the pharisee and the publican-第6章

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r　and　savour　of　the　things　of　the　gospel　be　seen　at　this　day　upon　professors　（I　speak　not　now　of　all）；　if　their　notions　and　conversations　be　compared　together。　　How　proud；　how　covetous；　how　like　the　world　in　garb　and　guise；　in　words　and　actions；　are　most　of　the　great　professors　of　this　our　day！　　But　when　they　come　to　divine　worship；　especially　to　pray；　by　their　words　and　carriage　there；　one　would　almost　judge　them　to　be　angels　in　heaven。　But　such　things　must　be　done　in　hypocrisy；　as　also　the　Pharisee's　was。

〃The　Pharisee　stood　and　prayed　thus　with　himself。〃

And　in　that　it　is　said　he　prayed　with　himself；　it　may　signify；　that　he　went　in　his　prayer　no　further　than　his　sense　and　reason；　feeling　and　carnal　apprehensions　went。　　True　Christian　prayer　ofttimes　leaves　sense　and　reason；　feeling　and　carnal　apprehensions；　behind　it；　and　it　goeth　forth　with　faith；　hope；　and　desires　to　know　what　at　present　we　are　ignorant　of；　and　that　unto　which　our　sense；　feeling；　reason；　&c。；　are　strangers。　　The　apostle　indeed　doth　say；　〃I　will　pray　with　the　understanding；〃　1　Cor。　xiv。　15；　but　then　it　must　be　taken　for　an　understanding　spiritually　enlightened。　　I　say；　it　must　be　so　understood；　because　the　natural　understanding；　as　such；　receiveth　not　the　things　of　God；　therefore　cannot　pray　for　them；　for　they　to　such　are　foolish　things；　1　Cor。　ii。　14。

Now；　a　spiritually　enlightened　understanding　may　be　officious　in　prayer　these　ways　…

1。　　As　it　has　received　conviction　of　the　truth　of　the　being　of　the　Spirit　of　God；　for　to　receive　conviction　of　the　truth　and　being　of　such　things；　comes　from　the　Spirit　of　God；　not　from　the　law；　sense；　or　reason；　1　Cor。　ii。　10…12。　　Now　the　understanding　having；　by　the　Holy　Ghost；　received　conviction　of　the　truth　of　things；　draweth　out　the　heart　to　cry　in　prayer　to　God　for　them。　　Therefore　he　saith；　he　would　pray　with　the　understanding。

2。　　The　spiritually　enlightened　understanding　hath　also　received；　by　the　Holy　Ghost；　conviction　of　the　excellency　and　glory　of　the　things　that　are　of　the　Spirit　of　God；　and　so　inflameth　the　heart　with　more　fervent　desires　in　this　duty　of　prayer；　for　there　is　a　supernatural　excellency　in　the　things　that　are　of　the　Spirit：　　〃For　if　the　ministration　of　death　（to　which　the　Pharisee　adhered）；　written　and　engraven　in　stones；　was　glorious；　so　that　the　children　of　Israel　could　not　steadfastly　behold　the　face　of　Moses；　for　the　glory　of　his　countenance；　which　glory　was　to　be　done　away；　how　shall　not　the　ministration　of　the　Spirit　be　rather　glorious？　　For　if　the　ministration　of　condemnation　be　glory；　much　more　doth　the　ministration　of　righteousness　exceed　in　glory：　　for　even　that　which　was　made　glorious　hath　no　glory　in　this　respect；　by　reason　of　the　glory　that　excelleth；〃　2　Cor。　iii。　7…10。　　And　the　Spirit　of　God　sheweth；　at　least；　some　things　of　that　excellent　glory　of　them　to　the　understanding　that　it　enlighteneth；　Eph。　i。　17…19。

3。　　The　spiritually　enlightened　understanding　hath　also　thereby　received　knowledge；　that　these　excellent　supernatural　things　of　the　Spirit　are　given　by　covenant　in　Christ　to　those　that　love　God；　and　are　beloved　of　him。　　〃Now　we　have　received；〃　says　Paul；　〃not　the　spirit　of　the　world　（that　the　Pharisee　had）；　but　the　Spirit　which　is　of　God；　that　we　make　know　the　things　that　are　freely　given　to　us　of　God；〃　1　Cor。　ii。　12。　　And　this　knowledge；　that　the　things　of　the　Spirit　of　God　are　freely　given　to　us　of　God；　puts　yet　a　greater　edge；　more　vigour；　and　yet　further　confidence；　into　the　heart　to　ask　for　what　is　mine　by　gift；　by　a　free　gift　of　God　in　his　Son。　　But　all　these　things　the　poor　Pharisee　was　an　utter　stranger　to；　he　knew　not　the　Spirit；　nor　the　things　of　the　Spirit；　and　therefore　must　neglect　faith；　judgment；　and　the　love　of　God；　Matt。　xxiii。　23；　Luke　xi。　42；　and　follow　himself　only；　as　to　his　sense；　feeling；　reason；　and　carnal　imagination　in　prayer。

