　at　that　day　for　sin；　and　so　will　drive　to　an　hearty　acknowledgement　of　it；　and　strong　cries　for　a　deliverance　from　it。　　For　thus　will　the　soul　argue　that　expecteth　the　judgment…day；　and　that　believes　that　it　must　count　for　all。　　O　my　heart！　it　is　in　vain　now　to　dissemble；　or　to　hide；　or　to　lessen　transgressions；　for　there　is　a　judgment　to　come；　a　day　in　which　God　will　judge　the　secrets　of　men　by　his　Son；　and　at　that　day　he　will　bring　to　light　the　hidden　things　of　darkness；　and　will　manifest　the　counsels　of　the　heart。　　If　it　must　be　so　then；　to　what　end　will　it　be　now　to　seek　to　dissemble？　1　Cor。　iv。　5。　　This　also　is　in　the　Old　Testament　urged　as　an　argument　to　cause　youth；　and　persons　of　all　sizes；　to　recall　themselves　to　sobriety；　and　so　to　confession　of　their　sin　to　God；　where　the　Holy　Ghost　saith　ironically；　〃Rejoice；　O　young　man；　in　thy　youth；　and　let　thy　heart　cheer　thee　in　the　days　of　thy　youth；　and　walk　in　the　ways　of　thine　heart；　and　in　the　sight　of　thine　eyes：　　but　know　thou　that　for　all　these　things　God　will　bring　thee　into　judgment。〃　　So　again；　〃God　shall　bring　every　work　into　judgment；　with　every　secret　thing；　whether　it　be　good　or　whether　it　be　evil；〃　Eccles。　xi。　9；　xii。　12；　14。

The　certainty　of　this；　I　say；　must　go　to　the　producing　of　sincere　confession　of　sin；　and　this　is　intimated　by　the　Publican；　who　within　his　confession；　addeth；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃　　As　if　he　should　say；　If　thou　art　not　merciful　to　me；　thy　judgment　shall　swallow　me　up：　　without　thy　mercy　I　shall　not　stand；　but　fall　by　the　judgment　which　thou　hast　appointed。

（2。）　　As　there　must　be；　for　the　producing　of　sincere　confession　of　sin；　a　deep　conviction　of　the　certainty；　so　of　the　terribleness；　of　the　day　of　judgment：　　wherefore　the　apostle；　to　put　men　on　repentance；　which　is　sincere　confession　of　sin；　saith；　〃For　we　must　all　appear　before　the　judgment…seat　of　Christ；　that　every　one　may　receive　the　things　done　in　his　body；　according　to　that　he　hath　done；　whether　it　be　good　or　bad。　　Knowing　therefore　the　terror　of　the　Lord；　we　persuade　men；〃　2　Cor。　v。　10；　11。　　The　terror　of　the　Lord；　as　we　see　here；　he　makes　use　of；　to　persuade　men　to　confession　of　sin；　and　repentance　to　God　for　mercy。

And　I　am　persuaded；　that　one　reason　that　this　day　doth　so　swarm　with　wanton　professors；　is；　because　they　have　not　sound　conviction　for；　nor　go　to　God　with　sincere　confession　of；　sin：　　and　one　cause　of　that　has　been；　that　they　did　never　seriously　fall　in　with；　nor　yet　sink　under　either　the　certainty　or　terribleness；　of　the　day　of　judgment。

O　the　terrors　of　the　Lord！　the　amazing　face　that　will　be　put　upon　all　things　before　the　tribunal　of　God！　　Yea；　the　terror　that　will　then　be　read　in　the　face　of　God；　of　Christ；　of　saints　and　angels；　against　the　ungodly！　　Whoso　believes　and　understands　it；　cannot　live　without　confession　of　sin　to　God；　and　a　coming　to　him　for　mercy。

〃Mountains；　fall　upon　us；　and　cover　us；　and　hide　us　from　the　face　of　him　that　sits　upon　the　throne；　and　from　the　wrath　of　the　Lamb；　for　the　great　day　of　his　wrath　is　come；　and　who　is　able　to　stand？〃　　This　terror　is　also　signified；　where　it　is　said；　〃And　I　saw　a　great　white　throne；　and　him　that　sat　on　it；　from　whose　face　the　（very）　earth　and　the　heaven　fled　away：　　and　there　was　found　no　place　for　them。　　And　I　saw　the　dead；　small　and　great；　stand　before　God：　　and　the　books　were　opened；　and　another　book　was　opened；　which　is　the　book　of　life：　　and　the　dead　were　judged　out　of　those　things　which　were　written　in　the　books；　according　to　their　works。　　And　the　sea　gave　up　the　dead　which　were　in　it；　and　death　and　hell　delivered　up　the　dead　which　were　in　them：　　and　they　were　judged　every　man　according　to　his　works。　　And　death　and　hell　were　cast　into　the　lake　of　fire。　　This　is　the　second　death。　　And　whosoever　was　not　found　written　in　the　book　of　life；　was　cast　into　the　lake　of　fire；〃　Rev。　xx。　　Here　is　terror；　and　this　is　revealed　in　th