SERMON XV.

THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE
PUBLICAN.

LUKE Xviii. 9, 10.

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a pharisee, the other a publican.

THIS parable, or short story, will be rendered most instructive to you, if I first› go through the different parts of it, and then point out to you such considerations, arising out of the subject, as I think best calculated for your improvement. May God's blessing attend my endeavours, by putting it into my mind to make those remarks which are likely to do you the most good, and by inclining you to listen to me with serious attention!

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a pharisee, the other a publican."

The pharisees are described as those, who made a great shew of reverence to God, and zeal for his honour. But it was in too many mere shew; they "drew near to God with their lips, but their hearts were far from him." In all their actions. they sought "to be seen of men," loving "the praise" of their fellow-creatures "more than the praise of God."

A

The publicans were an order of men, who collected, and some of them perhaps farmed, the customs and other taxes which the Roman emperors claimed from the Jewish nation. They were all, or some of them at least, Jews. But because the Jews in general considered these taxes as a heavy burden thrown upon their nation, they conceived a very bad opinion of these publicans, as persons employed by the Romans to oppress them, and adding to the evil perhaps by their own behaviour:

* See Family Bible, by Dr. D'Oyley and Bp. Mant, Matt. v. 46.

on this account, they always spoke of them as sinners. They were held to be infamous among the Jews, because they dealt and conversed much with the Gentiles, by the necessity of their trade; and also, because, hiring the taxes at a price, they were in the habit of raising gain to themselves, by making the people pay largely.

"The pharisee," we read, "stood 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. 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 to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner!" The pharisee meant this to be considered as an offering of praise to God: but was it indeed such? Who can be so mistaken as to think that he felt any real thankfulness to God? it is plain that he was full of himself, puffed up with spiritual pride; or, in the words of the text, trusted that he was righteous, and therefore looked down upon others, as if they were unworthy to be named with

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him. For form's sake only, he begins by saying, that he thanks God. And is not this expression sometimes used by Christians with as little meaning, when they profess to "thank God" for different things that they possess, and yet shew not forth their thankfulness in their lives? You may remark, how hastily the pharisee passes over his acknowledgments to God; but when he comes to speak of himself, how does he dwell upon the subject! He is no extortioner, he says--does not force from others larger sums of money than they are really bound to pay; he is not unjust, but gives every one his due; he is no adulterer, but leads a life of strict purity; he not only performs all that the law requires of him, but even more", for he fasts twice in the week, and gives tithes of all his property; making it, as he would

" I observe the law in its utmost rigour; nay, I go even beyond it, keeping two fasts in the week, for which I have only tradition, and paying tithe even of mint, anise, and cummin, (Matt. xxiii. 23.) the claim upon which was doubted. Dean Stanhope. From the Family Bible by Dr. D'Oyley and Bp. Mant.

profess, a matter of conscience to observe, in every particular, all that the most exact attention to the demands of religion can require of him.

Now when a man begins to praise himself, there is room to doubt. whether he really possesses the virtues to which he lays claim and I have observed, that none are more ready to speak favourably of themselves, than those who give no proof, in their lives, that they really have the good qualities which, they would make us believe, belong to them. "It is not he that commends himself," says St. Paul, "who is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth." And whom would the Lord commend? Those, doubtless, who do his will; whose actions are governed by the rules laid down in the Gospel; who, in their general conduct, do unto others, as they would have others do unto them. They who are ready, upon all occasions, to bestow praises on their own conduct, are not the persons whom, we should expect to find most sensible of their fail

c 2 Cor. x. 18.