the pharisee and the publican-第32章

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ned　in　his　own　conscience　before　the　tribunal　of　God's　justice。　　He　saith　not　as　the　hypocrite；　Because　I　am　innocent；　surely　his　anger　shall　turn　from　me；　or；　What　have　we　spoken　so　much　against　thee？　　No；　he　is　none　of　these　murmurs　or　complainers；　but　fairly　falls　before　the　law；　witnesses；　judge；　and　jury；　and　consenteth　to　the　verdict；　sentence；　and　testimony　of　each　of　them；　Jer。　ii。　36；　Mal。　ii。　13。

To　illustrate　this　a　little；　suppose　a　malefactor　should　be　arraigned　before　a　judge；　and　that　after　the　witnesses；　jury；　and　judge；　have　all　condemned　him　to　death　for　his　fact；　the　judge　again　should　ask；　him　what　he　can　say　for　himself　why　sentence　of　death　should　not　pass　upon　him？　　Now；　if　he　saith；　Nothing；　but　good　my　lord；　mercy；　he　confesseth　the　indictment；　approveth　of　the　verdict　of　the　jury；　and　consenteth　to　the　judgment　of　the　judge。

The　Publican　therefore　in　crying；　Mercy；　justifieth　the　sentence　of　the　law　that　was　gone　out　against　his　sins。　　He　wrangleth　not　with　the　law；　saying；　that　was　too　severe；　though　many　men　do　thus；　saying；　〃God　forbid；　for　then　woe　be　to　us。〃　　He　wrangleth　not　with　the　witness；　which　was　his　own　conscience；　though　some　will　buffet；　smite；　and　stop　its　mouth；　or　command　it　to　be　silent。　　He　wrangleth　not　with　the　jury；　which　were　the　prophets　and　apostles；　though　some　men　cannot　abide　to　hear　all　that　they　say。　　He　wrangleth　not　with　the　judge；　nor　sheweth　himself　irreverently　before　him；　but　in　all　humble　gestures　that　could　bespeak　him　acquiescing　with　the　sentence；　he　flieth　to　mercy　for　relief。

Nor　is　this　alone　the　way　of　the　Publican；　but　of　other　godly　men　before　his　time。　　When　David　was　condemned；　he　justified　the　sentence　and　the　judge；　out　of　whose　mouth　it　proceeded；　and　so　fled　for　succour　to　the　mercy　of　God；　Psalm　li。　　When　Shemaiah　the　prophet　pronounced　God's　judgments　against　the　princes　of　Judah　for　their　sin；　they　said；　〃The　Lord　is　righteous。〃　　When　the　church　in　the　Lamentations　had　reckoned　up　several　of　her　grievous　afflictions　wherewith　she　had　been　chastised；　she；　instead　of　complaining；　doth　justify　the　Lord；　and　approve　of　the　sentence　that　was　passed　upon　her；　saying；　〃The　Lord　is　righteous；　for　I　have　rebelled　against　his　commandment。〃　　So　Daniel；　after　he　had　enumerated　the　evils　that　befel　the　church　in　his　day；　addeth；　〃Therefore　hath　the　Lord　brought　it　upon　us；　for　the　Lord　our　God　is　righteous　in　all　his　works　which　he　doth：　　for　we　obeyed　not　his　voice；〃　2　Chron。　xii。　6；　Lam。　i。　18；　Dan。　ix。　14。

And　this　is　the　case　with　our　Publican。　　He　has　transgressed　a　law　that　is　holy；　just；　and　good：　　the　witness　that　accuseth　him　of　this　is　God　and　his　conscience；　he　is　also　cast　by　the　verdict　of　holy　men；　and　all　this　he　knows；　and　implicitly　confesses；　even　in　that　he　directs　his　prayer　unto　his　judge　for　pardon。　　And　it　is　one　of　the　excellentest　sights　in　the　world；　to　see　or　understand　a　sinner　thus　honestly　receiving　the　sentence　of　the　law　that　is　gone　out　against　him；　to　see　and　hear　a　Publican　thus　to　justify　God。　　And　this　God　would　have　men　do　for　these　reasons。

1。　　That　it　might　be　conspicuous　to　all　that　the　Publican　has　need　of　mercy。　　This　is　for　the　glory　of　the　justice　of　God；　because　it　vindicates　it　in　its　goings　out　against　the　Publican。　　God　loveth　to　do　things　in　justice　and　righteousness；　when　he　goeth　out　against　men；　though　it　be　but　such　a　going　out　against　them　as　only　tendeth　to　their　conviction　and　conversion。　　When　he　dealt　with　our　father　Abraham　in　this　matter；　he　called　him　to　his　foot；　as　here　he　doth　the　Publican。　　And；　sinner；　if　God　counts　thee　worthy　to　inherit　the　throne　of　glory；　he　will　bring　thee　hither。　　But；

2。　　The　Publican；　by　the　power　of　conviction；　stoops　to；　and　falleth　under；　the　righteous　sentence　gone　forth　against　him；　that　it　might　be　also　manifest；　that　what　afterward　he　shall　receive　is　of　the　mere　grace　and　sovereign　goodness　of　God。　　And　indeed　there　is　no　way　that　doth　more　naturally　tend　to　make　this　manifest　than　this。　　For　thus；　there　is　a　man　proceeded　against　for　life　by　the　law；　and　the　sentence　of　death　is；　in　conclusion；　most　justly　and　righteously　passed　upon　him　by　the　judge。　　Suppose　now；　that　after　this；　this　man　lives；　and　is　exalted　to　honour；　enjoys　great　things；　and　is　put　into　place　of　trust　and　power；　and　that　by　him　that　he　has　offended；　even　by　him　that　did　pass　the　sentence　upon　him。

