rance, pride, self-conceit, and horrible arrogancy, and desire of vain-glory, &c. which are none of them the seat or fruit of righteousness, but the seat of the devil, and the fruit of his dwelling, even at this time, in thy heart.

Could it ever have been imagined, that such audacious impudence could have put itself forth in any mortal man, in his approach unto God by prayer, as has shewed itself in thee? "I am not as other men," sayest thou! But is this the way to go to God in prayer?— The prayer of the upright is God's delight.". But the upright man glorifies God's justice, by confessing to God the vileness and pollution of his state and condition: He glorifies God's mercy, but acknowledging, that that, and that only, as communicated of God by Christ to sinners, can save and deliver from the curse of the law.

This, I say, is the sum of the prayer of the just and upright man, Job. i. 8. xl. 4. Acts xiii. 22. Psal. xxxviii. Psal. li. 2 Sam. vi. 21, 22. and not as thou most vain-gloriously vauntest, with thy, "God, I thank thee, I am not as other men are.”

True, when a man is accused by his neighbours, by a brother, by an enemy and the like, if he be clear, (and he may be so, as to what they shall lay to his charge,) then let him vindicate, justify, and acquit himself, to the utmost that in justice and truth he can; for his name, the preservation whereof is more to be chosen than silver and gold; also his profession, yea, the name of God too, and religion, may now lie at stake, by reason of such false accusations, and perhaps can by no means (as to this man) be covered, and vindicated from reproach and scandal, but by his justifying of himself. Wherefore, in such a work, a man serveth God, and saves religion from hurt: yea, as he that is a professor, and has his profession attended with a good life, and shall suffer it notwithstanding to lie under blame by false accusations, when it is in the power of his hand to justify himself, hurteth religion also.

But the

the case of the Pharisee is otherwise. He is not here a dealing with men, but God: not seeking to stand clear in the sight of the world, but in the sight of heaven itself; and that too, not with respect to what men or angels, but with respect to what God and his law could charge him with, and justly lay at his door.

This therefore mainly altereth the case; for a man here to stand thus upon his point, it is death; for he affronteth God, he giveth him the lie, he reproveth the law; and, in sum, accuseth it of bearing false witness against him; he doth this, I say, even by saying, "God I thank thee, I am not as other men are ;" for God hath made none of this difference. The law condemneth all men as sinners, testifieth, that every imagination of the thought of the heart of the sons of men is only evil, and that continually; wherefore they that do as the Pharisee did, to wit, seek to justify themselves before God from the curse of the law, by their own good doings, though they also, as the Pharisee did, seem to give God the thanks of all, yet do most horribly sin, even by their so doing, and shall receive a Pharisee's reward at last. Wherefore, O thou Pharisee, it is a vain thing for thee either to think of, or to ask for, at God's hand, either mercy or justice. Because mercy thou canst not ask for, from sense of want of mercy, because thy righteousness, which is by law, hath utterly blinded thine eyes, and complimenting with God doth nothing; and as for justice, that can do thee no good: but the more just God is, and the more by that he acteth towards thee, the more miserable and fearful will be thy condition, because of the deficiency of thy so much, by thee, esteemed righte

ousness.

What a deplorable condition then is a poor Pharisee in! For mercy he cannot pray, he cannot pray for it with all his heart; for he seeth indeed no need thereof. True the Pharisee, though he was impudent enough, yet would not take all from God; he would still count, that there was due to him a tribute of thanks: "God,"

I thank

I thank thee," saith he; but yet not a bit of this for mercy; but for that he had let him live, (for I know not for what he did thank himself,) till he had made himself better than other men. But that betterment was a betterment in none other judgment than that of his own, and that was none other but such an one as was false. So then the Pharisee is by this time quite out of doors; his righteousness is worth nothing, his thanks to God are worth nothing, for that what he had was scanty, and imperfect, and it was his pride that made him offer it to God for acceptance; nor could his fawning thanksgiving better his case, or make his matter at all good before God.

But I will warrant you, the Pharisee was so far of from thinking thus of himself, and of his righteousness, that he thought of nothing so much as of this, that he was a happy man; yea, happier by far than other his fellow rationals; yea, he plainly declares it, when he saith, "God, I thank thee, I am not as other men are."

