law for sin condemned, though in his own judgment he be never so righteous.

Men must not be judged, or justified, according to what themselves do think, but according to the verdict and sentence that cometh out of the mouth of God about them. Now, the sentence of God is, "All have sinned: There is none righteous, no not one," Rom. iii. It is no matter, then, what the Pharisee did think of himself; God by his word hath proclaimed him a sinner, by reason of original sin; a sinner, by reason of actual transgresion. Personally, therefore, with reference to the true nature of their state, they both were sinners, and both by the law under condemnation. True, the Publican's leprosy was outwards; but the Pharisee's leprosy was inwards; his heart, his soul, his spirit, was as foul, and had as much the plague of sin, as had the other, in his life and conversation.

one that

A Publi

Secondly, As to their conditions, (I do not mean by condition, so much a habit of mind, as the state that they had each of them put themselves into by that mind.) "The one," says the text, "was a Pharisee, the other a Publican." A Pharisee; that is, hath chosen to himself such a course of life. can; that is one that hath chosen to himself such a course of life. These terms, therefore, shew the divers courses of life that they had put themselves into. The Pharisee, as he thought, had put himself in a con+ dition for heaven and glory; but the Publican was for this world of lusts. Wherefore when the Pharisee stands in the temple, he boasteth of himself and good condition, but condemneth the Publican, and bitterly in veigheth against him. But, as I said, their personal state, by the law, was not at all changed. The Pha risee made himself never the better; the Publican also abode in his place.

Indeed the Publican is here found to recant, and re pent of his condition, and of the condition that he had put himself into; and the Pharisee too boasts of his. But the Publican's repentance was not of himself, but

of

of God, who can also, yea, and sometimes it is evident (Acts ix.) doth make Pharisees also repent of that condition that they have chosen to be in themselves, Phil. iii. 38. The Pharisee, therefore, in commending himself, makes himself never the better; the Publican also, in condemning of himself, makes himself never the worse. Nay, contrariwise, the Pharisee, by commending himself, makes himself much the worse, ver. 14. and the Publican, by condemning of himself, makes himself much the better. "I tell you," says Christ, "this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself, shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted."

But, I say, as to men's commending of themselves, yea, though others should condemn them also, that availeth, to Godward, nothing at all. "For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth." So then," Men in measuring of themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves amongst themselves, are not wise." i Cor. x. 12.

Now this was the way of the Pharisee; "I am not," saith he, "as other men: I am no extortioner, nor unjust, no adulterer, nor yet as this Publican."

"Two men went into the temple to pray;" and they two, as I said, as opposite one to the other, as any twd men that ever went thither to pray. One of them was over righteous, and the other wicked over much. Some would have thought, had they not by the word of Christ been otherwise described, that they had been both of the same religion; for they both went up into the temple to pray; yea, both to pray, and that at the same time, as if they did it by appointment, by agreement; but there was no such thing. The one was a Pharisee, and the other a Publican; for so saith the after words; and therefore persons as opposite as light and darkness, as fire and water; I meam, as to their apprehensions one of another. The Pharisee could not abide the Publican,

Publican, nor could the Publican brook the Pharisee; and yet both went up into the temple to pray, It is

strange to see, and yet it is seen, that men cross in their minds, cross in their principles, cross in their apprehensions, yea, and cross in their prayers too, should yet meet together in the temple to pray.,

Two

"Two men ;" men not of the middle sort, and them two picked out of the best and worst that was: men, a Pharisee and a Publican.

To be a Pharisee was in those days counted honourable for religion, and for holiness of life. A Pharisee was a man of esteem and repute among the Jews, though it is a term of reproach with us; else Paul would not at such a time as he did it, have said, “Men and brethern, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, Acts xxxiii. 6. Phil. iii. 5. For now he stood upon his purgation and justification, especially it appears so by the place first named. And far be it form any to think, that Paul would make use of a colour of wickedness, to save thereby himself from the fury of the people.

