oners, uluiterers, untut, or even as this publicin.-The publican is reprefented as tanding far dif, and with a heart touched with humility from a juít fenfe atts own anworthines, is id only to have inote upon his breat, faying

Goo be merciful to me a inner. I tell you, adds our Saviour, this man went down to his houie uited rather than dhe suner.

Though the juice of this determinacon dukes every one at art fight, it may not be amis to enter into a more partieclar examination of the evidence and repons upon which it might be founded, not only becaule it may place the equity of this Ceclion in favour of the pubDean in a bronger light, but that the fubject seems likely to lead me to a train of redections not unfuitable to the folemnity of the featon *.

The phariiee was one of that fect, who, in our SAVIOUR'S time, what by the austerity of their lives-their public alms-deeds, and greater pretences to

* Preached in Lent.

piety than other men, had gradually wrought themselves into much credit. and reputation with the people: and indeed, as the bulk of thefe are easily caught with appearances, their character feems to have been admirably well fuited to fuch a purpose.-If you looked no farther than the outward part of it, you would think it made up of all goodness and perfection; an uncommon fanctity of life, guarded by great decorum and feverity of manners,-profufe and frequent charities to the poor many acts of religion, much obfervance of the law-much abftinence much

prayer.

It is painful to fufpect the appearance of fo much good--and would have been fo here, had not our bleffed SAVIOUR left us their real character upon record, and drawn up by himfelf in one word that the feet were like whitened fepulchres, all fair and beautiful without, and enriched there with whatever could attract the eye of the beholder; but,

a true picture of the man's heart, and shews with what a difpofition and frame of mind he came to worthip.

GOD! I thank thee that thou haft formed me of different materials from the rest of my fpecies, whom thou haft created frail and vain by nature, but by choice and difpofition utterly corrupt and wicked.

Me, thou haft fashioned in a different mould, and haft infused fo large a portion of thy fpirit into me, lo! I am raised above the temptations and defires to which flesh and blood are fubject.-I thank thee that thou haft made me thus -not a frail veffel of clay, like that of other men or even this publican, but that I ftand here a chofen and fanctified veffel unto thee.

After this obvious paraphrafe upon the words, which fpeaks no more than the true fpirit of the pharifee's prayer,— you would naturally afk, what reafon was there for all this triumph-or what foundation could he have to infult in this manner over the infirmities of