Why, according to his account, it should seem that most other men are extortioners, unjust, adulterers. At all times there are too many such people as these; but his way of mentioning them was merely for the purpose of exalting himself and his own sect, some of whom were equally criminal, though under the mask of religion. It may be, the Pharisee was not an 66 extortioner"-did not cruelly oppress his neighbour; but we have Christ's authority for it that the Pharisees were generally "covetous," and some of them "devoured widows' houses." He says he was not "unjust”—not a knave or a cheat; but could he say he had never coveted his neighbour's goods?—for this is heart-robbery in the sight of God. He says he was not an "adulterer;" it may be so; but our Lord says, that "he who looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery already with her in his heart." Matt. v. 28. But this was the folly of such men; they washed the outside of the cup and the platter, but within they were "full of extortion and excess; righteous without, but full of hypocrisy and iniquity within ;" so Christ declares, Matt. xxiii. 26, &c.

Not content with boasting of himself, he must abuse the poor Publican-"I am not as this Publican." What business had he with the Publican? He ought to have rejoiced to see him in the temple; he might have hoped it was a symptom of his reformation; he should have gone and shaken hands with him, and given him some good advice. But his proud heart spurns at the broken-hearted sinner; just as modern Pharisees, who look upon mourning souls as poor, canting, whining hypocrites, far beneath their notice. There was a great deal of cruelty in this; he could not say his own prayers without putting in a caveat, as it were, against the petition of his poor neighbour.

But the Pharisee has yet more to boast of. He had not only " done nobody any harm," as the vulgar phrase is, but he had been mighty religious; he kept Lent all the year! I fast, said he, twice a week. Occasional fasting, in order to humble ourselves before God for our sins, is very commendable, whether by private persons or public bodies; but the Pharisee's fasting was not for that purpose, but for ostentation, and with a view to merit at the hand of God, as appears by his boasting of it. Besides this, he tells God, he gave tithes of all he possessed; not only of what the law of Moses required, but of the herbs in his garden; he devoted a tenth part of all he had to religious uses, whether titheable or not by the law.

Thus you have the Pharisee's prayer; a prayer which God rejected; for though he justified himself, God did not justify him. And now, my friends, let us examine ourselves. Is there nothing of the Pharisee's spirit in us? Do we not hear people speaking the same language sometimes? Is not this all the hope of some people, that they never did any person harm; that they pay every one his due; and perhaps that they go to church constantly-behave decently-take the sacrament--give alms-and so on? How often do we hear this language on a dying bed? Poor ignorant souls rush into the presence of God with no other foundation for their hope than the Pharisee had; while we hear not a word of, true humility, poverty of spirit, sense of sin, or hope in Jesus, as the sinner's only friend and hope. Oh, Sirs, beware of resembling the Pharisee. Pleas like his may please men, but they will not succeed with God: rather let us resemble the poor broken-hearted Publican, whose character and prayer we next consider.

Ver. 13. "And the Publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but

some

smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner! By a Publican you are not to understand a keeper of a public-house, but a tax-gatherer. The Jews were at this time subject to the Roman emperor, and paid him taxes, which were times farmed by the rich Publicans, who, in the execution of their office, were too often dishonest and oppressive on account of which, and on account of. the taxes themselves, which were vexatious to the Jews, the name of a Publican was abominable, and was classed with that of a harlot or sinner.

Whether this Publican was an extortioner or not, we cannot say. Doubtless he was a sinner; and by some means or other he became a convinced sinner; a penitent sinner, and a praying sinner. Perhaps this was the first time that he ever prayed in his life; for sinning generally keeps men from praying. It is plain that the Spirit of God had humbled his heart; he was one of those blessed men who are "poor in spirit," and he was one of those blessed mourners who "shall be comforted."

Observe his posture-he stood afar off-at a great distance from the holy place, where the priests officiated; he knew this became him, for he had lived at a great distance from God as a sinner; and he knew he deserved that God should for ever behold him afar off.

Observe also his dejected looks-he could not look up he thought it would be presumptuous in him to lift up his eyes to heaven, the habitation of God's glory. Other sinners have thought the same, -David says, Ps. xl. 12, "Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up." But those downcast eyes attracted the eyes of God; he could not lift up his eyes, but he lifted up his heart; and there is no beauty in the sight of God greater

than blushing for sin. "For to this man will I look," saith the Lord, "even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." Isa. lxv. 2.

Another mark of his repentance was his smiting his breast; he knew his heart-he did not think it a good heart, as some very ignorant people speak; no, he knew “the plague of his heart!" he knew it was the seat and source of all his sins, and by smiting on his breast he seemed as if he would take revenge upon his own wicked heart; it expresses his indignation against himself, and the vehemence of his anger against sin. Men and brethren, what do you know of such a disposition as this? When were you thus angry with yourselves, and filled with shame and confusion of face because of your sins? Know this, that such is the temper of all who are taught of God; and if you have never felt in this manner, you are yet strangers to true repentance.

Now we come to his prayer. It was very short, but very good: no man ever offered a better, or to better purpose. Not that the mere words are of any avail: too many people use such words profanely, when they say on a surprise, "God bless us !" or "Lord have mercy on us!" but such praying as this is the way to get a curse, not a blessing. When the Publican said, "God be merciful to me a sinner," he felt what he said; he felt he was a perishing sinner, and he felt an earnest desire for mercy.

He calls himself a sinner, or the sinner, as some would render it; or the chief of sinners, as Paul called himself. The word sinner was a term of reproach among the Jews, and seemed to be applied chiefly to a harlot, or some notorious offender; but the Publican takes it to himself. It is very likely he spake this aloud, in the hearing of the Pharisee, and of others who did not think themselves sinners; for he

was not unwilling to appear before men what he well knew he was before God. He would not have been angry with that sort of preaching which lays men low; nor would he have been displeased with a friend who should have said, You are a very great sinner. But say, my friends, what would you think of a person who would charge you in that manner? Would you not be very angry, and say, “I am no worse than others?" But a true penitent can never find words sufficient to express the sense he has of his own vile

ness.

If we know the meaning and extent of the Ten Commandments, we shall say after each of them, "Lord, have mercy upon us!" And if we see any thing of the holiness, majesty, and glory of the great God, we shall cry with Isaiah, "Woe is me, for I am undone;" or with Job, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." No person truly enlightened will say, as many have done, "I am not a great sinner;" for, in fact, there cannot be a little sinner, unless there were a little law to break, a little God to offend, and a little wrath to incur. It is too common for persons to comfort themselves with the idea that they are not such great sinners as some others; many dying people do this, and even wretches at the gallows have done so. But this is very absurd; for the question is not, whether we have sinned as much as others, but whether we have sinned at all, that is, whether we have broken the holy law of God! If so, we are sinners, and stand exposed to the just wrath of the Most High; nor can we escape it but by partaking of that great mercy for which the Publican prayed.

You will next observe, that his sense of sin and danger put him upon prayer. Many people live without prayer; and what is the reason? They