Behaviour, he is more likely to repent and amend than the other. The Manner, in which he appears before God, is in some measure fuitable to his Condition; his Heart is rightly affected, as the Pharifee's is the reverfe: But if he leaves thefe Sentiments, when his Devotions are over, if he returns like the Dog to his Vomit, and does not at last reform, they must both have their final Portion together. And let not the Publican comfort himself with this Confideration, that he fhall at laft fare as well as the religious Hypocrite, feeing his Portion is moft terrible and fevere. There shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Laftly, Let us all cleanse our felves from all Filthinefs of the Flesh and Spirit, perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God. It is not enough for us to avoid grofs Immoralities; these are generally abhorred by the Heathen and Unbeliever. But let us cleanse our selves from VOL.I. S

all

all Filthiness of the Spirit. We wrestle not, Says St. Paul, against Flesh and Blood, but against Principalities and Powers, against the Rulers of the Darknefs of this World, against fpiritual Wickedness in high Places". 'Tis the Wickedness which arifes from these fpiritual, thefe dangerous Temptations, that demands our Industry: It is here we must exert our utmost Strength, and wrestle with all our Might: It is on these Occafions the Apostle calls upon us to put on the whole Armour of God, to pray always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all Perfeverance. Flesh and Blood are Adverfaries far lefs formidable than thefe. Let us remember that our Lord will reprove the World of Righteoufnefs, as well as Sin. It is well if we guard against Sin, but this is not all we have to do, we must examine

Ephef. vi. 12.

our

our Righteousness; we must prove what we build, what we trust to, left we build upon the Foundation which is laid, and unalterable, Wood, Hay, Stubble, which will perish of themselves, and instead of bearing, increase the Fire.

DISCOURSE XI.

The Character of the Sadducee and Herodian.

MATT. xxii. 23.

The Same Day came to him the Sadducees, which fay there is no Resurrection.

N the last Discourse I obferved, what were the principal moral Characters taken notice of in the Gospel, and that almost all our Saviour's Precepts and Reproofs have an immediate and ftrong Relation to some of them; and that we cannot fee the Force and Propriety of these Precepts and Reproofs, nor apply them to prefent Things and

Per

Perfons with due Exactnefs, unless we confider the Occafions which drew them forth, and the Characters to which they are apply'd. Two of these Characters have been already confidered; I come now to the third, that of the Sadducee and Herodian. I place these two Denominations under one Character, as I did the Publican, Harlot and Heathen before, because their moral Circumstances are much the fame, and are so treated by our Saviour. What is called, Matt. xvi. 16. the Leaven of the Sadducees, is Mark viii. 15. called the Leaven of Herod. The Herodians, the Affertors of Herod's Title, and the Promoters of his Intereft, when they were employ'd by the Pharisees to tempt and intangle our Lord in his Talk, acted a very confiftent Part, as well as a very fubtle one. They feigned themselves to be juft Men, fcrupulous and exact with Regard to all the Obligations of their

Luke xx. 20.

S 3

Law,