the pharisee and the publican-第30章

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　book　of　life；　was　cast　into　the　lake　of　fire；〃　Rev。　xx。　　Here　is　terror；　and　this　is　revealed　in　the　word　of　God；　that　sinners　might　hear　and　consider　it；　and　so　come　and　confess；　and　implore　God's　mercy。

The　terror　of　the　Lord；　how　will　it　appear；　when　he　〃shall　be　revealed　from　heaven　with　his　mighty　angels；　in　flaming　fire；　taking　vengeance　on　them　that　know　not　God；　and　that　obey　not　the　gospel　of　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ！〃　　2　Thess。　i。　7…9。

The　terror　of　the　Lord；　how　will　it　appear；　when　his　wrath　shall　burn　and　flame　out　like　an　oven　or　a　fiery　furnace　before　him；　while　the　wicked　stand　in　his　sight！　　Matt。　xiii。　50。

The　terror　of　the　Lord；　how　will　it　appear；　while　the　angels　at　his　command　shall　gather　the　wicked　to　burn　them！　　〃As　the　tares　are　gathered　and　burned　in　the　fire；　so　shall　it　be　in　the　end　of　this　world。　　The　Son　of　man　shall　send　forth　his　angels；　and　they　shall　gather　together　out　of　his　kingdom　all　things　that　offend；　and　them　that　do　iniquity；　and　shall　cast　them　into　a　furnace　of　fire；　where　there　shall　be　wailing　and　gnashing　of　teeth；〃　Matt。　xiii。　40…42。　Who　can　conceive　this　terror！　much　more　unable　are　men　to　express　it　with　tongue　or　pen；　yet　the　truly　penitent　and　sin…confessing　Publican　hath　apprehension　so　far　thereof；　by　the　word　of　the　testimony；　that　it　driveth　him　to　God　with　a　confession　of　sin　for　an　interest　in　God's　mercy。　　But；

4。　　To　right　and　sincere　confession　of　sin　there　must　be　a　conviction　of　a　probability　of　mercy。　　This　also　is　intimated　by　the　Publican　in　his　confession；　〃God　（saith　he）　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃　　He　had　some　glimmerings　of　mercy；　some　conviction　of　a　probability　of　mercy；　or　that　he　might　obtain　mercy　for　his　pardon；　if　he　went　and　with　unfeigned　lips　did　confess　his　sins　to　God。

Despair　of　mercy　shuts　up　the　mouth；　makes　the　heart　hard；　and　drives　a　man　away　from　God；　as　is　manifest　in　the　case　of　Adam　and　the　fallen　angels。　　But　the　least　intimation　of　mercy；　if　the　heart　can　but　touch；　feel；　taste；　or　have　the　least　probability　of　it；　that　will　open　the　mouth；　tend　to　soften　the　heart；　and　to　make　a　very　publican　come　up　to　God　into　the　temple；　and　say；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

There　must　then　be　this　holy　mixture　of　things　in　the　heart　of　a　truly　confessing　publican。　　There　must　be　sound　sense　of　sin；　sound　knowledge　of　God；　deep　conviction　of　the　certainty　and　terribleness　of　the　day　of　judgment；　as　also　of　the　probability　of　obtaining　mercy。　　But　to　come　to　that　which　remains；　I　told　you　that　there　were　two　things　that　did　make　unfeigned　confession　hard。　　The　first　I　have　touched　upon。

Secondly；　And　now　the　second　follows：　　and　that　is；　some　private　leaning　to　some　goodness　a　man　shall　conceit　that　he　hath　done　before；　or　is　doing　now；　or　that　he　purposeth　to　prevail　with　God　for　the　pardon　of　sins。　　This　man；　to　be　sure；　knows　not　sin　in　the　nature　and　evil　of　it；　only　he　has　some　false　apprehensions　about　it。　For　where　the　right　knowledge　of　sin　is　in　the　heart；　that　man　sees　so　much　evil　in　the　least　transgressions；　as　that　it　would　break　the　back　of　all　the　angels　of　heaven　should　the　great　God　impute　it　to　them。　　And　he　that　sees　this　is　far　enough　off　from　thinking　of　doing　to　mitigate　or　assuage　the　rigour　of　the　law；　or　to　make　pardonable　his　own　transgressions　thereby。　　But　he　that　sees　not　this；　cannot　confess　his　transgressions　aright；　for　true　confession　consisteth　in　the　general；　in　a　man's　taking　to　himself　his　transgressions；　with　the　acknowledgment　of　them　to　be　his；　and　that　he　cannot　stir　from　under　them；　nor　do　anything　to　make　amends　for　them；　or　to　palliate　the　rigour　of　justice　against　the　soul。　　And　this　the　Publican　did　when　he　cried；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

He　made　his　sins　his　own；　he　stood　before　God　in　them；　accounting　that　he　was　surely　undone　for　ever；　if　God　did　not　extend　forgiveness　unto　him。　　And　this　is　to　do　as　the　prophet　Jeremiah　bids；　to　wit；　only　to　acknowledge　our　iniquities；　to　acknowledge　them　at　the　terrible　bar　of　God's　justice；　until　mercy　takes　them　out　of　the　way；　not　by　doing；　or　promising　to　do；　either　this　or　that　good　work。　　And　the　reason　of　this　kind　of　confession　is；

