ducees and Herodians, Scribes and Pharifees, and Difciples or Believers : On these are grounded almost all the Precepts and Reproofs there given, which in many Cafes cannot be rightly applied, or clearly understood, without understanding these Characters. What our Lord faid unto the Perfons of that Age, he said unto all under the like Circumftances. Neither can we readily think of any present Circumstance we can fall under, but what we fhall find a Parallel to, in the History of the Gofpel; fcarce any indeed, but what the Characters before recited will take in and comprehend.

The Obfervation, which our bleffed Lord makes in the Words of the Text, leads me to confider two of these Characters, that of the Pharisee, and the Publican, which I fhall now enter into more at large; compare them together, and fhew that the Cafe of the Publican muft, upon many Ac

counts,

counts, be far preferable to that of the Pharifee.

ner,

The Publican, who represents the Despised, was indeed a very despicable Character: Our Lord himself joins together, as Perfons of a like Rank and Condition, the Publican, the Sinthe Harlot, and the Heathen. The Jews thought it not lawful to converfe with them, and it was imputed as a great Crime to our Lord and his Difciples, that they ate with Publicans and Sinners: The Account of him in the Parable itself is, that he durft not fo much as lift up his Eyes unto Heaven.

On the other hand, the Pharifee, who is introduced to perfonate those, who trufted in themselves that they were righteous, bore a Character which feems as capable as any to support such a Trust. They were the ftrictest Sect in the Jewish Religion, the most scrupulous Obfervers of the Law: They

were

were much in Devotion, frequent in Faftings, extremely exact in paying their Tithes and Oblations, fo nice in keeping the Sabbath, that they thought the healing a diseased Perfon, or the plucking an Ear of Corn on that Day, Violations of it. They fat in Mofes's Seat, and Jesus Christ commands his Difciples to do whatsoever they bade them. They were in the highest Esteem with the People for their Righteousness and Learning. St. Paul himfelf makes it a frequent Matter of Boasting, that he was touching the Law a Pharisee, and the Son of a Pharifee.

It may seem strange to us, that this Publican, this vile and felf-condemned Sinner, who is thus ranged with Harlots and Heathens, fhould be by our Lord pronounced in a better State, and justify'd rather than the Pharifee, the Succeffor of Mofes, the most devout and zealous Obferver of the Law

What

in its most severe and expensive Inftitutions. And it may be fairly queftioned, whether there has been any People, in any Age or Nation of the World, who would not have concurred with the Jews in their Behaviour under the like Circumftance. Perfons are there, who, if they were to see the most learned Teachers and zealous Patrons of their Religion, postpon'd to fcandalous and profligate Sinners, but would, as the Jews did, have thought fuch a Sentence injurious to their Law and their Temple, and pronounced the Man who had given it, a Friend to Publicans and Sinners, and treated him as fuch?

Now to ftate this Cafe with all the Clearness and Impartiality that I can, and to do both Characters equal Juftice, I fhall confider them under the three great Branches of Duty, to themfelves, their Neighbour, and to God.

The

The Pharifees, notwithstanding all their Zeal for the Law and the Temple, are by our Lord charged with the groffeft Immoralities; nay, with making a Shew of Religion, only to gain the Efteem of Men, and to commit their Villanies with more Security. We are not bound to take the Pharifce's Word in the Parable, that he was not an Extortioner, unjust, or an Adulterer. Men who devoured Widows Houfes, and for a Pretence made long Prayers, may fairly be presumed to be capable of any Kind and Degree of Diffimulation. This loud and pompous Address to God might be a meer Pretext, designed only to gain the Esteem of the By-ftanders; and the Pharisee at last might be guilty of all thofe Crimes, which, in fo folemn a manner he disclaims in the Temple before God and Men. This, I say, may very well confift with their general Character. And if we admit this

VOL. I.

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