What　will　all　say；　or　what　will　they　conclude；　even　upon　the　very　first　hearing　of　this　story？　　Will　they　not　say；Well；　whoever　he　was　that　found　himself　wrapped　up　in　this　strange　providence；　must　thank　the　mercy　of　a　gracious　prince；　for　all　these　things　bespeak　grace　and　favour。　　But；

3。　　As　the　Publican　falleth　willingly　under　the　sentence；　and　justifieth　the　passing　of　it　upon　him；　so　by　his　flying　to　mercy　for　help；　he　declareth　to　all　that　he　cannot　deliver　himself：　　he　putteth　help　away　from　himself；　or　saith；　It　is　not　in　me。

This；　I　say；　is　another　thing　included　in　this　prayer；　and　it　is　a　thing　distinct　from　that。　　For　it　is　possible　for　a　man　to　justify；　and　fall　under；　the　sentence　of　the　judge；　and　yet　retain　that　with　himself　that　will　certainly　deliver　him　from　that　sentence　when　it　has　done　its　worst。　　Many　have　held　up　their　hand；　and　cried　Guilty；　at　the　bar；　and　yet　have　fetched　themselves　off　for　all　that；　but　then　they　have　not　pleaded　mercy　（for　he　that　doth　so；　puts　his　life　altogether　into　the　hands　of　another）；　but　privilege　or　good　deeds；　either　done　or　to　be　done　by　them。　　But　the　Publican　in　our　text　puts　all　out　of　his　own　hand；　and　in　effect　saith　to　that　God　before　whom　he　went　up　into　the　temple　to　pray；　Lord；　I　stand　here　condemned　at　the　bar　of　thy　justice；　and　that　worthily；　for　the　sentence　is　good；　and　hath　in　righteousness　gone　out　against　me：　　nor　can　I　deliver　myself：　　I　heartily　and　freely　confess　I　cannot；　wherefore　I　betake　myself　only　to　thy　mercy；　and　do　pray　thee　to　forgive　the　transgressions　of　me　a　sinner。　　O　how　few　be　there　of　such　kind　of　publicans；　I　mean　of　publicans　thus　made　sensible；　that　come　unto　God　for　mercy！

Mercy；　with　most；　is　rather　a　compliment；　I　mean　while　they　plead　it　with　God；　than　a　matter　of　absolute　necessity；　they　have　not　awfully；　and　in　judgment　and　conscience；　fallen　under　the　sentence；　nor　put　themselves　out　of　all　plea　but　the　plea　of　mercy；　indeed；　thus　to　do　is　the　effect　of　the　proof　of　the　vanity　and　emptiness　of　all　experiments　made　use　of　before。

Now；　there　is　a　twofold　proof　of　experiments；　the　one　is　the　result　of　practice；　the　other　is　the　result　of　faith。

The　woman　with　her　bloody　issue　made　her　proof　by　practice；　when　she　had　spent　all　that　she　had　upon　physicians；　and　was　nothing　bettered；　but　rather　grew　worse；　Mark　v。　　But　our　Publican　here　proves　the　emptiness　and　vanity　of　any　other　helps；　by　one　cast　of　faith　upon　the　contents　of　the　Bible；　and　by　another　look　upon　his　present　state　of　condemnation；　wherefore　he　presently；　without　any　more　ado；　condemneth　all　other　helps；　ways；　modes；　or　means　of　deliverance；　and　betakes　himself　only　to　the　mercy　of　God：　　saying；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

And　herein　he　sheweth　wonderful　wisdom。　　For；

1。　　By　this　he　thrusts　himself　under　the　shelter　and　blessing　of　the　promise；　and　I　am　sure　it　is　better　and　safer　to　do　so；　than　to　rely　upon　the　best　of　excellencies　that　this　world　can　afford：　　Hos。　xiv。　1…3。

2。　　He　takes　the　ready　way　to　please　God：　　for　God　takes　more　delight　in　shewing　of　mercy　than　in　any　thing　that　we　can　do；　Hos。　vi。　6；　Matt。　ix。　13；　xii。　7。　　Yea；　and　that　also　is　the　man　that　pleaseth　him；　even　he　that　hopes　in　his　mercy；　Psalm　cxlvii。　11。　　The　Publican；　therefore；　whatever　the　Pharisee　might　think；　stood　all　this　while　upon　sure　ground；　and　had　by　far　the　start　of　him　for　heaven。　　Alas！　his　dull　head　could　look　no　further　than　to　the　conceit　of　the　pitiful　beauty　and　splendour　of　his　own　filthy　righteousness。　　Nor　durst　he　leave　that　to　trust　wholly　to　the　mercy　of　God；　but　the　Publican　comes　out；　though　in　his　sins；　yet　like　an　awakened；　enlightened；　resolved　man；　and　first　abases　himself；　then　gives　God　the　glory　of　his　justice；　and　after　that　the　glory　of　his　mercy；　by　saying；　〃God　be　merciful