the pharisee and the publican-第23部分

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ing　sensible　either　what　sin　is；　or　of　their　need　of　mercy。　　And　such　sinners　shall　find　their　speed　in　the　Publican's　prayer　far　otherwise　than　the　Publican　sped　himself；　it　will　happen　unto　them　much　as　it　happened　unto　the　vagabond　Jews；　exorcists；　who　took　upon　them　to　call　over　them　that　had　evil　spirits；　the　name　of　the　Lord　Jesus；　that　were　beaten　by　that　spirit；　and　made　fly　out　of　that　house　naked　and　wounded；　Acts　xix。　13。　　Poor　sinner；　thou　wilt　say　the　Publican's　prayer；　and　make　the　Publican's　confession；　and　say；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃　But　hold；　dost　thou　do　it　with　the　Publican's　heart；　sense；　dread；　and　simplicity？　　If　not；　thou　dost　but　abuse　the　Publican　and　his　prayer；　and　thyself　and　his　God；　and　shalt　find　God　rejecting　of　thee　and　thy　prayers；　saying；　The　Publican　I　know；　his　prayers　and　godly　tears　I　know；　but　who　or　what　art　thou？　and　will　send　thee　away　naked。　　They　are　the　hungry　that　he　filleth　with　good　things；　but　the　rich　（and　the　senseless）　he　sendeth　empty　away。

For　my　part；　I　find　it　one　of　the　hardest　things　that　I　can　put　my　soul　upon；　even　to　come　to　God；　when　warmly　sensible　that　I　am　a　sinner；　for　a　share　in　grace　and　mercy。　　Oh！　methinks　it　seems　to　me　as　if　the　whole　face　of　the　heavens　were　set　against　me。　　Yea；　the　very　thought　of　God　strikes　me　through；　I　cannot　bear　up；　I　cannot　stand　before　him；　I　cannot　but　with　a　thousand　tears　say；　〃God　be　merciful　to　me　a　sinner；〃　Ezra　ix。　15。

At　another　time；　when　my　heart　is　more　hard　and　stupid；　and　when　his　terror　doth　not　make　me　afraid；　then　I　can　come　before　him；　and　ask　mercy　at　his　hand；　and　scarce　be　sensible　of　sin　or　grace；　or　that　indeed　I　am　before　God。　　But　above　all；　they　are　the　rare　times；　when　I　can　go　to　God　as　the　Publican；　sensible　of　his　glorious　majesty；　sensible　of　my　misery；　and　bear　up；　and　affectionately　cry；　〃God　me　merciful　to　me　a　sinner。〃

But　again；　the　Publican；　by　his　confession；　sheweth　a　piece　of　the　highest　wisdom　that　a　mortal　man　can　shew；　because；　by　so　doing；　he　engageth　as　well　as　imploreth　the　grace　and　mercy　of　God　to　save　him。　You　see　by　the　text　he　imploreth　it；　and　now　I　will　shew　you　that　he　engageth　it；　and　makes　himself　a　sharer　in　it。

〃He　that　covereth　his　sins　shall　not　prosper；　but　whoso　confesseth　and　forsaketh　them　shall　have　mercy。〃　　And　again；　〃If　we　confess　our　sins；　he　is　faithful　and　just　to　forgive　us　our　sins　and　to　cleanse　us　from　all　unrighteousness；〃　Prov。　xxviii。　13；　1　John。　i。　9。

First；　In　the　promise　of　pardon；　〃he　shall　have　mercy；〃　he　shall　have　his　sins　forgiven。　　As　also　Solomon　prays；　that　God　will　forgive　them　that　know　their　own　sores；　and　they　are　indeed　such　as　are　sensible　of　the　plague　of　their　own　heart；　2　Chron。　vi。　29；　30；　1　Kings　viii。　37；　38。　　And　the　reason　is；　because　the　sinner　is　now　driven　to　the　farthest　point；　for　confession　is　the　farthest　point；　and　the　utmost　bound　unto　which　God　has　appointed　the　Publican　to　go；　with　reference　to　his　work；　as　it　is　said　of　Saul　to　David；　when　he　was　about　to　give　him　Michal　his　daughter　to　wife；　〃I　desire　not　any　dowry；　but　an　hundred　foreskins　of　the　Philistines；　to　be　avenged　of　the　king's　enemies。〃

So　says　God　in　this　matter；　I　desire　no　sacrifices；　nor　legal　righteousness　to　make　thee　acceptable　to　me：　　〃Only　acknowledge　and　confess　thine　iniquity；　that　thou　hast　transgressed　against　me；〃　1　Sam。　xviii。　25；　Jer。　iii。　12；　13。　　And　though　this　by　some　may　be　thought　to　be　a　very　easy　way　to　come　at；　and　partake　of　the　mercy　of　God；　yet　let　the　sensible　sinner　try　it；　and　he　shall　find　it　one　of　the　hardest　things　in　the　world。　　And　there　are　two　things　to　which　man　is　prone；　that　makes　confession　hard：

First；　There　is　a　great　proneness　in　us　to　be　partial；　and　not　thorough　and　plain　in　our　confessions。　　We　are　apt　to　make　half　confessions；　to　confess　some；　and　hide　some；　or　else　to　make　feigned　confessions；　flattering　both　ourselves；　and　also　God；　while　we　make　confession　unto　him；　or　else　to　confess　sin；　as　our　own　fancies　apprehend；　and　not　as　the　word　descries　them。　　These　things　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　Chr