the pharisee and the publican-第5章

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on　of　righteousness；　was　not　good；　as　is　manifest　these　two　ways　…

1。　　His　negative　holiness　was　not　universal。

2。　　His　positive　holiness　was　rather　ceremonial　than　moral。

1。　　His　negative　holiness　was　not　universal。　　He　saith　indeed；　he　was　not　an　extortioner；　nor　unjust；　no　adulterer；　nor　yet　as　this　Publican：　　but　none　of　these　expressions　apart；　nor　all；　if　put　together；　do　prove　him　to　be　perfect　as　to　negative　holiness；　that　is；　they　do　not　prove　him；　should　it　be　granted；　that　he　was　as　holy　with　this　kind　of　holiness；　as　himself　of　himself　had　testified。　For；

（1。）　　What　though　he　was　no　extortioner；　he　might　yet　be　a　covetous　man；　Luke　xvi。　14。

（2。）　　What　though；　as　to　dealing；　he　was　not　unjust　to　others；　yet　he　wanted　honesty　to　do　justice　to　his　own　soul；　Luke　xvi。　15。

（3。）　　What　though　he　was　free　from　the　act　of　adultery；　he　might　yet　be　made　guilty　by　an　adulterous　eye；　against　which　the　Pharisee　did　not　watch　（Matt。　v。　28）；　of　which　the　Pharisee　did　not　take　cognizance。

（4。）　　What　though　he　was　not　like　the　Publican；　yet　he　was　like；　yea　was；　a　downright　hypocrite；　he　wanted　in　those　things　wherein　he　boasted　himself；　sincerity；　but　without　sincerity　no　action　can　be　good；　or　accounted　of　God　as　righteous。　　The　Pharisee；　therefore；　notwithstanding　his　boast；　was　deficient　in　his　righteousness；　though　he　would　fain　have　shrouded　it　under　the　right　definition　thereof。

（5。）　　Nor　doth　his　positive　holiness　help　him　at　all；　forasmuch　as　it　is　grounded　mostly；　if　not　altogether；　in　ceremonial　holiness：　　nay；　I　will　recollect　myself；　it　was　grounded　partly　in　ceremonial　and　partly　in　superstitious　holiness；　if　there　be　such　a　thing　as　superstitious　holiness　in　the　world；　this　paying　of　tithes　was　ceremonial；　such　as　came　in　and　went　out　with　the　typical　priesthood。　But　what　is　that　to　positive　holiness；　when　it　was　but　a　small　pittance　by　the　by。　　Had　the　Pharisee　argued　plainly　and　honestly；　I　mean；　had　he　so　dealt　with　that　law；　by　which　now　he　sought　to　be　justified；　he　should　have　brought　forth　positive　righteousness　in　morals；　and　should　have　said　and　proved　it　too；　that　as　he　was　no　wicked　man　with　reference　to　the　act　of　wickedness；　he　was　indeed　a　righteous　man　in　acts　of　moral　virtues。　　He　should；　I　say；　have　proved　himself　a　true　lover　of　God；　no　superstitious　one；　but　a　sincere　worshipper　of　him；　for　this　is　contained　in　the　first　table　（Exod。　xx。）；　and　is　so　in　sum　expounded　by　the　Lord　Christ　himself　（Mark　xii。　30）。　　He　should　also；　in　the　next　place；　have　proved　himself　truly　kind；　compassionate；　liberal；　and　full　of　love　and　charity　to　his　neighbour；　for　that　is　the　sum　of　the　second　table；　as　our　Lord　doth　expound　it；　saying；　〃Thou　shalt　love　thy　neighbour　as　thyself；〃　Mark　xii。　31。

True；　he　says；　he　did　them　no　hurt；　but　did　he　do　them　good？　　To　do　no　hurt；　is　one　thing；　and　to　do　good；　is　another；　and　it　is　possible　for　a　man　to　do　neither　hurt　nor　good　to　his　neighbour。　　What　then；　is　he　a　righteous　man　because　he　hath　done　him　no　hurt？　　No；　verily；　unless；　to　his　power；　he　hath　also　done　him　good。

It　is　therefore　a　very　fallacious　and　deceitful　arguing　of　the　Pharisee；　thus　to　speak　before　God　in　his　prayers：　　I　am　righteous；　because　I　have　not　hurt　my　neighbour；　and　because　I　have　acted　in　ceremonial　duties。　　Nor　will　that　help　him　at　all　to　say；　he　gave　tithes　of　all　that　he　possessed。　　It　had　been　more　modest　to　say；　that　he　had　paid　them；　for　they；　being　commanded；　were　a　due　debt；　nor　could　they　go　before　God　for　a　free　gift；　because；　by　the　commandment；　they　were　made　a　payment；　but　proud　men　and　hypocrites　love　so　to　word　it　both　with　God　and　man；　as　at　least　to　imply；　that　they　are　more　forward　to　do；　than　God's　command　is　to　require　them　to　do。

The　second　part　of　his　positive　holiness　was　superstitious；　for　God　had　appointed　no　such　set　fasts；　neither　more　nor　less　but　just　twice　a…week：　　〃I　fast　twice　a…week。〃　　Ay；　but　who　did　command　thee　to　do　so；　other　than　by　thy　being　put　upon　it　by　a　superstitious　and　erroneous　conscience；　doth　not；　nor　canst　thou　make　to　appear。　　This　part；　therefore；　of　this　positive　righteousness；　was　positive　superstition；　and　abuse　of　God's　law；　and　a　gratification　of　thy　own　erroneous　conscience。　　Hitherto；　therefore；　thou　art　defective　in　thy　so　seemingly　brave　and　glorious　righteousness。