（1。）　　Because　this　carrieth　in　it　the　true　nature　of　confession；　to　confess；　and　plead　for　mercy　under　the　crimes　confessed；　without　shifts　and　evasions；　is　the　only　real　simple　way　of　confession。　　〃I　said；　I　will　confess　my　transgressions　to　the　Lord；〃　and　what　then？　〃and　thou　forgavest　the　iniquity　of　my　sin。〃　　Mark；　nothing　comes　in　betwixt　confession　and　forgiveness　of　sin；　Psalm　xxxii。　5；　nothing　of　works　of　righteousness；　nothing　of　legal　amendments；　nothing　but　an　outcry　for　mercy；　and　that　act　is　so　far　off　from　lessening　the　offence；　that　it　greatly　heightens　and　aggravates　it。　　That　is　the　first　reason。

（2。）　　A　second　reason　is；　Because　God　doth　expect　that　the　penitent　confessors　should　not　only　confess；　but　bear　their　shame　on　them：　yea；　saith　God；　〃Be　thou　confounded　also；　and　bear　thine　own　shame：〃　when　God　takes　away　thine　iniquity；　thou　shalt　〃be　confounded；　and　never　open　thy　mouth　more；　because　of　thy　shame；〃　Ezek。　xvi。　52；　54；　62；　63。　　We　count　it　convenient　that　men；　when　their　crimes　and　transgressions　are　to　be　manifested；　that　they　be　set　in　some　open　place　with　a　piece　paper；　wherein　their　transgressions　are　inserted；　that　they　may　not　only　confess；　but　bear　their　own　shame。　　At　the　penitential　confession　of　sinners　God　has　something　to　do；　if　not　before　men；　yet　before　angels；　that　they　may　behold；　and　be　affected；　and　rejoice　when　they　shall　see；　after　the　revelation　of　sin；　the　sinner　taken　into　the　favour　and　abundant　mercy　of　God；　Luke　xv。

（3。）　　A　third　reason　is；　for　that　God　will；　in　the　forgiveness　of　sin；　magnify　the　riches　of　his　mercy；　but　this　cannot　be；　if　God　shall　suffer；　or　accept　of　such　confession　of　sin；　as　is　yet　intermixed　with　those　things　that　will　darken　the　heinousness　of　the　offence。

That　God；　in　the　salvation；　and　so　in　the　confession；　of　the　sinner；　designs　the　magnifying　of　his　mercy；　is　apparent　enough　from　the　whole　current　of　scripture；　and　that　any　of　the　things　now　mentioned　will；　if　suffered　to　be　done；　darken　and　eclipse　this　thing；　is　evident　to　reason　itself。

Suppose　a　man　stand　indicted　for　treason；　yet　shall　so　order　the　matter　that　it　shall　ring　in　the　country　that　his　offences　are　but　petty　crimes；　though　the　king　shall　forgive　the　man；　much　glory　shall　not　thereby　redound　to　the　riches　and　greatness　of　his　mercy。　　But　let　all　things　lie　naked；　let　nothing　lie　hid　or　covered；　let　sin　be　seen；　shewn；　and　confessed；　as　it　is　in　the　sinner　himself；　and　then　there　will　be　in　his　forgiveness　a　magnifying　of　mercy。

（4。）　　A　fourth　reason　is；　for　else　God　cannot　be　justified　in　his　sayings；　nor　overcome　when　he　is　judged；　Psalm　li。；　Rom。　iii。　　God's　word　hath　told　us　what　sin　is；　both　as　to　its　nature　and　evil　effects；　God's　word　hath　told　us；　that　the　best　of　our　righteousness　is　no　better　than　filthy　rags。　　God's　word　has　also　told　us；　that　sin　is　forgiven　us　freely　by　grace；　and　not　for　the　sake　of　our　amendments：　　and　all　this　God　shews；　not　only　in　the　acts　of　his　mercy　toward；　but　even　in　the　humiliations　and　confessions　of；　the　penitent；　for　God　will　have　his　mercy　to　be　displayed　even　there　where　the　sinner　hath　taken　his　first　step　toward　him：　　〃That　as　sin　hath　reigned　unto　death；　even　so　grace　might　reign　through　righteousness　unto　eternal　life　by　Jesus　Christ　our　Lord；〃　Rom。　v。　21。

（5。）　　A　fifth　reason　is；　because　God　would　have　by　the　Publican's　conversion　others　affected　with　the　displays　and　discoveries　of　wonderful　grace；　but　not　to　cloud　and　cover　it　with　lessening　of　sin。

For　what　will　such　say　when　sin　begins　to　appear　to　conscience；　and　when　the　law　shall　follow　it　with　a　voice　of　words；　each　one　like　a　clap　of　thunder？　　I　say；　what　will　such　say；　when　they　shall　read　that　the　Publican　did　only　acknowledge　his　iniquity；　and　found　grace　and　favour　of　God？　　That　God　is　infinitely　merciful　to　those　or　to　such　as　in　truth　stand　in　need　of　mercy。　　Also；　that　he　sheweth　mercy　of　his　own　good　pleasure；　nothing　moving　him　thereto。

I　say；　this　is　the　way　to　make　others　be　affected　with　mercy；　as　he　saith