O what a fool's paradise was the heart of the Pharisee now in, while he stood in the temple praying to God! "God, I thank thee," said he; for I am good and holy; I am a righteous man; I have been full of good works; "I am no extortioner, unjust, nor adulterer, nor yet as this wretched Publican." I have kept myself strictly to the rule of mine order, and my order is the most strict of all orders now in being: I fast, I pray, I give tithes of all that I possess. Yea, so forward am I to be a religious man, so ready have I been to listen after my duty, that I have asked both of God and man the ordinances of judgement and justice; I take delight in approaching to God. What less now can be mine than the heavenly kingdom and glory?

Now the Pharisee, like Hamon, saith in his heart, "To whom would the king do honour, more than to myself?" Where is the man that so pleaseth God, and consequently, that in equity and reason should be beloved of God like me? Thus, like the prodigal's brother,

brother, he pleadeth, saying, "Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandments," Luke xv. 29. O brave Pharisee! but go on in thine oration: nor yet as this Publican.

Poor wretch, quoth the Pharisee to the Publican, What comest thou for? Dost think that such a sinner as thou art shalt be heard of God? God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God, (as I am, as I thank God I am,) him he heareth. Thou, for thy part, hast been a rebel all thy days: I abhor to come nigh thee, or to touch thy garments. Stand by thyself, come not near me, for I am more holy than thou, Isa. lxv. 5.

Hold, stop there, go no further: fie Pharisee, fie! dost thou know before whom thou standest, to whom thou speakest, and of what the matter of thy silly oration is made? Thou art now before God, thou speakest now to God, and therefore in justice and honesty thou shouldst make mention of his righteousness, not of thine of his righteousness, and of his only.

I am sure Abraham, of whom thou sayest he is thy father, never had the face to do as thou hast done, though it is to be presumed he had more cause so to do, than thou hast, or canst have. Abraham had whereof to glory, but not before God; yea, he was called God's friend, and yet would not glory before him; but humbleth himself, was afraid, and trembled in himself, when he stood before him, acknowledging of himself to be but dust and ashes, Gen. xviii. 28, 30, 32,Rom, iv. 1, 2, but thou, as thou hast quite forgot that thou wast framed of that matter, and after the matter of other men, standest and pleadest thy goodness before him. Be ashamed Pharisee! Dost thou think, that God hath eyes of flesh, or that he seeth as man sees? Are not the secrets of thy heart open unto him? Thinkest thou with thyself, that thou, with a few of thy defiled ways, canst cover thy rotten wall, that thou hast daubed with untempered mortar, and so hide the dirt thereof from his eyes or that these fine,

H

smooth,

smooth, and oily words, that come out of thy mouth, will make him forget that thy throat is an open sepulchre, and that thou within art full of dead men's bones, and all uncleanness? Thy thus cleansing of the outside of the cup and platter, and thy garnishing of the sepulchres of the righteous, is nothing at all in God's eyes, but things that manifest that thou art a hypocrite and blind, because thou takest no notice of that which is within, which yet is that which is most abominable to God. For the fruit, alas! what is the fruit of the tree, or what are the streams of the fountain! Thy fountain is defiled; yea, a defiler, and so that which maketh thy self whole, with thy works, unclean in God's sight.

But, Pharisee, how comes it to pass, that the poor Publican is now so much a mote in thine eye, that thou canst not forbear, but must accuse him before the judgment of God; for in that thou sayest, "that thou art not even as this Publican, thou bringest in an accusation, a charge, a bill, against him? What has he done? Has he concealed any of thy righteousness? or has he secretly informed against thee, that thou art an hypocrite and superstitious? I dare say, the poor wretch has neither meddled hor made with thee in these matters.

But what aileth thee Pharisee? Doth the poor Publican stand to vex thee? doth he touch thee with his dirty garments? or, doth he annoy thee with his stinking breath? Doth his posture of standing so like a man condemned offend thee? True, he now standeth with his hand held up at God's bar, he pleads guilty to all that is laid to his charge.

He cannot strut, vapour, and swagger, as thou dost? but why offended at this? Oh, but he has been a naughty man! and I have been righteous, sayest thou. Well, Pharisee, well, his naughtiness shall not be laid to thy charge, if thou hast chose none of his ways.But since thou wilt yet bear me down that thou art righteous, shew now, even now, while thou standest

before