Yet　this　let　me　say；　in　commendation　of　the　Pharisee；　in　my　conscience　he　was　better　than　many　of　our　English　Christians；　for　many　of　them　are　so　far　off　from　being　at　all　partakers　of　positive　righteousness；　that　neither　all　their　ministers；　Bibles；　and　good　books；　good　sermons；　nor　yet　God's　judgments；　can　persuade　them　to　become　so　much　as　negatively　holy；　that　is；　to　leave　off　evil。

The　second　thing　that　I　take　notice　of　in　this　prayer　of　the　Pharisee；　is　his　manner　of　delivery；　as　he　stood　praying　in　the　temple：　　〃God；　I　thank　thee；〃　said　he；　〃that　I　am　not　as　other　men　are。〃　　He　seemed　to　be　at　this　time　in　more　than　an　ordinary　frame；　while　now　he　stood　in　the　presence　of　the　divine　Majesty：　　for　a　prayer　made　up　of　praise；　is　a　prayer　made　up　of　the　highest　order；　and　is　most　like　the　way　of　them　that　are　now　in　a　state　beyond　prayer。　　Praise　is　the　work　of　heaven；　but　we　see　here；　that　an　hypocrite　may　get　into　that　vein；　even　while　an　hypocrite；　and　while　on　earth　below。　　Nor　do　I　think　that　this　prayer　of　his　was　a　premeditated　stinted　form；　but　a　prayer　extempore；　made　on　a　sudden　according　to　what　he　felt；　thought；　or　understood　of　himself。

Here　therefore　we　may　see；　that　even　prayer；　as　well　as　other　acts　of　religious　worship；　may　be　performed　in　great　hypocrisy；　although　I　think；　that　to　perform　prayer　in　hypocrisy；　is　one　of　the　most　daring　sins　that　are　committed　by　the　sons　of　men。　　For　by　prayer；　above　all　duties；　is　our　most　direct　and　immediate　personal　approach　into　the　presence　of　God；　as　there　is　an　uttering　of　things　before　him；　especially　a　giving　to　him　of　thanks　for　things　received；　or　a　begging　that　such　and　such　things　might　be　bestowed　upon　me。　　But　now；　to　do　these　things　in　hypocrisy　（and　it　is　easy　to　do　them　so；　when　we　go　up　into　the　temple　to　pray）；　must　needs　be　intolerable　wickedness；　and　it　argueth　infinite　patience　in　God；　that　he　should　let　such　as　do　so　arise　alive　from　their　knees；　or　that　he　should　suffer　them　to　go　away　from　the　place　where　they　stand；　without　some　token　or　mark　of　his　wrath　upon　them。

I　also　observe；　that　this　extempore　prayer　of　the　Pharisee　was　performed　by　himself；　or　in　the　strength　of　his　own　natural　parts；　for　so　the　text　implieth。　　〃The　Pharisee；〃　saith　the　text；　〃stood　and　prayed　thus　with　himself；〃　or　〃by　himself；〃　and　may　signify；　either　that　he　spoke　softly；　or　that　he　made　this　prayer　by　reason　of　his　natural　parts。　　〃I　will　pray　with　the　Spirit；〃　said　Paul；　1　Cor。　xiv。　15。　　〃The　Pharisee　prayed　with　himself；〃　said　Christ。　　It　is　at　this　day　wonderfully　common　for　men　to　pray　extempore　also；　to　pray　by　a　book；　by　a　premeditated　set　form；　is　now　out　of　fashion。　　He　is　counted　nobody　now；　that　cannot　at　any　time；　at　a　minute's　warning；　make　a　prayer　of　half　an　hour　long。　　I　am　not　against　extempore　prayer；　for　I　believe　it　to　be　the　best　kind　of　praying；　but　yet　I　am　jealous；　that　there　are　a　great　many　such　prayers　made；　especially　in　pulpits　and　public　meetings；　without　the　breathing　of　the　Holy　Ghost　in　them；　for　if　a　Pharisee　of　old　could　do　so；　why　not　a　Pharisee　do　the　same　now？　　Wit　and　reason；　and　notion；　are　not　screwed　up　to　a　very　great　height；　nor　do　men　want　words；　or　fancies；　or　pride；　to　make　them　do　this　thing。　　Great　is　the　formality　of　religion　this　day；　and　little　the　power　thereof。　　Now；　where　there　is　a　great　form；　and　little　power　（and　such　there　was　among　the　Jews；　in　the　time　of　our　Lord　and　Saviour　Jesus　Christ）；　there　men　are　most　strangely　under　the　temptation　to　be　hypocrites；　for　nothing　doth　so　properly　and　directly　oppose　hypocrisy；　as　the　power　and　glory　of　the　things　we　profess。　　And　so；　on　the　contrary；　nothing　is　a　greater　temptation　to　hypocrisy；　than　a　form　of　knowledge　of　things　without　the　savour　thereof。　　Nor　can　much　of　the　power　and　savour　of　the　things　of　the　gospel　be　seen　at　this　day　upon　professors　（I　speak　not　now　of　all