He　stood　and　prayed　thus　〃with　himself。〃　　He　prayed　thus；　talking　to　himself；　for　so　also　it　may　（I　think）　be　understood。　　It　is　said　of　the　unjust　judge；　〃he　said　within　himself；　Though　I　fear　not　God；　nor　regard　man；〃　&c。；　Luke　xviii。　4；　that　is；　he　said　it　to　himself。　　So　the　Pharisee　is　said　to　pray　with　himself：　　God　and　the　Pharisee　were　not　together；　there　was　only　the　Pharisee　and　himself。　　Paul　knew　not　what　to　pray　for　without　the　Holy　Ghost　joined　himself　with　him；　and　helping　him　with　groans　unutterable；　but　the　Pharisee　had　no　need　of　that；　it　was　enough　that　he　and　himself　were　together　at　this　work；　for　he　thought　without　doubting　that　he　and　himself　together　could　do。　　How　many　times　have　I　heard　ancient　men；　and　ancient　women　at　it　with　themselves；　when　all　alone　in　some　private　room；　or　in　some　solitary　path；　and　in　their　chat　they　have　been　sometimes　reasoning；　sometimes　chiding；　sometimes　pleading；　sometimes　praying；　and　sometimes　singing；　but　yet　all　has　been　done　by　themselves　when　all　alone；　but　yet　so　done；　as　one　that　has　not　seen　them　must　needs　have　concluded　that　they　were　talking；　singing；　and　praying　with　company；　when　all　that　they　had　said；　they　did　it　with　themselves；　and　had　neither　auditor　nor　regarder。

So　the　Pharisee　was　at　it　with　himself；　he　and　himself　performed；　at　this　time；　the　duty　of　prayer。　　Now　I　observe；　that　usually　when　men　do　speak　to　or　with　themselves；　they　greatly　strive　to　please　themselves：　　therefore　it　is　said；　there　is　a　man　〃that　flattereth　himself　in　his　own　eyes；　until　his　iniquity　be　found　to　be　hateful；〃　Psalm　xxxvi。　2。　　He　flattereth　himself　in　his　own　way；　according　as　his　sense　and　carnal　reason　dictate　to　him；　and　he　might　do　it　as　well　in　prayer　as　in　any　other　way。　　Some　men　will　so　hear　sermons　and　apply　them　that　they　may　please　themselves；　and　some　men　will　pray；　but　will　refuse　such　words　and　thoughts　in　prayer　as　will　not　please　themselves。

O　how　many　men　speak　all　that　they　speak　in　prayer；　rather　to　themselves；　or　to　their　auditory；　than　to　God　that　dwelleth　in　heaven。　　And　this　I　take　to　be　the　manner；　I　mean　something　of　the　manner；　of　the　Pharisee's　praying。　　Indeed；　he　made　mention　of　God；　as　also　others　do；　but　he　prayed　with　himself　to　himself；　in　his　own　spirit；　and　to　his　own　pleasing；　as　the　matter　of　his　prayer　doth　manifest。　　For　was　it　not　pleasant　to　this　hypocrite；　think　you；　to　speak　thus　well　of　himself　at　this　time？　　Doubtless　it　was。　　Also　children　and　fools　are　of　the　same　temper　with　hypocrites；　as　to　this：　　they　also　love；　without　ground；　as　the　Pharisee；　to　flatter　themselves　in　their　own　eyes；　〃But　not　he　that　commendeth　himself　is　approved。〃

〃God；　I　thank　thee；　I　am　not　as　other　men　are；　extortioners；　unjust；　adulterers；　or　even　as　this　Publican；〃　&c。

Thus　he　begins　his　prayer；　and　it　is；　as　was　hinted　before；　a　prayer　of　the　highest　strain。　　For　to　make　a　prayer　all　of　thanksgiving；　and　to　urge　in　that　prayer　the　cause　of　that　thanksgiving；　is　the　highest　manner　of　praying；　and　seems　to　be　done　in　the　strongest　faith；　&c。；　in　the　greatest　sense　of　things。　　And　such　was　the　Pharisee's　prayer；　only　he　wanted　substantial　ground　for　his　thanksgiving；　to　wit；　he　wanted　proof　of　that　he　said；　He　was　not　as　other　men　were；　except　he　had　meant；　he　did　not；　that　he　was　even　of　the　worst　sort　of　men：　For　even　the　best　of　men　by　nature；　and　the　worst；　are　all　alike。　〃What；　then；　are　we　better　than　they？　（saith　Paul）；　No；　in　nowise；〃　Rom。　iii。　9。　　So　then　he　failed　in　the　ground　of　his　thankfulness；　and　therefore　his　thankfulness　was　grounded　on　untruth；　and　so　became　feigned　and　self…flattering；　and　could　not　be　acceptable　with　the　God　of　heaven。

Besides；　in　this　high　prayer　of　the　Pharisee；　he　fathered　that　upon　God　which　he　could　by　no　means　own；　to　wit；　that　he　being　so　good　as　he　thought　himself　to　be；　was　through　distinguishing　love　and　favour　of　God〃God；　I　thank　thee；　that　I　am　not　as　other　men　are。〃　　I　thank　thee；　that　thou　hast　made　me　better　than　others；　I　thank　thee　that　my　condition　is　so　good；　and　that　I　am　so　far　advanced　above　my　neighbour。

There　are　several　things　flow　from　this　prayer　of　the　Pharisee　that　are　worth　our　observation：　　as　…

1。　　That　the　Pharisees　and　hypocrites　do　not　love　to　count　themselves　sinners；　when　they　stand　before　God。

They　choose　rather　to　commend　themselves　befo