I read in Luke, that when Christ was crucified, those spectators that stood to behold the barbarous usage that he endured at the hands of his enemies, smote their breasts and returned. "And all the people (says Luke) that came together to that sight, beholding the things that were done, smote their breasts, and returned, Luke xxiii. 48. Smote their breasts; that is, in token of indignation against, and abhorrence of the cruelty that was used to the Son of God.

Here also we have our Publican smiting upon his breast, in token of indignation against, and abhorrence of his former life; and indeed, without indignation against, and abhorrence of his former life, his repentance had not been good. Wherefore the apostle doth make indignation against sin, and against ourselves, one of the signs of true repentance, 2 Cor. vii. 11. and his indignation against sin in general, and against his former life in particular, was manifested by his smiting upon the breast; even as Ephraim's smiting upon the thigh was a sign and token of his : "Surely," says he, "after that I was turned I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth," Jer. xxxi. 19. Man, when he vehemently dislikes a thing, is very apt to shew a dislike to that thing he hath, by this or another outward gesture; as in snuffing and snorting at it, or in deriding; or, as some say, in blowing of their noses at it, Ezek. viii. 17. Mal. i. 13. Luke xvi. 14. but the Publican here chuseth rather to use this solemn posture; for smiting upon the breast seems to imply a more serious, solemn, grave way or manner of dislike, than any of those last mentioned do.

3. Smiting upon the breast seems to intimate a quarrel with the heart for beguiling, deluding, flattering, seducing, and enticing of him to sin; for as conviction for sin begets in man (I mean if it be thorough) a sense of the sore and plague of the heart, so repentance (if it be right) begets in man an outcry against the heart;

for as much as by that light, by which repentance takes occasion, the sinner is made to see, that the heart is the fountain and well-spring of sin. "For from within,

out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, covetousness," &c. Mark vii. 21, 22, 23. And hence it is, that commonly young converts do complain so of their hearts, calling them wicked, treacherous, deceitful, desperate ones.

Indeed one difference between true and false repentance lieth in this; the man who truly repents, crieth out of his heart; but the other, as Eve upon the serpent, or something else. And that the Publican perceived his heart to be naught, I conclude, by his smiting upon his breast.

4. Smiting upon the breast seems to intimate one apprehensive of some new, sudden, strange, and amazing thing as when a man sees some strange sight in the air, or heareth some sudden or dismal sound in the clouds; why, as he is struck into a deep damp in his mind, so it is a wonder if he can keep or hold back from smiting upon his breast.

Now, oftentimes a sight of God and sense of sin comes to the sinner like a flash of lightening, (not for short continuance, but) for suddenness, and so for surprisal; so that the sinner is struck, taken and captivated to his own amazement, with what so unexpectedly is come upon him. It is said of Paul, at his conversion, that when conviction of his bad life took fast hold of his conscience, he trembled, and was astonished, Acts ix. 6. and although we read not of any particular circumstance of his behaviour under his conviction outwardly, yet it is almost impossible but he must have - some, and those of the most solid sort. For there is such a sympathy betwixt the soul and the body, that the one cannot be in distress or comfort, but the other must partake of, and also signify the same. the same. If it be comfort, then it is shewn, by leaping, skipping, chearfulness of the countenance, or some other outward ges ture. If it be sorrow or heaviness of spirit, then that

is shewed by the body, in weeping, sighing, groaning, shaking of the head, a lowering countenance, stamping, smiting upon the thigh or breast, as here the Publican

did.

We must not therefore look upon these outward actions or gestures of the Publican, to be empty insignificant things; but to be such, that in truth did express and shew the temper, frame, and complexion of his soul. For Christ, the wisdom of God, hath ́ mentioned them to that very end, that in and by them might be held forth, and that men might see, as in a glass, the very emblem of a converted, and truly penitent sinner. "He smote upon his breast."