A Publican was in those days counted one of the vilest of men, as is manifest; because when they are in the world, by way of discrimination, made mention of, they are ranked with the most vile and base; therefore they are joined with sinners. "He eateth with Publicans and sinners," and with harlots. "Publicans and harlots enter into the kingdon of heaven." Yea, when our Lord Christ would have the rebellious professor stigmatized to purpose, he saith, "Let him be to thee as an Heathen man and a Publican."

We therefore can make no judgment of men upon the outward appearance of them. Who would have thought, but that the Pharisee had been a good man, for he was righteous, for he prayed. And who could have thought, that the other had been a good man? for he was a Publican; a man by good neen and bad men, joined with the worst of men, to wit, with sinners, harlots, and Heathens.

The

"

The Pharisee was a sectarian; the Publican was an officer. The Pharisee, even because he was a sectarian, was had the more in esteem; and the Publican, because he was an officer, was had the more in reproach. To speak a little to both these;

1. The Pharisee was a sectarian; one that deviated, that turned aside in his worshipping, from the way of God, both in matter and manner of worship; for such an one I count a sectarian. That he turned aside from the matter, which is the rule of worship, to wit, the written word, it is evident; for Christ saith, "That they rejected the commandments of God, and made them of no effect, that they might keep their oww traditions." That they turned aside also as to their manner of worship, and became sectarians, there is with no less authority asserted; " For all their works they do for to be seen of men," Acts xxvi. 5. Mark vii. 9.-14. Matt. xxiii. 5. Now, this being none of the order or ordinance of Christ, and yet being chose by, and stuck to of these sort of men, and also made a singular and necessary part of worship, became a sect, or bottom for these hypocri tical factious men to adhere unto, and to make of others disciples to themselves. And that they might be admired, and rendered venerable by the simple people to their fellows, they loved to go in long robes; they loved to pray in markets, and in the corners of the streets; they shewed great zeal for the small things of the law, but had only great words for things that were substantial. They made broad their phylacteries, and enlarged the borders of their garments," Matt. xxiii.

When I say the Pharisee was a sectarian, I do not mean that every sectarian is a Pharisee. There was a sect of the Herodians, and of the Alexandrians, of the Sadduces, with many others; but to be a Pharisee, was to be of the straitest sect: After the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. That therefore, of all the sects was the most strait and strict. Therefore, saith he, in another place, I was taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers." And

again

again, "Touching the law, a Pharisee," Acts xxii. 3. xxvi. 4, 5, 6. Phil. iii. 5. 6. Phil. iii. 5. The Pharisees therefore did carry the bell, and wear the garland of religion: for he out-did, he went beyond all other sectarians in his day. He was strictest, he was the most zealous; therefore Christ, in the making of this parable, waveth all other sects then in being, and pitched upon the Pharisee as the man most meet, by whose rejection he might shew forth and demonstrate the riches of his mercy in its extension to sinners: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee:" such a brave man as you have heard.

2. The Publican also went up thither to pray. The Publican, was an officer; an officer that served the Romans and themselves too; for the Romans at that time were possessors of the land of Jewry, (the lot of Israel's inheritance,) and the emperor Tiberius Cæsar placed over that land four governors, to wit, Pilate, Herod, Philip, and Lysanias; all these were Gentiles, Hea thens, Infidels; and the Publicans were a sort of inferior men, to whom was let out to farm, and so to men that were employed by these to gather up, the taxes and customs that the Heathens had laid upon the Jews to be paid to the Emperor. Luke ii. 1. iii. 1. 2. 12, 13.

But they are a generation of men that were very injurious in the execution of their office. They would exact and demand more than was due of the people; yea, and if their demands were denied, they would falsely accuse those that so denied them to the governor, and by false accusation obtain the money of the people, and so wickedly enrich themselves, (Luke iii. 13. chap. xix. 2, 8.) This was therefore grievous to the Jews, who always counted themselves a free people, and could never abide to be in bondage to any. And this was something of the reason, that they were so generally by all the Jews counted so vile and base, and reckoned among the worst of men, even as our informrers and bum bailiffs are with us at this day.

But