The saint, the savage, ev'ry soul in need,
Is unto charity entituled.

This, you regard, conceited Pharisees!
Ye hypocrites! who others will despise,
Because yourselves are in your own esteem
Of greater sanctity than rest of men;
And, burning with a vain religious pride,
Strive o'er your neighbour's conscience to preside.
Two men before the sacred altar plac'd,*
By prayer both the throne of Grace address'd;
He, Pharisee, quite pure in his own eyes,
Would to his God, his neighbours thus despise,
"Thanks to my God, I'm not as others are,
"Rich by extortion, or by lust impure;
"Unlike this despicable publican, ·

"A reprobate contemptible and mean,
"I pay the priest with reverence his due,
"Fast twice a week, and still my vows renew.
He, Publican, at humble distance stood,
With down cast eyes this meek petition made,
"Great God, to me thy loving kindness shew,
"As I'm a sinner impious in Thy view,
"To me be gracious, Lord, my pardon send,
"To penitence Thine ear in mercy lend;

66 Though I'm unfit to raise mine eyes to heaven, "Unfit to ask Thee to have pardon given,

* See Luke chap. xviii. ver. 10.

The author much wishes that many modern religious professors would pay more attention to this parable than their practice declares they do.

Impure, imperfect, and by sin oppress'd, "Unfit within Thy holy place to rest,

"Still on Thy goodness, Lord, I will depend,
"And hope through love I shall redemption find!”
God knows the heart; the humble contrite soul
Had pref'rence giv'n to the self-righteous fool.
Let this example teach you to declare,
Yourselves no more than what you really are,
Poor helpless sinners impious and impure;
And make you know you here must humbled be*
Ere you hereafter's exaltation see,

As lowly as an infant made the man,

Or he can reach the happy shore of heav'n.
What soul elate with worldly pomp comes there?
Shall the ambitious mind its glories share?
How can they stand before God's glorious throne
With holy saints and angels praise His name,
Who here on earth adore themselves alone?
The scribes and Pharisees assiduous teach,
That 'tis their care God's holy will to preach,t
And will presume your consciences to guide,
To which induced by internal pride,

The ordinances they require to do
Which are your duty to observe, do you;
But for example never take you them,
As that they preach they seldom e'er perform.

*See Luke xviii. ver. 15-17.

+ See Matthew chap. xxiii.

To pond'rous burdens they will make you bend
Yet to remove them not a finger lend;
They'll publicly in pompous robes appear,
Superbly grand embroider'd garments wear;
Will at the banquet court the highest seat,
And be directors of the social treat,
Tell 'tis insulting them to rev'rence not,
And such contempt can never be forgot.*
But ah, ye vile deluding hypocrites,
Wo comes to you! as by your impious arts
You bar attainment of celestial joy,
And to destruction lead the tempting way.
You'll compass worlds a proselyte to gain,
But when your snares a victim can obtain,
He's twofold child of hell made more than you,
By confidence in your hypocrisy.

You do the helpless widow's mite devour,
Oppress the orphan, and distress the poor;
And that injustice plausible may seem,
You sanctity pretend to screen the crime;
And pay your tithes of trifles as they're due,
Yet violate essentials of the law,

As mercy, justice, faith, and charity,
The duties which your God delights to see.

Ye blind, ye self-instructed faithless guides, Pretending teaching yet untaught yourselves,

* I fear that this description will attach to many of our modern teachers, if so, the wo must accompany it.

As tombs' outsides are washed white and clean,
Yet with corrupted filth full cramm'd within,
So you a fair outside strive to possess,

But keep within extortion and excess.

But cleanse your hearts; to that first look with care; And your externals shall be clean and pure !

Now, you pretend a high regard to pay To whom for holiness your fathers slew, And tell in public had you then but liv'd Would care have taken they should have been spar'd; But, are ye not the children of these men

Who slew the prophets?-Act ye not the same?—
Behold!-Just men and prophets sent to you,

You'll shortly scourge and cruel crucify;
That righteous blood, from Abel until now,
May all be pour'd upon your cruelty.
I tell you, ere this generation pass,
Your sole destruction surely shall take place;
Fill'd up your measure of iniquity,
You may prepare just punishment to see;
You stinging serpents, vipers, biting all,
How can you 'scape the burning woes of hell!
Now, hear ye these, and from the moral learn
Your harden'd hearts from wickedness to turn.

With vines a lord implanted an estate, And trusted others it to cultivate,*

* See Matthew chap. xxi.

Himself retiring to a distant land,*
For passing years an absentee remain'd;
Yet, various times sent servants to require
The produce due to him as owner there.
These by his tenants with malignant scorn
Were all receiv'd, and treated with disdain;
No rent was offer'd the entitl'd Lord,
And he no profit from his own receiv'd.
He then resolves on sending there His son,
To try if they'll accept and honor Him;
But soon as e'er the Heir of all's beheld,
To murder Him those savages resolv'd:
Who comes but to His own, no more desires
Than dues that justice legally requires
Is buffeted, and most unjustly slain
By these ungrateful, harden'd, husbandmen.
What will the owner to these murd'rers do,
Shall he not come himself and them destroy,
Such base perfidious tenants extirpate,
To others give his ground to cultivate?

A select fig-tree in choice ground was set,
In expectation of producing fruit,
But, when the owner came his plant to see
"Twas found a barren unproductive tree,+
So gave command it should no longer stand,
As 'twas unfit to cumber more the ground:

* See Luke chap. xx.

+ Ibid xiii. ver. 6-9.