hard and inflexible, patient, persevering entreaties at last gained their object. "And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them ?" There is cruel injustice in the world. Evil seems to triumph -those who contend with it are crushed, or turned aside, or grow cold, and it seems almost as if God was on the side of the wrong-doer, or, at least, indifferent to the good cause. But meanwhile His servants cry day and night to Him, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"* Will He not avenge it? Why, even the importunity would be enough to insure it-the time will come when He will bear it no longer. He would not have borne it so long but for great and gracious ends -ends which, if they could see what He sees, they would well know are worth the delay. "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh”—to bring the deliverance prayed for "shall He find faith on the earth ?"

It has often happened in the history of mankind that God's deliverances just come at the time that his servants had given up expecting them. "We

trusted that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel,” said the disciples, implying that that was a hope now gone by. But our lesson here is never to tire of praying, and never to give up hoping. If it is really for the right cause we are contending, for that which is according to God's

* Rev. vi. 10.

mind and will—and we may be sure that that which is for the highest good of men is His will-His deliverance when it comes will be felt to have been speedy, for it will be at the very best time. "Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."*

"A

SECTION XXXI.

THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.

LUKE Xviii. 9—14.

ND He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others."

We have here the advantage, as in the former parable, of having distinctly stated what was the special aim of the truth conveyed. It was designed as a warning against the feeling of self-complacency, self-admiration, which has as its fitting complement a feeling of contempt for others.

"Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican." It was common amongst the Jews to go to the Temple for the purpose of private devotion. "The Pharisee stood"-standing was the usual posture for devotion -"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." Now, what was there wrong in these words?

*Rev. xiii. 10.

Not that

he should know and declare himself free from gross vices. That was probably true-and for this he thanks God. But the wonder is that this should be the first thing that occurred to him-nay, indeed, the only thing that when he came before God he should not have thought first of his innumerable failures, omissions, shortcomings, struggles, broken resolves; and that these should not have pressed forward and peremptorily demanded the relief of confession before he had time to dwell on the favourable side of his case. Peter was probably quite as moral a man, but the first thing he felt in the presence of Christ was, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." But the Pharisee

had never had a sight of God's holiness; his ideal was low, and he had completely satisfied himself. If we feel no need of confession, it is simply that we do not know what we ought to be. Then as to his thanking God, one cannot but feel that it was a mere form-a decent piece of religious etiquette-he had too good an opinion of himself, evidently, to feel much obligation at having been restrained from sins which he most likely thought it impossible he could ever commit. Very different is St. Paul's thankfulness: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me," "who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious," &c. ; it is the deep sense of what he had been that enhances his wonder at being what he was. He thanks God not that he was not as other men, but that having been beyond

* 1 Tim. i. 12, 13.

other men in guilt, he had been beyond other men also in the experience of mercy.

We see next how shallow and superficial were the Pharisee's ideas of holiness. "I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." Very evident how highly he thought of these duties; but his very complacency in them at once marred their value. We know ourselves, that if a friend gives us a present, and we find afterwards that he thinks a great deal of it, it loses its grace in our sight; because if he thinks much of the gift, we feel that he thinks little of us. Thus it is with our services to God. If we can possibly reflect with satisfaction on how much we have served Him, it proves at once that we think but meanly of Him whom we fancy we serve.

"But 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.'" What a contrast to the Pharisee! In outward correctness of conduct, no doubt, the Pharisee was greatly the superior. The Publican had probably led an evil and scandalous life, but in reverence for the majesty of God, and sense of the vileness of sin, how greatly was he in advance of the self-satisfied religionist! "He would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven." Overwhelmed with recollections of his past life, he has no thoughts for anything else: he does not remark his scornful neighbour, he makes no excuses for himself, none of those allowances which a gracious God might make for him; he does not plead his bad training, the degrading influence of his occupation, the corrupting

society in which he had lived; one idea is alone present to him-his own unworthiness. He smites upon his breast in self-abhorrence and cries, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" "I tell you," says our Lord, "this man went down to his house justified rather than the other,"-his humiliation was far more acceptable to God than the comparative righteousness of the other;-" for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Now when we read this parable, of course we wish to be like the Publican rather than the Pharisee, and perhaps we take up his language as right and becoming to use. But there is a danger here. Exaggerated expressions about our own sinfulness are not unlikely to put us unconsciously in the Pharisee's place, and may be saying, in effect," God, I thank Thee, I am not as other men are. I am convinced of sin; I have a spiritual insight which the most of my fellow Christians have not. I have deep views of my own guilt, and of the depravity of my nature;" and all the while we may be really priding ourselves upon all this, as much as the Pharisee could pride himself on his legal obedience.

But suppose we really wish to feel true repentance for our sins, what are we to do? We must recollect that there is no such thing as truly repenting, by striving to repent as a means of gaining some advantage to ourselves. Trying to repent, in order that we may escape punishment, or gain reward, is useless. We cannot repent in that way. Repentance is a