5. Smiting upon his breast is sometimes to signify a mixture of distrust, joined with hope. And indeed, in young converts, hope and distrust, or a degree of despair, do work and answer one another, as doth the noise of the balance of the watch in the pocket. Life and death is always the motion of the mind then; and this noise continues until faith is stronger grown, and until the soul is better acquainted with the methods and ways of God with a sinner. Yea, was but a carnal man in a convert's heart, and could see, he should discern these two, to wit, hope and fear, to have a continual motion in the soul: wrestling and opposing one another, as doth light and darkness, in striving for the victory.

And hence it is that you find such people so fickle and uncertain in their spirits; now on the mount, then in the valley; now in the sunshine, then in the shade: now warm, then frozen; now bonny and blithe, then in a moment pensive and sad; as thinking of a portion no where but in hell,* This will cause smiting on the breast;

* Regenerate persons find too much carnality in their heart, too much of the old nature mixed with their best duties: such, being truly acquainted with the spirituality of the word and law of God, aud also in some measure sensible of the eivl of their own hearts, see, sufficient cause to complain of carnal corruption abiding in and cleaving to them,

breast; nor can I imagine that the Publican was as yet farther than thus far in the Christian's progress.

6. Smiting upon the breast seems to intimate, that the party so doing is very apprehensive of some great loss that he has sustained, either by negligence, carelessness, foolishness, or the like. And this is the way in which men do lose their souls. Now, to lose a thing, a great thing, the only choice thing that a man has, negligently, carelessly, foolishly, or the like, why it puts aggravations into the thoughts of the loss that the man has sustained, and aggravations into the thoughts of them go out of the soul, and come in upon a sudden, even as the bailiff, or the king's serjeant at arms, and at every appearance of them, makes the soul start, and starting, it smites upon the breast.

I might multiply particulars; but to be brief, we have before us a sensible soul, a sorrowful soul, a penitent soul; one that prays indeed, that prays sensibly, affectionately, effectually; one that sees his loss, that fears and trembleth before God in consideration of it, and one that knows no way but the right way, to secure himself from perishing, to wit, by having humble and hearty recourse to the God of heaven for mercy.

I should now come to speak something by way of use and application; but before I do that, I will briefly draw up, and present you with a few conclusions that in my judgment do naturally flow from the text; therefore in this place I will read over the text again.

"Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, the other a Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the Publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner."

From these words I gather these several conclusions, with these inferences.

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1. It doth not always follow, that they that know God, or love him, or trust in him. clusion is evident by the Pharisee in the text; ed, but he knew not God; he loved not God, he trusted not in God; that is, he knew him not in his Son, nor loved, nor trusted in him. He was, though a praying man, far off from this. Whence it may be inferred, that those that pray not at all cannot be good, cannot know, love, or trust in God. For if the star, though it shine, is not the sun, then surely a clod of dirt cannot be the sun. Why a praying man doth as far outstrip a non-praying man, as a star outstrips a clod of earth. A non-praying man lives like a beast. "The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib but this man doth not know, but this man doth not consider," (Isa. i. 3.) The prayerless man is therefore of no religion, except he be an Atheist, or an Epicurean.Therefore the non-praying man is numbered among the Heathen, and among those that know not God, and is appointed and designed by the sentence of the word to the wrath of God, Psal, lxxix. 6. Jer. x, 25.

2. A second conclusion is, That the man that prays, if in his prayer he pleads for acceptance, either in whole or in part, for his own good deeds, is in a miserable state. This also is gathered from the Pharisee here; he prayed, but in this prayer he pleaded his own good deeds for acceptance, that is, of his person, and therefore went down to his house unjustified. And he is in this condition that doth thus. The conclusion is true, forasmuch as the Pharisee mentioned in the parable is not so spoken of for the sake of that sect of men, but to caution, forewarn, and bid all men take heed, that they by doing as he, procure not his rejection of God, and be sent away from his presence unjustified. I do therefore infer from hence, that if he that pleadeth his own good doing for personal acceptance with God, be thus miserable, then he that teacheth men so to do, is much more miserable. We always conclude, that a ringleader in an evil way, is more

blame