Numbers speak about the Pharisee and the Publican, who know nothing of the truth that is here revealed. But how is it with ourselves as to this? Have we been brought to take the Publican's place before God? and is that tile ground on which we now stand before _Him? I do not ask whether we are still saying, " God be merciful to me a sinner." The Publican would not say that, when he had gone down to his house justified. But he would still be upon the same ground as that he took, when not daring to lift up his eyes to heaven, he-stood and smote upon his heart and said, "God be merciful to me. a sinner."
The Pharisee took the ground of what he was. He does not take to himself openly the credit of what he was and did. He does not say, I thank myself that I am this and that and the-other. He was quite as orthodox in that respect as numbers. in the present day, who are looking within for their ground of peace, and who say, " we give God the glory of all that we hope He has wrought in us, and own Him as the One who has produced it all."
But if He has produced anything in our souls, it is riot for us to rest upon, or to glory in, or find peace in. We are upon the Pharisee's ground if we found our peace upon anything that we may suppose grace to have wrought, in us. He thanked God, but it was for what he was, what he did, and what lie did not. These formed tile ground on which his soul sought to stand before God. And though he did stand; he was self deceived; Inc was on perfectly good terms with himself. " God, I thank Thee I am not as other men are," &c. And there are numbers in the present day, bearing the name of Christ, professing, in words, to have no confidence but Christ; numbers who would he shocked at the idea of attributing salvation to any but Christ, who are yet practically and really taking the Pharisee's ground before God. Where such persons have any real work of God in their souls, they are destitute of peace. Where there is thorough self-deception, men may thank God that they are not as other men. But supposing there is any idea of what man is before God, and yet the attempt to take this ground, misery must be the result.
It may be the ground. on which some who read this are seeking to stand, who,-if' asked, Do you take the ground of this Pharisee? would say, "Oh, no!" Then what ground do you take? What are you wishing to stand upon before God? is not this the reason you allege for not having peace, that you do not find in yourselves such fruit as would be certain marks of your being God's children? or if sometimes you hope that you see some such marks, you cannot always find. them, and therefore you are so cast down and desponding. Is not this the way in which you explain your own state.?.or perhaps with some examples of rare devotedness before your eyes you say, If I were but such an one And what if you were! Would it do then to say, " God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are?" What are you wishing and seeking? You are wishing and seeking to be something better than you are, in order to stand before God. And you could have your wish and be that, would you stand upon it? Then you would be the Pharisee outright.
But what was the Publican's ground? There was the deepest sense of what he was-a sinner; and he was not even asking to be something better. No doubt he did desire deliverance. He would not have been so troubled about his state if he had been content to be a sinner. He had the deepest sense of what he was; but what was his hope? his resource.? the only door open before him? It was what God is, and what God is to what he knew himself to be. It was, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." When the soul is once brought there, there is no doubt as to the issue. The word of God contains an answer now to such a state of soul as was not found even while our Lord was upon earth. God's perfect, blessed answer is in the fulfillment of the Savior's own prediction of His sufferings and blood-shedding on the cross. There was the answer on Christ's part to God, for all the sin, let it be what it may, upon your conscience. There is also God's answer, on His own part, in the love that gave Christ to take the sinner's place, and stand in the simmer's stead, and die the sinner's death; the answer, on God's part to the cry, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"
Oh! that some who read this, may, through God's own teaching, be led to see how mercy has interposed-how mercy has triumphed-may you see something of the height and length and depth and breadth of mercy, God's mercy, the sinner's only refuge, his only resource. It is not mercy without atonement, without sacrifice, without the full vindication of God's holiness and righteousness. It is not mercy at the expense of these. But as sin has reigned unto death, even so grace now reigns " through righteousness, unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." W. K.