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.

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"Two men went up into the temple to pray, 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, adultcrers, 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.

1. It doth not always follow, that they that pray do know God, or love him, or trust in him. This conclusion is evident by the Pharisee in the text; he prayed, 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, Ixxix. 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 unjus tified. 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

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blame worthy than those that are led of him. This falls hard upon the leading Socinians and others, who teach, that men's works make their persons accepted of God.

True, they say, through Christ: but that is brought merely to delude the simple with, and is an horrible lie; for we read not in all the word of God as to personal justification in the sight of God from the curse, (and that is the question under consideration,) that it must be by man's righteousness, as made prevalent by Christ's, but contrariwise by his, and his only, without the deeds, works, or righteousness of the law, which is our rsghteousness. Wherefore, I say, the teachers and leaders of this doctrine have the greater sin.

3. A third conclusion is, They that use high and flaunting lauguage in prayer, their simplicity and godly sincerity is to be questioned as to the doing of that duty sincerely. This still flows from our text; the Pharisee greatly used this; for higher and more flaunting language can hardly be found, than in the Pharisee's mouth; nor will ascribing to God by the same mouth laud and praise, help the business at all: for to be sure, where the effect is base and rotten, the cause cannot be good.

The Pharisee would hold himself that he was not as other men, and then gives thanks to God for this:But the conclusion was most vilely false, and therefore the praise for it could not but be foolish, vain, and frivolous. Whence I infer, that if to use such language in prayer is dangerous, then to affect the use thereof is yet more dangerous. Prayer must be made with humble hearts and sensible words, and of that we have treated before; wherefore high, flaunting, swelling words of vanity, become not a sinher's mouth; no not at any time; much less when he comes to, and presents himself before God in that solemn duty of prayer. But, I say, there are some that so affect the Pharisee's mode, that they cannot be well if in some way or other they be not in the practice of it, not knowing

what

what they say, nor whereof they affirm; but these are greatly addicted to hypocrisy, and desire of vain-glory, especially if the sound of their words be within the reach of other men's ears.

4. A fourth conclusion is, That reformation and amendment, though good, and before men, are nothing as to justification with God. This is manifest by thecondition of our Pharisee; he was a reformed man, a man beyond others for personal righteousness, yet he went out of the temple from God unjustified; his works came to nothing with God. Hence I infer, that the man that hath nothing to commend him to God of his own, yet stands as fair before God for justification, and so acceptance, as any other man in the world.

5. A fifth conclusion is, It is the sensible sinner, the self-bemoaning sinner, the self-judging sinner, the self-abhorring sinner, and the self-condemning sinner, whose prayers prevail with God for mercy. Hence I infer, that one reason why men make'so many prayers and prevail no more with God, is because their prayers are rather the floatings of Pharisaical fancies, than the fruits of sound sense of sin, and sincere desires of en joying God in mercy, and in the fruits of the Holy Ghost.

upon death, as it is the common fate of men; and he had good reason to do it, for his death was violent; it was also for Christ, and for his church and truth; and it is usual with Paul thus to set out the suffering of the saints, which they undergo for the name and testimony of Jesus. Yea, he will have our prayers a sacrifice; our prayers, thanksgiving, and mortification, sacrifices, alms-deed, and the offering up of the Gentiles, sacrifices, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost; and here his death also must be for a sacrifice, and an acceptable offering to God.

Peter also saith, "We are priests to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ;" of which sacrifices, it seems by Paul, the death of a Christian for Jesus' sake must needs be counted one,

Besides, Paul further insinuates this by some other sentences in his epistles; as by that in the epistle to the Collossians, where he saith, "I now rejoice in my suf ferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church," Colos. i. 24. (not by way of merit, for so Christ alone, and that by once being offered himself, hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified): but his meaning is, that as Christ was offered in sacrifice for his church as a Saviour, so Paul would offer himself as a sacrifice for Christ's church, as a saini, as a minister, and one that was counted faithful. Yea, saith he, and if 1 be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, "I joy and rejoice with you all." This then teacheth us several things worthy our consideration.

1. That the blood of the saints that they lose for his name, is a sweet savour to God. And so saith the Holy Ghost, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints," Psal. cxvi. 15. And again, "He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight," Psal. lxxii. 14.

2. Those that suffer for Christ are of great benefit